WOW! I got a SPECIAL BIRTHDAY BIRD at the feeders this morning (it’s my birthday today)! This is a male house finch, but he is orange. Why is this special? Well, first of all, I’ve been a Disney Orange Bird freak since I was teeny, BUT…according to All About Birds, “When a bird is molting, its diet will determine the colors of its new feathers. If a diet lacks certain pigments, then a House Finch may end up orange or yellow instead of its usual red.” This makes him rare and special indeed. What a lovely gift! He’s hard to see against the ground so I put hearts around him so he’s easier to spot.
When I was a kid, my parents had people over on New Year’s Eve. Usually, those couples brought their kids, and it was an evening of unsupervised fun in one of the downstairs rooms in our house. We got to eat things like Fritos and Port Wine cheese balls and could stay up as late as we wanted, playing Atari or watching movies.
But my parents looked at New Year’s as little more than the less exciting, not very meaningful finish to the holiday season, and I have to admit I did too, up until I got into my late 20s. Once I moved in with my housemate Charles and started to embark on my writing career and my own life in earnest, we began to mark both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day as something to be celebrated, something special. Over the years, it’s gotten to the point at which, after Christmas Day, I start taking down the decorations and switch those in my home over to “winter,” and New Year’s Eve and Day have a spirit, feel, and magic all their own—it’s a party with friends (virtual for the past few) followed by a full day of rest on the couch, eating fun food and taking in Syfy’s annual The Twilight Zone marathon (and I own them on DVD, so if that ever goes away, I can happily continue that tradition).
Over the past five years, the two days have also taken on a spiritual bent for me. Not only a holiday, but a chance to begin completely anew. I’m not one for “resolutions” and never have been, but I always look at the start of a new year as the chance to reflect on the past year, take stock of things, and set new goals with the idea of “working on it” and not necessarily “completing it” to be successful.
I’ve seen writers socially sharing what they achieved in the past year, and I thought it was a neat idea, because I don’t do that. Not in the sense of a “tally” anyway. Last year’s New Year’s Eve cracker wish for me was SUCCESS, and holy crow, I wasn’t prepared for what that actually meant.
The year was a whirlwind. There are probably some things I forgot—honestly, that’s how awesome this year was—but here we go:
7 polished new short stories
3 new works in progress
29 new story ideas (nothing written yet, no. They go in a file for later).
5 acceptances
2 invitations to submit (successful)
12 story publications
Guest Speaker at 2 College Creative Writing Classes
6 interviews (podcast and print)
9 positive reviews of my stories or projects
2 successful 34 Orchard issue releases
4 panel events
LOL – a tiny photo of me in the New York Times and an interview in the Washington Post
Featured Author for Sirens Call eZine’s Winter 2022 issue
Final selections for anthology I’m co-curating; editing underway now
1 incredible new opportunity I can’t talk about yet
…and 1 film credit! Thanks to my husband Nathan, I got to be an extra on the set of the upcoming horror movie Candlewood. My first time on a movie set, I was nervous as shit, but I had a wonderful time! Whether anyone actually sees anything more of me than my arm or something kinda isn’t the point. That was the experience of a lifetime, and I’m looking forward to this summer’s release.
A heartfelt thanks to everyone who has always supported my work! It’s safe to say the last few years have been chaotic no matter who you are, and who doesn’t look forward to pushing the “reset” button?
We wish you a joyful, productive 2023, and I hope all your hopes, wishes, and dreams come true!
I’ve always been a fan of dark rides—especially ones that are a little more bizarre. I created a whole theme park full of them based on different types of human sacrifice in my short story, “Incident at Dark Acres,” which you can read here in The Smoking Poet, Winter 2010-2011 Issue #17 (scroll down page to read story). https://thesmokingpoet.tripod.com/winter201011/id12.html
Last Thanksgiving, I was up very early. A couple of days before, I’d discovered the Holiday World Theme Park in Santa Claus, Indiana, with what looks like a fantastic dark ride called “The Gobbler Getaway.” In it, guests have to “shoot” turkeys that have escaped so the pilgrims can serve them for Thanksgiving Dinner. How had I not ever heard of this?
The Gobbler Getaway Attraction at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana.
I let my brain wake up with coffee as I watched the ride through, and it’s as crazy as it sounds—crazy in that wonderful way that makes me want to take a road trip.
