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LAKEWOOD, NY (WNY News Now) – Two friends turned authors passed the time amidst the COVID pandemic by collaborating to write a horror novel, pulling inspiration from the works of Stephen King and their own hometown. Then, by August of 2021, based on its namesake, the book titled Shadyside made its official debut.
Now, the pair of writers are holding a presentation event this weekend at the Prendergast Library in the Fireplace Room for the public to come in, ask questions, and purchase their own copy of Shadyside.
“At noon we were going to be doing a talk where we’re going to take you through kind of our upbringing, living here in this area, take you through the process of how we wrote Shadyside, then do a Q and A and a book reading, then let people ask any questions one on one and buy a book. They’ll be there for purchase if they want to check it out, so I think it’s going to be a lot of fun,” said co-author Nolan Emerson.
“This was an actual house on Shadyside, it takes place mostly on its namesake, Shadyside. That is my co-author, Jared Drocy, it’s his childhood home where we wrote this book. Now, we used fake numbers and things like that in the actual book itself but the majority of the story was set at that house where he grew up and we spent 60 to 70 percent of the time writing at that house and in the wooded area out back, so we really lived the experience of what we were writing,” Emerson said.
The book went through many development stages to get to where it is today.
“It is a horror novel that takes place in the Lakewood and Jamestown area set in the 1980’s,” Emerson explained. “So the book itself changed a lot as we were writing it, but I’d say, it follows two characters and you learn about two characters who have similar things happen in their life, but who react very differently and have very different adversities and those traumas.”
Emerson explains that the story of Shadyside isn’t over yet.
“We are looking at two books that will follow Shadyside. The next one coming out, I will say, is a prequel and I think the way we set this up is really unique. If you read Shadyside, you will get to read the first chapter of the prequel and it’s a book that a character finds at his grandparent’s house in Shadyside,” Emerson said.
The Shadyside Presentation Event will take place this Saturday in the Fireplace Room at the Prendergast Library from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. All are welcome to attend to meet the authors, ask questions, and purchase a copy of the book.
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