Are you in Colorado? Make plans to visit Uncle Stevie on September 25th!

Uncle Stevie will be speaking in Boulder, Colorado on September 25th at 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Colorado Chautauqua Auditorium and is presented by Boulder Bookstore. Mr. King will be reading and taking questions from the audience. It will be $37.50 for the general public ($3 discount for Chautauqua Members) AND will also include a first edition copy of Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining, which will be randomly distributed at the end of the night.

How Can I Get Tickets?

• Mark your calendars as well for July 11th at 1 p.m. MST for when tickets will go on sale online here, for Chautauqua or Readers Guild members.
• A promo code for tickets will be distributed to Boulder Bookstore members in a special newsletter that will be blasted out on July 10th, so check your email.
• General public tickets go on-sale Friday, July 12th at 1 p.m. MST online at the Chautauqua Box Office website.
• You can also purchase in-person at the Box Office or by phone, following the same restrictions listed above.

Good luck! If you go, feel free to send me your pictures of the event (if they allow them?) and I will post them here, linking to you.

Want to Go Under the Dome? A Summer Readalong Begins May 25th.

It's been a while since we celebrated Uncle Stevie here at The Stephen King Project. The below post originally was published today, May 22, 2013 on my main blog at Coffee and a Book Chick. For full details and sign up, please visit my other site!

Thanks go out to...

• Ms. Jilly Bean, aka Fizzy Thoughts, for the fabulous idea earlier this year for an Under the Dome readalong. While I won't be able to send gifts out to everyone (I am not creative like that, have no idea what to do), I hope everyone enjoys the collaboration together.
• Thanks also go out to Trish at Love, Laughter, Insanity, Lesley at Prairie Horizons, and Lisa at Lit and Life for dealing with my last minute Twitter panic that I missed the readalong, and then thoughts on set up, all in the past twenty-four hours!

Although the mini-series will premiere in exactly one month on CBS, our summer readalong starts now and will extend past the mini-series premiere. I plan to DVR the show and watch it after the readalong has concluded. Reading and blogging has taken a backseat for many of us this year, but I can definitely attest even more so to it. I think the only thing that can bring me back into the thick of things is a combination of Stephen King and, most importantly, a summer readalong with all of you!

Notable Notes

• Published: 2009
• Number of Pages: 1,074 (my copy)
• Genre: Sci-fi Horror (Keep in mind that The Stand was considered horror-ish, but only the first part as it set the stage was scary; the rest was more of an epic journey and battle than anything else.)
• New York Daily News reviewed Under the Dome and proclaimed Stephen King "returns to his glory days of The Stand."
• This is an Indie Next List choice from Indiebound.org.
• A CBS mini-series premieres June 24, 2013.

The blurb on the back of my book

My copy, all 1,074 pages

On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day, a small town is suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and rain down flaming wreckage. A gardener's hand is severed as the dome descends. Cars explode on impact. Families are separated and panic mounts. No one can fathom what the barrier is, where it came from, and when - or if - it will go away.

Now a few intrepid citizens, led by an Iraq vet turned short-order cook, face down a ruthless politician dead set on seizing the reins of power under the dome. But their main adversary is the dome itself. Because time isn't just running short. It's running out.

The CBS mini-series trailer

You Want Structure? You Got it!

• Timeline: May 25 through July 27
• How many posts? Who cares! It's informal. However, if you want a little structure, you can do a kick-off post now, then a middle-of-the-road post (halfway through the book) on June 24 (to celebrate the mini-series premiere even though we all probably won't watch it until we're done reading), and then a final sayonara post on July 27. Sound good?
• Twitter-chat? Use the hashtag #domealong
• Mini-series Twitter chat? After the readalong as we watch our DVR'd recordings of the show? Maybe?
• And do anything you want in-between! Throw a "Stephen King, you are freakishly awesome" party, or do a screamfest movie marathon, or write a gushing post on the fall release of Dr. Sleep, the sequel to The Shining. Or, you can just post your glee on the fact that you've been a horrible blogger and reader in 2013 and this readalong is going to bring. you. back. Back, baby! Oh, maybe that's just me...

