’Tis the season! Whether you are a fan of history and folklore or love learning about different cultures, The Scary Book of Christmas Lore is for you. You won’t find dancing sugar plums here, but you will find beasts that threaten to cook children into stew and sinister crones who snatch little ones from their beds. Outside of the heartwarming Christmas tales we all know and love, there are an abundance of frightening stories to chill all who hear them to the bone. These tales are sure to leave you wishing for the Grinch.

Copies of The Scary Book of Christmas Lore are available for purchase through the Mark Twain Store; proceeds benefit The Mark Twain House & Museum. Books will be shipped after the event. We regret that we are NOT able to ship books outside the United States as it is cost-prohibitive to do so.
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About the Author: Tim Rayborn has written many books and magazine articles, especially in subjects such as music, the arts, general knowledge, and history. He lived in England for many years and studied at the University of Leeds, which means he likes to pretend that he knows what he’s talking about. He’s an almost-famous musician who plays dozens of unusual instruments from all over the world that most people have never heard of and usually can’t pronounce. He has appeared on more than forty recordings, and his musical wanderings and tours have taken him across the US, all over Europe, to Canada and Australia, and to such romantic locations as Umbria, Marrakech, Renaissance chateaux, medieval churches, and high school gymnasiums. He currently lives in Washington State with many books, recordings, and instruments, and a sometimes-demanding cat. He’s enthusiastic about good wines and cooking excellent food. www.timrayborn.com

About the Moderator: J.W. Ocker is the award-winning author of macabre travelogues, spooky kid’s books, and horror novels. His books include A Season with the Witch, Twelve Nights at Rotter House, The Black Slide, and Cursed Objects. Ocker is also the creator of OTIS: Odd Things I’ve Seen (www.oddthingsiveseen.com), where he chronicles his visits to thousands of oddities of culture, art, nature, and history across the country and world with photos, articles, and through Odd Things I’ve Seen: The Podcast. His work has appeared on or in CNN.com, The Atlantic, Rue Morgue, the Boston Globe, The Guardian, TIME, and other places people stick writing. Ocker is from Maryland but has lived in New Hampshire for more than a decade.
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Virtual author programs are supported by Suzanne Hopgood in the memory of former MTH&M Trustee Frank Lord.