Category: conference

I’ll be at Boskone 2/17-19/2023!

I’m thrilled to be on programming at Boskone once again this year! Here is my schedule:

I’m moderating–VIRTUAL: Representation of Women in Horror. Fri 4:00 PM.

Description Horror can transcend the trope of women as victims and express women’s ability to deal with trauma, both physical and emotional. Ellen Ripley in Alien achieves iconic status as a strong female character in the horror genre as does Melanie in the film The Girl with All of the Gifts. So, why do so many horror stories inevitably present females as victims and their bodies as a symbolic space in which atrocities take place? What do stories like Carrie (1974), films like Raw (2015), and series like Stranger Things (2022) tell us about females in our society, and maybe about humanity itself?

Fellow panelists: Tlotlo Pearl Tsamaase, Jeanne Cavelos

I’m moderating–Bookstores and Attrition of Brick and Mortar. Sat 10:00 AM.

Description: Despite surges in online and ebook sales, at least for now, bookstores are here to stay. Our panelists share their favorite stories about the palaces of the printed. Why they love them. How to support them. And what continued life they’re finding in today’s publishing world. How can we make better use of our physical bookstores? What purpose do they serve for authors, publishers, and readers? If they ever disappear, whatever will we do?

Fellow panelists: James Willis, R.W.W. Greene, Cathy Green, Lyndsay Ely

The Non-United States of America. Sat 1:00 PM.

Description: America has existed as a sovereign nation for close to 250 years. Over time, the idea of individual states or groups of states going it alone has found appeal, like the Confederate States. Why do some Americans romanticize the idea of American breakup, and how do speculative fiction authors use this trope? How does cultural polarization in the United States reflect or contrast with these ideas? This session may raise sensitive issues. Courtesy is expected and required.

Fellow panelists: Alexander Jablokov (mod.), Jeff Warner, Dr. Stephen P. Kelner, Catherine Grant

Group Reading: Horror on Saturday. Sat 5:30 PM.

With: Nicholas Kaufmann (mod.), Max Martelli, F. Brett Cox, Bracken MacLeod

Horror and the Happy Ending. Sun 1:00 PM.

Description: Horror hurts. It bleeds. It keeps us coming back, desperate to know more in the vain hope that the characters might be able to turn things around and survive. Even with the dark and dangerous stories we tell, read, and watch, part of us yearns for a peaceful resolution. While not all endings are horrific, is it horror if it has a happy ending? And what qualifies as “happy” when dealing with horror?

Fellow panelists: Mike Allen (mod), Zin E. Rocklyn, Bracken MacLeod, Errick Nunnally

 

Will I see you at Arisia ’23?

I’m thrilled to be on programming at Arisia once again! Come find me Fri.–Sat. at my panels, the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading, or at the Broad Universe table in the Dealer’s Room.

Expression and Oppression in the SFF Universe

Censorship, repression, and governmental or religious control over the free dissemination of ideas are common themes in SFF, especially dystopian literature. Share your recommendations for the best classic and new fiction on this topic, as well as the degree to which these stories reflect (or have predicted) contemporary issues around freedom of expression.

Marina Ballroom 1 Friday, January 13, 2023, 5:30 PM

Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading

Come discover your new favorite writer as members of Broad Universe read short excerpts from their work. Each writer has just a few minutes to show you what we’re capable of! We offer chocolate and the chance to win prizes. Broad Universe is an international organization that supports women and other non-privileged gender writers, editors, and publishers. NOTE: Not all authors may be in attendance for the entire time slot. Other members of Broad Universe not listed may be reading.

Alcott Saturday, January 14, 2023, 5:30 PM EST

Cancel Culture in Sci-Fi and Fantasy Spaces

When and why does accountability go wrong, especially in our efforts to build inclusivity, diversity, belonging, and community? What are the impacts on creatives and fan communities? Our panelists will start beyond the critique of cancel culture, discussing the effects and impact of it.

