NEWS -

All You Need To Know About Limited Charlie

Posted: December 7, 2016, 20:52
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Here is the latest info about the limited UK edition of Charlie the Choo Choo straight from Waterstones Customer Support:

- The official line is that this is a “scripted signature”.
- In the US, the actress was presented as Beryl and signed the prints using “Beryl’s signature”.
- The same signature appears on the prints, but it was a third person who held the pen.
- To be clear, Stephen King did not sign them.

From before we know the following:
- Release date is December 15
- It’s released in 1,000 copies
- Price is £20.00
- It has a slipcase

Mr Mercedes To Film In Charleston

Posted: December 7, 2016, 10:49
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Mr Mercedes is going to be filmed in Charleston.

Stephen King's 2014 novel "Mr Mercedes," a police thriller and the first of the best-selling author's Bill Hodges Trilogy, will be made into a 10-episode TV series to be shot in Charleston starting early next year.

The book was adapted by showrunner David E. Kelley and produced by Sonar Entertainment, according to the Hollywood Reporter. It will star Brendan Gleeson (HBO's "Into the Storm") and premier in 2018 on DirecTV and AT7T Uverse. Executive producers are Kelley and Jack Bender.

The production team currently is looking for background extras and stand-ins. For information, go to their site.


Thanks to Dimitris Tso

What’s Happening At Lilja’s Library?

Posted: December 7, 2016, 09:12
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Here is a reminder of what’s happening here at Lilja’s Library.

Christmas is soon upon us and if you haven’t gotten all your gift shopping done here is a great chance to give someone a copy of Charlie the Choo Choo. Enter here

I have been nagging you about sending in a photo of you and something connected to Lilja’s Library so that we can all see all the fans of this site and of Stephen King’s work look like. Well, some of you have and some of you haven’t. But don’t fear, the contest is still open and you can still enter. The prize is a copy of my upcoming book Shining in the Dark: Celebrating Twenty Years of Lilja’s Library so make sure you get creative. Enter here

I’ll be starting a new photo page for Charlie the Choo Choo (like this) so get your camera or phone out and start getting those selfies.

So, click those links, enter those contests and take those photos! / Lilja

You & Lilja's Library

Posted: December 7, 2016, 09:03
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As you know (and if you didn’t you do now) Lilja’s Library celebrates 20 years this year and I want to celebrate that as much as I can. And you also know that the site wouldn’t be worth anything if no one read it. So, in order to celebrate that I want to involve you.

I want to do something similar to the photos you send in with yourself and one of King’s books but this time I want you to send in a photo of yourself and Lilja’s Library. Lilja’s Library you might ask? Yes, take a photo of yourself and Lilja’s Library in some form. It could be you in front of the computer (where you can see Lilja’s Library), it could be a photo of you and my book, it could be a photo of you and your tattoo of Marv (if anyone has one), or any other form of Lilja’s Library. Draw Marv and pose with him, read the site on your phone and take a photo of you doing it…your imagination is the limit. The rule is that Lilja’s Library and you need to be in the photo (and not just a toe or a finger, your face at least). That’s it. Not to hard right?

And to make it even more fun, one of you that send in a photo will get a prize. I will draw the photo I like the best (what I like is for me to know and you to find out) as the winner. If you have already sent a photo and think: "darn I should have been more creative", then just send another one. The prize is a copy of my upcoming anthology Shining in the Dark: Celebrating Twenty Years of Lilja’s Library that's released next year.


OK, so start sending in your photos, either by email to info[a]liljas-library.com or post them on facebook or twitter. I will then pull them from there and post them on the site.

Check out the entries here.

I hope to SEE you soon! / Lilja

The Making of the Dark Tower: The Art of the Film

Posted: December 7, 2016, 08:44
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This book looks more and more interesting if you ask me...

The Making of the Dark Tower
The Art of the Film
By Daniel Wallace

This deluxe, illustrated official companion to the Dark Tower movie—based on Stephen King’s bestselling seven volume series—explores the art and creation of this extraordinary film, starring Idris Elba as The Gunslinger and Matthew McConaughey as his nemesis, The Man in Black.

A gorgeous celebration of the art and creation of the Dark Tower movie, The Making of the Dark Tower includes interviews with actors and the director, the costume designer, and the set designer. From revealing how casting found the stars and the photography team scouted key locations, thoughts on where the Dark Tower can go from here, the book is organized into five parts.

