Interview with Steven Fujita, author of Toe Up to 10K

Title: Toe Up to 10K
Author: Steven Fujita
Publisher: BookBaby
Pages: 168
Genre: Self-Help
Format: Ebook

 In June 2012, Steven Fujita went to the emergency room, and was diagnosed with meningitis. After four days of improvement, he was scheduled to be discharged when his condition worsened dramatically. His blood pressure, body temperature and sodium levels all became dangerously low. He started to lose consciousness. He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit. He had suffered spinal cord damage at the T4 level. Upon regaining full consciousness, Fujita could not speak, eat, breathe independently, control bodily functions, nor move his legs. “Once we understand what we have to go through, become resolved to see it through, and know we will survive, we feel our ordeal is not so bad,” Fujita writes. In this book, he takes the reader on a journey of recovery from a spinal cord injury. It is not only a journey of determination and hard work, but of positive attitude, of drawing inspiration, of gratitude towards those around him: his family, his friends, co-workers, and medical professionals.

Purchase Your Copy At:

• Amazon.
• Barnes & Noble

 

The Interview

Could you please tell us a little about your book?
Toe Up to 10K is about my road to recovery from spinal cord injury.  Chronologically, it covers the time from when I was diagnosed with meningitis, and became a paraplegic, to when I was walking without a cane and working to run again.  As far as the subjects I discuss, I write about the physical and issues I dealt with, where, what and who I drew inspiration from, my exercise regimen and the strategies I employed to adapt to the issues caused by the spinal cord injury.

Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
In June 2012, I went to the emergency room and was diagnosed with viral meningitis.  Four days later, I lapsed into semi-consciousness, and when I regained full consciousness, I was paralyzed from the chest down.  Although doctors thought I might walk again, it wasn’t guaranteed, and if so, only to the point of “well enough.”  It was implied that I would spend about a year in a wheelchair.  However, within six months, I was walking around with the aid of only a quad cane, and within 15 months, was walking without a cane. So, the triggers for writing this book were the meningitis, the damage to the spinal cord, the resulting paralysis, and recovering from that paralysis much better than anybody expected.

Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
There were two main inspirations.  One, when I was in the hospital, I really wanted to know what would happen next – the chronology of recovery.  Now, I know every individual recovers differently, both in areas that recover, and the amount of recovery.  However, I wanted to share my experiences and be a point of reference for those who experience spinal cord injury.  Although everybody’s experience is different, there are some common ground. The second inspiration is the recovery itself.  I don’t think I was expected to recover my ability to walk as well as I have, nor as quickly as I did.  I wanted to share not only what I did physically, but also wanted to share the importance of attitude and drawing inspiration from outside sources, whether it is from creative works, such as songs, or from people, such as friends, family and healthcare workers.

What are you currently working on?
Outside of writing, I’m currently working on running. I currently walk at the same speed as pre-injury.  When I finished the book, I still had trouble sprinting.  Currently, I can sprint – I just need to work on speed and endurance. As far as writing, I’m returning to my “roots,” so to say: supernatural fantasy.  I use the word, “fantasy” because I like to write about monsters that don’t exist in real life such as stereotypical vampires and zombies.  Specifically, I am working on the sequel to my vampire novella, Sword of the Undead.

Do you have any advice for writers or readers? My one bit of advice to writers is to be yourself.  Not only does the sincerity come out, but you, as an individual comes out.  You will also notice that words flow easier, making the process more enjoyable (or less painstaking).

What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?
Other books on spinal cord injury are compelling and inspiring stories about people who’ve overcome obstacles.  I believe mine is the same.  However, Toe Up to 10K is different because it can also serve as a point of reference as to what issues what one can expect when the spinal cord is damaged.  And regarding this, I cover some issues that are glossed over in other books, such as bowel and bladder issues.  Toe Up to 10K can also be a handbook as far as finding examples of dealing with some of the issues caused by spinal cord injury: the exercises, the act of drawing inspiration from others, the importance of support from others, etc. I didn’t include as much person to person interaction as I could have, and in that respect, I think this book has a little more of an objective feel to it than other books. I actually think it would make a good reference book for fiction writers who want to have a character whose spinal cord has been injured – and still enjoy the compelling and inspirational tone of the book.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from life so far?
Life is a priceless gift, and one of the best ways to make use of this gift is to practice gratitude.   Steven Fujita was born in Los Angeles and raised in Torrance, California. He attended college in Washington, D.C., and currently lives in Long Beach, California.

