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The Stars Were Right! at NECRONOMICON PROVIDENCE 2022
Narragansett Beer is…awesome! That is all.
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.
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!
This weekend’s Writing/Submissions/Marketing Workshop in Westford, MA: Yes, you can pay at the door; No, you don’t have to be an NEHW member
This weekend’s Writing/Submissions/Marketing Workshop, sponsored by the NEHW, is YES, open to people who didn’t register. You can just pay at the door (I got a few emails about this, so I figured I’d throw it up here, too, just in case), and NO, you do not have to be an NEHW member. This is open to all.
The full day is TOMORROW, SATURDAY, APRIL 9, from 9:30 am – 6 pm at Atelier Pro-Kreative in the C.C. Sargent’s & Sons 1877 mill building on 69 Broadway Street, Westford, MA.
Event Description: After some networking time with morning refreshments, instructors Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Scott T. Goudsward, and Trisha J. Wooldridge will lead a three-hour workshop on writing, submitting, and marketing short stories, with the option of additional critiques for submitted writing samples. In the afternoon, authors and editors from NEHW’s Wicked Women and Wicked Creatures anthologies will be signing, selling their own work, and taking part in a giant Q&A. Opportunities to network, purchase anthologies and authors’ publications, and socialize will happen before the workshops, during lunch, and at the end of the event.
Here’s the schedule for the day, and pricing. The only thing not available “at the door” would be the critiques, so I didn’t put them here.
Costs for the event are tiered and a la carte:
Full day of 3-hour workshop, breakfast, lunch, networking, signing, author Q & A:
NEHW members: $50 Non-NEHW members: $60
Afternoon only, including lunch:
NEHW members: $25 Non-NEHW members: $30
Schedule
9:30-10:00: Light morning snacks, coffee, tea, water
10:00 -10:50: Workshop Part 1: Crafting Short Stories
11:00-11:50: Workshop Part 2: Submitting and Selling Short Storie
12:00-12:50: Workshop Part 3: “I sold a story! Now what?” Marketing & Promo
1:00-2:15: Lunch and Networking, Shopping Time
2:30-2:50: Author Signing (& Shopping Time)
3:00-4:30: Wicked Q&A
4:45-6:00: Individual Critique feedback in private, Social & Networking Time
If you can make it, we’ll see you tomorrow! If not, YES, I will be posting photos next week.
Writer? Get your short story shine-on this coming Saturday, April 9!
Want some insider tips on writing, submitting, and marketing your short stories and selling to mags and anthos? Then don’t miss this workshop with me and experienced publication editors this coming Saturday, April 9, 2022, from 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. in Westford, Massachusetts!
Bonus? Lunch and a stellar signing event with the writers included in Wicked Women (which contains my story, “Arbor Day”) and Wicked Creatures (which includes my story, “Carving Grace”)!
Here are the details—I really hope to see you there!
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Writing, Submitting, and Marketing Short Stories/Making Anthologies will be held at Atelier Pro-Kreative in the C.C. Sargent’s & Sons 1877 mill building on 69 Broadway Street, Westford, Mass.
After some networking time with morning refreshments, Read the rest of this entry
Need original monsters? WICKED CREATURES antho features my story “Carving Grace” and lots of unique creeps!
Monster anthologies—there are so many! Wicked Creatures is crammed with seriously unusual ones, though—everything from a mumble man to scary train beings. And it’s now available!
The antho features my short story “Carving Grace.” In it, living figureheads scour the streets of Timber Inlet in search of happy souls to punish. Grace, who struggles with depression, thinks she’s safe … until Read the rest of this entry
THIS WRITING LIFE EPISODE 9A: SNOWBOUND WITH ZOMBIES is live!
One of many amazing Halloween items at Cracker Barrel. I left with an almost empty wallet.
This Writing Life Episode 9A: Snowbound: with Zombies is live! You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/BE0wZM3cTtk
Copies of Snowbound on the Dent sisters’ display table.
In this episode, we jam the Snowbound: with Zombies release event into a full weekend! Snowbound: with Zombies is a collection of scary stories by several New England writers, and 100% of the proceeds benefits the Whittier Birthplace Museum in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Available in both print and Kindle. Get it here: http://bit.ly/SnowboundPrint (Kindle link posted on that page too). Oh…and we also find a cool Cracker Barrel.
