I will be signing books at Sunshine City Scare at the Coliseum in St. Petersburg, FL this coming May 13th-14th. Come celebrate all things horror (and mother's day) that weekend and swing by and say hi! You can find out more about the horror convention by heading to their website here. I can't wait! 

For a while, I've been trying to figure out just what I wanted to do with this blog. If you've been around with me for a while, you will know that it's undergone many changes over the years. I'm also sad to say that I haven't been posting nearly as much as I should have been over the last few months. But I think I found a way to correct this issue. 

If you're on my monthly newsletter, then you're familiar with the segment This Month's Creepy Thing. If you're not, allow me to explain. TMCT is a segment of my newsletter dedicated to a creepy news story or fact that I discovered. These are true stories only. No fictionalized retellings of stories that may or may not have happened. True to life, creepy ass shit. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, then I've got news for you! 

I'm bringing This Month's Creepy Thing (TMCT) to my blog! That's right, you can read this month's creepy thing right here on my website. Or rather, I should say last month's creepy thing. You see, I still want my newsletter subscribers to get something extra special for allowing my emails to grace their inboxes so they will be getting the stories first. My newsletter goes out on the 16th of every month. You can look for TMCT right here a month after. If you don't feel like waiting a whole month for these creepy bits of information, and believe me they're something you'll want to read, then I suggest signing up for my newsletter here. Otherwise, look for the first This Month's Creepy Thing on March 16th! (It's about a man's attempt to fake his own death by killing a hitchhiker! Don't miss that.) 

I want to do more with my blog page but I don't want to make any announcements as of yet because I want to test the waters and see what people like and what people could do without. I will probably post the occasional book review or writing tips here and there but I've got some ideas in my head that I want to try out. So could you please do me a favor and check back in with this blog and leave me comments letting me know what you like and don't like so I can grow this blog! I would be forever grateful! 

Click on the Spotify playlist below to listen to a playlist I put together to get you in the mood to read some creepy stories! 

If you haven't seen the 1999 movie The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, you should probably go watch it now. That movie is a classic! Watched it, now? Good, we can continue. 

My upcoming paranormal adventure novel After Death centers around Jeffrey Raines, a spirit who works as a bounty hunter for Death. He reaps wandering spirits that cause harm to the living and the natural balance of life and death. What does this plot have to do with The Mummy, you ask? Absolutely nothing. 

The plot of the movie didn't influence the book. The tone did. I've always loved the movie The Mummy and the sequel The Mummy Returns. There's a third one, but we don't talk about it. If you're unfamiliar with these movies, even though in the beginning I specifically told you to go watch it you rebel, allow me to explain. The Mummy is part action/adventure, part horror, and part comedy. This blend of genres always fascinated me. There are parts of the movie that are downright creepy and scenes that just make you laugh out loud. All of this mixed with fun and exhilarating action. 

I know this isn't something that is exclusive to The Mummy. But this movie series always stood out to me and shaped a lot of my own writing. I loved Rick O'Connell's attitude from start to finish. A little bit of his personality may have found its way to Jeffrey Raines in After Death. 

I loved the way The Mummy blended horror tropes with action, adventure, and comedy and I set out to mimic this in my newest book. I hope I even came a fraction close to capturing that sort of tone. But you'll be the judge of that. After Death comes out later this year! Are you a big fan of The Mummy? Let me know your favorite scene in the comments below! 

I can promise you the afterlife is a real place. I should know, I created it. The Afterlife is what I'm calling my exclusive members only section of my website/Patreon page. 

I now have a members section on my website which I am calling the Afterlife. My new membership program is all based around my upcoming paranormal thriller After Death. Here's how it all works. 

There are two ways to join. Through my website store OR through Patreon. On Patreon, there are two tiers. Lone Spirit and Hell Hound. Lone Spirit ($1 a month tier) gets access to Patreon-only posts which will include blog updates about my writing. Hell Hound ($5 a month tier) gets you access to Patreon AND my website membership. That's where all the exclusive content will be. Flash Fiction, short stories, exclusive photos, info, and much more! 