 Listen to Steven Fujita's interview on the Book Club with John Austin, which aired November 2, 2010, about his novella, Sword of the Undead, a re-telling of Bram Stoker's vampire novel, Dracula. http://www.internetradiopros.com/bookclub/?p=episode&name=2010-11-01_zbookcub_for_110210_1st_segment_steven_fujita.mp3

 His other book, $10 a Day Towards $1,000,000, is available on Kindle. This book promotes the idea of using time and savings to build wealth. His new book, Toe Up to 10K, was released in September 2014. This book chronicles his recovery from spinal cord injury he sustained in 2012. Visit his website at: www.stevenfujitaauthor.com   

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Interview with Barry Tutor, author of Never Giving Up & Never Wanting To

ABOUT NEVER GIVING UP & NEVER WANTING TO

Like most, I knew about Alzheimer’s disease. It causes old people to forget. When my relationship with this disease began, it highlighted how little I knew. Following my widowed mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, I researched this disease to gain insight about my new role as her caregiver and decision maker. What I learned and experienced during her affliction still left me somewhat unprepared for what was yet to come. Sixteen months following my mother’s diagnosis, my dear wife and best friend was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Though now I was familiar with this silent killer, my wife’s diagnosis set into motion many changes and challenges in our lives. Someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every sixty-eight seconds. Currently, Alzheimer’s is the only disease in the top-ten causes of death that is on the increase and has no means of prevention and no possible cure. Given these facts, support for those afflicted relies on increasing levels of caregiving as the disease progresses. Let me explain something about this “old folk’s disease.” Alzheimer’s affects more than just parents and grandparents. It is also the disease of siblings, spouses, and children. Alzheimer’s forces many families to decide between home versus institutional care. An estimated fifteen million caregivers provide some level of care to the Alzheimer’s victims still living at home. No matter what level of care you are providing, the importance of preparation is paramount. Arming yourself with knowledge begins that preparation process. I was unprepared for the roller-coaster ride my life became as the sole caregiver for two Alzheimer’s victims. To meet their varied challenges, I adapted and developed multiple techniques for targeted personalized care. If only I knew then what I know now. By sharing my knowledge and experience, I hope to better prepare you for your caregiving journey.

Purchase your copy:

How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

In my book Never Giving Up & Never Wanting To I write about my 44 year old mother as she stood steadfastly by my father as he lay dying from a brain tumor. In the six months he was at the local hospital, after each workday she would spend as much time she could at his side. When my grandfather was at the Veterans Administration hospital in Fayetteville, North Carolina dying from cancer, my grandmother would close the little mom-and-pop restaurant she owned and operated so she could go to visit him nearly every day. This trip was about one hour each way which for a little old lady was quite a journey. My family has always risen to the occasion and has stood by the sick and dying without hesitation.

When and why did you begin writing?

My writing career began back in the 1970s when I was a Logistics Specialist for various government contracting organizations. My writing was of a technical nature about various Navy systems and subsystems. Some writing efforts were just paragraphs where others were multiple chapters to be included in presentations, manuals and training materials. In the late 1980s until the mid-1990s I was the sole proprietor of a business that supported small businesses developing a wide variety of written materials including business plans, advertising copy and general presentations. Additionally this business supported individuals in writing/editing resumes, writing letters of complaint to corporations, editing op-ed pieces and editing graduate student’s dissertations. I did not start writing my “Great American Novel” until about 2010 when I began putting the pieces of Never Giving Up & Never Wanting To together.

What do you consider the most challenging thing about writing?

The most challenging thing about writing for me was identifying my audience. I was told early in my writing career to write to the lowest common denominator. I thought long and hard on who my audience was to be. Since my audience will most likely be the “average person on the street” I endeavored to write to the person that may only be high school educated. I don’t mean to sound like an elitist snob, but people with money tend to be better educated and, quite frankly, will likely be able to afford a professional caregiver or institutionalization. The second most challenging thing about writing for me was just finding the time to do it. If you read my book, you will find that I have a major set of responsibilities with caregiving and handling the duties of homeownership which puts a crimp in writing efforts.

Do you intend to make writing a career?

