Adam Cesare's Blog, page 2

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives is here!

Yes, the sequel to the Bram Stoker Award-winning Clown in a Cornfield is now out hardcover, ebook, and audiobook from HarperTeen.

You can order the book through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, or wherever else books are sold. I can’t thank you enough for the support and want to remind you, once you’ve read it: leaving a quick retailer rating or review helps me out so much!

I think it’s bigger, bloodier, and more frightening than the original, but don’t take my word for it, check out these early reviews:

“In this fun, frenetic sequel, Cesare tackles mob mentality and misinformation, and the return of Frendo oozes with old wounds and angry conspiracy-fueled grudges. With the rising body count and nonstop action, the pace will feel familiar to slasher fans as it delivers satisfying fight and death scenes.” — Kirkus

“It’s a breakneck slasher sequel that doesn’t waste any time getting to the action and suspense. Cesare understands slashers—and more importantly, slasher sequels—really well and crafts a strong narrative around the hardened survivors from the first novel. In true slasher sequel style, the body count is higher along with the brutal deaths that hurt. Whereas Clown in a Cornfield was a fun YA slasher, this sequel is a more mature, robust, and thrilling continuation that improves upon its predecessor.” — Bloody Disgusting

And if you haven’t read the original, critically-acclaimed teen slasher, pick up the Clown in a Cornfield paperback.

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Want your copy of Clown in a Cornfield 2 signed?

Then all you have to do is pre-order (from any retailer) and follow these instructions here.

Yes, for nearly as long as I’ve been writing, I’ve had people messaging me to ask if they could buy signed books from me directly. Which, of course, is very flattering and I appreciate the support, but is also fairly impossible for me to do for various logistical reasons.

But I’m so amped to celebrate the release of Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives, and pre-orders are so important to a book’s success, I’ve figured out a workaround to all these logistics. Signed bookplates! Yes, you order a hardcover copy from wherever you want (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, your local indie) and send me proof of purchase following these instructions and I will mail you a signed, personalized bookplate (a sticker) that you can place on the inside cover of your book.

If you’re a mailing list subscriber, you’ll know that I ran a promotion like this, to celebrate the release of the first book. That was such a success last time and everyone seemed so happy with the outcome that I’ve opened the giveaway up to *everyone* (yes, that includes overseas readers, but pretty please make sure you send me your full, correct address. All this postage is coming out of my own pocket, I don’t want it going to waste because I don’t know how the heck a New Zealand address is supposed to be formatted).

And that’s not all! One lucky winner is getting one of these custom Frendo the Clown masks, sculpted, cast, and painted by artist Robert Grove:

Just a little while left until August 23rd! I can’t wait to share this sequel with you all. It’s truly my favorite thing I’ve written, so if you still haven’t read the original Bram Stoker Award winning teen slasher, what are you waiting for?

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives Pre-order

I’ve been so excited, sitting on this news and this image. That’s Matt Ryan Tobin’s cover for Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives. You can see a bigger version and read the exclusive synopsis over on Bloody Disgusting. Huge thanks to John Squires for agreeing to premiering these exclusives.

You can pre-order the hardcover on Amazon and Barnes & Noble right now! And if you haven’t read where it all began you can order the paperback of the first book (out in December), which includes a special preview chapter for the sequel.

Why should you pre-order Clown in a Cornfield 2? A book that doesn’t release until August 23rd, 2022? Good question! Firstly, because it helps me out: pre-orders tell a publisher (and retailers) there is demand for a book. Which in turn leads to more analytic visibility, bigger orders, and more eyes on the book at every level (in brick-and-mortar stores and online). Secondly, because you’ll probably save money: amazon (and most other retailers, I think), charge you the lowest price offered between when you pre-order and when the book ships. I virtually guarantee between now and release day, the big-A will drop the price a few bucks and you’ll pay less than MSRP. Thirdly: the supply chain issue is a very real thing. And probably still will be in the month’s leading up to Clown 2’s release. So indicating to HarperTeen that you want a copy lets them know to print enough.

Clown in a Cornfield debuted in August 2020, when basically no bookstores in the US were open to foot traffic, when there were stay-at-home orders in place, etc. It shouldn’t have done well. But it was a hit because you beautiful people made it a hit. You asked local stores to order it in and ship a copy to you, you placed pre-orders, you told your friends, you left reviews on retailer sites. It was overwhelming. Over a year later, having received the 2020 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Young Adult Novel, I’m still astounded by everyone’s support.

