September newsletter: Scott Reintgen, Rebecca Gomez Farrell, Mur Lafferty, James Maxey, Natania Barron, Annalee Newitz, and more

September newsletter: Scott Reintgen, Rebecca Gomez Farrell, Mur Lafferty, James Maxey, Natania Barron, Annalee Newitz, and more

Posted on 2017-09-13 at 5:59 by montsamu

Vol 7 No 6. Tuesday, September 12, 2017:

Fall is nearly here, and it’s bringing an absolute flurry of readings, from Scott Reintgen’s book launch events for Nyxia this week through Marissa Meyer’s return to the Triangle in November, there are more book events in as short a time as I can remember having on the calendar in a few years!

Let’s start with some of those readings coming up over the next couple of weeks:

• September 13 (Wednesday) 7 pm -- Quail Ridge Books hosts Scott Reintgen for his debut novel Nyxia. "We love hosting debut authors. but even more so, we love hosting local debut authors. Scott Reintgen, a local English/Creative Writing teacher, will be presenting Nyxia, the first book in a planned trilogy, about nine teens who must compete in a high-stakes game to win a fortune while fulfilling an interstellar space contract."
• September 19 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Durham’s The Regulator Bookshop hosts Rebecca Gomez Farrell for Wings Unseen, with authors James Maxey and Mur Lafferty (whose non-fiction book I Should Be Writing based on her award-winning podcast was just published!) to make AN EVENING OF SPECULATIVE FICTION & FANTASY with Becca Gomez Farrell, Mur Lafferty, &  James Maxey. [Facebook]
• NEW: September 20 (Wednesday) 7 pm -- Flyleaf Books hosts Rebecca Gomez Farrell for Wings Unseen, along with Natania Barron (Wothwood) and Margaret S. McGraw (Lawless Lands).
• NEW: September 22 (Friday) 7 pm -- Flyleaf Books hosts Annalee Newitz discusses her debut sci-fi novel Autonomous. "The highly anticipated science fiction debut from the founder of io9! Earth, 2144. Jack is an anti-patent scientist turned drug pirate, traversing the world in a submarine as a pharmaceutical Robin Hood, fabricating cheap scrips for poor people who can't otherwise afford them. But her latest drug hack has left a trail of lethal overdoses as people become addicted to their work, doing repetitive tasks until they become unsafe or insane. Hot on her trail, an unlikely pair: Eliasz, a brooding military agent, and his robotic partner, Paladin. As they race to stop information about the sinister origins of Jack's drug from getting out, they begin to form an uncommonly close bond that neither of them fully understand. And underlying it all is one fundamental question: Is freedom possible in a culture where everything, even people, can be owned?"
• September 23 (Saturday) — Barnes & Noble “Teen Fiction” day with events across the Triangle. Among other appearances: Rebecca Gomez Farrell (Wings Unseen) and Tony Daniel (The Amber Arrow) at the Cary Barnes & Noble at 2 pm, and Scott Reintgen (Nyxia) at The Streets At Southpoint at 1 pm.

Before I move on to new events in October, however, there’s a bit of calendar cleaning I have to pass along: Kij Johnson’s appearance at Quail Ridge Books in October has been cancelled. I know I’m not the only one disappointed by the news, but I also think we’ll absolutely be getting to see Kij here in the Triangle again before too terribly much longer.

Also before those new October events, as I never did get to an August events newsletter, there were quite a few readings that were not mentioned here, starting with a fantastic launch party for Gray Rinehart’s Walking on the Sea of Clouds.

There was singing — both by Gray and musical guests The Blibbering Humdingers — and City Barbecue and Once in a Blue Moon cakes and quite a lot of fun was had by all.

I also missed telling folks about the August 26 event for Reenu-You by Pittsboro author Michele Tracy Berger, published earlier this summer by Book Smugglers Publishing as part of their The Novella Initiative imprint. “New York City, August 1998. On a muggy summer day, five women wake up to discover purple scab-like lesions on their faces—a rash that pulses, oozes, and spreads in spiral patterns. City clinic doctors dismiss the women’s fears as common dermatitis, a regular skin rash. But as more women show up with the symptoms, one clear correlation emerges: an all-natural, first-of-its-kind hair relaxer called Reenu-You.”

Speaking of things I missed, there was also a July 15 event at The Regulator for Jacqueline Ogburn’s The Unicorn in the Barn; a July 29 event at Flyleaf Books for Undercities, an urban fantasy anthology published by Dirty Birds Press and featuring local authors; and an August 17 event at The Regulator for Wilmington author Emily Colin’s The Dream Keeper’s Daughter; the Asheville book launch party for Margaret Killjoy’s The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion; and! multiple events for the Falstaff Books anthology Lawless Lands.

