Are you ready for Halloween? Celebrate all things spooky with The BookFest®! The scariest holiday of the year is almost upon us, and things look a little different this time around. Trick or treating is canceled in a lot of cities and people can only see your costumes from far away. Instead of giving up the snickers and caramel apples this year in favor of just another weekend on the couch, you can find all the scary things that go bump in the night by joining us at this fantastic and entirely free book event.
Bring On the Spooky Vibes
You can be a part of spooky panels that discuss all things Halloween, special segments including one from Tom Debreceni, author of Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen. At the after party you can learn how Tom Debrenceni creates his special effect makeup masterpieces. You may even get some tips and tricks for your own Halloween make-up this year.
Want to play a game? Join the scavenger hunt. You’ll find clues scattered all over the website, and each clue leads you to the next! We’re even starting with a gimme. Your first clue on the home page involves Danny Trejo, who has wielded knives for terror and taco. Everyone who finishes the hunt will win a digital copy of Preacher Finds a Corpse and other goodies. You’ll also get a chance to win other great prizes including a grand prize mystery pack and a case of Rise Brew Coffee. What can be more fun than a spooky scavenger hunt for Halloween?
You may be sick of the same old dinner’s night after night, wishing you could go out to your favorite restaurant. Don’t fret, we have Danny Trejo to save you. He will be reading his recipes from his newest cook book, Trejo Taco’s. You can surprise your family with Danny Trejo tacos, they’ll love it. Don’t forget to mix up a drink for yourself, Sara Winokur author of Double Blind, is showing us how to mix up her favorite cocktail at the afterparty.
Books That Will Keep You Up At Night
The BookFest also has some awesome scary books from some fascinating authors you’ll need to check out. Are you looking for a good book to take under the covers with a flashlight and some Halloween candy? Join us for the Masters of the Macabre — Discussing the Things that Go Bump in Their Books panel at noon PST on Saturday, October 24.
Joining the panel to discuss what gives us chills and thrills are horror masters Andy Davidson, Jonathan Maberry, Lisa Morton and moderator John Palisano, the current President of the Horror Writers Association, and author of Night of the 1,000 Beasts, Nerves and Dust of the Dead. These awesome authors will be discussing all things spooky and their experiences writing books designed to keep you up at night.
Learn more at The BookFest about authors like Andy Davidson, known for The Boatman’s Daughter and In the Valley of the Sun, which was nominated for the 2017 Bram Stoker Award for superior Achievement in a First Novel.
If you’re looking for some Southern Gothic scares, make sure you check out The Boatman’s Daughter. Miranda Crabtree’s father was killed when she was a child, sending her into a life of ferrying contraband for a mad preacher and his band of followers. She spends her days protecting an old witch and a secret child. The dark forces at work in the bayou are messing with Miranda’s ability to keep her unusual lifestyle going. What is she willing to sacrifice to protect those she loves?
Get to know author Jonathan Maberry, a New York Times bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner and comic book writer. His vampire apocalypse book series V-WARS was a Netflix original series.
If you haven’t check out the V-WARS series yet, now’s the time. Once you hear Maberry speak about horror, you won’t be able to resist! If you’re a fast reader, you’re in luck because there are four anthologies, edited by Maberry and published by IDW. You can also check out the 11 issue comic book series. He’s got a ton of books for you to choose from including the Pine Deep Trilogy, the Rot & Ruin series, The Nightsiders and so much more! You can blame your nightmares on him.
Ask Lisa Morton, a question, she is a six-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, the author of four novels and over 150 short stories, as well as a world-class Halloween expert.
If you’re a Halloween fanatic, Lisa Morton has all the scares for you. You can check out Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances, A Hallowe’en Anthology: Literary and Historical Writings Over the Centuries, The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories and Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween, just to name a few!
Prizes Anyone Can Win
Also, you can enter a fun fall themed giveaway, complete with everything you need to create your very own reading nook at home. Win some cute fall leaf pillows, a cozy blanket, a reading light, a fall mug, a spooky skull candle, a stuffable tuffet, and most importantly, over 20 new books to read in your book nook. Plus other prizes are given away like cases of Rise Brew coffee, gift cards and more. You can also enter to win the OwlCrate giveaway, the winner will receive the November OwlCrate box delivered to their door. What’s in an OwlCrate box? A New book with relevant goodies to match. If you’ve always wanted to try an OwlCrate subscription, now is your chance to win a box and see for yourself how awesome it feels to get an OwlCrate box delivered straight to your door.
Make sure you keep up with the hashtags #TheBookFest and #TheBookFestFall2020 on social media. You can register for email updates on the website. You’ll find the live stream on our website, as well as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
Remember, this event is completely free, yes free! No need to sign up, register, give out your information, just hop on the site on 10/24 and 10/25 and join the fun. You’ll love the panels, readings, discussion and games. Happy haunting, and we’ll see you at The BookFest!