When I finished writing the first book, I knew I wanted to do a sequel. I even knew the sketchiest of outlines to how I’d approach it. But I never thought in a million years it’d actually happen. It sounds like promo hokum, but I’m 100% serious when I say Frendo Lives is the most creatively satisfied I’ve ever been with a book. To say why would constitute spoilers, but I will say that it deepens and confounds the themes and characters from the first book in a way I’m very proud of, a way that some are probably going to be very surprised by. But if that sounds too self-indulgent for you, don’t worry: I also wanted it to serve as a thank you to everyone who enjoyed Clown in a Cornfield. Heads roll. New characters are introduced. And we go beyond the city limits of Kettle Springs in a big way.

Thank you to everyone who checks it out, helps spread the word, and I hope the next few months move fast because I can’t wait.

CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD is a Bram Stoker Award Winner!!

Am so unbelievably thrilled and honored to share that Clown in a Cornfield has received the 2020 Bram Stoker Award for “Superior Achievement in Young Adult Novel” at this weekend’s awards ceremony. Huge thanks to the HWA, its administration and voting members, and everyone who’s picked up the book either in hardcover, ebook, or audiobook.

Since this was an online-only event (it’s usually an actual awards banquet with dressing up, nice food, table centerpieces, etc.), I was asked to record an acceptance speech beforehand that would be played in the event the book won. You can watch the full ceremony here on YouTube, with the YA category being announced around the 34 minute mark.

Upon watching the speech back, I realize I neglected to thank Jesse Vilinsky for narrating the audiobook version. So many readers have had Kettle Springs brought to life through Jesse’s wonderful performance, I’m so grateful to her.

Thanks again to everyone who helped make this dream a reality, I’m feeling very blessed and can’t wait to share what’s next with all of you.

Clown in a Cornfield is a Bram Stoker Award Nominee!

Huge news! Very honored that Clown in a Cornfield has been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award in the “Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel” category. I can’t thank the voting members/jury of the HWA enough. But also want to extend those thanks to everyone who’s picked up the book, told a friend, requested it at their local library, or reviewed it online. The support this bloody little slasher has received from the horror community is truly humbling. Thank you.

If you haven’t read the book yet, it’s available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook, from Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and wherever else books are sold.

And will you get a load of the other nominees!? A stupendously stacked list this year in all categories. Congratulations to my many friends and colleagues who’ve had their work selected. And further congratulations to some of the spectacular work on the preliminary ballot that could very easily have moved forward. It’s been said elsewhere, but… 2020 wasn’t exactly a great year by most (pretty much all) measurements, but it was a helluva year for horror fiction.

Not to be too self-promotional (or to be exactly the right amount), I’ve talked about/recommended a bunch of this year’s nominees on my YouTube channel, which updates weekly (usually on Saturdays). And plan to talk about a bunch more books in the near future. Please go check out the channel by clicking one of the thumbnails below or click here to subscribe so you never miss a video.

Over the last weeks and months I’ve been getting a lot of “what’s next?” messages. And while I can’t announce anything now, know that I’m working hard on book(s). At the same time, I’ve been asked to contribute short stories to some cool magazines/anthologies. One of those is Centralia, a shared universe anthology with Brian Keene (The Rising), Cullen Bunn (Harrow County), Heath Amodio, Michael Patrick Hicks, and Brian Quinn (Impractical Jokers). That’s in paperback on amazon and Bookshop, and in ebook on amazon.

Another is Beyond the Book of Eibon. Which is a Lucio Fulci tribute anthology with a number of amazing authors on the table of contents and a cover by internet phenom Trevor Henderson. There was a Kickstarter campaign for this one that’s already over/met its goal, but the publisher still has some (extremely limited) copies for pre-order here. It’s a shame that this will be such a limited print run, because I’m particularly proud of my story in here. Hopefully I’ll be able to have it reprinted somewhere more accessible in the future.

So that’s all for announcements and housekeeping, I guess. Will have some news about my next book *very soon* but in the meantime, if you’ve read Clown in a Cornfield and are anxious for a new novel, have you tried checking out my backlist? All available in paperback and ebook, with most available as audiobooks as well.

CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD Praise, DARK CRYSTAL Announcements

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Whoa! Heck of a line-up. The above advanced praise for Clown in a Cornfield debuted as part of an article on Bloody Disgusting detailing the book and upcoming film adaptation. Each of these authors (and Mr. Clive Barker on the front cover), has had an enormous influence on me and I am overwhelmed and grateful for their kindness.

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Bloody Disgusting isn’t the only media outlet that’s been good to the book (though they were doubly good, Meagan Navarro put Clown on this summer reading list). The book has received a *starred* review from Library Journal. Thanks so much to critic Becky Spratford, unerring champion of horror in libraries, for that review, and for inviting me to write a short piece for LJ’s July issue (link soon).

