tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75175129690661603912024-03-20T14:30:32.195-04:00Zoje StageZoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-21346706738297123322024-01-06T13:27:00.004-05:002024-01-06T13:30:23.781-05:00Cover Reveal<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPQmKrHRH6Bimy7hAJPisCXbRGFirTXs2Kpwj7SPrhRPSZut7_uCa_f9RxLZE0FkbtW_fXwgdlYp3NLHbHAS0vabTm4EoA8EXTzpJaoGdX0kAOyAM_aupkQEjRQkoYlJisIjA74VjEGaqI2J0xuw33RZPOLfLR9rRLxnvATRwYt0PyuWxRFG0K4QTLwer/s2475/Dear%20Hanna%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPQmKrHRH6Bimy7hAJPisCXbRGFirTXs2Kpwj7SPrhRPSZut7_uCa_f9RxLZE0FkbtW_fXwgdlYp3NLHbHAS0vabTm4EoA8EXTzpJaoGdX0kAOyAM_aupkQEjRQkoYlJisIjA74VjEGaqI2J0xuw33RZPOLfLR9rRLxnvATRwYt0PyuWxRFG0K4QTLwer/w269-h404/Dear%20Hanna%20cover.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">And we officially have a cover for DEAR HANNA! The release date is Aug. 13, 2024 - but it's not too soon to <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Hanna-Novel-Zoje-Stage/dp/1662521006/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">preorder</a></b>. (And I'm going to start collecting "fox" things!)</span><p></p><div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><b>Zoje Stage delivers another knockout with a bone-chilling follow-up to international sensation <i>Baby Teeth</i>, taking readers back into the unsteady world of a young sociopath who's all grown up.</b></span></div>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-83573482463750931152023-09-05T14:49:00.003-04:002023-09-05T14:50:34.434-04:00DEAR HANNA<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPW-Ybd7M3pPzSlrVOpSxCEh7m4EyPqujQ6qe0D72_fAprKEQSmfMKgP_aC9gygAPhy9r3P5V5DY8d5oMN_y4Rp_5vrRgogUa6GC3co4TNrFdVxagRdCJ6urCHMLbEuFlj38LaetdLybsPokJcgKBHDw3coZ1OT7bboYkhpPcZen0I4xL0Kfr6Wa4lectu/s795/Screenshot%20cropped.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="795" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPW-Ybd7M3pPzSlrVOpSxCEh7m4EyPqujQ6qe0D72_fAprKEQSmfMKgP_aC9gygAPhy9r3P5V5DY8d5oMN_y4Rp_5vrRgogUa6GC3co4TNrFdVxagRdCJ6urCHMLbEuFlj38LaetdLybsPokJcgKBHDw3coZ1OT7bboYkhpPcZen0I4xL0Kfr6Wa4lectu/w366-h289/Screenshot%20cropped.png" width="366" /></a></div>It's finally officially official! There will, at long last, be a follow-up novel to BABY TEETH. Hitting shelves August 2024, DEAR HANNA picks up with Hanna now 24 - a married woman and stepmother to a teenage girl. What could possibly go wrong?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">I said for a long time that I wouldn't write a sequel to BABY TEETH, but Hanna took up residence in my head, and she had another story to tell.</span></div>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-54043328721885817842023-06-19T15:09:00.003-04:002023-06-20T00:25:20.707-04:00Attending StokerCon 2023 as a Reclusive & Shy Author with Menopause Brain: A Saga<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItPCBup-LFGnsAQ5C3G2cK1nx3xZi2KYH_aOLoeSWKGfVNsaYRM3M2Pyp0lfHCW72Pu_6daF9gqHi2mbais_9bhSKwBByZT63og7OmeQOctWAdQCRGny3rv1Lh13xMnxXra5ZsXGa2ubdT0E4-D7O9-XSeCEASJLR83xT1IDt93nLwgaeOX5hhdgNc2nD/s1079/ST23_opening%20ceremony.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1079" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItPCBup-LFGnsAQ5C3G2cK1nx3xZi2KYH_aOLoeSWKGfVNsaYRM3M2Pyp0lfHCW72Pu_6daF9gqHi2mbais_9bhSKwBByZT63og7OmeQOctWAdQCRGny3rv1Lh13xMnxXra5ZsXGa2ubdT0E4-D7O9-XSeCEASJLR83xT1IDt93nLwgaeOX5hhdgNc2nD/s320/ST23_opening%20ceremony.jpg" width="320"></a></div><br><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">StokerCon
2023, held in Pittsburgh during the same dates as two Taylor Swift concerts,
was a collision of different worlds. Sequins and glitter; girls and young women
in their sparkliest dresses. Zombie and skull T-shirts; black-clad horror fans
in combat boots. For me, though, the collision was more about reality itself,
as dozens and dozens of people I only knew from Twitter manifested in person.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">My
first StokerCon in 2019 was an odd affair where I felt transported to middle
school and a world of cliques to which I didn’t belong. My book, <i>Baby Teeth</i>,
had been nominated for Superior Achievement in a First Novel, but I'd never
been to a convention of any kind, nor had I at that point become truly part of
the online community of horror writers and readers. Everyone in 2019 was very
nice, but I'd never felt like such an outsider before, and that was more than a
little daunting. This time around StokerCon was in my backyard, so it was never
in doubt that I would attend. But I was a little unsure about what to expect. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">I
can't overstate the degree to which I'm a hermit in my everyday life. Some
people use that term to mean that come Saturday night they prefer
Netflix-and-chill to going out on the town. I use hermit to mean that in any
given week I may not leave the house. Occasionally I need to go out for an
appointment or to do some errands, and if I'm lucky I'll do something fun with
my sister or a friend a couple times a month. But in general, I live my life
within the four walls of my house (plus my deck, which borders a small
greenspace filled with wildlife). <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">I
started becoming reclusive as a teenager, dealing alone with health problems,
and as I became more removed from the social milestones of my peers, the more
reclusive I became. There were periods of my life when I made concerted efforts
to "put myself out there," and there were periods when I was deeply
lonely. It took a long time for me to understand and embrace my solitary
existence, but once I came to terms with it I understood that, for better or
worse, I am just not a person who moves through the world easily. Which brings
us to the social mayhem that was StokerCon 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">This
time around I had four published novels under my belt, and hundreds of writer
and reader "friends" online. I was determined to make the most of those
few days, aware that I might not attend another event like this for several
years (or more). It was a whirlwind—and a rare and spectacular pleasure—where
avatars and names turned onto living, breathing people. O, the people I met! I
cannot explain to you how less isolated I feel now to be able to say I
"know" twenty (forty?) more people than I did a few days ago—and some
of them are people whom I hope to be friends with for a long time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">I
stepped out of my comfort zone and organized, via Twitter, a drop-in supper on Day
One of StokerCon as a way to make sure I met a few people. It was wonderful to
sit down with new writer friends and talk shop while literally breaking bread
together—though the restaurant experience was a bit more than I'd bargained for.
In spite of offering fondue, The Melting Pot was <i>not</i> as similar to
Station Square's former home for fondue, The Cheese Cellar, as I thought it
would be. It was a bit too fancy and extravagant, though in the end we did all get
our cheese and chocolate fondues. I think everyone had a good time, and
miraculously we didn't miss any of the Opening Ceremony remarks in spite of
running late at the restaurant.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Because
of all the Swifties in town I ended up pre-booking my Ubers to and from the
convention: as a hermit, one of my absolute greatest fears is getting stranded
somewhere, and word on the street was that it would be impossible to get
rideshares during the days that Taylor Swift and StokerCon overlapped.
