R.J.’s Titles Now at the Eclective

16388120_10155047891542754_8065153951383495045_nEffective immediately, all my titles are available at a new local brick-and-mortar store!

You can now purchase all books RJ at The Eclective, a  consignment gift shop on Indy’s south side dedicated to handmade,vintage, artsy, and …well…. eclectic gifts, products and art by local vend0rs of all sorts. My work is featured as part of a bookshelf display alongside my local author co-op peeps at the Speculative Fiction Guild, a shelf we are creatively calling the SFG Store.

The Eclective is located at 2915 S. Meridian St.Indianapolis, IN 46225. You can check out their website and Facebook page by clicking the links. But none of this will help you experience the Eclective. To truly appreciate its unique vibe, you need to visit the store for yourself. The Eclective is divided into booths and rooms, loosely organized into kids and teens, health and beauty products, handcrafted and re-purposed items, and The Geekery. SFG’s books are part of The Geekery (he said, surprising no one). There are original paintings, handmade soap (including Mother Nature’s Bath and Body by my good friend Sharilee Gray who clued me in about the store) and a stage for exhibits, demonstrations and special events (more on that later).

Haunting Obsession Lo RezThe SFG Store features all of my titles, priced to sell and competitive to Amazon. You’ll find my paranormal trilogy:

Haunting Blue @ $15; Haunting Obsession @ $12; Virtual Blue @$15
My short story collection Darkness with a Chance of Whimsy @ $12 and
my science fiction adventure tale Commanding the Red Lotus @ $12. Applicable tax applies.

I have  pre-autographed each book at the SFG Store, and as always, signatures are totally FREE and worth every penny you pay. Stock will vary week to week, but the store is close enough that I should be able to keep all titles in stock most of the time. And if you’ve already read my books, the SFG Store also features books by my talented friends and peeps J0hn F Allen, Matthew Barron, E. Chris Garrison, and Maurice McKiernan. And there’s plenty of vendors to shop besides us (not that we want to discourage you from spending all your time at the SFG shelf).

10891872_10203482309364459_7287474733612016689_nAnd to launch things properly, SFG is holding a grand opening kickoff event Friday, March 24 @ 6 PM. SFG is partnering with the Eclective resident artist Sarah Rae Cote for a fun evening of readings and paintings …the authors do the readings, and you do the painting! Whether you’re directly inspired by our images-in-words or your imagination takes you somewhere else, it’s just you, the canvas, the brushes and a couple of h0urs to paint whatever pops into wonderfully warped brain, and we can’t wait to see what that might be.

Guests can listen to readings and shop until the store closes, and we’ll all be around to personalize those signatures; participation in the painting activity costs $25 for supplies, which includes the canvas and access to brushes and paints. You get to keep your creation when you are done. The store closes at 7 PM but will remain open for painters only. Click here to sign up via the event page, or just stop in the night of the show. This is the first of many special nights in the planning stages. Hope to see you there!

RJ to be at Imaginarium 2016

imaginarium-2016
I’m a proud author with Seventh Star Press, and Imaginarium is, in great part, the brainchild of SSP Editor-In-Chief Stephen Zimmer. And so,  I was there for Imaginarium’s first and second year and saw the convention grow from a great idea to an expanding community where readers and writers meet, joke, party, and exchange ideas in a nurturing environment all weekend long. Imaginarium 2016, year three, looks to be the best year yet, and you can be sure I’m not missing out on this one.

rj-at-imagionariumI’ll be attached to the Seventh Star cluster of tables, with my Speculative Fiction Guild buddies John F. Allen and E. Chris Garrison. I’ll be selling my full array of titles, including my brand-new collection of science fiction novellas Commanding the Red Lotus all at a price that meets or beats all other options. Autographs are, as always, free and worth every penny you pay. Cash and credit card options (via Square) available.

When I’m not at my table or wandering around trying to catch up with the many people I only see at this con, you can find me at panels with my author peeps, colleagues, and betters.

Here’s my complete panel schedule:

Friday 3 PM Following Your Passion in the Hancock Room
With William Rayst (Moderator), Dan Hildreth, Glenn Porzig, Mary Ellen Quire, and Linda Rettstatt.

