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§ Webcomic of the day: “Your lack Friend” by Ben Passmore. Just read it. It’s an excerpt of a longer work that will be sold at MICE in Boston, Ripexpo in Providence and NOCAZ Fest in New Orleans, and available online from .Radiator Comics.   § This kept coming into my inbox: a Spidey Zine […]

Hulu has unleashed a behind-the-scenes video for the 11/22/63 mini-series. In the video embedded above, Stephen King, the author behind the 11/22/63 novel, talks about the inspiration behind his alternative history story.

Members of the cast include James Franco, Chris Cooper, Josh Duhamel, Lucy Fry, Sarah Gadon, and Cherry Jones. Franco’s character embarks on a time-traveling quest to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Entertainment Weekly reports that the air date for the first of eight episodes has been scheduled for Feb. 15. Follow these links to watch the first teaser, the second teaser, and the full trailer. (via Slash Film)

Hulu has unleashed a new trailer for 11.22.63. The story for this adaptation series comes from Stephen King’s thriller novel.

The video embedded above offers glimpses of James Franco starring as a time-traveling teacher named Jake Epping. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Franco found his way to the role through his love of the King novel.”

Entertainment Weekly reports that the air date for the first episode has been scheduled for Feb. 15. Click on these links to watch the first teaser and the second teaser. (via Slash Film)

Hulu has unveiled a second teaser trailer for the 11.22.63 adaptation. Entertainment Weekly reports that the story for this eight-part series comes from Stephen King’s thriller novel.

The video embedded above offers glimpses of James Franco in the role of Jake Epping. Franco’s character embarks on a time-traveling quest to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

According to Screen Crush, the air date for the first episode has been scheduled for Feb. 15, 2016. Follow this link to watch the first teaser trailer. (via IGN)

We’ve collected the books debuting on Indiebound’s Indie Bestseller List for the week ending Nov. 15, 2015–a sneak peek at the books everybody will be talking about next month.

(Debuted at #4 in Hardcover Fiction) The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King: “There are thrilling connections between stories; themes of morality, the afterlife, guilt, what we would do differently if we could see into the future or correct the mistakes of the past. ‘Afterlife’ is about a man who died of colon cancer and keeps reliving the same life, repeating his mistakes over and over again. Several stories feature characters at the end of life, revisiting their crimes and misdemeanors.” (Nov. 2015)

(Debuted at #4 in Children’s Fiction Series) The Lunar Chronicles: Winter by Marissa Meyer: “Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend–the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.” (Nov. 2015)

(Debuted at #15 in Hardcover Nonfiction) Troublemaker by Leah Remini and Rebecca Paley: “Leah Remini has never been the type to hold her tongue. That willingness to speak her mind, stand her ground, and rattle the occasional cage has enabled this tough-talking girl from Brooklyn to forge an enduring and successful career in Hollywood. But being a troublemaker has come at a cost. That was never more evident than in 2013, when Remini loudly and publicly broke with the Church of Scientology.” (Nov. 2015)

Matthew McConaughey wants to play the villain in the adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, according to a report in Variety.

Sony Pictures Entertainment is adapting the horror book series into both a film and television series, both of which are due out in 2017. While Sony and MRC would not confirm the news, Variety’s sources say that the script is currently in McConaughey’s hands. Here is more from Variety:

Padick is a demonic sorcerer who Roland “the gunslinger” pursues in the first book. The character first appears in “The Stand” and goes by the name of Randall Flagg, a character that McConaughey was also offered to play. “The Gunslinger” will be the first in a series of films.

Simon & Schuster has unveiled a book trailer for Stephen King’s short story collection, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. The spooky video embedded above has drawn more than 59,000 views on YouTube.

Some of the pieces featured in this book include “Batman and Robin Have an Altercation,” “Blockade Billy,” and “Drunken Fireworks.” Each one is accompanied by a passage of commentary from King on his writing process.

It's one thing to read about censorship in a news article; it's another to become aware of the threat at a nearby library or school. For Banned Books Week this year, we reviewed hundreds of documented appeals to remove materials from a local public library, school library, or course curriculum. Below are 30 books that [...]

Last month we had a Barnes and Noble gift card and a coupon. We placed an order and to get free shipping we had to check the box to have everything delivered at once. Bookman ordered a new Stephen King book, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. I ordered a new cookbook. Many of you probably already know I don’t cook, I can, but at my house the kitchen is Bookman’s domain. I, however, am the one who buys cookbooks. I love cookbooks. Twenty years ago when we went vegan it was nearly impossible to find a vegan cookbook. We had a book called Simply Vegan and one called Tofu Cookery. We still have them. Their pages are written on, smudged with sauces and chocolate, and dimpled from liquid spills. They were our life raft as we learned a new way to eat.