If you decide to join through my website, it is just a one time payment for a lifetime membership. That will get you member status to ALL the Afterlife content on my website FOR LIFE. Or, at least until you enter the REAL afterlife. I'll be linking everything below. 

I'm really excited about this new transition to exclusive content on my website and I hope you are too. There are so many cool things coming to those who sign up. Don't miss out! 

Patreon signup: https://www.patreon.com/EvanBond/membership
Website signup: ​https://www.evanbondauthor.com/store/p15/Lifetime_Membership.html

Join me on October 29th at 8pm-9pm to celebrate the spooky. We're going to have a virtual Halloween party. There will be games, giveaways, and more. You can RSVP on my Facebook page here to take part in a costume contest! The event will be live streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Check it out! 

Hello there readers, 

I wanted to share some news with you that you may have been unaware of. Did you know you can read an exclusive short story featuring the upcoming protagonist in my paranormal thriller? Here's a quick story behind the...uh... story. 

There was a short story contest I entered last year. The challenge was, write a ghost story with a twist. Throw a spin on an old legend. That sort of thing. So, I started thinking about the stories about ghosts like the woman in white. You know the legends. A ghostly woman stalks a stretch of quiet road. She's dressed all in white and hitchhikes rides with her unsuspecting guests. I took that legend and gave it a fun twist. What if the hunter became the hunted? 

Jeffrey Raines is Death's bounty hunter. He reaps souls that wander the Earth and prey on the living. And my short story, Death Loves Her Balance, started it all. The story, unfortunately, didn't win the contest. But I think, in the end, I came out the bigger winner because it gave me my next series idea. And I've been having a lot of fun crafting this world and writing the story. 

If you want to read the story for yourself, all you have to do is sign up for my monthly newsletter. That's it. You'll get the short story delivered directly to your inbox! Click here to sign up. Every month, I share behind the scenes info, first looks, upcoming works, and much more! Sign up today and read that story! And let me know what you think in the comments below. 

The story goes, a secret dungeon was found in 1883 behind a secret wall in the back of the fort. Two skeletons were found shackled to the wall and were identified as one man and one woman. Rumors of a secret love affair between a Colonel's wife and a captain blossomed. When the colonel found out, he had them chained to a wall in the bowels of the Castillo and walled them up alive. Were the long lost lovers found that day? 

Maybe not. But it makes for a good creepy story, right? I've visited the Castillo many times over the years and I've been in the very room which is dubbed "the lover's dungeon" and have never seen this story or heard it from tour guides. There's a lot of haunted history pages online which speak to its truth but it seems like there isn't any true evidence of this secret dungeon. 

The Castillo de San Marcos, however, was used as a prison for a long portion of its history. Many Native Americans were imprisoned there in 1875. Many people died at the Castillo, regardless of the lover's rumor being true or not. 

This haunted history makes it the perfect place for my upcomong paranormal thriller. Jeffrey Raines, Death's bounty hunter. visits this very fort during the first several chapters of my book. I couldn't think of a better backdrop than this. The Castillo is an amazing structure which is well worth a visit if you are ever in St. Augustine, Florida. And if you've heard the story of the lover's dungeon, I'd love to get your take in the comments below. Do you think the story is true? 

Fort Matanzas in St. Augustine, Florida. Named after the river it stands guard over. Fun fact, the Matanzas river gets its name from the Spanish word meaning killings or slaughters because several Protestants were shipwrecked in the 18th century and executed on the spot by Spanish Admiral Pedro Mendez. Seems like a fitting place for spirits to hang out, doesn't it?  

Fort Matanzas was built by the Spanish in order to control the Matanzas inlet. The inlet was a rear entrance into the city of St. Augustine. The fort was only used once. It fired warning shots to scare away British scouting boats. The twelve ship armada turned around and never attacked the fort. Shots were never fired from Fort Matanzas again. Despite not having seen a lot of action, the small fort is a pretty interesting sight to see in St. Augustine. 

First of all, the admission if FREE so you can't beat that. The only way to get to the fort is by boat which the park rangers graciously provide transport back and forth to. So, best to tip them if you go. Once on the little island which houses the fort, you get the real sense of what it must have been like to be stationed there. Out in the middle of seemingly no where on a river with no communication to the world around you. It's almost impossible to imagine. 