Part I: The Path to the Tower discusses the origins of the saga and its thematic and cultural influences. Part II: The Gunslinger and the Man in Black profiles the two characters as two opposing forces. Part III: Mid-World is a journey through the bizarre wasteland of interdimensional detritus that is Mid-World. Part IV: Keystone World might be our Earth, but the Keystone World of the Dark Tower universe is also rocked by quakes and stretched thin by interdimensional stress. Part V: The Dark Tower is the wrap-up section collecting insights from the film’s major players, sharing their favorite memories and looking back on the journey that led them to this point.

Over three decades ago Stephen King introduced readers to Roland Deschain, the last Gunslinger. In 2003 King wrote the last of seven novels in the Dark Tower series. Now fans of the book and of the movie will welcome this big, beautiful, full-color book that they’ll need for their collections.

Ep. 66: Shining In The Dark Music Room

Posted: December 5, 2016, 09:23
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Welcome to the Stephen King Podcast Constant and New Listeners!

Join your hosts - longtime Constant Readers - Hans Lilja of Lilja's Library and writer/podcaster - Lou W. Sytsma.

Welcome to Episode 66 of The Stephen King Podcast!

In this installment, we review Stephen King's latest short story, part of the upcoming Anthology - The Music Room and the new book Hearts in Suspension.

Plus Hans is interviewed by me about his upcoming 20th Anniversary Anthology, titled - Shine In The Dark.

It's an awesome collection with rare pieces of fiction not easily available or brand new works done especially for this collection.

Contributors include:
"Celebrating 20 Years of Lilja's Library (An Introduction)" by Hans-Åke Lilja
"The Blue Air Compressor" by Stephen King
"The Net" by Jack Ketchum and P. D. Cacek
"The Novel of the Holocaust" by Stewart O'Nan
"Aeliana" by Bev Vincent
"Pidgin and Theresa" by Clive Barker
"An End To All Things " by Brian Keene
"Cemetery Dance" by Richard Chizmar
"Drawn to the Flame" by Kevin Quigley
"The Companion" by Ramsey Campbell
"A Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
"A Mother's Love" by Brian James Freeman
"The Keeper's Companion" by John Ajvide Lindqvist
"Celebrating 20 Years of Lilja's Library (An Afterword)" by Hans-Åke Lilja

Covers illustrated by Vincent Chong & Interior Illustrations by Erin Wells.

Available for pre-order at Cemetery Dance - here

All that plus the latest Stephen King News!

We hope you enjoy this episode and, as usual, we want to hear from you.

Good or bad, we want it all!

You can leave us comments, questions, topic suggestions at:
1) FaceBook - Lilja's Library
2) Audio Message - Speak Pipe widget on the right hand of the podcast page (send voicemail)

In this podcast:
1) 00:00 - Intro
2) 00:30 - Podcast Setup
3) 01:08 - News From The DeathRoom
4) 28:55 - Reviews From The NightShift - Hearts In Suspension
5) 38:04 - Reviews From The NightShift - The Music Room
6) 44:00 - King Crate - Han's Upcoming Anthology - Shine In The Dark
7) 1:06:26 - Podcast Signoff
8) 1:08:07 - Outro


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Outro Music - Stand By Me - Ben E. King
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Limited Signed Charlie the Choo Choo

Posted: December 3, 2016, 08:41
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A beautiful limited edition slipcase of Charlie the Choo-Choo will publish on 15th December 2016 and includes a numbered and signed print by Beryl Evans. Copies will be available to buy from Waterstones. A hardback picture book edition will follow in the wider trade in July 2017 to tie in with the release of The Dark Tower film starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey.

No further info has been released about how many copies will be released or if it will be signed by King (signing as Beryl Evans) or by the actress who signed the book at Comic Con.

Order your copy (price £20) here.

Do A Shine Test In Sombra App

Posted: December 3, 2016, 02:40
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The Sombra app got an update today and if you go to the employees section (and login) you can now take a "Shine test".


How td you login then you might ask? Well, I got this receipt when I got my copy of Charlie the Choo Choo at The Manhattan Restaurant of the Mind.

Gerald's Game On Netflix Early 2017?

Posted: December 2, 2016, 22:21
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Looks like Gerald's Game Might be released early 2017.

Netflix will probably release “Gerald’s Game” in the spring. Mr. Flanagan said the service may want to give it some festival exposure before offering it to subscribers.

Read more here.

