Vol 5 No 6. Friday, September 4, 2015: September kicks off readings from a pair of NY Times bestselling authors, as Quail Ridge Books welcomes Kim Harrison (today, Friday) and Christopher Moore (tomorrow, Saturday) this Dragon Con weekend, and we’re just two weeks away from the second Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Southeast Reading Series event at Duke University on Thursday, September 17. So! Let’s start with the details of these September events highlights:

4 (Friday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Kim Harrison – ‘The Drafter’. “Folks loved the Hollows series. Now Kim Harrison returns on Friday, September 4, at 7 pm with The Drafter . ThinkThe Bourne Identity meets Minority Report in this first highly-anticipated installment of Harrison’s sexy new suspense trilogy, featuring a brilliant special task agent at the top of her field and set in a futuristic Detroit.”

. ThinkThe Bourne Identity meets Minority Report in this first highly-anticipated installment of Harrison’s sexy new suspense trilogy, featuring a brilliant special task agent at the top of her field and set in a futuristic Detroit.” 5 (Saturday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Christopher Moore – ‘Secondhand Souls’. “How do we describe Christopher Moore’s work? Just… go with the flow and be prepared to snort with laughter. The author of Lamb , The Serpent of Venice and more joins us on Saturday, September 5, at 7 pm with Secondhand Souls . In this delightfully weird and funny sequel to the NY Timesbestseller A Dirty Job , the souls of the dead are mysteriously disappearing – and you know that can’t be good.”

, and more joins us on Saturday, September 5, at 7 pm with . In this delightfully weird and funny sequel to the NY Timesbestseller , the souls of the dead are mysteriously disappearing – and you know that can’t be good.” 17 (Thursday) 4 pm — Duke University Libraries hosts the SFWA Southeast Reading Series for “Storytelling and Migration” with authors Gail Z. Martin, Alyssa Wong, Ursula Vernon, Delilah S. Dawson, and Monica Byrne, cosponsored by the Franklin Humanities Institute’s Story Lab at the FHI Garage at Duke’s Smith Warehouse. Refreshments at 4 pm, with the program to start at 4:30 pm.

In addition to these highlights, there’s also two major literary conferences (the Bookmarks Festival of Books in Winston-Salem and the Southern Independent Booksellers Association trade show in Raleigh, with huge lists of big-name authors at both), two concerts (one with music from The Legend of Zelda and another of the music from The Lord of the Rings), and some excellent children’s and young reader events as well (Ursula Vernon, Robert Beatty, Brad Meltzer, and Gene Yuen Lang’s Secret Coders).

And that’s all before an October that’s already beginning to burst at the seams, with (mostly new to this month’s newsletter) readings from Eoin Colfer, David Levithan, Alexandra Duncan, Leigh Bardugo, Brian Selznick, Julia Elliott, and A.G. Riddle, along with the comedy of John Hodgman and! to close the month: HonorCon at the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown.

November already had two huge events as of the last newsletter (a special Welcome to Night Vale event in Chapel Hill and, of course, NC Comicon at the Durham Convention Center) to which this newsletter adds readings from A.G. Riddle, Clay and Susan Griffith, Marissa Meyer, and, just-announced, The Wheel of Time Companion tour with authors Harriet McDougal, Maria Simons, and Alan Romanczuk, and special guest Jason Denzel of Dragonmount.com.

It’s going to be an excellent fall, isn’t it?

NEWS AND PUBLICATION NOTES

Before I get to the books (and cookbook!) and comics and even a new filk album that’s been released since the last newsletter, here’s a few (among several I’m sure I’m missing) publication notes to pass along, bundled together with some miscellaneous news:

NEW RELEASES

From books, to the 50th Anniversary SFWA Cookbook (featuring ex-local and Bull Spec contributor Becca Gomez Farrell!) to a new filk album from Gray Rinehart, to new audiobooks, we’ve got another sizable haul from North Carolina’s authors since the last newsletter. There’s two I want to quickly highlight. The first is the debut novel Haw from local author Sean Jackson which IndyWeek’s Brian Howe describes as a dystopian novel which “chucks North Carolina into the dustbin”. Intrigued? I know I am. The second is a new edition of The Hunter Returns by David Drake and Jim Kjelgaard, “the Return of a Masterpiece of Middle Grade Fiction”. Enjoy the gallery!