Don’t know much about Whittier but want to? I recommend The Poetry of John Greenleaf Whittier: A Reader’s Edition, edited by William Jolliff.
http://bit.ly/WhittierIntro. Or plan your visit to the birthplace! Visit http://www.johngreenleafwhittier.com/
There’s now a second collection for mystery lovers! If you love mysteries, give back to the community and pick up Murder Among Friends (which contains my story “The Cricket in the Wall”) here: http://bit.ly/MAFCricket
“To Chance Tomorrow” now in WICKED SEASONS
My new story “To Chance Tomorrow” is now available in the New England Horror Writers’ anthology WICKED SEASONS.
In a future where life is eternal, teen-aged Mich struggles to accept her father’s abandonment. Her much-older boyfriend’s unorthodox birthday gift seems to provide some comfort—until his jilted admirer shows up. In the tradition of “The Light of Other Days” and “Obstinate Uncle Otis” comes a tale of grief…and what it truly means to be broken.
The tale is alongside many others, including from James A. Moore and Christopher Golden, but I can tell you Robert J. Duperre’s “The Basement Legs” and Addison Clift’s “Furious Demon” are must-reads. They’re both all kinds of creepy amazing.
Want to know more? Check out the trailer here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f3XAtxhvp0. Want to purchase? Print http://amzn.com/0615918832 and Kindle http://amzn.com/B00GJVWOY4
“To Chance Tomorrow” appearing in Wicked Seasons
Front cover art by Mikio Murakami
One of my newest short stories, “To Chance Tomorrow,” will be appearing in Wicked Seasons—the second New England Horror Writers anthology—this fall. Edited by Stacey Longo, the collection will feature an introduction by Read the rest of this entry
At Rhode Island Comic Con this Weekend!
I’ll be signing at the Rhode Island Comic Con this Saturday and Sunday, November 3 and 4, with fellow New England Horror Writers David Price, Stacey Longo (Malicious Deviance), Charles Day (Evil Jester Press, Legend of the Pumpkin Thief), Scott Goudsward (Shadows Over New England), and Rob Watts (Huldufolk).
The event will run on Saturday from 10 to 7 and Sunday from 10 to 5 at the Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin Street, Providence, and promises to be quite the weekend: in addition to vendors and celebrity signings, the schedule’s crammed with face painting, costume/cosplay contests, video game tournaments, Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon Tournaments, panels, and even a kids’ room. Movie cars include the Dukes of Hazzard’s General Lee, the Ghostbusters Wagon, the Delorean from Back to the Future, and more. For all the details, visit here: http://www.ricomiccon.com/#!home/mainPage
Celebrities include a mega-list for those in my age-range: Buck Rogers! Chewbacca! Q! Holly from Land of the Lost! Major Don West from Lost in Space! But wait for it: I go to lots of cons and don’t usually bother meeting the celebrities (most of the time it’s because I’m too old to know who any of these people are). But this time around, that won’t be the case. Nine members of the cast of the original Battlestar Galactica will be there, including Dirk Benedict! If you knew me as a seven-year-old, then you know what a big deal that is: Battlestar was my favorite show. Well, until The A-Team came along. Now, NOW we are cooking with gas! But the big question is, do I bring my Battlestar Galactica board game or my original TV tie-in? I guess it all depends on how geeky I want to get, right? See you in line!
We Rocked and Shocked the weekend…
The New England Horror Writers were up at Rock and Shock in Worcester, MA, last weekend. We met new friends and old, sat on panels, had a great time, and, of course, sold some books. Here’s pix from the weekend — just click on any photo for a larger view and to flip through the gallery.
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- …because the weekend can’t begin without it…
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- These NEHW members are really cool cats. They’re getting married Friday the 13th in September, 2013 and then they’re honeymooning in Disney World.
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- Scott Goudsward, writer of several short stories in various anthologies, brought the candy.
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- TJ photo bombs my pic with a fan.
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- Me and TJ May, author of Ill Conceived (now in e-form from NECON E-books).
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- From left, TJ May, me, and Matt Bechtel, of NECON E-books, on Friday Night’s “Breaking into the Biz” and Marketing panel.
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- Jason Harris, Director of Publicity and Webmaster for the NEHW and co-owner of Books and Boos, a book and novelty shop opening in Colchester, CT, and Tracy L. Carbone, author of The Soul Collector and Restitution, on Friday Night’s “Breaking into the Biz” and Marketing panel.
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- Friday Night’s “Breaking into the Biz” and Marketing Panel. All of the Rock & Shock panels are coordinated by Fangoria Magazine.
