BEVERLY — Beverly native Paul Tremblay is no stranger to Copper Dog Books. But when he walked into his hometown bookstore for his latest visit last week, he arrived with a new distinction — New York Times best-selling author.
Tremblay’s new novel, “Horror Movie,” debuted at 13th on the New York Times hardcover fiction best-seller list this month. One of his final stops on a national tour to promote the book was Copper Dog Books on downtown Cabot Street.
“I love this store so much,” he said.
Tremblay was already a highly regarded horror author before making the best-seller list. He has won top prizes like the Bram Stoker Award, had one of his books turned into a movie by M. Night Shyamalan, and has drawn praise from no less than Stephen King.
Another of his books, “A Head Full of Ghosts,” which is set in Beverly, is also under consideration for a movie. Filmmakers recently came to Beverly to check out the house on Echo Avenue where Tremblay grew up.
But for someone who still works as a high school math teacher, landing a spot on the New York Times best-seller list marked a new, and emotional, high. After signing copies of “Horror Movie” for about 50 fans at Copper Dog Books, Tremblay said he “teared up a little bit” when he first heard the news.
“It’s very humbling,” he said. “It did feel like the culmination of a lot of years of work. My first novel came out in 2009. I don’t think many writers have 15 years of work before they get on the New York Times best-seller list.”
Tremblay’s appearance at Copper Dog Books drew a capacity crowd. He talked about “Horror Movie” with author David Baillie, answered questions from the audience, then signed copies of the book and posed for pictures with readers.
Beverly residents Adriane Lee-Woo and Patty Flaherty Pagan said they are both horror readers and big fans of Tremblay.
“Whenever he’s around I come to see him,” Lee-Woo said. “He’s always fun to listen to.”
“He’s very literary and cerebral and at the same time very scary,” added Flaherty-Pagan.
Fans like George Ranson didn’t need The New York Times to tell them how good Tremblay is. Ranson, who drove from his hometown of Hull to see Tremblay at Copper Dog Books, literally has a wing in his house devoted to the author.
Ranson took out his cell phone and showed a photo of the room that includes a gold plaque on the wall that says “Paul Tremblay wing.” The room has 83 copies of Tremblay’s books, including many in foreign languages. There’s also a large poster of Tremblay on the wall and a quote from King praising him.
“He writes differently than everyone else,” Ranson said of Tremblay. “He’s very unique. When I read those stories it really feels like he’s written them for me.”
Tremblay had been on a tour that took him to Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco, Portland, Denver, Seattle and Concord, New Hampshire, so the stop in Beverly felt like a homecoming.
In the audience were his parents, Paul and Kathy, and several other familiar faces. Tremblay, who now who lives in Stoughton with his wife and two children, graduated from Beverly High School in 1989.
His ties to Copper Dog Books run deeper than author visits. During the pandemic, Copper Dog co-owner Meg Wasner, personally delivered books to his mother at her Beverly home.
“They’re a community bookstore and they’re here to be part of the community,” Tremblay said. “I will always support Copper Dog Books as long as it’s here.”
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.