Pre-booking turned out to be a reliable (if expensive) form of transportation,
though it cut down on my ability to be spontaneous. I was just starting to chat
at the Opening Ceremony with folks I'd really looked forward to meeting when Uber
announced my driver's early, one-minute arrival (without previous warning). <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Once
I was home I needed to unwind and get ready for Day Two, but I soon learned that
my brain had other ideas. I was exhausted, but I had a hard time sleeping
during StokerCon. Whenever I shut my eyes I was transported into a busy mob of
people—people talking, walking back and forth, yelling to be heard over other
people, holding out their hand to greet me. I didn't have any strategies for
quieting my thoughts except to lie still and hope they would dissolve
eventually. And somehow, for those few days, I managed to function on less
sleep than normal.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNGU52qCzbMTvSYk-7zr4nquD1JNuw4Lyqc_rPrn80GqWO0sHZgJn0SzbsFFZSqnCXd6PUbnIVeDfgpuXkbjOvdiuiuM9aJwc97FZMr_F3BNPWIju-67uT38FW9GJNwCSVhUeq4MVL8dHhTWrjH-uFeVFH1tZqe05yKRMy79Qzrl_LeCB3QLNp4zAK3-G/s969/ST23%20MMpanel.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="969" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNGU52qCzbMTvSYk-7zr4nquD1JNuw4Lyqc_rPrn80GqWO0sHZgJn0SzbsFFZSqnCXd6PUbnIVeDfgpuXkbjOvdiuiuM9aJwc97FZMr_F3BNPWIju-67uT38FW9GJNwCSVhUeq4MVL8dHhTWrjH-uFeVFH1tZqe05yKRMy79Qzrl_LeCB3QLNp4zAK3-G/s320/ST23%20MMpanel.jpg" width="320"></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Day
Two was my busiest day in terms of being a public person: I was part of a
panel, and then later participated in the Mass Author Signing. I may be biased,
but I think my Friday panel was one of the best of the convention. Called
"Monstrous Mothers and the Women Who Write Them," we had a very
competent moderator and a panel full of smart, articulate women. If given more
time, there was much more we could have discussed, but everyone on the panel
had equal time to speak, and the large audience seemed fully engaged. On a
personal note, one of my answers earned the audience's applause—and that was a
wonderful, affirming experience that made me feel a little more confident in
that moment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Confidence
is a constant struggle for me, and speaking publicly has become a source of
tremendous anxiety since going through menopause. For a couple of years now
I've had Menopause Brain—which is a real fucking thing that no one ever talks
about. If I had to sum it up I'd call it a Confidence Killer. Or to be more
visceral, I'd say that where once I was fully conscious, now I'm swimming beneath
the frozen surface of a lake, hoping to find a crack in the ice before I drown.
I frequently experience a loss of access to my once-effortless thoughts, which
makes public Q&A's extremely taxing. Now I'm not always sure if I'll find
the thing I'm trying to think about, which turns extemporaneous speaking into a
particular kind of nightmare. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">My
Menopause Brain peaked during the release of my fourth novel, <i>Mothered</i>. Somehow
I've been able to get through my handful of interviews and author events, but
it has been nerve-wracking. I'm left to believe that from the perspective of
others everything appears normal. Within myself, I experienced my StokerCon
panels as swimming beneath the ice, hoping I'd find a timely connection to
fresh air—which, in this metaphor, are my thoughts and words.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">It
is a very strange thing to be a writer with a broken brain. Most of the time I
am home, alone, and it doesn't matter if I need an extra minute to connect the
synapses in my head. My memory, always bad in certain areas, is now atrocious,
and the brain fog I was lamented over now sounds like something quaint when compared
to the deadening thickness that I sometimes find crammed inside my skull. All
of this to say: it felt like a victory to be part of such a lively and
thoughtful panel discussion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6toxzCVRPhFwT3HgR9JrL9l_5Zs4l7Y9Gf3wxwJUkVc6h5bYWWqA4hERbzUD-eMHKEMMelB4cHnB00rsvUEqsPKAecEdFub8ZxKzsJ-lAvKa_d624Poi3X_WDpN_G8oYhtZY6Mn3KMWojZ4haX2sNP2dub9LH31_FQu2K2qUis9znJFTtPrJiFqtUjUin/s904/ST23_Mass%20signing.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="904" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6toxzCVRPhFwT3HgR9JrL9l_5Zs4l7Y9Gf3wxwJUkVc6h5bYWWqA4hERbzUD-eMHKEMMelB4cHnB00rsvUEqsPKAecEdFub8ZxKzsJ-lAvKa_d624Poi3X_WDpN_G8oYhtZY6Mn3KMWojZ4haX2sNP2dub9LH31_FQu2K2qUis9znJFTtPrJiFqtUjUin/s320/ST23_Mass%20signing.jpg" width="320"></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">The
Mass Author Signing didn't require a lot of brain power, just a lot of smiling
and thanking people. When I attended my first Mass Author Signing in 2019 I was
left feeling like a bit of an ass: I hadn't realized there was a book<i>
selling</i> component to the event, and I was empty handed (empty tabled, more
accurately). In 2019, my assigned table was at the end of a distant hallway,
under a burned out light, and the handful of people who came by asked,
"You don't have any books for sale?" No. I had bookmarks and
bookplates. I was clueless. And clueless, too, when one of the people who asked
me to sign a bookplate turned out to be someone rather famous (I Googled them
after they left my table). It wasn't a great moment, and I was determined to
redeem myself in 2023. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">In
my effort for redemption, I filled my half of the assigned table with copies of
all my books. I had hardcover first editions, audiobooks, international
versions of <i>Baby Teeth</i>—I brought a sampling from my closet full of
author copies. It was probably overkill (and overcompensation), but people came
by and wanted their books signed—books they brought from home, books they
bought from the Dealer Room, books they bought from my smorgasbord of
offerings. It was mayhem. It was stuffy and loud in the crowded room. But it
was wonderful chaos. And my tablemate was lovely and his good humor kept me
calm. (If I ever again do a Mass Author Signing I'll learn from my <i>two </i>experiences and bring <i>half </i>as much stuff to sell.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvVkGkYb5f9Q_1QvAl6R6ADM8goJjnjibs4Fmb4H9yyzdVcq7c9YXSUwceq-4X9oZqgoqW3LbEba30BPtlBhlsEbHxEtGUTmLOfVCAtONT2NnIMWBPsvrhKxeqORAFIdBOtE_BXlQjdsQDvjvZcbrnov7u4jPLLgfvLm-_8SIER5l2VzX3WUzYxDtoT66/s1080/ST23_Darcy%20Cina.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1080" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvVkGkYb5f9Q_1QvAl6R6ADM8goJjnjibs4Fmb4H9yyzdVcq7c9YXSUwceq-4X9oZqgoqW3LbEba30BPtlBhlsEbHxEtGUTmLOfVCAtONT2NnIMWBPsvrhKxeqORAFIdBOtE_BXlQjdsQDvjvZcbrnov7u4jPLLgfvLm-_8SIER5l2VzX3WUzYxDtoT66/s320/ST23_Darcy%20Cina.jpg" width="320"></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">By
Day Three I was becoming weary, looking forward to returning to a more normal
routine, while also looking forward to my final, and more relaxing, day at
StokerCon. My schedule for the day was to appear on one panel, and then attend
(or drop in on) as many panels as I could. Soon after finding a quiet place to
sit and relax before my "Different Paths into Darkness" panel, I
recognized an author heading my way: she'd come to my fondue meet-up, and was a
fellow "Different Paths" panelist. (I'm intentionally not dropping any
names in this wrap-up, as no one asked to be part of my story—and there's
always the danger of making others feel left out if I only mention a few people
by name.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">The
"Different Paths" panel went by way too quickly—again, there was so
much more I wanted to say—so I may actually write an essay about that at some
point. Afterward I sat on the floor at the back of a packed conference room,
eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as I listened to a few minutes of the
"Publicity of Horror Fiction" panel. By the next panel, through no
fault of the panelists, I felt my eyes starting to shut and I was ready for a
nap. A short time later, I went home. My last Uber driver of the convention
arrived playing Taylor Swift music. After one look at me he explained, "I
thought I was picking up a Swiftie," and turned the music off. (Though I
wasn't wearing black, I also wasn't sparkly.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">There
is a certain kind of collective high that one experiences when engaged in a
large group activity. But soon—after a good night's sleep—the dreamy quality of
the experience starts to fade. StokerCon 2023 was more than I'd hoped it would
be, and yet I'm still left alternately saying to myself "You were a
moron" and "You did it!" In truth, things got off to a rocky
start when I went to the special Horror Archives event the day before the con
officially kicked off. I'd thought it was going to include a lecture or
presentation—I came prepared to take my seat and listen—but to my horror, it
was a party. I felt unprepared, and alone. A part of me was even regretting
that I'd committed to the next three days of the convention. And maybe I
would've chickened out if it hadn't been for two people—who must have seen my
awkwardness, and made a point of conversing with me. Thank you, people whom I
shall not name.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">In
one regard I feel better prepared to attend such large events in the future.
