Author: Chelsea Apple

Picture this: You’re gathered around the campfire on a crisp October night, s’more in hand, the moon high overhead, when somebody asks: “Does anyone know any good ghost stories?” Chances are that you’ve heard a good ghost story or a creepy urban legend in your time. Perhaps you’ve even had a spectral encounter yourself, or know someone who claims this experience. Our Books Forward team loves a good spooky story (especially during Halloween), so let’s gather around the virtual campfire and trade our favorite supernatural stories, urban myths, and tales of terror! 

The Farmhouse 

“My dad has always sworn that he had a ghostly encounter when he was a kid. He told me that my great grandparents used to live in an old farmhouse up in the Tennessee countryside that was rumored to be haunted. One night when he was 10, he went to stay with them on his first overnight visit. The guest room was technically the master bedroom; a little weird, but he didn’t think anything of it. It was a hot July evening and they didn’t have any AC, so the windows were open, and it took him a long time to fall asleep. But in the middle of the night he woke up suddenly: the room was freezing, so cold he could see his breath, and he said there was a static feeling in the air. He thought he was dreaming. But there was a rocking chair in the corner, and as he watched it started rocking — just a little at first, but then faster and faster, until it was practically scooting on the floor. He started screaming and his grandma rushed in: as soon as she flipped on the light, the rocking chair stopped moving and the temperature rose. He said he still would have thought he had been dreaming — except there was condensation on the windows from the sudden temperature change. 

The next morning, his grandma calmly explained that she and her husband had experienced several unexplained phenomena in the house (things moving, temperature changes, etc). She even went as far to say that a local rumor about a murder-suicide of a couple who lived there in the 1930s was probably true, because there was a bullet hole in the kitchen wall. She assured him that, if there were ghosts in the house, they couldn’t hurt him. It was the first and only supernatural encounter my dad ever had, in that house or anywhere else. Nevertheless, he never stayed overnight again. 

My dad has stuck by this story throughout my entire life. He says he’s not even sure ghosts are ‘real’ or that he believes in them, but he nevertheless maintains he experienced something that can’t be explained.”

 — Chelsea Apple, Content Creator

The Sultan’s Mansion

“I live in New Orleans, one of the most haunted cities in America, so of course I have a ghost story or two to tell! There are nightly ghost tours throughout the French Quarter, and I happen to live near one of the famous stops, the Sultan’s Mansion. I’ve heard several versions of this story, but my favorite goes like this: 

A mysterious man who claimed to be the brother of a Turkish sultan moved into the multi-story house, and every night from then on were lavish parties with loud, exotic music, booze flowing freely and beautiful women dancing high up on the balconies. This went on for weeks, but then one rainy night, there was stark silence. A woman walking her dog saw blood spilling from the doorway into the street and called for the police to come immediately. The police arrived at a gory scene, dismembered bodies throughout the mansion and the sultan’s brother freshly buried in the courtyard. No one knows for sure why this massacre occurred, but they suspect the man who moved into the house had actually fled his home country after stealing his brother’s riches and harem, and the sultan got his revenge. 

Today? The Sultan’s Mansion is separated into apartments. I knew someone who lived there, and let’s just say the ghostly happenings inside that house creeped her out so much, she moved out a month later.”

 — Angelle Barbazon, Lead Publicist 

A Rocking Chair for Charlotte

“The middle school I went to in sixth grade had a girl’s locker room haunted by a girl named Linda Landy who died there years ago after a tragic accident. There was a plaque outside honoring her and everything. There were multiple instances where people felt as if they were being pushed while we got ready for PE. There was a heaviness about the locker room in general. 

I also had a friend who lived in the old post hospital that was renovated into a house. There was a mother named Charlotte and baby who died there and it was a genuine rule that whoever lived in the house had to provide a rocking chair for Charlotte. If you didn’t have one, they would supply one. His bedroom was the old morgue and he invited us over to see the house once. When we were there we went upstairs to where the rocking chair was and it started to move slowly. There was no window open and the AC was off and I still have no explanation.” 