Marina Ballroom 4 Sunday, January 15, 2023, 11:30 AM EST

I’ll have some books for sale… and some special stickers I made 🙂

 

I’ll be at Boskone 2/18–20/2022

I’m happy to share I’ll be a panelist at Boskone in Boston Feb. 18-20! It will have both in-person and virtual options this year. (I will be there in-person.) It’s a fun, friendly, smart scifi/fantasy/science con with some cool horror content too! I’ll also be reading from one of my horror short stories and running a Tarot for Writers workshop–see below!

John Wick: A Fantasy Universe?
Format: Panel
18 Feb 2022, Friday 3:00 – 3:50pm, Marina I (Westin)
Panelists: Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert (Moderator) , Jennifer Williams , Jennifer Pelland
Hitmen. Guns. Dead puppies. Not exactly typical fantasy fare. But tilt the prism right and you may see a rich world full of magical realism, with John Wick as the unwilling hero (a wizard with a gun … or a pencil) dragged back down the rabbit hole. As in any good fantasy universe, there are villains, lore, and the hint of a rebellion brewing. What other elements make the series more a fantasy than just a glossy neo-noir?

Is Science Losing? Improving Science Communication
Format: Panel
19 Feb 2022, Saturday 6:00 – 6:50pm, Marina II (Westin)
Panelists: Allen M. Steele , Andrea Kriz , Tom Easton , Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert (Moderator)
Though it’s needed more than ever, our world may actually be backsliding in terms of science literacy, as well as in communicating scientific truths — and their implications — to the public. What’s causing these problems? How can professionals and educated citizens become effective science communicators? How can society as a whole improve its scientific literacy?

Group Reading (Horror): F. Brett Cox and Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert
Format: Reading
19 Feb 2022, Saturday 8:00 – 8:50pm, Griffin (Westin)

Using the Tarot for Creativity
Format: Workshop
led by Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert
20 Feb 2022, Sunday 1:00 – 1:50pm, Carlton (Westin)
The random aspect of Tarot, the diversity of decks, the spiritual splendor and, above all, the power of the oracle make it a useful tool for writers. Tarot can serve as inspiration for characters, bring solutions to dead ends in challenging plots, show that a story can hold more enigmas than seemed to exist. Let’s dive into this world full of stunning images and good ideas for new stories. [Limited to six members. Bring your own Tarot/Oracle deck(s) to work with, although some extras will be available during the workshop.]

 

Virtual Appearance at Arisia ’21 (Jan. 15-16)

I’m excited to be a virual program participant for this year’s Arisia Convention!

My schedule is:

FRIDAY 1/15 8:30 pm”Pandemic Fiction: Before and After” I’ll be on this panel with Ken Schneyer, Rachel A. Brune, Lisa Batya Feld, Mark “Justin” Waks.

Living through an actual pandemic is bound to have an impact both on how pandemic fiction is written, as well as how pre-COVID-19 fiction is read. In this panel, we’ll discuss what we, as readers, think pre-existing fiction got right and what it got wrong, and how future pandemic fiction could change because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

SATURDAY 1/16 2:30 pm”Surviving the Apocalypse Emotionally” Joining me on this panel is Bhadrika Love, LB Lee, Gordon Linzner, Bey Woodward.

Most discussions about surviving the apocalypse (be it zombie, climate, or alien) focus on the skills necessary for physical survival. But we are emotional creatures, and coping with the stress and grief is just as important as building a fire. What do healthy emotions and healthy relationships look like after the world ends? What genre stories have tackled these questions well, and what advice can they give us for our own non-apocalyptic trauma?

SATURDAY 1/16 4:00 pm”The Octavia Butler Future is Now” I’m on this one with Gillian Daniels, Andrea Hairston, Rob Cameron, Sam Schreiber.

In her Earthseed series, Octavia Butler gave us a vision of the 2020s that is disturbingly close to our reality, including storms, and droughts brought on by climate change; escapism through addictive pharmaceuticals and games, and perhaps most chillingly a far-right US President backed by extremist evangelical Christians. This panel will review the highlights of these books and discuss the influences on Butler’s writing as well as the influence these novels have had since their publication.

