Dec 9 2012

Craft Fairs, Vendors, and Grand Openings, Oh My!

By Jason Harris

I started Saturday morning going to the Sleigh Bells Arts and Crafts Fair at Bacon Academy in Colchester, Connecticut. If Stacey and I weren’t operating a business, Books and Boos, the New England Horror Writers would have had a table or two at this craft fair.

You can read the Reminders article about this craft fair here.

The craft fair was bigger and had more vendors than the Tantasqua’s Holiday Craft Fair last Saturday. The school had vendors in the hallways, cafeteria, and even into the library. There were some interesting vendors who I talked to about bringing their wares into Books and Boos.

Re-use of Misdirected Flatware owned by John M. Gilchrist (www.esty.com/shop/gilsgarden). Photo by Jason Harris.

Mice made from forks by John M. Gilchrist. Photo by Jason Harris.

There were also a woman, Tracy Fowler, who worked with leather. She made items like wallets, belts, and knife sheaths. Her business, WarEagle Leather Works, located in Windsor, Connecticut.

Belt buckles made by Tracy Fowler. Photo by Jason Harris.

Photo by Jason Harris.

Hair accessories created by Tracy Fowler. Photo by Jason Harris.

The reason I went to the holiday craft fair was to help out the Bacon Academy’s students by purchasing two boxes of their homemade cookies for the grand opening celebration at Books and Boos. The celebration included a reading and signing of Bad Apple by Kristi Petersen Schoonover and the giving away of a new copy of The Priest of Blood by Douglas Clegg with the purchase of $5 or more.

Author Kristi Petersen Schoonover reading from Bad Apple. Photo by Jason Harris.

Photo by Jason Harris.

Members of the New England Horror Writers: Jason Harris, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, and Stacey (Longo) Harris. Photo by Nathan Schoonover.

Dec 7 2012

Pictures from the Tantasqua’s Holiday Craft Fair

by Jason Harris

One of the tables at the holiday craft fair.

Authors Stacey Longo and Tracy Carbone.

Items by The Crafty Cellar.

Authors Rob Smales and Scott Goudsward.

Customers checking out the NEHW table.

Author Stacey Longo

More items from The Crafty Celllar, of Ware, MA.

The raffle table

Author Scott Goudsward

Author Rob Smales

Dec 7 2012

Author to Share Her ‘Apple’ at Grand Opening

Author and New England Horror Writer member Kristi Petersen Schoonover will be part of the grand opening festivities at the new bookstore, Books and Boos, in Colchester, Connecticut on Saturday, Dec. 8.

Schoonover will be reading and signing her newest novel, Bad Apple, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. For every copy sold, she will be giving $3 to the American Association of Caregiving Youth and 50 percent of the books royalties will be donated to the AACY as well.

According to the AACY’s website, “Caregiving youth are children and adolescents who look after someone in their family who has an illness, a disability, frailty from aging, a mental health problem or a substance misuse problem. They take on practical and/or emotional caring responsibilities that normally would be the role of an adult … In addition, many caregiving youth also have responsibilities for younger brothers and sisters and all or most of the household chores.”

There will be coffee, tea, treats, and more at the store, which will be opened from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Plus, anyone who spends $5 or more will get a FREE new copy of The Priest of Blood by Douglas Clegg, another NEHW member, while supplies last!”

Schoonover will also be gift wrapping with two other authors and members of the NEHW, Stacey Longo and Jan Kozlowski, at Barnes and Noble in Manchester, Connecticut from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9.

Dec 3 2012

My Time at the Rhode Island Comic Con

by Rob Watts

Myself, Jason Harris, Stacey Longo, Scott Goudsward and Kristi Petersen Schoonover began the task of painstakingly arranging our table in a manner of which patrons would … oh, who am I kidding? We threw it all together and if something fell on the floor, then it probably didn’t belong there in the first place. Our booth did look pretty diversely kick-ass! In addition to our own books, we had action figures, DVD’s, movie adaptation novels and of course, comic books. We were prepared for anyone and anything that came our way that weekend. Or were we?