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- Me with Allison Smith and Temperance Damora, whom I met at last year’s Rock and Shock. They’re big fans of Howe Caverns, too!
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- Trisha Wooldridge, editor and anthologist, on Friday Night’s Women in Horror panel.
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- Lisa Marie (Vampira in Ed Wood, among other things) on Friday Night’s Women in Horror panel.
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- Friday Night’s Women in Horror Panel. From left, Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Tracy L. Carbone, Stacey Longo Harris (writer and co-owner of Books and Boos bookstore, opening later this year in Colchester, CT), Trisha Woodridge, and Lisa Marie on Friday Night’s Women in Horror panel.
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- Stacey Longo Harris on Friday Night’s Women in Horror panel.
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- Heather Langenkamp on Friday Night’s Women in Horror panel.
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- Tracy L. Carbone on Friday Night’s Women in Horror panel.
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- K. Allen Wood, editor of Shock Totem, and writer Scott Goudsward watch over the NEHW booth.
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- Pizza time!
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- Late-night meal.
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- Stacey loves these Skeleton shot glasses. I do, too!
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- Jack Haringa in deep thought. Jack is a writer and editor whose short stories have been included in the Year’s Best Horror and Fantasy anthologies.
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- Me and SciFi Saturday Night’s The Dome.
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- SciFi Saturday Night’s Dome interviews Rob Watts, author of Huldufolk.
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- I love Cons. Such great cosplay!
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- The Dome and Stacey Longo Harris on Saturday afternoon.
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- Me and Philip Perron of the Dark Discussions podcast. I have written a couple of articles for him and been on the Chernobyl Diaries episode. If you like horror movies, then definitely check it out at http://www.darkdiscussions.com. I was so excited to finally meet him in person!
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- I know. Don’t even ask me what I was doing, here, because I have no idea.
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- Me and L.L. Soares of Cinema Knife Fight.
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- A bird-eating tarantula who took up residence at the booth in back of ours.
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- Trisha J. Wooldridge in Victorian finery.
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- Shootin’ the breeze: from left, K. Allen Wood, Jason Harris, Sara Gomes and L.L. Soares.
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- Rock and Shock Saturday Night Dinner is a tradition.
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- Trisha, Jason, and Stacey following Saturday Night’s dinner.
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- Me and Matt Bechtel of NECON E-books.
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- Trisha Wooldridge.
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- From front left: Kelli B. Jones of NECON E-books, TJ May, Trisha Woodridge, Jason and Stacey Harris, and Matt Bechtel.
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- Sunday’s Horror in the Movies panel. From left, Jason Harris, Rob Watts, Bracken MacLeod, author of several short stories in many anthologies, and Stacey Longo Harris.
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- Rob Watts on Sunday’s Horror in the Movies panel.
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- Bracken MacLeod on Sunday’s Horror in the Movies panel.
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- Jason Harris on Sunday’s Horror in the Movies panel.
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- Stacey Longo Harris moderated Sunday’s Horror in the Movies panel. Topics discussed ranged from best and worst horror movies and best and worst franchises of all time, favorite scream queens and most memorable terrifying moments.
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- Jack Haringa asks a question of Sunday’s Horror in the Movies panel.
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- The Fangoria panel schedule for the weekend.
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- Winding down: Sunday afternoon, writers Bracken MacLeod, TJ May, Scott Goudsward and Jack Haringa talk shop with Erric, a friend of Bracken’s.
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- I HAVE MY OWN TARDIS!!
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- Me and Rob Watts.
WRITER? WHAT YOU COULD LEARN FROM NEW ENGLAND HORROR WRITERS’ EXPERIENCES AT THE HEBRON HARVEST FAIR
The banner and back wall. This event served as our new banner’s christening!
In the middle of September I had the privilege of working the New England Horror Writers booth with several other writers at the Hebron Harvest Fair in Hebron, Connecticut—and it’s safe to say that along with our foot-long hot dogs, fried dough and discovery that we all have memories of Charlotte’s Web in common, we picked up something else: a few epiphanies about all the other things we do as writers besides write.
DanKeohane’s novels Margaret’s Ark and Solomon’s Grave on the table. Also: Nathan Wrann’s vampire extravaganza Dark Matter Heart and Jennifer Yarter-Polmatier’s novels, including The Coven. Further down on the table, books featuring the shorts of Stacey Longo and Kurt Newton.