There currently resides on my computer several pages of rough notes for the follow-on book to Never Giving Up & Never Wanting To as there will be an obvious change in the principals of the book, and hopefully there will be improvements to report in the search for better treatments or a cure. For those who have read the book and have gotten to know my wife, Lynne, and our struggle with this disease, I feel that they will want to know how things progressed until the end. I don’t know if after this second the book if I would continue writing or not. I do enjoy it, but I don’t know if I am a one subject expert willing to beat back the competition with additional neurologic disease offerings.

Have you developed a specific writing style?

I don’t have a specific writing style. If I were to put a name to it, I would call it conversational or casual. But as it says in my book I am not a writer – I am a storyteller. I believe the importance of clearly conveying the message outweighs the importance of the style.

What is your favorite quote?

My favorite quote comes from the movie My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys. “Just trying to get by without shoving.” 

ABOUT BARRY TUTOR

As a lifetime problem-solver, I faced the challenges of caring for my two AD victims by researching the disease and developing caregiving skills to assure their comfort and care.

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The Manager's Craft by Dr. Glenn Bassett Book Feature

Title: The Manager's Craft
Author: Glenn Bassett
Publisher: Organization Diagnostics
Pages: 216
Genre: Business
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Almost any job or profession you can think of has a set of specific requirements for knowledge and skill that must be mastered. Managing and supervising the work of others is an exception. In part that is because the job of managing requires a range of social and technical skills that can vary widely depending on business circumstance. An infinite diversity of technologies, materials, markets and work skills can figure into the mix of the manager’s job. The manager may be asked to coordinate technically skilled team players, or, alternatively, may need to discipline the application of basic skills to achievement of production goals. Materials may be common or exotic. Customers may have influence over or little concern for product quality and design. Work skills may be common or rare. Technology may be critical or peripheral.

Some central managerial skills like accounting and finance can be trained. Mostly, they are dealt with as competences that are best left to specialists. Highly technical problems that demand specific training are, in general, treated as staff support jobs. The part of the job that always stays with the manager is that of working with and through other people to achieve cost-effective productivity using formal authority, personal influence, economic incentives and an understanding of organizing processes. As skill sets, these are very difficult to define. They blend and merge to become a personal suite of action strategies that are put to use as needed. Formal education and training can provide a summary focus, but only practice and experience can make them effective working tools. Much of managing and supervising is thus learned from experience on the job. The manager’s challenge is to find a mentor who can guide him/her past the most critical traps and blunders.

Much that passes for management training is, unfortunately, superficial or just wrong. Economic incentives are clearly basic but always insufficient. Application of authority is indispensable but can backfire or fail. Motivational programs can turn out to be all PR and noise. Workers may be satisfied and unproductive. Cost control measures can gut the core of product quality. Balancing it all can be a juggling act that daunts average intellectual and social skill. Managing and supervising skills can be learned on the job if failure is tolerated. Only limited trial and error can be accepted. The best available advice and mentoring is required for survival over the long course. The chapters of this book will provide the working manager with the knowledge necessary to accelerate learning and skill mastery. When put together in a coherent, working package through experience, that mastery rises to the professional level.

The author, Dr. Glenn Bassett, applies his unusual range of practical and professional experience to defining and clarifying the requisite skill and knowledge. From his background as a working personnel executive, professor of management, GE corporate staffer, social science researcher, consultant and business school dean he critically and synergistically sorts out the realities of sound management practice. He deals with issues of authority and discipline rationally and realistically, disposing summarily of nearly all standard motivational theory. He challenges commonly offered “principles” of management showing that many are misleading or illusory. He lays out the principles of worker productivity that a manager must grasp to control cost and quality. What emerges is a description of the Manager’s Craft that summarizes the knowledge and skill required of the working manager who must exercise control in the workplace, build commitment among colleagues, and sustain high quality, cost-effective productivity. This is an intellectually rigorous analysis applied to achievement of practical managerial results. This is The Manager’s Craft.

For More Information

• The Manager's Craft is available at Amazon.

Dr. Glenn Bassett is Professor Emeritus of Management and former Dean of Business at the University of Bridgeport.  A graduate of Berkeley and Yale, as well as a former corporate staffer at General Electric, Dr. Bassett’s career has focused on applied Social Psychology.  WordPlay is the result of exended research into the science of psycholinguistics. He is the author of numerous articles and published books, including The Managers Craft. For More Information

• Visit Glenn Bassett’s website.