OTHER

Before I sign off this month, here’s what’s new at bullspec.com since the July newsletter:

What’s coming soon? Well, Paul Kincaid’s August column is ready, there are some hardest part essays in the queue (Karissa Laurel, Adam Morgan), I’ve got some more coming to town interviews lined up (Robert Beatty), and judging by the drafts I can see and discussions I’ve been having with Angela and Gerald, look for another good-sized haul of “The Exploding Spaceship” in the months to come as well. Enjoy!

-Sam

PS: This flyer isn’t up-to-the-minute updated, but as I need to revisit it after this weekend anyway, it’ll have to do until then:

[handout-2015-08-20.pdf]

SEPTEMBER 2015

NEW: 3-19 (Thursday to Saturday) 8 pm — Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern and Block-Ops present The Shipment at Durham’s Common Ground Theatre, a “scathing comedy that walks ‘the line between stock forms of Black entertainment and some unidentifiable weirdness'”. I still don’t have a solid handle on what this is going to be about, but the trailer has a Dalek and other, yes, unidentifiable weirdness. Expect anything.

4 (Friday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Kim Harrison – ‘The Drafter’. “Folks loved the Hollows series. Now Kim Harrison returns on Friday, September 4, at 7 pm with The Drafter. ThinkThe Bourne Identity meets Minority Report in this first highly-anticipated installment of Harrison’s sexy new suspense trilogy, featuring a brilliant special task agent at the top of her field and set in a futuristic Detroit.”

5 (Saturday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Christopher Moore – ‘Secondhand Souls’. “How do we describe Christopher Moore’s work? Just… go with the flow and be prepared to snort with laughter. The author of Lamb, The Serpent of Venice and more joins us on Saturday, September 5, at 7 pm with Secondhand Souls. In this delightfully weird and funny sequel to the NY Timesbestseller A Dirty Job, the souls of the dead are mysteriously disappearing – and you know that can’t be good.”

10 (Thursday) 8 pm — The Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) hosts The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses: “‘The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses’ concert series is back with a third installment: ‘Master Quest’. Audiences can expect to experience awesome new inclusions from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, and new music from the recently announced remake of fan favorite The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. A four-movement symphony, recounting the classic storylines from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and A Link to the Past. The performance will also highlight orchestral renditions of music from The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Performed by a 90-piece orchestra & choir with a giant screen.”

NEW: 10-12 (Thursday to Saturday) — The Bookmarks NC 2015 Festival of Books and Authors in downtown Winston-Salem with author David Baldacci (keynote, September 10), various “eat and greet” events on September 11, and a full day of free festival programming on Saturday (September 12) with authors Robert Beatty, Pat Conroy, Ron Rash, Fred Chappell, Marc Brown, R.L. Stine, Garth Stein, Mercedes Lackey, and more.

11-13 (Friday to Sunday) — Paperhand Puppet Intervention presents this season’s series of performances at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

NEW: 12 (Saturday) 8 pm — The ArtsCenter hosts “Danger!”, the season opener of The Monti storytelling calendar. Ticketed event.

14 (Monday) 5:30 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Matthew Neill Null discusses his debut novel Honey from the Lion; Introduction by Allan Gurganus. (Fiction.)

14 (Monday) 7 pm — The Regulator Bookshop hosts Amy Stewart, “Girl Waits With Gun”. (Fiction.)

NEW: 15 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Danny Dragonbreath author Ursula Vernon for her new young reader book Hamster Princess. (Kids.)