Sat 11 AM Building your Brand in the Madison Room
With Violet Patterson (M), Greta King, Lola Kyle PA, Kim Smith, and Tim McWhorter.

Sat 3 PM Comic Book Nostalgia in the Oldham Room
With William Levy (M) , Brent Abell, John F. Allen, Thom Erb,  and Ed Gosney.

Sat 7 PM Space Opera in the Hancock Room
With Arlan Andrews (M), Dave Creek, Arinn Dembo, Kylie Jude, and Kathryn Sullivan.

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With author peep Katina French in 2014

Imaginarium is the weekend of Oct 7-9 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville, KY (near the airport). It’s about a two hour drive from Indianapolis, perfect for a day trip or for staying the weekend. The programming requires a membership badge, but the vending room is free and open to the public. Genres include but are not limited to science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, and graphic novels.

If seeing me isn’t enough reason to go (and that’s fine, just don’t tell me to my face, we writers have tender egos), there’s a film festival, masquerade ball, panels, and workshops for readers and writers of all levels and interests.

So click here to see the convention website, check out the details, and consider paying us a visit. I hope to see many of you there!

Past years’ photo albums
Imaginarium 2014
Imaginarium 2015

Maxine Marie to “Haunt” Hannah House this Saturday

SFG Booksellers hannah houseThis Saturday marks my fifth consecutive appearance at the Paranormal Meet and Greet at the Historical Hannah House on the south side of Indianapolis.

2011
2011

My first appearance was as a new author in 2011 with my then-brand new first novel Haunting Blue.

2012 Paranormal Meet n Greet with "Maxine Marie."
2012 Paranormal Meet n Greet with “Maxine Marie.”

My second appearance was for the book launch of Haunting Obsession, where reader / fan Nikki Howard enthusiastically cosplayed my sexy ghost Maxine Marie on a cosmic lineup of events–the book came out the year of the 50th anniversary of the real Marilyn Monroe’s death, and the event took place 50 years and within a day or two of her death. (And if I told you I had no idea that things would align the way they did when I started planning it, I wouldn’t believe me, either.) It was a lot of fun and we sold a lot of books that day.

Since then, I’ve been a part of the Paranormal Meet and Greet every year it’s taken place (they took a year off in 2014). It’s a fun day, pretty easygoing, at a truly unique and lovely landmark, and the people there are kind and enthusiastic about real-life paranormal investigations. I hear some incredible stories every year.

This year, I’m sharing a booth with other SFG Booksellers, where we’ll have plenty of horror and ghost story books to choose from. And Maxine Marie is going to “haunt” the grounds of the Historical Hannah House. This time she’ll be “channeled” by local model and reader Madison Kae Scroggin, who’ll be mingling with the crowd and posing for pictures while she puts the “boo” in boo-boop-be-doo. (Yeah…I don’t know what that means, either, but you don’t want to miss it).

Model Madison Kae Scroggin is 'scaring up" Maxine Marie at the 2016 Meet and Greet
Model Madison Kae Scroggin is ‘scaring up” Maxine Marie at the 2016 Meet and Greet

You’ll find plenty of copies of my paranormal trilogy and my short story collection. (I’m temporarily out of stock of Commanding the Red Lotus)

376743_10151060948417591_639062236_nHaunting Blue             $15
Haunting Obsession  $12
Virtual Blue                 $15
Darkness with a Chance of Whimsy (short stories) $12

Cash and Credit Card payments accepted. Autographs as always are completely FREE and worth every penny you pay.

The 10th Annual Paranormal Meet and Greet is a FREE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC EVENT Sat, Aug. 13 with extended hours from previous years: 11 am-6 pm in the lawn of the Historic Hannah House at 3801 Madison Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46227. Click this link to go to the Facebook Event Page. I hope to see some of you there!

Inconjunction 2016 This Weekend

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This year marks my fifth  consecutive year at one of my favorite science fiction conventions, InConJunction, on the east side of Indianapolis, and I’m super-excited! For one thing, this will be the first time I’m bringing a science fiction book to a science fiction convention!!