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Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2015

This has got to be my favorite reading challenge out there (you may hear me say that again, lol)! Who doesn't have a huge stack of books that are on the to-be-read pile? I want to be ambitious, but not too ambitious so I am going to start with Mt. Ararat which is 48 books. I am going to go down to my 'library' and create my list...it will be added to this post as soon as I have it.

For more details, please visit My Reader's Block - my list is below:

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Wave Links by Randall Boleyn Book Feature

 When those first few novels transported Randall into the intrigue of other cultures and the complexity of foreign lands, his life changed forever. He wanted to experience those kinds of adventures and ended up traveling the world doing international business while living his own bizarre experiences. Realizing he wanted to create the same kind of stories he loved to read, Randall coaxed the Muse by writing, studying and learning the craft. After years of toiling with the words, the stories suddenly just seemed to happen. It was startling! It was the same joy and surprise he had relished as a reader in guessing how a plot might unfold affecting the characters’ lives. He now writes with the eye and passion of creating that next great story like he would want to read. Randall now lives in the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and is focused on completing the Powers Meant for Gods trilogy to publish by December 2014. Read excerpts and more at RandallBoleyn.com and sign-up for Randall’s mailing list for publishing details.  His latest book is the Young Adult Fantasy, Wave Links.

For More Information

• Visit Randall Boleyn’s website.
• Connect with Randall on Facebook and Twitter.
• Visit Randall on Goodreads.
• More books by Randall Boleyn.

  They feared how the truth might alter Llad Fleck. No one ever told him about his talented ancestors, their extraordinary heritage, or how they died. He never learned that a powerful research institute in England considered him a lethal threat. Other than the need to move on to the safety of a different city every few months, the only thing Llad knew for sure was that the men he played ball against said he had “mad skills not suitable for a fifteen-year-old.” When Llad meets an eccentric parapsychologist, Dr. Jemma Rask, she explains that she has waited decades just to teach him how to expand his mind and utilize the unique traits which she believes he has inherited. Even though Dr. Rask and her stories come across as way too weird for Llad, he begins studying her techniques. He quickly realizes that just because the link might be there, it doesn’t mean he actually has the talent or the patience to develop his abilities. After multiple killings shatter Llad’s life, he still doesn’t know who is behind the brutal murders or why he’s involved. But he knows now that he’s fighting for his life against a unknown enemy. He must discover more about his family tree and learn how to control his psychic gifts―if he has any. Alone with his grief, Llad searches for clues about his cryptic lineage while being haunted by reoccurring dreams of a mysterious girl trying to help him master the bizarre talents he will need to survive.

To Purchase Your Copy

•  Amazon.
•  Barnes & Noble.
• Scribd
• iTunes
• Kobo
• Inktera

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You Read How Many Books Reading Challenge 2015

You Read How Many Books?
Reading Challenge

2015

This one sounds like another great challenge. I'm going to start low at Level 1 and see where I can go from there. Can't wait to meet some of the other participants!


This year's host is Gina @ Book Dragon's Lair (that's me!) 
The 150+ reading challenge has been hosted by Amy at My Overstuffed Bookshelf and when I didn't see it for last year I asked if I could host. I've got it again for 2015. I made changes again :-)

DETAILS/RULES with Changes:

1. Read, read, read!
2. There are several levels to choose from
   Level 1: 100 minimum
   Level 2: 150
   Level 3: 200
   Level 4: 250 or more
3. You may move up a level but not down
4. You don't need a blog to participate. As long as wherever you link to is public so we can check out your books read.
5. Reviews are not necessary but a list of books read is.  There will be a post in January so you can link up if you review (I may do quarterly)
6. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
7. Books allowed: Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, picture books, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased/borrowed as such, the book counts.  
8. Individual short stories in a collection or individual books in the Bible do not count
9. Crossovers from other reading challenges count - they'd have too!
10. Challenge begins January 1st, 2015 thru December 31, 2015. Books started before the 1st do not count. You can join at anytime.
11. Please sign up with a direct link so the rest of us can find your list of books read.

