Author Archives: kristipetersenschoonover
34 ORCHARD ISSUE 10 IS HERE!
This issue plunges into the cavern of feeling forlorn, lost, and left behind; sasquatches, mermaids, street dwellers, siblings and jobseekers watch as the world chugs on without them. But although abandonment may feel like a death knell, we shouldn’t underestimate its positive power: a woman seeks justice, a grieving spouse turns grateful, and a mother finds strength.
If you’re feeling forgotten as the grayer days of autumn darken into winter, 34 Orchard’s Autumn 2024 issue may offer the camaraderie and light you seek. Get your copy at https://34orchard.com/issues/issue-10/ today!
Once again, the ToC:
Cover Art: Between Worlds – Sonali Roy
Attn Attn – Nichole Lightner
Connection – Yash Seyedbagheri
Things We Did on the Internet – Beth Boylan
Dolphin – T.L. Antoff
Medium Fries – Jilian Elisabeth
When I Scramble Eggs – Jacqueline Jules
Our Parents’ Children – Mia Scattergood
Shantytown – Gordon Linzner
The Day After – Claire Francis Collier
A Stranger in Winter – Rob Francis
The Dark Reflection – Melina Ekic
No Sanctuary – David H. West
Meeting Mary Bloody Thighs in a Convenience Store in Arkansas – Josie Levin
Let Him Roll – Sarah Bradley
When Nature Calls – Craig Thornton
Gardens – Kevin J. Fellows
Mother, Father, Us – Miel MacRae
The Museum – Gregory L. Norris
For Only an Hour – Susan Brush Jonas
Selling the House – Rasha Abdulhadi
Footprint – Kyle E. Miller
Recommended Novel: THE PALEONTOLOGIST
When Simon becomes curator of paleontology at his hometown’s decrepit natural history museum, he’s forced to confront his sister’s disappearance when they were children—an open wound that has infected every corner of his adult life. To make matters worse, he’s haunted by the ghosts of those who’d vanished millions of years before on that very spot. Luke Dumas’ The Paleontologist’s language is lovely, the characters well developed, the single effect perfect and the mystery well meted-out; bonus if you love dinosaurs—journal entries with sketches will feed your mania. I loved this novel, and recommend it to my readers (especially if you like my work or what you read in 34 Orchard) because it’s an elegant, heart-wrenching portrait of what can happen if we spend too much time in the past to escape our present.
Recommended books and films are at my own discretion. They’re not solicited, nor are they paid endorsements.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Our front stoop!
For the past several years, Halloween—the day itself—for me has been about working on any writing project I choose, dressing up in costume, and playing my favorite “Kitty” game on Google Doodle. Last night, Nathan and I went up to our favorite cemetery to watch the sunset and listen to Christopher Lee read Poe’s “The Raven.”
The beginning of sunset at the cemetery.
I love the rose light on the stones.
Nathan took this. It was absolutely gorgeous–like the sky was on fire. Sorry for the low quality; I was in a hurry so I just grabbed it from Facebook.
Today I’m dressing up as Ellie from Jurassic Park. Tonight, we’ll roast pumpkin seeds and watch Vincent Price in Corman’s The Masque of the Red Death.
YES IT’S THE OFFICIAL COSTUME! I’m still battling that crazy illness and still can’t eat, really, so this year, I decided to treat myself. Plus I’m thin enough now to pull it off. Silver linings!
Here are the kitty game links (officially, it’s called Magic Cat Academy) in case you wanna play, too!
See links below!
2016: https://g.co/kgs/1FLM8by
(I wrote the short story, “We’ve Always Been Here.”)
2020: https://g.co/kgs/J84Tsmv
(I was working on Tidings).
2024: https://doodles.google/doodle/halloween-2024/
(I will be working on an untitled short piece and probably the Lake Rites screenplay polish).
Happy Halloween!
My spider pumpkin. Nathan had to finish it for me. He used to do TONS of pumpkins.
Nathan’s pumpkin! I thought this scarecrow was very cute.
Get SCARY this Friday night!
I’m THRILLED to be part of SHOCK WAVES IV: HORROR WRITERS OF NEW ENGLAND on ZOOM this Friday night, October 18, at 7 pm EDT. Presented by the Swansea Free Public Library, I’ll be joined by writing buddies Rob Smales, Trisha J. Wooldridge, K.H. Vaughan, Steve Van Samson, and Scott Goudsward.
This event is free to attend—link to register is below (registration is required so they can send you the Zoom link!) Come get your pre-Halloween scare on with recs for books and movies for the season and so much more!
To register, click HERE.
Announcing 34 ORCHARD’s Autumn 2024 ToC!
The ToC for 34 Orchard Issue #10, Autumn 2024, has arrived!
In our tenth issue, twenty-two artists appreciate the emotional state of post-abandonment. Sasquatches, mermaids, forgotten street dwellers, siblings and jobseekers all feel sadness, longing, and despair. But although abandonment may feel like a death knell, we shouldn’t underestimate its positive power: Sometimes, things are left behind for reasons.
If you’re feeling left behind as the grayer days of autumn darken into winter, 34 Orchard’s Autumn 2024 issue–coming on November 10–may offer the camaraderie and light you seek.