NEW: 16 (Wednesday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Brad Melzter for his new children’s book I Am Helen Keller in his Ordinary People Change the World series (I am Abraham Lincoln, I Am Amelia Airhart, I Am Albert Einstein, I Am Jackie Robinson, I Am Lucille Ball, and I Am Rosa Parks). (Kids.)

17 (Thursday) 4 pm — Duke University Libraries hosts the SFWA Southeast Reading Series for “Storytelling and Migration” with authors Gail Z. Martin, Alyssa Wong, Ursula Vernon, Delilah S. Dawson, and Monica Byrne, cosponsored by the Franklin Humanities Institute’s Story Lab at the FHI Garage at Duke’s Smith Warehouse. Refreshments at 4 pm, with the program to start at 4:30 pm.

18-19 (Friday and Saturday) 7:30 pm — The Red Hat Amphitheater hosts The Lord of the Rings in Concert — “Peter Jackson’s award-winning epic will be projected digitally on an immense high definition screen while the combined forces of the North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Master Chorale, and The Raleigh Boychoir bring the music of Middle-earth to life.”

18-19 (Friday and Saturday) — The Carolina Theatre of Durham hosts two screenings of David Lynch’s Dune: The Extended Cut. “Here’s a rare screening of the extended TV cut of this sci-fi masterpiece. Visit an unbelievable world beyond time and space. This is the saga of intergalactic warrior Paul Atreides (Kyle MacLachlan) and his messianic rise to leadership, featuring an all-star cast including Max Von Sydow, Linda Hunt and Sting.” Showtimes are Friday at 8:30 pm and Saturday at 12:45 pm.

18-20 (Friday to Sunday) — The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) trade show in Raleigh at the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown with authors Julia Elliott, Jeff Strand, Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis, Renee Ahdieh, Robert Beatty, Katherine Harbour, A.G. Riddle, V.E. Schwab, and many more. More info: http://sibaweb.com/trade-show

NEW: 19 (Saturday) 6 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Asheville author Robert Beatty for his bestselling Biltmore-set debut middle grade novel Serafina and the Black Cloak (Disney/Hyperion).

NEW: 19-20 (Saturday and Sunday) — Durham’s CenterFest Arts Festival in Downtown Durham, with 140 visual artists, live music and dance, a Creative Kids Zone, and more.

NEW-NEW: 19-20 (Saturday and Sunday) — Central North Carolina Pagan Pride Days Festival at the NC State Fairgrounds: “The Central NC Pagan Pride Days Festival attracts more than 3000 pagans, pagan friends and the pagan curious every year. Open to the general public, this autumn celebration offers two days of both entertainment and education through social, commercial and spiritual activities. All are welcome to join or observe rituals, attend workshops, meet local groups, and much more, all in a festival environment full of vendors, music, and fun.”

NEW-NEW: 20 (Sunday) 12 to 5 pm — The Triangle Reads moveable feast and afternoon of panels and signings to close the SIBA trade show at the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown, with more than 20 authors including Robert Beatty (Serafina and the Black Cloak), Holly Sullivan McClure (Conjuror), and Marly Youmans (Maze of Blood). Tickets are $99 which includes two lunches and two $15 vouchers for books. Seating is limited to 100 people, so register now! Followed by a cocktail hour with the authors at 5:30 pm.

21 (Monday) 7 pm — The Regulator Bookshop hosts Matthew Guinn, “The Scribe”. (Fiction.)

22 — Regional author book release day for Sound by Alexandra Duncan (Greenwillow Books, Sep 22) — a stand-alone companion novel to her 2014 debut Salvage.

26 (Saturday) 10:30 am to 1 pm — A “Scents of of Creativity & Memory” workshop at the Dan Pollitt Conference Center in Pittsboro. “Connect to creativity and open emotional blocks through your strongest sense. Essential oils are used as creative prompts in class. Whether you are a writer, artist, or other creative mind, using aromas to stir ideas and memories can help you get closer to the work you do. Essentials oils can help align your health and creative values. Writers will get a bit more out of this class as discussions will focus on literary devices evoked by aromas, literary journal submissions, and self-pub v. traditional publishing options.” More info or to register: http://www.taralynnegroth.com/writing-classes.html

30 (Wednesday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Gene Luen Yang – ‘Secret Coders’. “From the graphic novel superstar comes a wildly entertaining new series that combines logic puzzles and basic coding instruction with a page-turning mystery plot! For ages 8+.”