So the buttons are available below and above. Choose whichever you prefer! Then, if you want to read the book and participate in the fun, enter your details below. If you want to link to a kick-off post, go for it!

Doing a kick-off post? Then feel free to give details on:

• Show us your copy! Audio or print?
• Have you read Uncle Stevie before?
• What are you familiar with about Under the Dome or Stephen King?
• What are you looking forward to?
• Or, just throw your hands up and screech, "HEY! I'M GOING TO READ THIS BEAST OF A BOOK NO MATTER WHAT!"

Whatever works!

Visit Coffee and a Book Chick for all sign-up details!

The Stephen King Project 2013, February Reviews

A few days behind, but for those who are enjoying the celebration of all things Stephen King, here's February's link up. Looking forward to reading your reviews!

The Stephen King Project 2013, January Reviews

Yes, let's keep The Project going for 2013! New buttons will be up soon. Keep an eye out...

The Stephen King Project 2012, December Reviews

The final month, my friends! More to come.

The Stephen King Project 2012, November Reviews

We are coming close to the end of the year for  celebrating all things Stephen King!

The Stephen King Project 2012, October Reviews

Ahhh, is it October already? What Stephen King books will you be reading this month? And don't forget that watching film adaptations of Uncle Stevie's work count as well...

"The Glass Floor." The very first short story published.

In 1967, Stephen King sold his first short story, "The Glass Floor" to a mystery magazine called, "Starting Mystery Stories" for $35. At the time, the magazine sold for fifty cents, but today? Today, over at Bloody Rare Books, a whopping $1,250 will get you a vintage and preserved copy. If you'd like to read this short six-page story, click here. It's got quite a Gothic feel to it, and I honestly had a sense that it was set in some small town in England. It is a short story for a magazine, so it doesn't have the verbose, rambling style King is known for, but it does set the stage quite dramatically for what more he has in store for his fans. Enjoy.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Stevie

There seems to be a severe lack of SK pics around the web, unfortunately, so I bring you this picture that has been posted previously! It's really a nice one. You know, with the Corgi and all.

Apparently, I've had my head under a rock and completely forgot that September 21st is Stephen King's birthday. How could I forget? Kathleen and I chatted about this via email a few months ago, and then somehow, who knows... it just slipped my mind. My apologies.

So in case you were wondering, Mr. King was born on September 21, 1947 in Portland, Maine. With more than 300 million copies of his books sold throughout the years since the early 1970s, it's clear that he's cemented his legacy in literary (yes, I did say literary) history. So please tip your hat, drink, or whatever you prefer, in his honor.

Which takes me to the Insatiable Booksluts' fantastic site, and while they are indie book reviewers, they have an extremely soft spot in their hearts for Uncle Stevie. Apparently, I was under yet another rock and missed announcements of Stephen King Week at their page, until Mandy at Adventures in Borkdom posted that she contributed with an article about the "Stephen King Universe," which is quite the valuable reference for fans to truly grasp that Stephen King is so much, much more than just one book, and that, in fact, each book may actually be one piece of a bigger story. Brilliant stuff! There are other posts this week relating to Stephen King's focus on battered and abused women, the stories that are adapted into bad, or amazing, films, and more. One of my favorite posts is the advice on how to speak with someone who responds condescendingly when you tell them you read Stephen King books. Good stuff, folks, with more to come this week!

I encourage you all to head on over to the Insatiable Booksluts' page for book reviews and more, and to throw your hat up and cheer to celebrate Stephen King Week!

Did you hear about Carrie, the...musical?

Well, I'm sure I could wax philosophic on this for hours, but here's the news: Carrie is a musical. I guess it's been a hit since 1988 when it first appeared on Broadway, not to mention there are some big names associated with the music and lyrics. So on September 25, 2012, Ghostlight Records will release the musical adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie and apparently, the songs are pretty cool. Click here to learn more. I think I need to see this one.

The Stephen King Project 2012, September Reviews

Apologies all around for the delay in putting up the September reviews link. It's been an interesting start to September, thus the delay. Here you go! Looking forward to your reviews. It is a special month as it is the master of stories' birthday this month - September 21st. So let's celebrate with your reviews and thoughts on films and books by the legendary Stephen King!

