Blog Archives
DRINKIN’ THE ABSINTHE: ANTHOCON 2011
To those who don’t live it, there’s something sexy about living the writing life. Thanks to famous (or infamous) classic writers like Hemingway, Shelley, Byron and Poe…and many others…it’s assumed we’re all haunted by tragic childhoods, have a string of dysfunctional relationships, go to wild parties, smoke, drink, and do everything to excess. Even today, I often sense that when someone talks to me about my life as a writer, they may be asking about how I get my ideas, how I juggle the craft around everything else in life, how I get my work published, et cetera—but let’s face it. What they really want to know are details about the secret, glamorous life I must lead (right, I hear all of you writers out there laughing now).
Still, I won’t lie and say that some of that isn’t true. In today’s world, it probably isn’t true for most of us on a daily basis. But that doesn’t mean anyone wouldn’t glimpse the ghost of it when once a year you throw two hundred of us together in hotel—even we like to role-play.
So here’s a trip to last weekend’s first annual AnthoCon in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I’m already looking forward to next year.
Enjoy!
ARE YOU NOT NANO-ING THIS YEAR DUE TO CONSTRAINTS—AND UNHAPPY ABOUT IT? KEEP THESE POINTS IN MIND!
Ah, it’s that time of year—NanoWrimo, in which those of us who are looking for a lot of diversion for 30 days hole up in our homes, coffee shops or libraries and party on with our laptops and AlphaSmart Neos to write 50,000 words in 30 days.
I’ve done Nano a few times, and won most. In fact, my novel Bad Apple, which is forthcoming from Vagabondage Press Books early next year, was sort-of a Nano project—I wrote the whole thing in nine days in September of 2005, then used Nano as my first revision timeline. The novel has undergone heavy and extensive revisions since then, a few times over—but wow the fun I had doing it. When they said ‘literary abandon,’ they weren’t kidding.
This year, I won’t be joining the happy throngs of burgeoning novelists—I’ve just got too much on my plate. I actually feel guilty about that. Writer Stacey Longo, though, shared some advice with a classroom full of writers recently that reminded me that whether I do Nano or not, that doesn’t make me any less of a writer—I’m a writer all year, and that this November there are things I can do that keep me in touch with that part of myself.
For example:
n Re-read your favorite writing advice book.
n Read a book you’ve been meaning to get to forever and haven’t had time.
n Clean out your writing files—chuck old drafts, notes, etc. that you don’t want.
n Do some revisions.
n Hang out with a writing friend.
n Research places to submit your work, then if you have anything, submit, submit, submit.
n Get your future story ideas in order.
So, if you’re NOT doing Nano this year due to lack of time, or energy, or craziness in your life, and you’re feeling some loss—remember, there’s always next year. Until then? Check out Stacey’s article. What she shared with the class reminded me there are other things we can do in November to keep that feeling of loss and disappointment at bay—and that if you’re a writer then you’re always at it no matter what the calendar says.
http://nehwnews.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/author-talks-about-the-writing-craft/
HOW MANY WRITERS DOES IT TAKE TO TEAR DOWN A TENT? (or, Teamwork’s Key: what I learned at the Middletown Open Air Market and Festival)
Writer Stacey Longo, left, and me, in the early hours of the Open Air Market. It was so cold and we hadn’t had time to drink coffee before leaving for the fair, so that coffee was so good it was scary, believe me!
Writing is a solitary business, and can be a lonely one at that—that’s why it’s so important to find people like ourselves with whom we can connect. What I’ve always found interesting, though, when we get together, is how we connect—depending on the reason for the gathering.