Well, nothing could have prepared me for the 9am stroll through “Celebrity” alley just prior to the show’s opening. Stacey and I took it upon ourselves to stalk a couple of former stars while attempting to flee from a couple of others. “Oh boy, time has not been generous to that one” was uttered more than a few times. But there were a couple of highlights during that brisk wander. For instance, did you know that Mitzi Kapture (of TV’s Silk Stalkings) is married to Seinfeld’s The Soup Nazi? Well, she is and they are both wonderfully kind people. Also wonderfully kind, yet extremely happy, was Gil Gerard of the classic 1970s sci-fi series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. He was very gentlemanly as he reached out to shake both our hands but was quick to point out that he was selling Buck Rogers coffee mugs, baseball caps, lunch boxes, toilet paper and anything else you could put the name Buck Rogers on. As big of a turn off as this might have been, I still couldn’t believe “Buck Rogers” was in front of me, talking to me and trying to sell me a bunch of worthless crap. I couldn’t wait to see what other surprises were in store.

The doors opened to everyone at 10am and within 15 minutes, the aisles were flooded with convention goers. The booth blocking rule had a moratorium placed on it for the weekend due to the fact that people were streaming past us left and right all day long. We were perfectly happy behind the table all day, in our “safe haven.” People watching was a perfect ten as every super hero, comic book, anime, movie or TV character you could ever imagine was represented. To my delight, a different Captain America walked by me on an average of every 22 minutes. Star Wars characters were high in attendance and Jason Harris and I spent much of the two days debating on which guys at the con wore the best Bane character get-up. Of course, I can’t forget to mention the best dressed guys at the convention. Kristi’s all-time favorite tribute band, KISS Forever!

Venders were plentiful, and although their tables became repetitive after a while, they did have some amazing items for sale which could make even the least sentimental person nostalgic. I for one was tempted to plunk down fifty dollars for a near-mint Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle, but don’t judge me. The toy venders, however, had some competition at the NEHW booth. Scott unloaded a fair amount of his action figure collection throughout the event’s two-day run.

Some cool cars were on display in the lobby such as the Ghostbusters Mobile, the Adam West era Batmobile and two Delorians from the Back to the Future films. Speaking of Back to the Future, I got to meet and chat with actress Claudia Wells who played Michael J Fox’s girlfriend in the first film. She’s still very lovely and very cool. Speaking of cool, we got to chat it up with former pro wrestler Hacksaw Jim Duggan. He had some interesting stories about his glory days in the ring, including the “Montreal Screw job” and his relationship with Vince McMahon. Bottom line, he was very likeable.

Word at the convention was they had sold around 5000 tickets in advance. 12,000 people attended the convention just Saturday alone. This was RICC’s first year and it went off with a bang. Although it was a long two days for us in Providence, I think it’s safe to say we all had a great time. Kristi finally got to meet Dirk Benedict, I met my now-current co-writer on an upcoming project, Scott finally sold his giant King Kong action figure, Stacey got to hang out with Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Jason learned never to order a 30 dollar Filet Mignon from McCormick & Schmick’s when he’s starving. That’s a different story for a different day.

Nov 29 2012

The NEHW at the Tantasqua’s Holiday Craft Fair this Saturday

The New England Horror Writers will be at the Tantasqua’s Holiday Craft Fair this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Tantasqua Regional Sr. High School in Fiskdale, MA.

You can meet NEHW members Tracy Carbone, Scott Goudsward, Stacey Longo, Rob Smales, and Rob Watts, who will all be selling and signing books at the craft fair. The NEHW’s tables will be located in the school’s cafeteria.

If you are looking for a holiday themed book, Smales is selling, Checkin’ It Twice & Other Heartwarming Holiday Tales, which contains his story, “Fishing Buddy.”

The Tantasqua Regional Sr. High School is located at 319 Brookfield Road in Fiskdale, MA 01518.

