Fear and Longing in Los Angeles

Today is the release day for the latest full length novel in the Canadian Werewolf series.

It all started back in 2006 when I attempted to turn the short story "This Time Around" into a novel called A Canadian Werewolf in New York. It took me almost ten years to finish writing the book, which was originally published in 2016.

But in the summer of 2020, after spending a few years working on the characters and considering the other adventures that Michael Andrews, the main character and werewolf in the story, might get into, I decided to invest in the Canadian Werewolf  brand as a series with new covers.

In August 2020 I launched Stowe Away an approximately 20,000 word novella adventure.

And, on Feb 23, 2021, Fear and Longing in Los Angeles, the second novel in the series.

Fear and Longing in Los Angeles takes Michael Andrews to Hollywood where he is working as a script consultant on the set of one of his books that is being turned into a movie.

He is using the trip as a chance to clear his head and get away from his frustrating love-life. The only woman he has ever loved, Gail, has made it clear that there's no chance of ever returning to the previous relationship. That, at best, they would only be friends.

When in LA, Michael encounters a mysterious woman he is compelled to get to know, and she turns out to be the perfect distraction for him. But while he's there, he also encounters some a nefarious hate group cult that is growing and threatening innocent people. And the woman he is getting involved with seems to have ties to that group.

Rude Awakenings from Sleeping Rough

This is a tough blog post to share.

 

It's about a book that was tough for me to read.

 

Especially from the privilege of the warmth, comfort, and security of a home...

 

...where I'm surrounded by books, surrounded by so many of those objects we take comfort in because they can perhaps, allow us to momentarily forget our mortality. 

 

Allow us to forget there's not that much separating us from our having, and not having. From having warmth, security and comfort, to having nothing but the clothes on our backs.

 

This was also a tough book for me to publish. But I wanted to do something. I wanted to share the story of my friend Peter.

 

It's not easy to read about something like this happening to someone I love.

 

It's a story that the charities don’t want you to read.

 

It's about a fate that can strike any of us, at any time, that we don’t want to think about.

 

I met Peter C. Mitchell in the mid 1990s when we were both working as booksellers at the Chapters in Ancaster, Ontario.

 

He was one of the most well-read, intellectual, and witty book nerds I’ve ever had the honor of working alongside.

 

Though he kicked my butt at chess and book trivia board games, I loved hanging out with him, because he challenged me. He made me think. He made me laugh.

 

We worked together over the years, he was a trusted friend who babysat my only son, he was also a first reader and wonderful editor for plenty of my fiction and non-fiction stories.

 

It has been several years since I’ve seen him in person.

 

He returned to London in 2017 to complete his research on a book entitled “A Knight in the Slums” a self-confessed vanity project about his great, great grandfather, Sir John Kirk, and the man’s dedication to bettering the lives of the disabled and the working poor in Victoria-era London.

 

A perfect storm of calamities ironically left Peter penniless and sleeping rough, falling victim to the very same ailments John Kirk fought.

 

 

That nightmare inadvertently gave Peter an inside look at the very systems put in place over a century earlier by his great, great grandfather and those who, like him, were trying to help.

 

That experience frightened him more than the horrors of homelessness itself.

 

And that is the story of Rude Awakenings from Sleeping Rough.

 

This is a book being published independently by my own Stark Publishing imprint in a stealth manner and on a shoestring budget and is being used to help earn Peter his way out of his situation.

 

Unlike most traditional publishing deals, the author is earning 80% of the net profits on sales of the book. (It's typical for a first-time author to earn 8% - and, if they're well established, as much as 20%)

Because I'm not publishing this book to make money. I'm using it to help drive funds towards a friend who does not want charity. He wants to earn his way out of the hole he is in. And he wants his story to be shared

 

Below is a link to the book at the various retailers where it is available. It released December 1, 2020.

 

https://books2read.com/rudeawakenings

 

It can, of course, be special ordered in paperback or hardcover via any local bookshop, as it is distributed via Ingram. (And I encourage folks to consider ordering books via local bookstores whenever and wherever they can. Local businesses serve the local community and culture and allow the revenue to stay local).

