Submitted by TJ Poortinga
Village Books in Fairhaven will host author TJ Poortinga for an evening celebrating his novel Electric Orange on Friday, April 17, 2026, at 6 p.m. The event will feature a reading, an audience Q&A, and a book signing, bringing a timely work of psychological and speculative fiction to one of Bellingham’s most beloved literary gathering places.
Electric Orange offers suspense, emotional depth, and a clear-eyed take on the forces shaping American life. Poortinga blends psychological mystery, the speculative elements of alternate history, and dark-humored satire to explore paranoia, power, and belief in a near-familiar America.
“I’m thrilled to be in Bellingham. Village Books was an inspiration for me as a young writer. For over a decade, my mom lived just a few blocksaway, and the bookstore was a sanctuary.”
The event is open to the public, and registration is required to reserve a seat here.
An evening at Village Books built for readers who like smart, propulsive fiction
Electric Orange is a novel driven by the creeping dread of not knowing who—or what—to trust. It follows characters navigating a near-familiar America where private obsessions collide with public narratives. It’s psychological fiction with an edge, delivering a narrative that moves quickly while still asking big questions.
The story’s satire doesn’t make light of serious things; rather, it attempts to make the serious things easier to see. Though set in 2012, Electric Orange readers will recognize some of the emotional patterns we’re living with right now: suspicion, certainty-seeking, outrage, and the quiet exhaustion underneath all of it.
Why Bellingham readers may connect with Electric Orange
Western Washington readers may feel an extra layer of connection to Electric Orange because the novel is rooted in the Puget Sound—using familiar shorelines, ferry routes, and rain-soaked streets as more than a backdrop.
About Electric Orange
When Pieter Verboom has a nervous breakdown on national television, the last thing he expects is to become a populist icon. But when his ironic rant is taken literally by America’s fringe, he’s hailed as the architect of a movement he wants nothing to do with.
About TJ Poortinga
Raised among dairy farmers in an immigrant enclave of Washington State, Poortinga was groomed for the ministry and trained accordingly. Instead of joining the clergy, he taught high school for two years, then became a ghostwriter for a world-famous evangelist before making a dramatic break from the movement. His work is boldly cinematic and unexpectedly tender, pulsing with the energy of a fever dream.
Event details
What: TJ Poortinga — Electric Orange (reading, audience Q&A, and signing)
When: Friday, April 17, 2026 — 6 p.m.
Where: Village Books (Fairhaven), Bellingham, WA
Admission: Open to the public; registration required to reserve a seat
Book: Electric Orange will be available for purchase at Village Books.
