Category: Blog Series Page 59 of 230

Top 5 Tuesday – Top 5 books of 2024… so far!

On June 25, 2024

This week’s topic is, “Top 5 books of 2024… so far!…What does your top 5 list look like at our halfway point??” I haven’t done one of these in a minute, this seemed like a good time to get back to it. Whittling down my list to a Top 10 was a piece of cake at this point (a pleasant surprise)–but trimming that to a Top 5 took some work. I think I’m satisfied with the result. Although beyond that this post could’ve been easier, if I’d only finished my posts on three of these by now.

In alphabetical order by author:

	The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett This Fantasy-Mystery hybrid (with a decent amount of other-worldly science thrown in) was my first five-star read of the year, and it’s one I’m still thinking about. The world was great, the characters were complex and well-executed, the story and atmosphere were stunning. I could go on and on about this one, but am going to force myself to be pithy here. My full take on the book can be found here.
	The Olympian Affair by Jim Butcher Yes, part of the appeal of this novel was that we finally got something new in this series after years of silence. But I’d have had a blast with this no matter when it was released. Butcher very carefully gave his fans more of just about everything they enjoyed in the first book without duplicating it in any sense. He also deepened and expanded our knowledge and understanding of this world, its magic and politics, and all of the major characters (white hats, gray hats, and black hats). At least two of the new characters had better be back. There’s a character death that I’ll eventually forgive Butcher for, but I’m not there yet. This one just ticked every box for me.
	The Mercy Chair by M.W. Craven This is the darkest M.W. Craven novel–well, I haven’t read his second book yet, so I should qualify this as the darkest Poe and Tilly novel. And that’s no mean feat. The two are called in to help investigate the death of a cult leader and end up discovering much more–murders that no one realized had happened, torture sessions disguised as education/treatment, some twisted emotional and spiritual abuse–and more. Both Poe and Tilly are at there best here–and the rest of regular characters are as well. This will stick with readers for a while.
	Smoke Kings by Jahmal Mayfield Speaking of dark…Smoke Kings tells the story of a group of friends who decide to take social justice into their own hands and become vigilantes acting out against those who’ve benefited from lynchings or other racially-motivated crimes their families participated in decades ago. Internal and external pressures start to overwhelm the group and then things get deadly. There’s a whole lot of evil done in the name of righteousness here (by people that others would deny were anything but righteous). The number of heroes–or at least people who were actually accomplishing good things–are far outweighed by those using others. If you’re not disturbed as you’re gripped by this, you’ve missed something.
	Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman The first 87 pages of this book might have been my favorite 87 pages this year. The rest of them were pretty good, too. The central premise was a little out there, but Waxman pulled it off–and the rest of the book was so good you didn’t mind anyway. I laughed, I was moved, my heart was warmed—all the typical reactions to Abbi Waxman. I loved being in this world, surrounded by Waxman’s words and I cannot wait for the next excuse I have to do it again. My full take on the book can be found here.

LITERARY LOCALS: A Q&A About Writing in Idaho with Arnold Ytreeide

By HCNewton

On June 25, 2024

In A Few Quick Questions With..., Literary Locals

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Arnold Ytreeide made me chuckle more than I expected to reading his responses–so, obviously, I went and bought all his books immediately. Not really–but it wouldn’t have surprised me if I did.

Before we get into things, why don’t you give the reader a brief introduction to you and your work.
I come from Seattle where I was a police officer, television producer, and business man for many years. I moved to Idaho in 1988 and here found my true love. We married, and I wrote a little Christmas story for our kids. Somehow an editor at a publishing house heard about it (we never did figure out how) and asked to see it. I sent it, they called back and said they wanted to publish it, and suddenly I was a published author. That was in 1995, and the book was Jotham’s Journey.

A year after that first book came out, the publisher wanted another, then another. I just turned in the manuscript for #8 in the series, and we’re taking it to 10. Also when it was first published, New Line Cinema called me up, very excited to make Jotham into a movie. But then their company got sold, and the new owners decided – much to their disgrace and humiliation – to make a movie about a different kind of lord and some kind of ring or something. Obviously a bad move.

I also have a self-published adventure series for pre-teens, and several novels. All of my books are, at their heart if not on their shirt sleeves, Christian, though my real goal is to reach a wider market with just good stories – which I thought I had done when New Line called.