 

If you know someone in the media or a book reviewer who might be interested in a review copy of the book, please have them contact me.

 

 

 

The Mysterious Little Boy Ghost at Indigo Montreal

This past weekend, I was in Montreal to launch Macabre Montreal, which I co-authored with Shayna Krishnasamy. We did two events at two different locations. Given that, at both events, we sold all but a single copy, I'd call the events a success.

THANK YOU to everyone who came out to see us, to hang out, to chat, and to get books signed. Thanks to the awesome staff at both the Chapters Pointe Claire and the Indigo downtown Montreal.

Our event on Sunday Oct 7th took place at the Place Trust Indigo in downtown Montreal and was followed by a mini ghost walk of three nearby locations from the book conducted by the good folks at Haunted Montreal. (Seriously, if you go to Montreal and DON'T check out their wonderful historic ghostly tours, you are really depriving yourself of some fun)

At the end of the mini-ghost walk, where we were all left with chills, our guide warned us to be careful when returning home in case a ghost might follow us back.

What she should have warned us about was the ghost that might have already been following us.

Let me explain.

When I returned home to Waterloo last night (Monday night) around 9 PM, I received a disturbing text from Shayna.

"Question about our signing yesterday." She wrote. "Who the hell is that in the mirror?"

She included a picture that her friend Naz had taken of the two of us and Barnaby.

Who is the mysterious child in the mirror behind us?

In the image you can see, in the reflection of the mirror of an Indigo display behind us, what appears to be the spectral image of a child, perhaps a little boy, with dark eye sockets whose disembodied head is overlooking the scene.

Zoom in on the mysterious child with sunken eye sockets staring out from the mirror

"That's awesome." I texted back. "Ha Ha. Who doctored the image to add the ghost kid?"

"Naz swears up and down she did nothing to the photo."

"Well, then, THAT'S a story to share!!!"

We messaged a bit back and forth while I showed the image to Liz. Liz was looking at the pic to determine if there was someone maybe standing behind Naz or off to the side whose reflection was appearing in the mirror. We couldn't find a match, nor did a little boy (I decided it was a little boy) who looked like that ever seem to have been around that evening.

Shayna and I joked about it possibly being Mary Gallagher, one of the most famous Montreal ghosts - a murdered Griffintown prostitute who allegedly returns every 7 years to look for her head.

Liz then asked if I had taken any other pictures that evening, reminding me of the selfie I had taken of a woman who we wished Happy Birthday to on Instagram.

When I looked at that photo I felt my face going pale.

The mysterious vampire-like child appears in another photo from different camera

Sure enough, the mysterious ghostly boy face appeared in that photo too.

"What the hell?" I said. I knew I hadn't touched up the photo, with the exception that I added an Instagram filter. So who the heck was that little boy with the haunted sunked eyes?

The ghostly image zoomed in

I wondered about contacting the store, to see if anyone else had spotted this little boy ghost? I was curious about it not just as an intriguing Montreal ghost mystery that we could share on our Macabre Montreal Facebook page, but also one for my Tomes of Terror: Haunted Bookstores and Libraries page too. Also, we had to call Donovan from Haunted Montreal to let him know about a new tale they could share.

My heart was racing.

My skin was continuing to get more and more pale.

And, a chill running down my spine, my phone ping'd

Another text.

From Shayna.

It read: "It kind of looks like Audrey Hepburn."

Then, a few minutes later. "The image is clearer here." And she sent me a photo.

And, finally: "This is indeed Audrey Hepburn."

Audrey Hepburn does possess a haunting beauty

Liz and I looked at the image. And we laughed. It was Audrey Hepburn.

It was likely part of the display of the mirror for the products Indigo had on display.

We laughed, but I still felt a delicious shiver over the experience.

And I love that Shayna and I approached writing this book with the same sense of open-minded skepticism. I'm the true believer. She's the skeptic. We did our best to balance that as we researched, read about and then presented the facts in order for the readers to decide for themselves.

Of course, in this particular case, the mystery is solved. It's not the ghost of a little boy. It's an image of Audrey Hepburn. Although, if one admits, she DOES possess a haunting beauty.

