Author Reading at The Brown University Bookstore

Author and New England Horror Writer member Paul Tremblay will be reading from his newest novel, Swallowing a Donkey’s Eye, this Wednesday at the Brown University Bookstore.

Tremblay’ Swallowing a Donkey’s Eye was published last month by Chizine Publications. According to Cinema Knife Fight writer Barry Lee Dejasu, who also works in customer service at the Brown University Bookstore,  describes Tremblay’s book as a “strange, dystopian novel, [where] a man fulfilling his six-year time at Farm learns that his mother has dropped out of contact back in City and he begins a personal journey to try and find out just what happened to her.”

According to Amazon, “join Farm today! It’s only six years of your life! Farm is the mega-conglomerate food supplier for City, populated with rabidly bureaucratic superiors, antagonistic and sexually deviant tour guides dressed in chicken and duck suits, and farm animals illegally engineered for silence. City is sprawling, technocratic, and rests hundreds of feet above the coastline on the creaking shoulders of a giant wooden pier. When the narrator’s single mother, whom he left behind in City, falls out of contact, he fears the worst: his mother is homeless and subsequently to be deported under City to the Pier. On his desperate search to find his mother, he encounters ecoterrorists wearing plush animal suits, an election that hangs in the balance as the City’s all-powerful Mayor is infatuated with magic refrigerators and outlaw campaigns, and a wise-cracking, over-sexed priest who may or may not have ESP, but who is most certainly his deadbeat dad. Whether rebelling against the regimented and ridiculous nature of Farm life, exploring the all-too-familiar and consumer-obsessed world of City, experiencing the all-too-real suffering of the homeless in Pier, or confronting the secrets of his own childhood, Swallowing a Donkey’s Eye’s narrator is a hilarious, neurotic, and rage-filled Quixote searching for his mother, his own dignity, and the meaning of humanity.”

Tremblay, who lives outside of Boston, is the author of the novels The Little Sleep and No Sleep Till Wonderland. He has also authored the short story collections Compositions for the Young and Old and In the Mean Time, two novellas, and his essays and short fiction have appeared in the Los Angeles Times,  Five Chapters.com, and Best American Fantasy 3. He is the co-editor of four anthologies including Creatures: Thirty Years of Monster Stories (with John Langan).

Check out Tremblay’s website by clicking here.

The reading starts at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 12, at The Brown University Bookstore, which is located at 244 Thayer Street in Providence, RI  02912. The store’s phone number is  (401) 863-3168 if you have any questions.

Pictures from Friday and Saturday at the Hebron Harvest Fair

Author Kurt Newton reads to a group of people at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Artist Cheryl Normandie standing next to her work at the Hebron Harvest Fair.. Photo by Jason Harris.

The above picture is just one of many that will be in this post. If any pictures catch your eye, feel free to call Normandie, who lives in Brooklyn, Connecticut, at (860) 779-0827. All photos of her artwork were taken by Jason Harris.

Some of Normandie’s witches. Photo by Jason Harris.

A young fan enjoying the children’s book, Pookie and the Lost and Found Friend. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author G. Elmer Munson signing a copy of his novel, Stripped. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author G. Elmer Munson signing a copy of his novel, Stripped. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Stacey Longo taking time out to get her picture taken with a cow. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Alan S. Kessler signing a copy of Satan Carol. Photo by Stacey Longo

Author Alan S. Kessler signing a copy of Satan Carol. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author Rob Watts hanging out with some young fans. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author Rob Watts getting a stern warning from Vernon Post Captain Austin Agnew for talking with some young fans. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author Stacey Longo with Senator Richard Blumenthal at the NEHW booth at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Stacey Longo with Senator Richard Blumenthal at the NEHW booth at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author G. Elmer Munson eating some chocolate covered bacon. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Stacey Longo modeling a cane carved by a member of the Mystic Woodcarvers Club. Photo by Jason Harris.

Work by the Mystic Woodcarvers Club at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

More work by the Mystic Woodcarvers Club. Photo by Jason Harris.

The NEHW table at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Pictures from the First Day of the Hebron Harvest Fair

The NEHW sign at the back of the booth at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Stacey Longo at the NEHW sign promoting the readings and skits. Photo by Jason Harris.

The Mystic Woodcarvers (www.mysticcarvers.com) booth right next to the NEHW booth. Photo by Jason Harris.

