If you’re in or near Muncie, Indiana, and missed out last week when Jill Blocker and I were in town, you can find signed copies of our books at:
Ink Drinkers Anonymous Bookstore
Aw Yeah Comics- Muncie
EB and Bertha C Ball Center
The Orchard Shop at Minnetrista Museum & Gardens
Okay, so this post won’t make any sense because even though I had a good night’s sleep I’m still kinda brain-fried. So prepare yourself. Head-scratching is not only likely, but recommended.
My longtime friend and fellow author Jill Blocker – she’s one of the masterminds behind Constellate Creatives and Constellate Publishing – just held two days of book talks and signings in Muncie, Indiana. We’re still groggy, and Jill has only just begun her extended book tour.
Two days, you scoff. That’s barely any tine at all.
On the contrary, we packed five book talks and signings and an afterparty event at a local martini bar, RoHo’s, into those two days. We spoke at the Ball State University-affiliated EB and Bertha C Ball Center, Carnegie Library, Ink Drinkers Anonymous Bookstore, Aw Yeah Comics and the Orchard Shop at Minnetrista, all in Muncie, where I was a newspaper reporter and editor for 40 years and Jill attended Ball State and interned at the newspaper. That’s where we met, a little less than 20 years ago, and we kept in touch. When we published our novels WHAT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND GOOD, THAT OCTOBER, SEVEN ANGELS and HAPPILY AFTER EVER – the latter two newly out this summer – we decided we’d publish books by other authors who wanted to work with us. We’ve published one other so far and have others in the pipeline – and we’re looking for more authors. Go to the Constellate Creatives website for more. (Link below.)
Anyway, the sadist who set up the Indiana portion of our book tour (raises hand) didn’t leave much room for seeing family and friends or even breathing while we were in the Hoosier state, yet we somehow managed to.
Now Jill is off to Seattle and NYC and back to her home base of Zurich, Switzerland.
At a couple of events, we were joined by our talented friend Sara McKinley, who painted the beautiful cover for THAT OCTOBER. That’s Sara on the right there.
And we’ll be doing all this again, probably next year. Hopefully with even more books by other authors.
Nest year? Man, I better get some sleep.
My longtime friend and fellow author Jill Blocker and I have been all over the Internet lately, talking about our new novels – HAPPILY AFTER EVER for Jill and SEVEN ANGELS for me – and we had the idea of interviewing each other and asking a few questions that we haven’t really addressed in the many articles, interviews and podcasts so far.
In the process, we worked out all the problems in the universe.
You believe that, right?
We did talk about our early writing days, what our journalism backgrounds brought to our writing and more.
For example, Jill on journalism:
I wish journalists were valued more in our society. Some of the most brilliant people I know are journalists -including some of the characters in the book. Journalists have the ability to sit down and understand important, complex issues and communicate them to the masses. Journalism definitely affects my writing style. I like short sentences and punchy lines, but more-so, I think accuracy and reliability in storytelling is one of our most important roles as writers. No one needs Fake News… real life is unbelievable enough.
And my writing routine:
My routine is to not have a routine, at least not in hours. I write almost every day, but the hours of when I write vary in that I work around other things, like taking care of our cats, laundry and exercise or appointments or interviews. Some days I don’t write fiction but I’m writing articles for sites like CrimeReads. One thing I almost never do is write in the evening, because I’m brain-fried by that point.
Here’s a link to the full interview, which is on the Constellate Creatives/Constellate Publishing site. While you’re there, if you have a book inside you or your computer that’s waiting to get out, consider clicking a button for more information about Constellate.
Muncie, Indiana – my hometown – has kept some pretty wild secrets over the years, including generations of crime and corruption that’s sent mayors and other prominent people off to jail.
It’s also been the scene of wild pop culture events. Remember Steven Spielberg’s classic “Close Encounters of the Third Kind?” The first half of the movie, where aliens abduct the little boy and Richard Dreyfus builds a mountain in his family room, is set in Muncie.
So with my friend and fellow author Jill Blocker and I planning on book talks and signings July 14 and 15, we’re planning something else … a little hang with the authors.
Hit us up if you want to learn more.
I’m not sure if you heard or not, but I’ve got a new crime novel, SEVEN ANGELS, out and my longtime friend Jill Blocker has a new novel out, HAPPILY AFTER EVER.
You know I’m kidding, because if you’ve seen me on social media for the past several months, you know these things.
But if you’re in Indiana – both of us are from the Hoosier state – and want to come see us, you can.
Here’s a quick rundown of where both of us will be. Jill will also have events in Seattle, New York City and Zurich after our Hoosier trip. (I’ll link to the Constellate Publishing events page below.)
Anyway:
Authors Roysdon, Blocker plan book talks, signings
Two authors with Muncie, Indiana, ties are releasing new novels and planning on talks and signings in Muncie in July.