For example, I’ve been a member of six critique groups and four of them I founded and moderated for several years. The way we supported each other—regardless of which group it was, how many members there were, or the meeting’s format—was on sharing each other’s disappointments, improving work, and creating a safe social space. At both Burlington and Goddard Colleges, where I pursued my writing degrees, the focus was on survival and moral support. At the Norman Mailer Writer’s Colony, the focus is on how we live a writer’s life. And when I am working on National Novel Writing Month (not this year, I’m just too busy!), the focus is always on the escapism and joy of writing, and sharing that joy behind this crazy thing we’ve chosen to do with ourselves.
New England Horror Writers, an organization I joined way back in 2008 but didn’t get even marginally involved with until earlier this year, showed me yet another plane on which to connect—teamwork. We’re here to help publicize each other and get our work out there, but we’re also here to help each other in this most-contrary-to-a-writer’s-nature endeavor: see me, I write. And sometimes, it’s not about publicizing, it’s about teaching each other how to be comfortable in our own skins so we can better work together. Nowhere was this more apparent than at the 9th Annual Open Air Market and Festival in Middletown, Connecticut—we spent the day matching customer’s preferences with each other’s books to getting the tent…down (somebody else had to put it up! Maybe teamwork doesn’t go smoothly ALL the time?).
So my parting thought is this: if you’re a writer who’s feeling a little isolated, consider what it is you’re missing—and then search for it.
Here’s a virtual trip through the weekend.
I planned on spending the night before at Stacey and Jason’s. I stopped at a rest area on I-91, and the trees were so beautifully lit in the setting sun I just had to take a photo. This hasn’t been a spectacular fall here in New England, but it’s in a moment like this I could see that the ghost of it is there.
On the table is NEHW member Dan Keohane’s book, Margaret’s Ark. The skull glass is mine—a Poe Season favorite for me.
Pizza! Whenever there’s an event like this, I always think it’s important to really turn it into…well, an event. Do some fun things surrounding it. The thought of getting up at 6 in the morning from home and driving all the way to Middletown and back just wasn’t as exciting as hanging out the night before with a couple of friends.
Piranha 3-D, which happened to be on one of the movie channels. This is a scene from near the end. I didn’t care for this movie at all, but the fish themselves were about the coolest-looking beasties ever; I wouldn’t mind having a photo of one up close for my wall.
Jaws was on after Piranha 3-D. I always loved this particular shot of Roy with the cigarette hanging out of his mouth because for some reason he reminds me of my Dad, back in the 1970s.
Seriously. This horror movie about an alien terrorizing an adult film crew as they shoot a porn in the middle of nowhere Stacey had on DVD, and we went into it expecting it to really stink. But you know what? Aside from the fact that the premise was a little silly, it was a damn good movie—it had a classic killer-creature plot structure, the script wasn’t that bad, and the story and character points introduced in the beginning came back full circle in the end.
See how intense this acting is! This guy plays the ubiquitous geek, the one who figures out how to defeat the beast.
Serious. This situation is extremely serious.
Really. The acting in this scene wasn’t bad—obviously, it was so surprisingly good I had to get photos so that people would believe me—and also so that I’d have the memory.
A tense moment from the film One-Eyed Monster. I was struck by the similarity of this little speech to Quint’s “I’ll catch him and kill him for ten” scene…hard to believe he’s talking about a penis; on the other hand, if you think of it in terms of metaphor for a burgeoning woman’s fear of sex, it gets even more entertaining.
The back of Jason’s truck the next morning, loaded up to go to Middletown.
The sign marking the New England Horror Writers tent space.
The very cool skull rug that Stacey keeps for all of our outdoor events. Since everyone asks: she got it at Christmas Tree Shops.
We begin the unloading process at the site; Stacey checks on the “Hell in a Handbaskets” (more on this later) to see how they survived having been crammed in between all the plastic tubs.
The beginnings of the Stage Left table. Books by Nathan Wrann are on the right.
A close-up of the beginnings of Stage Left. Here, we see the NEHW flyers, postcards for the upcoming Anthocon, apple butter, and a giant chocolate rat. The skull is for decoration although at least once or twice during any event we get asked if it’s for sale.