I was a university professor for 20 years, and wrote when I could, but I’m retired now and it seems like I’m always fighting a deadline. Which is a good thing – it keeps me young.

We keep up a website at JothamsJourney.com, but other than that I am shamefully little involved in social media.
I’m sure the bean-counters at New Line have spent a lot of time second-guessing that choice…

Are you a native Idahoan? What brought you to Idaho in the first place? (answer whichever question applies) What is it about Idaho that keeps you here?
School initially brought me to Idaho, but only for three years, I told everyone. I’d get my degree, and then be returning to Seattle.

Then the women who I instantly decided would be my wife walked in the door one day, and, well, here we are. She was a widow with two small children and, for their sake, we decided to make this our home.

Are you tied into some sort of local author/bookish group/culture? If so, tell us about it and how it helps you as an author. If you’re not, is there a reason for it?
I’m not, really. I enjoy meeting with other authors, but am so busy (with a lot of things, not just writing) that I can’t seem to make a long-term connection.

What kind of events in the area do you attend—either to sell/promote your books or to network with authors? Are there any outside of this area that you hit regularly and wish we had something like it here?
I’ve done a couple book fairs at libraries, but that’s about it. But with the advent of Zoom and the like, I also do a lot of talks to school children around the world about writing and about my books. I think my record is a high school in South Africa. Those are a lot of fun, and maybe are a way that local authors could reach out to schools and groups in the more remote parts of Idaho, or even the not-remote parts. It’s easy, and takes very little prep and no travel time.

What’s the breakdown of your audience—do you have a strong local base, or are your readers from other parts of the world?
My Jotham series is world-wide, and that is certainly the bulk of my sales. But my self-published series (Mike Danford Adventure Series) also gets strong sales in Canda, the UK, Australia, and parts of Europe. By far, though, the biggest percentage of sales come from the U.S.

I have no way of knowing for sure, but just from the emails and comments we get, I believe I have a pretty big footprint in the HomeSchool market.

Do you think there are particular challenges or advantages to being a writer in the Treasure Valley? (possibly both)
Well, since Doerr lives and writes from here (or at least did) I’m guessing the challenges are minimal😊 I’ve been writing for forty years, and I would say that, in the past, location did actually have an impact on success. But with the internet, that has completely changed – as I said, I spoke face-to-face(ish) to high schoolers in South Africa. In the last few months I’ve taken many online meetings with publishers and movie producers, including a publisher in London. No one cared where I was. And if they want a face-to-face meeting – which is always nice and usually preferred – we can always make that happen. In January a group of three producers came to meet with us, and we actually met in a meeting room at the Nampa Library. So we seem to always work it out.

Certainly we don’t have the direct access to in-person events that we might have in large cities, but that’s about the only drawback I can see. My wife and I often meet with fans at a local Starbucks when asked, but by far these days the most contacts are through Zoom and other social media.

Do you bring Idaho (or some sort of Idaho-sensibility, assuming one exists) to your work? Whether or not anyone else sees it, can you look at some aspect of your writing and think “That’s Idaho” or “I would do ____ differently if I was a Kentuckian or from Illinois?”
Yes, especially in my Jotham series, which takes place in Israel. I’ve been to the Holy Land, and draw much inspiration from those memories, but the wilderness of Idaho looks a lot like the wilderness of the Holy Land, so as we drive around I’m always looking for interesting places in which I can set scenes.

In fact, when New Line was all gung-ho to make Jotham, we scouted the entire south end of Idaho and mapped out shooting locations.

My Danford series is set in a fictional small town on the ocean, but much of the inspiration for that town comes from right here in Idaho. My protags are seventeen and smart, but they also have small-town ethics, and a sense of right and wrong. All of that came from right here. They do not, however, talk a lot about potatoes😊

One final question, is there a book (or two…or 18, if you get really carried away), that embodies Idaho/the Idaho spirit to you to recommend to my readers?
Oddly enough, I’d have to say anything Zane Grey. Though the writing style is antiquated, the stories certainly are not. I read to my wife every night – an eclectic collection of most anything – and a while back we tried a Zane novel. It reminded us both of Idaho!
I’m not sure how odd that is–makes perfect sense to me.

