I’m a horror author, so by default I have to love Halloween. But even if I didn’t write spooky stuff, I’m pretty sure I’d still like the holiday. In fact, this Halloween is super special to me, since it is Emily’s and my first one in Elkins. Below are some updates on what we’ve been doing this spooky season!
Continue readingSaturday, October 22nd (tomorrow), I’m going to be in Durbin, WV, doing a Meet & Greet at the Durbin Community Library! Come on by at 2:00 pm and let’s hang out. I’ll have copies of Unknowing, I Sink to sell and sign. I haven’t been able to get restocked on my other books, though, having sold out of all my copies recently at the West Virginia Library Association Fall Conference. If you already own any of my books that need signing, by all means bring them by.
Sorry for the late notice—I sort of lost track of which week it was. What happened to October? This is the best month, and for some reason this year it seems awfully short.
I hope to see you there!
October is my favorite month for so many reasons, but here’s a new one: my short story, “We Suckle,” has been published online at The Saturday Evening Post. Click here to read about a young family that moves to Augustus Valley to ease their financial burden and finds something strange happening in their basement. Rather, they think there’s something weird going on, but they can’t ever quite remember what…
# spookymonth #NewFictionFriday #TheSaturdayEveningPost #SatEvePost #shortfiction #shorthorror #octoberreads #shortstories #spookyreads #horrorfiction #horror #weirdhorror #weirdfiction
Tales to Terrify is coming at you again—this time, with my short story "Animals." Just released today, Episode 556 of the Tales to Terrify podcast will get you where you need to be, if where you need to be is creeped out and revolted. Might be a good one to listen to while you get dinner ready; just my suggestion. Or maybe sitting by yourself in the shed out back. Keep an eye out for rats.
My short story, “What Grows Underneath Ends in Silence,” is now available in Night Terrors Vol. 21, published by Scare Street. These seventeen stories are sure to get you in the mood for spooky season. Buy it now for Kindle or in paperback!
One of my favorite events of the year, the Lewisburg Literary Festival, is finally happening, after, as with many things, a long COVID-related hiatus. I’m so happy to be seeing my friends again and meeting new ones. Headline speakers this year are CBS Sunday Morning correspondent (and native West Virginian) Conor Knighton, record-breaking Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis, and Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau. If you’re a writer, you’ll want to check out the free workshops from thriller novelist S. G. Redling and poet/professor Elizabeth Savage. Anybody familiar with the LLF will know that there’s also much more that will be happening all around town… A full schedule should be posted to LewisburgLiteraryFestival.com this week, but just trust me, if you’re anywhere close, you should make plans to come see it (it’s free).
Of course, I’ll be camped out in the vendor’s area in the GBV visitor’s center, along with other great authors you can meet and buy signed books from. Along with my novels, I’ll have some of the last available copies of the out-of-print first edition of my weird horror novella, Unknowing, I Sink. So don’t miss out; let’s hang. Can’t wait.
#lewisburgliteraryfestival2022 #lewisburgwv #greenbriarcounty #hashtaglewisburg #downtownlewisburg #wvwriters #garrytrudeau #conorknighton #jenniferpharrdavis #lewisburgliteraryfestival #books #HashtagWV
A few weeks ago, I was interviewed on the Chapters show by my friend and fellow West Virginia writer, Carter Taylor Seaton. We discussed my first novel, When the Watcher Shakes (which won the 2021 West Virginia Indie Author Project) as well as other things in the works. Carter is an excellent host, and it was a pleasure chatting with her. The interview is now available on YouTube.
The second weekend of June, I attended the West Virginia Writers, Inc.’s summer conference at Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley, WV. I reunited with old friends, made one or two new ones as well, and learned some new stuff along the way.
That Saturday evening of the contest is the Awards Banquet, where they announce and present the awards won by participants in their annual writing contest. I was honored and excited to find that my unpublished novel, The Cricket King, won second place in the Book Length Prose category. Accepting the award in person was a great way to cap off a fun and rewarding weekend. Big thanks to all those in the WVW who make the conference and the contest happen every year despite what seems like every hurdle imaginable.
I am extremely proud of this novel, and I hope that you all will be able to read it as soon as possible.
If you went to this month’s Writers Can Read open mic night in Huntington expecting to see me, I’m really sorry to have disappointed you. That morning, I got hit with a nasty stomach virus. I will work with Carter to get rescheduled for another month. I hope all the best to those who went and shared their words. I’m bummed I missed out on all that fun.
It took me a few days, but I finally got my strength back after that stomach bug (though now I’m battling a minor cough, but not sure if it’s allergies or what—I tested negative for COVID this morning). So I’m definitely on board for the Canal Town Book Fest happening on the 27th and 28th in Dover, Ohio!
Click here to make sure you get all the details, but the short story is that there is an Opening Night Ceremony on Friday evening, 6:00pm, at the Dover Public Library, with a guitar performance by Bill Hall and an interview with featured author Julie Anne Lindsey. Then on Saturday, in connection with the Canal Days Festival, come meet authors and buy books at the author fair set up from 10:00am to 3:00pm at the corner of Wooster Ave and 3rd St.
Keep tabs on their Facebook page for all the latest info and announcements. See you there!
Come out to Heritage Station in Huntington, WV on Monday and hear Jeffrey Mangus and me reading excerpts from our books. But it’s not all about us—bring a little something of your own to read!
I always love visiting Huntington and can’t wait to see everyone there. Big thanks to Carter Taylor Seaton for organizing this amazing event every month. It’s an honor to be friends with such a talented and generous writer who works so tirelessly to promote others in her community.
Writers Can Read Open Mic Night in Huntington #huntingtonwv #writerscanread #heritagestation #openmicnight #wvwriters #downtownhuntington #myhuntington #supportlocal #westvirginia #HtownWV #VisitHuntingtonWV
