Monthly Archives: July 2016
5 Ways to Follow Generation Space — Lofty Ambitions Blog
I’m so excited to read this! I took a workshop with Douglas up at the Norman Mailer Writers Colony six years ago, and I’m a big fan of his blog (even though I don’t always have time to read it all).
Generation Space: A Love Story is in production and will be out from Stillhouse Press in February 2017. We’re excited! 5 ways to follow the book and the two of us: Twitter @GenerationSpace @GenerationSpaceToo Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GenerationSpaceToo Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Anna-Leahy/e/B001JP2FR6 http://www.amazon.com/Douglas-R.-Dechow/e/B00UO6JY2A Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/15274667.Anna_Leahy http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/14254395.Douglas_R_Dechow Our Websites (the book website is coming soon!) http://amleahy.com http://douglasdechow.com BONUS: The Blog (right […]
via 5 Ways to Follow Generation Space — Lofty Ambitions Blog
Volcano, by Yvonne Weekes
I couldn’t put this down. Beautifully written and wrought with an overwhelming sadness, Weekes’ memoir about Soufriere Hills, a dormant volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat which roared to life in 1995, packs much into few pages.
If you’re looking for Read the rest of this entry
A FRANKENSTEIN of a weekend: Ro-Con 2, Scares that Care
Cons! They are so much fun, but there are so many of them. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to have a choice on the same weekend—like this year; fortunately, it wasn’t hard (and it would have been), because circumstances beyond my control made the choice for me. I’ll be at Ro-Con 2 in Mystic, CT; my Dark Discussions co-hosts will be at Scares that Care in Williamsburg, VA…but at both, we’ll be discussing Frankenstein.
Ro-Con 2 “showcases all that the geeky and creative communities of Southeastern Connecticut have to offer.” The weekend is packed with panels on everything from self-defense and research to costuming and geek dating. The con also includes a writing track.
My schedule (subject to change – this is according to what’s available now) is as follows:
Saturday, Noon: Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading: I’ll be reading something from (probably) my most recently completed soon-to-be-published-in-Dark Passages 2 story “Mujina.” I’m not sure how many of us will be reading, but I know I’m joining the very awesome D.L. Carter!
Saturday, 3 p.m.: Submissions Workshop: Everything you need to know about the right way to submit your short stories to magazines or anthologies. Plenty of hand-outs! (Solo)
Saturday, 5 p.m.: Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Television in the ‘70s and ‘80s: Everything from the Bionic Man’s Bigfoot Episode to Wizards and Warriors and the original Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark! (with Mario DiGiacomo and Ari Alpert)
Sunday, Noon: Stuff Your Stories: Metaphor, simile, theme, motif…all the basics to enrich your story. (Solo)
Sunday, 3 p.m.: Bad Endings: What makes a good ending for a story? That depends. (With Keith R.A. DeCandido and Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert)
The weekend will kick off for me when I’m on the “Lake Geneva, 200 Years Later” panel—a discussion of Frankenstein and that summer night during “The Year Without a Summer”—with Mario DiGiacomo and Keith R.A. DeCandido at 10 p.m. on Friday, July 22.
For more information on Ro-Con 2 and to get tickets, visit here: http://ro-con-2.blogspot.com/
Meanwhile, approximately eight hours south at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Williamsburg, VA, the Dark Discussions Team will be paneling “Discussing Frankenstein” at Scares That Care. This third annual 501(c)(3) event is completely for the benefit of families with ill children or women with breast cancer; according to their website, to date they’ve donated over $100,000 to various organizations.
The Scares That Care Weekend has something for everyone: a 5K race, celebrity appearances, writer readings, film showings, zombie hunts, panels, seminars…you name it, they’ve got it. The Dark Discussions crew will have a table and raffle off items to help raise money for the cause, and co-hosts Eric, Mike, Phil, and Patrick Lacey’s “Discussing Frankenstein” panel will take place from 11 a.m. – Noon on Saturday, July 23. Philip and Patrick will also be reading from their work at some point during the weekend.
Find out more about Scares That Care—and get the weekend’s complete schedule of offerings—here: http://scaresthatcareweekend.com/
If you’re in or near either of these events, stop in and say hello. And if not? I hope you have one happy Frankenstein of a weekend!
Short Story Sunday: A Perfect Day for Bananafish, J.D. Salinger
A Perfect Day for Bananafish, J.D. Salinger
This story of a man just returned from the Army on a vacation with his wife is probably the first I’d ever read in which I didn’t see
DO WE HAVE ENOUGH FIREWORKS?
…that answer is probably not…we like to “pretend” we’re watching Wishes at the Magic Kingdom…
Hunting for Ghosts: Real or Otherwise Pix!
Nathan and I spent our Saturday at Annie’s Book Stop in Worcester, MA, giving presentations as part of their Hunting for Ghosts: Real or Otherwise event. I talked about the nature of the ghost story (and how to go about writing one) and Nathan discussed paranormal investigation and the occult. We had a nice turnout and met some interesting people…and it was fun to present at the same event together, because that rarely happens. Here are a few photos.
Sometimes these events are more about fun than they are about the event itself…
Home
Developing Your Eye #1
For today’s assignment, we were asked to take a photo of what we consider to be “home.” Whenever I think of “home,” I think of the desk in the office in my house where I write. The room is always messy because there are more projects than just writing going on in here–plus it’s my “dressing room” since it’s where my closet is–but on a day off, especially when it’s snowy or rainy, this is my favorite place to be. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “home?”
“Mujina” slated for DARK PASSAGES II: THE BLACK HIGHWAY
So I can finally announce this…my story “Mujina” will appear in Dark Passages 2: The Black Highway from Skinwalker Press.
Set in Maui, “Mujina” centers on a woman struggling with her loss of identity after a car crash leaves her lame and with permanent damage to her eyesight and memory…until she buys a painting of the Hana Highway.
I’ll be sharing the table of contents with some excellent people: Mj Preston, Jon Michael Kelley, B.e. Scully, Kyle Rader, Patrick Lacey, Gregory Norris, Tony Tremblay, Philip C. Perron, and Cody J. Spagrud!
Here’s the full Read the rest of this entry
Haunting Annie’s Book Stop this Saturday…
There’s nothing that says spooky fun can only happen in October! Nathan and I will be haunting Annie’s Book Stop in Worcester MA this Saturday, July 9, as part of its Ghostbusters, Scarifyers, and Supernatural Sleuths event.
The day will be loaded with activities beginning at 11 a.m.; it will include reading aloud of spooky stories for all ages, broadcast selections of The Scarifyers, and more. I’ll be discussing ghost stories at 3:00 and Nathan will be talking ghost hunting, the occult (and probably Extreme Paranormal) at 5:30 p.m.
Annie’s Book Stop is at 65 James Street in Worcester, MA. For more information, visit Annie’s Book Stop’s website: http://anniesbooksworcester.com/EventsCalendar.html
TRICKS AND TREATS cover revealed!
The cover for Books & Boos Press’ Tricks and Treats: A Collection of Spooky Stories by Connecticut Authors has been released!
Creepy tales by famous Connecticutians Mark Twain, John G. C. Brainard, and Harriet Beecher Stowe will be featured. The Table of Contents will also include my story “Crawl” as well as stories by writers Melissa Crandall, G. Elmer Munson, Ryanne Strong, Stacey Longo, John Valeri, and Dan Foley. Rumor has it the volume will also include Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Giant Wisteria,” which is one of my favorites!
Currently, the release date is slated for September.