In the initial slightly blurry image, I saw a creepy dark shadowed boy staring at us with his eyes open; when in fact, it was the timeless classy beauty of Audrey Hepburn with eyelids closed or down-turned.

Evidence that sometimes you see what you want, or you see what you are looking for. Like one of those psychology/Escher style prints where you see either an old woman or a young woman, depending on how your eyes focus.

A mystery solved, but still a fun one nonetheless.

The Capital Gets A Bit Creepier

My latest non-fiction paranormal exploration, CREEPY CAPITAL is now on bookstore shelves.

Come along with paranormal raconteur Mark Leslie as he uncovers first-person accounts of ghostly happenings throughout Ottawa and the surrounding towns - the whole region is rife with ghostly encounters and creepy locales.

Discover the doomed financier who may be haunting the Chateau Laurier. Experience the eerie shadows and sounds at the Bytown Museum. Listen to the echoing howls of former prison inmates at the Nicholas Street Hostel. And feel the bitter sadness of the ghost of Watson's Mill in Manotick. You'll marvel at the multitude of ghosts that walk the streets and historic landmarks of Canada's capital.

I love that, in the book description I'm called a "paranormal raconteur" - I'll need to revise my author business cards.


This weekend I'll be heading to Ottawa to officially launch it at three different bookstores.

Friday May 27th
Chapters Rideau
4 PM

Saturday May 28th
Perfect Books
Noon to 2 PM

Sunday May 29th
Books on Beechwood
Noon to 2 PM

I'm thrilled that Ottawa Ghostbusters will be joining me for the Friday and Sunday signings. (These wonderful volunteers go to events and ask only for a charitable donation for payment. For coming out to a couple of my Ottawa signings, so people can have fun pictures taken with cool Ghostbusters, I've donated money to the Red Cross Fort McMurray fund)

Here's the pic from the Books on Beechwood website. FUN!

I also thought that the cheeky post Perfect Books put up was fun. Politics can be CREEPY indeed.

Oh, and, of course, Barnaby will be there too, as always.

I, ARC

I received the ARC for my forthcoming horror novel I, DEATH the other day.

Cover for I, Death, designed by Bret Taylor

It's quite stunning. And I have to say that working with Ian, the publisher and owner of Atomic Fez, has been an absolute blast. He is an editor who knows what he likes, knows what he dislikes, and he pulls no punches in telling me that something about the story or plot is stupid and needs to be revised. His suggestions, edits and revisions to my novel (hilarious as many of his notes were), helped refine the story into something that I'm quite pleased with.

Front of the ARC - Releasing October 2014

I'll be on a flight to Texas for Romance Writers Association's annual conference soon and will likely be using most of my "air time" to go through the ARC and make some final proofing notes.  It's quite amazing to see this as a printed book after the long history the novel has had. The first half of the novel originally appeared as a "real-time" story told on a blog in 2006; I then sold the expanded novel version to Ian about a year or so later, when he was editing for a UK based publisher.  That particular publishing house didn't survive, but not long after when Ian started his own publishing company, he said he was still interested in the novel; but with only a book or perhaps two coming out per year, it would take a while to see the light of day.  Working with Ian has been very satisfying and was definitely worth the wait.

Back cover of the ARC

There's a wonderful quote from Halifax's the extraordinary storyteller and writer, Steve Vernon which is derived from the Foreword he wrote for the book:

"I, Death is a death rattle coming of age story; it is a song, and it is the world's funniest dirty joke - all rolled into one."

Oh, and, if Steve's quote wasn't warning enough, let me add a note on the content. I, DEATH includes raw horror and pretty nasty and disturbing moments with people doing really bad things to one another. It's not for the faint of heart. To demonstrate Ian's wry humour, check out the PUBLISHER'S NOTE disclaimer on the copyright page which addresses this....

That's right - following the standard "this is a work of fiction....any resemblance to any real places or persons....is purely coincidental" but is then followed by:  "Any scenes involving alcohol, drugs, and / or teen-age sex are not in any way an endorsement of these sorts of behaviour by the publisher or the author. Kids: don't do drugs, stay in school, use a condom. Word, yo." 