TBD — Local author book release day for Badge, Book, and Candle (Bookburners, #1) by Mur Lafferty (Serial Box, co-authored with Max Gladstone, Brian Francis Slattery, and Margaret Dunlap).

OCTOBER 2015

NEW: 1 (Thursday) 3:30 pm — Bull’s Head Bookshop at UNC, Chapel Hill welcomes Adam Morgan for a reading and signing of his new non-fiction book North Carolina’s Wild Piedmont: A Natural History. Morgan will also be making a few stops on a signing-only basis, at Charlotte’s Park Road Books (Monday, Sep 28, 7pm), Raleigh’s Quail Ridge Books (Tuesday, September 29, 2 pm), and Chapel Hill’s Flyleaf Books (Wednesday, September 30, 2 pm).

NEW-NEW: 2 (Friday) 6 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Eoin Colfer & Oliver Jeffers – ‘Imaginary Fred’. The Artemis Fowl author joins forces with a celebrated artist for an original picture book “about the longing for friendship and the power of imagination”. (Kids.)

NEW-NEW: 2 (Friday) 7 pm — NCComicon & Cats Cradle present SCARY BAD MOVIE NIGHT. “October is coming, so guess what?! We’re bustin’ out the Halloween VHS and having a party! Join us on FRIDAY OCT 2nd at 7pm at the Cats Cradle Back Room for a special screening of not one but TWO scary-bad movies on the big-screen. Right out of the gate we hit you with the heavy-metal deal-with-the-devil fright flick called SHOCK ‘EM DEAD! You wanna shred guitar like a badass you better be ready to sell your soul! Then it’s time for another VHS favorite as HACK-O-LANTERN comes to your town! Granddad worships Satan and mom has something to hide in this best-of-the-worst Halloween awesomeness! AND there’s a metal band? Do you sense a rockin’ theme? $7 bucks gets you in the door and the first 50 attendees receive an Ultimate Comics swag bag full of comic book goodness!”

2-4 (Friday to Sunday) DeepSouthCon 53 at CONtraflow V in New Orleans with guests of honor Robert J. Sawyer, Seanan McGuire, and Les Johnson.

NEW: 3 (Saturday) 7 pm — The Regulator Bookshop hosts JJ Johnson, “Believarexic”. (Teen+.)

NEW-NEW: 4 (Sunday) 7 pm — Raleigh’s Colony Twin Theater (5438 Six Forks Rd) presents a free screening of the 1920 German silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. “Considered the quintessential work of German Expressionist cinema, it tells the story of an insane hypnotist who uses a somnambulist to commit murders. The film features a dark and twisted visual style, with sharp-pointed forms, oblique and curving lines, structures and landscapes that lean and twist in unusual angles, and shadows and streaks of light painted directly onto the sets. This presentation features an original soundtrack with musicians all over the world, including Raleigh, NC musician Steve Burnett who performs Act VI’s score on the soundtrack of the film as Subscape Annex using Chapman Stick, theremin, and electric upright bass.”

5 (Monday) 6:30 pm — The Orange County Library hosts First Monday Classics: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

6 — Local book release day for the David Drake tribute anthology Onward, Drake! edited by Mark Van Name, with stories by Drake, Van Name, Mur Lafferty, Tony Daniel, T.C. McCarthy, and more. (Baen, October 6)

6 (Tuesday) 5 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Sheila Turnage – ‘The Odds of Getting Even’. “Kids and the Newbery committee loved Sheila’s Three Times Lucky, the first of her humorous mysteries set in the fictional little NC town of Tupelo Landing. Mo, Dale, and their families and friends went on to The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing (now in paperback). We’re delighted and thrilled to once again be the launch site (party!) for Sheila’s The Odds of Getting Even.” (Kids 9+).

