Meet Seamus Mcgraw, who wrote the Forward to Shadows of the Seen

 I'm lucky and grateful Seamus McGraw wrote the Forward to my new book Shadows of the Seen, as he is the author of From a Taller Tower: The Rise of the American Mass Shooter

Review of Taller Tower

From a Taller Tower traces the history of the American mass shooter — at Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland — without giving in to the notoriety that so many of them seek. With few exceptions, the murderers are never named. Instead, the book examines the beliefs many Americans hold onto about guns, mass shootings and mental illness, and confronts the circumstances that allow these catastrophes to continue. ― NPR Published On: 2022-06-02

A memorable, necessary contribution to the national conversation on gun violence. ― Kirkus, Starred Review Published On: 2021-02-24

It is a terrible testament to the frequency of [mass shootings] over the last couple of decades that for those of us not directly affected, some of them tend to blur. From a Taller Tower offers a clearheaded and thoughtful analysis of these crimes, and our culture. ― The American Conservative Published On: 2021-05-18

A deeply reported examination of the many mass shootings in the United States...The book attempts to unpack our responses to these crimes and explain what’s missing from our understanding of these events, while also revealing more about who is behind these atrocities. ― She Reads Published On: 2021-04-23

[From a Taller Tower] traces the history of the American mass shooter and the troubling ways we make sense of senseless violence...There’s a tragic timeliness to McGraw’s book. ― Inside Hook Published On: 2021-04-26

[From a Taller Tower] details how our culture of rage, victimhood, narcissism and love of guns has created an onslaught of violence that’s almost impossible to keep up with…[a] powerful new book. ― MEL Magazine Published On: 2021-11-04

Review

An important and extraordinary book that takes us into the mind of the mass shooter and also explores our own complicity in the numbing tragedies that have become far too routine in America. Still, Seamus McGraw manages to leave us with hope that there's a way out of the despair.

  -- Perri Pelitz, director and producer, Axios on HBO

Boxing Day

 Boxing Day is when the book seems real. I had a PDF, the print-out, the proof copy, the cover design, the back-and-forth with the publisher, but until I get the box of author copies it doesn't feel like a book. It feels more like a concept. There is a lot of joy on Boxing Day! 

So--I have my box for the book launch, and the book is available for pre-order. People know, and I've already spoken about how the characters in Shadows of the Seen, reflect very true to my year 2022---not a particular easy one for me. As we approach the official release date which is May 15---I will tell you more. Trigger warning...the book deals with the gun issue from many different angles (mass shootings, good gun with a gun, political, NRA, blaming everything except access to high powered weapons etc.), but it also deals with depression, and other mental health issues. Those all relate to 2022, except the gun part. I do not own one. 

PRE-ORDER NOW

AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE

BOOKSHOP.ORG

PRESS RELEASE: Shadows of the Seen, from publicist, Lisa Bell, (also named finalist for Rose Warner Prize for Prose)

    

                     

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Inquiries:

Lisa Bell  

Lisa Bell Public Relations for Author Timothy Gager

lisabellpublicrelations@gmail.com

617-304-3836 

Acclaimed Author Timothy Gager to Release 20th Published Work, 

The Shadows of the Seen, on May 14, 2025

Massachusetts-based Gager’s latest thrilling novel is a darkly riveting tapestry 

of characters caught at the intersection of politics, violence, and personal demons; a story 

wrapped in a subtle “whodunit”

Waltham, Mass. –April 14, 2025 – Renowned author Timothy Gager is set to release his latest novel, The Shadows of the Seen, on May 14, 2025, in hardcover, followed by a paperback release in June 2025, through Pierian Springs Press. This marks Gager’s 20th published work, solidifying his position as a prolific voice in contemporary fiction and poetry. Told through a nonlinear narrative brimming with raw emotion and incisive dark humor, Gager’s The Shadows of the Seen is a provocative exploration of how one navigates power, personal trauma, and the murky line between right and wrong.

“As my 20th book, The Shadows of the Seen holds special meaning for me,” said Gager. “It’s a novel that explores the blurred lines between what we believe we see and what truly exists beneath the surface. I can’t wait to share it with readers, particularly at this time in our nation’s history and with what our communities are facing in their day-to-day lives when it comes to mental health, gun violence, addiction, and the news of the day.”

