THE HOMECOMING – Lisa Gabriele

The publication of The Homecoming is only a little more than three months away! The lead-up to a book appearing in the world is always a strange way of experiencing time. It’s forever away…forever…then suddenly it’s TOMORROW. I’m excited about this one in particular because it touches on some issues that are important to me (and all of us, I think). I wanted to write a psychological thriller about family that also said something about larger issues, both of political and personal dimensions.

Part of the run-up to Publication Day (if you’re lucky) is seeing the blurbs that will appear on the book’s jacket. I’m always grateful when a colleague takes the time to read and say something insightful about the work. Over and above the promotional aspects, it eases some of the doubts one has before the thing you’ve been working on is well and truly “out there.” The first comment I saw for The Homecoming was from Lisa Gabriele, an amazing writer who has written highly varied kinds of books in her career, most recently neo-gothic suspense in The Winters, a highly recommended re-imaginging of duMaurier’s Rebecca. Check it out.

Here’s what Lisa had to say about The Homecoming:

“Part macabre family drama, part chilling dystopian nightmare, The Homecoming is the kind of story that could only spring from the darkest imagination. Pyper is a master of the artful thriller, and Belfountain, the mysterious mansion at the centre of this terrifying novel, might be one of the most eerily realized hellscapes ever. The last page is a jaw-dropper.” – Lisa Gabriele, bestselling author of The Winters

THE HOMECOMING Cover Teaser!

My new novel HOMECOMING is out in February, but because I am too excited and don’t want to wait that long to share it with you, I’ll be revealing the cover NEXT TUESDAY! So check back in on Sept.25 for the whole razzmatazz.

But…because I’m already having trouble keeping the cover to myself, here is a little teaser for you to enjoy!

10 Must-Read Authors If You Like Stephen King

Delighted to see myself among other ass-kicking writers on a Barnes & Noble list recommending ten writers to read if you dig the King. Check it out:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/10-must-read-authors-for-stephen-king-fans/

Workshop Alert!

I’m teaching a workshop in Toronto this February.

It’s called “Power of the Pitch” and it’s all about how to make your idea for a story – something we often wrongly assume to be fixed – as strong as it can be. In the process, we will produce three documents that are increasingly crucial to finding success in publication: the outline, the verbal pitch script, and the cover letter.

Power of the Pitch Workshop

Dalnavert House

Had a day of events in Winnipeg and had a great time. The capper, though, was a night reading at the historical Dalnavert House downtown. In the attic. And the place is haunted through and through. Great vibe for a scary story.

(Check the place out next time you’re in The Peg).

 

The Next Chapter

Shelagh Rogers is a brilliant interviewer. Warm, open, casually conversational, she also goes to places in the book – and opens up her subjects – that are unexpected and rich. It’s why she’s the best in the business.

Here’s my interview with Shelagh for CBC Radio One’s The Next Chapter talking about The Only Child. All bumbling and mumbling are my own.

The Next Chapter – CBC Radio

THE ONLY CHILD is a National Bestseller!

Thanks so much to all who’ve helped make The Only Child a bestseller here in Canada.

It means a lot to know there are people out there who are interested in reading a new book of mine based on their reading of previous books. It also means a lot to know that some of you are newbies who heard about it – or maybe just saw it on a bookstore shelf – and thought “I’ll give that spooky-looking number a try.”

Virtual champagne all round!

 

The Only Child in the Toronto Star

Wanted to share a feature review of The Only Child in today’s Toronto Star.

It makes it sound like the kind of book I’d most definitely want to read. If I didn’t already know the story. And knew where all the ideas came from. And the research the author did. And hadn’t written it myself.

“Pyper upends genre conventions once again…a high-concept dark fantasy novel. Lily’s journeys with a monster who inspired the very literary tradition Pyper so skilfully exploits provides…a satisfying confrontation with darkness, both personal and mythological, that readers expect from the best horror.”

— Toronto Star

The Only Child – Toronto Star review