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The Stephen King Reading Challenge

I saw this challenge and just knew I had to sign up. I have read quite a bit if King over the years, so I will add the list from the Stephen King library below, putting the ones I have read in bold. Please note: I will only read 1 version, so if I have already read it I will be deleting the other versions of the same work. I also am only looking at reading books/novellas, not essays or speeches.

To find out more about the challenge, please click here. Hope to make some new friends with this one!


'Salem's Lot Novel October 1975
11/22/63 Novel November 2011
1408 Short Story March 2002
1922 Short Story November 2010
21st Pan Book of Horror Stories, The Anthology December 1979
35 Scary Years with Stephen King Interview March 2009
A Book of Horrors Anthology December 2010
A Face in the Crowd Short Story December 1999
A Fantasy Reader: The Seventh World Fantasy Convention Book Anthology October 1981
A Good Marriage Short Story November 2010
A Night at the Royal Festival Hall: Muriel Gray Interviews Stephen King Interview December 1999
A Very Tight Place Short Story November 2008
A Very Tight Place Novella December 1999
Afterlife Short Story December 1999
All That You Love Will Be Carried Away Short Story March 2002
An International Treasury of Mystery and Suspense Anthology October 1983
Antaeus No. 75/76 The Final Issue Anthology December 1993
Apt Pupil Novella August 1982
Arbor House Celebrity Book of Horror Stories Anthology December 1981
Arbor House Necropolis Anthology October 1981
Arbor House Treasury of Horror & the Supernatural Anthology December 1980
Autopsy Room Four Short Story March 2002
Ayana Short Story November 2008
Bachman Books, The Bachman Novel October 1985
Bag of Bones Novel September 1998
Ballad of the Flexible Bullet, The Short Story June 1985
Batman and Robin Have An Altercation Short Story December 1999
Battleground Short Story December 1977
Beachworld Short Story June 1985
Before the Play Short Story December 1999
Best Detective Stories of the Year Anthology December 1978
Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, The Anthology December 2008
Big Driver Short Story November 2010
Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game (Milkman #2) Short Story June 1985
Black House Novel September 2001
Blackboard Jungle, The Anthology December 1983
Blaze Bachman Novel December 2006
Blind Willie Novella December 1993
Blockade Billy Novella December 1999
Body, The Novella August 1982
Bone Church, The Poem December 1999
Boogeyman, The Short Story December 1977
Book of Horrors Anthology October 2011
Book of Lists #3, The Anthology January 1983
Book of the Dead, The Anthology December 1988
Borderlands 5 Anthology December 2002
Breathing Method, The Novella August 1982
Brooklyn August Poem October 1993
Cain Rose Up Short Story June 1985
Carrie Novel April 1974
Cat from Hell, The Short Story December 1977
Cell Novel January 2006
Century's Best Horror Fiction Volume Two, The Anthology December 2010
Chattery Teeth Short Story October 1993
Children of the Corn Short Story December 1977
Christine Novel April 1983
Chronicles of Harris Burdick, The Anthology October 2012
Color of Evil, The Anthology December 1990
Colorado Kid (Chadbourne), The Limited Edition December 2006
Complete Masters of Darkness, The Anthology December 1989
Contemporary Maine Fiction Anthology December 2004
Crate, The Short Story December 1980
Crouch End Short Story December 1979
Cujo Novel September 1981
Cults: An Anthology of Secret Societies, Sects and the Supernatural Anthology November 1983
Cycle of the Werewolf Novel April 1985
Danse Macabre Nonfiction December 1980
Dark Descent Anthology October 1987
Dark Forces Anthology December 1979
Dark Half, The Novel November 1989
Dark Love Anthology August 1996
Dark Man, The Poem April 2004
Dark Man, The Limited Edition July 2013
Dark Thoughts on Writing Anthology December 1996
Dark Tower, The Limited Edition December 2003
Dark Tower, The Novel September 2004
Dark Tower: Song of Susannah, The Limited Edition December 2003
Dark Tower: Song of Susannah, The Novel June 2004
Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three, The Novel June 2003
Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three, The Limited Edition December 1986
Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, The Novel June 2003
Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, The Limited Edition December 1981
Dark Tower: The Waste Lands, The Novel June 2003
Dark Tower: The Waste Lands, The Limited Edition December 1990
Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole, The Limited Edition February 2012
Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole, The Novel April 2012
Dark Tower: Wizard and Glass (I), The Limited Edition December 1996
Dark Tower: Wizard and Glass (II), The Limited Edition December 1996
Dark Tower: Wizard and Glass, The Novel June 2003
Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla, The Limited Edition December 2002
Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla, The Novel November 2003
Darkness Anthology December 2009
Dead Zone, The Novel August 1979
Death of Jack Hamilton, The Short Story March 2002
Death Anthology December 1980
Dedication Short Story October 1993
Demons Anthology December 1986
Desperation/The Regulators (Box Set) Limited Edition December 1995