 

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

 

Getting Serious: A Post-Boskone Brain Dump

Getting Serious

I decided shortly before Boskone that it was time to get serious.

A few weeks ago I hit the big “five-0,” and it seemed like the perfect time to stop giving a damn what people thought of me. It seemed like the perfect time to stop being so dreadfully hard on myself. WHY BE MY OWN WORST CRITIC? There are plenty of people in the world happy to do that for me.

So after very little writing activity during 2017, I made a deal with myself to get serious and really give it a go. Because things don’t fall into our laps (usually.) If you want something, you’ve got to work for it; and if you’re apprehensive, or scared of what people will think of you, or scared of not succeeding, or scared of succeeding (twisted, I know) then you’re not going to get anywhere. (I also bribed myself with wine and chocolate. Luckily, I like wine and chocolate.)

In the few weeks before the Big Birthday, I swallowed down the fear and apprehension I’d been struggling with and turbo-rewrote and edited* a draft short story that had been sitting for almost two years–I was able to rework it so that it more closely fit an anthology call I’d had my eye on. I was so motivated that I fought through illness and turned it in a few hours before the deadline.

While I’m still waiting to hear on whether the story was accepted, it was exhilarating to back at it–scary, but exhilarating.

I brought this renewed energy to Boskone. I promised myself I was going to be more extroverted, make an effort to stop and talk to people, and make new acquaintances. And I did! And it was amazing. 🙂

Luckily, Boskone placed me on several awesome panels. I met wonderful people in my fellow panelists. Some I’d been “Facebook friends” with and finally had a chance to meet in person. Others I knew by name only, and a few I hadn’t heard of before. They were all incredibly smart, talented, and kind. But before each panel I was a bundle of nerves. I feared I’d be the “Red Shirt” on every panel.

 

Like this.

Instead, I over-prepared and felt good about what I contributed to each.

Giving Back

One panel in particular was a standout. The Marketing Uphill panel** was perhaps the one I’d been most nervous about. I was on this panel with real writers! And the owner of a literary agency! And someone who’d been been doing marketing for movies beginning when I was a kid. What did I have to offer?

It turned out I had a lot of practical advice for new and aspiring writers–I still consider myself an aspiring writer in several regards. As someone with a limited budget, no agent, and no written novels (yet), I gave advice such as:

  • Feel insecure about your social media presence? Not sure what to write and post? Post pictures of your cats. (Or substitute cute pet and/or small human.) [Shoutout to D. L. Carter for this tip, which we discussed at the Broad Universe table in the Dealer’s Room.]
  • Not good at editing? Or social media? Or creating a website? Offer a trade with someone who is. Maybe someone in your writers’ group is great at social media. They can help you set up your Author Facebook page and teach you to Tweet; you can offer them an edit in return. Or make them a lasagna. Or pet sit.
  • Above all… FIND OTHER WRITERS. Join a writers’ group in your area. Join writers’ organizations in your genre (I’m a member of Broad Universe, New England Horror Writers, New England Speculative Fiction Writers.) They will support you, give you tips, help you network, and hold your beer*** when you need to cry because the short story you wrote and think is brillant was just rejected for the 14th time.

After this panel, my fellow panelists gave me accolades, and a small group of audience members came up to ask questions, take pictures of my books, and grab my business cards and bookmarks. Since I do marketing for my day job as well–I’ve actually been doing marketing-related work for almost 20 years–I decided I should give back to the community by providing weekly marketing tips to new and aspiring writers. Look for the first in this series of tips beginning next week!

 

* Thanks to my friends and fellow authors Morven Westfield and Trisha Wooldridge for editing help on this piece!

** Thanks to fellow panelists Alexander Jablokov (moderator), Joshua Bilmes, and Craig Miller. 

*** Usually, they give the beer back.