NEW: 7 (Wednesday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts David Levithan and debut author Will Walton discuss their YA novels, Another Day and Anything Could Happen. (Teen.)

8 (Thursday) 7:30 pm — The Durham Performaning Arts Center (DPAC) hosts An Evening with Neil deGrasse Tyson: “Join us for an evening of engaging conversation on science, exploration, and the world as we know it with superstar scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Neil is an award-winning astrophysicist, author, regular guest on The Daily Show, host of FOX’s Cosmos, and host of his own radio show StarTalk. He has a new latenight TV show also called StarTalk, which premieres on National Geographic on April 20.”

8-11 (Thursday to Sunday) Bouchercon 2015 in Raleigh. Bouchercon is the annual World Mystery Convention, and this is the first Bouchercon ever (in its nearly 50-year history) to be held in the American South. Ahead of the convention, Noir at the Bar visits Raleigh’s Common 414 (414 Fayetteville St) on Thursday, October 8 at 7 pm: “Join eleven crime fiction authors as they read, mingle, and talk at Common 414 in Raleigh during the Bouchercon convention. Readers include Jen Conley, Thomas Pluck, Tom Pitts, Joe Clifford, Eric Beetner, Ed Kurtz, Johnny Shaw, Steve W. Lauden, Christa Faust, Les Edgerton and Jedidiah Ayres. Hosted by Eryk Pruitt. Get your party britches on. This one is going to leave a mark.”

NEW-NEW: 9 (Friday) 4 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Sheila Turnage discusses her newest novel, The Odds of Getting Even, at Chapel Hill Public Library.

NEW: 10 (Saturday) 3 pm — The Regulator Bookshop hosts Lucy Rozier, “Jackrabbit McCabe and the Electric Telegraph”. (Kids.)

NEW-NEW: 10 (Saturday) 8 pm — Durham’s The Carrack Modern Art (111 W Parrish St) presents Masked: a 1-man contemporary commedia dell’arte obsession: “The lives of three characters intertwine in this raw, 1-man mask performance. “Masked” brings the 500-year-old art form commedia dell’arte to life, infusing it with a contemporary, physical, and genuine approach to theatrical work. First performed as part of the Mama Escena Fest in Ecuador and later developed through the UNC Process Series, “Masked” is an emotionally honest and riveting journey into the inherent comedy and tragedy of our human existence.” Performed by Evan Mitchell.

NEW-NEW: 11 (Sunday) 2 to 4:30 pm — A pre-nano (National Novel Writing Month) workshop hosted by NaNoWriMo RDU entitled “What a Character!” to help get people thinking about what they’ll be writing next month: “We’ll talk all things character development, how to keep them straight, and what it’s like when they tell YOU what they’re going to do. Who do they think they are, anyway?”

NEW-NEW: 11 (Sunday) 2:30 pm — Wake County’s West Regional Library in Cary hosts a Meet the Mystery Authors event: “Meet and listen to talented mystery writers Leigh Perry, Eryk Pruitt, Craig Robertson, and Alexandra Sokoloff. The authors will discuss their novels, writing style, characters and more. Q&A to follow discussion. Registration requested.”

NEW: 11 (Sunday) 4 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts YA Panel: Alexandra Duncan, Amy Reed, and Jaye Robin Brown discuss their latest novels. Asheville author Duncan is a science fiction and fantasy writer whose new novel Sound is the companion to her award-winning, “kick-ass, brilliant, feminist science fiction” debut Salvage. (Teen.)

NEW-NEW: 12 (Monday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Alex Matsuo discusses her new book, The Haunting of the Tenth Avenue Theater, an investigation into claims of paranormal activity at San Diego’s renowned theater.