Desperation Limited Edition December 1995
Desperation Novel December 1995
Devil's Wine, The Anthology April 2004
Different Seasons Story Collection August 1982
Do It Yourself Bookseller--A Workbook, The Anthology December 1981
Doctor Sleep Novel December 2012
Doctor Sleep Limited Edition September 2013
Doctor's Case, The Short Story December 1985
Dolan's Cadillac Short Story October 1993
Dolores Claiborne Novel December 1992
Donovan's Brain Poem April 2004
Dreamcatcher Novel March 2001
Duma Key Novel January 2008
Dune, The Short Story December 1999
End of the Whole Mess, The Short Story October 1993
Everything's Eventual Short Story March 2002
Evil Image: Two Centuries of Gothic Short Fiction and Poetry, The Anthology September 1983
Eyes of the Dragon, The Novel February 1987
Fair Extension Short Story November 2010
Fantasy Annual III Anthology April 1981
Fantasy Annual IV Anthology December 1980
Father's Day Short Story December 1999
Fear Itself Anthology June 1984
Fenway and the Great White Whale Essay December 1999
Fifth Quarter, The Short Story October 1993
Firestarter Novel September 1980
For Owen Poem June 1985
Foreword to Night Shift Essay December 1999
Four Past Midnight Story Collection September 1990
From A Buick 8 Novel December 2001
From a Buick 8 Limited Edition December 2001
From the Borderlands Anthology December 2002
Full Dark, No Stars Story Collection November 2010
GUNS Nonfiction January 2013
Garden of Reading, The Anthology December 2004
Gerald's Game Novel December 1991
Gingerbread Girl, The Short Story November 2008
Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, The Novel April 1999
Glass Floor, The Short Story December 1999
Graduation Afternoon Short Story November 2008
Gramma Short Story June 1985
Graveyard Shift Short Story December 1977
Great Hookers I Have Known Essay December 1999
Green Mile, The Limited Edition December 2006
Green Mile: Coffey on the Mile, The Novel August 1996
Green Mile: Coffey's Hands, The Novel May 1996
Green Mile: Night Journey, The Novel July 1996
Green Mile: The Bad Death of Eduard Delacroix, The Novel June 1996
Green Mile: The Complete Serial Novel, The Novel December 1999
Green Mile: The Mouse on the Mile, The Novel April 1996
Green Mile: The Two Dead Girls, The Novel March 1996
Grey Matter Short Story December 1977
Hard Listening Anthology June 2013
Hardcase Speaks, The Poem April 2004
Harrison State Park '68 Poem April 2004
Harvey's Dream Short Story November 2008
He is Legend Anthology March 2009
Head Down Essay December 1990
Hearts in Atlantis Story Collection September 1999
Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling Novella September 1999
Here There Be Tygers Short Story June 1985
Herman Wouk is Still Alive Short Story December 1999
Home Delivery Short Story December 1988
Horror Fiction: from Danse Macabre Essay December 1999
Horror Market Writer and the Ten Bears: A True Story, The Essay December 1999
Horrors Anthology August 1981
House on Maple Street, The Short Story October 1993
How IT Happened Essay December 1999
I Am the Doorway Short Story December 1977
I Know What You Need Short Story December 1977
I Shudder At Your Touch Anthology December 1990
IT Novel September 1986
In the Deathroom Short Story March 2002
In the Shadow of the Master Anthology December 2008
In the Tall Grass Short Story December 1999
Insomnia Novel December 1993
Introduction to Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door Essay December 1999
It Grows on You Short Story December 1980
Jaunt, The Short Story June 1985
Jerusalem's Lot Short Story December 1977
Joyland Limited Edition June 2013
Joyland Novel June 2013
Jumper Short Story December 1999
Just After Sunset Story Collection November 2008
L.T.'s Theory of Pets Short Story March 2002
Langoliers, The Novella September 1990
Last Rung on the Ladder, The Short Story December 1977
Lawnmower Man, The Short Story December 1977
Ledge, The Short Story December 1977
Legends Anthology December 1997
Letters from Hell Limited Edition September 1988
Library Policeman, The Novella September 1990
Light Speed: Year One Anthology December 2010
Lisey's Story Novel October 2006
Little Green God of Agony Short Story December 2010
Little Sisters of Eluria, The Short Story December 1997
Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill, The Short Story December 1999
Long Walk, The Bachman Novel December 1978
Low Men in Yellow Coats Novella September 1999
Luckey Quarter Short Story March 2002
Lunch at the Gotham Cafe Short Story August 1996
Magicats Anthology December 1983
Mammoth Book of Body Horror, The Anthology March 2012
Man Who Loved Flowers, The Short Story December 1977
Man Who Would Not Shake Hands, The Short Story June 1985
Man in the Black Suit, The Short Story December 1994
Mangler, The Short Story December 1977
Masques II Anthology June 1987
McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales Anthology February 2003
Mid-Life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America With Three Chords and an Attitude Nonfiction December 1993
Midnight Graffiti Anthology October 1992
Mile 81 Short Story December 1999
Misery Novel June 1987
Mist, The Novella December 1979
Modern Masters of Horror Anthology July 1981
Monkey, The Short Story December 1980
Morality Short Story December 1999
More Tales of Unknown Horror Anthology December 1978
Morning Deliveries (Milkman #1) Short Story June 1985
Moving Finger, The Short Story October 1993