 

Through four interlocking storylines, centered on the ambitious politician Candace, the tormented Peter, the luck-driven but troubled Lucky, and the opportunistic Bobby-Joe, Gager delves into the heart of contemporary American struggles, from gun control and mental health to personal responsibility and redemption. Candace’s drive for power collides with her conscience after a tragic school shooting, forcing her to confront her closely guarded past and shifting ideals. Peter battles anxiety and blackouts, lurking on the edge of violence as he grapples with hidden rage. Lucky’s seemingly good fortune cracks under addiction, brain lesions, and an ideology that his life is no longer worth living.  Meanwhile, Bobby-Joe seizes every opportunity to amplify his political standing, revealing a chilling disconnect between ambition and morality.

The Shadows of the Seen is poised to captivate both longtime fans and new readers alike, offering an intricate and thought-provoking journey into the hidden dimensions of human experience. “With topics and challenges in the novel reflecting reality in some cases, the following Meet the Author events this spring will be sure to captivate and excite loyal fans and new readers of my works,” added Gager. 

To celebrate the release of The Shadows of the Seen, Timothy Gager will host a Book Reading and Q&A at Brewer’s Tap & Table, 256 Moody Street in Waltham, Mass. 02453 on Saturday, May 10th from 2-4pm. The event will offer refreshments, networking, and a brief but gripping reading from Gager. Special guests and fellow Writers Michael Ansara, DeMisty Bellinger plus Poet and Former State Representative Denise Provost will be in attendance. The Shadows of the Seen will be on sale at the event as well as works from the special guests.

Pre-sale orders for The Shadows of the Seen can be made here: https://timothygager.blogspot.com/2025/04/shadows-of-seen-now-available-for-pre.html

More about the Author

Timothy Gager has been a prominent figure in the literary world, having published 20 books of fiction and poetry, as well as supporting and promoting writers both locally and nationally.. He hosted the acclaimed Dire Literary Series in Cambridge, MA, from 2001 to 2018 and launched a weekly virtual reading series in 2020. His work has been featured in over 1,000 literary publications, earning 18 Pushcart Prize nominations. Additionally, Gager has received nominations for the Massachusetts Book Award, Best of the Web, and The Best Small Fictions Anthology, and his writing has been showcased on National Public Radio.

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Also, this happened today

Well, hello. 

Congratulations from the editors of the Freshwater Review!

Your piece "Cats" has been selected as a finalist for the Rose Warner Prize for prose. This recognition is a testament to the strength of your work, and we are thrilled to celebrate your achievement.

Winners will be announced by the end of the month, and we’ll be in touch with more details then. In the meantime, thank you for sharing your work with us! We’re excited to include it in this year’s issue of the Freshwater Review.

Best Regards,
The Editorial Team of the Freshwater Review

Pleased to appear in The Long-Islander---founded by Walt Whitman

 

The Long-Islander, founded by Walt Whitman in 1838, edited by poet George Wallace has selected anew poem of mine for their pages. Often column inches change line breaks, so below is the intended breaks in the poem. 

Looking Good on the Outside

 This is a more serious post than usual

on some "famous quote" site

There's a certain saying, "Everything looks good on the outside....," 

Yes, the new podcast is a lot of fun, and I have a new book coming out---and it's all feeling like a side-show barker where things go out in the universe yet no one sees what's going on. None of those things are really 'me'. 

I'm not talking politics. 

Things get to me. 

***************************

A friend I care about is suffering. I called out of the blue because I found a flash fiction in one of my folders I'd forgotten about. Upon review it was something sent back and forth in 2013 with this friend, so honestly, I didn't know who wrote it.

So, I called. It had been awhile.

And then I needed to help them. Fuck. Friend was going through withdrawals. Suicidal. Ah, fuck. Had been a fentanyl addict for six years, unknown to me. Talked a bit. Tried to give as much hope as I could. Contracted for safety. 

Then I just wanted to collapse, not move, not weep, but feel all that pain. 

Called the next day with info on a facility which had a bed for greater than 30 days. I still don't know what to do. That's where that stands. 

*************************

Then there was an amazing essay I read from someone else that I guess I'm no longer friends with. My guess. My head. My heart. Hurts. 

Being ghosted by a friend is weird. Nothing terrible or even bad had happened. It makes me feel of little value. The essay was the best thing I've read all year.  

What do I do? Feel sad. Nothing. 