Cover Commanding Red LotusYes, that’s right, I’ve been doing just fine all these years selling ghost story and scary stories to a crowd that’s much more in tune with spaceships and laser guns, so now for the first time I’m bringing those, too. I’ll have plenty of copies of Commanding the Red Lotus on hand along with my back titles of ghost stories and my short story collection. I’ll be there with my Speculative Fiction Guild buddies as well, mingling, talking SF, dancing badly, and taking pictures of great costumes. Joining me in our space will be John F. Allen, Matthew Barron, E. Chris Garrison, and convention newcomer Maurice McKeirnan.

My titles and price list follows:

Haunting Blue $15
Haunting Obsession $12
Virtual Blue $15
Darkness with a Chance of Whimsy (Short stories) $12
Commanding the Red Lotus $12

Plus special pricing on multi-title purchases.

Autographs, as always, are FREE and worth every penny you pay.

Come on out to the Marriott on the east side of Indianapolis, 21st and Shaedeland Avenue. While you need a badge to attend much of the programming, the vending room is open to the public.  Hope to see some of you there. Click here to go to the official InConJunction Website!

Rj to co-host Two Towers with John F. Allen

Two TowersI’m excited to announce a new venture coming to a YouTube channel near you. As early as next month, you will be able to check out a new video blog program of TV and movie reviews, author interviews, comic book commentary, and lots of other fun stuff. The program is called The Two Towers Talk Show, co-hosted by John F. Allen and me.

John and have a mutual love for all things geeky, and though our opinions are often in sync, they diverge just enough to lead to interesting conversations. Which we can hold. For hours. And hours. But never mind.

What can you expect from the Two Towers Talk Show?

Movie and TV Discussion
Comic Book reviews (mainly from John)
Classic / old movie reviews (mainly from R.J.)
Author interviews
Guest hosts

All done from Indianapolis and with a strong emphasis on Indie and Small Press authors, and on Indy region special events.

Over the holidays, John and I had the same idea at pretty much the same time. It was John who approached me about doing the show, to which I said “I was gonna call you and discuss doing something like that.”

So while I’ve been putting the finishing touches on my latest novel, John has bolted forward to create a foundation, creating a logo and setting up dedicated outlets. Click to join us on Facebook, Twitter,  the YouTube Channel, and the blog, and check back regularly for updates.

TWO TOWERS LOGO 5I’m looking to have my own small feature dedicated to old / classic movies, horror, SF, and other interests, presenting a sort of cranky old man perspective on why these movies still matter. And my first topic will likely be a beef I have with certain young bloggers who have taken to dissing Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece 2001 A Space Odyssey and Robert Wise’s Star Trek The Motion Picture because they’re “slow and boring.” (Spoiler: no, they’re not).

John and I have had many discussions about the various directions the show may go, but things like this are best grown organically, and that’s how this will unfold. So watch for more updates from the usual outlets, and join us as John and I launch into this new venture.

SFG at Irvington Halloween

irvington festSaturday is Halloween (as if you need me to tell you that) and during the day, I’ll be part of the SFG booth at the Irvington Halloween Street Fair! You can read the full write-up on the SFG Website here.

From 10 am- 5 pm, I’ll have plenty of copies of my paranormal thriller trilogy plus my short story collection. Check out my books alongside my SFG peeps John F. Allen, Matthew Barron, Chris Garrison, and David Jobe.

RJ AD holidays 2014
My titles:

DWACOW low rezHaunting Blue $15 each
Haunting Obsession $10 each
Virtual Blue $15 each
Darkness with a Chance of Whimsy $10 each

As always, autographs are free and worth every penny you pay.

Our booth is in the Back Acre Beer Garden on the corner of Bona Ave & Audubon Rd. Go to the event website to read all about the exciting events happening throughout the day. We look forward to seeing you there!

Event filled Weekend Post Mortem

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The Three Amigos, L to R, John F. Allen, Me, and Chris Garrison
IMG_1237
Chris Garrison poses at the just-finished display shortly after setup.

For starters, all I can say is, WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND! So let’s start with letting the shields down and a little truth telling. Events like these are taxing. They’re outdoors, they involve limited windows to set up big displays. Sometimes, by the time it’s all set, you have to find a second effort to get your public game face on.