But in other ways, I recognize just how unlikely it is that I'll ever be a
traveler, attending conventions or going on tour. As I said earlier, I don't
move easily through the world. I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who said
hello to me, who smiled and waved, who shook my hand or gave me a hug, who
spoke to me—in the crowded hallways between panels, or in other random places. I'll
try not to chastise myself too much for being less socially accomplished than I
might like. And please know that I loved meeting every single one of you! </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-87741787098573586362023-06-01T15:59:00.002-04:002023-06-01T15:59:42.168-04:00StokerCon 2023 in Pittsburgh!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdf2ej03316eyCCQe1ba-MWs5Ic4RFALKkB217KFBxB5GcbxSOLzqxFVd4hrn8e3LveGSrSlGfGRwv089A-3J1Gap93h0HNMHuW73dT_QwKCbU7J0A7zW42xbc0AkVxH2Jst1oloX66xJrtG3KFtNTQIKoKMGtdPIMPqRgoJKrAuVECxgkJBc7c-0GA/s1080/StokerCon%20sched.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdf2ej03316eyCCQe1ba-MWs5Ic4RFALKkB217KFBxB5GcbxSOLzqxFVd4hrn8e3LveGSrSlGfGRwv089A-3J1Gap93h0HNMHuW73dT_QwKCbU7J0A7zW42xbc0AkVxH2Jst1oloX66xJrtG3KFtNTQIKoKMGtdPIMPqRgoJKrAuVECxgkJBc7c-0GA/s320/StokerCon%20sched.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><p>I will be attending StokerCon 2023 here in Pittsburgh and I'd love to see you there! Below you'll find my official events, but I'll also be at Terror From the Vault, Opening Ceremony, and out & about! Please stop me and say hello - and I apologize in advance for being terrible at recognizing people! See you soon!</p></span><p></p><h2 style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span>STOKERCON 2023 @ Sheraton Pittsburgh at Station Square</span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;">16 June, 3pm: Monstrous Mothers and the Women Who Write Them</div><div style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://stokercon2023.sched.com/event/1Mj24/monstrous-mothers-and-the-women-who-write-them" target="_blank">More info/Add to your Sched for the Monstrous Mothers panel here</a></span></div><div style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;">16 June, 5pm: Mass Author Signing</div><div style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I'll be selling 1st editions from my personal collection! Pay via cash (preferred) or PayPal (w/ a QR code). <a href="https://stokercon2023.sched.com/event/1NQ0D/mass-author-signing" target="_blank">Add to your schedule here</a></span></div><div style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;">17 June, 1pm: Different Paths Into Darkness</div><div style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://stokercon2023.sched.com/event/1NBhv/different-paths-into-darkness" target="_blank">More info/Add to your Sched for the Different Paths panel here</a></span></div><div style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><br /></div></span></div></span></div></span></h2>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-15146393999775736962023-04-07T17:15:00.000-04:002023-04-07T17:15:34.144-04:00Best Review I've Ever Received...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSSWTGms11RwTS4x9JxqL1bZG39VMC5Qmu620D6-L4SHvi0xzgzIGVF_nU8Qs49dvpxeJXHNRTSUCPaWT7vlqO4-Qyn-sYoAMaLOvc4JfJmFnRhAxQOxPFaLagXCcTvw9H8W4TV1NDUbnHWYhgS00IUhnkxXhApdDypR9xz-cQG5lGm3TmJ9Q_g5CQQ/s1322/Lit%20Reactor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1322" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSSWTGms11RwTS4x9JxqL1bZG39VMC5Qmu620D6-L4SHvi0xzgzIGVF_nU8Qs49dvpxeJXHNRTSUCPaWT7vlqO4-Qyn-sYoAMaLOvc4JfJmFnRhAxQOxPFaLagXCcTvw9H8W4TV1NDUbnHWYhgS00IUhnkxXhApdDypR9xz-cQG5lGm3TmJ9Q_g5CQQ/s320/Lit%20Reactor.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br />"Intricately plotted and perfectly paced...With prose that moves from languid to sharp, Stage mimics infection through language, drawing us in, wringing us out. Each twist and turn is a feverish dance, drawing us deeper into Grace's nightmare. And the further we go, the less sure we are, until we reach an explosive end. And what a brilliant spike of horror that ending was."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: verdana;">"Stage writes difficult characters so well that even when I want to hate them, I can't help but like them. She cuts to their humanity, both the good and bad, and never apologizes for it...Mothered felt alive to me. This is the perfect kind of horror."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Okay, normally when I get a professional review I just add a pull quote and link to the book's page. But this <i>Lit Reactor</i> review for MOTHERED deserves its own post! I was first alerted to this review on Twitter, and as I opened the link I cautiously scanned the first paragraphs, trying to gauge the overall tone and enthusiasm of the review. And once I understand that it was going to be a positive review I read more carefully, with more interest. And when I got to the end of the piece I burst into tears. (Yes, truly.) This review made me feel seen and understood - and I'm incredibly grateful to Lit Reactor and Jena Brown! Whenever I'm having a bad day I'm going to go back and <b><a href="https://litreactor.com/reviews/mothered-by-zoje-stage" target="_blank">read the review</a></b> in its entirety. :-) </span></div>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-80021844187128552892023-03-22T14:48:00.005-04:002023-03-22T14:57:32.089-04:00Zoje Stage at Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWFs6do_LEpAco394RNSFtHHFeAhigVzAJv3jT9D34ODT1eSY5wcduMj8MPFNnsChNBNEJR4prmjNgoTMdm1F6h3ltMv0gYzZONLvk2dz2wwT8Bnfy4P9mAa6bIhLxG4-lNnTLaZvnm199aCT1apdo7AaORt_Hc15Dmi6j4guEesosvv7O5afW_yTqw/s4000/Lecture%20Hall.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWFs6do_LEpAco394RNSFtHHFeAhigVzAJv3jT9D34ODT1eSY5wcduMj8MPFNnsChNBNEJR4prmjNgoTMdm1F6h3ltMv0gYzZONLvk2dz2wwT8Bnfy4P9mAa6bIhLxG4-lNnTLaZvnm199aCT1apdo7AaORt_Hc15Dmi6j4guEesosvv7O5afW_yTqw/w320-h240/Lecture%20Hall.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, before the event</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgm2uXSBbDy3bM1mcsBadbpEchtQRXRetw9bxViIPBaYnhnzSO4qandliGrK9EFfBq7HK51j73VwWg6G0mpavbV8lp-nk7BivtSbAmSRr2PPI9n4Gl8jER1HosSKBOQlgH6whOWigCkOpSWYcA3Rlp12-lua8XmqoOy84DpYySMzV2dMcRvhNcTw6zA/s2931/PA&L%20med%20shot.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2931" data-original-width="2818" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgm2uXSBbDy3bM1mcsBadbpEchtQRXRetw9bxViIPBaYnhnzSO4qandliGrK9EFfBq7HK51j73VwWg6G0mpavbV8lp-nk7BivtSbAmSRr2PPI9n4Gl8jER1HosSKBOQlgH6whOWigCkOpSWYcA3Rlp12-lua8XmqoOy84DpYySMzV2dMcRvhNcTw6zA/w309-h320/PA&L%20med%20shot.jpg" width="309" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">In conversation with Gracie Doyle</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">MOTHERED had its official book launch on March 16, 2023 at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall as part of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures Made Local series. This was a milestone event for me and I'm very grateful to Gracie Doyle, Ellie Schaffer, and the whole Thomas & Mercer team who made this possible. And I'm equally grateful to Stephanie Flom and the Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures crew - and our wonderful audience. And last but not least, thank you to White Whale Bookstore for being on hand to sell copies of my books. (If anyone is looking for signed copies of MOTHERED, reach out to <b><a href="https://whitewhalebookstore.com/" target="_blank">White Whale</a></b>.)