Events and Appearances

Photos from the Road: Bad Faith Book Tour ’16

| Ted Wheeler

The summer photo dump spectacular continues! Here are a bunch of photos from the bookstore readings I was a party to this summer while out promoting Bad Faith, my debut collection of short fiction.

On to the photos in a second, but first, thanks to all the booksellers, book buyers, and bookstores along the way for your hospitality and hard work. And a special thanks to Dave Madden, Amina Gautier, and Tyrone Jaeger, my compatriots out on the road. This was such an amazing experience and I couldn’t have found any better people to share it with.

Dave reading at Boswell Book Co.
Boswell Book Co. in Milwaukee.
A dear old friend, Mr. Jake Hoppe Esq.
The marquee at Green Apple Books on the Park in San Francisco.
My turn to read at Indigo Bridge Books in Lincoln.
Group photo from our last night of leg 1, at Beaverdale Books in Des Moines.
Our introduction at the Book Cellar in Chicago.
Leg 2 begins at Green Apple Books on the Park in San Francisco.
Me, Amina, and Dave at Pegasus Books Downtown in Berkeley.
A great crowd at Beaverdale Books in Des Moines.
Stained glass beer ad inside Vesuvio’s, San Francisco.
Ty reading at Boswell Book Co.
“Yes, I actually do this for a living,” at Pegasus Books Downtown in Berkeley.
The flyer Pegasus made up for our reading in downtown Berkeley.
A life ambition fulfilled, reading at Prairie Lights in Iowa City.
On stage at the incredible Mother Foucault’s antiquarian bookshop in Portland.
The front window at Magers & Quinn in Minneapolis
Signing books at the Bookworm in Omaha.
Pegasus Books Downtown in Berkeley.

More Press for Bad Faith

| Ted Wheeler

owhIt’s nearly been a month since Bad Faith was released. I’ll have some photos from the book tour posted here before long, as it’s been an exciting month of travel to get out and talk to as many people as possible about my first book. After 17 out of 30 days spent on the road, in 12 different cities around the Midwest and both coasts for 11 readings and events, some family vacation mixed in along the way, it’s nice to be home in content exhaustion. I met and reconnected with so many great friends and booksellers along the way, the last month was a real privilege. More on this soon.

In the meantime, here’s a gaggle of links to press the book has received.

The Rumpus said that “Bad Faith builds a world that exists for its own purposes. The collection is interspersed with vignettes that lead like breadcrumbs from the opening piece to the last. The finale, also titled ‘Bad Faith,’ unfolds in a three-part structure, guiding us back around to the beginning and answering the question that has been on our mind since page 23. It ties the whole collection together and ends the book on a different—and more intriguing note—than it opened on. To say more would be to spoil the treat. Suffice it to say that if a novel is meant to end with a sense of opening out, then this collection leaves us eager for more of Wheeler’s dark, quiet world.”

The New Territory said that, “In Bad Faith, Theodore Wheeler’s debut collection of short stories, it is certainty that causes trouble. Ideas become boundaries, lines any reasonable person might draw for him or herself: beliefs in who they are or were, that what they’re doing is the best thing for them. Marriages, homes, children, careers. And yet here, at the borders of identity and place, is where Wheeler makes his incision.”

Fiction Advocate says that “Wheeler’s characters are hopeless but resolute, savvy and unremorseful. They face the world head on, acknowledging its ugliness and its dark side. Like Rodney, we readers remain alert to the presence of danger and death—the entire collection hints of it. Yet as the title suggests, this is a promise made in bad faith. Wheeler makes us think we know what will happen, and from what direction the danger will come, only to show us just how mistaken we are.”

Blue River literary journal interviewed me on their blog, posing 10 questions about the writing life after grad school and my path to publishing books. I’m not sure how insightful my responses are, but I did my best. Here’s a sample: “Like a sea turtle, those first few steps outside the shell can be treacherous, but I didn’t have to explain to anyone why I was still writing and that was tremendous. Not that there haven’t been a lot of bumps along the way. Having some success to point to never hurts, though.”