But two things make it much easier. 1) Partnering with terrific people and 2) a good turnout and terrific conversation. And that’s why this weekend went so well.

For starters, I arrived way early to the Historic Hannah House, much to my surprise, so I found what I considered a prime shady location for our group. E. Chris Garrison and Laura Terhune arrived shortly after, and we had everything we needed. A kind stranger (I’ve never met any other type at the Paranormal Meet n Greet) helped us set up Laura’s canopy and we were set up and ready well ahead of opening. John F. Allen arrived shortly before noon with his vampire / werewolf thriller title.

Being a display of fictional ghost stories (as opposed to stories based on actual haunted encounters), we were not everyone’s cup of tea, but lots of visitors showed interest, and everyone treated us like family, which is on par with every  experience I’ve had here, and that’s why I love supporting it. We had lots of conversations, caught up with old friends, met a few new ones, and even sold some books. I’m already looking forward to next year.

L to R: James W. Kirk, Me, John F. Allen, Chris Garrison
L to R: James W. Kirk, Me, John F. Allen, Chris Garrison

Speaking of old friends, the biggest surprise was seeing an old colleague, James W. Kirk. He and I go back to 199*mumble* college creative writing days, and he’s gone on to create quite a horror anthology brand with himself as editor-in-chief of some dozens of books. Check out his work here.

Then Sunday I returned to VERY local territory and took a double shift at the Greater Mooresville Chamber of Commerce booth during the opening day of the Old Settler’s Fair. I saw a lot of people who know me better as CopyBob but who were very interested to see the book titles I rarely discuss amongst them. And like last year, a few folks walked off with some books and my eye-catching Lost Soles (I need to make some more).

At the Old Settler's Fair 2015
At the Old Settler’s Fair 2015

So I arrived home VERY tired, but also very excited to see the effort we put into offering the best stories and displays we possibly can start to pay off.

Looking ahead, I have a nice window to wrap up on Red Lotus Novelette 3 before you can all catch up with me at Imaginarium Weekend in Louisville, KY Sept 11-13.

Link to my Facebook Photo Album of the weekend.

RJ to be at Hannah House and Old Settler’s Fair

I have a couple of exciting events next weekend, so let’s get right to it.

2012 Paranormal Meet n Greet with "Maxine Marie."
2012 Paranormal Meet n Greet with “Maxine Marie.”

First, I’m excited about the return of the Paranormal Meet n Greet at the Historic Hannah House on Indy’s south side, back again after a year’s hiatus. I always have a good time here, but the 2012 event where I launched Haunting Obsession was a special time.

This year I’ll be part of the SFG Guild vendor table with John F. Allen, E. Chris Garrison, and Laura Terhune, offering a wide array of ghost story, horror, urban fantasy, and paranormal thriller books. The event runs Noon-4 and is completely free and open to the public. Here’s more info from the event page:

Saturday August 8th 2015
Noon-4 pm Historic Hannah House, 3801 Madison Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46227. It can easily be reached from 465 by exiting US31 North, AKA East Street. The third light down is National Ave – go right. The next light is Madison Ave. The house sits on the corner of this intersection.

FB Event Page
My FB photo albums from 2012, and 2013

10574353_833221856688079_4599531151190465353_nThen Sunday, Aug 9, I’ll at the Mooresville Old Settler’s Fair, Opening Day, at the Chamber of Commerce booth from 5-9 PM. I did this last year and had a terrific response.

The Settler’s Fair is at Pioneer Park. Read about Pioneer Park here.

 

I’ll have all four of my books, plus deals. As always, autographs are free and worth every penny you pay.

11403423_1017912164885713_4460008536803645248_nThe Paranormal Trilogy: Haunting Blue $15; Haunting Obsession $10; Virtual Blue $15;
Darkness with a Chance of Whimsy (NEW short story collection) $10.

10468076_813484258661839_5960947186833888854_nMulti-Book deals: The Paranormal Trilogy: $35 (save $5)
All four books: $40 (save $10)
Lost Soles $5 each or FREE with any book purchase

Cash and credit card accepted!

Looking forward to seeing many of you there!