The NEHW Director of Publicity in his skit costume. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author Stacey Longo and a spider hangout at the NEHW booth at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Stacey Longo giving a reading at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

The Mystic Carvers busy carving at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

The NEHW booth at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

The NEHW booth at the Hebron Harvest Fair. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Stacey Longo getting her hand eaten licked by the Farmer’s Cow’s calf. Photo by Jason Harris.

The NEHW Appearing at the Hebron Harvest Fair for the Second Time

The New England Horror Writers’ Association will be appearing at the Hebron Harvest Fair for the second year in a row.

Seven New England authors are scheduled to appear at the fair from Sept. 6 through 9 to do readings, perform skits, and autograph books.

Author Stacey Longo will be at the fair all four days, with copies of her children’s book Pookie and the Lost & Found Friend, which was just published in July 2012. Her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies, including the Stoker-nominated Epitaphs, which will also be available at the NEHW booth.

Also appearing will be Kurt Newton, author of The Brainpan Concerto, Ultimate PerVERSEities, and Powerlines, among other titles. He will be at the fair on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

G. Elmer Munson will be on hand on Saturday to sign copies of his novel, Stripped.

Robert Duperre, author of seven novels including The Fall and Silas, will be at the NEHW booth on Saturday.

Rob Watts, author of Huldufolk, will be at the fair Saturday. Huldufolk is an Icelandic fantasy/horror novella that comes with a free CD of music compiled by the fictional band in the story.

Authors Alan S. Kessler (A Satan Carol) and Dan Foley will be appearing on Saturday and author David Price (Tales from the Grave: An Anthology of True Ghost Stories) will be appearing on Sunday.

The NEHW was formed in 2001 to promote writers and illustrators of dark fiction within and outside the association. They offer writing workshops, discussion forums, social events, and appearance opportunities to their members.

Click here to find out about the Hebron Harvest Fair.

The Epitaph, Issue 23 (August 2012)

Issue #23 (Aug 2012)

The Epitaph

Journal of the New England Horror Writers (NEHW)

The NEHW Board of Directors:

Tracy L. Carbone – Co-Chair
Stacey Longo – Co-Chair
Dan Keohane – Treasurer
Jason Harris – Director of Publicity/Webmaster
K. Allen Wood – Director of Publications
Scott Goudsward – Director of Events
Danny Evarts – Art Director
Tim Deal (alternate)
T.J. May (alternate)

NEHW SIGNINGS AND READINGS:

Hebron Harvest Fair

The NEHW will once again have a booth at this four day fair. It runs from Sept. 6 through 9.

Rhode Island Comic Con

The NEHW will be at Rhode Island Comic Con on November 3 and 4.

Anthocon

The NEHW will have a table at Anthocon (www.anthocon.com) from Nov. 9 through 11.

Tantasqua’s Holiday Craft Fair

The NEHW will have tables at the Tantasqua’s Holiday Craft Fair at the Tantasqua Regional Sr. High School in Fiskdale, MA from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on December 1.

Want to Give Back to the NEHW?

The NEHW has been asked by the Barnes & Noble in Manchester, CT to man its gift wrapping table. There will be a jar set-up for donations, which will go to our organization. We will be there on Dec. 9, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The table sits three people comfortably. There will be shifts. After gift wrapping ends, we can go out to eat at a local restaurant.

Email Jason Harris at dudley228@gmail.com if you like to help gift wrap.

NEHW WRITING OPPORTUNITIES

From Charles Day:

Evil Jester Press is looking for comic book/graphic novel artists to submit samples of their work for our new 6 issue series. Please send a couple pages to David C. Hayes, Executive Editor at: eviljesterpresentscomics@gmail.com

From Trisha Wooldridge:

Doorways to Extra Time, a short story anthology, is now accepting submissions.

In our busy world of meetings and microwaves, car radios and cell phones, people always wish they could get an extra hour in the day. What if they could? Doorways to Extra Time is an anthology that explores ways to get extra time (be it an hour, a day, or a decade) and the impact it would have (whether upon a single life, a family or an entire world).We’re looking for stories with a touch of the fantastic—whether mystical, magical, mechanical, or just plain mysterious—but they can be set in any time or any genre: contemporary or historical, science fiction or fantasy, horror or magic realism. We could even find a place for a nonfiction essay if it was truly exceptional. In short, show us something show-stopping, and we’ll make time for you.

Suggested Length: full stories (from 3,000 to 7,000 words) and flash fiction (preferred under 1,000 words). We will accept good stories up to 10,000 words but longer lengths are a harder sell.