Jeffrey Raines spends some time at this very structure in the opening chapters of my upcoming paranormal thriller. He's there to fight off a wandering spirit as Death's bounty hunter. A certain type of spirit which likes to hide in lonely places such as this has started to prey on the park rangers there. Jeffrey is ordered to put a stop to it. Of course, I won't tell you how the scene plays out or how it ends. You'll have to read the book when it comes out!

If you decide to visit St. Augustine and you love history, check this place out. It's a cool piece of history. Not to mention, you'll literally be stepping into the pages of my book! Stay tuned for more information about this book coming soon! And if you want to read the opening chapter of the book, please consider signing up for my monthly newsletter. This month, readers will get an exclusive look at the first chapter! Not available anywhere else. Click below to sign up. And enjoy these photos I took of Fort Matanzas on my last adventure there!
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Hello there readers, 

By now, you've probably heard that Tampa Bay Comic Con has been cancelled due to the rise in COIVD-19 cases. This was to be my first year attending so I'm pretty bummed. But honestly, a little happy too. First off, I was worried the turn out would have been very low due to the social distancing rules and the virus still affecting people. It's pretty pricey to attend TBCC. But also, there would have been a good chance to catch it at the convention. So, it's probably best that it gets cancelled. But it's still sad. 

Of course, next year I will be attending TBCC so come next year and say hi. My goal is to have my new paranormal thriller released before the next convention. That should be easy but we'll see what happens. Maybe I'll even have some cool merch to sell there? Who knows. 

Selling my books at these conventions has been a lot of fun. Even the slow days are really fun. You get to meet a lot of cool people. Creators and people attending. I've actually created a few friendships with other creators while working on these cons. People like Todd Kelly who is an awesome comic book creator and you should definitely check him out! Click here. I very much look forward to working more in the future. 

So, I will see you all at Tampa Bay Comic Con next year and hopefully many others! Don't forget to follow me on social media. This weekend was supposed to be TBCC so I may do a sale or a giveaway or something. Haven't decided what yet. Have a great week everyone!
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If you ever been curious about ways you can support yours truly, well have I got a blog post for you! I'm going to separate by things you can do which don't cost money and ways to support by spending money. Both are excellent ways to support and neither is more or less important than the other. Let's start with the free ways. 

Free Ways

Leave a review- Leaving a review for my books is the best way to help support authors. After a certain number of reviews, our books will start to show up on recommended lists. Of course, this does require you to own the book which means you had to spend money at some point. Unless I did a giveaway which I've been known to do occasionally. 

Like Comment and Subscribe-On YouTube, there's a threshold you have to meet before you can monetize your channel. By subscribing, you're helping me get closer to that threshold and helping me make money for each video watched on my channel. Liking and commenting helps boost the chance of my videos being seen or recommended as well. 

Follow me on social media- Algorithms on social media exist to boost content people want to see. Unfortunately, that can also work against people. The more post interactions received, the more visible posts become. Dropping a simple like or comment helps boost those posts. I'll count reading this blog as part of following social media because it works the same way. 



Paid Ways

Patreon-Patreon is great because it allows you to support me directly and get exclusive access to things like short stories, signed books, and exclusive content. 

Buy my books- This one is a bit obvious, I suppose. But buying my books literally pays me for what I'm doing. And the more it sells, the higher on the best seller list it will climb!

Pick up YouTube merch- This one is pretty new but I created a merch store where I'm selling shirts and items with my channel logo and the Terror Tube story logo. You can check that out here. 


So, there you have a it. There's a few different ways in each category to support me, in case you were wondering. Like I said before, no way is better than the other. Do only what you can or feel comfortable doing. And hey, just by reading this blog post you've helped me out a lot! So, leave a comment below and drop a like and have a great rest of your day. 

Hey there everyone, 

Wanted to give a quick update today for those who haven't heard. I've got a YouTube channel called Books by Bond. Over on my channel, I will be posting narrated short stories written and narrated by myself. There are future plans for outside contributions as well but I have details to share on that as of yet. 