And Kirkus says: “Cesare’s twisty prose and believable, easy-to-root-for characters makes this blood-drenched tale of extreme societal unrest disturbingly plausible. Dark humor peppers this clever homage to retro-horror classics, and Cesare barely lets up on the gas once the bloodletting begins.”

Wow! I thought slasher fans would enjoy but I’m blown away that *critics* like the book! As I’ve said in previous posts, but really can’t be overstated: pre-orders help me out so much. Pre-order is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, through your local indie bookstore using Indiebound, and on Bookshop, where indie bookstores get a percentage of your order.

But not all the big news I’ve had recently involves midwestern murder clowns. I’ve got two great announcements that involve another world and another time:

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YES! Recently detailed in this article on io9, I’ve written the words to The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra, an upcoming (October) hardcover art book.

Illustrator Iris Compiet sketched and painted over a thousand individual pieces during production of this book and there are *hundreds* of them in these pages. Her work is truly mesmerizing, as you can see in these preview pages.

There are even a few creatures that have never before been glimpsed in either the classic film or TV show, and Iris consulted with the legendary Brian and Wendy Froud (who wrote the foreword) to make sure the look was as “legit” as possible.

I’m so proud to be part of this and thank The Jim Henson Company and publisher Insight Editions for trusting me to be a member of this creative team. Pre-orders are on Amazon, Bookshop, and wherever else you buy books.

But the Bestiary isn’t my first visit to Thra.

No, the 4-issue arc of the BOOM! Studios/Archaia comic I scripted (from a story by Netflix showrunners Jeffrey Addis and Will Matthews), with art by the amazing French Carlomagno, is being collected up into one beautiful hardcover edition.

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The Ballad of Hup & Barfinnious tells the complete origin story of the fan-favorite podling paladin Hup. This action-packed story is one part road movie, one part con artist yarn, one part comedy, one part earnest examination of heroism, and ALL PARTS Dark Crystal. You can pre-order it on Amazon, Bookshop, directly from the publisher, or call your local comic shop and ask them to hold you a copy.

Outside of some mildly frightening imagery, the Bestiary and the Ballad of Hup & Barfinnious are 110% totally cool for younger readers.

Clown in a Cornfield is a Young Adult novel but, uh, maybe don’t give it to your 10-year-old. Best to aim teenagers and higher with that one, I don’t need the angry letters.

CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD up for PRE-ORDER! And DARK CRYSTAL Comics!

First things first, I mean, have you seen this cover? WOW!

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Yes. I lost my mind when my editor at HarperTeen shared the cover for Clown in a Cornfield for the first time. That illustration is by Matt Ryan Tobin. If that name sounds familiar, Tobin’s a slasher phenom who’s done work for Mondo and Death Waltz. Cover design by Jenna Stempel-Lobell, who’s done a ton of iconic covers.

Then there’s the matter of that Clive Barker cover blurb… which, if the cover itself didn’t plunge me deep into madness, those words certainly did. Beyond honored to have someone who’s so heavily shaped who I am as a horror fan (and a person) say such kind things after reading my book.

A few more incredible authors (and filmmakers!) have read early copies of Clown and have been nice enough to share words and I want to share them with you now, but… we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

The book’s not out until August 2020.

But it has recently been made available for pre-order.

And if you just balked at the idea of buying a book months out from release… believe me, I understand, but pre-orders are a huge help to authors. No matter where you choose to shop, pre-orders help build analytic leverage at online retailers, can increase the size of initial orders at big stores, and can help your local brick-and-mortar indie bookstore know what’s something they should be keeping in stock.

So, as August approaches and I get to talk even more about Clown in a Cornfield (don’t forget, it’s already being developed as a feature film by Temple Hill Entertainment), the most valuable thing you can do to help me spread the word is to pre-order your copy and encourage your friends to do the same.

I’m intensely proud of this… slice… of slasher madness. Pre-order is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and through your local indie bookstore using Indiebound. HarperCollins also has a directory of additional retailers and links on their website.

Thank you. And wherever you pre-order, keep your receipt and keep your eyes here on this blog or my Twitter, because I’m working out a special way to reward the folks who’ve pre-ordered.

Okay. Thanks for listening to that sales pitch! Now: more news!

Yes, you may heard me talk about it (like on this great episode of the Cinepunx podcast), but I’m getting the opportunity to work on one of my favorite properties of all time: Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal!

BOOM! Studios has officially announced that, with issue #5 of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, artist French Carlomagno and I start a 4-issue arc focusing on fan-favorite character: Hup. This arc is from a story by Netflix showrunners Jeffery Addis and Will Matthews, so it’s super legit. We’re not going to have podlings wielding chainsaws or anything!

