Category Readings/signings

Nov 7 2011

Necon E-Books will be at Anthocon

Bob Booth and Matt Bechtel, of Necon E-books, will be at the New England Horror Writers’ table at Anthocon this coming weekend. Check out the convention’s website and read previous articles about Anthocon on this site just click on the “Anthocon” category.

Along with digital copies of the individual titles they sell, the company also offers print editions. Necon E-books will soon be offering the Complete Short Fiction of Charles L. Grant. There will be eight volumes in this series. Volume 1: Nightmare Seasons, Volume 2: The Orchard, Volume 3: Dialing the Wind, Volume 4: The Black Carousel, Volume 5: The Collected Oxrun Stories, Part 1, Volume 6: The Collected Oxrun Stories, Part 2, Volume 7: The Collected Horror Stories, and Volume 8: The Collected Science Fiction Stories.

Volume 1 through 4 will be coming out this year. Volume 5 though 8 will be released in 2012.

Grant’s novel, The Hour of the Oxrun Dead, is now available for $4.99. According to the site, “The Hour of the Oxrun Dead was a breakthrough novel for Charles L. Grant. It was the first of many books dealing with Oxrun Station, his invented, cursed locale that is probably only surpassed by Lovecraft’s Arkham and King’s Castle Rock in the minds of horror fans. First appearing in 1977, it helped usher in the golden age of horror fiction in the 1980s.”

The site said the novel is “character-driven and emotionally wrenching, The Hour of the Oxrun Dead’s subtlety stands in sharp contrast to the “gore galore” style that would come to dominate horror fiction.

Check out Necon E-Books blog which has an entry written about Brian Keene, a guest at Anthocon, by Booth. There are also entries written by authors James A. Moore and Jeff Strand.

The company also has books by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala available. These two authors will also be at Anthocon this weekend. They also both have stories in Epitaphs, the first anthology by the NEHW, which is published by Shroud Publishing. There is going to be a book release party for this inaugural anthology at the convention and most of the authors in the collection will be on hand to sign the book.

Nov 6 2011

The SouthCoast Toy and Comic Show Write-Up

The Happenings and Pictures from the SouthCoast Toy and Comic Show

by Jason Harris

There was no sleeping in this morning. No enjoying the extra hour of sleep gained from falling back a hour for Daylight Savings Time. The day started at 5 a.m. Sunday morning for Author Stacey Longo and myself. We left around 5:40 to get the SouthCoast Toy and Comic Show in Fairhaven, MA. On our drive to the show, we came across this site.

Smoke over Interstate 695

We arrived at the Seaport Inn and Marina without any problem. Once there, Longo performed her magic and had the table set-up in no time. This picture is of the second version of the NEHW table. There were two more set-ups as different authors arrived. Thanks to Longo, Dave Goudsward, Kasey Shoemaker, and Rob Watts for participating in today’s event. Thanks goes out to Nathan Wrann and Kristi Petersen Schoonover for having their books and dvds at the table.

The Toy and Comic show had many draws today from George “The Animal” Steele, Brian Harnois, Penny Dreadful and Gaoru, Uncle Fright, and Thom Christopher (Hawk on Buck Rogers). There were also sideshow performers and paranormal researchers.

Along with the stars and guests to see and meet, there were also convention attendees who came in costume.

Books were sold and some great networking opportunities were made. The show was a lot of fun and I know the NEHW will be back at this show in the future.

It was nice meeting Rick Silva of Dandelion Studios today. He will have a table at Anthocon next weekend.

Watts, Longo, and Goudsward will be attending Anthocon next weekend in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Be sure to look for their books at the NEHW table at the convention.

Enjoy the following pictures from the SouthCoast Toy and Comic Show.

George “The Animal” Steele

Zehara Nachash, sideshow performer

Longo and Watts talking.

Jason Deveau as Captain America and Panda Valentine as Peggy Carter

Jedi Adam Joyce, of Cambridge, MA., with lightsaber

Jessica Rabbit and friend

Eric Shafer, of Waltham, MA.