The first story is up on my channel and I'll have a second later this week. My goal will be about 2 stories a month. I can't promise that amount at the moment but it's what I'm aiming for. Hopefully you give this story a listen and hopefully you like it. Please consider dropping it a like or, more importantly, subscribe to my channel! Click here. 

Thanks for reading (and hopefully listening) and I'll catch ya next time. 
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In case you missed it, I got interviewed at Space Coast Comic Con. You can check out the video below! And yes, I will be signing autographs later! BYOB (Bring your own book)

     Ok, so there's this idea rattling around in my brain that I can't stop thinking about. It's a new character, a new book, and a whole new series. I'm not going to be dropping all of the details right now. However, next month's newsletter will be packed with a lot more information. So, if you want to learn more then please consider signing up! You can click here to sign up. 

What I will tell you is the character is named Jeffrey Raines. I held a contest a couple months back to help me pick the last name and Raines was the winner. Jeffrey Raines is a southerner with an interesting job. What is that job? You'll have to subscribe to find that out early. But I will tell you, it does center around the paranormal. And no, he's not a paranormal investigator. 

I am so excited to start writing this book. The story is already planned and there's so much excitement building up over the details. You're going to want to read this book. If you're into thrillers, the supernatural, and everything in-between then you're going to love it. I will end this on a cliffhanger as well. Jeffrey Raines is dead....

​To learn more about this upcoming series, sign up for my monthly newsletter now!

     Failure. It sucks. No one likes to fail. But that's the nature of competing, isn't it? Someone has to win which means someone has to fail. Both teams can't take home the Super Bowl ring and only one candidate gets to be President. Someone always has to fail. 

I recently participated in a short story contest. It was a Halloween themed contest. The stories were supposed to be scary and take a classic story or trope and give it a twist. I had a lot of fun with this idea. Here's what I came up with. A ghostly woman in white hitchhikes on the side of the road, waiting for her next victim. A man pulls over to pick her up, only for her to try and kill him. However, he's not what he appears either and the woman in white ends up becoming the hunted. 

It was a classic story, woman in white, with a neat twist. I spent a lot of time writing, re-writing, editing, re-editing, proof reading, and so on. Finally, I hit submit, crossed my fingers, and hoped to win. The winner would take home $75. Money I would have used towards expensive advertising costs. Of course, if you read the title of this post you already know if I won or not.

When they announced the winners, I was obviously let down. I really loved my idea. The character was awesome. The execution of the story was well received by the few people who proofed it for me. And reading the stories that did win, I felt even worse. None of them encapsulated the nature of the contest. None really followed the guidelines of the contest. I almost felt cheated. But something happened. 

If you're hoping for some twist to this story where the judges changed their mind or announced they made some mistake and I was actually the winner, sorry to disappoint. And to be honest, I'm glad they didn't. Because I learned something more valuable than the minimal prize money. I learned self appreciation. The story and the character might not have been enough for the judges but it was certainly enough for me! I loved my idea so much that I decided to give the character his very own series. And when you break down writing, whether you write for fun, you're a traditionally published author, or self-published, you should write for yourself first and an audience second. If you loved the idea and the story, that's all that matters. Meaning, don't write what you think other people will like if it's not what you like. Don't write YA novels because you think they'll sell better. Don't write non-fiction because you think it'll be easier. Always write what you love, no matter what. You like writing horror? Do it! You love writing fantasy? Do it! Your first book isn't selling well? Write another!

If you would like to read the story that I'm so proud of, there's a couple of options for you. You can head over to Patreon.com/EvanBond and become a patron. It's available exclusively for Patreon supporters for now. Or, you can wait an indeterminate amount of time for my short story collection book to come out. That's right, I will be piecing together some of my favorite short stories that I've written over the years as well as some new ones. I'll slap them together in a book and make it available. However, I don't have a release date for that yet as it's just in the planning stages. I need far more short stories in order to make it. So, you could be waiting a really long time. Why not just head over to Patreon now to read it? But, whatever you end up doing, I hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned something from it. Until next time, keep wandering. Just not alone. 