Due Date: Oct. 15, 2012

Editors: Anthony Francis and Trisha J. Wooldridge

Submission Guidelines: Please email your submissions to anthology@spencerhillpress.com. Put your story in the BODY of the email (no attachments) and put “DOORWAYS TO EXTRA TIME” in the subject line along with the title.

And now the boring bits: We can only accept previously unpublished stories. Please don’t use characters or material to which you do not own the copyright so Disney doesn’t come sue us—this is not a fan-fiction anthology. Contributor payment will be an advance of $10, a contributor copy of the print edition, and an equal share of the contributors’ portion of the royalties. Please make your work appropriate for a PG-13 audience and avoid gratuitous sex, violence, politics and puns.

For accepted submissions, Spencer Hill Press will take first print and electronic publishing rights, which are exclusive publishing rights for as long as the anthology remains in print. This means that authors will not be able sell or publish their stories elsewhere, and when the rights revert to the authors after the anthology is no longer in print, they will only be able to market the story as a reprint, which in nearly all cases is a harder sell and has a lower pay rate than first print. We at Spencer Hill Press hope that the anthology will have strong sales that will result in healthy royalty payments, but we want authors to go into this with eyes open, knowing how acceptance to one anthology limits the marketing of the same story down the road.

NEHW MEMBER NEWS:

From Erin Underwood:

Underwood sold her short story “The Foam Born” to Ticonderoga Press for their new anthology Bloodstones, edited by Amanda Pillar, which will be released in October 2012.

From Bob Sterns:

Stearns released his first e-book novella, The Harvester, on Amazon. It is a dark fantasy/horror/sci-fi adventure story and fully illustrated. Here’s the link, http://www.amazon.com/TheHarvesterebook/dp/B008SGZKXU/ref=sr_1_5?s=digitaltext&ie=UTF8&qid=1344562146&sr=1-5&keywords=the+harvester

From K.H. Vaughan:

Vaughan’s story, “Love and Rocket at the Siege of Peking,” will appear in the steampunk-wuxia anthology Shanghai Steam, due this November from Absolute Xpress.

From Robert Heske:

Heske’s graphic novel, The Night Projectionist, was reviewed by ComicsGrinder.com (http://comicsgrinder.com/2012/08/05/how-to-tell-a-good-vampire-story-the-night-projectionist-tpb-review/) and on HorrorNews.net (http://horrornews.net/55250/book-review-the-night-projectionist-author-robert-heske/).

He also did a follow-up interview with Henry Chamberlain at ComicsGrinder about The Night Projectionist and his other work, including his upcoming indie film Blessid (http://comicsgrinder.com/2012/08/14/robert-heske-interview-screenplays-and-comics/).

He reports that initial filming will begin on Blessid in September with a 2-day shoot, with the balance occurring in November. Here are links to “Like”, Follow and Fund Heske’s film: www.facebook.com/BlessidTheMovie, www.twitter.com/blessidthemovie, and www.indiegogo.com/blessidthemovie.

From Dave Goudsward:

Goudsward is proud to announce one of the top Lovecraftian scholars, Kenneth Faig, Jr., will be writing the foreword to his book H.P. Lovecraft in the Merrimack Valley, which explores the region’s ties to the Amateur Journalism movement that served as an incubator to Lovecraft’s writing, and the influence of later visits on HPL’s work.

From K. A. Laity:

Laity has the cover art for Weird Noir, the forthcoming collection she’s editing for Fox Spirit Books (foxspirit.co.uk), out this November.

Recent publications include:

The Price. Short story. Tales of the Nun and Dragon (http://www.foxspirit.co.uk/?page_id=82). Ed. Adele Wearing. Fox Spirit Books. August 2012.

ASBO Bambi. Flash fiction. Pulp Metal Magazine (http://pulpmetalmagazine.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/asbo-bambi-by-k-a-laity/).

Aug. 4, 2012.

The Claddagh Icon. Short story. Atlantis eBooks/Lite Editions (http://atlantis.lite-editions.com/ebook.php?c&p=28). July, 21 2012. [English/Italian language editions]

Her dark story collection, Unquiet Dreams, will be released Oct. 4 from Tirgearr Publishing.

From Eric Stanway:

Emu Books will be releasing two new anthologies by Stanway, a New Hampshire author, whose previous books include “Vintage Blood,” “The Old Rindge House,” and “Madame Sherri,” on September 21, for the Halloween season.