[image error]  Issue #5 drops in January, #6 in February (etc.) and they’re already listed in Previews and can be requested at your local comic shop or ordered from your favorite online retailers, or direct from the publisher. Like novels, pre-ordering comics is a super nice thing to do for creators.

If you’re a fan of my horror novels and don’t think this is for you: believe me, you will still find something to enjoy in this arc! French’s art is incredible and we’re getting to tell a story that feels intimate and funny but still *very* Dark Crystal.

That’s it. That’s all the news I’ve got. How are you?

Flash Sale and Giveaway!

This week four of my five full-length novels will be 99 cents as Kindle ebooks.

Yes. The giant monster road novel, Exponential, is 99 cents.

Yes. The 1988 alien invasion of Long Island, NY, Video Night, is 99 cents.

Yes. The Massachusetts folk horror freak out The Summer Job is 99 cents.

And (starting on September 25th), the showbiz slasher The Con Season is 99 cents.

That’s not all: these titles are all available as beautifully produced audiobooks. Once you’ve purchased the ebook amazon will deeply discount the audio-versions of each of these novels. 

I’ve never done a sale like this. And I may never do one again, but for the next couple days you’ll be able to get the bulk of a decade’s worth of work for about 4 bucks.

If you’re checking my books out for the first time: thank you. Please consider leaving a quick, honest review on amazon when you’re done. Reviews help boost an author’s visibility and help us move books/pay bills.

If you’re a long-time reader who’s filling in gaps in their collection or checking out the audiobook of an old favorite: thank you. Also please leave a review.

For either category of reader: Clown in a Cornfield, my slasher novel coming out through HarperTeen, is slated to release August, 2020. It’s not yet available for preorder, but if you sign up for my mailing list, you’ll be the first to hear when it is.

Mercy House is my only novel that’s not on sale, but Random House has the ebook at a very respectable $4.99. My novellas (Tribesmen, Zero Lives Remaining, and First One You Expect) will stay at their “every day low prices” for this sale.

So that’s that on the book-front. But also wanted to share my two most recent YouTube videos.

First, to kick off the Halloween season is me setting up a Spooky Town from the Lemax Collection. This video also has a really cool giveaway attached, so click through to check that out:

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Then I did a rundown of “underrated” horror novels and short story collections, the first time I’ve done one of my popular “top 5” roundup videos in over a year. So please go watch that and make sure to subscribe to the channel if you haven’t already:

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Clown in a Cornfield Announced! 🤡🔪

Update: Buy Clown in a Cornfield on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, or Books-A-Million or keep reading on to be convinced.

Adam, where you been? You used to be so prolific but it’s been years since your last book.

I’ve been busy busy busy, and I’m so thrilled to be able to share this news with you:

Yes, my next novel is called Clown in a Cornfield. It was announced last week in Publishers Marketplace, then Publishers Weekly (you can read their coverage here) and it will be out summer 2020 from HarperTeen. As you can probably imagine, I’m a little overwhelmed at the news and thankful to everyone who’s reached out to wish me well.

I can’t say much about the book beyond sharing the synopsis, but yes: it is a teen slasher. One of my favorite subgenres, possibly my very favorite. I’m incredibly proud of the book. It’s scary, funny, action-packed, and modern as hell. Temple Hill Entertainment (the YA adaptation powerhouses responsible for The Maze Runner, Twilight, The Hate U Give, and many others) is handling the film and TV side of things. Fingers crossed on that front.

I’m so looking forward to getting this in your hands and I beg your indulgence in the coming months as I spread killer clown emojis far and wide.

Clown in a Cornfield Announced!

Update: Clown in a Cornfield is now up for pre-order here.

Adam, where you been? You used to be so prolific but it’s been years since your last book.

I’ve been busy busy busy, and I’m so thrilled to be able to share this news with you:

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Yes, my next novel is called Clown in a Cornfield. It was announced last week in Publishers Marketplace, then Publishers Weekly (you can read their coverage here) and it will be out summer 2020 from HarperTeen. As you can probably imagine, I’m a little overwhelmed at the news and thankful to everyone who’s reached out to wish me well.

I can’t say much about the book beyond sharing the synopsis, but yes: it is a teen slasher. One of my favorite subgenres, possibly my very favorite. I’m incredibly proud of the book. It’s scary, funny, action-packed, and modern as hell. Temple Hill Entertainment (the YA adaptation powerhouses responsible for The Maze Runner, Twilight, The Hate U Give, and many others) is handling the film and TV side of things. Fingers crossed on that front.

I’m so looking forward to getting this in your hands and I beg your indulgence in the coming months as I spread killer clown emojis far and wide.