October is the perfect time to curl up with a suspense thriller, and Pittsburgh-based J.D. Barker offers exactly that. His work incorporates elements of horror, crime, mystery, science fiction and the supernatural. On his website, he describes his interest in the genre stemming from a childhood spent imagining what lay behind a bedroom door or lurking down the hall. Barker’s most recent effort, co-written with Dacre Stoker (great grand-nephew of Bram), is a prequel to Dracula inspired by notes and texts left behind by its author. Barker will discuss and sign his book at the Monroeville Half Price Books.