Stanway has edited the anthology, The Blood is the Life, a collection of classic vampire stories, by such literary luminaries as F. Marion Crawford, F. G. Loring, E. F. Benson and Nikolai Vasilivich Gogol. This collection also includes the story “The Vampyre” by John Polidori, which holds the distinction of being the first vampire tale in modern literature.

He also edited Mad Ghosts and Englishmen, a treasury of classic British Ghost stories by such renowned authors as M. R. James, Bram Stoker and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes.

Each book is lavishly illustrated with period engravings, and is 267 pages. They will retail for $14.95 apiece, and are available at Amazon.com and all good bookstores.

For more information or interviews, interested parties can call the author at (603 585-6820 or email eric.stanway@yahoo.com. Visit EricStanway.com for more details.

From L.L. Soares: 

L.L. Soares’s novel, Life Rage, will be making its debut at Killercon in Las Vegas the weekend of September 20 – 23.

From Dan Foley:

Foley sold a short story, “I Will Make You Beautiful,” to Scarlet River Press for the anthology, Rigorous Mortis – A Mortician’s Tale Anthology.

From John Grover:

Grover is very excited to announce the release of his first full-length novel, If God Doesn’t Show, co-written with R. Thomas Riley and published by Permuted Press. It’s the apocalypse and the dead are rising, shadow creatures are on the loose, Cthulhu has returned and only two men can stop the madness and they’ve never even met.

Available in all formats and reading devices, but you can start with Amazon and B&N: http://www.amazon.com/Doesnt-Show-Cthulhu-Mythos-Novel/dp/1618680560 and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-god-doesnt-show-r-thomas-riley/1112297347?ean=2940015024272

Grover’s first Zombie book is now available on Kindle and Nook. Frozen Stiff: A Zombie Novella is a horror adventure set in the Canadian Arctic. A horror colder than the snowy landscape awaits a military search and rescue team and their civilian survivors in this original chiller of the zombie apocalypse. Get it for Kindle or Nook: http://www.amazon.com/Frozen-Stiff-Zombie-Novella-ebook/dp/B008XRUSGS or http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frozen-stiff-john-grover/1112550486?ean=2940014899239

Finally not quite horror, but for those who enjoy fantasy, the second installment of Grover’s dark fantasy series Song of the Ancestors II: The Human Condition is now available exclusively on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Human-Condition-Song-Ancestors-ebook/dp/B008ITKUAK

From Charles Day and Evil Jester Press:

I am delighted to announce that after a few months of brainstorming and talking with some members of the HWA board, James Chambers and I are now excited to be co-chairing the HWA NY/LI Chapter. We are looking to hold our first meeting early October, possibly in the NYC area, near the Javitt’s Center if possible. A few of us HWA members will be attending the NY Comic book Convention (COMIC-CON) and this would be a great time to gather up some people.

Day’s also excited to be hanging out with the NEHW at the Rhode Island Comic-Con this coming Nov 3 and 4. He’ll be signing copies of my Legend of the Pumpkin Thief and the newly released Tales of Terror & Mayhem from Deep Within the Box.

Nov 9-11: The evil little jester and his jesterly minions will be arriving at ANTHOCON in New Hampshire. Our booth is registered and we hope to see many of you there. I’ll be signing copies of my books, and we will have other authors at the table and around the conference to sign copies. We hope to also have Joe McKinney’s Inheritance released by this time. Looking forward to seeing everyone again. Last year was such a blast.

If any of you are active members with the HWA and would like to participate in the HWA Mentoring Program, please get in touch with me. I’ve been filling all the slots, and could use more professional writers to share their knowledge to aspiring writers. My email address is cday3067@hotmail.com.

From Dale Phillips:

Phillips is on the radio, talking about writing, as a guest on David Tierney’s show on 91.5, WUML. Listen via radio or on www.wuml.org. He will be on Monday mornings from 9:50 to 10:10 (approximately).

From E.F. Schraeder:

Schraeder’s short story “Stacked” appeared in the Summer 2012 Dark Gothic Resurrected magazine.  Two other stories were also selected for upcoming anthologies.   “Employee of the Month” was selected for Carnival of the Damned anthology edited by Henry Snider and David C. Hayes from Evil Jester Press, and “The Hopeful Doctor” was included in Dark Moon Books’ upcoming alternate history horror anthology, Zombie Jesus and Other True Stories, edited by Lori Michelle, Max Booth III, and Stan Swanson.