 — Rachel Hutchings, Publicist 

Electric Rougarou

“As a native Louisianan, there’s one urban legend that instantly comes to mind: the Rougarou. Funny name but terrifying to think about. The werewolf-ish creature stalks the swamps and bayous of southeastern Louisiana, allegedly feasting on disobedient Catholics who don’t observe Lent. (I could breathe a sigh of relief growing up in Evangelical north Louisiana!) 

But I do know a lot of people whose parents scolded them as children, threatening them with, “If you don’t behave, the Rougarou is gonna get you!” But you could protect yourself from the monstrous dog creature by putting 13 pennies or rocks on your doorstep or windowsill for him to try and count (he’s REALLY bad at math, and this will distract him until he ultimately gives up and goes back to the swamp.)”

 — Jennifer Vance, Publicist 

Deja BOO!

“I’ve always had a lot of deja vu — when I was younger, I just assumed I was a witch, naturally, but someone told me a story about deja vu when I was a teenager that has always stuck with me and creeped me out. They said that deja vu happens when a spirit has appeared and needs to mist over our memory of what we’ve just seen because it was too much for us to handle. So now I shiver EVERY TIME I have deja vu — what did I just miss, and who has been messing with my mind?”

–Ellen Whitfield, Senior Publicist 

Bloody Mary

“I’m not saying I believed in Bloody Mary…but I didn’t not believe. The Bloody Mary legend I heard was sort of like a dare: you were meant to go into a bathroom, turn out the light, close the door, and chant her name while staring in the bathroom mirror. Supposedly she was meant to show up in the mirror and — well, I’m not sure what was meant to happen next, but I’m guessing it wasn’t good! I definitely would get freaked out when friends tried to summon her in the bathroom in grade school. I never did so myself. However, I did overcome my fear by dressing as Bloody Mary for Halloween with a New Orleans spin. I used a mirror and a fake Bloody Mary drink to make it look as if the drink was pouring over my head!”

 — Marissa DeCuir, President & Partner

Chelsea Apple

Chelsea is a copywriter, editor, publicist, and content creator at Books Forward, an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers. Interested in what’s possible for your book sales and building readership? Check out our services, tell us your goals, and get a customized publicity campaign tailored just for you.

October is the perfect time for a good ole ghost story or scary movie, but did you know that the “horror genre” is a relatively modern invention? While some staples of horror (such as witches, demons, bloodsuckers, spirits, and other malevolent entities) have haunted folklore, mythologies, and classic literature for centuries, “horror” as a marketable genre has really only come into its own in the past two centuries. So how did our most shudder-worthy literature come to exist–and why so recently? 

Ancient civilizations had a healthy fear of (and fixation on) witches and evil spirits. The Greeks had several stories featuring vampires called lamiæ or empusæ (which appeared as early as 450 B.C.E. in Aristophanes’ The Frogs). Biblical texts contain stories of demonic possession, and make several references to the dangers of “conjurers.” The Inquisition in 1235 ignited a publication frenzy of literature about witches (all reportedly “nonfiction”) which continued into the 16th century. Meanwhile, Dante’s Inferno (1307) fueled public imagination about the monstrous denizens of the afterlife. Witches and ghostly spectres also feature prominently in Shakespeare’s work, particularly Titus Andronicus (1594), Hamlet (1600), and Macbeth (1605). 

While many stories featured “horror” elements, the first notable work centered on supernatural occurrences was Horace Walpole’s Castle of Otranto (1764). The youngest son of prime minister Robert Walpole, Horace was fascinated by medieval history, and even built his own Gothic-revival castle, Strawberry Hill. In his novel, Walpole combined medieval beliefs about the supernatural with modern (for his era) literary realism in order to saturate his work with unpredictable dread–and the (rather bizarre and melodramatic) result is regarded as the first work of Gothic literature. 

The success of Walpole’s novel inspired similar books about ominous castles and diabolical nobility, such as Anne Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) and Matthew Gregory Lewis’s The Monk (1796). Gothic literature continued to feature high melodrama, romance, and a range of sinister threats, until a fateful literary experiment propelled the genre into new territory. 