I've only met Ian once in person. At a brew pub. Imagine that? We not only share an affinity for twisted and dark humour, but we also share a passion for discovering fine new beers.  I'll be seeing him again when we do the pre-launch for I, DEATH at When Words Collide in Calgary in just a couple of weeks. Though the book officially releases in October, this will be a launch party with a special pre-release edition of the book which won't be available anywhere else.  [Facebook Event Info]

The book is in pre-order now (via all your favourite bookish places), or please request it/order it through your favourite local bookstore. (Only the print version is available for pre-order through retailers - the eBook isn't yet appearing in their catalogs) The story is also unrolling for free on Wattpad, if you want to get a head start on the story. There will likely be a Goodreads giveaway once we get a bit closer to official release time.

No Relation Book Launch

I attended the official launch for No Relation by Terry Fallis last night.

Sure, the book has been out since May and has climbed the charts on the Globe & Mail Bestseller list (no surprise there - it's a fantastic novel filled with both hilarious moments as well as poignant ones), but the evening was Terry celebrating his new novel with a group of friends, associates, family and colleagues.

Tim Fallis kicks off the evening, admitting he has "some relation" to his twin brother Terry

It was a packed house at Dora Keogh on Danforth; standing room only as we cheered and celebrated Terry's latest book. Book City, the very first bookstore to carry Terry's first novel The Best Laid Plans back when it was self-published and Terry was an unknown author, was on hand selling copies of Terry's novels as well as Douglas Gibson's Stories About Storytellers. (I'm proud to state that, while Book City was the first bookstore to carry it, I was the second bookseller to pick up his book and one that insisted we do a book launch for The Best Laid Plans at McMaster.)

Terry's twin brother Tim (who exudes the same charm and wit as his brother), kicked off the evening, congratulating and teasing his brother before introducing Douglas Gibson, Terry's editor and a master storyteller in his own right, who introduced Terry.

Doug Gibson talks about the joy of being Terry's editor and friend

Doug spoke about Terry's reputation among booksellers as a "nice guy" and, speaking with booksellers, you get a true sense that Terry is adored both near and far by booksellers and is an avid supporter of his friends in the bookish trade. He mentioned in his opening remarks last night that when a neighbourhood bookstore closes, it's not just the loss of a handful of jobs nor the inconvenience of not having a local bookshop to check out that occurs, it's that a piece of the very fabric of culture itself has been torn from that community.

Listening to Terry do a short reading from Chapter One of the novel made me want to read it again.I had read the advance reader's copy of the novel, but I want to enjoy the story once more and figure I'll go back and listen to the podcast of Terry reading the novel.

Reading the novel was great - but the humour was much stronger when delivered by Terry's fine reading of the piece. I'm looking forward to enjoying it again, this time through Terry's narration. (Yes, there's a podcast where you can listen to the entire book for free - Terry has done that with every one of his novels and I applaud Random House, his publisher, for allowing him to continue to use this vehicle as a promotional tool to help sell more copies of his book)

The novel is truly Terry at his finest form. I have adored all of his novels, and while I still have quite the fondness for Angus McLintock (brought to life wonderfully by Kenneth Welsh in the CBC MiniSeries based on Terry's first novel) this is my favourite novel so far.

Perhaps there's something about the way Terry addresses family in this novel that provides the ring of truth for people to embrace it.

The very first book launch for Terry's first book - back in Sept 2007 at the campus store formerly known as Titles (McMaster University Bookstore

In my review of the novel on Goodreads, I called the book witty, wry, cunning and clever and said that "the story combines silly humour, slapstick situations and unexpectedly touching moments with intriguing twists, knots and turns, creating a pleasurable, well-rounded and ultimately satisfying journey."

Join me and the smartest booksellers in the land in checking out this book which I highly recommend you add to your summer reading list.

The Day I Outsold Stephen King

Last Saturday was the official book launch weekend for Spooky Sudbury. I drove up north late on Thursday evening and spent most of the day on Friday doing a few different media appointments.

Jim, my publicist at Dundurn, had scheduled in studio appearances with Gary, Rich & Hilary In The Morning (Sudbury’s KiSS 105.3 FM) and Markus Schwabe of  CBC’s The Morning North as well as recording some videos at the haunted Bell Mansion for Eastlink News.