From Scott Goudsward:

Goudsward has sold “Ghost Lights” to Evil Jester Press’ Carnival of the Damned.

Once Upon an Apocalypse is still taking submissions for another month. www.onceuponanapocalypse.com

From Errick Nunnally:

Nunnally sold a short story, “Who Bears the Lathe?” to eFiction’s inaugural genre magazine. The magazine’s first issue will be published in early September 2012.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS:
 
Georgina Morales (CT)
Heather Randolph (MA)
Joe Mirabello (MA)
Barbara Farrow (MA)

– Jason Harris, Editor, the Epitaph: Journal of NEHW
– Stacey Longo, Assistant Editor, the Epitaph: Journal of NEHW

The man behind the ‘Guy Who Kills People’ talks about what inspired his screenplay

The Man Behind the ‘Guy Who Kills People’ Talks about What Inspired His Screenplay

by Jason Harris

Screenwriter Ryan A. Levin’s script for Some Guy Who Kill Peoplewas inspired by his short film, “The Fifth.” His short film only came about because he had written it for fun and wanted to avoid it becoming just another file on his computer, he said.

“I wanted to see it come to life.  I had no aspirations to be a director, and still don’t, but I ended up writing, producing and directing the short film.”

Some Guy Who Kills People

As he traveled around the festival circuit and saw the positive reactions, he started thinking about an everyday guy who happens to be a serial killer and wondered if he could expand the main character’s world. Through brainstorming, he slowly developed his character’s background, family life, friends, and motives for killing. By developing his short into a movie, his character changed and it allowed him to let go of the character from the short film.

“Ultimately, while the short and the feature bear little to no resemblance to each other, there would be no Some Guy Who Kills People without “The Fifth.”  Fortunately, our distributor, Anchor Bay, was cool enough to include “The Fifth” on the Some Guy Who Kills People DVD.”

The movie contains bullying, which came about because of “creative need.”

“Ken, the killer in Some Guy Who Kills People, needed a reason to kill his victims.  In early drafts, he was just a serial killer who chose victims at random.”

The script shifted to Ken focusing on victims who treated others poorly, and then, ultimately, he began killing people who had done him wrong, Levin said.

“News about childhood bullying and suicides just started popping up on the news as we were in pre-production on this film, so while it was not intentional, I knew I hadn’t gone too far in scripting the often sad ramifications of bullying.”

Levin wrote the screenplay between 2007 and the end of 2009. It took about two and a half years to write the script, but it wasn’t a constant writing effort. There were many breaks “as other things came up” which caused him not to look at the script for six months or more.

“Ultimately, this worked to my benefit, as it allowed me to come to the script with fresh eyes each time.”

The movie stars Kevin Corrigan, Barry Bostwick, and Karen Black.

“It was, and continues to be, surreal,” Levin said about Corrigan, Bostwick, and Black being in the movie. “Kevin was someone we approached immediately for the lead role, and we just crossed our fingers he would find something in the script he liked enough to say ‘yes.’  He knew he would essentially be working for free, not to mention working in LA, away from his family in NYC. I imagine it’s a lot easier to take those few weeks off and live elsewhere when you’re making real money, but he wasn’t getting that from us. ”

Levin never pictured Bostwick and Black in their roles and was shocked that they auditioned for the movie considering “their credits and experience.”

“It was perfectly clear to Jack Perez (the director), Lisa Essary (casting director) and myself that we wanted them, and that if we did indeed land them, our movie was headed in the right direction.”

These actors took their characters and elevated them to levels beyond anything that was on the page, he said.

“They are three fearless actors who gave everything they had to this movie, and I can’t thank them enough.”

He was living in New York City when he decided to wanted to write for television and knew he had to get a production assistant job to be able to do that. These “jobs are actually quite hard to come by, as they are essentially the jobs that get you in the door on a production.”

“I sent resumes to every single show imaginable, super-eager to work for any of them. Through sheer good fortune, I ended up knowing someone who knew someone who got me an interview to be a PA on Scrubs, my favorite show at the time.”

When he got the production assistant job, he thought he had “made it” even though he considers “being a PA sucks.”

“I was on the show, I was writing in my free time, but I just wanted to move up the ladder as quickly as I could.  I became the writers’ PA, then writers’ assistant then script coordinator. I knew the show runner would never promote me to a full-time writer because of a policy he had against doing so.  But I also knew that if I could prove to him I was a capable writer, I could write an episode.  Fortunately, that’s what happened.  I wrote one episode in season 5, and was told I could return as script coordinator the following season to write another one.”