Nov 27 2012

My Time in Billerica

by Rob Watts

As me, Jason Harris and Stacey Longo entered the doors of a tiny little church on a quiet side street in Billerica, MA; we were slightly confused as to where we were having our NEHW book signing. The address was correct, our GPS’s sent us to the same place, yet this wasn’t our usual style of venue to promote ourselves and our work. We called out “hello?” a couple of times but our calls went unanswered. Finally we saw a door to our right which read “No shoes allowed in the studio.” Of course, it only felt right to walk right through the door, shoes on and all. Upon entering the room, the three of us stood with our mouths hanging open, completely dumbfounded by what had laid before us. It was a room full of chairs, Halloween decorations, candles, a podium and a table full of food. A few seconds later, we were happily greeted by Alan Kessler and his wonderful family who were lovingly setting up the room for our arrival. ‘This is too nice for the likes of us’ I thought.

Alan Kessler, a NEHW member mentioned back in August during his first NEHW event in Middletown, Connecticut, that he’d like to contribute to the organization in some way, shape or form. He didn’t want to just be a stagnant member in good standing. He wanted to organize a different type of event for us to participate in; one that would cater more towards us as authors rather than exhibitors at trade shows. It was a nice gesture on Alan’s part, but although his intentions sounded sincere, it was unsure if such an event would take place. Three weeks later, sure enough, Alan had sent word that his event was a go and invited any NEHW member to participate. I am not lying when I say; Alan and his family went above and beyond what we might have expected. In addition to the above mentioned ambiance, Alan invited many of his neighboring book lovers, as well as a reporter from a local Billerica newspaper to cover the event. Every seat in the converted old church (and Alan’s current karate school) was filled with bodies. It was nice that people had come to see us, rather than just stumble upon us.

The event began with the participating author’s conducting a live reading from their books in front of the audience. I read a short story of mine called “Carman.” Tracy Carbone read from her latest book Restitution, followed by Stacey Longo reading from her children’s book Pookie and the Lost and Found Friend. We had a newcomer to the event that day as well. Author Rob Smales joined us for his first event and read a short story of his which is featured in The Ghost is the Machine. Alan, who very well could have shed a little spotlight on himself by reading from his own book A Satan Carol, graciously declined, as the event was about us, not him. We all thought that was a thoughtful and unselfish gesture.

After the readings, the audience was encouraged to visit our table at the back of the room to browse our book selections. It was an overwhelming rush of people at one time, who kindly purchased books and spoke to the authors. Food and beverages were available to the visitors which allowed for more interaction before the day drew to a close. I must really give Alan big thanks for what he and his family did for us that day. He opened up his place of business to us and his friends and gave us a beautiful venue to present our work. We’ll never forget that day.

Nov 8 2012

NEHW Members at Anthocon

The New England Horror Writers will be at Anthocon this weekend. The convention runs from Nov. 9 through 11. Here are the NEHW members who will be there this weekend: Michael Arruda, Tracy Carbone, Karen Dent, Roxanne Dent, Peter Dudar, Michael Evans, Timothy Flynn, Dave Goudsward, Scott Goudsward, Jason Harris, Chris Irvin, Jan Kozlowski, Stacey Longo, Bracken McLeod, David Price, L.L. Soares, Douglas Swatski, Erin Underwood, Vlad Vaslyn and Rob Watts.

The first Anthcon anthology, Anthology: Year One, will debut this weekend. It’s published by the Four Horsemen. Everyone in this collection participated in the first Anthocon last year. Quite a few NEHW members are in this collection. If you can’t make the convention, you can order a copy on Amazon by clicking here.

Nov 7 2012

Voltaire comes to Anthocon

Spencer Hill Press’s and Spence City’s lovely Kendra L. Saunders interviews the Gothic icon for Jason Harris Promotions.

Hello Voltaire!

