Feb 26 2012

Timing Not Perfect for Boskone 49

Timing Not Perfect for Boskone 49

By David Price

Would you have the wedding rehearsal after the wedding? No, I didn’t think so. So I am a little confused as to why the sci-fi convention Boskone would be held about a month after the much larger spectacle of Arisia, in the exact same hotel, no less. This would be like going to watch the Super Bowl on the jumbotron of the stadium it was played in a month after it was over and everyone else had left. That would be something of a letdown, right? Oh sure, the vendors would still be open and you could pay ten bucks for a beer if you really wanted to, but it’s not the same thing. Now, by contrast, if they had played the first Giants/Patriots Super Bowl on the jumbotron in the stadium a couple days before this year’s, that might have been cool. It would have been a primer for what was coming.

Photo by David Price

All right, admittedly, every time I have been to some sort of fan convention in the last six months, it has been a first time for me. But maybe, just maybe, that means my opinions should matter, just a little, if some of these cons want to actually attract newbies. Boskone is very much like a primer or practice run for something as grandiose as Arisia. I’m not saying that both shouldn’t exist together in the same world, but I can’t help but feel that Boskone should be held before Arisia, not after. Just four weeks before Boskone was held, I was completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of Arisia. Held at the Westin Boston Waterfont, Arisia seemed to make use of every single conference room in the hotel. To be honest, I’m surprised the Westin had enough space available to accommodate the seemingly hundreds of events that Arisia had going. As I walked around with my eleven year old daughter at Boskone, I found myself asking, where’s the rest of it?

Also, what’s with almost all of the vendors selling books? Nothing against books, per se, but don’t sci- fi fans also like to wear cool geeky t-shirts, watch movies, and own toy props from their favorite series? There hasn’t been as much of that as I expected, at either Boskone or Arisia, to be honest. Arisia had a better mix, to be sure, but still fell short of my expectations when it came to vendors. My daughter was drawn to a woman who sold stuffed animals of every imaginable species. She even had dodo birds! My daughter, Kayleigh, asked for a monkey backpack. Since she was nice enough to accompany me to something that she had no idea if she would enjoy, I bought it for her.

Kayleigh’s squid. Photo by David Price.

We sat down and watched the Higgins Armory put on a display of medieval sword fighting for a while. This was cool for me, because I actually took those classes at the Higgins Armory about ten years ago, so watching it brought me back to the fun I had learning that style. It wasn’t the most exciting thing for an eleven year old girl, however, so we eventually moved on. The most fun we had together was at the art show. I was happy to see how all the artwork appealed to my daughter, since I have loved fantasy art for as long as I can remember. I wish we had more money on hand, because there was a piece Kayleigh really admired, but I couldn’t afford it. We must have walked through the art show a half-dozen times and I saw something new each time. Knowing what I know now, I’ll be more ready for it next time.

I will say this about Boskone, it has a much more personal atmosphere than Arisia. There were reserved tables all over the place for groups to get together and game, chat, hang out or whatever. But since I am not a member of any of those groups, that part of the con was lost on me. As Kayleigh’s enthusiasm started to wane, I finally talked her into checking out the kids section that they called Dragon’s Lair. She didn’t want to at first, since it seemed to have mostly younger kids in there. She gave in at last, because the children in Dragon’s Lair were obviously having fun. While Kayleigh was in the kids’ section, I spent some time going through a display that advertised many of the upcoming cons. I’ll give many of them a try this year, and I have a feeling I will have a much better idea of the what will appeal to me after all is said and one. 2012 is going to be an interesting year. After goofing around in there for a little while, Kayleigh came out with a balloon animal squid. That was pretty cool, since a giant squid attacks my hero and his friends in my first novel.

A lich. Photo by David Price.

Before we left, Kayleigh insisted I buy something for myself as well, especially since we couldn’t afford the art we had been admiring. I finally settled on a small statue that truly embodies my two favorite genres; horror and fantasy. The statue is of a lich. If you are unfamiliar with the term, consider it an undead sorcerer. There is just something about it that is inspirational to me. I guess when I look at it; I imagine that it is what my muse probably looks like, when I am writing my particular brand of monster fantasy. Anyway, Boskone 2012 was also Boskone 49. I imagine the organizers are planning something big for the fiftieth anniversary of Boskone next year. Maybe that’s why this one seemed a little small to me. Perhaps they are saving up the big guns for next year. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

Feb 25 2012

Facebook 101

This funny take on learning about Facebook comes from the blog of  the Co-chair of the NEHW, Stacey Longo, which can be found on her website.