He didn’t return to work on the sixth season of Scrubs instead he went out looking for a full-time writing position.

“It took a couple of years of close-calls, of working on web series and pitching ideas, but, ultimately, I got a job on a Disney show called I’m In The Band, which ran for two years, and was far better, funnier and more creative than a lot of shows on network TV, which I’m allowed to say because I didn’t create the show.”

The writing staff for The Simpsons, seasons three through seven, and the playwright/screenwriter Martin McDonagh are writers that have inspired Levin. He loves McDonagh’s film, In Bruges.

“I’ve always been drawn to the darker content – always loved horror films and dark comedies, Fargo and Better Off Dead – and I was blown away by how [McDonagh] took these seemingly morbid stories and injected them with some of the funniest characters, situations and dialogue I’d ever heard.  McDonagh’s ability to find the comedy in such dark material through characters with very specific points-of-views and his ability to seamlessly blend such different tones is what I can only dream of being able to accomplish.”

Levin is working on another Disney show and developing several features.

“The features are in various stages – from third drafts to basic outlines – and I keep moving back and forth between them.  The great thing is I have several ideas about which I’m very excited; however, I really need to just focus on one of them, see it to completion, and then move on.  If I don’t, none of them will ever get completed.”

The Some Guy Who Kills People DVD can be purchased through Amazon, click here.

Are the Skulls for sale? Helpful advice for NEHW members.

Are the Skulls for sale? Helpful advice for NEHW members.

by Rob Watts

Author Rob Watts autographing his novel, Huldufólk, for a fan. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Rob Watts autographing his novel, Huldufólk, for a fan. Photo by Jason Harris.

For almost a year now, I’ve attended just about every, if not all NEHW signing events. In addition to my own scheduled appearances, I feel the various offered events that are hosted by the NEHW are a valuable resource for an independently published author and anyone who hasn’t taken advantage of them is sadly missing out. In addition to gaining exposure and promoting your work, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to spend time with the friends you make through the organization as well as creating new friendships along the way.

As a frequent guest of these events, I have learned a thing or two about people’s’ reactions to our presence at some events. Most people love us, and it has nothing to do with the fact that we are so frigging cool, but more-so due to the fact that we are a unique brand. In a sea of repetitiveness, we fully stand out amongst the jewelry booths, the handbags, the jam counters and the  birdhouses. When people approach our booth, they are pleasantly surprised to discover that we are the authors of the work in front of them. They are even more thrilled when we offer to sign their books for them personally. There is something to be said for making someone’s day without so much as breaking a sweat.

If you are planning on attending a future event or even if you are relatively new to the scene, here are a handful of tips to keep in mind when spending the day at the NEHW booth/tent.

First of all, try to make every effort to be on time. If an event begins at 10:00 a.m., try to be there then or a little bit before. The reason for this is simple; it makes setting up our display easier. Space on the table is limited and the earlier that the display can be set-up, the better organized it will look. It can get a little crazy when visitors approach the booth and books are still being set up in front of them.

Keep the front of our booth clear. Nothing keeps visitors away more than cluttered table. Keep the conversation and socializing behind the booth or in a more open common area. You want a visitor and potential buyer to feel comfortable and invited to approach our booth. I know when I see too many people in front of a table I keep walking. I have seen if for myself at these
events as well.

No Book Blocking! What is book blocking? Book blocking is when a visitor may be showing signs of interest in one author’s book and a fellow author or guest of the author intervenes to talk up their own book. This is a huge no-no at events and is greatly frowned upon. I’m not saying it happens a lot, but I have seen it once or twice and it warrants illustrating. There is plenty of opportunity for authors to make sales throughout the day. There is no need to prevent a fellow author from making a sale, especially if it’s their only sale that day.

Keep food and drinks off the table space. We don’t want anyone’s books getting damaged by spilled sodas or pizza sauce.