Thanks for your time and participation! Hope you enjoyed it! (I sure did)

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Saturday Miscellany—6/22/24

By HCNewton

On June 22, 2024

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet Tom Gauld on the human-AI collaborative novel Robot Apocalypse 2030—let’s start off this week with a quick Gauld cartoon, shall we?
bullet 94-Year-Old Grandmother Kept Meticulous Book Log for 80 Years—I’m both impressed and jealous
bullet An Update About Disappointing Things, and Things That Did Not Disappoint—Harry Connolly’s latest update
bullet Do You Love YA Paranormal Books, too?
bullet Four Books That Are Gateways to Science Fiction Sub-Genres—Beth Tabler surveys the sub-genres: Cyberpunk, Science Fiction Humor, Hard Science Fiction, and Space Opera; and gives some great recommendations
bullet When Is An Author “Milking” Their World?
bullet Idle Thoughts on Fantasy Archetypes: The Mentor

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
SFF Addicts Ep. 109: Christopher Buehlman talks The Daughter’s War, Atmosphere, Voice & More—a great convo

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
bullet The Severed Streets by Paul Cornell—the 2nd of the Shadow Police Novels (if only there were several more)
bullet I talked about the release of Shattered by Kevin Hearne, All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner, Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich, and Heirs of Grace by Tim Pratt.

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs—Mercy, Adam, and Mercy’s brother are in Montana hopefully not destroying the world.
bullet The Last Decade of Cinema 25 Films from the Nineties by Scott Ryan—Ryan writes about 25 of the most iconic films of the 90s.

Opening Lines: One In the Chamber by Robin Peguero

By HCNewton

On June 20, 2024

In Blog Series, Currently Reading, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, News/Misc., Opening Lines, Quotations

Head & Shoulders used to tell us that, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” That’s true for wearing dark shirts, and it’s especially true for books. Sometimes the characters will hook the reader, sometimes the premise, sometimes it’s just knowing the author—but nothing beats a great opening for getting a reader to commit.

You aren’t born a killer. You don’t gradually become one, either. One minute, you’re not, and the next, you just are. Like your first time having sex. Just as thrilling. Just as awkward. Nothing much changes but the label. you’re still you. But now, you’re a quote-unquote murderer. You played God and took a human life.

It’s entirely natural, but it still shocks people. Some people want other people dead. We visualize our goals, and we achieve them. Shouldn’t that be celebrated?

You swish someone wanted you dead. Not that you have a death wish. You’re too self-involved for that, and suicide is so gauche. you just wish you were that important to someone. It’s a compliment really: to have given another person’s endpoint more than a passing thought. To decide for them that today is enough. And not just today, but at this very minute, their contribution to history should meet its unceremonious finish. High Flattery.

You’re welcome.

from One In the Chamber by Robin Peguero
Cover to One in the Chamber
I’m not sure what happens over the next 369 pages (in a sense). I just want almost 400 pages like this.

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WWW Wednesday, June 19, 2024

By HCNewton

On June 19, 2024

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

I’m having a hard time lately putting the book(s) I’m reading down and picking the laptop up to write something. Which is both wonderful and frustrating. Hopefully having today off will allow me to post this and something else. We’ll see how long that honey-do list ends up being, eh?

This post contains 1 book from my 20 Books of Summer list and 2 from my Books on My Summer 2024 to-Read List (That Aren’t on My 20 Books Challenge). This feels rather promising when it comes to accomplishing my goals.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

Today I’ll start The Teachings of Shirelle: Life Lessons from a Divine Knucklehead by Douglas Green. Last week, I’d said it was going to be my last book, but then I consulted a calendar and shuffled things a bit. I’m currently listening to Erasure by Percival Everett, read by Sean Crisden on audiobook—the first half of this is so good, but I’m worried that it’ll fall apart in the end.

Blank Space

What did you recently finish reading?

A few hours ago I finished Robert Galbraith’s The Running Grave, the fastest-moving Strike novel in a while. The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos, read by James Babson is the last audiobook I finished.

Blank Space

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt, I’m practically guaranteed good time with a new Andy Carpenter. For my next audiobook, I think I’m going to try One in the Chamber by Robin Peguero, read by Zion Jang.

We’re approaching the middle of the year—how’s your 2024 reading looking? Or, how’s this week shaping up for you?