All right, though space for events here is already running a bit long, here’s just a few of the events coming in October and November: Rick Riordan (October 4), It Devours! A Welcome to Night Vale Novel (October 25 and 26), HonorCon with David Weber and Marko Kloos (October 27-29), John Hodgman (October 30), Eryk Pruitt (November 9), NC Comicon Bull City (November 10-12), and  Marissa Meyer (November 12). Whew!

A BIT OF NEWS

Book Riot revealed the cover for Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel, forthcoming from Saga Press in February 2018. And, speaking of new books and new covers, Lewis Shiner has a new special edition collection forthcoming from Subterranean Press entitled Heroes and Villains, due out October 31.

The North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation was proud to announce the winner of the 2017 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy, announced and presented on July 15, 2017, at ConGregate 4 / DeepSouthCon 55 at the Radisson Hotel High Point to Charlotte author A. J. Hartley for Steeplejack, published by Tor Teen. From New York where he was appearing at another event, Hartley sent his appreciation for the award with the following remarks: “I’m honored to receive an award whose namesake affirms the bond between the region and speculative fiction, particularly at a time when reading seems so crucially important as a pleasurable way to hone our instincts for critical thinking and empathy.”

Well, that’s all I have put together in time to send in this newsletter. See you at a bookstore, sometime?

-Sam

EVENTS, SEPTEMBER 2017

September 5 — Book release day for The Amber Arrow by Tony Daniel (Baen Books), sequel to The Dragon Hammer in his young reader / young adult series Wulf’s Saga.

September 5 — NC author book release day for Uncanny by Wilmington author David Macinnis Gill (Greenwillow Press).

September 12 (Tuesday) 7 pm — The Barnes & Noble of Cary hosts a reading event for the local author book release day for Nyxia by Scott Reintgen (Crown Books for Young Readers). “Every life has a price in this sci-fi thriller that has the nonstop action of The Maze Runner and the high-stakes space setting of Illuminae. This is the first in a new three-book series called the Nyxia Triad that will take a group of broken teens to the far reaches of the universe and force them to decide what they’re willing to risk for a lifetime of fortune.” [Facebook]

NEW: September 13 (Wednesday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Scott Reintgen for his debut novel Nyxia. “We love hosting debut authors. but even more so, we love hosting local debut authors. Scott Reintgen, a local English/Creative Writing teacher, will be presenting Nyxia, the first book in a planned trilogy, about nine teens who must compete in a high-stakes game to win a fortune while fulfilling an interstellar space contract.”

NEW: September 14 (Thursday) 6 to 8 pm — NCSU Libraries Friends of the Library Fall Reception with Therese Fowler. “The Friends of the Library Roaring ’20s Fall Reception will feature the 2017 NCSU Libraries Faculty Award and a special presentation by Therese Fowler 00, MA 05, former visiting professor at NC State.  Therese will discuss her experience in the NC State Creative Writing program and her wildly successful novel, Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, now an Amazon original series. Attendees will be treated to a 1920s-style cocktail party and other entertainment, including a show-and-tell of 1920s-era items from our archives starting at 5:30pm. Festive attire is encouraged.” Registration for the event has closed.

NEW: September 16 (Friday) 2 to 5 pm — Raleigh children’s bookstore Read With Me (111 E. Hargett St) hosts local artist Gabriel Dunston for a Kickstarter launch and live reading of his new children’s book Sometimes Kitties… [Facebook]

NEW: September 17 (Sunday) — David Drake will be one of three writers at a library tea at the Wake County NE Regional Library, a panel in which a librarian (and audience members) asks questions of writers.

NEW: September 19 (Tuesday) 5:30 pm — UNC’s Center for the Study of the American South (410 E Franklin St) hosts Gabrielle Calbocoressi for the launch party for her new book of poems, Rocket Fantastic. “Join us at the Love House & Hutchins Forum as we celebrate the publication of Gabrielle Calvocoressi’s new book of poetry, Rocket Fantastic. Calvocoressi teaches creative writing at UNC-Chapel Hill, and she recently assumed duties as poetry editor for Southern Cultures.”

September 19 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Durham’s The Regulator Bookshop hosts Rebecca Gomez Farrell for Wings Unseen, with authors James Maxey and Mur Lafferty (whose non-fiction book I Should Be Writing based on her award-winning podcast was just published!) to make AN EVENING OF SPECULATIVE FICTION & FANTASY with Becca Gomez Farrell, Mur Lafferty, &  James Maxey. [Facebook]

NEW: September 20 (Wednesday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Rebecca Gomez Farrell for Wings Unseen, along with Natania Barron (Wothwood) and Margaret S. McGraw (Lawless Lands).