Dan Keohane (Solomon’s Grave, Margaret’s Ark) talks about the value and thrill of a burgeoning concept—writers banding together—here: http://nehwnews.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/author-dan-keohanes-experience-at-the-hebron-harvest-fair/
At left, Breaking Eggs, Dark Demons and Scary Holiday Tales, all featuring the work of Kurt Newton; Dark Things IV, From Shadows & Nightmares, and Hell Hath No Fury, featuring the work of Stacy Longo; and Granny Snatching by Ron Winter.
Kurt Newton (Black Butterflies, Dark Demons) became more aware of the importance of observation; he talks about that in his article “My Encounters with the Blurry People” here: http://nehwnews.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/kurt-newtons-encounters-with-the-blurry-people-at-the-hebron-harvest-fair/
A far shot of the left table. The etchings in the rack were done by Danny Evarts. The raffle ticket jar is to the left; in front of that are the short stories and fliers we shared with passers-by. Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole is at the front corner of the table.
I, of course, learned something too: about how important it is to get out of that box we write in and spend time with readers. I’d forgotten how much fun that was, and I’m guessing many of us, who spend hours and hours holed up working, have as well. You can read my piece on this, “Hot Times at the Hebron Fair: The Thrill of Discovery” over at the New England Horror Writers Association’s blog at http://nehwnews.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/author-kristi-petersen-schoonovers-write-up-and-pictures-from-the-hebron-harvest-fair/
For more information about the New England Horror Writers Association, visit here: www.newenglandhorror.org.
Below, photos from the entire weekend…including pics and video of the animals. Nathan grew up on a farm, so there was no chance we’d miss that—because sometimes what you learn while you’re doing an event isn’t just about writing, it’s about life, too.
A far shot of the left table. The etchings in the rack were done by Danny Evarts. The raffle ticket jar is to the left; in front of that are the short stories and fliers we shared with passers-by. Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole is at the front corner of the table.
A far shot of the left table. The etchings in the rack were done by Danny Evarts. The raffle ticket jar is to the left; in front of that are the short stories and fliers we shared with passers-by. Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole is at the front corner of the table. To the right are postcards for AnthoCon, an exciting brand new conference making its debut in November in Portsmouth, NH. Yes, I'll be there!
Graphic novels by NEHW member Nathan Wrann, Granny Snatching by NEHW member Ron Winter, and The Man of Mystery Hill by NEHW member Tracy Carbone. To the right, Shadows Over New England, by member Scott Goudsward, and behind that, the anthology How the West Was Wicked, which features one of Scott's stories.
The Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole promotional postcards among other members’ books.
Danny Evarts, of Shroud Magazine and illustrator of the children's book It's Okay to Be a Zombie, poses with his stand.
Left to right, me and Stacey. That's my new Nightmare Before Christmas t-shirt I bought at the Disney Store when I met Stacey and Jason earlier in the week at the WestFarms Mall to deliver books.
Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole T-shirts and totes. The book is a collection of ghost stories set in Disney Parks (and I wrote it, so I feel weird saying by NEHW member Kristi Petersen Schoonover, but there you have it).
The NEHW T-shirts. We sold a few of these!
Nathan, of course, was there. He had a reel of Extreme Paranormal, Paranormal Challenge, FearNet, and some other film projects running at night.
The Friday Night crew! Left to right, Stacey, Jason Harris, who does the publicity for NEHW; NEHW member Kurt Newton, Danny, and me. Kurt had several of his books available. If you look closely at the table it has been rearranged again so we could accommodate his books.
This is the piece of wood that went through my foot (if you read Kurt Newton’s column, in true horror writer fashion he tells the whole story complete with grisly details).
My foot after the “accident.” Yes, that’s a Garfield band-aid. That was all they had.
Nathan and Jason stopped chatting for a minute so I could get their photo.
Late night Friday: Nathan works on stapling more short stories to hand out. Writer/publisher of Shroud Danny Evarts on his Ipad.
Hebron sunrise. Saturday was beautiful.
My coffee (and God I needed it) on Saturday morning. I took the picture because the steam (which you can see in the pic) was rising in a very interesting way and catching the sun from the kitchen window.
The breakfast of champions!
Stacey split the board. Many fans visited with Nathan -- it was cool.