That experiment occurred the night Mary Shelley, her future husband Percy Shelley, Dr. John Wiliam Polidori, his patient Lord Byron, and Mary’s stepsister Jane Claremont found themselves trapped by rain at the Shelleys’ summer villa, where Byron challenged the group to a spooky story-writing contest. Mary Shelley’s story would ultimately become Frankenstein (1818), credited as one of the first works of sci-fi / science-based horror. Dr. Polidori’s story, “The Vampyre” (1819), was the first popular work about vampirism published in England (made more popular by the view that the titular “vampyre” was a parody of Lord Byron), and the first work to introduce the idea of “the gentleman vampire.” Both novels were immediately successful. Boom–the market was evident, and other writers began racing to accommodate. 

Enter an author who needs no introduction: Edgar Allen Poe, whose stories of hauntings, murder, and revenge cemented key genre tropes that continue to thrive to this day. Beginning in 1833 with his first short story “MS. Found in a Bottle” (in which an otherworldly summons lures a man on a doomed seafaring adventure), Poe blended the best of the Gothic supernatural with the notion that dark, sinister impulses could lie within even the most mundane, “ordinary” individual. 

Meanwhile, the Industrial Revolution was underway — and crime, violence, murder were on the rise in cramped cities. Cheap works of mystery and gore called “Penny Dreadfuls” were becoming popular, mass-produced entertainment during the 1840s. Vampires and vengeful spirits were still prominent, but a new class of horror was growing: the rise of crime literature, centered on diabolical murderers who were not castle-dwelling nobles, but “normal” citizens who committed ghastly deeds, “hiding in plain sight” among fellow city-dwellers. Inspired by true crimes of the day, works such as Thomas Prest’s “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber” (1847), Robert Browning’s The Ring and the Book (1868), and Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1885) all dealt with the evil impulses that could lie at the heart of the “everyman” — and all were instant successes. 

While the popularity of the undead never died (inspired by writers before him, Bram Stoker’s Dracula would take the world by storm in 1897, and remains a staple to this day), the rise of technological innovation and emphasis on “future technology” at the turn of the century transformed horror again. In 1898, H.G. Wells published The War of the Worlds, ushering in a new brand of terror: cosmic, technologically advanced, alien (read: foreign) and futuristic. With the publication of his first short story “Dagon” in 1919, H.P. Lovecraft would continue to push the boundaries of cosmic horror until his death in 1937, creating worlds at once both ancient and mythological, and also incalculably advanced. 

During the 20th century, the Great Depression and both World Wars fueled a growing sense of social unease that there were devastating, unreasonable forces at work in the world, forces that would leave one helpless and bereft. Yet society was painfully reminded that human beings were at the heart of these modern catastrophes, expanding the idea that mankind itself was fundamentally destructive and corrupt. The world was no longer a safe, predictable, or trustworthy place–not on a micro scale (as during the citywide crime rise of the Industrial Revolution), nor on a macro, worldwide one. Change was rapid. Humankind flawed. The future uncertain. The stage was set for all imaginable terrors to come into play.

By the mid-to-late 20th century, the most popular modern horror tropes of today bursting into public imagination: the sci-fi/alien threat and the dystopian society can be attributed in no small part to Ray Bradbury (The Martian Chronicles in 1950 and Fahrenheit 451 in 1953)  the serial killer (Robert Bloch’s novel Psycho in 1959); the occult (Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby in 1967); the demonic (William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist in 1971); the paranormal (Stephen King’s first novel Carrie in 1973–and pretty much all of his novels thereafter); and the monster story (Peter Benchley’s Jaws in 1975). Even vampires would make a resurgence with Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire in 1976, albeit a much sexier and more sympathetic portrayal that persists today. 

Blockbuster films further cemented these stories in popular culture and inspired today’s horror storytellers. In fact, thanks to cinema we are widely touted to be in the midst of a “horror Renaissance” of smart, well-crafted, and absolutely terrifying media. While film and streaming services have created unprecedented competition for literature, great storytelling inspires great storytelling, regardless of medium. So look out for the next generation of incredible, iconic horror stories 

Chelsea Apple

Chelsea is a copywriter, editor, publicist, and content creator at Books Forward, an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers. Interested in what’s possible for your book sales and building readership? Check out our services, tell us your goals, and get a customized publicity campaign tailored just for you.