These days there are so many vegan cookbooks available I can’t keep track of them all anymore. Our own collection has grown quite large and there are probably enough meals that could be planned from all of them we could eat something new every day for a year without repeats. Nonetheless, I always get excited when I come across a new cookbook that is not quite like the ones we already own. This time I ordered Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen. I already know I will love it because I borrowed it from the library first and drooled all over the library copy.

But we have not gotten the cookbook yet because it turns out the King book was a preorder. When I discovered it, I figured we’d get our books in September sometime and my mouth watered and my stomach growled in anticipation of all the delicious meals I would get Bookman to cook for me. Autumn is an excellent time for a good curry in my opinion. Heck, any time of year is.

But here it is the end of September and the books have not shipped yet. I had just supposed it would be this month without knowing for sure and Bookman had no idea. So I started thinking, well, early October. Some little voice told me today to check the order to find out when exactly to expect it. Turns out, it won’t be here until early November! I’m going to be really hungry by then! And Bookman is going to have a lot of cooking to do to make it up to me for having to wait so long.

Waiting so long for a book you ordered is it’s own special kind of torture, isn’t it?

This letter came from a super mom who entered a contest for a free book giveaway. She accompanied it with a nice letter so I figured I’d share our exchange.

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Hello! I’d like to enter the contest for book#6 for my son Aidan! He’s been waiting so long for this book to be published! Your Scary Tales series are his very favorite books to read, he happened to find them at the library and devoured them all immediately. I’ve tried to find similar books for him,  since he’s usually not very enthused about nightly reading time,  but so far nothing had come close to grabbing his attention as your books. He would be so excited to win your signed, newest book! But either way he’s going to read it,  and love it I’m sure! Thanks for entertaining so many children, I hope you never stop!
Sincerely,

 -

April

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I replied:

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Illustration by Iacopo Bruno from SCARY TALES #6: SWAMP MONSTER.

Thanks so much for your kind letter. As a parent, I know how it feels when I see my children connect with a series or an author. My daughter, Maggie, has never been a huge reader — and yes, that’s been frustrating for me as you might imagine. But now, suddenly, she’s reading anything by Jodi Picoult. It’s not my taste, but you won’t hear me complaining. I think one of the tricky parts about being a parent, or even a teacher, is to honor every reader’s individual taste. No judgment, just support. Because we have to trust in the process, we trust that one good book leads to another. Which is in no way to imply that my “Scary Tales” are not good books — I actually think they are! — just that maybe I’ve grown a bit sensitive about the horror genre in general. Now I know what Stephen King has been complaining about all these years. “Scary” doesn’t get a lot of respect, and many people think they know what it is without even reading the books.

Anyway, I digress. I’ve signed the book for Aidan and stuffed it into an envelope. I hope to get to the post office tomorrow.

My best to you and your family,

James Preller

 

Audible Studios will create an audiobook based on the Locke & Key comic series. The books were written by author Joe Hill and illustrated by artist Gabriel Rodriguez.

The company has recruited 50 voice actors for this project. Some of the participants include The Sixth Sense actor Haley Joel Osment, Orange is the New Black actor Kate Mulgrew, and legendary horror writer Stephen King (who is also Hill’s father).

A composer will also be brought on to create an original score. MTV.com reports that the audiobook will be available as a free download from October 5th to November 4th. (via Comic Book Resources)

Stephen King has shared a free digital audiobook which contains his short story, Drunken Fireworks. According to Entertainment Weekly, readers can access this work on King’s website.

The New York Times reports that Tim Sample served as the narrator for this project. This piece will be featured in the forthcoming collection, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams.

Each short story in this collection is accompanied by a passage of commentary from King on his writing process. Scribner, an imprint at Simon & Schuster, has scheduled the release date for November 3.

Many aspiring authors turn to book coaches when they’ve gotten stuck deep in the process of writing a manuscript; however, book coaches can also be helpful for those who haven’t yet typed a single character.

If you’ve always wanted to write a book but can’t seem to consolidate your ideas into a solid vision or need someone to help you get organized enough to make it through the writing process, it may be time for a coach.