A close-up of the other side of the beginnings of Stage Left. Hell in a Handbasket, the NEHW T-shirts, and Nathan Wrann’s books and Burning Inside DVD.
A close-up of Nathan Wrann’s books.
The Stage Right table: Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole and In Poe’s Shadow (my books, as well as swag); Kasey Shoemaker’s urban fantasy Silver Vengeance, and several collections featuring Stacey Longo’s short stories.
The Skeletons corner.
A close-up of Kasey Shoemaker and Stacey’s books.
More of Stacey’s books, and copies of Shroud—Stacey’s work is in there, but Tim Deal and Danny Evarts, minds behind the mag, are members of NEHW.
Left to right, Jason Harris, Director of Publicity for NEHW; Kasey Shoemaker, author of Silver Vengeance; and writer Stacey Longo.
Breakfast. The apple muffins were pretty good, actually.
We had treats on hand. Jason and the Fangtastic cupcakes.
These Fangtastics were very popular with the kids who stopped by our booth.
A close-up of the Fangtastic cupcakes.
A long shot of the 9th Annual Open Air Market in Middletown. Our booth was at the beginning end. This was taken standing in the center, right near our booth, and looking up toward the Wadsworth Mansion.
A shot of the booths and the Wadsworth Mansion, where there was an orchestra playing.
The day’s scheduled music events.
Here, the Middletown Symphonic Band fills the air with a Frank Sinatra Medley. The portion I filmed was of one of my personal favorites of his “It Was a Very Good Year.”
This is a view of the Open Air Market looking back toward the entrance. The New England Horror Writers booth is all the way down on the right.
I do love New England harvest festivals, especially in the fall. There’s something about being able to buy products directly from a farm.
There’s a story behind this—Jason, Stacey and I had a heck of a time trying to figure out how to set up our tent (referred to as an “Instant Shelter Product” on its accompanying instructions). The owners of Clark Horse Farm—who specialize in making custom chicken coops—were so kind; the husband came over and helped us (I’m sure he was quite entertained watching the circus for awhile). Thanks to him, we were able to get it up and get rolling in just a few minutes. Visit their website at http://www.clarkfarmbusiness.com!
The Boo-nana Bread sign.
A close up of the Boo-nana bread.
Visitors check out our offerings.
A young visitor checks out the Hell in a Handbasket his mom just purchased.
A good look at one of our Hell in a Handbaskets. These would make great gifts for any Halloween or Horror freak—especially for Christmas. Each basket contains an autographed book by a New England Horror Writer member, fun gadgets like skull corkscrews or ghostly cups and plates, candy, and some other fun goodies.
A shot of the Hell in a Handbasket display.
Kasey and writer Kurt Newton share a laugh.
Kurt Newton with his book display.
Writer Rob Watts signing autographs. Check out the line!
Rob Watts’ book, Huldufólk, was just released.
Kurt Newton, Rob Watts, and me.
CHEESE FRIES! Stacey and I couldn’t resist. We were right next to a food cart, and so we were finally worn down by smelling the good stuff all morning. It probably also didn’t help that we were freezing. Hot food was a help.
At every event there’s a stand-out moment, and this was one of them. My friend Marianne Lyons came all the way up from Danbury to see me and get a copy of Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole. Here I am with her husband, Michael.
Stacey signs a copy of Hell Hath No Fury (an all-female zombie anthology) for a young zombie lover.
Rob Watts signs a copy of Huldufólk for a fan.
Just as the tent was a nightmare to get up, it was also a nightmare to get down! Here, we see everybody working on it—Stacey at the left, Jason’s ducking into the fan, Kasey has her back to the camera and the girl on the right is Rob Watts’ girlfriend, Maria Arakil. I wasn’t doing anything. My job was just to stand there and listen to Rob Watts yell, ‘somebody get that camera away from her.’
…so, how many horror writers DOES it take to get the damn tent down?
