Like the protagonists of one of Stephen King’s better novels, folks from across the whole of North America will be drawn to the serene town of Dubuque, Iowa, this Wednesday, to battle evil and bolster the forces of good.

Is there a beast lose in the streets of Bethlehem? Worse, and better. Ryan Werner — god of rock and thunder — will be summoning his forces to celebrate the release of his elegy to the magic of music and flash fiction: Shake Away These Constant Days.

Sure, the book technically was released in September and eLaunched in October, but Shake Away These Constant Days is so good its revelation requires three stages. Wednesday at Monk’s Kaffee, will be the third and final roll out, with Ryan on hand, in person, to read, possibly play, and almost certainly sign books. (And fight evil, that goes without saying.)

So if you are anywhere near the state of Iowa on Wednesday, get yourself to Monk’s at 7:00 pm local time and bring your friends. You can pretend it’s American Gods, instead of The Stand, but the point is you need to drive long distances across the Mid West to get to a certain destination by a certain time for a really good reason. Because Shake Away These Constant Days is sorta, kinda incredible and Ryan deserves all the support he can get. (Like say, a review on Amazon if you genuinely dig his work.)

Gas up the Winnebago, the Harley, or the Saturn, make sure your mail-in ballot is received at your local electoral commission before the close of polls on Tuesday, and get your ass to Dubuque.

Ryan Werner. Book Launch. Shake Away These Constant Days.

Just a heads up to everyone out there in Etherland that Ryan Werner’s debut collection, Shake Away These Constant Days, is now available for your reading pleasure in just about any electronic format you care to name. Kindle. Smashwords. Nook. And probably some others you haven’t even heard of. All for just $1.99.

Two bucks for this amazing book in e-format is more than money well spent. Seriously, it’s a great collection, but don’t just take our word for it:

“Each of the stories in Ryan Werner’s Shake Away These Constant Days ends with a sentence that’s a fist to the ribs. The collection builds into repeated shots to the soft part of your guts, a beautiful pummeling. By the end of Shake Away These Constant Days, you won’t even notice the bruises, the missing teeth, the pain. You’ll only want to go another round.” – Sarah Rose Etter, author of Tongue Party

“Ryan Werner’s debut marks the arrival of an important new voice: quirky, world-wise, and as joyfully rambunctious as your favorite punk rock song. Listen up. You’ll be glad you did.” -Tom Cooper, author of Phantasmagoria and Barataria

Also, check out the great review Curbside Splendor gave Shake Away These Constant Days.

And speaking of reviews…if (or should we say “when”) you read Ryan’s book and inevitably fall in love with it, a review would be fantastic — whether it’s on Amazon, Smashwords, or the side of the nearest wall. Word of mouth is essential in the indie lit community, so please help us let folks know what an incredible read Shake Away These Constant Days is.

UPDATE: Ryan’s giving away a couple of hard copies of Shake Away These Constant Days over at Goodreads. (But you should still probably get an e-copy for $1.99 just to be on the safe side.)

“Each of the stories in Ryan Werner’s Shake Away These Constant Days ends with a sentence that’s a fist to the ribs. The collection builds into repeated shots to the soft part of your guts, a beautiful pummeling. By the end of Shake Away These Constant Days, you won’t even notice the bruises, the missing teeth, the pain. You’ll only want to go another round.”
— Sarah Rose Etter, author of Tongue Party

Ryan Werner’s debut marks the arrival of an important new voice: quirky, world-wise, and as joyfully rambunctious as your favorite punk rock song. Listen up. You’ll be glad you did. — Tom Cooper, author of Phantasmagoria and Barataria

Order your copy now!