You know that wide-eyed, jaw-drop feeling you get when you hear a story that’s so outrageous, so out-of-the-park bonkers you think there’s no way it can be true? Followed by that alarming (yet bizarrely satisfying) feeling you get when you Google or fact check said outrageous story and discover it is, in fact, facts? That’s exactly the sensation we had when we dove into these bizarre nonfiction reads. These books had us shaking our heads, gasping for air, exclaiming out loud–and then left us super eager to share with everyone we know. Here are seven nonfiction books that are (almost) too crazy to be true: 

I’ll admit, anything in the healthcare/technology fields confuse me, so I was surprised when I got sucked in by Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou. For Elizabeth Holmes to finesse and fraud her way into a multibillion-dollar startup speaks to a lot of different privileges. If you’re hooked on true crime of the white collar variety, this one’s a must-read. (Jennifer Vance, Publicist)

Educated by Tara Westover is one of the craziest coming of age memoirs that I’ve ever read. The author was raised by a survivalist father, and her family went along with his whims — often endangering their own lives. Tara and her siblings didn’t receive a formal education, so she taught herself, and eventually went on to study at schools like Harvard and Cambridge. (Ellen Whitfield, Lead Publicist) 

Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson sounds like something straight out of the speculative fantasy and thriller books that I love. With a surprisingly gripping and engaging narrative, this historical nonfiction tells the story of two architects: Daniel H. Burnham, a young man tasked with designing the famous “White City” exhibition of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and H. H. Holmes, widely regarded as America’s first serial killer and the mastermind behind the infamous “Murder Hotel,” where he lured unspecting fairgoers to their deaths in ingeniously macabre ways. The story of these two men — Holmes in particular — is so shocking and incredible that it’s hard to believe this really happened! (Chelsea Apple, Content Creator).

I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O’Farrell is a memoir of sorts in short stories, but each of those stories explores a near-death experience from the author. Each account is a reflection on life and what it means to live in this world. O’Farrell’s alarmingly frequent encounters with multiple types of danger gives her writing a sense of wisdom and melancholy, but also seems to prepare her to be the perfect mother to a child with a life-threatening immune disorder. I read this book as a love letter to her daughter — “See? Look what I survived. And you will too.” (Ellen Whitfield, Lead Publicist) 

Dr. Mütter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz tells the story of a game-changing surgeon. Before he stepped on the scene, there was no bedside manner, there were no sterile operating rooms, and there was no anesthesia. The picture the author paints of the medical world in the early 1800s is cringeworthy and ghastly, and will make you thankful Mütter was around. (Ellen Whitfield, Lead Publicist) 

I was upset most of the time reading Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan because I wanted more than anything for the people in her life to believe and support her. Suffering from an extremely rare disease, it was fascinating seeing how she not only found her way to a correct diagnosis and recovery but also how she leaned on the people around her to help research and reconstruct the narrative of her own life. (Jennifer Vance, Publicist)

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore is about the girls who worked to paint the illuminated numbers on watch faces around the same time as the first world war. The only problem is that they were using radium, and they soon began to get sick. The way the workers and the people in charge reacted and covered up what was going on still echoes today. (Ellen Whitfield, Lead Publicist)

Chelsea Apple

Chelsea is a copywriter, editor, publicist, and content creator at Books Forward, an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers. Interested in what’s possible for your book sales and building readership? Check out our services, tell us your goals, and get a customized publicity campaign tailored just for you.

The “real life” TV and nonfiction books we can’t get enough of

Like many of you, our to-watch lists have gotten pretty long this year. Whether you’re addicted to Netflix docuseries or you can’t get enough of A-lister dramas on Hulu and HBO, there’s no way to deny it: we are in a golden age of quality TV. But how do we stay on top of our to-read lists while indulging our streaming habits?