…is that like ‘tripping the light fantastic?’
Stacey and Rob confer on the instructions.
As I recall, whatever it was they were instructed to do didn’t exactly work.
The spoils of having a man who loves me at home! “Went up to Bridgewater” means the boys went up to the cemetery for cocktails, a Poe Season tradition.
THE FIRST ANNUAL ANTHOCON: ANTHOLOGY 2011 CONFERENCE IS COMING!
I’ll be at the New England Horror Writers’ table at AnthoCon: The Anthology 2011 Conference Friday, November 11 – Sunday, November 13 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire at the Best Western Wynwood Hotel & Suites.
To get a sense of why this first annual conference is so unique, you can read my article up on the NEHW blog here: http://nehwnews.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/get-in-on-the-ground-floor-at-first-annual-anthocon-november-11-13/
For me, the highlight of the weekend will be getting to meet Literary Mayhem’s Peter Schwotzer (www.literarymayhem.com), who’s commissioned my short story “Growlers” for a feature in January 2012, in person. We’ve been corresponding for awhile now and it’s going to be great to put a name with a face.
There are really so many awesome panels, guests, and other activities going on at this event that you really should just visit the website for complete details:http://anthocon.com/
JOIN ME AND THE NEW ENGLAND HORROR WRITERS AT ROCK & SHOCK THIS WEEKEND!
It’s here! Rock & Shock blasts its way intoWorcester, Mass this weekend at the DCU Center & the Palladium!
Rock and Shock is a fan convention and features celebrities, movies, vendors, and Q&A panels as well as musical concerts. This year’s celebrity guest list is extensive and includes Ace Frehley and Lance Henriksen.
I’ll be at the New England Horror Writers table along with other members including:
T.J. May (Ill Conceived)
Matt Bechtel (House of Pain)
Bob Booth (Phantom—NeCon Classic Horror)
Scott Goudsward (Shadows Over New England)
Stacy Longo (Dark Matter Heart)
Jason Harris (NEHW Newsblog)
Geoffrey Goodwin
Danny Evarts (Shroud Magazine)
Kelli Jones
Trisha Woolridge (Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad)
Jack Haringa
Jennifer Yarter (The Coven)
Tracy Carbone (The Man of Mystery Hill)
Anthony Laquerre
Rob Watts (The Crooked Roads Through Cedar Grove)
Larissa Glasser
Nathan Wrann (Dark Matter Heart)
LL Soares (Cinema Knife Fight)
Paul McMahon
John M. McIlveen
Morven Westfield (Darksome Thirst)
Ken Wood (Shock Totem Magazine)
We’ll have books for sale, you can talk one on one with any of us, and we’ll have plenty of cool swag, too! Be sure to stop by!
For complete list of guests, schedules, and just about everything you could possibly want to know, check it out here: http://www.rockandshock.com/
For a complete list of guests, schedules, and just about everything you could possibly want to know, check it out here: http://www.rockandshock.com/ Wanna know more about the NEHW? You can find out more about us here: www.newenglandhorror.org.
MISS ‘WHY GHOSTS LOVE ME?’ FUNDRAISER? PIX AND VIDS HERE!
Thanks to Jennifer Strickler Cole for this fantastic pic! I don't exactly know what they're doing--trying to scare up ghosts?--but here they are, left to right, Frank Todaro of The Invisible World, Terri J Garafolo of Entities-R-Us, Nicole Hall of CT Soul Seekers, Mike Mafara of CPEAR, Nathan Schoonover of various paranormal and TV programs, Angel Ortiz of CT Soul Seekers, and Andy Siedel of Indy Para.
Why Ghosts Love Me at St. Peter’s Masonic Lodge #21 in New Milford, Connecticut was a huge success! If you missed it, here’s photos and video.
Frank Todaro, of The Invisible World, and Nathan Schoonover are ready to go!
