Local Writer, Press & Sun Columnist Holds Book Signing and Reading At Barnes & Noble
Kevin Lucia, high school English teacher and Press & Sun “Book Blurbs” columnist, will be signing copies of anthologies containing his first and latest short stories, as well as reading several selections Thursday, April 3rd, from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Barnes & Noble in the Town Square Mall in Vestal, New York. Also a graduate student pursuing an MA in Creative Writing at Binghamton University, Kevin has seen twelve short stories and several poems published over the past year in a variety of online journals, magazines, and anthologies. He has placed in and won several writing contests as well, most recently Spec The Halls’ “Speculative Christmas Story Contest”, in which he took first place with his contemporary fairy tale, “Brianna May’s Greatest Christmas Wish Ever”.
Kevin will be signing copies of three different anthologies in which his work appears. First is Coach’s Midnight Diner, in which his novelette “The Way 
Station” was awarded Editor’s Choice, and was then reprinted in The Relief Journal’s “Best of 2007” edition. His creative non-fiction piece, “Right Choices” – about how he met his wife - is a part of Tyndale House’s inspirational anthology, “Life Savors”. His suspense/thriller “Killing Time” is the closing story for Triad Publishing Group’s horror anthology, From the Shadows, which also features a foreword and short story by acclaimed writer Nicholas Grabowsky, author of Halloween 4.
For more information about the event, visit www.kevinlucia.net.
Okay, now for the informal stuff. I hope everyone will come out and have some a good time, get an espreso at B&N's Starbucks, listen to me read a few stories, perhaps even a line or two of poetry. These three works are all of a unique nature, and I hope to have a grand old time sharing them with
everyone. Two works in particular shape the evening, my story, "The Way Station", which appears in Coach's Midnight Diner, and "Right Choices", which appears in Tyndale House's Life Savors.
Coach's Midnight Diner is a unique anthology, billed as a collection of "Christian Speculative Fiction With Teeth". The stories inside are all genre pieces, presented from a Christian/spiritual worldview, but also given artistic liscense to enter the dark places in which angels fear to tread. The stories inside - though spiritual in nature - are not evangelical, nor do they ascribe to a "paint by numbers theology". These are gritty stories that don't belong in a church or a devotional, but next to some of the best mainstream genre collections out there (of course, I may be a tad biased). My story, "The Way Station", was selected as Editor's Choice, and then reprinted in The Relief Journal's Best of 2007 edition.
Life Savors is a wonderful collection of inspirational stories about life, from a faith perspective. Published by one of the industry leaders in faith-based literature, Tyndale House, it includes my story "Right Choices", about the circumstances leading to meeting my wife, Abby. Published in an affordable paperback edition, it's the perfect coffee table companion to any of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series.
Last but not least is the anthology From The Shadows, published by Triad Publishing Group, based in Saratosa, Florida. My story "Killing Time" is the closing story, and I have the privilege to appear in this anthology alongside 80's horror icon Nicholas Grabowsky, author of Halloween 4. I was very happy to make it into this publication, because it will round out the evening nicely; while Midnight Diner and Life Savors are faith-based publication, From the Shadows is good old fashioned, creepy-crawlies horror - though "Killing Time" leans far more to suspense/thriller, itself.
Also, I hope to have some artwork availible rendering scenes not only from both Midnight Diner and From the Shadows, (created by local artist-in-hiding, Nathan Slater), but also from my new project, a graphic novel adaptation of my zombie-hunting short story, Asphalt Oceans by Midnight, originally published by the online journal, Perpetual Magazine. We're very exicted about this new project, especially because the Triad Publishing Group would like to head up a new graphic novel imprint with Asphalt Oceans as its flagship piece. It's too bad that won't be finished in time for the signing, but we hope to do something locally with that at a later date.
So, I'll be sitting at my table, Thursday, April 3rd, from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at the Barnes & Noble in Vestal, New York, signing copies of all the anthologies, and pretending I'm someone important. I'll be reading from all three stories, and maybe even reading some of my published poetry, too - if ya'll promise not to roast me too badly.