Just a quick note to say my contribution to my “Essential October Reads” series has been posted today — check it out!
Also, I put up a new blog post, for the philosophical.
WHERE’S WALDO? – A Guest Post by Jack Ketchum
Today I have a special treat for me, and for readers out there — a guest blog post from friend and mentor, Jack Ketchum as stop #2 on his I’m Not Sam Blog Tour! Enjoy!
So what’s disturbing? What’s troubling, emotionally or mentally?
Loss is, for one thing.
The novelist Michael Chabon wrote, “if you can still see how you could once have loved a person, you are still in love; an extinct love is always wholly incredible.”
I agree.
I’ve been going through some old files lately, actual paper files, excavated from the deep recesses of the bottom drawer of my four-door filing cabinet in my dark walk-in closet, trying to impose some order on what’s inside, separating unfinished fragments of manuscript from notes to myself, story ideas, letters, lists and throwing out the by-now undecipherable stoned maunderings of my youth — there’s a flake of something in my soup, I wish I had a dock to sit on.
It’s an interesting thing to do, this kind of housekeeping. Like looking at snapshots of your brain.
This is your brain at twenty-five. This is your brain at forty.
I’ve been separating the letters into two piles. Letters to and from other writers and more personal letters, from people you‘ve never heard of, although if you’ve read me and then went through the latter pile, you might just recognize a few of them as thinly-disguised characters in my stories.
But in this latter pile are love letters.
Letters that still have the power to make me smile, or bring tears to my eyes. Or both.
Because while I think that Chabon’s statement is true, that love never goes extinct, it’s also true that in most cases and to many varying degrees, the object of that love has gone out of reach. Has married or moved away or even died. Cannot be touched.
And to be unable to touch a loved one and yet still remain in love — that’s a very great loss indeed.
In I’M NOT SAM, Lucky and I wrote the following…
“I think of Sam and me at the amusement park in Kansas City years ago, before we were married, the way she kissed me from a bobbing horse when I managed to grab that brass ring.”
Sometimes, in a letter, in a memory, you can almost feel that ring, and taste that long-lost kiss.
…TO BE CONTINUED…
I’M NOT SAM by Jack Ketchum & Lucky McKee can be purchased from CemeteryDance.com and SinisterGrinPress.com. For more info about the author, please visit http://www.JackKetchum.net. or follow him on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/JackKetchum
Check out our contest giveaway at http://www.jackketchum.net/im-not-sam-contest/
And here’s our I’M NOT SAM 2012 Blog Tour Schedule. Have fun!
Tour Stop 1: 9/10 at http://www.Litreactor.com
Tour Stop 2: 9/11 at http://www.marysangiovanni.com/
Tour Stop 3: 9/12 at http://www.BrianKeene.com
Tour Stop 4: 9/13 at http://www.Bookgasm.com
Tour Stop 5: 9/14 at http://www.tompiccirilli.com/
HOLLOWER Books Almost Sold Out!
Thunderstorm Books reports that there are only two remaining copies of the Hard Rain ($35) version of The Triumvirate left, so if you were waiting on picking up a copy, now would be the time to move on it. Also, there are only two complete matching sets of The Hollower Trilogy (this includes The Hollower, Found You, and The Triumvirate). You can contact Paul Goblirsch and make him an offer on these if you want to get them before they’re gone. He also has a couple of “broken” sets or individual books available — this may be your last chance to match up your books.
Upcoming Coolness
A few announcements on upcoming things:
Fans of Jack Ketchum will want to check this space out come September 11th — I’m the 2nd stop on his blog tour promoting I’m Not Sam and I’ll be featuring a special guest blog post by him! I’m delighted that he will be stopping by. 🙂
I understand the Thrall audiobook is on sale through Dark Realms for only $5.95 until September 2nd — now’s your time to pick one up at its low sales price!
Also, as my first foray into Kindle self-publishing, I have finished the ms for a new short story collection called A Darkling Plain. The collection will feature 10 short stories spanning over a decade of my short fiction writing, including many hard-to-find and out-of-print stories and story notes at the end. Once it’s up and running, I’ll post ordering details.
A short story of mine called “The Anathema Cell” should be appearing in chapbook form soon — details to follow.
Finally, for those interested in this sort of thing, I am a quarter of the way through a new novel. I hope to be able to announce more about this soon.
Creator Cookout Today — Come Join Us!