Facebook 101

by Stacey Longo

My sister finally gave in and joined Facebook this week, or, as she succinctly put it, “I’m drinking the Kool-Aid.” Tasteless Jim Jones reference notwithstanding, I was crazily excited to have my sister on Facebook—which is a little bit ridiculous, really, since we talk on the phone every day. But now I could talk to her online, too! And put up photos of shamrock shakes and tag her in them! Oh, the possibilities were endless! I spent two hours walking Kim through her first tentative Facebook steps. She navigated her way through the privacy settings, discovered how to leave her wall and successfully return to it later, and even gave the search bar a shot. “I can’t find O____ B_____,” she complained, trying to look up an old friend from high school as I sat with the phone propped up to my ear, tagging photos of her. “Don’t worry about it, she just found you,” I said, watching as O.B. ‘liked’ the picture of Kim I’d just put up and left a comment. Within moments, Kim had a friend request. “That’s a little scary,” she admitted. And it is. Which is why I’m offering these tips to my sister and the other 36 people in the world who are just now joining the Facebook nation:

1.  Remember that creepy guy from high school, the one who wore plastic vampire fangs to class and stared at you all day? Yup, he’s on Facebook too, and he’s about to send you a friend request so that he can finally confess to you that he was in love with you 30 years ago and that you are still just as beautiful today. Feel free to ignore his friend request.

2.  Remember your younger cousin, the one who set off firecrackers in the chicken coop and it caught on fire? He hasn’t changed. Ignore his friend request, too.

3.  People will tag random pictures of you. They do not care if you were thirty pounds heavier in that photo or had just had your hair done like Gene Simmons of KISS for a costume party. They also don’t care if your mother is on Facebook and will not find it as hilarious as your friends do to tag you in a picture of a bong shaped like Elvis’s head. You do have the power to un-tag yourself in those photos. Do it.

4.  Good news!  Your mother is not on Facebook. Yet.

5.  Some of your Facebook friends are quite vocal about their political views or feelings on social issues affecting our nation. Some of these people are, in fact, crazier than fruit bats. Choose your battles wisely. Sometimes it’s better to just bite your fingers instead of commenting.

6.  Yes, if you post something on someone’s page, all of their friends can read it. So if you want to tell your friend Jeanie that you still regret not marrying John Taylor of Duran Duran, send her a private message instead of posting it on her wall where your husband might see it.

7. Of course Duran Duran has their own Facebook page! You can only ‘like’ it once, though.

8. Don’t keep updating your status every five minutes. Honestly, nobody cares if you just found a great deal on toilet paper at Target. (Wait. How great of a deal was it?) Also, why do you want creepy vampire fang guy to know where you are at all times? Facebook can be a little scary for newbies. Personally, I’m thrilled to have my sister on there with me, mostly because my cousin Lori keeps ignoring my Farmville requests, and I want someone to play with me. Plus, it’s better that she figures Facebook out now…before her children do!

Feb 24 2012

Epitaphs is Now Available as an E-book

Epitaphs is Now Available as an E-book

by Jason Harris

The New England Horror Writers’ organization’s first anthology is now available as an e-book.

Epitaphs became available in the Kindle store on Amazon today. This is the first time the collection has been available in e-book form.

The paperback edition of Epitaphs became a Stoker nominated collection this past Saturday. It’s on the final ballot of the Horror Writers Association’s Bram Stoker Awards for works published in 2011. The Awards will be presented at a gala banquet on Saturday, March 31, at the World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“It’s a great achievement for the NEHW to have its first anthology get this far,” said Tracy L. Carbone, who is the editor of the collection, on her Facebook page. ”We all put in a tremendous amount of work in a short time to get this off the ground and I want to again thank the board and all the contributors.”

The book was released last October by Shroud Publishing then debuted at Anthocon with a book release party in November. At Anthocon, most of the writers in this collection were on hand to sign it.

The table of contents in this 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”

To purchase a copy of Epitaphs in paperback for $12.99, click here.

To purchase in the e-book format for $4.99, click here.

Feb 23 2012

The Atavist

This entry originally appeared on New England Horror Writers’ member, Paul Tremblay’s website.

The Atavist

by Paul Tremblay

Last month I saw journalist turned boutique publisher Evan Ratliff give a live talk/presentation of his impressive new venture,  The Atavist:

“The Atavist is a boutique publishing house producing original nonfiction stories for digital, mobile reading devices. We created a new genre of nonfiction, a digital form that lies in the space between long narrative magazine articles and traditional books and e-books.”

