Mark Sunday, October 25: Author Next Door: Hometown Horrors | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation is a ghost tour at Busboys and Poets - Takoma in Washington, DC, from 5 PM to 7 PM. The date lands 6 days before Halloween, and it is listed as free to attend. It is listed as family-friendly.
Sunday, October 25 · 5 PM – 7 PM
UTC-04:00Busboys and Poets - Takoma | Washington, DC
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On Sunday, October 25th at Busboys and Poets Takoma, join us for Author Next Door: Hometown Horrors, the next installment in our rotating celebration of community storytellers from across the DMV.
Get in the spooky spirit and start your Halloween celebrations early! This panel will spotlight authors whose works are not afraid of the dark. Each of our featured authors will read from and discuss their writing, come together for a conversation about the intersections of their books, and answer questions from the audience. We invite you to come listen, engage, and support these local authors and their powerful stories.
The Starseekers by Nicole Glover
The Starseekers is another rip-roaring adventure for the Rhodes family, who have been using magic to aid their community and solve mysteries since before the Civil War. The times may have changed, but a Rhodes once again finds themselves thrust into a world of murders, theft, sabotage, and curses, and this time the stakes extend to the stars themselves.
The Dead Man’s Dame by Kevin Obike
Fired, broke, and running out of time, Nigerian fraud investigator Alvan "Dozy" Agu never planned to return to Lagos. But when a corrupt ex-minister hires him to find her missing husband, the job spirals into a web of blackmail, political conspiracy, and M**der-with Dozy as the prime suspect.
The Better Mother by Jennifer van der Kleut
A woman ends up pregnant after a casual fling, but the father's girlfriend has much more sinister intentions in this plot-driven suspense debut.
All Savannah wanted to do was form a friendly co-parenting relationship with the father of her child--but his new girlfriend obviously has much more sinister plans in mind.
She has no plans to co-parent at all.
A Gathering of Weapons by Tracy Cross
Nearly four years have passed since the events of Rootwork (the first book in The Conjure Series), and the youngest Conway sister, Pee Wee, is now thirteen years old and on the cusp of magical greatness. Ever since the tragedy of 1889, she's worked tirelessly to practice her Hoodoo and hone her conjure skills so as to right the wrongs done to her family.
Strange and malevolent forces have descended upon the small Louisiana parish Pee Wee calls home, and she must use her newly acquired conjure skills to fight back. Will she use them for good? Or will she pledge herself to the ghost of a dead Voodoo priestess and the darkness the woman serves in exchange for unlimited power and the promise of generational revenge?
Copies of each author’s book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and all authors will be signing following the program.
This event is free and open to all. Doors open at 4:30pm and there will be full dinner service throughout the program. The program begins at 5:00 pm and will be followed by Q&A and book signing. Please note that this event is in-person.
We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Nicole Glover is the author of the acclaimed historical fantasy series, M**der and Magic, which includes The Starseekers. Her books have received rave starred reviews for their unique blend of mystery, history, and fantasy and have been featured in NPR and local media, En Forme and the Virginian-Pilot. She's been a Library Reads pick, made the Locus bestseller list, and most recently won The Webster Award. She lives and works in Virginia plotting her next fictional M**der.
Kevin Obike (also writing as Kevin C. Noel) is a Nigerian author whose work bridges worlds, both real and imagined. With an upbringing that stretched across Italy, China, Nigeria, and the United States, Kevin’s perspective has been shaped by a myriad of cultures.
Writing as Kevin C. Noel, he crafts sweeping fantasy stories inspired by world history and mythology, blending timeless legends with fresh imagination. Under his real name, Kevin explores the grit and shadows of crime and noir, painting stories rooted in human struggle, resilience, and the complexities of modern life.
His fiction is united by one theme: uncovering the deeper truths that connect people, cultures, and eras. Whether through myth or mystery, Kevin’s storytelling seeks to entertain, provoke thought, and build bridges across divides.
Jennifer van der Kleut (née McBride) is an award-winning former journalist of both print and digital publications, including the D.C. affiliate of ABC7 News. A graduate of San Jose State University, she spent most of her life in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to the Northern Virginia suburbs of D.C., where she currently lives with her husband and two sons. When she’s not writing, she loves going to the beach with her family, going to concerts with her girlfriends, and getting lost in the pages of a book.
Tracy Cross is the author of Rootwork and A Gathering of Weapons, horror novels that explore racism, sexism, karmic justice, and the enduring strength of family and faith. Her short fiction appears in anthologies including Don’t Break the Oath, Black Magick (13 Tales of Darkness, Horror and the Occult), and 99 Tiny Terrors. She’s a recipient of the Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant and the Horror Writers Association’s Scholarship from Hell. Based in Washington, DC, she’s an HWA member, lifelong Prince fan, and disco enthusiast. Find her at tracycwritesonline.com.
BOOK DETAILS
The Starseekers
By Nicole Glover
January 6, 2026 | Paperback | 496 pages | $22
The Dead Man’s Dame
By Kevin Obike
December 19, 2025 | Paperback | 396 pages | $16.99
The Better Mother
By Jennifer van de Kleut
February 10, 2026 | Paperback | 336 pages | $19.99
A Gathering of Weapons
By Tracy Cross
October 1, 2024 | Paperback | 154 pages | $14.99
Busboys and Poets - Takoma, 235 Carroll Ave NW, Washington, United States
Busboys and Poets
It is on Sunday, October 25, 2026, from 5 PM to 7 PM, 6 days before Halloween.
It takes place at Busboys and Poets - Takoma, 235 Carroll Ave NW, Washington, United States.
Yes, it is listed as free to attend. Check the event details in case registration is required.
Yes, it is listed as a family-friendly Halloween event.
It runs for about 2 hours, from 5 PM to 7 PM.
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