BOOK LAUNCH: Bad Advice

Wed, 15 Apr, 2026 at 07:00 pm UTC-06:00

1302 4 St SW #100, Calgary, AB, Canada, Alberta T2R 0X8 | Calgary

Shelf Life Books
Publisher/HostShelf Life Books
BOOK LAUNCH: Bad Advice
Advertisement
Come for "Bad Advice." Stay for good company, live music, nibbles, bubbles, and PALS therapy dogs as Susan Carpenter reveals her psychological thriller in conversation with Doreen Vanderstoop.
Grab your copy here: https://shorturl.at/duYIB
ABOUT THE BOOK
Tess is used to untangling messy lives—her own included. A therapist in Toronto caught in the grip of a midlife slump, she’s no stranger to emotional fallout. But when a deeply troubled patient named Hal crosses the line, Tess retreats to her idyllic hometown in cottage country, hoping to find peace among familiar faces and quiet lakes. Instead, she finds ghosts. Haunted by memories of her first love and the unresolved grief of her mother’s tragic death, Tess’s return is anything but restful. And when Hal shows up uninvited, her safe haven turns sinister. Soon after, two people are dead—and Tess is at the center of a media firestorm. Branded a villain and watching her career unravel, Tess must confront buried secrets and painful truths that refuse to stay hidden. As suspicion and betrayal close in, she’s forced to choose: protect the people she loves or save herself. To reclaim her future, Tess will have to face the one person she’s never truly understood—herself. But the cost of redemption may be higher than she ever imagined. In Bad Advice, a gripping psychological thriller, trust is a risk, and the wrong choice can be fatal.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan has published short fiction, was longlisted for the CBC nonfiction prize, and writes for and acts on stage and screen. A graduate of Western University and Humber School for Writers, Susan has taught memoir and short fiction. Bad Advice is her first novel. Originally from Midland, Ontario, she now lives in Calgary, Alberta with her husband and their pony-sized rescue therapy dog. When not writing hot mess characters with a spicy dash of humour, Susan can be found on the tennis court, camping in the Canadian wilds, and belting out show tunes. Co-parent to a blended family of five boys, Susan finds inspiration in the beautiful chaos of everyday life.
ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER
Doreen Vanderstoop (she/her) is a Calgary-based writer, storyteller and musician. Her debut novel Watershed was published by Freehand Books in May 2020 and won the Book Publishers Association of Alberta Trade Fiction Book of the Year Award in 2021. Her short fiction has been published by Prairie Fire Magazine, Alexandra Writers’ Centre, Loft 112 and online at Montreal Serai, among others. As a storyteller, Doreen performs folktales, literary adaptations and her own original non-fiction stories at events of all kinds. She intermingles story and song in her performances and leads workshops to inspire in others a passion for story.
Advertisement

Event Venue

1302 4 St SW #100, Calgary, AB, Canada, Alberta T2R 0X8

Tickets

Icon
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Ask AI if this event suits you:

More Events in Calgary

Georgia Swarm at Calgary Roughnecks at Scotiabank Saddledome
Wed, 15 Apr at 06:00 pm Georgia Swarm at Calgary Roughnecks at Scotiabank Saddledome

Scotiabank Saddledome

Changes in Behavior
Wed, 15 Apr at 06:00 pm Changes in Behavior

Alzheimer Calgary Office

 Enclosed Terrarium + Isopods Workshop | Buffalo 9 Brewing
Wed, 15 Apr at 06:30 pm Enclosed Terrarium + Isopods Workshop | Buffalo 9 Brewing

2801 24A St SW, Calgary, AB T3E 1W4, Canada

YYC Trees: Pests & Pruning Information Session
Wed, 15 Apr at 06:30 pm YYC Trees: Pests & Pruning Information Session

Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

Path to Home Ownership with Cali Seitz & Nadeem Tarmo
Wed, 15 Apr at 06:30 pm Path to Home Ownership with Cali Seitz & Nadeem Tarmo

MMG Mortgages

DSP - Death Save Pinball Calgary and Stern Army presents: 6 FAIR Strike Side Tournament
Wed, 15 Apr at 06:55 pm DSP - Death Save Pinball Calgary and Stern Army presents: 6 FAIR Strike Side Tournament

2323 32 Ave NE #125, Calgary, AB, Canada, Alberta T2E 6Z3

Birthing with Intention - April 2026 session
Wed, 15 Apr at 07:15 pm Birthing with Intention - April 2026 session

Dragonfly Maternity

National Canadian Film Day Screening - I Like Movies
Wed, 15 Apr at 07:30 pm National Canadian Film Day Screening - I Like Movies

cSPACE Marda Loop

Jazz Duo by Alex Yaretskyi & Rita Kirieeva
Wed, 15 Apr at 07:30 pm Jazz Duo by Alex Yaretskyi & Rita Kirieeva

GULBAR

HALF DEAD w\/ TOXIC FEM \/ RUBBER CEMENT at THE SHIP
Wed, 15 Apr at 09:00 pm HALF DEAD w/ TOXIC FEM / RUBBER CEMENT at THE SHIP

534 17th ave, sw, Calgary, AB, Canada, Alberta T2S 0B1

Precision in Practice - Co-Designing Safer IV care
Thu, 16 Apr at 08:30 am Precision in Practice - Co-Designing Safer IV care

UCalgary Main Campus, Hunter Student Commons building (HNSC), 4th Floor Collision Space

Calgary is Happening!

Never miss your favorite happenings again!

Explore Calgary Events