November 9th, 2019. Saturday. There will be an event at the USF St. Petersburg campus. It's called the Festival of Reading. There will be several authors there headlining such as Tim Dorsey and R.L. Stine. In addition to author talks and book signings, there will be a market surrounding the event as well. It's a huge festival for my fellow book nerds! It's going to be awesome. 
Of course, I will be attending and also selling my books. So, if you're in the Tampa Bay area and want to meet me (and some other authors) come say hi. I'm really excited for this event and hope to see many of you there!
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This past weekend, I worked my first comic convention. I met a lot of awesome people and had a lot of fun. Above all, I learned a lot. So, today I thought I would share with you what I learned in case there are other authors out there reading this and wanting to attempt to work a convention as well. Or, maybe you're just interested in what I learned. Either way, here are the 5 things I learned working my first convention. 

5. Get to know your neighbors
A lot of authors are introverts and that's okay. I'm one of them. I'm not really a fan of public speaking or talking to strangers. However, conventions are long. This particular convention was only 2 days, Saturday and Sunday, but some can go from Thursday through Sunday. That's a long time to work around other people and not get talking to them. You never know what you might learn from those around you. Maybe you'll end up next to a seasoned veteran and they can give you tips to better your chances at making a sale. Plus, it's a lot more fun to chit chat with your neighbors when the con gets slow, and it will. When they did a costume contest, almost everyone cleared out and left the vendors alone. It was the perfect time to sit back and have a fun conversation with your fellow con workers. 

4. Spend extra care on your booth/sales pitch
Like I mentioned above, a lot of authors are introverted. In order to sell books, you need to talk to people. You can't expect your book to sell itself, regardless of how good it might be. And I don't mean attack everyone who walks by and throw your speech at them. Not everyone is going to stop at your booth. But greet everyone who walks by. Say "Hi" or ask how they're doing. And when you do reel someone in, know what you're going to say to them. If you're selling multiple books in different genres, start by telling them what genres you write in and which one is their favorite. For example, I write mostly thriller, suspense, and horror. When someone responded that they loved thriller books, I would pick up Death Can Wait and hand it to them, explaining what the story is about. At the same time, it isn't just your sales pitch that's going to draw the crowd. You want them to notice you. Have a display that catches the eye, something different from the norm. I have the ammo crate I built and used it as the display case for my books. I received a few compliments on it saying the set up was original. If you can, go all out. Get a nice table cloth and a runner with your name on it. Get a large banner with original artwork behind you and plaster your name and website on it. You want people to see you from across the room. 

3. Bring someone with you
Now, I know I told you to talk to your neighbors but you can't always rely on them. Maybe they're getting a lot of traffic and you're not. Maybe they've stepped away for a few minutes to use the bathroom and get a bite to eat. Either way, you'll want someone to talk to. If the con gets slow, it's easy to get bored. And on top of that, it's nice to have someone there to help you. Maybe you want to run around the convention hall and check out the vendors. If you leave your booth, how will you make money? What if a potential customer stops by? Will they move on and not come back? Having someone there, who has read your books and can pitch it, is essential. Make sure it's someone you can trust to help you. If your partner lets you down, it's going to be hard to recover. Especially if sales aren't going the way you planned. Which brings me to my next point. 

2. Be prepared to fail
You might sell nothing the entire convention. You might sell out. There's no way to know for sure until after it's all over. But be prepared to fail and sell nothing. I won't lie, Sunday was brutal. The convention was quiet and there were hardly any patrons there. I didn't make a single sale on Sunday. The vendors around me didn't fare much better. The day was dead. And it was tough. It's too easy to give up and go home, upset that you wasted a whole day. Especially when you paid to be there. Trust me, I know because that's how I felt most of Sunday. It's heart wrenching. But you can't focus on that. You have to focus on what you learned from the experience. There's always something new to learn and things you could do better. And remember, selling might be important but so is networking. If you're not selling, hand out business cards or bookmarks or push your newsletter signup (which you should definitely have out on your table). You might not make a sale that day but someone may go home and buy your book on Nook or Kindle. And that's still a win. 

