Upcoming writing workshop

Calling all central Minnesota writers and readers! Join me this Thursday for a writing workshop and reading at New York Mills Regional Cultural Center in New York Mills, MN.  Here’s the workshop description from the Cultural Center’s website:

Join author and visiting artist Emily Eckart for an interactive writing workshop. After discussing basic elements of fiction common to all stories and novels, participants will get to try their hand at creating characters and story settings. After the workshop, Emily will read an excerpt from her new book, Pale Hearts, to kick off the Center’s monthly Open Mic night (7-9pm). Both the workshop and Open Mic are free to attend and open to all!

The workshop runs from 6-7, and afterwards there’s an open mic from 7-9.  All ages and levels of experience are welcome to attend!

Out and About With Pale Hearts

It’s been a fun first month for Pale Hearts.  My first reading was at Trident Booksellers in Boston.  The atmosphere in this bookstore is especially nice because they have a cafe, so reading attendees can relax with a glass of wine or a snack.  Although I had a cold, I forged through and had a great time.  I’m so grateful to all the enthusiastic people who came!

Next up was a book signing at Richards Memorial Library in North Attleboro.  I was there as part of their Local Authors Fair.  It was wonderful to meet other authors from the area and see their books.

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In other news, Pale Hearts is now available at Norton Public Library.  Richards Memorial Library will also be adding a copy to their collection.  I was so excited to see my book right in the middle of Norton’s new books shelf.

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It’s great to see Pale Hearts listed in the library catalogs.  (Also, how fitting that Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” comes up as a related result!)  If your library is part of the SAILS network in Massachusetts, you can request Pale Hearts.  But you’ll have to wait–the book is currently checked out!

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Dispatch from book launch

Pale Hearts is out in the world! The books are printed, orders have shipped, and my first book signing went wonderfully yesterday.

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I’m so grateful to the readers who stopped by!  I was impressed to hear that someone already read the entire book on Kindle.  Thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives to say hello, and thanks especially for buying the book.  I am truly appreciative.

My next event is on November 7, when I’ll be reading at Trident Booksellers in Boston (7 pm).  I’m looking forward to it!

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In other great news, Pale Hearts made it to the shelves of Harvard Library!  I’m very thankful for and excited about this development.

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Putting a few copies on my personal shelf realized a lifelong dream.

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Pale Hearts is available October 4th!

My long-anticipated short story collection will be available for sale on Amazon exactly one week from today!  The collection includes 15 stories: some that appeared only in print, a few online favorites, and 5 all-new, never-before-published stories.  In this book, I explore the idea of crime, from the newsworthy (arson, kidnapping) to the everyday (lies, betrayal).  You’ll read about a young girl who poisons her best friend, a college student who steals a classmate’s ring, and a journalist who contacts the girl she once bullied.  What causes these ordinary people to make such bad decisions?  You’ll have to read the book to find out!

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First book, first residency

I am very excited to announce that my first book, a crime-themed short story collection titled PALE HEARTS, will be released by Insomnia Publishing later this year.  Stay tuned for more specific updates!

In addition, I was just awarded my first artist residency.  I’ll be spending a month at New York Mills Regional Cultural Center to work on my novel, a story about the rivalry between two teenage classical musicians.

Recommended reading: The Privileges by Jonathan Dee

Picture of book coverThis novel examines the ambitions of Adam and Cynthia Morey, who ascend from the middle class into the realm of the wealthy–thanks, in no small part, to Adam’s adventures in insider trading.  The Moreys are narcissistic, shallow, and materialistic, but somehow compelling in their shameless grand devotion to vice. Yet the characters never become caricatures.  Despite all their flaws, the Moreys remain loyal to each other as a family.  Adam and Cynthia both have opportunities to cheat on each other, but choose not to.  Cynthia is a caring mother, not only to her own children but also to her daughter’s troubled best friend.   (I found these to be surprisingly touching developments; dysfunction is in vogue as a literary subject, and it was nice to read about a fictional family that actually stays together.)  The Privileges is at once entertaining, unsettling, and beautifully written, making for an enjoyable and memorable read.

New Fiction: Peanut Butter

I have new fiction today up at Tower Journal.

There were four ways to kill someone with peanut butter.  Beth had listed them herself.  So it was practically her own fault, Anna reasoned, that the last way was so easy.

Gym was the best time, when she had easy access to Beth’s lunchbox. In the midst of the dodgeball melee, Anna frowned, rubbed her stomach, and muttered to the male gym teacher about a certain time of month, earning a blush and unlimited bathroom rights. On her way to the lockers, she paused to watch Beth run from a boy who slung ruthless dodgeballs at the weak. Beth escaped him, but she wouldn’t escape this.

Read the rest of the story over at Tower Journal’s Spring/Summer 2015 issue.

New fiction: Depthless

I have another music-themed story out this week! This one’s about the odd relationship between two musicology grad students who meet at a conference. I am thrilled that New World Writing has posted this piece. I have admired this journal for a while and it is an honor to have my work published there. I also enjoyed the other stories they published this month– especially this one by Anna Hagen, a fellow Harvard grad!