**************************

Someone told me of an app called WeCroak. The app is inspired by a Bhutanese folk saying: To be a happy person, one must contemplate death five times daily. Whatever I'm there, I'm not happy. The app sends you five quotes a day, basically telling you to live your life as if it can end at any time. 

There something to be said about that. 

Maybe, I'm saying it. 

Shadows of the Seen now available for pre-sale

 The hardcover is available for pre-sale. To get this important book in your hands at the first opportunity, and to help get it into the hands of others---thank-you in advance. 

Here are the basic places, but it's up at Ingram so check your locals:

AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE

BOOKSHOP.ORG

The launch party is May 10th, in Waltham, at Brewers Tap and Table---info on the poster

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Also, the 2 deans podcast: Dating, Dread and Disaster are listed in Player-FM Podcasts as Podcasts Worth a Listen in, get this, the category of Best Disaster Podcasts. 

To hear the Pilot episode and FOLLOW or mark it for your library go to this post., which takes you to Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

Episode 2, coming April 8-"The Leg Man" with Guest Lisa Rockwell

===================================================================

Got a good story about a date so disastrous that it's worth retelling. Contact us at TheTwoDeans@gmail.com 

the 2 deans: dating, dread, and disasters DROPPED TODAY on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

This is the Pilot Episode, and after this one, every week, there will be guests telling their dating disaster stories.  So please subscribe and rate. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.   We promise if "you like to laugh", that you'll have a few chuckles. 

Got a disaster dating story? Want to be a guest? Email us at: theTwoDeans@gmail.com

PILOT EPISODE SHOW NOTES

===========================================

Theme music for the 2 Deans provided by Delawares Aspartame Daddies

==============================================

The 2 Deans explain the reason for their name, and Dean goes on a date with a man who abandoned his children and went from the “High Life” to a low life. 

=============================================

In their naming story, the Dean who is noted is Dean Wilson, who played for this band Honour Society in Wilmington, Delaware. 

======================================

Brought to you by Oddball Foundation

Dean 1

Dean 2

Dean Wilson

Spread the Word: I'm hosting a podcast. THE 2 DEANS PODCAST: Online Dating, Dread and Disaster

 

GOT A STORY?   LET US KNOW

Each week, starting very soon (on Spotify and Apple), we will talk, and laugh about YOUR worst dating disasters, in a weekly 30-minute podcast. Contact US at thetwodeans@gmail.com if you can talk for 15 minutes about your bad date---the funnier or most outrageous the better. 

Dean and I met (before we started calling each other Dean) at a party at the University of Delaware. Then the next week at the Deer Park, I accidently burned her finger with a cigarette. From that point on we laughed at everything. 

Why do we call each other Dean, and why is the podcast called The 2 Deans? Tune in to Episode One and find out! 

Thanks to the Oddball Foundation for producing and partnering. 

WARNING: Shadows of the Seen deals with relevant, very difficult issues

 

Just this second, I googled shooter opened fire and four mass shootings instantly (try it).  It's why the subject matter in my next novel is relevant and important.  Look for the pre-sale of Shadows of the Seen. 

"Timothy Gager weaves a narrative story that is entertaining and addresses the gun crisis in our country. Politicians, lobbyists, and our mental health system are shown to need a cleansing in Gager's most recent work. "

--Barbara Legere, Author of Keven’s Choice, and Talk to Me, I’m Grieving

 

"Guns don't kill people, people kill people." However, as Timothy Gager's nasty little parable demonstrates, the people who kill people are the very people who should not have access to firearms. In case you've been living under a rock and the national carnage has escaped your notice, it's just too easy for a lunatic to get a gun.

-Gregory Gibson, Author of Gone Boy and other books https://goneboy.com/

 

“Timothy Gager is a writer who has written about gun violence as it needs to be written. He goes past the quick “post” or “reel” that we see after each shooting that we hear about in the news. We get the sound, the smell, the feel of what gun violence leaves behind. Sometimes, it hurts to read his words, but then again, it hurts to be the victim of gun violence, so get over it and read on. We can’t imagine the pain, but Timothy can. “Big men, big guns, big egos to fill, they don’t even need a reason, got a license to kill…”  from my song “Standing Your Ground””.

