A normally sweet shop turned scary at Caramel Crisp’s second-annual “Little Bookshop of Horrors.” To celebrate the spooky season, the cafe and bookstore hosted the event on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12. This event featured local authors, unique bookstore products, tarot readers, and more. Anyone with a passion for the spirit world, horror, and all things creepy-crawly was welcomed. On Saturday, guests had the opportunity to meet tarantulas, lizards, and snakes provided by a fellow community member. On Sunday, the event was more writer-oriented, with opportunities to meet published authors and a developmental editor.

The event was first brought into existence in 2024 by Caramel Crisp Bookstore manager Jennifer Frank, who specializes in coordinating author meet-and-greets throughout the year.

“I really like the spooky, steampunk-y Halloween vibe, and I wanted to host something fun in the bookstore around that,” she said. “Then I thought that ‘Little Bookshop of Horrors’ was a great name. So, actually, the name came first. I kind of invented the rest of the event around that.”

Getting to showcase local authors is an important part of Frank’s job—and it helps that it’s also the aspect that she enjoys the most.

“My favorite part is the authors. There are so many cool authors that are local. Most people don’t realize how many good authors there are right in the Oshkosh area,” she said.

In a time when most of the public doesn’t often go out to learn about artists in the area, Frank believes events like this are important to draw attention to those who may not be recognized otherwise.

“After COVID, people aren’t out and about as much as they used to be,” she said. “But there are a lot of artists who rely on people coming out to see them out at public events, because their art kind of depends on that.”

“The Little Bookshop of Horrors” had a rotating list of authors who came to the event to speak to guests and display their work. This list included Erika Block, an author of gothic fiction, and a first-time Caramel Crisp visitor.

“The store reached out to me for a prior event. I guess someone mentioned to them that they should get me down here, but I wasn't available. So, they called me again for this event and I came down to check it out. It's my first time here,” she said.

Block appreciated the wide variety of books that exceeded her expectations, enhancing her experience at Caramel Crisp.

“I wasn't expecting how expansive it is and how many different sections they have, and the little oddities corner,” she said. “I love all the owls and how they've decorated everything. I'm probably going to spend more time shopping than selling books today.”

A.L. Wilder, another author featured at this event, enjoyed the opportunity to reach out to those who know her from various social media platforms

“It’s been really nice getting to talk to people. I have a pretty good TikTok following and it’s nice to see when people come in. They’re like, ‘Hey, we follow you on TikTok,’” she said.

Wilder focuses on memoirs and romance novels, and Carmel Crisp wanted to highlight her newest addition.

“My book The Body Trail came out on Sept. 1, and the store sells it here, so they asked me to come in for the event,” she said.

Some visitors may be nervous to talk to a published author. Julian Greystoke, a developmental editor and author of fantasy, romance, and supernatural novels, hopes to reduce these nerves.

"Events like these are really important for people who are just starting to understand that writers are not some lofty being, sitting on top of a mountain writing books,” she said. “And you could be a writer too!”

Wilder agrees that authors’ events are necessary to make writers more approachable.

“I think that authors or just famous people in general get put on this podium, and we really shouldn’t be,” she said. “We’re just regular people who just want to talk to people, and it’s really nice that people can actually get out and see that.”

by Dania Mian and Kathryn Scheivert

Published November 3, 2025

Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue II

Bookshop of Horror connects readers, authors for spooktacular good time