The idea stage is when [Liz] Alexander contacted her book coach, Lisa Cron. They currently meet twice a month over Skype, and content is due before they talk. Regular deadlines help keep Alexander accountable, but the process unfolded differently than she expected. “I imagined at first I’d be like Stephen King — you know, get the first draft out in three months and then go back [to revise it].” Instead, Cron had Alexander write several scenes, and the two of them dissected the scenes over a call. “Lisa kept saying, ‘You haven’t gotten the emotion piece down yet,'” Alexander recalls. Alexander wrote the scenes over. And over. Her characters still came across as bloodless. When Cron coached Alexander through a mini breakdown, Alexander realized she was feeling the exact same emotion her character was experiencing, and she was able to draw on those feelings and express them on the page. She’s grateful now that Cron held her back from rushing forward with her story too quickly. To nail down the emotion and psychology of her characters made moving forward easier in the long run.

For more, including what book coaches say are the secrets to a book’s success, read: Why You Should Hire a Book Coach

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

We’ve collected the books debuting on Indiebound’s Indie Bestseller List for the week ending June 07, 2015–a sneak peek at the books everybody will be talking about next month.

(Debuted at #3 in Hardcover Fiction) In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume: “In 1987, Miri Ammerman returns to her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, to attend a commemoration of the worst year of her life. Thirty-five years earlier, when Miri was fifteen, and in love for the first time, a succession of airplanes fell from the sky, leaving a community reeling.” (June 2015)

(Debuted at #4 in Hardcover Fiction) Finders Keepers by Stephen King: “The genius is John Rothstein, an iconic author who created a famous character, Jimmy Gold, but who hasn’t published a book for decades. Morris Bellamy is livid, not just because Rothstein has stopped providing books, but because the nonconformist Jimmy Gold has sold out for a career in advertising.” (June 2015)

(Debuted at #8 in Hardcover Nonfiction) Gumption by Nick Offerman: “To millions of people, Nick Offerman is America. Both Nick and his character, Ron Swanson, are known for their humor and patriotism in equal measure.” (May 2015)

In the past, A.J. Jacobs revealed that he has several famous \"cousins\" including former President George H. W. Bush, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, and Harry Potter movie series actor Daniel Radcliffe.

Over the weekend, Jacobs hosted the Global Family Reunion in New York City. The journalist shared an extended family tree which unveiled his connection to several notable authors.

According to Jacobs’ research, he is cousin to the following writers: English playwright William Shakespeare, Green Eggs and Ham creator Dr. Seuss, comics legend Stan Lee, horror master Stephen King, and Nobel Prize winner Ernest Hemingway. Click here to watch a TED talk about the origins of this genealogy project.

Stephen King goes back to fertile territory — a vindictive reader furious at his favorite author's turn away from fiction. With gripping suspense, inventive storytelling, and returning characters from Mr. Mercedes (though this book works just fine as a stand-alone), Finders Keepers is vintage King — and a smart, entertaining account of the power of [...]

The cover for Stephen King’s The Bazaar of of Bad Dreams has been unveiled. We’ve embedded the full image above—what do you think? Follow this link to see the animated version of this jacket design.

Each short story in this collection is accompanied by a passage of commentary from King on his writing process. Some of the pieces featured in this book include “Batman and Robin Have an Altercation,” “Blockade Billy,” and “Drunken Fireworks.” Scribner, an imprint at Simon & Schuster, has scheduled the release date for November 3rd.

Describe your latest book. My novel, The Daylight Marriage, is about a wife and mother who goes missing one day. The narrative alternates between her husband and children's story, as they try to figure out what's happened to her and the story of what is, in fact, happening to her. The husband is a climate [...]

WICHITA, Kan. — Bookstores from coast-to-coast will mark “Independent Bookstore Day” on Saturday, May 2. More than 400 retailers from Alaska to Maine will celebrate their value to their communities with author readings, special sales, and other activities. While a … Continue reading →

The Mystery Writers of America have revealed the 2015 Edgar Award winners. According to the press release, the announcements were made at the organization’s 69th gala banquet.

This annual prize, named after beloved writer Edgar Allan Poe, was established in 1945 to honor the best authors within the mystery genre. Below, we’ve posted the full list of winners.

2015 Edgar Award Winners

Best Novel: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

Best First Novel by an American Author: Dry Bones in the Valley by Tom Bouman

Best Paperback Original: The Secret History of Las Vegas by Chris Abani

Best Fact Crime: Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood by William Mann

Best Critical/Biographical: Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe by J.W. Ocker

Best Short Story: “What Do You Do?” (from The Rogues Short Story Collection) by Gillian Flynn

Best Juvenile: Greenglass House by Kate Milford

Best Young Adult: The Art of Secrets by James Klise

Best Television Episode Teleplay: “Episode 1″ (from the Happy Valley teleplay) by Sally Wainwright

Simon & Schuster-Mary Higgins Clark Award: The Stranger You Know by Jane Casey