Harris, Longo, Shoemaker, Watts, and Goudsward

Darth Vader

Stormtrooper

Raymond Ramos, of New Bedford, as Blade

Mark Tauares as Superman and his son, Myles, as a stormtrooper.

Nov 2 2011

New England Horror Writers at the SouthCoast Toy and Comic Show This Sunday

Meet these New England Horror Writers at the SouthCoast Toy and Comic Show on Sunday! by Kristi Petersen Schoonover

If you’re up in Fairhaven, Massachusetts this Sunday, Nov. 6, you’ll have the opportunity to meet a few New England Horror Writers—and pick up a few of their books, as well as copies of my Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole—Tales from Haunted Disney World—at the SouthCoast Toy and Comic Show. The following writers will be on hand:

David Goudsward

Goudsward is co-author of Shadows Over New England and Shadows Over Florida, but has a myriad of titles in horror, archaeology, and short fiction out there. You can learn more about him at http://goudsward.com/dave/

Kasey Shoemaker

Shoemaker is the author of Silver Vengeance, an urban fantasy novel featuring werewolves, witches, romance and bloodshed. You can learn more about Kasey at http://kaseyshoemaker.com/

Rob Watts

Watts paranormal thriller, Huldufólk , was released just in time for Halloween! Find out more about Rob at http://www.robwattsonline.com/.

Stacey Longo

Longo has had several short stories published in various popular anthologies including the all-female-written zombie collection Hell Hath No Fury. Read more about Stacey’s work at http://www.staceylongo.com/

Writer Nathan Wrann (Dark Matter Heart) and I will not be at the show, but our books will be available. You can learn more about Wrann here: www.daltongang-productions.com, and, of course, you can find out about me on my own website (www.kristipetersenschoonover.com). In addition to Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole—Tales from Haunted Disney World, copies of In Poe’s Shadow — a Poe tribute in which my short story “Vanity” appears — will be available.

The SouthCoast Toy and Comic Show will run this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Seaport Inn and Marina in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. For more information and complete details, visit www.southcoasttoyandcomic.com.

Oct 27 2011

NEHW’s First Anthology Now Available and the Planned Book Release Party

The first NEHW anthology, Epitaphs, is now available at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982727593/ref=ox_ya_os_product). The price is $12.99 plus $3.99 for shipping and handling.

The cover of NEHW

Amazon states, “the New England Horror Writers Association, in partnership with Shroud Publishing, are proud to debut its inaugural anthology, Epitaphs. The anthology is a compilation of some of the best dark fiction from both best-selling authors and up-and- coming writers throughout New England. Contributors include Christopher Golden, Rick Hautala, Holly Newstein & Glenn Chadbourne, LL Soares, Trisha Wooldridge, Kurt Newton, and more. The anthology features 26 stories and poems from the delightfully scary to the deeply macabre.

Epitaphs was edited by author Tracy L. Carbone and includes an introduction by award-winning author and publisher Peter Crowther, as well as a cover by Danny Evarts.

The table of contents in this chilling anthology is as follows:

Jeffrey C. Pettengill “To Sleep, Perchance to Die”
Paul McMahon “The Christopher Chair”
Kurt Newton “A Case of the Quiets”
Scott T. Goudsward “Build-a-Zombie”
John Goodrich “Not an Ulcer”
B. Adrian White “The Possesor Worm”
John M. McIlveen “Make a Choice”
Michael Allen Todd “The Death Room”
Rick Hautala “Perfect Witness”
Holly Newstein and Glenn Chadbourne “Stoney’s Boneyard”
Trisha J. Wooldridge “Kali’s Promise”
David Bernard “The Sequel”
David North-Martino “Malfeasance”
Stacey Longo “Private Beach”
Christopher Golden “All Aboard”
L.L. Soares “Holiday House”
Steven Withrow “Lines at a Wake”
K. Allen Wood “A Deeper kind of Cold”
P. Gardner Goldsmith “Alone”
Roxanne Dent “Pandora’s Box”
Michael Arruda “Chuck the Magic Man Says I Can”
T.T. Zuma “Burial Board”
John Grover “Windblown Shutter”
Stephen Dorato “Cheryl Takes a Trip”
Philip Roberts “The Legend of Wormley Farm”
Peter N. Dudar “Church of Thunder and Lightning”

Carbone, a New England native, has published several horror and literary short stories in magazines and anthologies in the U.S. and Canada. Her YA horror novel, The Soul Collector, will be released by Shadowfall Publications in late fall 2011. She is Co-Chair of the New England Horror Writers (NEHW) and a member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA).