</div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Given the size of the hall, I was a little concerned that no one would show up (ever the optimist, lol). But people showed up - in person and online - and I think it's fair to say that an enjoyable time was had by all!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">You can </span><b style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPFEph13Clg" target="_blank">watch the entire conversation here.</a> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-BeGOZ3N5qqbRRqo1YAXiUqTuc7Mr7rDGKkch2yBXJ6zk6MEG8X2HweTnzn72i-nkMA1-j9ImnVr05z1rMB4NaGGkZ8Y1jVxM-95mTvqo5nfe5r4VzJI1Bwx_UEqguI6cz1yKbLDtwKtgD6CTctW5tV7mfmMicGYe08WBr20P2pmoK99q1j207niog/s2082/PA&L%20close%20up.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1513" data-original-width="2082" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-BeGOZ3N5qqbRRqo1YAXiUqTuc7Mr7rDGKkch2yBXJ6zk6MEG8X2HweTnzn72i-nkMA1-j9ImnVr05z1rMB4NaGGkZ8Y1jVxM-95mTvqo5nfe5r4VzJI1Bwx_UEqguI6cz1yKbLDtwKtgD6CTctW5tV7mfmMicGYe08WBr20P2pmoK99q1j207niog/s320/PA&L%20close%20up.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwuu14tmIpAjGbX4-B1H9gTsKrOKMjReMuTvbE5QStC5eQRE99oQNeAJVg8ten8kFKNKS6L8Dz1nQ-rRc7AO5XY_iebFYYE_OHrXqH0kTbkSehhbDr8Qvt5vJ5J4EW-Mabu2GqyUmkICwuk8ODfGFCJbGWhuauq_mA8ViGE05RSMxNCEDcaH5nFZicw/s4032/PA&L%20long%20shot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwuu14tmIpAjGbX4-B1H9gTsKrOKMjReMuTvbE5QStC5eQRE99oQNeAJVg8ten8kFKNKS6L8Dz1nQ-rRc7AO5XY_iebFYYE_OHrXqH0kTbkSehhbDr8Qvt5vJ5J4EW-Mabu2GqyUmkICwuk8ODfGFCJbGWhuauq_mA8ViGE05RSMxNCEDcaH5nFZicw/w320-h240/PA&L%20long%20shot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOTCtStVBuaoFP1eHDK_ddFhlrINSfdJ9GNXrvMJkhYMbrHWQLzls_tEwWAz9g3uoRGVfKB2Tm4DRlP1eWcBXsRtPJS_5Z-dkercJkdv90dFoK10y2TGmtMym_vunn-2VfO7-7jWaam4mXoXDQAx3PqKk2HdYg7AzxjUwiZc--0SCwcTdQtrteJThyg/s4032/PA&L%20signing%20books.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOTCtStVBuaoFP1eHDK_ddFhlrINSfdJ9GNXrvMJkhYMbrHWQLzls_tEwWAz9g3uoRGVfKB2Tm4DRlP1eWcBXsRtPJS_5Z-dkercJkdv90dFoK10y2TGmtMym_vunn-2VfO7-7jWaam4mXoXDQAx3PqKk2HdYg7AzxjUwiZc--0SCwcTdQtrteJThyg/s320/PA&L%20signing%20books.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Stephanie Flom, signing books backstage <br />before the event</td></tr></tbody></table>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-77959564925429121082023-03-12T15:52:00.001-04:002023-03-12T16:00:23.644-04:00MOTHERED in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">This is a slightly unconventional way to share a book review, but the article is behind a paywall so I can't post a link. Fortunately, as I live here in Pittsburgh, I was able to go out and buy a copy of today's Sunday paper. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has done consistently professional reviews of my books, and I'm incredibly grateful for that. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYoFoTyOCYIYp4FozVZsj7dDw5HHmzRJLAm_JA7UF_5Hwd8_dUSxtCpcXLKnBt63nByuJgozf9IyaR2toHntMcSns3TMa24xNQbytx_tSHCmDYwu_hTRmLuPLnR9aVGrMuj5D6rgcL9TJaomHdjhV8gHUKRfG9PRjs0ANY96tHtC_slbhWXx0skxa-w/s2464/PPGMotheredReview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2464" data-original-width="2111" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYoFoTyOCYIYp4FozVZsj7dDw5HHmzRJLAm_JA7UF_5Hwd8_dUSxtCpcXLKnBt63nByuJgozf9IyaR2toHntMcSns3TMa24xNQbytx_tSHCmDYwu_hTRmLuPLnR9aVGrMuj5D6rgcL9TJaomHdjhV8gHUKRfG9PRjs0ANY96tHtC_slbhWXx0skxa-w/w548-h640/PPGMotheredReview.jpg" width="548" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-19660368998365075102023-03-01T11:22:00.002-05:002023-03-03T23:03:15.096-05:00PUB DAY IS HERE!<p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">It's officially Pub Day for MOTHERED and I'm excited to share some links that went live today!!</span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">First up, my first ever <a href="https://www.thebigthrill.org/2023/02/up-close-zoje-stage/" target="_blank"><b>interview with The Big Thrill</b></a> (the magazine of the International Thriller Writers). I got to answer some legitimately interesting questions - which was, no pun intended, a big thrill for me.</span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7a5CXFhrNuyjlhij8agMzg5OADtcsiydleIrDbckjHUwWtXBtDtUlS0tPGXTt27mQ8aopsgbt0_Ab_7pTbxQrjbV3C7xMtKHGe3y2S2ZqvXPOy57glnA1a2bSgtXAJdRvZ7VFyhHtBfrJcYXRnP46haovBwOUy3fLqsHDfaSPVqIF7VxyR1tvRA4CNA/s823/pghartslectures.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="664" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7a5CXFhrNuyjlhij8agMzg5OADtcsiydleIrDbckjHUwWtXBtDtUlS0tPGXTt27mQ8aopsgbt0_Ab_7pTbxQrjbV3C7xMtKHGe3y2S2ZqvXPOy57glnA1a2bSgtXAJdRvZ7VFyhHtBfrJcYXRnP46haovBwOUy3fLqsHDfaSPVqIF7VxyR1tvRA4CNA/s320/pghartslectures.jpg" width="258" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br />I'm also quite proud of this essay I wrote exploring the usage and implications of the term "Unreliable Narrator." Check out <b><a href="https://crimereads.com/unreliable-narrator-zoje-stage/" target="_blank">Suspiciously Suspect: Who Is - and Isn't - An Unreliable Narrator?</a></b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">And look at the March line-up for Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures!! </span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">EDITED TO ADD: My interview with Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle is now live (the print version goes on sale March 10, 2023). This was the first interview I ever did where I was encouraged to talk about personal things, so I feel like it's something of a milestone. <b><a href="https://jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com/author-zoje-stages-mothered-is-pandemic-nightmare/" target="_blank">Read the feature article here</a></b>.</span></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-30935142353682233882023-02-08T14:01:00.000-05:002023-02-08T14:01:06.888-05:00GOOD DAY PA<p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZF_OtyBB49xJuDdnJfNBxuCxoTYiwuHZnd-smHR5pCZycRVMpbUhuuULauQYOfcaIAaR4_Kui5l4zYJ07QcPJqcfyq4X_NoUfKhn3bdRr_56H2bK-t2FspsfGqvXFlnOHeIno3RcTDjgFIaM4aOqVktcwft2aeMqdgeyuUD_9YYn_rft2A5Y0RU5iDA/s1800/Good%20Day%20PA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZF_OtyBB49xJuDdnJfNBxuCxoTYiwuHZnd-smHR5pCZycRVMpbUhuuULauQYOfcaIAaR4_Kui5l4zYJ07QcPJqcfyq4X_NoUfKhn3bdRr_56H2bK-t2FspsfGqvXFlnOHeIno3RcTDjgFIaM4aOqVktcwft2aeMqdgeyuUD_9YYn_rft2A5Y0RU5iDA/s320/Good%20Day%20PA.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br />Here's something a little different: MOTHERED was featured on today's episode of Good Day PA! I love what Amy Impellizerri had to say about the book - and it looks like she's convinced one of the show's hosts to read it? </span><p></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><b><a href="https://www.abc27.com/good-day-pa/valentines-book-picks-with-amy-impellizzeri/" target="_blank">You can watch the clip</a></b> in its entirety (or fast forward to 3:22 to see MOTHERED's segment).