LITERARY LOCALS: A Q&A About Writing in Idaho with Sarah Hill

By HCNewton

On June 18, 2024

In A Few Quick Questions With..., Literary Locals

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When I met Sarah Hill, I told her that I’d probably never read her stuff–I’m not her audience, and she probably wouldn’t appreciate the 2 Stars that I’d probably give her book. We still had a nice conversation, thankfully—and she was kind enough to take part in this. If you read her first answer and say, “I like books that can be described that way,” I encourage you to check out her stuff. You’d be paying a very nice person money when you buy her books.

Before we get into things, why don’t you give the reader a brief introduction to you and your work.
Hello! My name is Sarah Hill and I am the author of five heart-warming, small-town romances set in Idaho. I started out as a fade to black only, but after seeing that intimacy on the page can be beautiful and doesn’t mean erotica, I opened those doors in my last two books. All are available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited, with my first two, Call of the Blue Heron & Hanging Stars on Big Willow Creek being on audio as well. You can find all my books via this link – https://linktr.ee/SarahRylie7

Are you a native Idahoan? What is it about Idaho that keeps you here?
I am not a true native. My parents moved here when I was almost two. I’ve been here over forty years, so I do consider myself all Idahoan because it’s the only life I remember having. I love Idaho, it’s four seasons, especially fall, and all it has to offer. Idaho is home and I don’t see myself ever leaving.

Are you tied into some sort of local author/bookish group/culture? If so, tell us about it and how it helps you as an author. If you’re not, is there a reason for it?
I have met several local authors and exchanged knowledge and experiences with them. I consider many of them friends! Though I don’t “belong” to one group in particular I do have an author tribe of women who I love getting together with whenever possible. It is filled with three from Idaho and five from Utah and they are the heart of my writing. We’ve done a retreat together and learned so much from one another. I do believe it is SO important to have close friendships with other authors. And I love having camaraderie with other authors. So much so I went to my local library and helped set up the Middleton Public Libraries Author Palooza, which is filled with so many local authors!

I tried to make it to that event—it looked nice. Tell us a little about it (or is it them, there were a couple of them, right?) Will there be another one?
There were two last year. One in May and one in October. We tested two different times to see what worked best and found October to be the winner. There will be more in coming years in October! And it was so much fun with all the authors and so many activities for the kids. We also had food trucks and coffee. I’m so proud to be a part of it.
I’ll keep an eye out in October!

What kind of events in the area do you attend—either to sell/promote your books or to network with authors? Are there any outside of this area that you hit regularly and wish we had something like it here?
I have been to a few library events in Middleton, Nampa and Ontario. I’ve gone to the Boy’s & Girls Club, attended a private event at an author’s parent’s home and done a signing at Barnes & Noble. I’ve also traveled out of Idaho to the Tremonton Library Summer Kickoff in Utah. It was my very first event and where I got to meet many of my tribe! I plan to attend it every year!

What’s the breakdown of your audience—do you have a strong local base, or are your readers from other parts of the world?
I do have a good local support system, but I think a majority of my readers are from all over the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. The first time someone across the pond read and reviewed my book I was floored! But so thankful!

Do you do anything in particular in terms of marketing to reach out beyond the local area? I’m curious about how people get the word out.
I get it out to greater areas using Instagram and talking to bookstagrammers, helping me reach far beyond Idaho. I also run Amazon Ads every so often and maybe once or twice a month post on TikTok.

Do you think there are particular challenges or advantages to being a writer in the Treasure Valley? (possibly both)
Both, but not just for authors in the Treasure Valley. I think being an indie author anywhere is challenging because the majority of readers hear “indie” and think “not a real author”. And I get it, I do, but there are so many indie authors who deserve the accolades that those in big publishing houses get and many missout on their talent simply because they are independently published. To those who are scared of the word “indie” give us a chance, there really is some outstanding talent among us! But it can – also be rewarding to be an indie in a smaller community like the ever-growing Treasure Valley because many of our libraries, book stores and other events embrace and welcome us.

Do you bring Idaho (or some sort of Idaho-sensibility, assuming one exists) to your work? Whether or not anyone else sees it, can you look at some aspect of your writing and think “That’s Idaho” or “I would do ____ differently if I was a Kentuckian or from Illinois?”
I believe I do, My books are all set amongst the beauty that is Idaho and I think they all contain the small-town spirit many around here have, the beauty of our state and the heart and pride of all Idahoans.