Mr. Mercedes Novel June 2014
Mrs. Todd's Shortcut Short Story June 1985
Mute Short Story November 2008
My Pretty Pony Short Story October 1993
N. Short Story November 2008
Needful Things Novel December 1990
New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Anthology December 1985
New Lieutenant's Rap, The Limited Edition April 1999
New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos Anthology December 1979
New Terrors Omnibus Anthology July 1985
New York Times at Special Bargain Rates, The Short Story November 2008
Night Flier, The Short Story June 1988
Night Shift Story Collection December 1977
Night Surf Short Story December 1977
Night Visions 5 Anthology December 1987
Night of the Tiger, The Short Story December 1978
Nightmares & Dreamscapes Story Collection October 1993
Nightmares in the Sky Nonfiction December 1987
Nightmares Anthology December 1978
Nona Short Story December 1980
N Novella December 1999
Old Dude's Ticker, The Short Story December 1999
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Nonfiction December 1999
One for the Road Short Story December 1977
Paranoid: A Chant Poem June 1985
Pet Sematary Novel December 1982
Plant [Installment One], The Limited Edition November 1982
Plant [Installment Three], The Limited Edition December 1984
Plant [Installment Two], The Limited Edition December 1982
Plant: Zenith Rising, The Novel December 1999
Popsy Short Story June 1987
PostScripts Anthology February 2009
Premium Harmony Short Story December 1999
Prime Evil Anthology June 1988
Quitter's Inc. Short Story December 1977
Raft, The Short Story June 1985
Rage Bachman Novel December 1976
Rainy Season Short Story October 1992
Reach, The Short Story June 1985
Reaper's Image, The Short Story June 1985
Regulators, The Bachman Novel December 1995
Regulators, The Limited Edition December 1995
Rest Stop Short Story November 2008
Revelations of 'Becka Paulson, The Short Story December 1990
Revival Novel November 2014
Riding the Bullet Short Story March 2002
Ring, The Essay December 1999
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption Novella August 1982
Road Virus Heads North, The Short Story March 2002
Roadwork Bachman Novel December 1980
Rose Madder Novel December 1994
Running Man, The Bachman Novel December 1981
Rush Call Short Story December 1999
Secret Window, Secret Garden Novella September 1990
Secret Windows: Essays and Fiction on the Craft of Writing Nonfiction December 1999
Secretary of Dreams, Vol. 1, The Limited Edition December 2005
Secretary of Dreams, Vol. 2, The Limited Edition October 2010
Shadows 4 Anthology December 1999
Shadows Anthology December 1980
Shining, The Novel December 1976
Shivers VII Anthology December 2012
Shivers VI Anthology December 2009
Shock Rock Anthology December 1990
Silence Poem April 2004
Six Stories Limited Edition December 1996
Skeleton Crew Story Collection June 1985
Sneakers Short Story October 1993
Something to Tide You Over Short Story December 1999
Sometimes They Come Back Short Story December 1977
Sorry, Right Number Screenplay October 1993
Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition, The Novel May 1990
Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition, The Limited Edition December 1989
Stationary Bike Short Story December 2002
Stephen King Goes to the Movies Story Collection January 2009
Stephen King Goes to the Movies Limited Edition April 2009
Storm of the Century Screenplay February 1999
Strange Maine Anthology December 1985
Strawberry Spring Short Story December 1977
Suffer the Little Children Short Story December 1978
Sun Dog, The Novella September 1990
Survivor Type Short Story December 1981
Tale of Gray Dick, The Short Story December 1999
Tales of Unknown Horror Anthology December 1977
Tales of the Dead Anthology December 1979
Talisman, The Novel November 1984
Ten O'Clock People, The Short Story October 1993
Terrors Anthology December 1981
That Bus Is Another World Short Story December 1999
That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French Short Story March 2002
They're Creeping Up on You Short Story December 1999
Things They Left Behind, The Short Story November 2008
Thinner Bachman Novel November 1984
Thrilling, Chilling Tales of Alien Encounters Anthology December 2004
Throttle Short Story March 2009
Tommyknockers, The Novel November 1987
Tommy Poem December 1999
Transgressions Anthology December 2004
Trucks Short Story December 1977
Turn Down the Lights Anthology December 2013
Turning the Thumbscrews on the Reader Essay December 1999
Two Past Midnight: A Note on Secret Window, Secret Garden Essay December 1999
UR Novella December 1999
Umney's Last Case Short Story October 1993
Uncle Otto's Truck Short Story June 1985
Under the Dome Novel November 2009
Very Best of Best New Horror, The Anthology December 2009
Weapon, The Essay December 1999
Wedding Gig, The Short Story June 1985
Weird, The Anthology December 2010
What Stephen King Does for Love Essay December 1999
What's Scary Essay December 1999
Why We're in Vietnam Novella September 1999
Willa Short Story November 2008
Woman in the Room, The Short Story December 1977
Word Processor of the Gods Short Story June 1985
Year's Best Fantasy & Horror Anthology December 1994
Year's Best Horror Stories - Series IX Anthology December 1980
You Know They Got a Hell of a Band Short Story December 1990
Zombies! Zombies! Zombies! Anthology December 2010