The Daily Iowan previewed my reading at Prairie Lights, saying that “Wheeler, who also works as a reporter covering civil law, takes a different approach to the concept of belief in his début, Bad Faith.”

The Omaha World-Herald featured a few quotes from me about local bookstore The Bookworm (along with the above photo) and earlier gave a preview of Bad Faith in its Bookends section with a nod to my forthcoming novel.

And Akademie Schloss Solitude very generously featured an excerpt from Bad Faith on it’s Schloss Post web portal.

Also, we’re doing a Goodreads Book Giveaway. Please stop by and enter if you’re on Goodreads.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Bad Faith by Theodore Wheeler

Bad Faith

by Theodore Wheeler

Giveaway ends August 31, 2016.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

 

Bad Faith Book Party is Tonight!

| Ted Wheeler

Pageturners ReadingThe big night is finally here, as the pre-release party for Bad Faith, my debut collection of short fiction, is tonight at Pageturners Lounge at 7pm.

I’ve had a lot of help putting together what will hopefully be a pretty fun night, in particular from my wife and co-conspirator Nicole, writing-group-friend Felicity White (who is hosting the evening) and Sam Slaughter, who took the time to create a signature cocktail based on Bad Faith that he calls “Rust Belt Regrets.” Even my daughters pitched in by putting on a practice book signing last night before bath time, the little sweeties, having me inscribe dozens of ARCs from an old shelf in the basement where I keep all the review copies I received back when I reviewed books regularly. I’m humbled by all the support and enthusiasm.

Find more information about the event here.

Some of the highlights include the Bookworm handling sales of the book, which you can pick up a full two weeks before it’s available to the general public; a reading and Q&A, followed by a book-signing; a themed trivia contest with prizes; donuts from Dugger’s Cafe; and you can order a “Rust Belt Regrets” from the bar. It will be a blast! I hope to see you there.

If you can’t make it, just a reminder that Bad Faith can currently be ordered from Queen’s Ferry Press at the discount rate of $14.95.

Wheeler Co-Judges 2nd Annual 1877 Society Writing Contest

| Ted Wheeler

5dd03-1426689743568Check out the below guidelines for the 2nd annual 1877 Society Writing Contest. I’m very happy to chair the 2016 awards committee along with fellow judges Liz Kay and Andrew Hilleman.

Last year my story “Violate the Leaves” (recently published in Boulevard and a part of my forthcoming-next-month collection Bad Faith) won the prize for best short story in the inaugural awards.

The contest is open to Omaha-area writers aged 49 and younger. The deadline is July 31. There are cash prizes and no entry fee. I’ll say that again: prizes, no fee. What’s not to love about that?

—

Prose, Poetry Sought for 2016 Writing Contest

The 1877 Society invites Omaha-area writers in their forties and younger to submit unpublished prose and poetry to the second annual 1877 Society Writing Contest. Personal essays and short stories under 5,000 words may be submitted in the prose category. One single-spaced poem of under three pages may be submitted in the poetry category. Entrants may submit one entry in both categories if they so choose.
Submissions are due using the following form by 11:59 p.m. CST on Sunday, July 31, 2016.
Winners will be announced during a ceremony at the (downtown) Omaha Lit Fest in October.
The winning poem and prose entry will each receive a $500 cash prize. A third, $250 prize will be awarded to the best work (either poetry or prose). The winning works will also be featured in Omaha Public Library’s digital collection. All winners will be selected by the awards committee.

The 2016 awards committee is:
Theodore Wheeler, author of the short story collection Bad Faith (July 2016) and the forthcoming novel Kings of Broken Things (August 2017).
Liz Kay, author of the novel Monsters: a Love Story (June 2016) and a founding editor of Spark Wheel Press and burntdistrict poetry journal.
Andrew Hilleman, author of the forthcoming novel World, Chase Me Down (January 2017).

For more information, contact Theodore Wheeler (tedwheeler@gmail.com) or call the Omaha Public Library Foundation (402-444-4589).