Welcome to Books & Binge, a blog series where we talk about what we’re watching and reading. After all, who doesn’t love a great reading and TV recommendation? This week we’re talking about our favorite nonfiction, so whether you’re a true crime junkie, a food documentary enthusiast, or a self-improvement seeker, we’ve got a book and a show recommendation for you — read on!

Jennifer Vance, Publicist
I’m one of those true crime junkies, so I was very happy when the book club I’m a part of took my suggestion to read I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara. As a former journalist, I admired the way McNamara spent years investigating the Golden State Killer as an amateur detective, her dogged determination to find justice for his victims. The writing is simply beautiful, unlike typical true crime books, and is a must-read for anyone who considers themselves a fan of the genre.

Or, you can turn on the new HBO series of the same name! The six-episode docuseries is a short, but addicting, ride into one of the United States’ most infamous serial killers — and the woman who refused to forget about him or his victims.

Jackie Karneth, Publicist
Director Halina Dryschka’s documentary Beyond the Visible: Hilma af Klint wants you to forget everything you thought you knew about art history. Welcome to the dazzling world of forgotten artist Hilma af Klint, who began creating abstract art in 1906, before there was any terminology for the style – and before Wassily Kandinsky, who is universally credited as the first abstract painter, began creating his truly abstract works. “Beyond the Visible” reveals how patriarchal and capitalist influences have shaped art history, while at the same time honoring the life of a gifted painter and showcasing the greatest works of art you’ve never seen before.

For a great nonfiction read, I’d recommend Being Here is Everything: The Life of Paula Modersohn-Becker, by Marie Darrieussecq, translated by Penny Hueston. Darrieussecq’s small-but-mighty book imitates the life of its subject, the short-lived, yet prolific German expressionist painter, Paula Modersohn-Becker. A significant figure in modernism, Modersohn-Becker, when mentioned at all by scholars, is often drawn up as the friend of poet Rainer Maria Rilke. Yet, despite working alongside such names you already know — Picasso, Matisse — Modersohn-Becker remained, until now, an anonymous pioneer of early expressionism. Part feminist manifesto, part well-researched biography, Being Here is Everything is a luminous examination of the lone female artist.

Marissa Decuir, President
I just finished the period drama Pose, and it’s really sitting with me in a powerful way. An utterly fantastic visual display of New York’s underground ballroom culture — the clothes, the trophies, the VOGUING! — with a compelling cast which has inspired me like no other. It’s a true shame none of the women have been nominated for an Emmy.

I’m also diving into director and executive producer Janet Mock’s memoir Redefining Realness. “Femininity in general is seen as frivolous. People often say feminine people are doing “the most,” meaning that to don a dress, heels, lipstick and big hair is artifice, fake, and a distraction. But I knew even as a teenager that my femininity was more than just adornments, they were extensions of me, enabling me to express myself and my identity. My body, my clothes and my makeup are on purpose, just as I am on purpose.”

Ellen Whitfield, Senior Publicist
Years ago, I read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential and absolutely fell in love. The star writes about his experiences in restaurant kitchens and the debauchery that takes place behind the scenes. I don’t remember why I initially picked it up, but it sparked a love of food memoirs and documentaries.

One of the most recent food documentaries I’ve enjoyed is Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix. Phil Rosenthal, whose producing credits include Everybody Loves Raymond, travels around the world and explores different cuisines. I love it because he’s not some famous chef or expert critic — he’s just a guy who really loves food and has a lot of enthusiasm for it!

Angelle Barbarzon, Lead Publicist
The last documentary series I binged was Wild Wild Country on Netflix, and it’s, well … wild! This six-part series follows the beginnings of a cult created by an Indian guru that later expanded to the U.S., building their own city in Oregon and causing an uproar among all the people who originally lived in the area. Wild Wild Country dives deep into the community’s beliefs, the abuse of power within its leadership and the complicated dynamics that led to the group’s evolution and the people who held the reigns behind the scenes. This series is so intriguing!

