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Ugly Little Things
Group Read: Guest Author Invite
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September 2017 Group Read with Guest Author, Todd Keisling
Exciting!! Todd, great to see you here!
Great to have you here, Todd! I will definitely be joining in the read (I will be reviewing for a blog). :) Very excited to see these, as THE FINAL RECONCILIATION is probably going to be on my "Best Reads of 2017" list.
Hello, everyone! Thanks for the warm welcome! I look forward to chatting with you all about ULT! :-)
The Haunted Reading Room wrote: "Exciting!! Todd, great to see you here!"Thank you! I'm glad to be here. :-)
Kimberly wrote: "Great to have you here, Todd! I will definitely be joining in the read (I will be reviewing for a blog). :) Very excited to see these, as THE FINAL RECONCILIATION is probably going to be on my "Bes..."You're too kind. Thank you so much!
Welcome Todd! Thanks for doing this. I love the cover of your book! Very creepy and dark.
Vicki wrote: "Welcome Todd! Thanks for doing this. I love the cover of your book! Very creepy and dark."No problem, Vicki. Thanks for having me! The cover was designed by Ben Baldwin. All I suggested to him was "something with hands," and this is what he created. He's amazing.
He's created many of the covers for Crystal Lake Publishing, but more recently, he created the cover for a little-known book called "Gwendy's Button Box" by some dudes named Richard Chizmar and Stephen King. ;-)
Looks amazing!! I can't wait to start reading!
Very excited, can’t wait to read your story! I’m sure it will be a instant must read! Welcome and thank you!
Greetings Todd! It's a treat to have you with us this month. Super thrilled to get to know a bit about you, your work, & anything you'd be willing to share with us. * Count me in for a .mobi file. Many thanks for the generous price for your collection of 'Ugly Little Things' & I look forward to it.
Thank you! ^_^
Sheri
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Adam wrote: "Very excited, can’t wait to read your story! I’m sure it will be a instant must read! Welcome and thank you!"Thanks, Adam!
Sheri wrote: "Greetings Todd! It's a treat to have you with us this month. Super thrilled to get to know a bit about you, your work, & anything you'd be willing to share with us. * Count me in for a .mobi file...."
Thank you, Sheri! If you'll pardon the pun, I'm an open book. Ask me anything!
Yay! Is this the sequel to Ugly Little Things, Volume 1? I really liked that one. Thank you, this is very generous ;)
Dawn wrote: "Yay! Is this the sequel to Ugly Little Things, Volume 1? I really liked that one. Thank you, this is very generous ;)"Hey, Dawn! It contains those original four stories from the previously-released V1, but it also has seven new ones, including a novella. :-)
Great!! I really enjoyed the volume one! Looking forward to it
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Ken wrote: "Finished A Man in Your Garden. Quite a clever method of storytelling. Todd, how did this tale come about?"Thanks, Ken. "A Man In Your Garden" started as a writing exercise for myself. I hadn't written anything in a few months prior to that story, so I wanted to stretch my legs and get back into the practice of writing regularly. All I had was a prompt that I'd given myself, "There's a man in your garden." The story took shape from there.
I've read several of the stories in your collection today, but "A Man In Your Garden" really made an impression on me. I think the simplicity of something that would be so easy to "imagine" half-seen on a rainy night, subtly morphing into a psychological horror was a great, unexpected transition.
Kimberly wrote: "I've read several of the stories in your collection today, but "A Man In Your Garden" really made an impression on me. I think the simplicity of something that would be so easy to "imagine" half-se..."Thanks, Kimberly. I'm glad it had an effect! :-)
I'm about 30% into this book and up to this point I'm really loving it. Todd, the imagery that you have given to these short stories makes it hard to put the book down before finishing. I'm curious, in "Radio Free Nowhere" why wasn't Conrad able to hear the siren song?
Erin wrote: "I'm about 30% into this book and up to this point I'm really loving it. Todd, the imagery that you have given to these short stories makes it hard to put the book down before finishing. I'm curious..."(view spoiler)
Kimberly wrote: "Erin wrote: "I'm about 30% into this book and up to this point I'm really loving it. Todd, the imagery that you have given to these short stories makes it hard to put the book down before finishing..."Ah. Thanks. I guess it just didn't register for me.
Erin wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "Erin wrote: "I'm about 30% into this book and up to this point I'm really loving it. Todd, the imagery that you have given to these short stories makes it hard to put the book down..."Sorry I couldn't get to this sooner. Kimberly summed it up in her comment, but I'll expound: (view spoiler)
Hope that helps clarify! Glad you're enjoying it so far, Erin!