This afternoon, I’ll be at the 5th Annual Creator Cookout, which takes place at Comix Connection in Mechanicsburg, PA. This awesome event is held to raise canned goods and money for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. Bring a canned goods donation and you can get stuff signed, eat for free, and hang out with a lot of great folks. Guests include Brian Keene, Mike Hawthorne, Duane Swierczynski, Dirk Shearer, Kelli Owen, and me.
Comix Connection
Artworks Building, Carlisle Pike
6200 Carlisle Pike, Suite C
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
Phone: 717-591-2727
THRALL Audiobook Available Now!
I just received confirmation that Thrall is now available as a CD audiobook through AudioRealms’ horror imprint, Dark Realms. It’s also available through Amazon for about $17 (free with Audible.com Free Trial Membership) and through iTunes. It’s complete with a brand new shiny cover and everything!
Check out a sample of Chapter 1 to hear Chris Roman’s excellent narration and consider picking up a copy, if you’re so inclined.
Updates and Appearances
It’s been a while since I updated the site and I apologize for that; I’ve been in the process of moving from NJ to PA and reconnecting all the wires that a move like that requires. However, I do have some news on the writing front:
* T-shirts will be mailed without fail this weekend. They are packed, addressed, and in my car, awaiting postage.
* On August 18th, I’ll be at the 5th Annual Creator Cookout, which takes place at Comix Connection in Mechanicsburg, PA. This awesome event is held to raise canned goods and money for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. Bring a canned goods donation and you can get stuff signed, eat for free, and hang out with a lot of great folks. Guests include Brian Keene, Mike Hawthorne, Duane Swierczynski, Dirk Shearer, Kelli Owen, and me.
* I understand that Thrall is now available as a CD audiobook through AudioRealms’ horror imprint, Dark Realms. Negotiations are in the works for audiobook adaptations of other works of mine. News to follow.
* Upcoming publications include a chapbook of my story “The Anathema Chamber,” which has never appeared anywhere, nor is likely to for a while. Possible upcoming publications include a paperback version of Thrall and Kindle versions of at least one short story collection. I am also 1/3 of the way through a brand-new novel.
Looking forward to this last quarter of 2013 — I think it’s going to be an exciting beginning to a great new life down here in PA. I appreciate all the support and help I’ve gotten from fans and friends alike during the transition. (hug) You folks are great.
Appearance This Weekend at York Emporium
A quick reminder, folks, that I’ll be attending Horrible Saturday this weekend, July 14th, at the York Emporium. Also in attendance will be fellow authors Brian Keene, Kelli Owen, Bob Ford, and Chet Williamson. We’ll be participating in all kinds of fun events including Q&A and an on-the-spot story round robin, and we’ll have our books available for purchase and signing.
York Emporium is located at 343 West Market Street, York, PA. It promises to be a lot of fun, so come on by.
Also, regarding appearances, I’ve made a few changes/additions. For an updated list of appearances for the rest of this year, check out the Appearances page.
And the Giveaway Winners Are….
The following are the winners of the Giveaway:
JAMEY WEBB
LEIGH
JOHN MORRISSEY
WES SOUTHARD
H CASPER
Winners: Please send an address where I can mail your t-shirt prize to marysangiovanni at hotmail dot com.
I will be mailing the t-shirts in the next two weeks (I apologize it needs to take so long, but I will be on vacation with Sprout and B for all of next week).
Thanks to all for their patience and participation, and congratulations to the winners!!!
New Giveaway!
UPDATE: A quick thank you to all who purchased copies of The Triumvirate — I really appreciate it. Contest is, of course, now closed. I apologize for the delay in announcing the winners — I’ll have a separate announcement on 6/13 proper with the list of names. Good luck and thanks again to all!!!
To celebrate the release of the final installment of the Hollower Trilogy, I’m doing a giveaway! From 5 p.m. today, June 1st, until 5 p.m. Friday, June 8th, everyone who buys a copy of THE TRIUMVIRATE Hard Rain edition and then leaves a comment on this post letting me know will be entered into a drawing to win one of 5 t-shirts, shown below. All shirts are sized XL, and feature a portion of Thrall‘s beautiful cover art by Vincent Chong, as well as lettering on both the front and back.
Fine print is as follows: One prize per household. Void where prohibited. Contest open to all individuals who purchase a copy of THE TRIUMVIRATE Hard Rain edition for the period of time between 5 p.m. Friday, June 1, 2012 until 5 p.m. Friday, June 8, 2012. Orders of entrants will be verified by Thunderstorm Books and winners will be chosen the evening of Friday, June 8, 2012. No postage necessary — I’ll mail the winners their prizes.
Good luck!!!
Mary SanGiovanni 