Nathan Schoonover of A&E’s Extreme Paranormal, Travel Channel’s Paranormal Challenge and The Ghostman & Demon Hunter Show was on hand for spooky stories and Halloween fun. The presentation included ghostly stories and paranormal evidence with guest speakers Nicole Hall and Angel Ortiz of Connecticut Soul Seekers, Terri J Garofalo of Entities-R-Us—ghost hunting comics—Donna Parish-Bischoff of Indy Paranormal and Frank Todaro of The Invisible World Radio. I was there signing copies of my book, Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole—Tales from Haunted Disney World, and was joined by fellow horror short fiction writer Stacey Longo, also of New England Horror Writers Association.
Proceeds from all sales and admission went toward the upkeep of the historical St. Peter’s Lodge.
Me, taking a break on the lawn of the Lodge before heading inside to set up. Photo by Maureen McFarlane.
Yeah, this is my Krissi-a-Go-Go look. Photo by Maureen McFarlane.
The entrance to the lodge. The Masons did a great job decorating the outside! Carl Keyser, of the lodge, is facing the camera; he also did the event’s flyer.
Billy Mo Buckbee, longtime friend and member of the Lodge, created this cemetery to the right of the stairs.
Nathan had tables for presenters on reserve.
The alcove where presenters set up their tables. The stained glass windows are just so gorgeous; at last year’s event, this area was cordoned off.
Stacey Longo, short fiction horror writer, also of New England Horror Writers.
A close-up of the Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole Table.
A full shot of the Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole--Tales from Haunted Disney World table.
Connecticut Soul Seekers' table. Nicole Hall, who also writes the Our Haunted Lives column for the Canadian group Paranormal, Eh? and Angel Ortiz did a great presentation.
Terri J Garofalo's table. She writes terrific ghost hunting comics.
Thanks to Jennifer Strickler Cole for this fantastic pic! And no, they are so not ready to present yet! Here they are, left to right, Frank Todaro of The Invisible World, Terri J Garafolo of Entities-R-Us, Nicole Hall of CT Soul Seekers, Mike Mafara of CPEAR, Nathan Schoonover of various paranormal and TV programs, Angel Ortiz of CT Soul Seekers, and Andy Siedel of Indy Para.
Connecticut Soul Seekers gets ready to take the stage.
A close-up of one of the windows in the Masonic Lodge's main hall.
Stacey Longo’s table. Stacey and I are both members of New England Horror Writers.Stacey has written many scary short stories and has been featured in numerous anthologies.
The foyer of the Masonic Lodge. The couches were especially comfortable.
The foyer of the Masonic Lodge.
Terri J Garofalo of Entities-R-Us, Donna Parish-Bischoff of Indy Para, and Frank Todaro of The Invisible World.
Me and Frank.
Stacey and me.
Dinner of champions! Seriously, they have good food available at these events. That burger was delicious. Just rare enough to be juicy.
Left to right, Mike Mafara of CPEAR, Angel of CT Soul Seekers, me, writer Stacey Longo, Donna Parish-Bischoff of Indy Para, Nicole of CT Soul Seekers, and paranormal humorist Terri J. Garofalo.
Left to right, Mike Mafara of CPEAR, Angel of CT Soul Seekers, me, writer Stacey Longo, Donna Parish-Bischoff of Indy Para, Nicole of CT Soul Seekers, and paranormal humorist Terri J. Garofalo.
Left to right, Mike Mafara of CPEAR, Angel of CT Soul Seekers, me, writer Stacey Longo, Donna Parish-Bischoff of Indy Para, Nicole of CT Soul Seekers, and paranormal humorist Terri J. Garofalo.
OH MY GOD THERE'S AN ORB!!!
Nathan just before the presentation.
Left to right, Billy Mo Buckbee and Nathan. Both are members of the Masonic Lodge.
You know, clowning around… Billy and Nathan or Obadiah Stane and Tony Stark?
