Carnivorous Lunar Activities: Max Booth III slays book signing

Max Booth III’s latest novel is a horror comedy about werewolves. His book signing in downtown LA was packed with fans. If you enjoy werewolf stories, you’ll love Carnivorous Lunar Activities.

It’s a sleepy Monday night in Los Angeles and a crowd of people turned out to see Max Booth III’s book signing for his comedy-horror novel released by Fangoria at The Last Bookstore.

The Last Bookstore is an independent shop located in downtown, Los Angeles. It’s one of L.A.’s largest new and used bookstores with a special room for collectible books. I wanted to ask if they had The Necronomicon because you know they have the real one in stock, locked up in a steel case in the back. Let my simulated episode of Ash vs Evil Dead start now, please.

The Last Bookstore is one of the most interesting bookstores in California, it’s gorgeous. It used to be a bank, so it has two floors and an open floor plan; the vault has been redesigned as an antique book room, and if that’s not cool enough, there are artistic visual displays throughout the store.

Max Booth III’s book Carnivorous Lunar Activities is a werewolf horror-comedy novel. It’s a bromance with a dash of playwriting and sketch-comedy. One of my favorite parts is the opening dedication: This book is dedicated to anyone who would be willing to kill me.  I like Booth’s style, it’s all about the opening dedication, and yes, that matters. It tells the reader who you are, what you’re about.

Second, the opening line is thrilling: Ted was thinking about killing his wife when his cell phone rang. WHAT THE WHAT? Egads, that’s a great opening line. And particularly horrifying to read as a woman, but that’s the point of horror fiction: we like to be scared. What is more terrifying than a man wanting to murder you? Nothing! Well, maybe stories about cannibals.

The novel is about the relationship between two old friends who have drifted apart — but one of them is turning into a werewolf. It’s a funny, self-aware examination of marriage, friendships and MEN BECOMING WOLVES. It’s clearly influenced by An American Werewolf In London and the characters, Ted and Justin reference the film constantly.

The Last Bookstore (T.Aleman)

Max Booth III has written four other novels: Toxicity, The Mind is a Razorblade, How To Successfully Kidnap Strangers and The Nightly Disease. The title of How To Successfully Kidnap Strangers, is a terrifying title for a book and probably every person’s nightmare and my tea on that is: Don’t Let Them Take You Alive.

In addition to this, Booth is the Editor-in-Chief of Perpetual Motion Machine, the Managing Editor of Dark Moon Digest, and the co-host of a Stephen King Podcast: Castle Rock Radio.

Book readings are events which require patience from an audience weaned on social media. But Booth prepared a fun time — he showed up dressed like a werewolf in a trench coat and read a werewolf poem as an opener, while his co-presenter (a very fun Lori Michelle) held up pictures of famous werewolves in cinema. I loved it. If you know me, you know how much I value high-quality werewolf horror comedy.

After that, he performed a passage from his novel with horror writer Brian Asman, which was weird and funny. Booth’s sincerity went a long way with the crowd, who genuinely liked his earnestness and playfulness.

Max Booth III and Brian Asman (T.Aleman)

Writers can be introverted and withdrawn even on the best of days. It’s hard to spend so much time alone writing. It’s refreshing to see a writer who isn’t afraid of performing though I admire introverted writers as well. Hermann Hesse was known for being quiet and intense and a total drag at dinner parties. Don’t care, Hermann Hesse was the bee’s knees.

Booth appeared to be a pleasant mix of shy and confident and surprisingly young to have published five novels, which is inspiring. After the reading, he signed his book and handed out posters of himself with his face contorted in a grimace. Also: he sat on the front of the stage during the signing instead of a chair in the back of the room, which I found endearingly odd and down to earth.

If you haven’t already, check out his latest book Carnivorous Lunar Activities on Amazon or his website at TalesFromTheBooth.com and give him a follow on Twitter @GiveMeYourTeeth.

If you live in L.A. and haven’t already visited The Last Book Store, plan a day around it. It’s an excellent place to be and if you like to read, you won’t be disappointed. When the apocalypse begins, The Last Book Store will be the first place I’ll head before I’m eventually murdered and eaten…though in my heart, I know I’m going to make it to the end. And then some.

Do you like horror-comedy fiction? What’s your favorite novel? Are you obsessed with werewolves? Let us know in the comments!