Page Chewing

We've reached the conclusion of Stephen King's Pet Sematary!After spending October reading the novel for the first time, I'm sharing my reactions to the ending, revisiting my predictions, and discussing why this might be one of the most emotionally devastating Stephen King books I've read.In this final installment of the Page Chewing read-along, we explore the consequences of Louis Creed's decisions, the terrifying events surrounding the burial ground, and the unanswered questions about the Wendigo and the supernatural forces influencing the characters.I'm also revisiting some of my predictions from earlier episodes. I got a few things right, but the ending certainly didn't unfold the way I expected.Beyond the plot, I'm discussing what makes Pet Sematary so effective: its exploration of grief, mortality, desperation, and the human desire to reverse the irreversible.Despite some lingering questions about the mythology, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. Its pacing, atmosphere, and emotional weight make it one of my more memorable Stephen King reading experiences.Thank you to everyone who joined me throughout October!Coming up on Halloween: My special conversation with Stephen King scholar Caroline Bicks, author of A Year in the Archives.WARNING: This episode contains full spoilers for Pet Sematary.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

What do crime novels get wrong about real police work?In this episode of Beyond the Page, Steve welcomes author and law enforcement professional R. L. Carpentier III to discuss his Overlook trilogy, beginning with Our Lady of the Overlook, and how nearly two decades working in law enforcement have influenced his approach to writing realistic police procedurals.Carpentier explains the details that immediately reveal when a crime writer hasn't experienced police work firsthand, from terminology and investigative procedures to the unrealistic responsibilities sometimes given to rookie officers.We explore how he creates believable characters, why small towns make compelling settings for murder mysteries, and how his experiences hiking in New York's Catskill Mountains helped inspire the fictional world of his novels.Carpentier also shares the unusual origin of Our Lady of the Overlook: an idea that struck during a quiet overnight police shift and eventually developed into a mystery involving an unidentified murder victim, a decades old cold case, and a rookie officer following in his father's footsteps.Beyond the books, we discuss the challenges of writing a first novel, discovering a plotting method that finally worked, choosing independent publishing over traditional publishing, and learning how to connect with readers through book events, newsletters, and direct sales.We also discuss the challenges of bringing a trilogy to a satisfying conclusion, his plans for future mysteries, unusual food combinations, and what his first job taught him about working with other people.Join us for a conversation about crime fiction, authentic storytelling, creative persistence, and the realities behind the badge.Learn more about R. L. Carpentier III:https://rlcarpentierwriter.comPage Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

A dark fantasy comic surprises both of us, Marvel makes changes to its digital comics strategy, and we finally have a week without trombones!This week on Panel Chewing, Steve and Jarrod discuss Marvel's partnership with Webtoon, the value of digital comic subscriptions, and whether services like Libby and Hoopla offer readers a better alternative.We review Fire and Ice: Dark Wolf #4, Shift #1, Hammerhead #1, Cruel Kingdom Vol. 2 #2, Ice Cream Man: Chocolate Vanilla Twist #1, The Omega Book #3, Regicide #3, and City of Demons #5.For our Pick of the Week, we both choose The Karman Blade #2, an unpredictable dark fantasy comic from the creators of Little Bird and Precious Metal.Finally, our Lone Wolf and Cub read-along continues with Volume 21: Fragrance of Death, as Ogami Itto faces new dangers and the conflict with Retsudo Yagyu intensifies.What was your Pick of the Week?Find more at Page Chewing.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

We're nearing the conclusion of Stephen King's Pet Sematary, and the atmosphere is becoming increasingly terrifying.In Chapters 55–57, the supernatural elements surrounding the burial ground become more prominent, raising new questions about the forces influencing Louis Creed and the other characters.This time, I'm discussing the Wendigo, the disturbing imagery surrounding the burial ground, and whether Louis is acting entirely out of grief or being influenced by something beyond his control.We also explore the novel's recurring themes of mortality, desperation, and humanity's desire to control things that may be beyond our understanding.As we approach the conclusion, I'm making some final predictions about what might happen to the characters and whether anyone can escape the consequences of what's already taken place.Join me for another installment of the Page Chewing Pet Sematary read-along as we continue tracking our observations, questions, and predictions.Next episode: The conclusion of Pet Sematary.Spoilers are limited to Chapters 1–57.Page Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe

s social media actually helping authors sell books, or is it taking valuable time away from writing?In this episode of Beyond the Page, Steve welcomes author, entrepreneur, and publishing professional Jodi Cowles, co-founder of Blue Hat Pub & Print and Well Told Studio, for a candid conversation about the challenges of writing, publishing, and finding readers in an increasingly crowded marketplace.With more than 25 years of writing experience across multiple genres, Jodi has witnessed enormous changes in the publishing industry. She shares how independent publishing has opened opportunities for writers while making book discovery and marketing more challenging than ever.We discuss the pressure authors face to constantly promote themselves on social media, whether email newsletters and direct relationships with readers offer better alternatives, and why even excellent books can struggle to find an audience.Jodi also shares her perspective on traditional versus independent publishing, creative control, misleading marketing promises, and the growing presence of AI-generated books.Beyond the business of publishing, we explore what makes a story meaningful, why some books stay with us for decades, and the satisfaction of creating something that genuinely changes how a reader thinks.We also discuss her experiences writing across genres, living abroad, the importance of gratitude during difficult experiences, and the lessons she learned from her first job.Join us for an honest conversation about storytelling, creativity, publishing, and what it really takes to build a sustainable writing career.Find Jodi: https://jodicowles.comPage Chewing BlogPage Chewing ForumSupport Page Chewing on PatreonAffiliate Links that support the show:Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKnsAudible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vaddKindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdDAmazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9Join Captivate.fmSend a message via SpeakPipe