Jenny arrived on Saturday to join me for a launch that started at Chapters at 11 AM until 1 PM, and then at the Coles from 2 PM until 5 PM.  Jenny had to head back down south that night. On Sunday Sept 29th I did one final signing at the Sudbury Costco before heading back home to Hamilton.

Barnaby and Mark

Mark and Jenny, signing the last copy left at Chapters

We sold out at the Chapters in a little over a half hour. But we stuck around until our scheduled end time there. Chapters had copies of Haunted Hamilton (as well as copies of Campus Chills and One Hand Screaming), and the adjacent Costco had plenty of stock, so some people ran next door to grab a copy from there to get signed.

Barnaby hangs out on a bench outside the Coles New Sudbury while Jenny signs at the front of the store

Jenny's boyfriend Bruno hangin' with Barnaby

Mark, Barnaby and Lynn Murray (one of Mark's teachers from Levack Public School)

Then we moved on to the Coles, where there was enough stock to last almost two hours before selling out.  Barnaby sat on a bench outside the store and attracted a huge number of people. At least a dozen different groups stopped to each take their picture with Barnaby, many of whom were likely tweeting and posting them to Facebook.  I thought that was a pretty cool promotional opportunity, particularly since Barnaby was wearing a SPOOKY SUDBURY t-shirt.

On the Sunday, the signing at Costco happened.

Costco entrance sign announcing book signing

And that took me by complete surprise.

I'm a bookstore guy, so, while I had been pleased with the fact Costco was interested in having me in for a signing, I wasn't sure how successful it would be. Sure, there was lots of stock. But would the customers there be interested in an author?

The answer to that question is a resounding: YES!

First, the staff greeted me so warmly, and had everything laid out perfectly, including a sign at the front and a decorated table across from the skid of books. One of the managers said that I was only the second author ever to sign at that Costco. Canadian music icon, Anne Murray, was the only other author who has signed there. And hockey legend Bobby Orr was the only other author who was scheduled to be there later in the fall.  That was some pretty fine company for me to be in.

Author table at Costco Sudbury. (Barnaby was happy to meet up with his old Costco friends)

I was tickled when I saw that Spooky Sudbury was sitting on a skid near Stephen King's hot new book Doctor Sleep. So, I, of course, had to take a picture of it. I mean, how often would I ever be merchandised so close to a writer I have admired for decades? So close to a book that was hitting the charts at #1 in markets around the world?

I had to snap a picture of that, of course.

The signing at Costco was amazing. People continued to line up to chat with me and get a signed copy. Folks were buying multiple copies, for birthday gifts, Christmas, and other occasions. I ended up staying most of the rest of the day, and realized, towards the end, that we had pretty much decimated the pile of books.

BEFORE: A skid of hundreds of copies of Spooky Sudbury. (Doctor Sleep by Stephen King is on the left)

AFTER: The Spooky Sudbury pile cut down by half, "lapping" sales of Doctor Sleep

When I looked over at the pile of Doctor Sleep, I was surprised and quite pleased to see that Spooky Sudbury had outsold it. And, as a bookseller friend later pointed out, given that King's book is 3X the size of mine, the sheer number of unit sales to deplete the skid so far down was truly amazing. He said I didn't just outsell King, but I lapped him. (thanks for the ego-boost, Nathan!)  :)

Yes, I know, it was only in a single store in a single city in a single afternoon. But at least I can say that I outsold Stephen King.

One must, after all, look for ways to define oneself as a "big fish in a small pool" - thus, even though it was in a very limited fashion, I can boast about having two bookstores sell out of one of my books and outselling the King of horror.

Not bad, if I do say so myself. And I figure, I better say it. I just have to be careful not to break my arm while trying to pat myself on the back.

Northern Life Article On Spooky Sudbury

This past Saturday, Jenny and I did our book launch for Spooky Sudbury at Chapters, and a reporter from Northern Life (Ryen Veldhuis) interviewed us and took a few snaps.