You just gotta love a changing portrait!
What was cracking us up about these portraits was that Nathan said they took down a couple of portraits of lodge members and put these there instead.
Nathan and Frank just before the presentation started.
Taking a break outside. The jack o'lanterns were a great touch...and kept Sam away, of course (points if you know what I’m talking about). They were carved by Lodge members Carl Keyser and Billy Mo Buckbee.
Thanks to Jennifer Strickler Cole for this fantastic pic! It looks like they’re finally ready to begin! Here they are, left to right, Frank Todaro of The Invisible World, Terri J Garafolo of Entities-R-Us, Nicole Hall of CT Soul Seekers, Mike Mafara of CPEAR, Nathan Schoonover of various paranormal and TV programs, Angel Ortiz of CT Soul Seekers, and Andy Siedel of Indy Para.
The opening moments of Why Ghosts Love Me.
The presenters' corner.
Jennifer Strickler Cole, of Goshen, and Stacey. Jennifer picked up the anthology HELL HATH NO FURY, which features one of Stacey's stories, for her spooky Halloween read.
From left, Jennifer Strickler Cole, Stacey Longo Harris, me, and Jayne Mackel, also of Goshen, who picked up Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole for a friend.
Thank you JENNIFER STRICKLER COLE for this great shot! Left to right, Jennifer, Stacey Longo Harris, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, and Jayne Mackel.
Frank Todaro delivers his "Campfire Stories," which is a popular segment of his show, The Invisible World.
Frank Todaro shares a tale from his very popular “Campfire Stories” on his radio show The Invisible World.
…because neither Nathan nor Frank can go very long without mentioning either thing…
Nathan gives his opinion on a Campfire Story.
This is the ghostly bride Billy hung from a lamppost. It reminded me of Miss Havisham.
The St. Peter's Lodge silhouette on one of the pumpkins. Carl Keyser did this. It rocked, yes!
Nathan's second biggest fear: Sharks. His first? Trolls.
Good friends Michele Ingram (left) and Maureen McFarlane (who does all my headshots) joined us for the night!
Nathan and Marty Landgrebe.
The spread back at my house. It had been a long day and we were all starving.
Maureen and Michele drink from matching Halloween glasses. Festive!
Nathan and Stacey.
Nathan and Stacey in front of our Halloween mantel.
Me and Frank.
Me and Frank.
Chilling out on the back porch. It had been a hot day, and I'd been running around so much that, when the night set in, it was refreshing to sit outside.
I cleaned up the kitchen and set up coffee for the next morning. I didn't hit the sack until 5:30 a.m. Sunday.
ROCK & SHOCK IS COMING…JOIN ME AND THE NEW ENGLAND HORROR WRITERS OCTOBER 14-16!
There’s probably not much that Robert Englund (best known for A Nightmare on Elm Street) and I have in common except for V in the 1980s (he was in it and I loved it)—and that we’ll both be at the same event in October: ROCK AND SHOCK, from October 14-16 at the DCU Center & the Palladium in Worcester, Mass.
Rock and Shock is a fan convention and features celebrities, movies, vendors, and Q&A panels as well as musical concerts. This year’s celebrity guest list is extensive and includes Ace Frehley and Lance Henriksen.
I’ll be at the New England Horror Writers table along with other members including:
T.J. May (Ill Conceived)
Matt Bechtel (House of Pain)
Bob Booth (Phantom—NeCon Classic Horror)
Scott Goudsward (Shadows Over New England)
Stacy Longo (Dark Matter Heart)
Jason Harris (NEHW Newsblog)
Geoffrey Goodwin
Danny Evarts (Shroud Magazine)
Kelli Jones
Trisha Woolridge (Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad)
Jack Haringa
Jennifer Yarter (The Coven)
Tracy Carbone (The Man of Mystery Hill)
Anthony Laquerre
Rob Watts (The Crooked Roads Through Cedar Grove)
Larissa Glasser
Nathan Wrann (Dark Matter Heart)
LL Soares (Cinema Knife Fight)
Paul McMahon
John M. McIlveen
Morven Westfield (Darksome Thirst)
Ken Wood (Shock Totem Magazine)
Be sure to stop by!