Thanks to Dimitris Tso

Pennywise The Puppet Version

Posted: November 30, 2016, 17:10
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These photos are of a puppet version of Pennywise that Bart Mixon used for stop-motion segments in the IT miniseries. Mixon posted them on his facebook site with this comment:

“A stop motion version of Pennywise was needed for a hand full of effects shots created by Gene Warren at Fantasy II.
The puppet was sculpted by Dan Platt with a regular face, but the day I was molding it the production decided to use the acid burn make-up, so I had to create a mini-facial prosthetic for the puppet to change it’s features. I painted the puppet and Jack Bricker did his hair.”





Thanks to Lou Sytsma

King Read Two Excerpts From Sleeping Beauties

Posted: November 23, 2016, 10:07
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King read from his and Owen’s upcoming book Sleeping Beauties on November 16. Here is a recap of the event.

Stephen King gave a Princeton audience a preview of his newest work, which will be published in 2017.

The legendary author shared two excerpts from “Sleeping Beauties,” which Mr. King wrote with his son, Owen King, an author in his own right, having published such acclaimed books as “We’re All in This Together: A Novella and Stories,” and “Double Feature: A Novel.”

During his reading — which was part of the Althea Ward Clark Reading Series, presented by Princeton University’s Program in Creative in Writing — at McCarter Theatre on Nov. 16, Stephen King read the excerpts from an iPad. He explained that he and his son started working on the book two years ago after Owen came to him with an idea — a story about what would happen if all the women in the world fell asleep.

Mr. King, whose bibliography of bestsellers includes “Carrie,” “The Shining,” “Misery,” “Under the Dome,” and “11/22/63,” said the idea brought two memories to mind. His mother-in-law once told him that if you go into someone’s house and there isn’t a ring in the toilet bowl, it means a woman lives in the home. The other thought was his mother saying that no man knows how to property fold a shirt (men who served in the military may disagree).

Wearing jeans, a collared shirt, and sneakers, Mr. King was introduced by Joyce Carol Oates. Mr. King talked about the story, and a bit about writing. “One of the reasons writers write is to figure out what they think by codifying it into words,” he said. He also joked about pushing the wrong button on his iPad and losing the excerpts, “What will you do then Smartass?” he said to himself. He added that while the iPad is amazing, he preferred reading printed pages. “These are just boops and bleeps,” he said of the words on the screen. It was an interesting remark from a writer who was among the first major authors to publish an original story as an e-book, and who has published a few things exclusively for Amazon’s Kindle.

The stage was decorated with the set for a production of the musical “Once,” presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts. Standing before some wooden tables, a bar and under dozens of hanging chandeliers, Mr. King read two excerpts from the book, one from a man’s point of view, and one from the point of a view from a female character, who is existing in another dimension.

Source: Central Jersey

Thanks to Pablo

Give Someone Charlie the Choo Choo For Christmas

Posted: November 23, 2016, 06:04
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Interested in giving someone a free copy of Charlie the Choo Choo for Christmas? Well, all you need to do is head over to Lilja’s Library’s Facebook page and like one of my posts there and in a comment to the same post, tag the person you want to give the book. The person who gets tagged needs to live in the US to qualify, the person who tags can live anywhere though.

You have to do it before December 10 and you also need to follow Lilja’s Library on Facebook so that I can contact you if you are one of the lucky once that gets to give away a copy of Charlie the Choo Choo for Christmas. You can tag as many people as many times as you like between now and December 10.

On December 11 I will select three lucky winners, contact you who have tagged them for their address and then send them a copy of Charlie the Choo Choo in time for Christmas. Sounds good? Well, what are you waiting for, go tag someone you like!

Click for a larger image

Interview With Dark Tower's Katheryn Winnick

Posted: November 18, 2016, 05:12
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Here is a short interview with Katheryn Winnick who star in the upcoming Dark Tower movie. Winnick’s character hasn’t been revealed yet but during the conference call she came close to accidentally letting it slip.

“I play a character that’s in the novels as well,” offered Winnick. “I assume I’m not allowed to talk about who I play. (Laughing) I was this/close about giving it away! That was almost a massive slip-up. But I will say this, I have some great scenes with Matthew McConaughey who I love working with. I worked with him years and years ago on Failure to Launch – one of my very first movies. So, it was nice to reunite with him. He plays a very interesting character.”

