TJ Klune with Milo Michels — 'We Burned So Bright'

An elder gay couple embark on an end-of-the-world road-trip in this heart-wrenching novel from the author of THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA.

Third Place Books welcomes author TJ Klune back to the stage at our Lake Forest Park location for a conversation about his new standalone novel We Burned So Bright — a novel following a long-married gay couple crossing the country on a last-hurrah road trip before a black hole swallows the earth. Third Place bookseller Milo Michels joins in conversation.

What you need to know:

• All tickets come with a copy of We Burned So Bright. Books will be distributed at the event and cannot be picked up in advance.
• Copies of We Burned So Bright will be pre-signed. TJ will personalize 1 copy of We Burned So Bright per guest. He will sign up to two additional books per guest (signature only).
• Tickets must be purchased through Eventbrite. Pre-ordering the book will NOT grant you access to the event.
• If you purchase a ticket but are unable to attend the event, your book will be placed on hold at our Lake Forest Park store. You may request to have your book transferred to our Ravenna or Seward Park neighborhood stores.

Having trouble registering? See Eventbrite's troubleshooting FAQ here.

About We Burned So Bright. . .

A heart-wrenching standalone novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, We Burned So Bright follows an elder gay couple on an end-of-the-world road-trip.

The road stretched out before them. No other cars, just the headlights on the blacktop. Above, the cracked moon in a kaleidoscope sky….

Husbands Don and Rodney have lived a good long life. Together they’ve experienced the highest highs of love and family, and lows so low that they felt like the end of the world.

Now, the world is ending for real. A rogue black hole is coming for Earth and in a month everything and everyone they’ve ever known will be gone.

Suddenly, after 40 years together, Don and Rodney are out of time. They’re in a race against the clock to make it from Maine to Washington State to take care of some unfinished business before it’s all over.

On the road they meet those who refuse to believe death is coming and those who rush to meet it. But there are also people living their final days as best they know how—impromptu weddings, bright burning bonfires, shared meals, and new friends.

And as the black hole draws near, among ball lightning and under a cracked moon in a kaleidoscope sky, Don and Rodney will look back on their lives and ask if their best was good enough.

Is it enough to burn bright if nothing comes from the ashes?

TJ Klune is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, the Green Creek series for adults, the Extraordinaries series for teens, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.

Milo Michels is the Assistant Events Manager at Third Place Books. They like hot drinks and weird books.

About Third Place Books

Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events.