One final question, is there a book (or two…or 18, if you get really carried away), that embodies Idaho/the Idaho spirit to you to recommend to my readers?
All five of mine! But outside of mine the first that comes to mind is The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros. It’s not set in Idaho but the small-town feel is there, the beautiful wooded areas, the lakes, the simplicity and a strong sense of pride for our military, which I feel many Idahoans have, is encased within those pages. It isn’t for the faint of heart though because it WILL make you cry. It will gut you and shred your heart, but it will make you FEEL like no other book has. It’s a book I will never forget.

I love how when we recommend books, we think it’s positive to say “it will gut you and shred your heart.” (and, yes, I did go look at this book on Goodreads as soon as I read this sentence…because something that effective deserves at least a glance…).

Thanks for your time and participation in this—hope you enjoyed it!

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Grandpappy’s Corner: Dinosaurs in Trucks Because Hey, Why Not? by Sandra Boynton: Boynton Whiffs One

By HCNewton

On June 17, 2024

In Grandpappy's Corner, YA/MG/Children's Books

Dinosaurs in Trucks Because Hey, Why Not?
by Sandra Boynton
DETAILS:
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 7, 2024
Format: Board Book
Length: 16 pages.
Read Date: June 11, 2024

What’s Dinosaurs in Trucks Because Hey, Why Not? About?
As far as we know (the book tells us), dinosaurs never had trucks. But that hardly seems fair–Boynton’s readers love dinosaurs, and they love trucks. It’s unthinkable that they never coexisted.
So, what would it be like if they did? That’s the mental exercise Boynton indulges in for 16 pages.
Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute
It’s classic Boynton–she’s as in fine form as ever. The dinosaurs are just as cute as you’d want.
How is it to Read Aloud?
It’s really not that interesting–the rhymes are simple. There’s nothing too goofy, or playful about it. Pretty simple text.
What did the Little Critter think of It?
He really enjoys the pictures of the trucks. The pictures of dinosaurs seem to work, too. The words don’t seem to have any impact one way or the other. Which is a pretty mixed review for a guy a little over a year old, but it’s honest.
So, what did I think about Dinosaurs in Trucks Because Hey, Why Not??
It’s a fun idea.
And that’s about it. It really didn’t do much for me. Everyone has an off day–Mariano Rivera gave up game-losing runs, Metallica released St.
Anger, Spider-Man runs out of webfluid before he takes on Electro. It’s not suprising that Boynton whiffs one, too. Disappointing? Sure. But she’s due one.
The book works for those younger who like the idea and the art–but not those who want Boynton’s characterisitc fun rhymes.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Saturday Miscellany—6/15/24

By HCNewton

On June 15, 2024

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet Book Banners Ban a Book About Book Banning: Would you believe a school library system would go so far as to ban a book about book banning just because it mentions banned books?—I listened to this audiobook a couple of years back, it boggles my mind that this is controversial.
bullet Thoughts on the 25th Anniversary of ‘Hannibal’—Nick Kolakowski looks back on the book that broke my burgeoning Thomas Harris addiction
bullet Apostrophe’s Dream—Just what do those special characters get up to in a Moveable type drawer?
bullet The Worst Dads in All of Literature: An Incomplete List —skip the Abraham entry, the rest of the post is pretty fun.
bullet Ink & Imagination: Celebrating Ballpoint Pens With Words and Wonder—fountain pens get all the attention, but give me a good ballpoint any day.
bullet These gifts are the way to a book-lovers heart
bullet The Chocolate Lady asks: Do you ever want to go back and review books you read before you started blogging?
bullet Fiction & Mythology—How Many Types of Vampires are There?—Over on Summon Fantasy, Anca Antoci surveys vampires
bullet It’s okay to like grimdark or “I am a Nineties Edgelord”
bullet Lev Parikian has the kind of book buying discipline that I can only aspire to.

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
bullet Tea, Tonic, and Toxin Episode 58: Archie Goodwin is Awesome—(a great episode title), Part 2 of the conversation with Ira Matestky, focused on The League of Frightened Men.

