Tampa Book Buzz

terri garey’s book signing july 12

Local author Terri Garey (Dead Girls Are Easy) will sign copies of her new book A Match Made In Hell on Saturday, July 12, from 1-3 p.m. at the Westshore Plaza Waldenbooks.

A spooky old house and a closet full of family skeletons leaves unwilling “ghoulfriend to the dead” Nicki Styx wondering if her life will ever get back to anything approaching normal. Things go from bad to worse when the Devil himself shows up, on the lookout for a hot new girlfriend with the power to help him harvest lost souls. Demons may be a ghoul’s best friend, but with this particular hottie, it could be a match made in hell! A Match Made In Hell is the sequel to last year’s hauntingly funny Dead Girls Are Easy (currently nominated for Best First Book and Best Paranormal Romance by Romance Writers of America).

Visit www.tgarey.com for more info.

local author k.l. nappier on tv show studio 10 tomorrow

Tomorrow (March 28) at 10 a.m., local author K.L. Nappier will appear live on Studio 10, the daytime show of CBS Tampa Bay area affiliate WTSP Channel 10. Nappier told me that she’s been invited on the show “to discuss the state of publishing today and talk about Full Wolf Moon, which was just launched February as a paperback by Aisling Press. For those who miss the live broadcast, they can catch the show later via video stream at www.studio10.tv.”

You can watch the new video trailer for Full Wolf Moon on YouTube, MySpace and DailyMotion.

local author k.l. nappier is having a book launch party on february 23 and we’re all invited

Local author K.L. Nappier’s supernatural thriller Full Wolf Moon will be in wide release as a paperback by the end of this month by Aisling Press. Full Wolf Moon was originally released as an e-book at Double Dragon Publishing (and will remain available as an e-book there).

What fun is a book launch without a book launch party? Mark your calendars for this one:

February 23 — 4-6 p.m.

Panera Bakery and Cafe at Feathersound
2285 Ulmerton Road
Clearwater, FL 33762

In addition to the book signings, there will be entertainment and door prizes.

No werewolves, though, thank goodness. (I checked the Farmer’s Almanac lunar schedule to make sure.)

Hope to see you there! In the meantime, you can watch the Full Wolf Moon trailer on Nappier’s website.

book buzz:fangland by john marks

Fangland by John Marks

A travel diary written by TV news magazine The Hour producer Evangeline Harker chronicles her arduous trip to Transylvania to interview notorious crime lord Ion Torgu and describes her ensuing imprisonment, seduction and mysterious illness.

A series of email exchanges between someone at The Hour claiming to be Harker — although she’s been missing for months — and an easily influenced employee reveal the increasingly bizarre actions of infected Hour staff.

A network executive’s last will and testament describes the unexpected arrival of videotapes and large crates from Romania.  The videotapes appear blank, but with the continual malfunction of The Hour’s recording equipment, no one can be sure.  The ominous crates remain unopened in a back hallway of the office, but become objects of obsession among the TV news show staff.

An employee’s personal therapy journal documents the effects of the mysterious illness sweeping through the office: the insomnia, disturbing dreams, and words like “Nanking,” “Gomorrah,” and “Treblinka” constantly haunting one’s mind.

By presenting the story through personal email, journals and diaries, Marks creates a voyeuristic thrill for the reader peering into these multiple first-hand accounts.  Marks re-imagines the vampire myth and combines it with sharp commentary on post-911 media and office politics to create an unusual story.  To me, the ending didn’t quite live up to the promise of the rest of the book, but Fangland is still a worthwhile read.

Book Buzz Barometer: B

book buzz:full wolf moon by k.l. nappier

Full Wolf Moon by K.L. Nappier (ISBN #1-55404-192-9)

Through the setting of a 1942 U.S. internment camp for Japanese-Americans, Full Wolf Moon explores a controversial and often-overlooked period in American history.  While the tension level at the Tulenar Internment Camp is always high — for both the displaced Japanese-American citizens and the overworked staff assigned to the camp — a series of vicious animal attacks leaves the entire camp nervous and afraid. 

In the traditional K.L. Nappier style, however, there’s a twist.  The animal stalking the camp during each full moon is a powerful and very hungry werewolf.  Plus, the captain recently placed in charge of the internment camp’s processing center just happens to be recovering from a horrific animal attack he experienced a few months ago…

Nappier has successfully revived the werewolf myth by incorporating elements old (the markings on the victims’ palms mentioned in European lycanthrophy lore) and new (the Navajo healer/werewolf hunter who wants to kill the beast but save the man).  Full Wolf Moon was compelling and suspenseful; I’m looking forward to the sequel.