Don’t complain that you didn’t do well at an event. Every event is different. Some are well-attended, some not so much. There isn’t a science to this, it just pans out that way. How well your book does is entirely up to the author. You might sell one book, you might sell five. You may even walk away with no sales that particular day, but there is no one to blame for that. It’s the chance you take when going out to promote your book. I’ll admit, the NEHW had a touch of a dry spell during the last couple of events, but this past weekend in Middletown, CT. we made up for that dry spell and then some. Every author sold multiple books and walked away feeling good about the day. But when it doesn’t go so well, it’s no one’s fault. You’re only making yourself look bad when you whine about not doing so well at an event. The events aren’t booked with the promise of stellar book sales. It’s just a venue and opportunity for you to promote your work. How well your book does is entirely up to you. Spending the entire time at the event increases your chances of sales as well, so it’s best to devote the day to promoting your book.

Learn about your fellow authors and their work. The one thing I’ve always admired about the authors I spend the day with is the fact that it’s a team effort. If a visitor asks for a book about zombies, then we will direct them to a certain author’s book. If they are looking for young adult, then we’ll direct them to another. It’s helpful to know who writes what so we can be supportive of our fellow authors. If they want my book, then of course I’m happy. But if they are looking for something completely different from what I have, then I’m more than happy to direct them to someone else’s work that they might enjoy.

Keep in mind that space is limited. Most times we are working in a 4×8 space at indoor events. That’s enough room for two chairs behind the table and the rest of us are standing behind or near the booth. Keep this in mind when attending events. We don’t want a cluttered appearance and we certainly don’t want to take room away from a potential book buyer. The outdoor events are bit more flexible on space because of the open area, but indoor venues are almost guaranteed to be small and cramped. A good rule of thumb is to check with the (NEHW) event coordinator ahead of time to see how much space is available before inviting friends or family to join you at the event.

Show appreciation for the coordinator(s) for that event. In addition to being thoughtful and considerate towards the actual venue (we want to be invited back), you should also take a moment to think about the hard work that goes into being a part of the day’s festivities. Whether it’s Jason or Stacey, Scott, Tracy, T.J., et cetera, a lot of their personal time and effort goes into setting these events up. They are not getting paid to wake up at the crack of ass, pack up their personal vehicles with supplies, materials, food and drinks and so on. They do it for the benefit of the NEHW and its members. So give them a show of appreciation by saying thank you. Perhaps even hang around after the event to help break down the area. I’ll tell you first hand that that EZ up and down tent isn’t all that easy and after a 6 to 8 hour day out in the sun, breaking down that thing is the last thing anyone wants to do. But it has to be done and the more hands available, the quicker and easier it will be and everyone can get on their way. In short, make yourself available as best you can. It goes a long way with the people that busted their hump to set the day up.

Author and NEHW Co-chair Stacey Longo signing a copy of Pookie and the Lost and Found Friend for a fan. Photo by Rob Watts.

Author and NEHW Co-chair Stacey Longo signing a copy of Pookie and the Lost and Found Friend for a fan. Photo by Rob Watts.

Lastly, there are five questions that have and will be asked at every single event. To help you feel welcome and part of the team, memorize the five questions and answers and you’ll be a pro before the end of your first event. Good luck!

  1. Are the skulls for sale? No, they are only there for decoration, but if you’d like to buy one, you might want to try the fish tank aisle at Walmart. That’s where this skull was purchased.
  2. Do you have any children’s books? Yes, as a matter of fact we do. We currently have Pookie and the Lost and Found Friend by Stacey Longo, and Good Night Fright by Kimberly Dalton.
  3. Are you a publishing company? No, we are an organization of New England area authors, illustrators, screenwriters, publishers, et cetera. We attend these various events to help get our name out, and it’s a good opportunity for us to meet other writers and spend the day together.
  4. My son/daughter is a writer and he/she would absolutely love your group. Can he/she contact you? Yes, you can take one of our NEHW cards or flyers and have them contact us via the website. We also have a Facebook page that they can join which is a great way to communicate with other members.
  5. Are you crazy because you write horror? Yes, we are all clinically insane and you should purchase our books to avoid any certifiable behavior that may come on as a result of you walking away from our booth empty handed.

Got all that?

Pictures from the Middletown Open Air Market and Festival

Pictures from the Middletown Open Air Market and Festival

by Jason Harris and Stacey Longo

The NEHW booth at the Middletown Open Air Market and Festival. Photo by Jason Harris

The NEHW booth at the Middletown Open Air Market and Festival. Photo by Jason Harris

Author Alan Kessler at the NEHW booth. Photo by Jason Harris

Author Alan Kessler at the NEHW booth. Photo by Jason Harris.

The Middletown Symphonic Band performing at the Middletown Open Air Market and Festival. Photo by Jason Harris.