Hey, folks! I'm going to be hosting a release party of sorts next Friday evening from 8 to 10 PM EST. I'm using Facebook organize everything, but I'll be appearing live on camera via YouTube during the event to answer questions and read from the book. I hope you can join me!https://www.facebook.com/events/29495...
I just finished several stories this evening, and I can't even decide which I liked the best.... Each one took a completely unique direction and viewpoint--the subject matter was likewise completely different. I am VERY impressed with the versatility shown in this collection!
Kimberly wrote: "I just finished several stories this evening, and I can't even decide which I liked the best.... Each one took a completely unique direction and viewpoint--the subject matter was likewise completel..."Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!
Todd wrote: "Erin wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "Erin wrote: "I'm about 30% into this book and up to this point I'm really loving it. Todd, the imagery that you have given to these short stories makes it hard to put ..."It does, thank you. And I look forward to your Friday event.
I'm looking forward to checking this out. Thanks for doing this for us, Todd!
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I just finished--having already read and reviewed THE FINAL RECONCILIATION earlier this year. :) I had a couple of questions on some stories, but they were answered in your "story notes" at the end. I will say that "When Karen Met Her Mountain" was one of my personal favorites--it was the WAY that you portrayed Karen, and what she was going through. (view spoiler)I will be posting a review for this one over the weekend. :)
Char wrote: "I'm looking forward to checking this out. Thanks for doing this for us, Todd!"No problem! I'm happy to do this! :-)
Ken wrote: "Show Me Where The Waters Fill Your Grave seems a little more chilling and prophetic considering the weather situation approaching us."I wrote it during last year's hurricane season, when all that flooding was happening down south. I read an article about coffins floating down the street. Everything else fell into place from there...
Kimberly wrote: "I just finished--having already read and reviewed THE FINAL RECONCILIATION earlier this year. :) I had a couple of questions on some stories, but they were answered in your "story notes" at the end..."Thank you, Kimberly! I'm glad you enjoyed the stories! Karen's story is one of my personal favorites as well, for the same reasons. Her character came to life so quickly and easily that I was able to write the story in a day. I was exhausted by the end--a ten-hour writing sprint will do that--but it was so worth it.
When Karen Met Her Mountain is one of my favorite short stories ever. I was wondering who you'd cast if you got to make it into a movie?
Glenn wrote: "When Karen Met Her Mountain is one of my favorite short stories ever. I was wondering who you'd cast if you got to make it into a movie?"Great minds.... ;)
Glenn wrote: "When Karen Met Her Mountain is one of my favorite short stories ever. I was wondering who you'd cast if you got to make it into a movie?"Thanks, man. Given the choice, I'd probably cast Carla Gugino as Karen. She's a little older than the Karen I imagined, but I think Gugino could pull off the ferocity required of the character. Then again, I'm not a casting director, so what the hell do I know? ;-)
I finished this today and thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, it was hard for me to put this collection down! I liked all of the stories but my favorites were The Darkness Between Dead Stars, House of Nettle and Thorn, When Karen Met Her Mountain and The Final Reconciliation. Thanks Todd!
Kristy wrote: "I finished this today and thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, it was hard for me to put this collection down! I liked all of the stories but my favorites were The Darkness Between Dead Stars, House of ..."Thanks, Kristy! I'm glad you enjoyed the stories!
Still need to actually "type" out my review, but it is finished. :)Edit: TYPED!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
(To be featured on HAD on release day, and posted to Amazon and Amazon UK afterwards). :D
Hey, folks. I just wanted to drop in and say thanks for helping to give ULT a successful launch. The launch party had a great turnout, and reviews so far have been extremely positive for the most part. Speaking of the launch party, in case you weren't able to make it, a recording is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J36bH...
Have a great week, everyone. Happy reading! :-)
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Ken wrote: "I really connected with Saving Granny From The Devil."Glad to hear it. That's the most personal story I've ever written. Only ever read it aloud once. That was enough.
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Glad to hear it. That's the most personal story I've ever written. Only ever read it aloud once. That was enough."
Do tell! How did this story come about?
** to get a copy of Ugly Little Things at the discounted price, you will need to email Todd's publisher at Crystal Lake Publishing, Joe Mynhardt. His email is joemynhardt@gmail.com. He is expecting all of your emails and will set up sending you the file of your choice and collect payment through PayPal.