Book Buzz Barometer: A-

Nappier’s website is www.klnappier.com.

news and notes:smith, lynskey, sanders

• Local author and blogger Joy V. Smith’s media critters collection is scheduled for display at the children’s room at the main Lakeland library in June.
• Washington, D.C. crime-fiction writer and poet Ed Lynskey wrote to let me know that his new mystery Blue Cheer was released April 30.  “P.I. Frank Johnson has moved to Scarab, West Virginia, drawn by the promise of lazy days and the lure of its tranquil mountains. What he finds instead is a Stinger rocket exploding over his back yard. His ensuing investigation uncovers a cult called the Blue Cheer, a racist group with ugly terrorist plans. As events heat up, blood starts to spill, and for Frank it all gets real personal real quick. With the help of his bounty hunter pal, he sets out to bring the Blue Cheer to justice — any way he can!”  Visit his website to learn more.
• Chicago author Deon C. Sanders wrote to let me know about the e-book release of his second supernatural horror novel I Am.  His novel is about Lucifer’s war with God and His army of angels and the real — secret – reason why Lucifer was so jealous.  “It was an unknown evil, just as powerful as God.  Its name was “No Name,” it was neither good nor evil, and it was neither merciful nor malicious.”  Click here to learn more about Sanders’ new e-book.

local author news:llewellyn, boucher, nappier

• Local author Kimberly Llewellyn is guest blogging at Literary Chicks during the month of May. (My apologies for the delay in posting this; it was accidentally shifted further down on my Pending Posts list.)  Congrats!
• Kudos to local author Wendy Boucher for her recent interview in the Tampa Trib. 
• Local author K.L. Nappier’s short story The Thing Most Precious appears in Volume 2 of the anthology series Twisted Tails II, Volumes 1 and 2.  Click here for more info on this recently-released collection.  Bitten, Nappier’s sequel to her book Full Wolf Moon, is being released later this year.  Congrats!  (I started reading Full Wolf Moon this past weekend and managed to get through one whole page before the phone starting ringing and Real Life demanded attention.  But that one page was good!  I’m turning off my phone and trying again this weekend.)

february events for book lovers

As always, there are numerous book signings and book-related events in the Tampa Bay area this month.  Here are a few to consider:

• February 6 at 6 p.m. at the South Tampa Barnes and Noble — New York Times sports columnist William Rhoden will sign copies of his book Third and a Mile:The Trials and Triumphs of the Black Quarterback.  Also appearing will be legendary former NFL quarterbacks Marlin Brisco, Warren Moon, James Harris and Doug Williams.
• February 11 at the Sirata Beach Resort in St. Pete — The St. Pete Beach Library presents Sunday to Die For IV.  The $35 ticket price gets you high tea at the Sirata Beach Resort and the chance to meet ten mystery authors: James O. Born, Blaize Clement, Lary Crews, Cody Fowler Davis, Ray Dix, Lee Irby, Nick Lucas, Wendy Howell Mills, Diane Sawyer and James Swain.
• February 15 at 7 p.m. at the University of South Florida Marshall Center Ballroom — Horror author — legend, really — Peter Straub will give a lecture titled Why Would Anyone Read That Stuff?
• February 22 at 7 p.m. at Inkwood Books — USF basketball alum Tony Grier will sign his debut book A Raging Bull:Chasing the Big Time
• February 27 at 2 p.m. at the Centennial Park Library in Holiday — The Florida Humanities Council presents author Gary Mormino, whose lecture is titled Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams:A Social History of Florida

(cross-posted at www.sticksoffire.com)

book news:smith, horror authors book signing, dennis lehane, wmnf’s annual holiday bazaar

*Local author Joy V. Smith recently had a small article, illustrated with a cartoon, posted at The Idea Boutique.  Smith was also recently interviewed over at the Writing Space blog.

*Received via email:

Florida Horror Writers 
Mass Author Event 
 
Feb. 3, 2007: 1-5 p.m. 
 
Barnes & Noble - Carrollwood 
11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway 
Tampa, FL 33618 
813-962-6446 
 
Join authors Jeff Strand, Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc, Lynne Hansen, Carnifex Press, Belea T. Keeney, and many more. 

*The Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County are bringing Mystic River author Dennis Lehane to the University Club on Friday, January 12, for a ticketed luncheon as part of their Four Seasons Author Series. Lehane’s newest book, Coronado, is a collection of five short stories and a play. For more info or to reserve your luncheon seat, call the Friends at 813-273-3616.

*This year, WMNF is taking its Annual Book and Record Bazaar one step further by adding space for antiques, collectibles and local artists. WMNF’s Annual Holiday Bazaar will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. December 2 at the Cuban Club, 2010 N. Avenue Republica de Cuba, in Ybor City.

(Thanks go to Eric Sturm for sending this my way.)

local author news:odum, robinson, moran, van scoyoc

*Local author Ersula Knox Odum’s historical presentation of educator Dr. Mary MacLeod Bethune has been added to the Florida Humanities Council’s list of available presentations.  Odum also recently had an essay published in the Weekly Challenger.

*Local left-winger/writer/blogger Catherine Robinson recently had an op-ed piece published in the Tampa Tribune.

*Blow, a new tabloid of fiction, commentary, cartoons, verse and reviews, is debuting on September 22nd at the Bombshell Gallery, 2536 Central Avenue in St. Pete at 8 p.m.  Guests will receive the inaugural issue of Blow along with complimentary beer and food, with no cover charge.  According to Blow, its mission is “to once again engage periodical readers with entertaining prose — seasoned with sparing poetry, a few cartoons and noticeably light on advertisements — for a dollar.  The format — black ink on newsprint — is an homage to the way stories and art were once brought to the public: as economically as possible.”

The first issue will feature local writer Rachel Moran (who will attend the launch), award-winning novelist Michelle Richmond and acclaimed poet Erika Meitner, with cartoons by Playboy, Mad Magazine and others.

Visit www.blowsite.com for more info.

*Local author Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc’s newest book, Michael, will be available on October 1st.