</span></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-41771503938066787462023-01-20T13:37:00.000-05:002023-01-20T13:37:44.841-05:00MOTHERED Launch Event<p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">I am beyond thrilled to share that my first local event for MOTHERED will be at Carnegie Lecture Hall, as part of the "Made Local" program for Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures. I set a goal of appearing there someday while in the audience - a packed house! - for Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness. Now, I am not nearly as famous as Jonathan Van Ness so I'm sure it won't be standing-room-only, but I do hope that enough people show up so that it won't feel like a cavernous empty hall. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOol3enf69ZPGmETNpQp-ZvrIPp0AgnBLO2pBV5rRGd2DMKpE-A8tQHM7s0yu_CX2ZCm47n9LqoQ_XrfkI8zFEGWpZcMp0Su92fhVSGSj0wve_XDIihjGOleFfSvwmhlZXo5v3_Yg8Iq3xGTmJ-65UAMeE3YFId4kcUF1pU4TiF0OuniHhrrZOF07qXw/s1381/Z_PghArts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1381" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOol3enf69ZPGmETNpQp-ZvrIPp0AgnBLO2pBV5rRGd2DMKpE-A8tQHM7s0yu_CX2ZCm47n9LqoQ_XrfkI8zFEGWpZcMp0Su92fhVSGSj0wve_XDIihjGOleFfSvwmhlZXo5v3_Yg8Iq3xGTmJ-65UAMeE3YFId4kcUF1pU4TiF0OuniHhrrZOF07qXw/s320/Z_PghArts.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">As much as I'd love for you all to attend in person, you also have the option to attend virtually - and there are separate registration links for these options (and FREE either way). The event will be Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 6:00pm ET. White Whale Bookstore will be on hand to sell copies of my books - and of course I will be happy to sign them (or your previously purchased books). </span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://pittsburghlectures.culturaldistrict.org/production/84525/zoje-stage-in-person" target="_blank"><b>Click here to register to attend in person</b></a>.</span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://pittsburghlectures.culturaldistrict.org/production/84533/zoje-stage-virtual" target="_blank"><b>Click here to register to attend virtually</b></a>.</span></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-37858496308501108992023-01-08T22:38:00.007-05:002023-01-13T14:05:28.718-05:00Trade Reviews for MOTHERED<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQFi1-9gQ785rwvtq0OplcShHR2NSXdFN7WOkIX3lDZk7oDVt2RYz5e_9Ta8ZNbw_UAgzLhDyhU5BAkPqFa1apIpnL7Z5k3fU21AX-_MwtWyocx-0I6RRyPsFl3gqru4eSGTwDLD483UvK9KDm7n1HT6gBY-3LJky_DOtYOD_gKXhPJYBPgAEgRcsgA/s1080/trade%20blurbs.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQFi1-9gQ785rwvtq0OplcShHR2NSXdFN7WOkIX3lDZk7oDVt2RYz5e_9Ta8ZNbw_UAgzLhDyhU5BAkPqFa1apIpnL7Z5k3fU21AX-_MwtWyocx-0I6RRyPsFl3gqru4eSGTwDLD483UvK9KDm7n1HT6gBY-3LJky_DOtYOD_gKXhPJYBPgAEgRcsgA/s320/trade%20blurbs.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">We are thrilled to have received so many positive trade reviews for MOTHERED! To read the reviews in their entirety, go to <b><a href="https://zojestage.blogspot.com/p/mothered.html" target="_blank">MOTHERED's press page</a>, </b>where you will find the corresponding links under <b>Coverage Highlights</b>. </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">I've posted a couple of the expanded blurbs below:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">"Each of Stage's books explore the dark side of family bonds, </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">all in their own extraordinary way. This one lays bare the true horror</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"> inherent in fables and folklore, and what Pandora lets out of her box </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">seems negligible compared to what Grace unleashes." </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">- <i>Booklist (Starred Review)</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">"Stage thrusts dread upon readers from her book's first sentences and continues to escalate the tension with every page. A great choice for fans of intense psychological horror where nothing can be trusted and no one can look away from the emerging nightmare." - </span><i style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Library Journal</i></div><p></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-91303646590823906752022-11-14T10:49:00.003-05:002022-11-15T15:02:47.316-05:00MOTHERED is on a roll...<p><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaI1Gf6BCC6kWbaDIZ7j6Togh4pZ6jf2f1Jjj-HixDnh86Y5mrVgH6qIyV4wVGhlyWFSEjbX8dVFB-HZCBYo1z6orVR0xTUGJDrDunD7V969HhK7haQ0jhC4kw_VijCQwML_y1_xZMUuAXAYgkEdq-uCdNFqc8jYQMRTQzCg6E7zwckjOMx52UcnFaqg/s1080/Gudenkauf%20blurb.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaI1Gf6BCC6kWbaDIZ7j6Togh4pZ6jf2f1Jjj-HixDnh86Y5mrVgH6qIyV4wVGhlyWFSEjbX8dVFB-HZCBYo1z6orVR0xTUGJDrDunD7V969HhK7haQ0jhC4kw_VijCQwML_y1_xZMUuAXAYgkEdq-uCdNFqc8jYQMRTQzCg6E7zwckjOMx52UcnFaqg/s320/Gudenkauf%20blurb.png" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This week is off to a great start for MOTHERED!! The entire team is thrilled to have been interviewed for a feature article in <b><i>Publishers Weekly</i></b>, where we discussed the creation of MOTHERED in a piece titled <b>Mother and Daughter Face Off in Zoje Stage's New Thriller</b>. You can <b><a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/openbook/article/90926-a-mother-and-daughter-face-off-in-zoje-stage-s-latest-thriller.html" target="_blank">read the full article here</a></b>. </span></span><p></p><div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">And we're very grateful for this new blurb from <i>New York Times </i>bestselling author, Heather Gudenkauf. Here is the blurb in its entirety:</span></div><div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">"Zoje Stage expertly explores the blurred lines between memory and nightmare in this deliciously twisty and riveting page-turner. An eerily crafted chiller set against the claustrophobic isolation of the pandemic, <i>Mothered </i>is a must-read for psychological thriller fans. No one chronicles the complicated, sometimes perilous intensity of mother-daughter relationships like Stage. Absorbing, unsettling, and magnetic - don't miss this dark gem of a novel." <b>- Heather Gudenkauf, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>The Overnight Guest</i> </b></span></div><p><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-21573321068083976552022-10-21T14:58:00.006-04:002022-10-21T15:29:18.617-04:00Recent News...<p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">I didn't mean to be such a slacker, but somehow I've neglected to post any recent updates...I guess I've been busy getting ready for Halloween?</span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Speaking of Halloween, I had the chance to contribute my thoughts to a KIDSBURGH article about the benefits of horror for young readers. You can <a href="https://www.kidsburgh.org/halloween-reading-local-writers-say-scary-books-for-kids-can-be-empowering-and-teach-empathy/" target="_blank"><b>read the article here</b></a>. </span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4eT2I9h7OVilPBiaRSAS9GZbchV3cjaXYiOBX_lNOv1R9ct-esaumM46HoiTNKuzzkwe7-zQ-zqbPXCzBEHpsGNX8OVVp9LqJXq5nYgYXdHoMQuLJHw3PJgt1ohovUdH4NT96zfCQfk31slG0hupdvBsHk6QKRJPrgJFC4gBX15bCWmK4sDgzRh-Bw/s1080/-%20Mothered%20blurb%20LB.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4eT2I9h7OVilPBiaRSAS9GZbchV3cjaXYiOBX_lNOv1R9ct-esaumM46HoiTNKuzzkwe7-zQ-zqbPXCzBEHpsGNX8OVVp9LqJXq5nYgYXdHoMQuLJHw3PJgt1ohovUdH4NT96zfCQfk31slG0hupdvBsHk6QKRJPrgJFC4gBX15bCWmK4sDgzRh-Bw/s320/-%20Mothered%20blurb%20LB.