Cover Art: Between Worlds – Sonali Roy
Attn Attn – Nichole Lightner
Connection – Yash Seyedbagheri
Things We Did on the Internet – Beth Boylan
Dolphin – T.L. Antoff
Medium Fries – Jilian Elisabeth
When I Scramble Eggs – Jacqueline Jules
Our Parents’ Children – Mia Scattergood
Shantytown – Gordon Linzner
The Day After – Claire Francis Collier
A Stranger in Winter – Rob Francis
The Dark Reflection – Melina Ekic
No Sanctuary – David H. West
Meeting Mary Bloody Thighs in a Convenience Store in Arkansas – Josie Levin
Let Him Roll – Sarah Bradley
When Nature Calls – Craig Thornton
Gardens – Kevin J. Fellows
Mother, Father, Us – Miel MacRae
The Museum – Gregory L. Norris
For Only an Hour – Susan Brush Jonas
Selling the House – Rasha Abdulhadi
Footprint – Kyle E. Miller
Arrives here https://34orchard.com/issues/ on the 34O issues page on November 10!
MONSTERS IN THE MILLS in Westerly RI this Saturday!
Super excited to announce that Saturday, September 28, at 7 p.m., I’ll be at the UNITED THEATRE in Westerly, RI for a spooky book talk and signing for Monsters in the Mills with my ToC buddies and friends Jessica Wick, Ricardo Rebelo, Errick Nunnally, Christa Carmen, Brennan LaFaro, possibly Steven Belanger and there are rumors a couple more might show up!
Tickets are just $5 and it’s the perfect way to get a little Halloween flirt-on before the season OFFICIALLY begins!
Get tickets here: https://unitedtheatre.org/shows/monsters-in-the-mills-author-talk/
Here’s the book’s trailer, made by awesome contributor Ricardo Rebelo: https://youtu.be/Xey0BHFMQh8?si=IPjvfcDBaPQCC-S9
Recommended film: STOPMOTION
There were several enticing trailers on the DVD Late Night with the Devil that I’d purchased, but the one that looked the most fresh and original was called Stopmotion—about a struggling stop motion filmmaker who suddenly is confronted with her creations coming to life.
I’m going to be spoiler-free, here; this movie is excellent, and for those who enjoy what we publish in 34 Orchard, this is most likely for you.
This is a quiet little film, but where it excels is in its Read the rest of this entry
Time for the H.P. LOVECRAFT FILM FESTIVAL—tickets (virtual and live) are here!
THE KICKSTARTER FOR THE H.P. LOVECRAFT FILM FESTIVAL & CTHULUTHON 2024 IS NOW LIVE! This year’s theme is Dunwich Harvest Festival and includes several hours of short and feature-length films, Q&A’s with filmmakers, and panel presentations.
The virtual option—happening on a computer or phone near you!—is from October 18-22, while the in-person option at the historic Hollywood Theater in Portland, OR is October 4-6.
Link is here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hplffpdx/h-p-lovecraft-film-fest-and-cthulhu-con-harvest-in-dunwich
One of the big honors for me this year is that I was asked to participate in this year’s Challenge from Beyond, which will be published in the annual Microfiction Contest Winners volume! If you get your tickets through Kickstarter, the book is one of the add-ons!
The Kickstarter only runs through September 22nd, so be sure and hurry and get your package and exclusive goodies now! YES, TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE after the Kickstarter, but why wait? You can only get the goodies through the Kick, folks! If you DO decide to wait, be sure to sign up for their mailing list so you know when they’re available: https://hplfilmfestival.com/
And…we’re off! HPLFF CHALLENGE FROM BEYOND 2024
I’m thrilled and honored to announce I was invited to participate in the 10th anniversary of the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival’s CHALLENGE FROM BEYOND! I was assigned to kick off this round robin-style piece*, and I’ve officially—as of yesterday—completed my contribution and have passed the baton to Andrew S. Fuller. After him will be Molly Tanzer, Maxwell Marais, and Wendy Wagner!
The working title for this story is “Questionable Morel”—but it could, possibly, change. Either way—it’ll be published as the flipside of Lovecraftian Microfiction Volume 10, coming this fall/winter. I’ll keep y’all posted when you can pick it up—and watch this space for info on getting your streaming tickets for the HP Lovecraft Film Festival!
These volumes make fabulous cosmic Christmas gifts. If you’re interested in past volumes (many are out of print—these are limited edition), the ones that are left available on their site are Vol. 9 (which contains my microfiction, “Independence”) and Vol. 8 (which contains my microfiction, “Sea Legs”). The CHALLENGE FROM BEYOND 2015 and 2016 editions are also still available (but there may not be many copies). You can get those books HERE: https://arkhambazaar.com/books/
*In writing, a round robin means one writer pens a section, then passes it to another writer to write section 2, and so on. Most people know what a round robin is, but I figured just in case.
Back to School: Upcoming Can’t-Miss Writing Classes from Almond, ASF
Lately I’ve been feeling restless and wanting to take some writing classes—we all know that, as writers, not only is it like having homework for the rest of our lives, we’re never done learning.
I’ve signed up for Steve Almond’s Almond Joy: A Trio of Classes to Kickstart Your Writing courses at Writing Co-Lab below, and wanted not only to share the opportunity out there with my followers (many of you are writers), but also to tell you that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND his new book—Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow: A DIY Manual for the Construction of Stories.
No matter where you are in your writing career, I can guarantee you’ll find something Read the rest of this entry