NEW: September 22 (Friday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Annalee Newitz discusses her debut sci-fi novel Autonomous. “The highly anticipated science fiction debut from the founder of io9! Earth, 2144. Jack is an anti-patent scientist turned drug pirate, traversing the world in a submarine as a pharmaceutical Robin Hood, fabricating cheap scrips for poor people who can’t otherwise afford them. But her latest drug hack has left a trail of lethal overdoses as people become addicted to their work, doing repetitive tasks until they become unsafe or insane. Hot on her trail, an unlikely pair: Eliasz, a brooding military agent, and his robotic partner, Paladin. As they race to stop information about the sinister origins of Jack’s drug from getting out, they begin to form an uncommonly close bond that neither of them fully understand. And underlying it all is one fundamental question: Is freedom possible in a culture where everything, even people, can be owned?”

September 23 (Saturday) — Barnes & Noble “Teen Fiction” day with events across the Triangle. Among other appearances: Rebecca Gomez Farrell (Wings Unseen) and Tony Daniel (The Amber Arrow) at the Cary Barnes & Noble, and Scott Reintgen (Nyxia) at The Streets At Southpoint at 1 pm.

23 (Saturday) — Crystal Coast Con in Cape Carteret, NC. “We are Eastern North Carolina’s premier Sci-Fi and Fantasy Convention. The Sci-Fi, fantasy and gaming experience will be a one day wondrous event held on September 23, 2017. Door prizes, fanboy flair, costume contests, very special sci-fi vendors and give-aways galore will prove a good time for all! From celebrity guests, to great Sci-Fi food and drinks, to special secret side shows, the Crystal Coast Con is getting better every year, so the Seventh Annual Con should blow you out of your socks.” Guests include Denise Crosby (“Tasha Yar”), Kris Holden-Ried (“Dyson”, “Sir William Compton”), Rick Mora (“Ephraim Black”), and more.

NEW: September 24 (Sunday) 2 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Kristin Cashore - ‘Jane, Unlimited’.

NEW: September 25 (Monday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Kerri Maniscalco - ‘Hunting Prince Dracula’ and Renée Ahdieh - ‘Flame in the Mist’.

NEW: September 28 (Thursday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Jessica Cluess and Scott Reintgen discuss A Poison Dark and Drowning and Nyxia, their new YA novels.

NEW: September 28 (Thursday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Tui T. Sutherland - ‘Darkness of Dragons’ (Wings of Fire #10).

NEW: September 29 to October 1 — DBAP Gaming Challenge at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. “The inaugural DBAP Gaming Challenge, the Triangle’s premier video game event, will take place September 29th through October 1st, 2017, in Durham, North Carolina. Presented in part by Coastal Credit Union, and fueled by a community of sponsors, the DBAP Gaming Challenge brings together gamers of all ages for a weekend of esports action in the heart of the Triangle.”

OCTOBER 2017

NEW: October 4 (Wednesday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Rick Riordan - ‘The Ship of the Dead’ (Off-site, ticketed event). NOTE: This event is sold out, but signed books will still be available.

NEW: October 5 (Thurday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts KL Pereira discusses her story collection A Dream Between Two Rivers: Stories of Liminality. “A Dream Between Two Rivers: Stories of Liminality is both literary and speculative, both magically real and viscerally strange in the tradition of Angela Carter, Karen Russell, and Jorge Luis Borges. In this collection, KL Pereira weaves elements of fairy tale, folklore, and myth into the lives of women, children, and immigrants. Her lucid prose underscores the tenacity of those who are most vulnerable, who live on edges between neat and clear definitions of who they are and who they want to be. Free of normative ideas of gender, class, race, and sexuality, Pereira explores rebirth amidst darkness.”

October 10 — Book release day for Daughter 4254 by Leigh Statham (Owl Hollow Press) — “Daughter4254 used to think life in a community where art, music and names are outlawed would suffocate her creative spirit until she is left to rot in prison and realizes there is far worse.  When she meets Thomas, a fellow inmate, who tells stories of the mythical mountain colonies where people have names and the arts thrive, she finds a shred of hope.”

October 12 — Book release day for Genome: The Extinction Files: Book 2 by Raleigh author A.G. Riddle. “A code hidden in the human genome will reveal the ultimate secret of human existence, and could hold humanity’s only hope of survival.”

NEW: October 18 (Wednesday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Shannon & Dean Hale - ‘Monster High/Ever After High: The Legend of Shadow High’.