Ryen's article and one of the pictures (a fun one where Jenny, Barnaby and I are all looking a little spooked while reading from the book -- okay, Jenny and I look spooked. Barnaby, as always, just looks a little happy) appear in an article in today's Northern Life.

Mark Leslie, Barnaby Bones & Jenny Jelen - Picture by Ryen Veldhuis, Northern Life

I love the fact that the article points out we had sold out within the first hour. At the time it was a bit frustrating, because there were more customers wanting the book than there were books available, particularly since I'm sure Chapters could have easily sold another 20 copies, and this is a local interest title that will likely continue to ramp up in sales as Halloween approaches.  But in retrospect doesn't the fact that the book sold out sound really exciting?  The manager at Chapters assured me he would be re-stocking the book, they also had copies of Haunted Hamilton in stock (which I signed), and he said he'd be ordering in a few copies of my previous books Campus Chills and One Hand Screaming.

We ended up selling out at Coles (they had brought in 55 copies) later that afternoon, and the following day I sold over 200 copies at the Sudbury Costco -- but of course, when a store has a skid, it's really hard to sell out . . . even though sales that day took a nice chunk off the gigantic pile -- and I can proudly boast that, for a few hours in a single store in a single city, I outsold Stephen King's Doctor Sleep.

Goodreads Giveaway

I recently worked with my publisher to create a Goodreads giveway for SPOOKY SUDBURY.

It works relatively simply. You determine how many copies of a book you want to ship (it has to be a physical book), WHERE you want to ship it and how long the contest will run.  Goodreads then has to approve it and if so, it's live.



When I contacted my publicist about it, he said, sure, Dundurn would ship 5 copies to any address in Canada.  (Spooky Sudbury is a regional title, focusing on ghost, UFO and supernatural creature stories set in or near Sudbury, Ontario).

We had 197 people enter the contest.  The winners were drawn earlier this week.

Yesterday I popped down to Dundurn's office to sign copies of the winning entries and they are being mailed out today.

Laura Harris (editor), Mark Leslie (author), Jim Hatch (publicist)

I had the pleasure of getting to meet my amazing editor (Laura Harris) and awesome publicist (Jim Hatch) in person. One of the things I love about Dundurn is that the people there are wonderfully supportive. Yes, I toil in the indie-publishing world, and also release self-published products. But I also enjoy working with a great publisher, too. I find that there is much to be gained by embracing both traditional publishing and self-publishing ventures.

Laura was a fantastic editor to work with - she helped Jenny and I take the book from a really good original draft to something really great. She made insightful suggestions, asked great questions, pointed out modifications that would make it even better and kept things on track. And Jim has been tirelessly working at various angles to get some spotlight on the book -- so far, I'll be doing two radio spots and one television spot next Friday when I'm in town. And there's more great promo opps coming.

The results of the giveway are that 103 people added SPOOKY SUDBURY to their Goodreads libraries (only 7 of them are Goodreads friends).  Getting your book added to folk's libraries by getting them to add it to their "To Read" and even better, their "Read" library, help aid in the discovery of a title.  Of course, getting people to rate and review the boo, help best of all. But it all adds up.

Banner for Spooky Sudbury - author photos by www.jorophotography.com

SPOOKY SUDBURY is being released officially next week.  Jenny and I will be signing copies at the Chapters in Sudbury from 11 AM to 1 PM on Saturday September 28th.  Then we're heading over to the Coles New Sudbury from 2 PM until 5 PM.  Here's a link to the event on Facebook.

Here are some places you can purchase the book

Print Book - Chapters/Indigo
Print Book - Amazon.ca      Amazon.com
Print Book - Support US Independent Bookstores
Print Book - Barnes & Noble

eBook - Kobo
eBook - Jan's Paperbacks (Oregon) - US Indie Store I'll be at in Nov. (You can search for the eBook at your favourite local indie bookstore to purchase the Kobo book through them and support your local bookstore - http://www.indiebound.org/ebooks)
eBook - Amazon (Kindle)

eBook - Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Goodreads Giveaway for SPOOKY SUDBURY

In preparation for the book launch for SPOOKY SUDBURY, which will be taking place on Saturday September 28th in Sudbury at two different locations (11 AM to 1 PM at the Sudbury Chapters and then from 2 PM to 5 PM at the Coles New Sudbury), my publisher is offering up 5 copies of the book as part of a Goodreads Giveaway.