For a complete list of guests, schedules, and just about everything you could possibly want to know, check it out here: http://www.rockandshock.com/
KICK OFF SEPTEMBER WITH A SCARE! I’LL BE AT THE HEBRON HARVEST FAIR WITH THE NEHW SEPT. 8-11
Put a scare in your September—stop by the New England Horror Writers’ booth at the Hebron Harvest Fair Thursday, September 8-Sunday, September 11.
I’ll be there with horror writers including Danny Evarts, Dan Foley, Scott Goudsward (Shadows Over New England), Dan Keohane (Solomon’s Grave), Stacey Longo, TJ May (Ill Conceived), Kurt Newton (Black Butterflies), and Jennifer Yarter-Polmatier (The Coven: The Tale of the Vampire Nigel)—at last count; I’m sure there will be more.
We’ll be selling books, T-shirts, and more at the table, and there will also be a special raffle featuring signed books by authors like Stephen King, so don’t miss it!
The fair’s hours are:
Thursday, September 8: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday, September 9: Noon to 11 p.m.
Saturday, September 10: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday, September 11: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
I’ll be there at various times beginning 9 p.m. on Friday through 11 a.m. or so on Sunday, so if you’re up that way, come see me!
The Hebron Harvest Fair will be held at the Hebron Lions Fairgrounds, Route 85, 347 Gilead Street, Hebron, Connecticut. For more information, directions, admission prices and much, much more, visit their official website: http://www.hebronharvestfair.org.
Me in the New England Horror Writers’ new T-shirts. I’m not sure if they’ll be sold at Hebron, but they will definitely be available at Rock & Shock in October and AnthoCon in November.
Me with the New England Horror Writers’ new Booth Banner for events. It was designed by Danny Evarts; I just handled ordering it. Its arrival was totally exciting!
WHEN ZOMBIES ATTACK AN ICE CREAM TRUCK: ENFIELD’S ZOMBIE WALK FOR HUNGER HUGE SUCCESS, NEHW WAS THERE!
Zombie Bride Linda Nugent, of Ellington, prepares to eat Nathan’s brains! Linda won Best Overall in the costume contest…with good reason. She never broke character, not even when I went to ask her name!
Hundreds of the living dead walked for a great cause Saturday in Enfield, Connecticut at the town’s First Annual Zombie Walk for Hunger…and I was there with the New England Horror Writers and watched it all happen!
Zombies showed up in costume and were decked out by professional make-up artists (see REALLY AWESOME video of that at Enfield Patch here: http://enfield.patch.com/articles/zombies-walk-to-end-hunger#video-7360046).
The walk kicked off with a rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” (which was reprised later on in the day), and, after a 8/10 mile trek, they convened at the Weymouth Road firehouse to enjoy raffles, music, food, a costume contest, and vendors.
The event was a huge success—by the time the Zombies reached their destination, they had raised close to $1000 in cash and had filled a pick-up truck bed with food, which was delivered immediately to the Enfield Food Shelf.
I was not immune for long! Zombie Florist Mary Hale, of Enfield, tries to sink her teeth into me at the NEHW booth (um, I was having too much fun to really even try to look scared).
As for the NEHW, Jason Harris, Stacey Longo, D.G. Sutter, Jennifer Yarter-Polmatier
and I talked with lots of zombies. We sold several books, donated copies of both the Library of Horror Press’ Malicious Deviance featuring NEHW writer Stacey Longo’s short “Good Night Francine” and my Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole—Tales from Haunted Disney World to the event’s Tea Cup Auction, and generally…let lots of people know we’re out there.
