Alma Katsu at Novel Places with a Dark Halloween Read
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I've talked about my first visit to Novel Places before, but this time, I'm going to regale you with my first event adventure at the new bookstore in my area.
I knew Alma Katsu was going to be at the bookstore for more than a month, since I chatted with her online via email, and Patrick (the owner of the store) had told me she would be arriving as well. So I had plenty of time to prepare and enough reminders! Thanks for that -- this mommy brain forgets things easily.
My husband, "Wiggles," and I arrived with a few minutes to spare...yes, getting out of the house with a baby on time for anything is difficult -- more difficult than I expected. But we arrived and found a couple of seats, and surprisingly Wiggles seemed at rapt attention during the discussion, though she did have a few opinions to share. Alma started out by talking a bit about herself and how she came to writing novels later in her life after working with the NSA and CIA!
Then she talked about the book and writing and a bit about the publishing world. We learned that The Taker was not the original title of the novel -- it was The Fallen. The Taker takes place in three time periods -- the dark ages in Eastern Europe, the 1800s in Northern Maine before it became a state, and in the present day -- and is a story about making the wrong choices and dealing with the consequences. It is far from a light romance and is a dark novel, perfect for the spooky holiday of Halloween.
Later I learned that she did not plan to write a trilogy. We had a great time, and I got a new book signed for myself, and I'm excited to say I'll be giving away the gently used ARC I've read. So stay tuned for details of that international giveaway.
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Novel Places holds events in the main area of the store, with enough chairs for about 15-20 people, so the event had a nice intimate feel to it. I tend to prefer these kinds of events because the writers seem less nervous and the people in the audience get to converse with the author more easily and ask more questions. There were cookies, Halloween candy, and beverages, which is not the usual for bookstore events, especially at larger stores. It was almost like a book club meeting, which was nice.
I was able to get a few minutes to chat with Alma in person, and Wiggles and I got "Daddy" to take our picture with the author, though I think Wiggles was more interested in mommy's necklace at the time. We just couldn't get her to look at the camera. If you're interested in a short video or other photos, please take a look (though be warned the video is very shaky and short).
For the giveaway:
1. Let me know what you like best about author events or what you'd like to see at author events (i.e. food or authors who read from the book or authors who don't read from the book, etc.).
2. For up to 3 additional entries, Facebook, Tweet, or blog about the giveaway and leave me a link on this post.
3. Follow Alma on Twitter and/or Facebook for up to 2 more entries.
Deadline is Oct. 31, 2011, at the witching hour. Stay tuned for another chance to win when my review of The Taker posts this week.