-Kemp Harris, Songwriter, Actor and Storyteller

 

I have a poem out today in the beautiful "Ink In Thirds" Magazine

 

ink in thirds is a beautiful publication, a glossy magazine of literature and photography. It is one of the most beautiful out there. The photography is often breathtaking, and appears next to nearly every piece. Some of the pictures below come from the free sample.

To preview the first 30 pages, of 125, you can follow the links below

• https://inkinthirds.org/vol-6-i-1/  (webpage with features)
• see a digital preview (view the first 30 pages for free)
• Vol. 6, Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2025  (purchase copies)

Get it now! 

• Print copies are $29.50 and include a free digital download. 
• Digital-only copies are $3.33. 

    My poem, Losses, is not in the preview section, (since it's on page 107) but it is posted above. The story behind the story was a recent bonding over a shared loss, under a shared circumstance, but the sharing only brought us closer to grief rather than comfort. The second half of the piece is about an earlier loss in my life, and the non-bonding with a therapist during the aftermath. 

 

Briar Haus Writes, Becky Parker interviews me today

 

Briar House Writes is a group is dedicated to being a safe space for those who write stories and poems or who love a good tale! Members can share submission opportunities and your own successes.  Becky Parker runs it and she interviewed me a month or so ago, and it appears out in the world today!

At the 11:00 mark I talk about the new novel Shadows of the Seen and read from it. 

  And, no, I'm not howling at the moon. 

New Poem, "Where to Look for Deceased Parents" appears today in Literary Underground

 The story behind the narrative poem, Where to Look for Deceased Parents is pretty self-explanatory, but the bigger news is that I'm working on a new themed manuscript of poetry tentatively called, These New Orbs.  The theme is 'orbs' , any and all types---shapes, ghosts, ornaments, stars, eyeballs, spirits seen in photographs etc. 

  Also, I'm submitting more in 2025 because, well, just because. I've had five accepted pieces published this year, and four more accepted and not out in the world yet. 

  CLICK TO READ text in The Literary Underground. Grateful to Michele McDannold for looking at it. 

The Bagels with the Bards Anthology is out, and I'm happy to have three poems in it.

       

        I have three new poems in the Bagels with the Bards, their 17th Edition and annual compilation, which commemorates and honors Krikor der Hohannesian (pictured on the cover). The Bagel Bards is a group of poets that meets every Saturday in Somerville, which now, I rarely go to, but in the past went to often. 

THE STORY BEHIND THE POEMS*

1) Sill-is a four line word-play on love.

2) The Ordinary-Is a salute to an ordinary day, a Sunday morning with the paper, and coffee. Since has been revised and called Extraordinary

3) The Uninvited Dance-Is about going to a wedding without a 'plus one'. The last few weddings of been to with my children and their partners we make fun of the MCs at weddings and their announcement of, "For the first time ever...Mr. and Mrs. _____," which we take to the level of announcing for ourselves, "For the first time ever, Chicken Cardon Blue!" or "For the first time ever, the table placards!"  You get the drift. Below is the complete Table of Contents, and click HERE if you are interested in purchasing. 

1. 
   
   
   
   

An Issue behind in 10-by-10, time to catch up.

 

I tend to be forgetful of late, but upon Zvi Sesling's announcement of the release of 10-by-10, Flash Fiction Stories #25 today I was excited to see who I was in there with. 

And I wasn't in there. 

Editors can be forgetful too.

But not in this case. 

Upon further review, On To The Next Thing had been published in late January in Issue #24. Also, in that issue: Matheiu Cailler * Eileen R.Tabios *  Vivian Clausing * Michael Gigandet Tony Press * Phil Temples * Niles Reddick * Cindy Rosmus * Paul Germano.

Keep scrolling if you want to read the story behind the story. 

=========================================================

     

    Now the story behind the story. (Trigger warning for video---the bridge falls down with cars on it.) My flash piece was written right after this event happened, so I placed my character working on The Tobin Bridge in Boston waiting for HIS ship to come in.  As cars pass, without falling in he hears on their radio lyrics from a Taylor Swift song.  To be honest, my thinking was that by the time this story was published, Taylor and Travis would no longer be an item. I was wrong. As of Feb., 19, 2025, they are still going strong. Also I poke fun at betting apps, as per the story.

 You can bet Kelcie will catch a pass in the first quarter. You can bet that Tay and Tra. are finished by the time it takes to read this. 

So, read up, and a warning---the time it takes is less than two minutes.