NEW: October 21 (Saturday) — Charlotte Geeks and ConCarolinas present “the Geekiest Halloween Party in the Carolinas”, the Geek Gala.

NEW: October 22 (Sunday) 2 pm — McIntyre’s Books hosts a multiple author reading of this year’s Arts Council Fellows, including recent NCSU MFA graduate Julie Steinbacher.

NEW: October 25 (Wednesday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor discuss It Devours! A Welcome to Night Vale Novel. “This ticketed event is $24, and each event ticket comes with a copy of It Devours. Buy your tickets through our page on Brown Paper Tickets at this link.”

NEW: October 26 (Thursday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books presents Joseph Fink + Jeffrey Cranor - ‘It Devours!: A Welcome to Night Vale Novel’ (Offsite event at NCSU Hunt Library).

October 27-29 (Friday to Sunday) — Military science fiction convention HonorCon 2017 at the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown. “Join us as the 5th year of HonorCon Celebrates The Royal Manticoran Navy’s Tenth year Anniversary!” Guests include David Weber, Marko Kloos, Chris Kennedy, and Larry Correia.

NEW: October 28 (Saturday) 2 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts a multiple author reading of this year’s Arts Council Fellows, including recent NCSU MFA graduate Julie Steinbacher.

NEW: October 30 (Monday) 7 pm — John Hodgman - ‘Vacationland’ (Offsite Event). “Comedian, regular on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and author of three previous books of fake facts and invented trivia, Hodgman will join us Monday, October 30 at 7pm at the Hunt Library at NC State for a pre-Halloween treat. You will receive up to two admission/signing line tickets with a QRB purchase of Vacationland. This event is co-sponsored by the NC State Friends of the Library. Books can be bought at the event, but as always, we suggest ordering them beforehand. John will be in conversation with a special guest. Stay tuned to find out who!”

October 31 — Local author book release day for Heroes and Villains: 3 Short Novels and a Fable by Lewis Shiner (Subterranean Press) — “For those new to Shiner’s work, Heroes and Villains is an ideal starting point, offering the complex characters and moral issues of his acclaimed novels in condensed and action-packed form. For Shiner’s many fans, who include George R. R. Martin, Jonathan Lethem, and Karen Joy Fowler, no further incentive is required.”

NOVEMBER 2017

November 7 — Local author book release day for The Spark by David Drake (Baen). “In a violent world in which civilization has fallen and monsters roam, a young hero will rise.”

NEW: November 9 (Monday) 7 pm — The Regulator Bookshop hosts Eryk Pruitt, “What We Reckon”.  “The Regulator welcomes Eryk Pruitt, author of the Southern fiction crime thriller, What We Reckon, for a reading and book signing. In What We Reckon, Eryk Pruitt explores themes of identity, loyalty, and purpose with psycho-delic, transgressive, chicken-fried twists that read like Trainspotting cut with a couple grams of Helter Skelter.”

November 10-12 (Friday to Sunday) — NC Comicon Bull City at the Durham Convention Center.

NEW: November 12 (Sunday) 2 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Marissa Meyer - ‘Renegades, Book #1’.

NEW: November 17 (Friday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Shannon Messenger - ‘Nightfall’ (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #6).

JANUARY 2018

January 11-14 (Thursday to Sunday) — Ichibancon in Concord at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte Concord Golf Resport and Spa. “North Carolina’s 2nd largest anime convention returns to Concord/Charlotte for its 9th year! We’ll have Voice Over guests, arcade games from Japan, Cosplay events, panels, manga library, and more.”

January 12-14 (Friday to Sunday) — Illogicon at the Embassy Suites RDU with author guest of honor Alyssa Wong.

FEBRUARY 2018

February 13 — Raleigh author novel release day for Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel (Saga Press) — “Pride and Prejudice meets Frankenstein as Mary Bennet falls for the enigmatic Victor Frankenstein and befriends his monstrous Creature in this clever fusion of two popular classics.”

February 23-25 (Friday to Sunday) — MystiCon 2018 at the Holiday Inn Tanglewood in Roanoke, VA with author guest of honor Joe R. Lansdale.

APRIL 2018

April 17-19 (Tuesday to Thursday) — East Coast Game Conference at the Raleigh Convention Center.

MAY 2018

May 15 — Raleigh author book release day for A Rebel’s Stone by P.T. McHugh (Glass House) Book 2 in his “Stone Ends” series after Keeper of the Black Stones.

JUNE 2018

June 1-3 (Friday to Sunday) — ConCarolinas at the Hilton Charlotte University Place.

– END –

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