THE JACKLIGHTER Launches Oct 27 With Eight Book Signings 🎃

Greetings, true crime fans. I’m updating this post with more book launch events—I hope to see you later this month if you’re in Philadelphia or Northeast PA. 🎉

And my update starts with some surprise book news: if you’d like a signed copy of The Jacklighter before its official publication on Oct. 27, 2026, join me at the new Barnes & Noble in Jenkintown, PA, for an Early Release Event! This special promo was the brainchild of branch manager Angelica Casner, who offered me this signing slot on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 1-3 p.m. She has already ordered stock 😱

I’ll also be signing books at the mammoth Author Nation 2026 Indie Author Conference, held Nov. 10-14 at the Horseshoe Las Vegas casino resort, right in the center of the Las Vegas Strip. I’m attending with my friend and fellow Sisters-in-Crime author A. Dianne Reade, who will be signing her books as well. Author signings start at 10 a.m. on Sat. Nov. 14 for VIPs, and will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for general admission.

Here’s the full line-up of my in-person events:

• • Saturday, Oct. 24, 1-3 PM — Barnes & Noble, 905 Old York Road, Jenkintown, PA 19046
  • Thursday, Oct. 29, 7-8:30 PM — The Bookshop on Main: Ambler Fright Night—a moderated 4-author panel | 5 N. Main Street, Ambler, PA 19002
  • Halloween | Saturday, Oct. 31, 12-3 PM — Barnes & Noble, 2443 Vestal Parkway E, Vestal, NY 13850
  • Sunday, Nov. 1, 5-7 PM — Thrillerdelphia, 4203 Main Street, Philadelphia (Manayunk), PA 19127
  • Wednesday, Nov. 4, 6:30-8 PM — Ambler Library: A Discussion with Librarian Anne Hall & Q-A | 209 Race Street, Ambler, PA 19002
  • Saturday, Nov. 14, 10 AM-4 PM — Author Nation 2026 Indie Author Conference, at the Horseshoe Las Vegas casino resort, 3645 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
  • Saturday, Nov. 28, 1-3 PM (Small Business Saturday/Thanksgiving weekend) — Doylestown Bookshop, 16 S. Main Street, Doylestown, PA 18901
  • Tuesday, Dec. 1, 12:15 PM — Lunch guest speaker with the Springfield Township Rotary at Phil’s Tavern, 931 Butler Pike,
Blue Bell, PA 19422

Also, in more book news

The Wyoming County Press Examiner just published an update on my book’s release—a follow-up to a piece it ran in June. Fair warning: the digital article features my GIANT headshot which fills the screen (certainly not my choice for newspaper art), so click at your own peril 😂 With that said, I am grateful for the follow-up coverage and its mention of my Halloween signing at the Vestel, NY Barnes & Noble—my only in-person event near Montrose, PA, where The Jacklighter takes place.

Around Ambler features The Jacklighter

This original post featured this Around Ambler piece about my book and me, by Suzanne McNaughton: Ambler author releasing true crime novel 50 years after infamous murder. It was a full-circle moment to have my local news site cover a story I first started chasing in my husband’s hometown of Montrose, PA, when I was a much younger journalist.

For anyone just finding me through the Around Ambler article: THE JACKLIGHTER tells the story of the 1976 murder of Montrose attorney Martin Dillon, and the decades-long fight to bring his killer to justice. The Endless Mountains hold a lot of secrets, and this one—wrapped up in hunting culture, small-town loyalty, and a betrayal that split a family in two—includes a revelation that has never before been made public. It’s the follow-up to my award-winning debut, Chained Birds: A Crimemoir.

Mark your calendars—I’ll see you in October, November, or December. 📖 ✨