Not awake yet? Take a five minute break and enjoy a Full POV ride-through on “The Gobbler Getaway.” Holiday World’s official ride-through video is here: https://youtu.be/6WioF1rlMCQ, but if you want to get an extended close-up and see the turkeys actually popping out, you can check out Adventures by D’s episode on the attraction here: https://youtu.be/48s_rmCq1PY
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, from our house to yours!
Krissi, Charles, Nathan and Mikey the cat, as well as a host of winter back yard birds
The holidays are around the corner—and I’m posting this now so that, if you’ve got a writer in your life and you choose some of the more time-consuming or ordered gifts on this list, you’ve got time to make or get them before the days arrive.
As a writer, I get showered with lots of wonderful gifts related to my profession. There are always the obvious choices: journals, mugs, pens. If you don’t want to give your friend another journal, mug, or pen? Here are some Read the rest of this entry →
Nathan (my husband) bought me this costume last year, but my day job office was in the middle of moving, so I never got the opportunity to wear it. Better late than never!
If you’ve not chosen your diet-busting treat, I recommend these!
If you’ve not chosen a spooky read, I recommend anything by Poe—but how about something uncommon, like “The Oval Portrait,” which you can find online here: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~Hyper/POE/oval.html
…and here’s the link to Google Doodle’s The Great Ghoul Dual Halloween Game, which they brought back from 2018 for 2022!: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl
And if you’ve not chosen your scary watch, I recommend episode #8 of del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities series, “The Murmuring,” which is a classic ghost story that’s the most unique I’ve seen in a while. That’s on Netflix right now. Don’t have Netflix? Rent yourself The Woman in Black.
We had some pretty crazy rain storms out here on the Cape last night, and afterward, there was a rainbow and an amazing sky. My friend and fellow writer Angi and I went up on the roof deck to get a better look, and before our eyes, the rainbow got darker, full-arched, and became a double. I felt the promise of something new and awesome coming into my life!
Later on, in celebration of Angi finishing her novel, we went for a night walk on the beach.
Last night was the night I spend every Cape Cod Writer’s Retreat waiting for: special and magical. There’s always one, and this time, last night was it.
I am not a good photographer. The sky just did this for me. It almost reminded me of something volcanic.
Angi is an amazing artist, but she’s also great with a camera. She was able to get a panorama and get the whole rainbow (to clarify: Angi took this; I didn’t).
Trisha’s lamp to guide our return spot was awesome. The one we had last year was so dim we couldn’t see it.
Obviously someone just pulled this boat out of the water for the night or whatever, but in the dark, in the glow of the lamp, beached, it was creepy.
This not-very-outdoor girl was very proud of herself that she wore a bunch of layers and socks and boots so she wasn’t cold. Fair attribution: my husband made me pack my boots. Because he is awesome.
Now that I have a new phone I’m DEFINITELY getting this app. I’ve been jealous of Trisha’s for like a year.
These are porcupine tracks. AWWWWW. Little porcupines looking for food!! So cute!!!!
This is my favorite beach house mug, although I always bring my own.
I leave Friday for the annual writer’s retreat at the beach house in Cape Cod with five other talented writers, and I couldn’t be more excited! I’ll be there until 9/23.
While last year was incredible, I have to admit that the focus was mostly on my enjoyment of the great outdoors and getting some rest and social time. This year? The focus will be completely different. I have tons of stuff to catch up on: the Wicked Sick anthology, outstanding 34 Orchard business, website/blog/general writing practical-end catch-up, blog posts, the NEHW classes I’ll be teaching, Bad Apple’s 10th anniversary release, some reading… and some writing. Maybe. My list is pages long. Way more than I can get done in eight days. But I’m going to do my best!
And, with any luck, the weather will be such that I can get some daily beach time in.
A little whirlwind tour of my experience at NecronomiCon Providence 2022. Enjoy! There are links at the end of the gallery for anything you might wish to know about further.
Every General Pilgrimage Pass comes with an amazing program full of fiction, poetry, interviews and art. These are gorgeous and make for wonderful reads as well as great collector’s items. I also liked the COVID comfort-level stickers for our badges. Masks were required at all indoor events, but this avoided any conversation—you just glanced to see if someone was green, orange, or red. This was a GENIUS way to keep people comfortable without tainting the atmosphere or bogging each other down in pandemic conversation and allowed everyone to focus on the subject at hand. Applause.
The junior suite! This proved to be a fantastic home away from home; Kristina and I would convene during the day, pull out our journals, and compare notes on the panels/academic presentations we attended. Those moments were some of my favorites at the con. I love going to cons where I can take notes and learn things. And, of course! We had our share of social gatherings in the living room in the evenings.