A Readalong for IT? An #ITalong? Yep.

Okay, TSKP participants. We've got another fantastic readalong to tell you about. Creative bloggers Fizzy Thoughts and Annotated Reading (aka Reading Thru the Night) have come up with the fun guidelines on participating in a readalong for IT over the next two months, and just like The Stand readalong this summer, they've developed a Twitter hashtag you can use to chat with other readers of the scary clown book.

And yes, that picture above? That's the button to use and post on your blog for your announcement post, your midway post (September 16, 2012), and your final post (October 14, 2012).

• Click here to go to the sign-up post and review all the details.
• Tweet with the hashtag #ITalong

We are so excited for the #ITalong to start. So, as both Fizzy Thoughts and Annotated Reading have mentioned, "let's do IT."

The Stephen King Project 2012, August Reviews

We're right around the corner from the fall season and just the perfect time to read more Stephen King and get CREEPED OUT. So link up your August 2012 reviews here!

The Stephen King Project 2012, July Reviews

Right around the corner from Stephen King's birthday in September! Hope you all are having a fabulous summer and if you've been reading The Stand for the #standalong, how great is that book? I love it so far.

So here's the linky for your July reviews; we can't wait to read your reviews. Are you ready for the fall weather?

The Stephen King Project 2012, June Reviews

June. We're in June already. And it's time for your June reviews. Throughout the month of June, when you review a Stephen King book or film adaption of a Stephen King book, follow the crucial reminders below:

1. Write your review on your blog.
2. Include a little marketing for The Stephen King Project and add the link to this site and also one of the buttons (located in the left-hand margin) to your review post.
3. Add your June review blog's link to this post if you reviewed the King book in June 2012.
4. Enter with your blog name and in parentheses the name of the Stephen King title. For example, if you reviewed Stephen King's book Needful Things, your entry in the "Your Name" field should look like this: Your Blog Name (Needful Things).
5. You're now qualified to be entered into the monthly drawing for June 2012 to win a copy of a Stephen King book.

We are ready to read your reviews and celebrate the halfway point in 2012 of all things Stephen King!

Join The Standalong...for the Summer

Oh, yes, folks. Here's an excuse to join a readalong with other readers/bloggers, especially one for the Stephen King book that is lauded as one of his BEST, if not THE BEST. Right?

I just learned about a readalong that will be hosted this summer by Trish and I encourage everyone to join along! Click here for the details!

Three Months of Winners!

King with his Corgi

We owe you updates on 3 months of winners! (January 2012 was announced here.)

• February 2012 - only two participants who entered their links in the month of February so both are winners! Bermuda Onion will receive The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and Adventures in Borkdom will receive Needful Things.
• March 2012 - Caribou's Mom will receive THREE Stephen King books! Bag of Bones, Misery, and Everything's Eventual.
• April 2012 - Stories Geek will receive Stephen King's The Talisman.

Congratulations to the winners!
Don't forget ~ read more Stephen King ~

The Stephen King Project 2012, May Reviews

Ah, yes. Into the 5th month of 2012 and it's time for your May reviews. Post your links here.

This is the post for all May 2012 reviews. Enter the specific link to the post(s) reviewed in May.

Reminder:
Don't forget to include one of The Stephen King Project buttons (four options are located in the left sidebar) to your reviews post. Natalie and Kathleen are ready to read your May 2012 reviews!

Also, keep an eye out for a post in the next few days. We have three months of winners to announce!

The Stephen King Project 2012, April Reviews

This is the post for all April 2012 reviews. Enter the specific link to the post(s) reviewed in April. 

Reminder:

Don't forget to include one of The Stephen King Project buttons (four options are located in the left sidebar) to your reviews post. Natalie at Coffee and a Book Chick and Kathleen at Boarding in My Forties are ready to read your April 2012 reviews for The Stephen King Project!

Don't Forget to Post Your March Reviews...

Click here to catch up on your fellow participants' posts, and don't forget to add your Stephen King review for March 2012! Make sure you include one of The Stephen King Project buttons in your post.