Erica Sage & Shaun Anthony McMichael — 'Dead Things' & 'Whistle Punk Falls'

Third Place Books welcomes Erica Sage and Shaun Anthony McMichael to our Lake Forest Park store for a conversation about their new books, Dead Things and Whistle Punk Falls.

This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book!

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About Dead Things . . .

When fifteen-year-old Debbie Boyle stumbles across the rotting body of the most popular girl in school, she becomes the center of a story no one wants her to tell.

Everyone already knows what happened — at least, they think they do. In a town built on rumors, secrets spread faster than truth, and the woods behind Debbie's trailer park hold more than one kind of dead thing.

As accusations spiral and suspicion turns toward the people closest to her, Debbie is forced to decide what she's willing to risk: her reputation, her friendships, or the truth.

Because in this town, the real danger isn't what's buried in the woods — it's what people are willing to believe.

About Whistle Punk Falls . . .

Re-published August, 2026 by Street Legal Cinema in hard cover, WHISTLE PUNK FALLS is Shaun Anthony McMichael's debut high school haunted teen romance from hell.

During the spring of 2009 in the hard-knocks timber town of Aberdeen, Washington, seventeen-year-old wallflower Jeremy Sweet, his friends, and their families discover that befriending someone with mental illness is a labyrinthine journey. That friend is Malachi "Loud" McCrowley. Native American, homeless, and haunted by the mysterious logging death of his white father, Loud claims he communicates with the ghosts of Kurt Cobain and other tragically misunderstood misfits of Aberdeen.

Jeremy was drawn to Loud because of their similar tastes in punk music and progressive ideas. But Loud's claims about the ghosts have Jeremy on edge; he also has his opinions on Loud's relationship with intrepid tomboy-turned-heartthrob, Aurora Lee Loftner, Jeremy's unrequited love interest.

Along their quixotic and hormone-fueled effort to intervene in Loud's dizzying decline, Jeremy and Aurora form unexpected alliances with their parents and Loud's estranged Native mom (Makah Tribe), and together, they reframe what it means to love someone.

About the authors . . .

Erica Sage is the author of YA novels Dead Things (Evernight Teen, September, 2026) and Jacked Up (Sky Pony Press, June, 2018). She also writes award-winning adult short fiction, including "The Watch" and “Starling”, the latter which was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Other short stories include "Dinner Time" and "The Collective," both weird horror published by Underland Press. Her most recent story. "What Looms in the Hollows," was published by The Quiet Ones, an e-zine dedicated to dystopian and horror literature. She serves as the Literary Advocate for Grit City Studio, which hosts Tacoma LitFest. She has also presented at Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference and the Idaho Writers Guild Conference, as well as Cavalcade of Authors in Western Washington. She has been teaching English for 30 years and currently provides professional development for educators focused on how to teach writing.

Shaun Anthony McMichael is the Pushcart-nominated author of the novel WHISTLE PUNK FALLS (Street Legal Cinema, August, 2026); THE WILD FAMILIAR short stories (Cowboy Jamboree Press, 2024); and the poetry collection JACK OF ALL…(New Meridian Arts, 2024). Over 130 of his works have been published in literary journals such as The Chicago Tribune, Bellingham Review, and Adroit Journal. Since 2007, he has taught writing to students from around the world, in classrooms, juvenile detention halls, mental health treatment centers, and homeless youth drop-ins. He lives in Seattle with his wife and son where he attends church most Sundays. In addition to teaching English to immigrants and refugees at a public high school, he hosts an annual literary arts reading series, Shadow Work Writers.

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