Thanks to Lou Sytsma

New Short Story From King

Posted: November 18, 2016, 00:09
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Here is a new short story from King. It's called The Music Room and will be included in the book Sunlight or In Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper that's published later this year. And yes, it's a Playboy url but it's not that kind of story... :-)


Thanks to Lou Sytsma

King Reading From Sleeping Beauties

Posted: November 17, 2016, 15:47
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The Daily Princetonian reported that King read from the upcoming Sleeping Beauties yesterday.

Renowned suspense novelist Stephen King and award-winning poet Eileen Myles gave a joint reading at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 16, as part of the Althea Ward Clark W’21 Reading Series 2016-2017. The writers were introduced by professor of creative writing Emeritus Joyce Carol Oates and professor of creative writing Susan Wheeler, respectively.

“We invited both of these writers because they do something in their genres that no one else does,” Michael Dickman, a lecturer in the Creative Writing department, said. “They read on the same day by happenstance in their schedules, but it was a great combination.”

Myles read a selection of her older works as well as an excerpt from her current project “Afterglow.” King followed with two excerpts from his upcoming novel Sleeping Beauties, which he co-wrote with his son Owen King.

If anyone attended, please let me know how it was and what the two Sleeping Beauties excerpts was all about.

More info here.

Ep 65: On The Pet Sematary Path

Posted: November 15, 2016, 17:03
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Welcome to the Stephen King Podcast Constant and New Listeners!

Join your hosts - longtime Constant Readers - Hans Lilja of Lilja's Library and writer/podcaster - Lou W. Sytsma.

Welcome to Episode 65 of The Stephen King Podcast!

In this installment, we interview John Campopiano who along with his partner Justin White spent 5 years digging up a cemetery full of goodies about the Stephen King movie Pet Sematary. Those findings have been put together in a documentary titled: Unearthed and Untold: The Path to Pet Sematary.



All that plus the latest Stephen King News!
We hope you enjoy this episode and, as usual, we want to hear from you.
Good or bad, we want it all!

You can leave us comments, questions, topic suggestions at:

1) FaceBook - Lilja's Library
2) Audio Message - Speak Pipe widget on the right hand of the podcast page (send voicemail)

In this podcast:
1) 00:00 - Intro
2) 00:30 - Podcast Setup
3) 01:27 - News From The DeathRoom
4) 17:42 - Interview- John Campopiano - Pet Sematary Documentary
5) 57:41 - Podcast Signoff
6) 58:34 - Outro



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Intro Music - Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

Outro Music - Stand By Me - Ben E. King
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iTunes - The Stephen King Podcast.
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RSS Feed - RSS.
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Direct Download Link - The Stephen King Podcast - Episode 65
(Click to play, right click and Chose 'Save Link As' to save the file)
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You can find the podcast on the Internet at the following locations:
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Subscribe on Android Listen to Stitcher Listen to Google Play Listen to iHeartRadio
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Support The Show - Thank You!

Listen To The Shining Opera

Posted: November 8, 2016, 15:31
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This past May, the Minnesota Opera presented the world premiere of The Shining. The opera was an immediate sensation, selling out completely and earning critical raves. In cooperation with the Minnesota Opera, Classical Minnesota Public Radio is now pleased to present the complete streaming audio of The Shining, as performed live during that premiere run. This exclusive listening opportunity will be available for a limited time only: through Nov. 30.


Head over to their site to listen.

Thanks to Lou Sytsma

Hearts in Suspension Out Now!

Posted: November 8, 2016, 09:07
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So, King’s latest book was released yesterday (my review is on its way) and this time it’s a special book. Hearts in Suspension is an Essay Collection released by University of Maine. Here is all the info you need about it.

This publication marks the 50th anniversary of Stephen King’s entrance into the University of Maine at Orono in the fall of 1966. The accelerating war in Vietnam and great social upheaval at home exerted a profound impact on students of the period and deeply influenced King’s development as a writer and as a man.

King’s fictional treatment of this experience in his novella “Hearts in Atlantis” (reprinted in this volume) tracks his youthful avatar, Peter Riley, through the awakenings and heartbreak of his turbulent first year at UMaine. In his accompanying essay, “Five to One, One in Five,” written expressly for this volume, King sheds his fictional persona and takes on the challenge of a nonfiction return to his undergraduate experience. The stereoscopic combination of these narratives, told with King’s characteristic blend of canny insight and self-deprecating humor, create a revealing portrait of the artist as young man and a ground-level tableau of this highly charged time.

