On Friday, October 10, from 6:00-7:30pm, please join us at the Frederick Book Arts Center as we welcome bestselling horror author Richard Chizmar and his son, W.H. Chizmar for a night of chilling discussion of their latest novel Widow’s Point. This novel centers on an abandoned lighthouse where thrill seekers come to find evidence of the supernatural but soon realize all is not what it seems in the “cursed” place. After their conversation, Richard and W.H. Chizmar will answer questions and sign books. Copies of Widow’s Point will be available for purchase at the event.
This event is free and open to the public, presented in partnership with the Frederick Book Arts Center. For accessibility requests, email info@curiousiguana.com at least two (2) weeks prior to the event.
About the book: New York Times bestselling author Richard Chizmar, “one of horror’s indispensable writers” (Paste), and his son W.H. Chizmar, critically acclaimed author of Them (hailed by New York Times bestselling author Josh Malerman as “one of the best debuts I’ve ever read”) present a riveting found footage narrative about doomed thrill-seekers trapped in a haunted lighthouse.
“This is a bad place. I don’t think people are meant to live here.”
Longtime residents of Harper’s Cove believe that something is wrong with the Widow’s Point Lighthouse. Some say it’s cursed. Others claim it’s haunted.
Originally built in 1838, three workers were killed during the lighthouse’s construction, including one who mysteriously plunged to his death from the catwalk. That tragic accident was never explained, and it was just the beginning of the terror. In the decades that followed, nearly two dozen additional deaths occurred in or around the lighthouse including cold-blooded murder, suicide, unexplained accidents and disappearances, the slaughter of an entire family, and the inexplicable death of a Hollywood starlet who was filming a movie on the grounds.
The lighthouse was finally shuttered tight in 1988 and a security fence was erected around the property. No one has been inside since. Until now.
Told across two harrowing incidents from 2017 and 2025, those who enter the Widow’s Point Lighthouse searching for supernatural proof and the next big thing find themselves cut off from the outside world. And although no one has recently stepped foot inside the structure, they are not alone.
In this remarkable collaboration, father and son writing team, Richard and W.H. Chizmar combine forces to tell a terrifying ghost story that will make you think twice about what’s waiting for you in the dark.
About the authors:
Richard Chizmar is the coauthor (with Stephen King) of the New York Times bestselling novella Gwendy’s Button Box and Gwendy’s Final Task, and the solo novella Gwendy’s Magic Feather. Recent books include the New York Times bestsellers Memorials, Becoming the Boogeyman, and Chasing the Boogeyman; The Girl on the Porch; The Long Way Home; his fourth short story collection, and Widow’s Point; a chilling tale about a haunted lighthouse cowritten with his son Billy Chizmar, which was recently made into a feature film. His short fiction has appeared in dozens of publications, including Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and The Year’s 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories. He has won two World Fantasy awards, four International Horror Guild awards, and the HWA’s Board of Trustees award. Chizmar’s work has been translated into more than fifteen languages throughout the world, and he has appeared at numerous conferences as a writing instructor, speaker, panelist, and guest of honor. Follow him on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky: @RichardChizmar, or visit his website at RichardChizmar.com.
W. H. Chizmar is the author of numerous short stories and essays. His debut novel Them is coming soon from Gallery Books and as a limited edition from Lividian Publications. Chizmar lives in Maryland with his Bernese Mountain Dog, J.J. (short for James Joyce).