The Middletown Symphonic Band performing at the Middletown Open Air Market and Festival. Photo by Jason Harris.

Authors Rob Watts and Stacey Longo. Photo by Jason Harris.

Authors Rob Watts and Stacey Longo. Photo by Jason Harris.

The Middletown Open Air Market and Festival at the Wadsworth Mansion. Photo by Jason Harris.

The Middletown Open Air Market and Festival at the Wadsworth Mansion. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author G. Elmer Munson signing an autograph for a fan. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author G. Elmer Munson signing an autograph for a fan. Photo by Stacey Longo.

authors Alan Kessler and Robert Duperre and Duperre's daughter. Photo by Jason Harris

From left to right: authors Alan Kessler and Robert Duperre and Duperre’s daughter. Photo by Jason Harris.

The Buttonwood Tree booth at the Open Air Market and Festival. Photo by Jason Harris.

The Buttonwood Tree booth at the Open Air Market and Festival. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author David Price autographing his book for a fan. Photo by Jason Harris

Author David Price autographing his book for a fan. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author G. Elmer Munson. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author G. Elmer Munson. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author Alan Kessler signing his book for a young fan. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Author Alan Kessler signing his book for a young fan. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Connor and Lily Duperre, siblings, posing with their freshly painted faces. Photo by Jason Harris.

The other NEHW table at the Middletown Open Air Market. Photo by Jason Harris.

The other NEHW table at the Middletown Open Air Market. Photo by Jason Harris.

Another shot of the table. Photo by Jason Harris.

Another shot of the table. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Rob Watts signing his book. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Rob Watts signing his book. Photo by Jason Harris.

The Balleks Garden Center booth at the Open Air Market. Photo by Jason Harris.

The Balleks Garden Center booth at the Open Air Market. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Rob Watts. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Rob Watts. Photo by Jason Harris.

The NEHW members' books at the Open Air Market. Photo by Jason Harris.

The NEHW members’ books at the Open Air Market. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Alan Kessler handing his novel to the mother of a young fan. Photo by Jason Harris.

Author Alan Kessler handing his novel to the mother of a young fan. Photo by Stacey Longo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Author’s First Publicity Event

An Author’s First Publicity Event

by G. Elmer Munson

G. Elmer Munson signing a book for a fan. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending my first event with the New England Horror Writers.  It all started out like a dream I’d once had: The lights came on as we all gathered backstage in anticipation.  The crowd chanted “N-E-H-W! N-E-H-W!” as they stomped their feet in the soft grass of the Wadsworth Mansion.  Out of nowhere, someone screamed “Let’s get ready to rumble” and the crowd went wild.  We all ran out to the sound of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” and Apollo Creed gave us all high fives.

Okay, I may have embellished a bit there.  What actually happened was no less awesome but much more low-key.  I simply walked up to the booth full of people I’d never actually met and said, “hi,” and it was all cool.  I met Robert J. Dupree, Jason Harris, Alan Kessler, Stacey Longo, David Price, and Rob Watts and immediately felt welcome.  I was glad I’d decided against wearing my werewolf costume, and not just because it would have been life-threateningly hot.

After finding a home for my books, I sat down and we talked about movies and stories and other normal things that people discuss.  It was very relaxed and very cool. The day was perfect (a bit of sun never did any harm … well, not much) and the place was pretty well packed.  We spoke with a lot of different people and everyone sold some books.  Quite a few people stood in the sun for a while just to talk to us about books, their favorite authors, and dark fiction in general. It was a great day to hang out, talk to people, and share our work with the world.

I left feeling great.  I left looking forward to Hebron and events beyond.  I also left inspired.  On the drive home, I thought of the greatest story in the world.  Unfortunately, I had forgotten it by the time I got home.

I couldn’t remember the greatest song in the world, so this blog is just a tribute.

Yes, I stole that from the D.

Author Releases First Novella

Author and New England Horror Writer member Bob Stearns recently released his first e-book novella, The Harvester, on Amazon. It’s a dark fantasy/horror/sci-fi adventure story and fully illustrated. 

Here is the novella’s description, “In the distant future, when man has learned to live in balance with the forces of the universe. When greed and corruption are but a memory and cooperation has defeated competition. A small boy goes missing and is presumed to have perished at the hands of an ancient evil. Unconvinced of this, the boy’s older brother sets out to find him and discovers the machinations of an unearthly horror”

Stearns is an artist and art teacher.

Click here to purchase the novella from Amazon.