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James Kennedy’s Five Midwestern Horror Novel Picks

I grew up in Michigan and I’ve spent most of my life in the Midwest. When I began writing my horror novel Bride of the Tornado, one of the things I had in my mind was an October night in the 1990s, when my wife-to-be Heather and I headed out to rural Indiana to visit a “haunted house.”

 

It was farther away from town than we thought. When we arrived, we found just a few train cars in a desolate field. No other visitors. A creepy girl played with some dolls in the grass. After a minute, she got up and gravely led us through the train cars. A family sat around a table, greeting us indifferently as we passed. Did they live here? Who knew? These train cars were full of homemade oddities, more quirky than spooky. A bucket of plastic body parts. A cheesy mechanical doll. It was awkward and low-rent, not scary.

 

Then a maniac jumped out of nowhere with a chainsaw.

Posted by James Kennedy

Visit Quirk Books at San Diego Comic-Con 2023!

We’re so excited to be heading back to San Diego Comic-Con this year! You can find us at booth 1636 with a selection of great titles including recent releases like the queer sci-fi mystery Stars, Hide Your Fires, GoblinCore lifestyle guidebook Goblin Mode, middle grade manual to the supernatural Hanging With Vampires, and much more.

We’ll also be running several giveaways throughout the show that will give you a sneak peek at two of our upcoming horror titles, This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer and the latest from fan-favorite author Clay McLeod Chapman, What Kind of Mother. See the schedule below:


Giveaway Schedule:

Thursday

11:30–12:30 pm PT
This Wretched Valley ARC drop

 

Friday

2:30–3:30 pm PT
What Kind of Mother ARC drop

 

Saturday

11:30–12:30 pm PT
This Wretched Valley ARC drop

 

2:30–3:30 pm PT
What Kind of Mother ARC drop

 

Sunday

11:30–12:30 pm PT
This Wretched Valley ARC drop

 

2:30–3:30 pm PT
What Kind of Mother ARC drop

 


Author Panels and Signings:

 

Samuel C. Spitale, the author of How to Win the War on Truth
  • Panel: A Crash Course in Media Literacy, Thursday, 7/20/23, 3:00–4:00 pm PT
  • Room: Shiley Special Events Suite, San Diego Central Library

 

Samuel C. Spitale signings in the Autograph Area (books sold there by Mysterious Galaxy) at the following times:

  • Thursday: AA10, 5:00–6:00 pm PT
  • Saturday: AA17, 10:00–12:00 pm PT

 


 

Follow @quirkbooks on social media and sign up for our newsletter for more surprises!

We’re also planning some special treats just for our social media followers, so readers who are subscribed to our newsletter or following us on Twitter at @quirkbooks will be able to potentially win even more fun surprises! Sign up for our newsletter below.

Will you be at San Diego Comic-Con this year? We hope you’ll stop by the booth and say hello!

 

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Posted by Quirk Books Staff

Top 10 Goblin Mode Things You Can’t Live Without

So you’re looking to go goblin mode, but you’re not sure where to start. Maybe you’ve been trying to get more into nature, or embrace your cozier sensibilities. Maybe you’ve realized your personal style is only a little weird, and you want it to be way, way weirder. Maybe you’re just trying to find a group of people to play the homebrew D&D game you’ve been working on for months. No matter what brought you to the goblincore lifestyle, you’re welcome here. The only thing better than being a goblin is being a goblin in a big, wonderful community of goblins.

As the author of Goblin Mode, I feel uniquely suited to help people go goblin mode. My book goes in-depth into the different ways we can all bring more dirt, moss, and clutter into our lives, but here I’ll narrow things down to a few of my favorite goblin things. Goblincore is all about getting cozy, embracing imperfection, and thriving in the muck. Here are ten things that will help you do just that.

Posted by McKayla Coyle

Flora Ahn on Food, Family, and Middle Grade Book Recs for AAPI Month

Looking for great middle grade book recs for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and beyond? We caught up with A Spoonful of Time author Flora Ahn and talked favorite foods, writing, family, and Flora’s middle grade book recs by AAPI authors, so you’ll have some great reads to add to your list. Grab your favorite snack and enjoy the Q&A!

Posted by Quirk Books Staff

Hanging with Vampires: Resources for Middle-Grade Readers and Mythology Fans

Do you have a middle-grade reader in your life who loves all things spooky? They’ll love Hanging with Vampires: A Totally Factual Field Guide to the Supernatural written by Insha Fitzpatrick and illustrated by Lilla Bölecz, on sale March 28, 2023! Read on for a resource roundup to get the most out of your reading experience.

Posted by Quirk Books Staff

5 Easy Exercises to Do When All You Feel Like Doing is Lying Down (While You’re Lying Down)

Exercise can be a great way to help manage your mood and make the prospect of getting out of the bed feel a little less impossible. Even a small amount of movement done regularly enough for long enough can make an improvement in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and the general blahs and make the world outside of your bed seem a little less awful.

 

The problem is that most forms of exercise require you to get out of bed to do them.

Posted by Sarah Kurchak