Join us on November 8th at 7pm as we host Christa Carmen in conversation with Levi Lionel Leland to discuss their latest books, How to Fake a Haunting and Edgar Allan Poe: Master of the Macabre, respectively. Signed copies of each book will be available for purchase.
About How to Fake a Haunting:
A Fake Haunting, a Real Nightmare, and a Terror That Won't Let Go
Lainey Taylor is being pushed to the brink by her alcoholic husband, Callum. Prone to hallucinations and erratic behavior, it's only a matter of time before he puts Lainey's life – and that of their daughter, Beatrix – in jeopardy. A divorce and full custody is out of the question. In Callum's words: Over my dead body.
Lainey's sympathetic friend Adelaide has a wild solution. They'll stage a haunting so convincing it will drive Callum out of Lainey's life for good. Nothing too over the top: strange smells, noises in the walls, and flies unleashed along the windowsills. It could work. Considering Callum's alcohol-induced night terrors, he's already close to broken. With each new scare, Lainey is closer to seeing the haunting through to its bitter, freeing end.
But in a house filled with so much rage, resentment, and fear, is it any wonder that Lainey and Adelaide's plan goes horribly wrong? As their fake haunting spirals into something no one can control, Lainey discovers that the only way out of this frightening trap is to join forces with Callum, or die trying.
About Edgar Allan Poe: Master of the Macabre
Step into the fascinating and gothic world of Edgar Allan Poe, the master of macabre, with this compelling literary biography that unravels his dark genius, iconic works, and enduring influence on gothic literature.
Discover the tumultuous life of Edgar Allan Poe, the legendary gothic author, marked by literary genius and personal tragedy, and explore the haunting themes that defined his timeless creations. From excerpts of his chilling tales like The Tell-Tale Heart and The Raven to insightful commentary and unforgettable quotes about and from Poe himself, this book paints a vivid portrait of the man behind the pen.
This beautifully curated book is both an inspiring biography and a celebration of literary brilliance. Whether you’re a longtime admirer of Poe or just beginning your literary adventure, Pocket Portraits: Edgar Allan Poe will leave you fascinated, inspired, and longing for more.
About the authors:
Christa Carmen lives in Rhode Island. She is the Bram Stoker Award-winning and two-time Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author of The Daughters of Block Island, Beneath the Poet's House, and the forthcoming How to Fake a Haunting, as well as the Indie Horror Book Award-winning Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked, the Bram Stoker Award-nominated "Through the Looking Glass and Straight into Hell" (Orphans of Bliss: Tales of Addiction Horror), and co-editor of the Aurealis Award-nominated We Are Providence and the Australiasian Shadow Award-nominated Monsters in the Mills. She has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA from Boston College, and an MFA from the University of Southern Maine.
When she’s not writing, she keeps chickens; uses a Ouija board to ghost-hug her dear, departed beagle; and sets out on adventures with her husband, daughter, and bloodhound–golden retriever mix. Most of her work comes from gazing upon the ghosts of the past or else into the dark corners of nature, those places where whorls of bark become owl eyes, and deer step through tunnels of hanging leaves and creeping briars only to disappear.
Levi Lionel Leland is a Rhode Island-based independent scholar and author specializing in the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe, with a particular focus on Poe's connections to Providence and his relationship with poet Sarah Helen Whitman. A native of Coventry, Rhode Island, Leland has been passionate about Poe since the age of twelve. His dedication led him to visit every Poe museum and historic site across the United States before concentrating his research on Poe's time in Providence.
Leland is the creator of the website edgarallanpoeri.com, which compiles extensive research on Poe and Whitman's history in Rhode Island. He also leads "A Walking Tour of Poe’s Providence," a 1.5-mile guided tour that explores key locations tied to Poe and Whitman's brief but intense courtship in 1848.
In addition to his tours and online content, Leland authored the recently released book, Edgar Allan Poe: The Master of the Macabre (Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster), which offers a digestible biography of Poe along with curated excerpts from his works.
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