Hangin’ with the Maine contingent! Top, Michele (who owns Portland, Maine’s amazing THE GREEN HAND BOOKSHOP!) and my childhood bud Kristina. Lower left, me and Brandon Kawashima, who was the featured artists for 2019’s NECRONOMICON and is also a Staff Contributing Artist for 34 ORCHARD. Lower right, me and Kristina—roomies. We often joke about making great room sharers. We’ve known each other since we were six, so…yeah, a lot of sleepovers as kids. There’s just something very sister-like and easy about sharing a room with her.
The New England Horror Writers table in the Grand Emporium of the Weird (otherwise known as the vendor’s room). More stock was added to it as the weekend progressed as more writers showed up to vend.
New England Horror Writers board members: Scott Goudsward, who is absolutely the genius guru of running all of the vending tables for members at shows, Trisha J. Woodridge, and me. This might look like I did work. I didn’t. They did it all. It was done by the time I got there. That said, those two thrive on this stuff!
At the NEHW vendor table, copies of Grinning Skull Press’ COLOUR OUT OF DEATHLEHEM—their 2021 Christmas benefit anthology which opens with my story, “Feeding the Babies”—sold out. Since I paid full price for all of those copies, all of that money went to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDs foundation, and I’ve set aside this cash to buy more copies so there’s another donation. I’m very, very happy about that.
A bunch of us get ready to set off for the ARS NECRONOMICA Art Show, Necro’s exclusive weird art exhibit. From left, Jack Cullen, Scott Goudsward, Gevera Bert Piedmont, K.H. Vaughan, and Bert’s husband Will.
As at every art show, things speak to me. There were several at this year’s ARS NECRONOMICA Art Show, Necro’s exclusive weird art exhibit, which this year was held at AS220 (I took classes there 30 years ago, so that was a nice trip down memory lane!). I love this. Nick Gucker’s I WANT TO BURN AGAIN talks to me about the stupid things you do over and over again because they make you feel good—even though they destroy you. Boy… do I know THAT dance!
There’s probably no art more appropriate for my collection than this fabulous weird volcano piece, TERRAFORMONAUT, by Rodger Binyone. I didn’t buy it because it’s paper, and I honestly don’t have a glass case to display it in and keep it safe. Otherwise, I would’ve brought this baby home.
Hey, it’s just not Necro without visiting the Haven Bros Diner for fries and shakes! I don’t eat that much anymore, so I only made it over here one time, but OH THOSE FRIES!
THIS is what I’d been waiting for—Narragansett’s limited edition beer for this year’s con. “Colour Out of Space” is my very favorite Lovecraft story for many reasons. I’ve special memories of seeing the Nicholas Cage film in Providence, I was thrilled to have my story “Feeding the Babies” in the Grinning Skull Press anthology COLOUR OUT OF DEATHLEHEM, and now here’s this cool beer! This grapefruit IPA not only had the coolest label art ever, it was light, refreshing, and delicious.
Clowning around at THE PARTY UNDER THE STARS, a kick-off street party with bands, food, and … beer.
It was a beautiful night in Providence. A shoes-off, camp out on the sidewalk kinda night.
Part of the reason NECRONOMICON is in August every year is because HPL’s birthday is August 20.
I had a bucket list of people I wanted to meet for the first time or see—and the passionate, do-it-all folks at the HP Lovecraft Film Festival were high on my list. Pre-pandemic, they were only doing the event live out in Portland, Oregon. Being a lover of short film, I was always bummed I could never afford to go all the way to the west coast to do it—but then the pandemic happened, and they streamed, so I got to “go”! They did a hybrid in 2021, and they’re doing a hybrid this year. Of course, I visited their vendor table prepared. I wanted to get the BEST OF 2020 collection, and had deliberately waited to buy it in person.
My microfictions, “Ghosts on the Sand” and “Dominion” were winners in the HP Lovecraft and Cthuluthon’s micro fiction contests and were published in these cute little books full of great writing everyone should own… and here they were on their vendor table (they were turned over to show the other half of the book—the CHALLENGE FROM BEYOND—but I flipped them over just so I could get a photo for my scrapbook. Then I put them back the way they were).
Remember that bucket list? Gwen of the HP Lovecraft Film Festival was on it (AND YES, I was a very embarrassingly behaved fan girl, I’m sure). She and Brian do such an incredible job of running this huge, and very exciting, event. I also attended a panel she moderated on cosmic film. It was informative and I learned (as I always do at Necro) so much good stuff!