In addition, twelve fellow students and friends from King’s college days contribute personal narratives recalling their own experience of those years. These recollections—engaged, irreverent, and affecting—bring dimension and texture to the collective witnessing of a formative time in their lives and a defining moment in the country’s history.

This book also includes four installments of King’s never-before-reprinted student newspaper column, “King’s Garbage Truck.” These lively examples of King’s damn-the-torpedoes style, entertaining and shrewd in their youthful perceptions, more than hint at a talent about to take its place in the American literary landscape.

A gallery of period photographs and documents augments this volume.

You can order your copy here.

Ep. 64 - Feeding Fuel to Firestarter

Posted: November 6, 2016, 23:24
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Welcome to the Stephen King Podcast Constant and New Listeners!

NOTE - SPOILER ALERT!!! We discuss the leaked DT Trailer from 04:14 to 18:57 - so skip ahead if this is something you don't want to hear!!!!!!!!!!

Join your hosts - longtime Constant Readers - Hans Lilja of Lilja's Library and writer/podcaster - Lou W. Sytsma.

Welcome to Episode 64 of The Stephen King Podcast!

Apologies for the delay Constant Listeners. Technical problems and a clunky solution made putting the audio together an exercise in frustration. Apologies if the audio sounds a bit wonky but it is what it is. Enjoy!

This week we continue following in the footsteps of Stephen King Revisited and take a look at a work that is often over-looked when the top King novels are mentioned - Firestarter.

Firestarter (1980)

Historical Essay - by Bev Vincent
Richard’s Thoughts - by Richard Chizmar
Guest Essay by Ian Rogers

We talk about the book, the movie, and the TV sequel.

And that plus the latest Stephen King News!

We hope you enjoy this episode and, as usual, we want to hear from you.
Good or bad, we want it all!

You can leave us comments, questions, topic suggestions at:
1) FaceBook - Lilja's Library
2) Audio Message - Speak Pipe widget on the right hand of the podcast page (send voicemail)

In this podcast:
1) 00:00 - Intro
2) 00:30 - Podcast Setup
3) 01:25 - News From The DeathRoom
NOTE - SPOILER ALERT!!! We discuss the leaked DT Trailer from 04:14 to 18:57 - so skip ahead if this is something you don't want to hear!!!!!!!!!!
4) 41:07 - Review - Firestarter
5) 1:20:24 - Podcast Signoff
6) 1:21:34 - Outro



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Intro Music - Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

Outro Music - Stand By Me - Ben E. King
-------------------------------------------------------------------
iTunes - The Stephen King Podcast.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
RSS Feed - RSS.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Direct Download Link - The Stephen King Podcast - Episode 64
(Click to play, right click and Chose 'Save Link As' to save the file)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
You can find the podcast on the Internet at the following locations:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe on Android Listen to Stitcher Listen to Google Play Listen to iHeartRadio
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Support The Show - Thank You!

The Dark Tower Film Postponed

Posted: November 3, 2016, 16:41
_
Entertainment Weekly reported today that the filmversion of The Dark Tower, originally set to premier February 17 now has been pushed forward to Summer 2017.

Principal photography for the Nikolaj Arcel-directed film wrapped on schedule in late July, but the plan to have a completed film ready to screen six months later proved to be overly ambitious. Now, Sony Pictures and production company MRC have decided post-production can’t be finished in that timeframe and are about to inform theater owners of the change.

Sources close to the movie tell EW it’s a matter of needing deadline extensions on the visual effects, as well as more lead-up to promote the film.

Only four months from release, there’s still no trailer. And the film recently dropped out of EW’s PopFest a week before the fan gathering, with the studio indicating the footage set to be previewed wasn’t ready. Ever since, fans have been speculating that the movie might be wavering on its February target.

A new release date wasn’t available, the sources said, because a new weekend hasn’t been selected yet. A formal announcement is expected as soon as that’s settled.

Read the article here.

Special feature

King calendar

Out now!:
Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling (Greek edition)
2024:
Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling (Italian edition)
2025:
Stephen King: Not Just Horror (Spanish ed.)
2025:
Stephen King: Not Just Horror (German ed.)
February 21, 2025:
The Monkey (movie)
2025:
Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling (German edition)
2025:
Life of Chuck
May 27, 2025:
Never Flinch
2025:
Welcome To Derry (TV series)
2025:
The Long Walk (movie)
2025:
The Institute (TV series)
November 21, 2025:
The Running Man

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