Bad Faith Book Party is this Month!

| Ted Wheeler

box o booksIf you’re in the area of Omaha, Nebraska on the evening of June 30 your presence is requested at Pageturners Lounge to help celebrate the release of Bad Faith, my debut collection of short fiction!

Here’s the Facebook event page. If you’re planning on coming and can RSVP that would help immensely with planning.

There will be a short reading, donuts, and ample celebration. Have a drink or two, buy a book, and get a personalized inscription. Omaha poet and writing-group-buddy Felicity White will emcee. Copies of Bad Faith will be available for purchase courtesy of The Bookworm, weeks before it is available for purchase in stores, by the way.

I hope to see you there!

–

Bad Faith Early Release Party
Thu June 30, 7pm
Pageturners Lounge (5004 Dodge St)

Bad Faith Cover Preview!

| Ted Wheeler

Bad Faith final pngCheck out the awesome wrap-around cover for my short story collection Bad Faith! The cover was designed by Brian Mihok with artwork by Michael Mihok. Brian does all the covers for Queen’s Ferry Press, and I’m really excited about what he’s done with Bad Faith. This definitely has the QFP feel to it while also representing the book pretty well too. Thanks to Brian and Michael, and to QFP Editor Erin McKnight for all her hard work in helping to get everything just so.

PS: I heard that the advance reader copies went out to book reviewers last week, so we’re getting there.

PPS: Check out my events page, as some book tour dates have been added. I’ll be out on the road reading with Tyrone Jaeger (So Many True Believers) and Dave Madden (If You Need Me I’ll Be Over There) in early July, with stops in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Iowa City, and Des Moines, in addition to Omaha and Lincoln. Thanks so much to QFP publicist Kelsey Hall for setting these up. I’m hoping to secure a few dates on the coasts soon too, so stay tuned.

Spring/Summer Schedule for PTL Literary Pub Quiz

| Ted Wheeler

51fzkloefyl-_sx327_bo1204203200_Some pub quiz news to share, as last week we finalized the schedule of guest hosts for the Pageturners Lounge Literary Pub Quiz through July. As a refresher, this is more or less a traditional trivia night–21 questions, teams competing for prizes, we meet at 8pm on the first Wednesday of every month–with the twist that we feature a literary guest to introduce to the community via a short interview and a special category of questions that the guest presents. Fellow Omaha writers Drew Justice and Ryan Borchers co-host the event with me. It’s been a lot of fun so far and the reception has been great.

Some of the categories so far include more usual topics like US Cities, Christmas Stories, and 20th Century Literature, and range to saucier topics like Buryin’ the Librarian, Hollywood Hunks, and Hotboxing with Baudelaire. See how much fun this is?

Having authors and editors come in to share a little about their work has been an interesting aspect to manage, particularly with the eclectic group of novelists, poets, editors, and librarians we’ve had in during the first five months. A lot of the time the whole idea of an author event can be kind of awkward in the sense that it’s typically an opportunity to sell the persona of the writer, and not necessarily their actual written work. That’s the cynical view anyway–and the pub quiz kind of cuts to the chase as far as this goes, hopefully generating some exposure for our authors and their projects. All the guests have seemed to enjoy themselves at least. And I’m really excited about who we will be welcoming the next few months. (JCC!)

Here’s a link to the Facebook page for our March 2 event, if you’re looking for more specific information. Otherwise, check out the extended schedule below.

PTL Pub Quiz Schedule (First Wednesday, 8pm, 5004 Dodge Street, Omaha, Neb.)imp-final

March 2: Britny Cordera, author of Wingmakers.
April 6: Blue River, literary journal run by the MFA students at Creighton University.
May 4: Jennine Capó Crucet, author of Make Your Home Among Strangers and How to Leave Hialeah.
June 1: David Philip Mullins, author of Greetings from Below.
July 6: Monsters of Short Fiction Tour, feat. Tyrone Jaeger (So Many True Believers), Dave Madden (If You Need Me I’ll Be Over There) and Theodore Wheeler (Bad Faith).