1. Wear comfortable shoes
This might be obvious but wear something comfortable. Especially the shoes. You should be spending most of the day on your feet. Trust me, it helps. People find you more approachable if you're on your feet and engaging. If you're sitting there, looking bored, people won't approach you. Most conventions centers have concrete floors. So there's not a lot of support there. Your feet and your back will hurt by the end of the day. So, think carefully about what you're going to wear. I do recommend wearing cosplay which either matches the convention theme or your writing theme. It will bring people in to your booth. For example, I decked myself out with Agents of Shield items since this was a Marvel themed convention. But make sure you'll be comfortable. It's going to be a long day. 

There were so many more things I learned than just these five but these are the ones most worth noting. Maybe if this blog post is well received, I'll write another one. And if you're an author who wants to sell at a convention and haven't, you should try. You won't know what will happen until you do. And if you have any questions or want any advice, feel free to reach out. I'm always happy to share whatever knowledge I have and help someone out!

I'm giving you a reason to Fear the End of Year. My upcoming horror novel is now available for pre-order and its release date is 12-31-2018. That's right, New Year's Eve. You can bring in the new year right, with a good book. And there's a special promotion going on as well. The pre-order price is only .99. If pre-ordering isn't your thing, then pick it up the first week of January, the 1st thru the 7th, and you'll only pay $1.99! After that, the regular price will be $2.99. How can you pass up those deals? Pre-order now while you still can! 

If you need help remembering what this book is about, check out the description below:
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 For Sasha, leaving her abusive husband was almost as hard as living with him. He drinks, beats, and apologizes every day. She was stuck in an endless loop of abuse and regret. Some days she thought about giving up and ending her own life. Though, she couldn’t leave her daughter with that monster.

One day, she left and took her daughter Tara to a small town in Maine called Carlisle. The locals seemed cherry, friendly, and helpful. A typical New England small town. The fresh air and change of environment would be exactly what she and her daughter would need to start a new life. That is until a murderer begins claiming lives and the town becomes suspicious of Sasha. Consumed with fear, the town takes matters into their own hands and Sasha finds herself in a struggle for her life and the life of her daughter. Welcome to Carlisle, Maine. Our Lands Whisper with the Echoes of the Past. 

Back in 2015 I decided to self publish my very first book. It was a thriller novel based on a character I had written short stories of throughout high school. It was titled To the Wolves. Less than two years later I've written a sequel, a stand alone novel, and I have a horror novella coming out this October. I had no idea I would have 4 books published in less than 2 short years. 
But even more surprising is the fan base that has been growing. My followers on my social media pages have been increasing and people I've never met before on Instagram and Twitter were buying my books! I couldn't be more thrilled about this. Then, another milestone came. 100 likes on Facebook! It might not seem like that exciting of an ordeal but it's truly amazing. 
Of course, I can only thank all of you for getting me to where I am now. Without the support of my friends, family, and fans I would not be able to continue doing what I'm doing. Everyone who has been there for me, everyone who has read my books, everyone who has given their feedback or volunteered their time to help me- you are incredible people and you're amazing. 
So, to celebrate the 100 likes on Facebook, I've decided to give away free ebook copies of my latest book Sins of the Mother to anyone who shares this blog post (or the previous post on my Facebook) to Facebook. This page is at 100 but let's see if we can't reach 200 in half of the time! I will also be posting a previously unpublished short story to my Facebook page later this week, so be on the lookout for that! 
​Thanks again, everyone! I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you and I look forward to many more years of entertaining you all! 

We're on the final countdown everyone! This Friday my new novel, Sins of the Mother, comes out. This is the second Ethan McCormick novel and I know a lot of you have been asking for this since the first one came out. I'm really excited to share this one with you. I think you're going to love it. 
I've also decided to extend out the preorder price through the weekend. Now, you can get it for only $.99 through July 9th without having to preorder. Isn't that exciting? 
I sincerely hope you enjoy this book. It's been a lot of fun writing it and I can't wait to bring you more Ethan McCormick adventures. There's a lot planned for him in the future but I also have a lot of other projects I will be working on soon. Can't wait to give you more on that soon! 

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I am extremely excited for this event. Can hardly wait until the 28th! Of course, I must thank my graphic artist once again for taking time out of his life to put this together for me. He has come through so many times. I can't thank him enough!  