There will be a book release party for Epitaphs and a panel with a few of the authors from the anthology at AnthoCon, Nov. 11 through 13. There will be a special table for the anthology at the convention as well. Throughout the weekend, most of the authors in Epitaphs will be available to sign copies.

Presented by Shroud Publishing, The Anthology 2011 Conference will “showcase the imaginative talent in speculative fiction and art, with an additional focus on the convergence of images and literature,” according to the AnthoCon website (http://anthocon.com/).

The NEHW will also have a table where members can sell their books and other items at the convention.

The cover of Shroud issue #11

Like other cons, well-known writers will be on hand, among them Christopher Golden (Of Saints and Shadows), who will offer a reading and signing; Jonathan Maberry, who read from one of his new novels; and Jennifer Pelland, who will read from her debut novel, Machine. There will be an extensive dealer area which will feature books, films, artwork, comics, and more. There will also be a Juried Art Exhibit to include such shelf familiars as Ogmios (The Witches’ Almanac), Morbideus Goodell (Apex Digest, Maberry’s Vampire and Cryptopaedia), and Michael Bailey (who is also the editor of Pellucid Lunacy, an anthology of psychological horror and several novels).

“[AnthoCon] has some amazing authors, publishers and film people attending,” said Tracy L. Carbone, editor of Epitaphs, New England Horror Writers Association’s first official anthology. “It should prove to be the best new Con for horror folks out there.”

Jonathan Maberry (photo courtesy of the Anthocon website)

But what makes AnthoCon unique is its focus on the nine panels’ concentration on education for both writers and horror fans. For example, Reaching through the Veil will examine the channeling of myth, religion, spirituality and the collective unconscious in imaginative fiction; Getting Your Short Story Published with the Small Press will offer insight on finding, submitting, and selling your short story; Evil Jester Press Presents “Help! Wanted: Tales of On-The-Job Terror” will dissect the process of producing an anthology. Horror names Brian Keene, Rick Hautala, Cat Valente, Maberry, Joseph

Nassise, Pelland, and Golden will present I’ve Made It This Far, Now What?, using their paths to literary success to illumine what the process could be like for those in attendance.

Brian Keene (photo courtesy of Anthocon website)

Topics also go deeper with Writing Programs: from the MFA to Private Workshops. And Eric Red (The Hitcher, Near Dark) will present a lecture and workshop The Elements of Writing Horror and Thrillers for Films.

Aside from guests, vendors, and panelists, the event promises to draw a unique crowd to include film and book reviewers and magazine editors—like Peter Schwotzer, the man at the helm of Literary Mayhem (http://literarymayhem.com/) who also reviews anthologies, lit-zines and books for Famous Monsters of Filmland and IMDB.

“I’m going mainly to meet a lot of authors I’ve met over the past couple of years in person. We correspond by e-mails, phone, Twitter, Facebook, etc., but it will be nice to meet face to face,” Schwotzer said. “All of the authors have been so kind and generous to me, it still boggles my mind that I actually correspond with my literary heroes.”

With so much to offer that seems to be different from what’s offered at other cons, this promises to be a great inauguration with long-lasting recurring potential—writer or fan, artist or reviewer, don’t miss out.

AnthoCon 2011 will be held at the Best Western Wynwood Hotel & Suites at 580 US Route 1 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, from Friday, Nov. 11 through Sunday, Nov. 13. For complete information on AnthoCon, including schedules, costs, and who will be there, visit www.anthocon.com.