NEW-NEW: 12 (Monday) — Piedmont Laureate James Maxey to teach a workshop at Mordecai House in Raleigh, “Ghosts are Stories”. He writes about the worskhop: ” I’ll give a brief presentation as to what I think is the key to writing a good ghost story, then the class will get a private tour of Mordecai House, and leave with the assignment to come up with an original ghost story based on what they’ve seen. The next week, we’ll return and share the first 500 words of our stories, plus 500 word summaries. If anyone is still interested in signing up for the workshop, you can write Douglas Porter at Mordecai House at Douglas.Porter@raleighnc.gov.”

13 — Regional author book release day for City of Thirst by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis (Map to Everywhere #2) published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

NEW: 15 (Thursday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Fierce Reads Tour featuring Josephine Angelini, Leigh Bardugo, Emma Mills, and Leila Sales! Bardugo is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Grisha Trilogy: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising. Set in the Grisha-verse following the events of Ruin and Rising, Six of Crows is about six dangerous outcasts and one impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction–if they don’t kill each other first. (Teen.)

NEW: 16 (Friday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books presents Brian Selznick for his new novel The Marvels, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh at 3313 Wade Ave. “The award-winning author & illustrator (Caldecott Medal recipient for The Invention of Hugo Cabret) visits us for the first time with the luminous The Marvels on Friday, October 16, at 7 pm. As in Wonderstruck, two story lines are connected – but how? Massively illustrated, The Marvels is a story of family, the past, and puzzles, stretching over centuries. Brian’s multimedia program is not to be missed!” This is a ticketed event: “with purchase from us of The Marvels, receive up to four “companion” admission/signing line tickets; $5 admission-only tickets are also available. Ages 9+.” (Kids+.)

NEW-NEW: 17 (Saturday) 3 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Elizabeth Langston – ‘Wishing for You’. “Elizabeth Langston returns on Saturday, October 17, at 3 pm with Wishing for You, the second book in her I Wish series for young adults.” (Teen.)

NEW-NEW: 17 (Saturday) 4 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Douglas Gibson discusses his new middle grade novel, Tales of a Fifth-Grade Knight.

19 — Regional author book release day for Dreamers by Donna Glee Williams (EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy) — “At the age of sixteen, the Dreamer has given up her own life to act as the conduit for the divine dreams that must be interpreted for the survival of the village. Love and relationships are forbidden. Even though her needs are provided for, she longs to be free.”

20 — Local book release day for Rysa Walker’s Time’s Divide (The Chronos Files, Book 3) published by Skyscape.

20 — Local book release day for a new definitive edition of A.G. Riddle’s Departure being published by Harper Voyager.

20 — Regional author book release day for Gatefather by Orson Scott Card (Mither Mages, Book 3) published by Tor Books.

NEW: 20 (Tuesday) 5 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Adam Rubin & Dan Salmieri – ‘Robo-Sauce’ for the launch of their new picture book for ages 4+, from the authors of Dragons Love Tacos. (Kids.)

NEW: 23 (Friday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Julia Elliott – ‘The New and Improved Romie Futch’. South Carolina author Elliott knocked my socks off with her fantastically weird collection The Wilds and her reading from it at The Regulator last year was spectacular. Now she’s back with her novel-length debut: “Recently divorced and mortgaged to the hilt, taxidermist Romie Futch is a real mess. When a shadowy research institute offers to expand his mental capacity–and pay him a stipend for the privilege–Romie skims the paperwork and signs his name. Read to see what happens next.”

NEW-NEW: 23 (Friday) 8 pm — Durham’s The Carrack Modern Art presents The Muse Masquerade at new Durham boutique hotel 21c Museum Hotel (111 Corcoran St), its annual fundraiser: “Conjure your inner muse, don a mask, and join us for an evening of revelry in support of The Carrack! This year we are offering “choose your price” tickets. We encourage you to think of it similiarly to a crowdfunding campaign: instead of offering different perks for different levels of contribution, we are offering one big party for everyone who pitches in. Please choose a ticket price that reflects your best ability to help us reach our fundraising goal. Together as a community, we can make this fundraiser a success.”