I have to say, I’m incredibly excited about the prospect of meeting you this weekend at Anthocon in Portsmouth, N.H. I attended Anthocon last year, (which was actually its debut year), and had a blast. Your guest appearance at an event like this is going to be a really cool marriage of the macabre and über-fun, especially since you’ll be debuting the cover for your novel, Call of the Jersey Devil (Spence City, 2013).

So, to get everyone ready for Anthocon, I’d like to ask you a few quick questions.

Q: Your book, Call of the Jersey Devil, continues your long-standing jokes on Jersey. For the people that don’t know, what’s up with you and Jersey?

A: I was born in Cuba, but within a few years of emigrating to this country, my family had settled in New Jersey. At first, we lived in Newark, and I was the only “white” kid at my all black and Puerto Rican school, so I was in a fight every day for being different. When I was in third grade, we moved to the suburbs, and I went from being “white” to being the only “hispanic” kid (or “spic” as they called me) in an all-white neighborhood, again, because I guess I didn’t fit in. Furthermore, growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey from that point on, I was constantly ridiculed for being interested in art and music and stop-motion animation. I was perpetually bullied and called a “fag.” I finally ran away from New Jersey when I was 17 and went to New York City where I seemed to fit in just fine. My experience in New Jersey was that they don’t like anything that isn’t completely familiar and grotesquely mediocre. Suffice to say, if you’ve seen the MTV show Jersey Shore, let me tell you, that’s exactly how New Jersey really is!!!! I simply had to get out to keep my sanity.

Q: When I mentioned your name online recently, I heard a lot of happy cybersqueals from your fans. Happily, they come from all walks of life including bookstore clerks, steampunk fans, writers and folk lovers. They’re definitely excited about your upcoming novel. What would you say is the one thing about your novel that will most surprise your fans?

A: I’m not entirely sure the novel will surprise these nice people. I think that over the years, people who have followed my work have noticed a certain twisted sense of humor mixed with a poignant sense of pathos. I do believe there is a unique thread running through most of what I do. It’s simply my way of looking at the world. This novel is really, I think, the culmination of all of the things that makes my point of view, uniquely mine. So if they’ve enjoyed what I’ve done in the past, I think they will really appreciate this book. I do believe it’s my best work to date. If it tells you anything, there are parts that still make even me laugh out loud when I read them and tear up like a baby as well.

Q: Now, as a musician, you must have a pretty cool soundtrack for when you’re writing, right? What are a few of the songs or albums that you really enjoyed listening to while you wrote Call of the Jersey Devil?

A: Believe it or not, I feel most comfortable writing in noisy places. There is no place more productive for me than a busy cafe. Like most of my comic books, I wrote this novel at Yaffa Cafe in NYC between the hours of midnight and eight am. The music I wrote to was mostly the clanging of silverware, random conversations between transvestites and after hour club people and whatever CD the waiter chose to play on any given night.

Q: There’s something about the smell of coffee or the sound of strangers talking that inspires, that’s so true. Anthocon is a horror and [speculative fiction] convention, so I have to ask, what are your top three favorite horror movies? And how about horror novels?

A: That’s probably impossible to answer. There are about twenty films in my top ten! They are also not all “horror” films because I’m a fan of monsters, not genres. So I don’t tend to separate sci-fi, fantasy and horror if they have monsters in them. I just call them “genre” films or “monster movies.” If I had to name three favorites off of the top of my head, I’d say King Kong (1933), Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth and Ridley Scott’s Alien. As for novels, at the risk of alienating a lot of people, I will admit that I’m not an avid reader, so I can’t really say. It probably explains why most of my novel’s influences are horror movies from the 80s!

Q: I love that though! So many good authors are influenced by movies and music and other forms of arts than just books. Now, you’ve done a little bit of everything; stop-motion animation, music, books. What’s next on your agenda? World domination?

A: Believe it or not … acting! I’ve always wanted to do it and recently was cast in my first real role in a feature. It’s a horror film called Model Hunger, directed by the talented horror film actress, Debbie Rochon. I play an acerbic alcoholic (yes, I was typecast!). It comes out at some point in 2013. I hope to do much more of this. It was as much fun as I’d imagined!

