Barnes & Noble Back-to-Back + Cemetery Dance

 

Barnes & Noble Libbie Place
Richmond, VA

August 20, 2023


Cemetery Dance Headquarters
[top secret]

August 21, 2023


Barnes & Noble
Annapolis, MD

August 22, 2023


Back-to-Back B&N + A Trip to Cemetery Dance


After leaving Kentucky, Stephanie and I drove down to spend some time in North Carolina, where we explored pieces of Chapel Hill and Raleigh before heading north to our next stop in Richmond and a wonderful BARNES & NOBLE LIBBIE PLACE. 

I spent a few hours there signing books and met some super nice people, including a book blogger and Jeff Prettyman and his wife, who we had local microbrews with after the signing. Sadly, our time in Virginia was short as we had big plans for the next day in Maryland.





We arrived in Maryland late that night, found a sad Applebee's at midnight and got some sleep. The next day we were to drive up to a top secret location to visit the famous CEMETERY DANCE headquarters! I was pretty damn excited to see the offices and warehouses of one of my favorite publishers, and the trip did not disappoint. 

Stephanie and I got to spend the day there, and it was amazing. I got to meet Mindy (who essentially runs the place!), and Dan Franklin, who handles the warehousing and much of the day-to-day machinations of the business. In addition to seeing EVERY edition Cemetery Dance published, in chronological order, and EVERY magazine, also in order of publication, we were able to peruse the guts of the warehouses and explore all the incredible books that were standing by for readers. 



After a couple hours of taking it all in and asking poor Dan a million questions, we headed out to have lunch with the man himself, Richard Chizmar, who took time out of his busy writing schedule to hang out for a couple hours and talk all things writing, books. Stephen King, and Cemetery Dance. An incredibly cool treat for me that I won't ever forget.


After lunch, there was work to do! We went back to the CD offices where I spent the next couple hours signing HUNDREDS of copies of GOTHIC, in hardcover and paperback. And YES, these are still available exclusively through the CD website (or email them at info@cemeterydance.com). 


But all good things come to an end, and we reluctantly departed after a full day of books. I had another stop the very next day and needed some food and sleep before we made the first step in a massive East Coast swing. 

So, after another hotel breakfast and another packing up the suitcases, we jumped in the rental car and headed north to Annapolis, Maryland, where I stopped in at BARNES & NOBLE, ANNAPOLIS, and readied myself for more signing!

What an event!

I'd done a few Barnes & Noble stops at this point, so was not prepared for how busy this stop was! Some folks who came by were friends from social media and my Facebook fan group (Fracassi Freaks - join us!), and there was a special guest who popped in, as well. 

Ron Malfi planned on coming by to say hello and finalizing our plans for dinner that evening, but once he got there folks started pulling his books off the shelf and asking him to sign, and both of us ended up signing a few copies of Sadie Hartmann's 101 HORROR BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU'RE MURDERED, which features my book and Ron's thriller, DECEMBER PARK. 





I ended up spending a few hours at this stop, chatting and signing and having a blast. Meanwhile, Stephanie had found a nearby laundromat and spent the entire time washing our clothes (an act of desperation, believe me).

After a fun night with Ron and his lovely wife, Stephanie and I got a little sleep but were up early the next morning for a big stop in Pennsylvania, and an event with one of my favorite writers. 

Onward!


Next up:

Doylestown Books (Doylestown, PA) – Wednesday, 8/23 – w/ Chuck Wendig





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