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
bullet Hot Lead, Cold Iron by Ari Marmell—I’m still annoyed with myself that I didn’t stick with this series
bullet Marked Man by William Lashner—a pretty good legal thriller, IIRC
bullet The Intern’s Handbook by Shane Kuhn—I enjoyed this book so much, I really wish Kuhn had found his audience.
bullet I mentioned the publication of two books I rather enjoyed and one I completely forgot about (probably because I didn’t get around to reading it): Shield and Crocus by Michael R. Underwood, California Bones by Greg Van Eekhout, and The Rise & Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart—an assassin who got out is being pulled back in. I had a blast with it, as I tried to convey
bullet Moonbound by Robin Sloan—Sloan gets strange in this Fantasy novel pretending to be Sci Fi (or is it the other way around)? I liked it, but didn’t totally get it
bullet Dad Camp by Evan S. Porter—”A heartwarming novel about a loving dad who drags his eleven-year-old daughter to ‘father-daughter week’ at a remote summer camp—their last chance to bond before he loses her to teenage girlhood entirely.”

Live the bookish life. There is nothing to lose but boredom and nothing to fear except papercuts. - Lemony Snicket

WWW Wednesday, June 12, 2024

By HCNewton

On June 12, 2024

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

Whoops, I almost forgot about this. Blame M.W. Craven.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

I literally had to force myself to close The Mercy Chair by M.W. Craven and put some distance between me and so I could get this post (and tomorrow’s) ready. I’m closing out Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne, read by Luke Daniels on audiobook—I’m more eager than I was a couple of days ago for the third installment in this series (and I was pretty eager then). Also, this might be the best thing that Luke Daniels has ever done (and that’s no small feat).

Blank Space

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished E. Rathke’s Howl and I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle, read by Shaun Taylor-Corbett on audio. Am I allowed to say that I enjoyed it more than The Last Unicorn? It feels like the kind of thing I should whisper—or maybe only admit to someone in a parking garage while standing in the shadows.

Blank Space >

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be for The Teachings of Shirelle: Life Lessons from a Divine Knucklehead by Douglas Green and my next audiobook should be The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos, read by James Babson.

Blank Space

What has found its way to the top of your TBR?

LITERARY LOCALS: A Q&A About Writing in Idaho with Christi Nogle

By HCNewton

On June 11, 2024

In A Few Quick Questions With..., Literary Locals

Literary Locals logo
Christi Nogle is another one of those writers who took me introducing myself with “I’m probably not going to like your [mostly horror] stuff” with a smile. I think if I read horror, I’d have a blast going through her backlist. She’s got some events coming up in the next couple of weeks (dates are listed below). Local readers should make a point of going to meet her.

Before we get into things, why don’t you give the reader a brief introduction to you and your work.
Hi! I’m a fiction writer, focusing on horror and horror-adjacent work. You can follow my writing journey at christinogle.com and at linktr.ee/christinogle

My first novel, Beulah from Cemetery Gates Media, won the 2022 Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a First Novel and was one of five Shirley Jackson nominees in the Novel category for that year. The book has also been translated to Spanish by Dilatando Mentes Editorial. Beulah is a ghost story set in a fictional town of Beulah, Idaho. I’ve written two more novels also set in Idaho, which I hope will be available soon.

I‘ve had almost a hundred short stories published in a variety of magazines, anthologies, and my fiction collections from Flame Tree Press: The Best of Our Past, the Worst of Our Future, which is a current 2023 nominee in the Bram Stoker Awards®, Promise: A Collection of Weird Science Fiction Short Stories, and One Eye Opened in That Other Place.

I’ve co-edited two anthologies of horror, science fiction, and fantasy stories: Mother: Tales of Love and Terror with Willow Dawn Becker and Wilted Pages: An Anthology of Dark Academia with Ai Jiang, and I work as an Associate Editor for the horror fiction podcast PseudoPod.

Are you a native Idahoan? What is it about Idaho that keeps you here?
I moved to Idaho at the age of ten and have lived here ever since. Previously, my family moved around the country a lot.

I’ve stayed in Idaho because my family lived here, and now that my family members have passed, I have wanted to move closer to the ocean, but suppose I stay here because this still feels like my only home.

“Feels like my only home.” Is possibly the best answer I’ve received to this question.