NEW-NEW: 24 (Saturday) 2 pm — 2015 Geek Gala: Monster Mash in Charlotte: “Join us for our 7th annual Geek Gala! How do you explain the Geek Gala? We are still trying to figure it out! It is all the things, all in one place, and we love it! This is our big charity event to raise funds for Children’s Home Society of NC, and each year it just keeps getting better and better.”

NEW: 24 (Saturday) 7 pm — The Regulator Bookshop hosts Julia Elliott–The New and Improved Romie Futch. (See above!)

NEW: 24 (Saturday) 8 pm — The Carolina Theatre of Durham hosts John Hodgman: Vacationland, a 75-minute comedy show.

NEW-NEW: 25 (Sunday) 4 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Kathryn Aalto discusses her new book, The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh: A Walk through the Forest that Inspired the Hundred Acre Wood.

NEW: 27 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Kathryn Aalto – ‘The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh’.

NEW-NEW: 27 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Michael Gutierrez discusses his new novel, The Trench Angel. (Fiction.)

NEW: 28 (Wednesday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts A.G. Riddle discusses his latest novel, Departure. “The world’s past and future rests in the hands of five unwitting strangers in this definitive edition of A. G. Riddle’s time-traveling, mind-bending speculative thriller.”

30-(Nov) 1 (Friday to Sunday) — HonorCon 2015 at the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown with Tony Daniel, David Drake (Saturday only), Chris Kennedy, and David Weber.

NOVEMBER 2015

NEW-NEW: 2 (Monday) 6:30 pm — The Orange County Library hosts First Monday Classics: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.

3 — Local author book release day for Air and Darkness by David Drake (Tor, November 2015) — the concluding book 4 in The Books of the Elements series.

3 — Local author book release day for The Geomancer: Vampire Empire: A Gareth and Adele Novel by Clay and Susan Griffith (Pyr, November 3) — “The uneasy stalemate between vampires and humans is over. Adele and Gareth are bringing order to a free Britain, but bloody murders in London raise the specter that Adele’s geomancy is failing and the vampires might return.”

3 — Regional author book release day for Without Light or Guide by T. Frohock (Harper Voyager Impulse), part two of Los Nefilim.

3 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books presents Welcome to Night Vale: An evening with Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor & John Darnielle at The Varsity Theater at 123 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill. “From the creators of the wildly popular Welcome to Night Vale podcast comes an imaginative mystery of appearances and disappearances that is also a poignant look at the ways in which we all struggle to find ourselves…no matter where we live.” (Tickets sold through Flyleaf Books only and include entrance to show and a copy of the book.)

NEW: 4 (Wednesday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books welcomes bestselling science fiction thriller author A.G. Riddle for Departure.

NEW: 5 (Thursday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Clay & Susan Griffith – ‘The Geomancer’ as the Raleigh husband-and-wife author team return to the world of their “Vampire Empire” series.

NEW: 7 (Saturday) 3 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts YA author Joelle Charbonneau – ‘Need’. (Teen.)

NEW: 13 (Friday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts bestselling YA author Marissa Meyer for Winter, the conclusion of her Lunar Chronicles (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Fairest). “We’re celebrating in style – come in costume and enjoy the festivities. Refreshments, too. For ages 12+.” (Teen.)

13-15 (Friday to Sunday) — NC Comicon at the Durham Convention Center, including Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard’s ONLY U.S. appearance and (among others) Bernard Chang, Tommy Lee Edwards, John Paul Leon, Gerard Way, and Stacey Lee.

NEW-NEW: 14 (Saturday) 6 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts author Adam Christopher (Empire State, The Burning Dark, Seven Wonders, and Hang Wire) for his forthcoming novel Made to Kill which begins his new “L.A. Trilogy” from Tor Books. “Set in Hollywood 1965, Made to Kill is very much a noir mystery, except that the detective is a robot (with a heart of gold) and his Gal Friday is a supercomputer with a Lucille Bluth sensibility. The novel was born out of short story written for Tor.com called “Brisk Money” whereby the author imagines an undiscovered sci-fi novel written by Raymond Chandler.”