My recommended read would be Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who’s Been There by Tara Schuster. This book came into my life at exactly the right moment, a time when I felt like I needed to refocus and make some positive changes. Reading Tara Schuster’s book was like having a conversation with a good friend. It’s brimming with thoughtful advice for self care that you can easily put into practice. If you feel like your life is a bit (or 100%) messy, pick up this book!

Brittany Kennell, Digital Marketing Strategist
The last nonfiction book I really enjoyed was A House In The Sky by Amanda Lindhout. While traveling at a young age — Amanda set out to explore, photograph and journal countries most of us will never travel in our lifetimes, not even in a group. Yet she set out to take on Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria *alone* (just to name a few) making friends along the way. On her fourth day in Somalia, Amanda and her friend Nigel are abducted and held for ransom by Islamist insurgents. I could not put this book down until I knew Amanda and her friend Nigel were home safe and free of being held captive. This book is survival, strength and bravery — Amanda’s story gave me a whole new perspective on life.

I’m a big fan of sports docuseries. I’m just finishing up The Last Dance, which is fantastic! I also loved watching Last Chance U and I think mainly because I love hearing different backgrounds and stories that fuel passion. I love rooting for the underdogs, and watching dreams come true.

What “true life” show do you want us to binge, and what nonfiction books do you recommend? Tell us Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and we’ll spotlight your suggestions in our next post!

Chelsea Apple

Chelsea is a copywriter, editor, publicist, and content creator at Books Forward, an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers. Interested in what’s possible for your book sales and building readership? Check out our services, tell us your goals, and get a customized publicity campaign tailored just for you.

Picture books transport us with their sweet illustrations and wholesome stories–that is, unless you stumble on the sub genre of picture books aimed at adults. The illustrations may be equally sweet, yet the stories are anything but. The result is an irreverent, ironic, and downright irresistible contrast that is perfect for unpretentious parents, novelty gifters, and readers with a sardonic sense of humor. So if you’re looking for something a little less saccharine and a little more sacreligious, buckle up for this list of hilarious picture books that are not meant for kids!

All My Friends Are Dead by Avery Monsen and Jory John
Sometimes things are going swell and life is full of friends, and sometimes all your friends are dead. From a sock whose only friend has gone missing to a tree whose friends have all become end tables (except that guy) here is a darkly funny and brilliantly simple take on life’s inevitable setbacks and peculiar friendships (or lack thereof).

Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach and Ricardo Cortes
Exhausted parents of the world, rejoice: this book is for you. This bestseller is pretty well-known (particularly thanks to Samuel L. Jackson’s infamous reading), and perfectly captures the not-so-zen side of bedtime. Anyone who has spent significant time putting kids to bed can relate to this cozily illustrated–and increasingly frustrated–journey of trying to lull little munchkins off to dreamland. It’s no Goodnight Moon, that’s for sure!

P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever by Raj Haldar, Chris Carpenter and Maria Beddia
There are books that teach kids how to read, and there are books that teach kids the truth about how nonsensical English spelling vs pronunciation can be. This one is the latter.

Someday a Bird Will Poop On You: A Life Lesson by Sue Salvi and Megan Kellie
Ok, so kids may enjoy this one, but adults will probably enjoy it a little more. This book tells that someday a bird will poop on all of us. But that’s okay. In a world of bad news, fake news, delays, disappointments, trash talk, and tweets, things are bound to get a little poopy. This modern parable about life hitting us with the unexpected says that “what matters is not how big the mess is, but how well you react to it.” Sounds like the perfect book for 2020.

Slothilda: Living the Sloth Life by Dante Fabiero
This is the book I wrote during lockdown. Just kidding–this is just an accurate representation of my life during lockdown. Here’s an adorably illustrated book for anyone who is feeling a little overwhelmed by their to-do lists, a little anxious about their habits, or a little procrastinator-y about their deadlines. I didn’t choose the sloth life. It chose me.

Chelsea Apple

Chelsea is a copywriter, editor, publicist, and content creator at Books Forward, an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers. Interested in what’s possible for your book sales and building readership? Check out our services, tell us your goals, and get a customized publicity campaign tailored just for you.