Elizabeth Kostova at Elliott Bay Books

Seattlest has not yet read Elizabeth Kostova's highfalutin' vampire tale The Historian. (Our queue position at the library is still in the triple digits.) We're hoping for a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Neil Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, but we secretly fear that it'll turn out to be more like Anita Blake meets The Da Vinci Code.

Tonight at 7:30, you can visit Elliott Bay Books to either get a preview of the novel or put a voice to what you've read, as Ms. Kostova will be making an appearance. You'll also learn how you can help young people improve their writing skills, because Kostova is also in town to plug 826 Seattle.

If you're reading this and feeling Kostovaless because you're in Portland, never fear -- she'll be appearing tomorrow night at their bibliotopia, Powell's. And they've already asked her a few questions.

And if, like us, you'll be waiting awhile for a free copy of The Historian to land in your lap, we highly recommend whetting your appetite with Kim Newman's excellent Anno Dracula series.