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">I'm also ecstatic to report that a dream of many years is finally coming true: <a href="https://twitter.com/zooshka/status/1577384649457811464" target="_blank"><b>MY UNDERSLUMBERBUMBLEBEAST</b></a> - the children's story featured in BABY TEETH - is going to be a real book, published by Bad Hand Books. It will be illustrated by the incredibly talented. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hauntednonsense/" target="_blank"><b>J.E. Larson</b></a>. More info soon!</span><div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br />The PR machine is in full swing for MOTHERED (3.1.23). I can't reveal TOO much about that yet, but I'm excited to unleash this slightly batshit crazy novel on the world. Stay tuned! And in the meanwhile be sure to add it to your <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60180796-mothered" target="_blank"><b>Goodreads To-Read</b></a> list and/or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mothered-Novel-Zoje-Stage/dp/1662506244/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1666378574&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><b>Pre-Order it from Amazon</b></a> or your favorite local bookstore!</span><p></p><div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">And last but not least, I am now part of TWO anthologies, both published by small presses and both featuring the work of amazing fellow authors:</span></div><div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">- I have a short story in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hideous-Book-Hidden-Horrors/dp/0578287552/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1666379648&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><b>THE HIDEOUS BOOK OF HIDDEN HORRORS</b></a> </span></div><div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">- I have two poems in </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chiral-Mad-5-Stephen-King/dp/B0BB5DDD7R/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1666379719&sr=8-1" style="font-family: verdana;" target="_blank"><b>CHIRAL MAD 5</b></a></div></div>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-16850997982501533682022-06-22T14:32:00.000-04:002022-06-22T14:32:11.533-04:00Famous Writing Routines<p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKk0UqoXsTLUzp7D_8zGzbA8nCoKw0mIUb7JxzVcmKMw3XiNFPaLIH19ddVb0fHyrcAprG2D3-8JL5OWGLIDG2yyuPSEfgNl-zvhe0vj7quPyqmb8EP4dFxiGWqE22e5srnKmB1Z4WD1R6_4VE11l80BPkOtwt-AipVz0qNNSJb9M7JHsIoEYTAfqMXQ/s1642/Screenshot_2022-06-22-14-25-29-47_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1642" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKk0UqoXsTLUzp7D_8zGzbA8nCoKw0mIUb7JxzVcmKMw3XiNFPaLIH19ddVb0fHyrcAprG2D3-8JL5OWGLIDG2yyuPSEfgNl-zvhe0vj7quPyqmb8EP4dFxiGWqE22e5srnKmB1Z4WD1R6_4VE11l80BPkOtwt-AipVz0qNNSJb9M7JHsIoEYTAfqMXQ/s320/Screenshot_2022-06-22-14-25-29-47_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg" width="210" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br />I had the pleasure of doing an interview with the website Famous Writing Routines. It was a nice departure to be able to talk about the broader aspects of my writing life - what I was doing before I started writing novels, how my background in film and theatre influences my work, what a typical writing day looks like. You can <b><a href="https://famouswritingroutines.com/interviews/interview-with-zoje-stage/" target="_blank">read the interview here</a></b>.</span><p></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-7008023833747085182022-06-13T15:45:00.002-04:002022-06-13T15:45:59.231-04:00Signed Copies of My Books<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuKGF71qZKKW0b4lWHXJIPbuVwQnpeP-VhPjzy3DOLcjAw3YBQaGoV2TeEReqK-V9PMX2TFLwBM9n4IZPCKmmdmbMOXCq0jEemfDmerq3iAIFZJwNcseBt0fS1fFGuwm_0vKaQVME2Nx-j-dQKGrPkQaT_gRaHdV4k1OBb3SDtlq8RFpwkFS4eUf5sA/s1080/signed%20copies.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuKGF71qZKKW0b4lWHXJIPbuVwQnpeP-VhPjzy3DOLcjAw3YBQaGoV2TeEReqK-V9PMX2TFLwBM9n4IZPCKmmdmbMOXCq0jEemfDmerq3iAIFZJwNcseBt0fS1fFGuwm_0vKaQVME2Nx-j-dQKGrPkQaT_gRaHdV4k1OBb3SDtlq8RFpwkFS4eUf5sA/w306-h306/signed%20copies.png" width="306" /></a><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Hey there reader friends! <b><a href="https://www.riverstonebookstore.com/" target="_blank">Riverstone Books</a> Squirrel Hill</b> is now the official bookstore from which readers can order autographed/personalized copies of all my books! This will remain an option for as long as Riverstone Books and I are both residents of Squirrel Hill.</span></p><div><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Riverstone Books Squirrel Hill</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">412-422-2220<br />5841 Forbes Ave</span></b></div><div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><b>Pittsburgh PA 15217</b></span></div><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">You can call or <a href="https://www.riverstonebookstore.com/" target="_blank">order online</a>. If you order online, be sure to include in the comments section that you want a signed copy of the book, and include your name if you want me to personalize it.</span></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-58477590994914664962022-04-19T12:03:00.000-04:002022-04-19T12:03:00.331-04:00MOTHERED - Cover Reveal<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqB0jamNPZNUwQSk_L_QLAWKjwhSqTrlW1aztgZ5AIym68iVS-C2UK6ng-neuJDEza94RVvuEqvq8nQdJCul_w5oiQXsw-6Ko95OSy2krbJEq5XT-fORazMCojCcvbLLONmMIYfsKh-Az1bhx01ZrF4_6uu2qezGRhzYI_EwQqmUD85fNwTF0ILcA4Q/s2549/Stage-Mothered-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2549" data-original-width="1666" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqB0jamNPZNUwQSk_L_QLAWKjwhSqTrlW1aztgZ5AIym68iVS-C2UK6ng-neuJDEza94RVvuEqvq8nQdJCul_w5oiQXsw-6Ko95OSy2krbJEq5XT-fORazMCojCcvbLLONmMIYfsKh-Az1bhx01ZrF4_6uu2qezGRhzYI_EwQqmUD85fNwTF0ILcA4Q/w279-h427/Stage-Mothered-cover.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Are you ready?? Here's the cover for MOTHERED - coming 2/14/23! Get ready for a deep dive into mother-daughter psychological horror...</span><p></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-82524300804098195092022-01-06T20:05:00.000-05:002022-01-06T20:05:11.390-05:00The Girl Who Outgrew The World<p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpQb4qultF1dGtKG_8AuV8vavs9p7SUjod-fJKxTXZg3n1sR_ZKgRhXo8jE9-QBPPIoCv4KjC6Mc6Edcn6IjEsoL52dCQ1_udCUPOO4hKtHIATNQH2Reka2oqV5179H4-64fGNRBTy_Vh-IhM88fjjFAlk7pQmW1sq9WrS-gfH2CwoFaR0AWH9f9TnVQ=s1080" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpQb4qultF1dGtKG_8AuV8vavs9p7SUjod-fJKxTXZg3n1sR_ZKgRhXo8jE9-QBPPIoCv4KjC6Mc6Edcn6IjEsoL52dCQ1_udCUPOO4hKtHIATNQH2Reka2oqV5179H4-64fGNRBTy_Vh-IhM88fjjFAlk7pQmW1sq9WrS-gfH2CwoFaR0AWH9f9TnVQ=w444-h444" width="444" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br />It's officially official!! My first novella, THE GIRL WHO OUTGREW THE WORLD, will be published on May 1, 2022 by the indie publisher, Lethe Press. This project is different for me - not only is it a novella, it's also a dark fairy tale - but this little book is very special to me.</span><p></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">If you're curious about Lilly's adventure, <a href="https://www.lethepressbooks.com/store/p649/The_Girl_Who_Outgrew_the_World.html#/" target="_blank">please consider pre-ordering the book</a>.