NEW: 17 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts NC author Lucy Rozier for her debut picture book Jackrabbit McCabe and the Electric Telegraph. (Kids.)

NEW: 21 (Saturday) — Quail Ridge Books hosts Harriet McDougal, Maria Simons, and Alan Romanczuk for The Wheel of Time Companion, the authoritative non-fiction companion to Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. (Note: I previously erroneously included an additional special guest Jason Denzel, debut author of epic fantasy novel Mystic and founder of Wheel of Time fan destination Dragonmount.com, who is not part of this event.)

24 — Local author book release for The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher (a pen name for Ursula Vernon), a republication of her self-published 2014 novel, by 47North.

27-29 (Friday to Sunday) — Chessiecon 2015 at the North Baltimore Plaza Hotel with guests of honor Seanan McGuire, Ursula Vernon, Heather Dale (with Ben Deschamps) and special Guests Tamora Pierce and Tom Smith.

DECEMBER 2015

1 — Regional author book release day for Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (Starbound #3) published by Disney-Hyperion.

NEW: 27 (Sunday) 10 am to 4 pm — Raleigh Comic Book Show at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley with guests TBD. Free admission.

NEW-NEW: 31 (Thursday) 8 pm to 1 am — The Clockwork Ball: A Steampunk Masquerade at the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw. “Attention Pilots of Airships and their Crews, Mad Scientists, Explorers of the Unknown, Admirers of Verbosity, Respecters of the Strange, Those Lost in the Throes of Opium or Absinthe, Teetotalers, Scallywags, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dandies, Fops, and Urchins… Featuring performance by the Onyx Club Boys. Hosted by that darling DJ duo – Emmett Davenport & Lady Nikolai Attercop (both of The Clockwork Cabaret). Doors at 8pm; Music begins at 9pm. Admission: All Ages; $10 in advance/$12 at door. Appropriate Attire is Encouraged, but never required.”

JANUARY 2016

8-10 (Friday to Sunday) — Illogicon 5 at the Embassy Suites Raleigh – Durham/Research Triangle North Carolina with guest of honor Mur Lafferty. Registration is open: “Prices: 6/13 thru 8/15: $20; 8/15 thru 10/15: $25; 1016/ thru 12/31: $30; At the door: $40.”

NEW-NEW: 30 (Saturday) 9 am to 9 pm — Stellarcon 2016 at UNC-Greensboro. “Mark your calendars! We are currently opening up submissions for Panels, Artist Alley Spaces, and Dealers booth spaces for Stellarcon 2016. Online ticket sales should be up soon! All applications are listed under the Stellarcon menu.” The first announced author guest is Asheboro author David Adkins (the “Sons of Solistar” series).

FEBRUARY 2016

26-28 (Friday to Sunday) — MystiCon 2016 in Roanoke, Virginia, with guest of honor George R.R. Martin.

APRIL 2016

5 — Local author book release day for A Rebel’s Stone by P.T. McHugh (Glass House, April 5, 2016).

12 — Regional author book release day for A Shadow All of Light by Fred Chappell (Tor Books).

TBD — Local author book release day for Nightstruck by Jenna Black.

JUNE 2016

3-5 (Friday to Sunday) — ConCarolinas 2016 with special author guest Christie Golden.

JULY 2016

15-17 (Friday to Sunday) — ConGregate 2016 in High Point with guests of honor Steven Barnes and A.J. Hartley.

AUGUST 2016

TBD — Regional author book release day for Steeplejack by A.J. Hartley (Tor Teen) — “The book follows 17 year old Anglet Sutonga as she is drawn into a web of murder and intrigue surrounding the theft of a strange and priceless artifact. Anglet is the steeplejack of the title, one of the marginal street urchins who works the chimneys, towers and other high, dangerous places in the city of Bar-Selehm.”

– END –