Yay! Me and writer Lauren Elise Daniels! We’ve shared more than one ToC together—including GENERATION X-ED and the upcoming OUT OF TIME: TRUE PARANORMAL ENCOUNTERS. We started corresponding (a native Rhode Islander, she now lives in Australia), love each other’s work, and couldn’t wait to meet! Her book, SERPENT’S WAKE: A TALE FOR THE BITTEN, is plain awesome. She was also a paranormal investigator, and I plan on featuring at least one of her eloquently-written true encounters stories in 34 ORCHARD, because…oh my God, what a treat that will be for our readers!
Woo hoo!! I met Anne and Kevin at the Eldritch Ball at Necro 2019, and we’ve been looking forward to partying together again ever since! WE FINALLY HOOKED UP IN THE VENDOR ROOM!! From left, Anne, Kevin, me, and Kristina.
Ogimos is an awesome artist, and I’ve met him at a couple of cons in the past (many years ago). It was great to see him again. He did the cover for the New England Horror Writer’s anthology, WICKED CREATURES, which contains my story, “Carving Grace.” Turns out, his friend is dating a friend of mine I’ve known for thirty years, who appeared as a character in “Carving Grace.” Talk about coincidence! So this was a very special meet-up.
Me and Ogimos
Ogimos did the cover for WICKED CREATURES.
Just before my reading, Kristina and I did some shopping. I came across this necklace—the artist had lots of hearts, but this one was special because of the dinosaur fossil inside. The story I was reading involves dinosaur ghosts, so I JUST HAD TO HAVE THIS! The artist’s shop is called Hibernacula.
Shot this just before my reading on Friday, August 19—the truth? I was hungover, and I have a lazy eye that was corrected, so it only sometimes presents itself when I’m tired, anxious, or hungover—and I CAN ONLY SEE IT IN PICTURES. So every time I have a big thing coming up, I take a bunch of selfies to see what’s going with that eye. It was actually looking close to normal here (if it was bad, the right eye’s iris/pupil wouldn’t be near my nose…it’d be floating out in the middle when my head’s turned). My friend Heather convinced me to use this as my headshot for my books going forward for a bit, and I think I might (and honestly? I actually look pretty decent for being hungover…)
Yay! The 3:30 pm New England Horror Writers reading crew! From left, Catherine Grant, Christine Lejewski, and Kevin Lewis.
Nothing’s more beautiful than the city of Providence from the Graduate Hotel’s 3rd Floor veranda on a warm summer night. This was taken during THE OUTER DARK PODCAST’s party.
SURPRISE GUEST ON SATURDAY MORNING! My good ol’ friend Stacey!
One academic presentation I was looking forward to was THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and Lovecraftian Horror.
HWA’s Rhode Island chapter had a reading and release party for their anthology, WE ARE PROVIDENCE. Check out this custom cake!
My friend Lauren Elise Daniels, who co-edited WE ARE PROVIDENCE, introduces the WE ARE PROVIDENCE party.
K.H. Vaughan reads from his short story, “Ghost Catch” at the WE ARE PROVIDENCE release party.
My accessories for the ball ready to go!
Me, Scott Goudsward, and Trisha Wooldridge dressed and ready for the Eldritch Ball. Right now, much to Scott’s chagrin, me and Trisha are threatening to put it in the New England Horror Writers newsletter. We probably will. It’s a cute pic.
The theme of the ball was Poe’s THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, and it was beautifully decorated. That committee in charge spent hours on dressing the room, and wow, did it ever pay off!
The evening’s cocktails. Basically? LIQUOR ON CRACK. Delicious too. I had one of each.
Kevin, Ann, and me, dressed up and ready to party!
The Eldritch Ball’s costumes are always a sight to behold.
From left, Trisha Wooldridge, Necro’s 2022 Poet Laureate Bryan Thao Worra, and Adam Bolivar take a much less serious photo for their group pic after their reading (I have serious ones, but this is pretty awesome).
Wow, what a weekend! I stopped to have a cup of coffee with HWA-CT’s Stephanie (we ALSO met for the first time!) before heading out of Providence and back to Portsmouth to my friend Heather’s, which was twenty minutes away. Yeah…there was NO WAY I was going to make a three hour drive all the way home. I was totally bone-tired. Which is, of course, always the sign of a great con.
My book purchases!
My swag!
What an amazing weekend. See y’all in 2024, NECRO PEEPS!
LINKS
Here are links to things mentioned in the captions, in case you want to check them out!