</span></p><p><br /></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-45245723613310734732021-10-25T15:49:00.001-04:002021-10-25T15:49:28.616-04:00New York Times Review<p> <span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">If you're an author, you hope and pray that the</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"> </span><i style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">New York Times</i><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">reviews your book. And you're grateful for whatever they say, good or bad, because it's the</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"> </span><i style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">NY Times</i><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">. GETAWAY was published just over two months ago and I'd long given up hope that it was still on the</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"> </span><i style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Times</i><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">' radar...But lo and behold!</span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZZII4z0StBQZj_PZo7SBcoPdPvwZbMPTjZ8xyA2aje0JyTvrC3rLvlP7SvwA2k2TlGmXm0_cQo5WJLmdrSAajcTuprKaBn1Xsc449sonVcyT4ord3cLATgD_cVHT3U_miNTjjuAitWDk/s2048/31Trussoni-COVER-Sub02-superJumbo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="2048" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZZII4z0StBQZj_PZo7SBcoPdPvwZbMPTjZ8xyA2aje0JyTvrC3rLvlP7SvwA2k2TlGmXm0_cQo5WJLmdrSAajcTuprKaBn1Xsc449sonVcyT4ord3cLATgD_cVHT3U_miNTjjuAitWDk/s320/31Trussoni-COVER-Sub02-superJumbo.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br />I couldn't be more grateful to Danielle Trussoni and the <i>NY Times</i> for including GETAWAY in this "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/25/books/new-horror-books.html" target="_blank">Read It and Scream</a>" article. </span><p></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">"Stage is a writer with a gift for the lyrical and the frightening. She creates gorgeous descriptions of nature in one paragraph, and heart-stopping scenes of violence in the next...Stage's characters are so engrossing, her ability to create tension so deft, that GETAWAY feels original, and very scary."</span></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-54374058835982250282021-08-31T15:04:00.002-04:002021-09-13T22:26:04.388-04:00In Case You Missed It...<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IpqSY8xvOG0Kc2JRuPim535GMWuBmT2bMBktx2DGRRlmO_tk9Qg3ZlftER8Q4ylOKvp2yOdM9rvF6_92GQnCyk6H66nEVn53KTD_e_EgAPjKtkgub3hGclTsnVaRL1onrHxIqzTU3bTm/s1080/Available+Now.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IpqSY8xvOG0Kc2JRuPim535GMWuBmT2bMBktx2DGRRlmO_tk9Qg3ZlftER8Q4ylOKvp2yOdM9rvF6_92GQnCyk6H66nEVn53KTD_e_EgAPjKtkgub3hGclTsnVaRL1onrHxIqzTU3bTm/w200-h200/Available+Now.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">GETAWAY has been out in the world for two weeks now and my promo & events are <span style="text-align: left;">winding down. This seemed like a good time - and place - to post the links to the podcasts & virtual author talks I had the pleasure of doing in support of GETAWAY. Thank you to everyone who invited me to your store, show, group, etc.!</span></div></span></div></span></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana; font-weight: normal;">ICYMI...</span></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">AUTHOR TALKS:</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60FRUpqb58I" target="_blank"><b>Rogue Reads</b> (with Zoje Stage, Sandra Brown, John Mann, and Brandon Webb</a>) Hosted by Rogue Women Writers and MC'd by Jenny Milchman.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8fdmsNovYk" target="_blank"><b>Literature Lovers' Night Out</b> (with Zoje Stage, Sujata Massey, and Samantha Downing</a>) </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Hosted by Valley Bookseller and MC'd by Pamela Klinger-Horn</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwlxxFDIPKw" target="_blank"><b>Murder by the Book</b> (Zoje Stage in conversation with May Cobb)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAvjrF0A5MI" target="_blank"><b>The Poisoned Pen Bookstore</b> (Zoje Stage in conversation with Barbara Peters</a>)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">PODCASTS:</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zoje-stage-getaway/id1366633318?i=1000532231858" target="_blank"><b>Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books</b> (Zoje Stage in conversation with Zibby Owens)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://talkingscared.buzzsprout.com/1322413/9080867-53-zoje-stage-and-what-if-you-re-not-a-good-person" target="_blank"><b>Talking Scared</b> (Zoje Stage in conversation with Neil McRobert)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-aiqdz-10ca588?utm_campaign=au_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=au_share" target="_blank"><b>Poisoned Pen Podcast</b> (Zoje Stage in conversation with Barbara Peters)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-20352315719431692832021-08-17T12:56:00.003-04:002021-08-17T12:56:58.381-04:00GETAWAY is Here!!<p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">It's finally Pub Day for GETAWAY! Thank you so much to everyone who pre-ordered the book - or plans to buy it now that it's out in the world! Here's a highlight of some of the new publicity:</span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBDZ7ShJGNzJVyHdiHJddJoIO2-arx4yENyTquaUdtwDkeN5BX9YHUq4ujfrQGEh0RyGh5rMynsrTjahYROBi8xiePH6ku_I52RkCW-tJ9KraMubiI_7_X86whR76GBGy3ZNFI_ix74PP/s1125/Zibby+podcast.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBDZ7ShJGNzJVyHdiHJddJoIO2-arx4yENyTquaUdtwDkeN5BX9YHUq4ujfrQGEh0RyGh5rMynsrTjahYROBi8xiePH6ku_I52RkCW-tJ9KraMubiI_7_X86whR76GBGy3ZNFI_ix74PP/s320/Zibby+podcast.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br />- I'm very proud of <b><a href="https://crimereads.com/a-thriller-writers-ode-to-the-terror-uncertainty-and-adventure-of-the-wilderness/" target="_blank">this piece I wrote for CrimeReads</a></b> about the origins of GETAWAY and my writing process.</span><p></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">- The New York Post included GETAWAY in its <b><a href="https://nypost.com/article/best-new-book-releases-to-read-this-week/" target="_blank">weekly roundup of the Best New Books to Read</a></b>.</span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">- I'm so grateful to Zibby Owens for her interest in GETAWAY! My episode of her podcast <b><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zoje-stage-getaway/id1366633318?i=1000532231858" target="_blank">Moms Don't Have Time To Read Books</a> </b>is now live.