I’ll be at Shock Stock this weekend selling and signing books.
I’m a big fan of this event and look forward to attending every couple years.
I’ll be sharing a table with Aaron Lebold. I met Aaron at dRead Con last September and he quickly revealed himself to be good people.
For more on Shock Stock, visit their website.
You can check out Aaron on his Instagram
Hope to see some of you there!
I’ll be talking shop on Sunday, April 13th at Indigo Windsor with some fellow author pals. If you are in the area, stop by and check it out!
I’m a little late with this one, and for that, all I can do is throw my hands in the air and say life got in the way. But as they say, better late than never!
You’ll notice by the above image, that this book is not like the others I have been featured in. And the reason for that is because it isn’t. Words Gathered is a unique blend of poetry, prose, fiction and non-fiction. A veritable smorgasbord of literary delight.
This might have you asking how one of my spooky tales came to reside in such a volume? Good question.
Gertrude’s Writing Room is a fantastic local resource for both aspiring and established writers. Besides being a warm, and cozy place for creatives to gather, they also offer a plethora of writing workshops (I’ve attended one and taught two more). So when Gertrude’s owner, Vanessa Shields (an accomplished poet), asked if I’d be interesting in contributing to the first ever collection Gertrude’s would release, I of course said I would be delighted to.
Okay, now I’m just rambling. Long story short, it’s a great book and you should check it out. It can be purchased from Gertrude’s website, found here.
Until next time!
-Christian
I was recently asked to appear on an episode of Scribes & Songsters. I had a blast talking to host Veronique Mandal (a great writer as well!) about my work. Thanks to all involved and if you do check out the video, make sure to subscribe to the Scribes & Songsters page as they feature tons of fantastic authors and musicians.
This weekend I’ll be pulling double duty (with writing chum Ben Van Dongen) as I head out to a couple of different events.
Up first is the Windsor Small Press Book Fair. This event showcases various local publishers (including Biblioasis, Palimpsest Press and Mirror World Publishing to name a few) and is a great way to meet both authors and publishers! The event is this Saturday (April 13th). For more info regarding times and location, check out their event page here!
Next up (the very next day. April 14th) is the Sarnia Pop Culture Show. I’ve been a guest at this convention in the past and it is always a great time. If you are in the area, swing by and check it out, there is a ton of awesome stuff, and some great guests. For more about all that, head over to their event page right here!
I hope to see you at one (or both??) of these great events.
-C
A couple months ago, I was asked (along with my frequent collaborator, Ben Van Dongen) to host a writing workshop. I said yes, of course, but truth be told I did have some reservations. You see, I’ve been lucky enough to take part in all sorts of writing and literary events since the release of my first book, The Space Between Houses (which turns 5 this year!), but have never hosted a workshop.
What would we speak about? And, more importantly, would anybody care?? After some discussion with Ben, I can say that at least one of these questions has been answered. We’re going to focus on what we know best: short stories and genre fiction.
We’ve since mapped out a series of sub-topics and writing exercises for those attending. It was while doing this that I had an interesting revelation. If such a workshop as the one I myself was going to be hosting existed five or six years ago, it would have taught me how to avoid a lot of the obstacles which plagued the embryotic days of my writing career. Which then made me realize I need to build a time machine.
The workshop itself will be held at Gertrude’s Writing Room; a cozy space with a ton of charm. Ben and I sat in on the last workshop held there (to see what we were in for) and fell in love.
For anyone that is interested, there is a link to the website to register HERE and one for the Facebook event page HERE.
The workshop, now titled Monsters! Aliens! Short Stories! …& Friends! will be a 3 hour class, and it goes down January 19th. The cost is $50
-Christian
P.S. All those who attend will receive a signed copy of our short story collection, No Light Tomorrow.
I’ll be at Action! this Sunday (Feb. 18th) from 10 – 5. This is going to be a super fun convention (there are some great guests). I’ll have copies of the new book, All These Crooked Streets, as well as a handful of No Light Tomorrow and The Space Between Houses. If you’ve been waiting to grab one (or all of them), Sunday would be a great opportunity to do so, and you can even get it signed!
For more on Action!, check out their website www.actionwindsor.com
Or you can go to the Facebook page here, and the event page here
See you Sunday!
Hey! Look what’s out! My first published poetry is hiding inside this gorgeous looking book. Here’s a blurb from the publisher (Urban Farmhouse Press).
‘Exploring new poetry and prose by the working writers that make the area around Windsor, ON Canada home. These are the stories, songs, and voices of those that have come to call the south shore of the Detroit River Narrows theirs. Discover the voices forming the roots of a thriving literary community that is now gaining its due attention in the literary world. Masterfully edited by Windsor poet Laurie Smith this collection showcases the breadth and strength of voices from the place where Ontario begins.
Featuring new work by Marty Gervais, Dorothy Mahoney, Mary Ann Mulhern, Peter Hrastovec, Lenore Langs, Dawn Kresan, Vanessa Shields, Karen Rockwell, Christian Laforet, Ben Van Dongen, Denis Robilliard, Justine Dowsett, Irene Moore Davis, Teejai Travis, Erik Johnson, Dave Rocha, Amina Abudulla, and Rosalind Knight.’
If you’re interested in a copy, you can snag one on Amazon or hit up Urban Farmhouse Press
-C
One of my favourite parts of being an author is when I get the opportunity to do readings. For some, the mere thought of standing before a group of strangers and reading something aloud is terrifying. For me, it’s more a feeling of nervous excitement. It’s somewhat exhilarating when I’m standing before a room full of people, all of whom are there to hear me read something from one of my books.
So with that said, I’m rather excited to be doing not one, but two readings this week.
The first, which is tonight, is being hosted by local publisher Urban Farmhouse Press. Now you’re probably wondering why UFP is having me read when I am not published through them. Good question. You see, UFP are some great folks and have put together a monthly showcase featuring authors from a different local publisher (Windsor has several). And yep, you guessed, tonight is Adventure Worlds Press’ turn at bat.
My AWP partner in crime, Ben Van Dongen, will be reading as well. And since, as of this moment, Ben and I make up 100% of AWP’s authors, we’ve invited a couple friends to fill out the card. First is horror author, Mick Ridgewell. As well as historical fiction writer Dave Rocha.
As usual, besides readings, there will be signings and books for sale. Oh, and snacks, don’t forget the snacks.
More info here.
And if you want to learn more about just what the heck Urban Farmhouse Press is all about, go here.
The second reading, which will be this Saturday, takes place at the Goodwill Bookstore. Both Myself and Ben will be there, and as a special treat, we are going to be accompanied by new adult author, Jessica Gouin. What makes it so special is that it is Jessica’s first public reading (this is your chance hecklers!).
For the deets, click here.
I hope to see some of you at one (or both) events.
-C
Hey everybody! So, I’ve been talking to my buddy Ben Van Dongen (see what he’s all about here) and although it pains me to admit it, he was actually right about something…for the first time…ever! I don’t update my site enough. So, with the confidence of a new year before me, you’ll be hearing from me a lot more often.
This brings me to my first hurdle though. What the hell am I going to talk about? Ben’s blog focuses on various events and things from his life, but that’s not really my speed. Not that I think he is wrong to spend time on such topics, it’s more that I personally don’t like writing about that stuff. Because of that, I’m going to keep things as work related as possible around here. Basically, I’ll be giving updates, info on events and books and talking to and or about other authors and their work.
Since this is the first post of the year, and telling everybody your plans for the next 365 days is the cool thing to do, I will spill the beans a bit about what I have coming (fingers crossed) this year. Continue reading
C.M. Forest 