the WV Book Festival is this Saturday

Get ready Charleston, it’s one of the best weekends of the year—the West Virginia Book Festival! This Saturday (Oct 21), from 8:00 am to 6:oo pm, come meet WV authors (including me) for a day of book-buying, presentations, and hearing from the headline featured authors. It’s free to attend. As usual, I’ll be there, selling my books and some new mugs. So make some space on your calendar this Saturday for the West Virginia Book Festival, held at the Charleston Coliseum. For more information, go to wvbookfestival.org.

Come to my workshop and meet new authors at the Lewisburg Literary Festival

The Lewisburg Literary Festival is FREE

Lewisburg is a beautiful, charming small town in southern WV, home to cute little shops, art galleries, caves, restaurants, an indie bookstore, and, every August, the Lewisburg Literary Festival, one of the highlights of my year. This year, come out on August 4th–5th for this totally free event that brings nationally known authors in to speak—past authors include Garth Stein, David Sedaris, and Jeannete Walls. This year, the featured Mainstage Authors are Lynda Rutledge, Silas House, Eric Eyre, and Joy Callaway.

Lynda Rutledge
Silas House
Eric Eyre
Joy Callaway
Continue reading

2023! It’s one more than 2022! Reviewing 2022 and new #amwriting goals for 2023

Happy New Year 2023

Every New Year’s Dayish I review the previous year and make new goals. Last year I posted a stock photo of a silly sheep, as well. No ewe this year.

2022 review

2022 had a lot going on. Job changes, moving, first-time homeownership—all this, to say nothing of writing-related goals. But we’re here to say something of the writing-related goals. So let’s get to it. What were my 2022 goals?

  • Finish Gobbler of Fire —Yes, though not nearly as early as I planned.

  • Write another adult novel —Not even close.

  • Write another short story or two — Yes, and it is… interesting.

Continue reading

Meet me @ the Lewisburg Literary Festival this weekend

It’s back, baby!

One of my favorite events of the year, the Lewisburg Literary Festival, is finally happening, after, as with many things, a long COVID-related hiatus. I’m so happy to be seeing my friends again and meeting new ones. Headline speakers this year are CBS Sunday Morning correspondent (and native West Virginian) Conor Knighton, record-breaking Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis, and Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau. If you’re a writer, you’ll want to check out the free workshops from thriller novelist S. G. Redling and poet/professor Elizabeth Savage. Anybody familiar with the LLF will know that there’s also much more that will be happening all around town… A full schedule should be posted to LewisburgLiteraryFestival.com this week, but just trust me, if you’re anywhere close, you should make plans to come see it (it’s free).

Let’s meet face to face

Of course, I’ll be camped out in the vendor’s area in the GBV visitor’s center, along with other great authors you can meet and buy signed books from. Along with my novels, I’ll have some of the last available copies of the out-of-print first edition of my weird horror novella, Unknowing, I Sink. So don’t miss out; let’s hang. Can’t wait.

#lewisburgliteraryfestival2022 #lewisburgwv #greenbriarcounty #hashtaglewisburg #downtownlewisburg #wvwriters #garrytrudeau #conorknighton #jenniferpharrdavis #lewisburgliteraryfestival #books #HashtagWV

Canal Town Book Fest May 27 & 28

If you went to this month’s Writers Can Read open mic night in Huntington expecting to see me, I’m really sorry to have disappointed you. That morning, I got hit with a nasty stomach virus. I will work with Carter to get rescheduled for another month. I hope all the best to those who went and shared their words. I’m bummed I missed out on all that fun.

It took me a few days, but I finally got my strength back after that stomach bug (though now I’m battling a minor cough, but not sure if it’s allergies or what—I tested negative for COVID this morning). So I’m definitely on board for the Canal Town Book Fest happening on the 27th and 28th in Dover, Ohio!

Click here to make sure you get all the details, but the short story is that there is an Opening Night Ceremony on Friday evening, 6:00pm, at the Dover Public Library, with a guitar performance by Bill Hall and an interview with featured author Julie Anne Lindsey. Then on Saturday, in connection with the Canal Days Festival, come meet authors and buy books at the author fair set up from 10:00am to 3:00pm at the corner of Wooster Ave and 3rd St.

Keep tabs on their Facebook page for all the latest info and announcements. See you there!

May 16th Featured Reader at WRITERS CAN READ in Huntington WV

Come out to Heritage Station in Huntington, WV on Monday and hear Jeffrey Mangus and me reading excerpts from our books. But it’s not all about us—bring a little something of your own to read!

I always love visiting Huntington and can’t wait to see everyone there. Big thanks to Carter Taylor Seaton for organizing this amazing event every month. It’s an honor to be friends with such a talented and generous writer who works so tirelessly to promote others in her community.

Writers Can Read Open Mic Night in Huntington #huntingtonwv #writerscanread #heritagestation #openmicnight #wvwriters #downtownhuntington #myhuntington #supportlocal #westvirginia #HtownWV #VisitHuntingtonWV

Reading at Marion County Public Library

Join me in a couple weeks at the Marion County Public Library! On Saturday, April 9th, I will be reading excerpts from my books, speaking, and selling signed copies in the Exhibit Room. The event will begin at 2:00 and will go until 3:30. I’m so ready to be out and about. Please set your calendar to meet me there.

Registration is required! Please click here to visit MCPL’s event page and sign up!

#mcpl #marioncountypubliclibrary #authorsigning #authorreading #horrorfiction #books #libraries #supportyourlibrary #booksigning