Oct 26 2011

An Author’s Account of the Middletown Open Air Market

Rob Watts writes about his experience at the NEHW tent at the Middletown Open Air Market. This originally appeared on Watt’s website, http://robwattsonline.livejournal.com/.

The vendor tents on the grounds of the Wadsworth Mansion (photo by Maria Arakil)

As colder days are approaching in New England, I would say we lucked out by being able to take advantage of one of the few remaining weekends where the weather gods were smiling down upon us. Even though there was a slight chill in the air, locals turned out in impressive numbers for the Middletown Open Air Market in Middletown, Connecticut on Sunday afternoon. I, along with fellow members of the NEHW, spent the better part of the day behind our booth fielding questions from curious visitors about us, our books, the organization and anything else that crossed their minds.

NEHW member

Table full of NEHW products (photo by Maria Arakil)

What made this a truly pleasurable event was the very laid-back atmosphere. It was held on the grounds of the beautiful Wadsworth Mansion, and the event itself was well organized which allowed for a positive flow throughout the day, for both the patrons and the vendors. Foot traffic around our booth was plentiful and with the beautiful display of books from the talented writers on hand, passersby were hard-pressed not to stop and browse through the displays. Camaraderie was the word-of-the-day, as each author did a great job of talking up their fellow writer’s books, not just their own (everyone at the table sold and signed books.) The team spirit and support throughout the booth made for great vibes and good fun during the afternoon. That’s something that can easily be lost and forgotten at events such as this.

From left to right: Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Kasey Shoemaker, Jason Harris, Stacey Longo, and Rob Watts (photo by Maria Arakil)

So kudos to all involved…myself, Stacey Longo, Jason Harris, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Kasey Shoemaker and Kurt Newton. It was definitely the perfect event to debut my new book and well worth the 2 1/2 hour drive to and from Boston 🙂

Watts will be making an upcoming appearance at the NEHW table at the Southcoast Toy and Comic show on Sunday, Nov. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m at the Seaport Inn and Marina in Fairhaven, MA. The location is 110 Middle Street. For more information, check out the website, www.southcoasttoyandcomic.com.

Oct 25 2011

Speculative Fiction Fest Kicks Off Thursday

News item written by Kristi Petersen Schoonover.

If you’re in Providence, Rhode Island and looking for a spectacular way to kick off your Halloween festivities, NEHW member Paul Tremblay (The Little Sleep, In the Mean Time) will be part of The Brown Bookstore’s First Speculative Fiction Fest this Thursday through Saturday (Oct. 27-29). The event will feature readings by several popular speculative fiction authors, films, and panels.

Paul Tremblay

The event kicks off at 4 p.m. Thursday with a showing of Val Lewton’s film classic, Cat People (I am assuming this is the Lewton film and not the 1980s remake, but I could be wrong) followed by readings from authors Daniel Pearlman (A Giant in the House and Other Excesses) and Paul DiFilippo (Harsh Oases).

On Friday, author Brian Evenson (Fugue State) will read; at 6 p.m., there will be showing of the 2007 film Peur(s) du Noir (Fears of the Dark).

Saturday’s offerings being at 2 p.m. with a talk on Graphic Fiction and the Comic Form; at 4 p.m., the writers will offer a panel discussion on the Speculative Fiction genre. At 5 p.m., authors Tremblay, John Langan (Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters), and Laird Barron (The Imago Sequence and Occultation, both of which won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Collection) will read from their work.

For directions and more about Brown Bookstore, visit here: http://www.shopbrown.com/. For the event’s official flyer, visit here: http://bookstore.brown.edu/fictionfest.pdf.

Oct 23 2011

The Day at the Middletown Open Air Market

The Day at the Middletown Open Air Market by Jason Harris

The ninth annual Middletown Open Air Market was a big success for sponsor, the Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate and for the vendors. It was a little chilly since the Sun decided to stay hidden bechind the clouds for most of the day, but that didn’t stop the crowds from coming out to the event.