Keith Roysdon and Jill Blocker will be speaking and signing books at events July 14 and 15 in Muncie.
The two will be talking about “Seven Angels,” Roysdon’s latest novel, and “Happily After Ever,” Blocker’s new novel.
They’ll be speaking and signing books:
Tuesday, July 14, 6-8 p.m., at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center, 400 W. Minnetrista Blvd., Muncie. The talk is free and open to the public, but the Ball Center requests advance registration to ensure plenty of seating and refreshments.
Earlier Tuesday, at 3 p.m., they’ll be at Ink Drinkers Anonymous Bookstore, 108 S. Walnut Street.
Wednesday, July 15, 6:30 p.m. at Carnegie Library, 301 E. Jackson Street.
Earlier Wednesday, at 3 p.m., they’ll be at Aw Yeah Comics, 119 E. Charles Street.
Also earlier Wednesday, July 15, at noon, they’ll be at the Orchard Shop at Minnetrista, 311 W. St. Joseph St.
Blocker, a native Hoosier, is a Ball State University graduate who worked at The Star Press while she was attending the university. A resident of Switzerland, Blocker is the author of “What Was Beautiful and Good,” an epic but personal account of love and the beginnings of the Dada art movement in the early days of World War I, and her new novel, “Happily After Ever,” the story of a young writer from America who finds love, disappointment and renewed hope as a citizen of the world.
Blocker and her sister are principals of Constellate Creatives, a multi-faceted international company that publishes books (through its Constellate Publishing division) and provides editorial and marketing services for a variety of books, authors and clients. Constellate’s announcement of its 2026 slate of books was widely publicized earlier this year. Constellate also has a studio for recording audiobooks or podcasts.
Roysdon, a resident of Tennessee, was a reporter and editor for 40 years for The Star Press (and its predecessors) in Muncie. He won or co-won more than 30 first-place awards in Indiana and national journalism competitions. He’s the co-author with Douglas Walker of four award-winning true crime books about the Muncie area, including “Wicked Muncie,” “Muncie Murder & Mayhem,” “The Westside Park Murders” and “Cold Case Muncie.” Roysdon’s short fiction, news and pop culture writing has been widely published. His short stories are included in three 2026 anthologies, “Fighting Words,” “Bad Intentions” and “Daydream Believer.”
Roysdon’s first novel, “That October,” was published in 2025. Set in a fictionalized version of Muncie in 1984, the novel is about six high school friends who band together to solve the mystery of a friend’s murder and another’s disappearance. His new novel, “Seven Angels,” is about a young woman who returns to her small Tennessee town to help run the family funeral home. After she’s named county coroner, she must not only solve a murder but battle white supremacists, a pill-pushing doctor, a corrupt sheriff and a ruthless Russian trafficker hunting a young girl from Ukraine.
More about Constellate Publishing and the authors:
New right now on Indiana Public Radio, the Pop of Culture interview with me and Jill Blocker about our new books, our publishing venture and our Muncie appearances in July. Thanks to longtime friend Michelle Kinsey for the chance to talk.
As Michelle points out, she and Jill and I all have a newspaper in common: The three of us formerly worked at The Star Press in Muncie, Indiana.
The authors of Constellate Creatives and Constellate Publishing are going to be out and about this summer, talking about our books, our publishing journey and our quest to find new authors to bring to the reading public.
Here are some of our events:
I’m so happy to be able to share this: You can now pre-order HAPPILY AFTER EVER, the newest novel from author Jill Blocker and Constellate Publishing!
“It started with a magic wand. Granted, it was the type of wand that was pink, sparkly and cost $1.99 at Target… but that was beside the point. The symbolism, I felt, was more important than its power.”
Girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy.
Girl moves across the world for love.
But it’s not until after the “Happily Ever After,” that she understands what true love is.
When Jill follows her heart from Seattle to Switzerland, she believes she’s stepping into the life she was always meant to have. Instead, she finds herself navigating the complicated realities of adulthood, identity, and the gap between the stories we’re told about love and the truth we discover for ourselves.
Against a backdrop of cobblestone streets, mountain peaks, and life-changing choices, Jill embarks on a deeply personal journey of self-discovery. As she confronts expectations, heartbreak, and the courage required to rewrite her own story, she learns that true love isn’t about finding someone else-it’s about finding yourself.
Perfect for readers who enjoyed the emotional self-discovery of Eat, Pray, Love, the honest millennial voice of Everything I Know About Love, and the reflective journey of Wild.
Heartfelt, insightful, and relatable, Happily After Ever is a coming-of-age story for anyone who has ever chased a dream, crossed an ocean for love, or wondered what comes next when the fairy tale ends.
Link to preorder below this photo of my friend, author Jill Blocker:
Here’s how to preorder HAPPILY AFTER EVER:
keithroysdon 