FIRST UP, if you’re headed to the big ol’ NYCC next week, hey, guess what? You have a special super secret (okay not that secret because I’m blabbing about it here) to get an early advanced readers copy of The Staircase in the Woods — as above, go to the PRH booth (3021), and say the password, “I’m Invoking the Covenant.” And then, Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise, you will receive the book. (As noted: while supplies last.)
Second, hey, did I get my first semi-proper review of the book? Indeed. It’s from a reader, Daniel Fugate, who said in his spoiler-free review:
“There were moments in this book when I almost yelled out loud. There were moments when I wanted to cry or where I was completely horrified. The book doesn’t pull its punches. There are some gross moments in this book. And yet, there’s also something really wonderful in here. Something thats meaningful and something that will absolutely stay with me.”
Which is a garsh darn delight to hear that. And I know other folks who have read the book and have pinged me along the way of this journey and — well, I’ll just say I’m glad that people are really getting the book. It’s a twisty, mysterious journey, and I’m also glad that people are keeping the spoilers locked up tight.
Anyway. I’m doing the page proofs of the book now (as always, ARCs are not the final final edition of the book), and I’m pretty excited.
You can pre-order signed, personalized copies of Staircase from Doylestown Bookshop — I will also toss in something secret, something spoilery, something just for you and unique in the personalization. Shhh. Just do it.
And there’s also a Goodreads giveaway going on…
More as I know it!
Let’s see, what else?
This week, writers/editors Keene and Golden released the TOC for the upcoming anthology set inside the world of Stephen King’s The Stand…
Foreword by Christopher Golden Introduction by Stephen King
PART ONE: DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS
Room 24 by Caroline Kepnes The Tripps by Wrath James White Bright Light City by Meg Gardiner Every Dog Has Its Day by Bryan Smith Lockdown by Bev Vincent In A Pig’s Eye by Joe R. Lansdale Lenora by Jonathan Janz The Hope Boat by Gabino Iglesias Wrong Fucking Place, Wrong Fucking Time by C. Robert Cargill Prey Instinct by Hailey Piper Grace by Tim Lebbon Moving Day by Richard Chizmar La Mala Horla by Alex Segura The African Painted Dog by Catriona Ward Till Human Voices Wake Us, And We Drown by Poppy Z. Brite Kovach’s Last Case by Michael Koryta Make Your Own Way by Alma Katsu
PART TWO: THE LONG WALK
I Love The Dead by Josh Malerman Milagros by Cynthia Pelayo The Legion of Swine by S.A. Cosby Keep The Devil Down by Rio Youers Across The Pond by V Castro The Boat Man by Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes The Story I Tell Is the Story of Some of Us by Paul Tremblay The Mosque at the End of the World by Usman T. Malik Abigail’s Gethsemane by Wayne Brady and Maurice Broaddus
PART THREE: LIFE WAS SUCH A WHEEL
He’s A Righteous Man by Ronald Malfi Awaiting Orders In Flaggston by Somer Canon Grand Junction by Chuck Wendig Hunted to Extinction by Premee Mohamed Came The Last Night of Sadness by Catherynne M. Valente The Devil’s Children by Sarah Langan
PART FOUR: OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE
Walk On Gilded Splinters by David J. Schow The Unfortunate Convalescence of the SuperLawyer by Nat Cassidy
Afterword by Brian Keene
Okay, that copy/paste is a little weird, but hey, who’s in there? Alongside a holy shit bunch of authors? OH YEAH IT’S THIS GUY
My story, “Grand Junction,” is in there, in the portion of the book that’s set long after the events of the novel. It takes place, appropriately enough, on the Western Slope of Colorado — Grand Junction, Ouray, Telluride.
I feel incredibly fortunate and honestly a little swoony that I get to be in that book. The Stand is one of those formative books for me — of King’s mighty bounty, probably the most formative. Wanderers exists in part because of it — though it’s obviously a wholly different story, it also grapples with some of what is in that earlier novel, because how could it not? (I viewed it like, I hate how some zombie stories refuse to acknowledge zombies in mythology or pop culture, and so in my book, The Stand is a book that exists.) King brings to bear such a legacy, and to be able to stand closer to that legacy and — well, not be a part of it, exactly, but be allowed to exist near it, is honestly huge.
Thanks of course to Brian Keene and Chris Golden for having me, and obviously to King for letting this ding-dong from Pennsylvania anywhere near that world.
And speaking of King…
This weekend is the Harrisburg Book Festival, where I join Catriona Ward, Richard Chizmar, and CJ Leede to talk about King and his legacy —
Again: too damn cool. So, you should totally come to this? Obviously?
Hey, am I participating in an auction for Friends of the Ashland Library? I am! Auction opens Oct 15th, details here.
It’s spooky season. It’s apple season. IT’S SPOOKY APPLE SEASON.
First, find me chatting about Black River Orchard at the Bergen Record with Jim Beckerman —
And second, I’m still over at Instagram reviewing heirloom apples. Join me!
Monster Movie! is out. SPOOPY FUN FOR THE KIDS. And the adults. There’s definitely not rampant decapitations in the book.
(There are totally rampant decapitations in the book.)
Doylestown Bookshop is a great place to order from, as I can sign it to you or your kids or your pets or whatever. Bookshop.org is awesome, too. (And it’s on sale there and there’s free shipping for the next nine hours…)
ANYWAY. That’s it for now. Eventually I’ll pop back in here, maybe to talk about some other cool things coming up…