The Ninth Annual Middletown Open Air Market

Thank you Stacey Longo, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Kasey Shoemaker, Robert Watts, Kurt Newton and Nathan Wrann for making todays NEHW event a success.

From left to right: Newton, Watts, and Schoonover in Middletown

Longo did a great job as usual setting up the NEHW tent.

The NEHW tent at the Middletown Open Air Market

A different view of the NEHW tent

Here are a picture of Longo, Shoemaker, and Schoonover under the NEHW tent.

From left to right: Longo, Schoonover, and Shoemaker

Here is a picture from a visitor to the NEHW tent that came back to show us a picture from her sister who works at a mortuary. The picture was so cool I had to ask her to email it to me. She did and I want to share it with you.

The fan's picture

Here are a few more pictures from the market.

People lined up in front of Author Rob Watts

Oct 23 2011

Author Going to Damnationland

Author Eric Dimbleby will be signing his debut novel, Please Don’t Know, at the Railroad Square Cinema’s event Damnationland: The Way Life Should Bleed this Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29.

In the novel, Zephyr becomes immersed in a tangled web of horror when he discovers that his new friend is being kept hostage by a demonic presence. A twist of fate and a slick trade suck him deeper into a living nightmare where he is soon trapped by the lovesick siren. Zephyr must learn to deal with the insatiable, violent beast as he battles to keep his life, his loved ones, and his sanity intact.

Please Don’t Go was released in September.

Damnationland is a showcase of short Maine-made horror films that features local filmmakers, writers, actors, and music. New filmmakers are chosen every year for this unique cinematic event. Unlike many traditional film festivals, the shorts are continuously screened back to back, without interruption. All credits are held until the end of the final film, keeping the tension heightened and leaving viewers on the edge of their seats. The short films start at 9 p.m. Unrated. App. 80 min.

On Saturday night, there is a zombie costume and participants have the chance to win a free movie pass. Three people with the best costumes will receive a free pass to a future move at Railroad Square Cinema

For more information about the event, check out the websites, http://www.damnationland.com/ and http://www.railroadsquarecinema.com/.

Oct 21 2011

Authors Appearing at Middletown Open Air Market

A far shot of the Open Air Market and Festival at the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown, CT. Photo Credit: Mel Tavares, Rocky Hill (CT) Patch ~ http://rockyhill.patch.com/users/mel-tavares

This Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven authors will be available to meet people and sign their work at the ninth annual Middletown Open Air Market at the Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate.

The seven authors at the market will be Kasey Shoemaker (Silver Vengeance), Stacey Longo (Malicious Deviance, Hell Hath No Fury), Dan Foley (No Longer Dreams, Damned Nation), Kristi Petersen Schoonover (Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole: Tales from Haunted Disneyworld), Kurt Newton (Breaking Eggs,The Wishnik), Rob Watts (Huldufólk), and Greg X. Graves (Codex Nekromantia).

The Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate is located at 421 Wadsworth Street in Middletown. For a list of vendors, check out the website, http://wadsworthmansion.com/html/openAirMarket2011.html.

Oct 17 2011

Author’s Nightmare in Worcester

Here is an entry about Rock and Shock from Author Kristi Petersen Schoonover’s blog. Please click the link to see the video she put together, http://kristipetersenschoonover.com/2011/10/17/nightmare-in-worcester-nehw-rock-and-shock-2011-video-overview/.

NIGHTMARE IN WORCESTER: NEHW ROCK AND SHOCK 2011 VIDEO OVERVIEW

Writers, artists, and other creators spend a lot of time in isolation—not necessarily because we are actively crafting, but because, I’ve often felt, we seem to think differently.

Although I’ve always been comfortable in my surroundings, I’d forgotten how much fun it was to be around other people who share the same creative drives, dreams, ambitions and even habits. At this weekend’s Rock and Shock—where I worked the New England Horror Writers booth with several of my peers—I almost felt like I was on a different planet, one I wasn’t too anxious to leave.

I’m planning on writing something up for the NEHW blog that discusses this a little bit more in-depth, but for now, I think this mini-movie I made—at least for me—says it all. Enjoy!