Category: Featured Posts

Here are some of my featured (a.k.a. “most popular” or “ones I happen to really like”) posts.

I hope you enjoy them!

Acceptances and Coming Appearances

Poetry Acceptances

Somehow, Thanksgiving is almost here and the end of the 2010’s is looming. Writer-wise, I was largely inactive during 2019. I wasn’t feeling compelled to write by the time March rolled around, and then by May discovered painting. I’ve just recently begun to write a new short story.

The one piece of writing I completed before my hiatus was a horror-themed poem that was accepted into Horror Writers Association (HWA) annual poetry showcase. (The kindle version has just been released and hardcovers should follow in a few days or so.) That poem, “It is Forever Stalking You,” was written as I was experiencing a depressive episode and chronicles what that feels like.

HWA Poetry Showcase Vol. VI Cover

I’ve also just received word that my space-themed poem “Reincarnation” was accepted into the charity anthology Beneath Strange Stars by TL;DR Press. The proceeds from this collection of short stories and poetry will benefit the UK-based Association for Science Education. (Science education–a cause near and dear to my heart!) This collection will be available to purchase in January 2020.

Beneath Strange Stars charity anthology

Upcoming Appearances

I plan to attend Boskone in Boston in February 2020 (where I’ll be a panelist) and should be attending at least part of Arisia in January. When not on panels at either of these conventions, you can find me at the Broad Universe table in the Dealer’s Room.

A Final Note…

I appeared at Stillwater Books in Pawtucket, RI, with three other women horror writers in October. They have a few of my books on consignment, so check them out if you’re in the area!

Reading and afterpanel at Stillwater Books–from left to right: Christine Lajewski, Doungjai Gam Bepko, Jessica Levai, me

 

As This Year’s Women in Horror Month Draws to a Close…

Read my post, “My Journey to Horror (and Why Women’s Representation in Horror Matters)” to end Women in Horror Month at New England Horror Writers website–check out the three previous posts as well!

http://nehw.blogspot.com/
 

My Boskone Convention Schedule

Boskone, New England’s longest-running scifi and fantasy convention takes place at the Westin Waterfront hotel in Boston, from February 15–17. Hope to see you there!

Alone in the Dark

15 Feb 2019, Friday 21:00 – 21:50, Burroughs (Westin)

A look at why horror protagonists are often in it alone. Is it just a case of the observation tainted by the presence of the observer? Is the fear worse when you don’t have anyone around with whom to face it? And why do their flashlight and cell phones batteries always die at the worst possible moment?

With: Barry Lee Dejasu, Jack Haringa, Cadwell Turnbull, Joe Monti

The Evolution of the Slayer in Dark Fantasy

16 Feb 2019, Saturday 13:00 – 13:50, Marina 2 (Westin)

Since Van Helsing’s debut as the original vampire hunter in 1897’s Dracula, characters such as Buffy, Sam and Dean Winchester, Hellboy, Wynonna Earp, and John Constantine have all, er, staked their claim to the mantle of Slayer. How have these characters changed the role — or have we evolved to think about it differently? Why is this character type so popular? What part have Slayers played In the growth of the dark fantasy genre?

With: James Moore, Christopher Golden, Bracken MacLeod, Jack Haringa

Reading by Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert

I have my own reading slot! Come listen to me read from one of my recent short stories (I’m not sure which one, yet :-))

16 Feb 2019, Saturday 16:30 – 16:55, Independence (Westin)

If Only It Were Real

16 Feb 2019, Saturday 20:00 – 20:50, Griffin (Westin)

What science fiction concept, other than space travel, would you most like to see realized? Flying cars? Matter replicators? Time travel? Why? What would be the impact on civilization of this wish fulfillment? Flying cars crashing into buildings, replicators putting manufacturers out of business, time travelers running wild, oh my!

With: Alan Brown, Marshall Ryan Maresca, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Karl Schroeder

How to Survive a Horror Story

17 Feb 2019, Sunday 12:00 – 12:50, Marina 4 (Westin)

Who knows better than a horror writer how to survive a horror story? Join he fun and “lively” conversation as our panelists discuss scenarios from horror novels and films as if they themselves were characters within the scenes. Will their special authorial insights keep them safe? Will they split up to look for the cat? What are they willing to do to survive (relatively) intact? Who dies first? Who lives to tell the tale?

With: Marshall Ryan Maresca, Barry Lee Dejasu, Nicholas Kaufmann, Clarence Young

Note: This is a new idea at Boskone, and sounds like a blast!

 

New Year; New Stories and Appearances

First Publication of 2019

Happy new year! 2018 was challenging, and I spent several months not writing a word. I’m hopeful and full of energy for 2019, though!

Pre-order The Final Summons
In Darkness, She Sheds in The Final Summons anthology will be my first publication of 2019!

My first publication credit of 2019 will be my fantasy/horror short story In Darkness, She Sheds, part of The Final Summons anthology. I love this story and can’t wait for the world to see it. This diverse complication of scifi and fantasy stories by me and 13 other fantastic authors is due on February 5. Pre-order for Amazon and other retailers here.

First Appearance of 2019

I’m sad to announce that for the first time in almost a decade, I will not be attending Arisia. However, I’m thrilled to have been accepted as a panelist at Boskone (which has become my favorite Boston-area genre conference) and I should have a schedule to share in a few weeks.

I hope to see old friends and meet new ones at Boskone in February!

 

The Final Summons is Available for Pre-order!

The Final Summons–the premier anthology from New England Speculative Writers–is now available for pre-order at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iTunes.

Description:

Galactic omens. Apocalyptic wastelands. 14 mind-bending stories of future worlds and dark fantasy on the brink of oblivion.

Fate is never written in the stars. From embattled lunar colonies to inter-dimensional courtrooms and the murky alleyways of Victorian London, there’s no telling when or where the day of reckoning will arrive. Do you dare test the limits of your reality and answer the final summons?

With stories encompassing planet-wide apocalypse to intimate tales of heart-wrenching sacrifice, join assassins and improbable saviors as they battle for survival and strike deals with the devil. From the visionary New England Speculative Writers comes an unforgettable exploration of the gathering darkness at the edges of the great unknown.

The Final Summons is a sci-fi and fantasy anthology showcasing 14 brilliant speculative fiction writers. If you like multifaceted characters, mind-bending concepts, and uncharted new worlds, then you’ll love this provocative short-story collection.

The other authors and I are thrilled that Craig Martelle is writing the Forward for this collection!

Final Summons Authors

Please pre-order and support this mix of established and emerging authors. (Pre-order for Amazon coming soon!) 

Short Story Acceptance!

Hi All! I haven’t poked my head up much because spring is always MY CRAZIEST TIME OF LIFE with kid stuff and other family stuff. I hope to get back to regular “tips for new writers” at some point before summer begins.

I do have a great announcement–my short story In Darkness, She Sheds was accepted into the New England Speculative Writer’s premier anthology, The Last Summons. I can’t tell you how honored I am to be in the company of these other writers, and how excited I am to share my story with the world. In Darkness, She Sheds is a fantasy-horror story.

In order to pay the authors sooner rather than later and also hire local talent to edit and create original art for the book, NESW has started a Kickstarter–click here to read about it, donate, or share on your social networks. Happily, we already reached our funding goal, but we’re trying to meet a stretch goal that will allow for things such as an audiobook narrator and more original art. Please support us if you can–and remember, even if you can’t support us monetarily, sharing is caring!