Promo Banner for SPOOKY SUDBURY, featuring Barnaby, Mark & Jenny

The giveaway contest is open to anyone in Canada.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Spooky Sudbury

by Mark Leslie

Giveaway ends September 18, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

So go ahead - enter for your chance to win. Good luck.

And if you don't win one, don't worry, there will be plenty of copies available for purchase at the events listed above.

Tesseracts Sixteen Launch

A while back, I blogged about how I lost my Tesseracts virginity at 16.  I also blogged on the same subject for a guest post at Open Book Toronto.  In a nutshell, I spoke about how, after years of trying to get into the anthology by selling one of the editors a story, I got in big time when I became editor of the most recent edition of the annual series.

What a great way to lose that virginity -- to find and collect some truly spectacular stories and poems that showcase speculative literature with an arts, music, literature and cultural slant.

Sandra reads from "Mathom Measures" (left to right are Rebecca, Sandra, David, Michael, Derwin, Hugh)

And this past weekend, I got to show off some of the amazing content from the book at the Toronto launch at Bakka-Phoenix books.  Hugh A.D. Spencer, Michael Kelly, Derwin Mak, David Clink, Sandra Kasturi and Rebecca Senese.

The readings they gave highlighted the wonderfully dynamic range of material that makes up Tesseracts 16: Parnassus Unbound.

Listening to some of the contributors share their works at Bakka-Phoenix on Saturday filled me with a great sense of pride and accomplishment.  There is truly some incredible writing in Tesseracts Sixteen, and, as I mentioned when I introduced the authors who were able to attend this launch, I am proud and honoured that I get to help share their stories with the world.

Haunted Hamilton Book Launch

It has certainly been a great media week for me in the lead up to tonight's official book launch for Haunted Hamilton:  The Ghosts of Dundurn Castle & Other Steeltown Shivers.

On Wednesday Jeff Mahoney published a wonderful article about my new book in the Hamilton Spectator, and yesterday morning I had an in studio chat with Annette Hamm on CHCH Morning Live.  (And Barnaby made his first television appearance -- he was scared stiff: didn't say a word while Annette and I chatted)

 

Click here to watch the video clip of the 4 minute chat.

One downside to the interview is that my son Alexander was watching it live.  And even though he knows I write scary stories, he hasn't yet heard me tell any (except for some funny creepy and funny tales I tell around Halloween) During the interview I relayed one of the stories in the book that creeped me out the most:  a couple waking in the middle of the night and frozen in fear as the specter of an old woman hovered above their bed, looking at them -- only to find out, ten years later, that there was a tombstone embedded in the wall of their home.

So when the interview was finished, Alexander turned to Francine with a worried look on his faceand said, "Mom, are ghosts real?" And for some strange reason, he had trouble falling asleep last night.  (Just like his father, who often lies awake trembling under the sheets)

My publicist at Dundurn (Karen) has been working hard at getting some attention for the book -- I don't think I could have gotten any better support from her, the HPL and the local media. I'm rather overwhelmed, in fact at the amazing support.

I was impressed at how many times CHCH showed this on air ("Tomorrow" = Fri Sept 14, 2012)

The book launch starts tonight (Friday Sept 14th) at 7:00 PM at the Hamilton Public Library Central Branch (55 York) -- it is taking place in conjunction with the awesome Supercrawl (a huge music & arts festival in Hamilton's downtown) and Bryan Prince Bookseller will be on hand to sell the book.

I will be doing a brief talk and then a book signing.  And the good folks from Haunted Hamilton Ghost Walks & Tours will be offering two free downtown ghost walks which will leave from that location and take folks on a wonderfully thrilling tour of some of some of the featured spots and incredible oral storytelling which inspired me to write the book. (If you miss out on these free tours, don't forget to check out Haunted Hamilton's website for details on where and when they'll be next - such as a longer, full-length tour on Saturday Sept 15th -- and book early, their tours and fun Halloween Costume Ball tend to sell out fast)

It should be a good time.

Hope to see you there.