Help me everyone-Kenobi you're my only hope! But seriously, I could use your help! Things are starting to pick up a little speed, which is very exciting, but it also means that I have less time to get things situated. I currently have a few events I will be attending and a few in the works. 
So, I'll cut right to it here. I have just been invited to another bookstore to sign copies of my book. This time I will be the only author there instead of in a group. This event will be on January 28th. I don't have much time to prepare for this one. 
That's where you come in! I want to spread the word to as many people as I can. To do that, I was hoping to call on you. Please share this post with anyone you know that loves to read and meet authors. Head over to my Facebook page and share the event with your friends and family. Any little bit helps. 
The book signing will be at New Journeys Books and More in Seffner, Florida. I hope to see many of you there! I must say, I'm really enjoying these author events. I get to meet great people and it's always such fun finding others who love books as much as I do. I'll put the details below and a link to my Facebook page in case you are so inclined to head over. Thanks for reading. You all are great!


Local Author, Evan Bond, book signing
Local author Evan Bond will be signing copies of his books 

New Journeys Books and More 
11911 East Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
Seffner, FL 33584

Saturday, January 28th, 2017
1:00pm - 3:00pm


Facebook.com/EvanBondAuthor  

This past weekend I attended my first book signing as a featured author. I thought it would be interesting to tell you how it went and what I might do better next time. Also, if you have experience with book signings, feel free to give me advice in the comments below! 
I arrived at Book Swap of Carrollwood just after eleven in the morning. The event started at noon. I wanted to make sure I had enough time to set up and get ready. My books were neatly packed in a box and I had all my business cards and bookmarks in a neat gathering in my bag. Leaving the box and bag under the table, I set up for the event. The other authors there had posters with their names and books on it. I would have done this as well, but I did not have the time before this event. 
Before too long, I had my books set up on the table in a pile in front of me. Only about six at a time, though. I had read advice to keep the number of books on the table to a minimum.
Finally, it was noon and everything was ready to go, save for one author who would not arrive until one. The first hour was a little slow, not many people showed up. The lady running the event frequently came out to talk to us and was very nice. She posted several pictures to the store's social media pages and shared them with all of us. 
Shortly after one, a few people started to trickle in. One lady in particular stopped by and asked all of us about our books, one at a time. She grabbed several, including mine, and purchased the paperbacks. When she came out of the store, I was able to do my first book signing in an official manner. It was pretty fun, I must say. It's the first time a stranger has asked me to sign anything. 
The rest of the day was rather slow. A few people showed up occassionally and browsed the books but most left empty handed. It was too bad for all of us authors that it was as slow as it was, but that's the nature of these events. Sometimes, the traffic just isn't there. 
All in all, it was a great experience and I'm glad I did it. I will be doing another in January and hopefully the event is larger. I learned a lot of what to do next time and what to bring.
Another unfortunate thing, I was unable to get copies of my first book, To the Wolves, in time for the event. I had business cards with coupon codes on the back for the paperback but due to the slow event, only ended up giving one out. That being said, I do have quite a few of those business cards left. If you would like one, or rather a picture of one so you can use the promo code, leave a comment below and I will send that to you! It's good for 15% off the paperback.
So that was my first book signing. It wasn't as "exciting" or busy as I would have liked but it was a fun experience either way. I learned a lot and I was able to network with other authors, a few readers, and a really cool bookstore. I will be keeping my eye on that place and jumping on any other opportunities they might have. Let me know in the comments below if you have any advice for my next event. I look forward to hearing from you. As always, thanks for reading!  

        If you hadn't heard, my wife is pregnant! Ever since we found out, I've been dying to know the gender. It felt like forever went by before it was time to finally tell. I waited as patiently as I could, which wasn't very well. 
Finally, we found out the gender yesterday and we immediately went out to build a bear and created something I know my baby will love! As far as the gender reveal, I won't be able to tell you just yet. We will be telling our families this Sunday, so I'll post something on social media about it then. I'm very excited to meet my newborn baby in May! 
I'd love to know what your guesses are. Let me know in the comments if you think it's a boy or a girl! I can't wait to share with you the bear we built!