Nathan Schoonover of The Ghostman & Demon Hunter Show and A&E’s Extreme Paranormal, who was there to lend a hand (and shot most of the photos below), took some time out to converse with members of the investigators of Paranormal Revelations, a paranormal investigation group based in Northeastern Connecticut.
Enjoy the pix and vids below…for more information on New England Horror Writers, visit www.newenglandhorror.org.
The sign at the crosswalk near the JFK school, starting point of the walk.
Throngs of the undead begin to creep toward town…
Video: Hundreds of zombies are on the move. This video captures the entire brigade, so don’t miss it!
I don’t know who this is but I wouldn’t want to tangle with him, would you?
Mardi Gras Zombie Betty Blackwell, who came all the way from Bridgeport with her husband, Paul, to participate, begins her advance…
…and I don’t think she was too happy about having her undead antics interrupted!
Zombie Walker Rose Myers, left, of Windsor Locks, and Zombie Beetle Juice Janine Rasmussen, of Granby, make their way down the sidewalk.
Zombie Brainiac Sean Spring, of West Springfield, MA, looks like he’s lost something.
Zombie Doctor Jen Clarke, of Simsbury, looks as though she might have been caught in the middle of an operation.
These signs were everywhere…courtesy, of course, of Zombeebobs.com.
Zombie Blonde Dawn Dale, of Wethersfield, struts her stuff.
Zombie Teen Briana Flanagan, of Windsor Locks, dragged one of her feet for the entire mile. Ouch, that girl has guts—in more ways than one!
Flanagan, right, and Zombie BFF Brieanna Minor, of Coventry.
…speaking of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller!” That is just awesome. I’ll bet you the coat really does date back to the 1980s.
A zombie-style bean bag toss on the firehouse grounds.
Zombie Elvis McMahon Fan Bill Chapman, of Higganum. Elvis McMahon happens to be Nathan’s friend’s band. Talk about a small world!
Here we are at the New England Horror Writers booth! Left to right, D.G. Sutter, Jennifer Yarter-Polmatier, me, Stacey Longo, and Jason Harris.
Video: The undead approach the New England Horror Writers Booth.
Shots of our table…
Looks like there aren’t enough brains, so the zombies have to resort to ice cream.
Video: See a couple of crazed zombies attack the ice cream truck!
Daetin Gonzales, of Enfield, Connecticut, rocks the zombie universe as he portrays Harry Wentworth, Ted Danson’s role in the 1982 film Creepshow’s vignette “They’re Creeping Up on You.” Daetin won for best teen costume.
The zombies in the throes of the reprise of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
Video: The reprise of the “Thriller” dance.
Horror writer D.G. Sutter, at right: “Who needs brains when there are balloon animals?” At left, his fiancé Brin.
Nathan, left, and NEHW’s Jason Harris take a time-out when things start to calm down.
I’LL BE AT THE ZOMBIE WALK FOR HUNGER AUGUST 13, 2011
The first annual Zombie Walk for Hunger to benefit the Enfield Food Shelf will take place Saturday, August 13, 2011 in Enfield, Connecticut, and will feature a vendor faire, bands, activities, a “Thriller” dance…and, of course, the local walking dead (and if you’d like to be one, be sure to check out the link below—there’s still time)!
I’ll be there at the New England Horror Writers’ table in the vendor area, so if you’re participating in the event or up that way, be sure to come say hello (and I’ll have the usual Skeletons books—and some cool new swag—on hand for sale). Nathan will be with me, so those of you who are in the area who’ve always wanted to meet him and haven’t gotten the chance…well, we’re putting him to work! Come on by and give him a break!
To find out more about the Zombie Walk for Hunger, how you can participate, how you can donate to this great cause or what you can do to help—I understand they’re still looking for Zombie make-up artists—visit the official website at http://www.enfieldzombiewalk.moonfruit.com/home/4551803272