We were raffling off a case full of books, many signed and some limited. The winner also got the book case we used for display. The raffle went over very well. Our winner was Alec Wallman of Marlborough, CT. The books were donated by several generous publishers and writers: AIO Publishing (www.aiopublishing.com), Borderland Press (www.borderlandspress.com), Tracy Carbone, Creative Guy Publishing (www.creativeguypublishing.com), Delirium Books (www.deliriumbooks.com), Earthling Publishing (www.earthlingpub.com), Scott Goudsward, Knopf Publishing (knopfdoubleday.com), Nightshade Books (www.nightshadebooks.com) and Prime Books (www.prime-books.com)
Scott Goudsward (Shadows Over New England) and Greg X. Graves do a little Hamlet!
Stacey Longo and a cow.
Me, a chicken, and a cow.
Left, Scott Goudsward, me, center, Greg X. Graves, right. We were clowning around—I’m the celebrity and they’re my body guards. I don’t even know how or why we thought of doing this. It might have been my Jackie O-esque sunglasses.
Del’s Lemonade is a classic Rhode Island thing. I couldn’t believe I found them in Connecticut. I rushed to the booth and asked, “what are you doing here?” and one of the staff members looked at me and answered, “uh…selling lemonade?”
Greg X. Graves, left, and his girlfriend live in Rhode Island. It was their first time having a Del’s. I just love this picture!
I had been hoping they’d have fried dough with tomato sauce—I look forward to getting it every summer, and this year I hadn’t gone to many fairs so I missed out. Boy was I glad to see Doughboy!
The Doughboy menu. Doughboy has won best food awards the past three years at the Hebron Harvest Fair.
SATURDAY LUNCH!
Writer Dan Foley got deep into the horror atmosphere by getting his face painted.
Nathan, left, and Zombee Bob. Don’t know who Zombee Bob is? Check him out at http://www.zombeebob.com. If you’re a zombie freak (or worried about the apocalypse), then he needs to be on your radar: he’s got great art, T-shirts, and more!
Nathan chats with a fan after she’s just had her photo taken with him.
Nathan chats with the video club of the Regional Andover Hebron Marlborough--RHAM--high school about what it’s like to work in television.
You can take the boy off the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy: yes, there were signs everywhere advising against petting the goats (for obvious reasons, they are animals and unpredictable, after all), but Nathan, who grew up on a farm and raised goats, just wasn’t going to heed that. Here he is petting a little Saanen. When he was a child, he had a Saanen named Ghost.
I swear: Nathan is the Goat Whisperer.
In this video, Nathan tells me about the remaining piece of horn in this Saanen’s head and what they will do to remove it.
Here he is petting a Nubian.
This one is a Toggenburg.
I have never seen a fatter bunny in my life. I felt bad for him, all pressed up against the wires like that. Do you think he was comfortable? He doesn’t look it.
I took a picture of this bunny because he reminded me of my black cat Poe.
We were joking around calling this one “The Watership Down Bunny.”
This is the information on the cute little dwarf bunny you’re going to see in the next picture.
The dwarf bunny! I want one! Nathan said no.
When Nathan was growing up on the farm he had a rooster just like this one. Its name was Kilcaise.
Nathan clowning around.
The Saturday afternoon crew: Greg X. Graves, Scott Goudsward, Danny Evarts, and Kevin Wood (Shock Totem).
Me, left, posing with Scott Goudsward, author of Shadows Over New England.
Nathan, left, and Danny discuss the coming Zombie apocalypse.
Danny and Stacey react to the giant snake that was over near the Hebron Harvest Fair’s midway. I have to admit, it was the largest snake I’ve ever seen!
Saturday night chill-out: yeah, who can resist that good old greasy Bloomin’ Onion? Left to right, Nathan, Danny Evarts, Jason, and Stacey.
Sunday morning Nathan: I’m so jealous of that staff T-shirt he’s got from the Annabel Lee tavern in Baltimore, MD.
Writer and NEHW Nathan Wrann has these cards available for promoting his books at events—it’s a great idea, and for you writers out there, it can be done through http://www.bit.ly.
Sunday lunch: foot-long hot dogs. Delicious!
Nathan poses with a Civil War Re-enactor; there was an entire camp set up at the fairgrounds.
This is called the “Oh my God it’s so late and we have all this packing up to do” survival kit.
Ahhh, Connecticut farm towns, where there’s always somebody that has to mud bog. And no, it wasn’t me.
Another shot of the mud. We didn’t realize it had covered the headlight until the next day, and so we were laughing about the fact that on the drive home the previous evening we had been talking about how we both noticed my lights were a little dim.