</span></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-1267160961827651272021-08-09T15:59:00.001-04:002021-08-09T15:59:22.467-04:00Good Day LA<p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZ19UKbuDkGHE6HqFHQwL9cKSRTV8UsppvJS3SnlIISP0d4cDVNXVMiyz7rtZhNH2AAr0tXlJWHShDWIvW-gPIHFTeU5VcXjFWbmVgTLeHoS8VtuuzMZcNjDVap_PEGKS0YHDQzETa2P-/s1080/GoodDayLA1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="1080" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZ19UKbuDkGHE6HqFHQwL9cKSRTV8UsppvJS3SnlIISP0d4cDVNXVMiyz7rtZhNH2AAr0tXlJWHShDWIvW-gPIHFTeU5VcXjFWbmVgTLeHoS8VtuuzMZcNjDVap_PEGKS0YHDQzETa2P-/s320/GoodDayLA1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">I'm completely gobsmacked and thrilled that GETAWAY was featured on Good Day LA!! Huge thanks to Zibby Owens (<i>Moms Don't Have Time To Read Books</i>)! I've never heard my name (or a book) mentioned on TV, so this was extremely exciting for me! </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CSXW1bUJhVp/" style="font-family: verdana;" target="_blank"><b>You can watch the segment here</b></a><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CZ0YIdyinCHqjeDboLpv7waxfEkGJYGiBF-Tq9vCwjskilZRN4fHHFzjxRLgk3VQpx5iFK9KJSJEeKpNj5S_2qnc3ier2vcfOXCl4dAb7vl2KBVor-7PN4xo_XVDcUGwguyshZJ72Ws_/s1080/GooDDayLA2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="1080" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CZ0YIdyinCHqjeDboLpv7waxfEkGJYGiBF-Tq9vCwjskilZRN4fHHFzjxRLgk3VQpx5iFK9KJSJEeKpNj5S_2qnc3ier2vcfOXCl4dAb7vl2KBVor-7PN4xo_XVDcUGwguyshZJ72Ws_/s320/GooDDayLA2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-4465741527946724122021-08-02T15:57:00.000-04:002021-08-02T15:57:42.628-04:00Lists Galore!<p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTCdKAbsN5P24Rf_3tFPsIhpySHdK1dpkK30ylwaOBhls8vN8wV5ykKxYs7w3y5vC40PNYokmS214s5ptQz8rZ62vDRG3g5PqCmnmgfH_kIQzBmTWwRabJJUwGNymYStL5OZtzZhHRmyE/s1080/Lists.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTCdKAbsN5P24Rf_3tFPsIhpySHdK1dpkK30ylwaOBhls8vN8wV5ykKxYs7w3y5vC40PNYokmS214s5ptQz8rZ62vDRG3g5PqCmnmgfH_kIQzBmTWwRabJJUwGNymYStL5OZtzZhHRmyE/w400-h400/Lists.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">August - also known as Pub Month for GETAWAY - is off to an amazing start. I woke up this morning to find my book on four separate lists:</span><p></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: <a href="https://ew.com/books/best-new-books-august-2021/?slide=27a5d0e6-d1ac-4e00-8af6-ac739fc78258#27a5d0e6-d1ac-4e00-8af6-ac739fc78258" target="_blank">The Best New Books to Read in August</a></span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">POPSUGAR: <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/best-new-mystery-thriller-books-august-2021-48435284" target="_blank">14 Twisty Mystery and Thriller Books You Have to Read This August</a></span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">TOR NIGHTFIRE: <a href="https://tornightfire.com/this-month-in-new-horror-books-august-2021/" target="_blank">This Month in New Horror Books</a></span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">POPSUGAR: <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/best-new-books-august-2021-48423270?stream_view=1#photo-48435430" target="_blank">The Best 55 Books You'll Absolutely Lose Yourself in this August</a></span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">GETAWAY hits shelves Aug. 17!!</span></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-51563234568748256592021-07-28T20:14:00.001-04:002021-07-28T20:16:03.958-04:00GETAWAY Book Launch<p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOQkzTve7_fc1IvuOntEVf84XFpgM374VjcJdZNMExQAXbHdc2brwTO9YB12cxyDazQjt7HcKY7_ukVMYsffTdy5gjKM58323vrT9MxHeL8jkVtuhzCkipQYR9zAuHCnW8XAYmWB0Jpmp/s1080/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOQkzTve7_fc1IvuOntEVf84XFpgM374VjcJdZNMExQAXbHdc2brwTO9YB12cxyDazQjt7HcKY7_ukVMYsffTdy5gjKM58323vrT9MxHeL8jkVtuhzCkipQYR9zAuHCnW8XAYmWB0Jpmp/w400-h400/2.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><br />You are all invited to GETAWAY's official book launch! Riverstone Books Squirrel Hill will be hosting the event - both in person AND streaming. I'll be answering questions about the origins of the novel (plus any questions readers may have), and signing books. And I'll have bookmarks for all three of my books on hand! The event is free, open to all, and wheelchair accessible, but <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/join-us-for-the-launch-of-zoje-stages-new-novel-getaway-tickets-162496243639" target="_blank"><b>please RSVP via this EventBrite link</b></a> (this will help the bookstore keep track of how many people are coming and/or give you access to the Zoom link).</span><p></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-34258219984246953552021-05-24T00:08:00.001-04:002021-05-24T00:08:16.489-04:00Once Upon a Time... (The Origins of GETAWAY)<p><span style="color: #990000; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: verdana;">People are often interested in knowing where a book idea came from, and sometimes the process is so abstract that it's hard to explain. But GETAWAY was inspired by something very specific - so specific that it's a story I can tell in under two minutes...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: verdana;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzskr_e4aomAFfMMQ0w_6hqXgfgJ7WdSsMYsfDyfynPfG4PUxb_aCo0Jib8AUuTvFTRCB4xaF2kFiIuBe__OA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </span></div><p></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517512969066160391.post-54713538147475536462021-04-20T21:25:00.002-04:002021-04-20T21:25:55.687-04:00"Horror Authors Give Horror Book Recommendations!"<p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHfRJG9AKjKJB9C9I_7-HXzY2dJHNhXCw8hlV7Jl08yj9aigpk6S_ybQ_fxpaBDpsV9jZg7JYxYXjSNNTysbwfchtwxGjPDwrcKhtlk0cHgJ2uWvF0z3O9XPbopUAAW635uWqndGPwxHz/s320/jordaline+reads+presents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHfRJG9AKjKJB9C9I_7-HXzY2dJHNhXCw8hlV7Jl08yj9aigpk6S_ybQ_fxpaBDpsV9jZg7JYxYXjSNNTysbwfchtwxGjPDwrcKhtlk0cHgJ2uWvF0z3O9XPbopUAAW635uWqndGPwxHz/s0/jordaline+reads+presents.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">Recently I was contacted by Jordaline Reads, a "booktuber," about participating in a special episode on her YouTube channel. Jordaline regularly posts about spooky and creepy books, but this time she asked some of her favorite authors to recommend one of their favorite horror novels. I've never made a video like this - talking in depth about a book - and I had a LOT of thoughts! I chose THE LONG WALK by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman), and one thing I didn't have time to include is that the protagonist in GETAWAY (my new novel, coming out August 17) also has an affinity for THE LONG WALK, so that book makes an appearance in <i>my</i> book...and I guess you'll have to read GETAWAY to see how. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWymnrOZ5u2VO6aNDq7sJ24jaFi_ViriBKvCvzbFoHFi-DMr0BQ74kjEjhIVzeWOF-qNrsa99Vgmpp1NM3Di8b0K2ziwbsDKSTzAr3o7RP167wRFTTMfDOTL0kDbVApKhJG4jQdtghyM3/s750/zoje+youtube.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWymnrOZ5u2VO6aNDq7sJ24jaFi_ViriBKvCvzbFoHFi-DMr0BQ74kjEjhIVzeWOF-qNrsa99Vgmpp1NM3Di8b0K2ziwbsDKSTzAr3o7RP167wRFTTMfDOTL0kDbVApKhJG4jQdtghyM3/s320/zoje+youtube.jpg" /></a></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">If you like horror, please consider <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzJ_k-pMuMgk9hp-9d8QSyQ" target="_blank"><b>subscribing to Jordaline Reads</b></a> on YouTube - and if you want to see/hear my dissertation on THE LONG WALK - or see what the other authors chose - <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14IZfyZ6v7U" target="_blank">check out the video here</a></b>.</span><p></p>Zoje Stagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17666220563419183941noreply@blogger.com1