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The Gothic Challenge and Read-a-Longs 2015

So, it looks like it is time to start thinking about reading challenges for next year. I totally slack off on this every year but seriously, this year is going to be different. I can't promise that I will complete all of the ones I sign up for, but I certainly plan on doing my best!

For this one I am going to participate in the Read-a-Longs as I have quite a few of the books and haven't read them, and I am also going to shoot for 5 books in this genre. It shouldn't be too hard as this is a genre I really enjoy.

I am going to think on the additional 5 books that I am going to choose, but here is a list of the Read-a-Long books and their months. To find out more, click here

January: Castle Otranto, Walpole, 1764 (where it all began)

February: ‘The Old Nurse’s Story’, Elizabeth Gaskell (short story can be found here)

March: Rebecca, Daphne du |Maurier

April: Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake (POC writer/YA)

May: A Street Car Named Desire, Tennesse Williams (Play/Southern Gothic)

June: Author Focus: Edgar Allen Poe (poems, short stories or novels)

July: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Seth Grahame- Smith (Parody)

August: Bitten, Kelley Armstrong (some light holiday reading)

September: My Sword Hand is Singing, Marcus Sedwick (YA)

October: Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist (Sweeden/GLBT)

November: Lady Audley’s Secret, Mary Elizabeth Braddon

December: Graphic Novels in the gothic genre

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12 Books You Should Read Before You Die

I love reading and I want to share that love with everyone I meet. Everyone should love reading. You’ll understand what I mean once you immerse yourself in books. Don’t know where to start? Well then, read this infographic as it has a list of 12 books to read before you die – but they also happen to be great starting points, especially 1984, Frankenstein, and Of Mice and Men.
12 books to read before you die is a graphic produced by Gumtree.com.

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