Q: You’re appearing at Anthocon on Sunday. Will this be your first time in New Hampshire?

A: Nope! Last year, when I went on my “Black Unicorn Cabaret Tour,” I performed in Manchester, New Hampshire. That was my first area show.

Q: I’m pretty impressed by your wardrobe, gotta say. Were you visited by a goth fairy of great fashion sense or were you always just this cool?

A: You’re too kind! I’m not a fairy, though Neil Gaiman did describe me once as a “Gothic Elf Lord” which, of course, I loved! If it tells you anything, I was run out of New Jersey on a rail in 1984 because I was a “New Romantic” or “Goth”. So, the desire to dress up has been with me for a long, long time. I’m middle-aged now and putting on some pounds around the middle, so I no longer wear tights and dress like Adam Ant, but I still have a little dark glamour left in me!

Thank you so much for your time and we all look forward to seeing you at Anthocon, for your reading AND for your concert!

For more information about Anthocon, please visit: http://anthocon.com/

A: My pleasure entirely! And for those who would like to learn more about my comics, animation, music and toys, of course, they can always check out my official website at www.voltaire.net

Cheers! Voltaire

Kendra L. Saunders is the author of the magic realism novel Inanimate Objects and the upcoming dark comedy Death and Mr. Right. She is marketing coordinator for Spencer Hill Press and has conducted interviews for Steampunk Magazine and ipmnation.com. In her spare time, she likes to drink too much tea, read fashion magazines, attend steampunk conventions, daydream about boys with dark hair, listen to records on vinyl and try to travel back in time to the Jazz Age. Find her online at www.kendralsaunders.com

Nov 1 2012

NEHW Members at Rhode Island Comic Con this Weekend

The Rhode Island Comic Con happens this weekend in Providence at the Convention Center and members of the New England Horror Writers will be there.

Author Don Franklin, who has his own table at the convention, will have his first novel, Reaper’s Walk: Hellstone, on hand and will be autographing copies.

According to Grayhart Press, the book’s publisher, “follow The Reaper’s Walk series of supernatural thrillers as Lita and her family — descendants of a dark witch from the 18th century — form fragile alliances and fight desperate battles with demons, werewolves, witches, and vampires in an attempt to capture the Circle of Stones and escape their doom … because after waiting 10 generations, the Reaper is coming to collect his due.”

The books official launch was Oct. 31 and it will be available through Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, iTunes and other booksellers in a few weeks, the publisher has told Franklin.

Authors at the Official NEHW Table

The other NEHW members, who will be at Comic Con, are Stacey Longo (Epitaphs, Pookie and the Lost and Found Friend) Rob Watts (Huldufolk), Kristi Petersen Schoonover (Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole, Bad Apple) and Scott Goudsward (Epitaphs, Call of Lovecraft).

Check out the convention’s website here and see what celebrites are going to be signing during the weekend. After getting celebrity autographs, don’t forget to come on by and say hello to all the NEHW members at the convention.

The convention center is located at 1 Sabin Street in Providence, Rhode Island.

Oct 23 2012

Two Authors to Appear at Marlborough Shop this Saturday

By Jason Harris

This Saturday, authors Stacey Longo and Catherine Grant will be appearing at The Shops at the Marlborough Barn in Marlborough, which is located in Marlborough, Connecticut. They will be reading and signing from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Longo will read from her story, “Private Beach,” which is in Epitaphs, the first anthology created by the NEHW. This collection will be on sale at the event. Longo is the Co-chair of the NEHW, a former columnist for the Block Island Times and the co-owner of Books and Boos, a bookstore.

Grant will read from her story, “Three Fat Guy Soap.” Along with being a NEHW member and writing fiction, she also runs a writing critique group, Central Connecticut Writers Group.

The Shops at the Marlborough Barn is located at 45 North Main Street in Marlborough.