Are you tied into some sort of local author/bookish group/culture? If so, tell us about it and how it helps you as an author. If you’re not, is there a reason for it?
Yes, I have a wonderful writing group here in Boise, the Sawtooth Alliance of Women Writers. [That name is a great way to say you’re an Idaho-based group without using the word Idaho. Also, I dig the initials.] I’ve known some of the members since college in the nineties and have been colleagues with others for almost that long, so it is a very comfortable and supportive group. The members of this group were among those who first encouraged me to send my work out for publication, and it has been wonderful to share my writing news and celebrate theirs each week. I’ve been meaning to check out the creative writing group at my local library, too, but so far I haven’t happened to be free during their monthly meeting time.

What kind of events in the area do you attend—either to sell/promote your books or to network with authors? Are there any outside of this area that you hit regularly and wish we had something like it here?
Just lately I have begun appearing at local events such as library book fairs, the library’s ComicCon event, readings, signings at Rediscovered Books and Barnes & Noble, and the like. One of the most successful events for me was a reading at the Star library hosted by Tina Johnson—the attendees were so receptive and kind! Krampus Con Bizarre Bazaar at ABU Games in Boise was fantastic as well. The well-attended event featured comics, art, books, games, and cosplay, and as you would imagine there were a good number of people open to talking about horror. On June 15, I will be signing at Rediscovered Books 11:00-12:30. June 29, I have plans to do a signing at local author Brian McBee’s store, Kuna’s Book Habit from 12-2:00.

I desperately wish there were more of a local horror community here and am always envious when I see that fellow horror writers can go to regular horror events in New England, the Pacific Northwest, and California. I’ve wanted to start a local group for some time, and I ran a workshop through The Cabin called “The Art of Dread: Crafting Contemporary Horror” in hopes of meeting and cultivating some horror friendships here in Idaho. I then began looking for other Idaho horror writers on Facebook in hopes of starting an Idaho Horror Writers Association (HWA) chapter. There simply weren’t enough people, but just recently, the Wyoming-based horror writer Josh Hanson and I were able to open a chapter of the HWA for the “Inland North States” region including Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and North and South Dakota, so I hope that will lead to more regional opportunities as well as more local and semi-local friendships. The HWA has been the most important organization of the several I belong to, as it offers opportunities to mentor and be mentored, other fascinating volunteering opportunities, and has put me in contact with some of my favorite writers. If any local writers reading this are thinking of joining the HWA, please reach out to me through my website contact form or through any social media and I’ll be happy to help you join our chapter.

What’s the breakdown of your audience—do you have a strong local base, or are your readers from other parts of the world?
My local friends read my work, and I’m trying to meet more readers locally, but most of my readers are from other parts of the U.S. and the U.K. Due to the translation of Beulah, I am also happy to have some readers and reviewers in Spain. I don’t read Spanish, but I can read their comments and reviews due to online translation, and it’s wonderful to see the response to the book.

Do you think there are particular challenges or advantages to being a writer in the Treasure Valley? (possibly both)
It’s been a bit challenging for me to be based here instead of in one of the places mentioned above that have a greater number of horror writers and readers. That said, there are some generous organizations in the area that have helped me, such as our local literary center The Cabin and the Alexa Rose Foundation—I’ll be in the Alexa Rose residency at The Common Well starting in November, and I hope to be offering a new workshop though The Cabin soon. We have a great library system here, and we have the wonderful independent bookstore Rediscovered Books.
With the Inland North States chapter, you’re on the front line of addressing one of the biggest challenges. I’ve had a few other authors talk about “maybe” starting something or wanting something that meets their genre/subgenre/specialty—it’s good to see that someone making progress in that direction, too.

Do you bring Idaho (or some sort of Idaho-sensibility, assuming one exists) to your work? Whether or not anyone else sees it, can you look at some aspect of your writing and think “That’s Idaho” or “I would do ____ differently if I was a Kentuckian or from Illinois?”
Yes, I think you would recognize a lot of the natural features of Idaho in my work, such as climate, the plants that grow here, the landscape. My settings are often rural or semi-rural and are drawn from the small towns where I’ve lived in Idaho as well as the country settings in Illinois and Indiana where I lived as a child.

One final question, is there a book (or two…or 18, if you get really carried away), that embodies Idaho/the Idaho spirit to you to recommend to my readers?
There’s no one book that expresses everything that would need expressing about the state, but Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover comes to mind. Westover’s work with theme of isolation really spoke to me.
Great pick.

Thanks for doing this–I hope you enjoyed it!

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