So, yeah, long form non-fiction published digitally. The hook (besides well-written, well-researched, thoughtful pieces) is–if you have an iPhone, iPod touch, iPad–their unique digital platform. The multi-media that accompanies each piece truly enhances the stories. Embedded pop-ups include maps, personality histories, side bars, audio clips, images related to the story, video, and on and on. Watch the YouTube video below for a demo. It’s impressive stuff, and for the first time, I feel like I’m seeing digital reading taking full advantage of the medium’s possibilities. (The publisher app is free, then each story costs $2.99 ; you chose whether or not to purchase)

Thus far, I’ve read Lifted, a story about an elaborate government bank heist in Sweeden (the story includes, as it’s stunning prologue, actual surveillance footage from the break in–clips included in the YouTube clip below) and Baghdad Country Club (animated prologue included below), a story about a bar set up in the Green Zone during the height of the Iraq war.

Feb 22 2012

Five Reasons to Lead a Workshop

Five Reasons to Lead a Workshop

by Kristi Petersen Schoonover

As writers, we’re expected to do everything: blog, publicize, teach, learn, read, critique, edit, revise, judge contests—let alone just write. Sometimes, an opportunity comes our way to lead a workshop, and sometimes, we pass because we’re just overwhelmed.

Left to right: Trisha Wooldridge, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, and TJ May

When New England Horror Writers’ members Trisha Wooldridge and TJ May asked me to be a co-presenter at a NEHW day-long workshop at Annie’s Book Stop in Worcester, MA, on February 4, I really had to think about it. I knew it was going to be just a couple of days after arriving in Provincetown, MA, for my annual winter stint at the Norman Mailer Writers Colony. I knew I didn’t want to go anywhere since it’s my time to disappear and write, write, write. But I said yes anyway, and I’m glad I did.

TJ covered the craft, I covered revision and critique, and Trisha covered business; the participants were engaged and seemed to have a great time. I learned a great deal in the process, as well as getting a refresher on some things I’d forgotten over the years. I left there jazzed, and as I was driving back to Provincetown, I thought that when we pass on a workshop presentation opportunity, we really do miss out.

Here are five reasons to never say no to leading a workshop:

1. Pay It Forward. Your workshop’s participants are there to learn from

The presenters and participants of the writers' workshop. Back row, left to right: Cheryl Cory, Tracy Vartanian, Deborah Sadenwater, L’Aura Hladik, Kris Star, Bob Blois, and Trisha Woodridge; front row, left to right: TJ May, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Lisa Jackson, and Jennifer Allis Provost.

you—the same way you once sat in a workshop eager to learn from the presenter. Sharing your experiences and knowledge with other writers is giving back what someone gave you— which helped make you the writer you are today.

2. Learn New Things—or Relearn Old Ones. Because writing tends to be discussed rather than instructed, there’s loads to learn or re-learn from either presenters or participants. Get ready to take notes!

3. Appreciate Your Success. Let’s face it, being a writer means getting beat up and feeling not-so-fresh sometimes. But when you start sharing your war stories, you begin to realize that no matter how many times you’ve failed, you’ve accomplished and know quite a bit—in fact, you’ve probably come a long way, baby!

4. Make New Friends. Writing is a solitary venture, and it’s usually an instant connection with someone else who does this solitary venture, too. Yes, you can make great contacts through workshops—but you can also make great new friends.

5. Get Inspired. There’s nothing like being around other writers and talking about the craft to give you a renewed ambition and sense of purpose. Spend a day around that energy and you’ll be driving home on a natural high—you just might spend the evening cranking out new material.

The next time you’re offered a chance to lead a workshop or to participate in one, don’t say no. You won’t regret it.

Feb 21 2012

Pictures from Queen City Kamikaze

Pictures from Queen City Kamikaze

by Jason Harris

Winner of the MS "Hell in a Hand Basket" Linda Jacobi, of Nashua, New Hampshire

From left to right: Pembroke, NH residents Gifford Scanlon and Kayla Scanlon, who was dressed as Saya Takagi.

Zombie on a leash.

Author Kristi Petersen Schoonover posing with Star Wars' characters.

The NEHW tables.

A convention-goer checking out a book.

Shea dressed as Vriska from Homestuck.

Sian Thomas, an intern at Dandelion Studios.

Feb 20 2012

The NEHW Survives High School a Second Time

The NEHW Survives High School a Second Time

by Stacey Longo

Nobody really wants to go back to high school, but that’s exactly what the New England Horror Writers did when they attended Queen City Kamikaze at Memorial High School in Manchester, NH on Feb. 18.

The NEHW had four tables set up at this anime and video game convention. While some skeptics might think that an auditorium filled with gaming consoles and Japanese animation may not be the best fit for a group of horror writers, the event was a huge success for NEHW. All throughout the day, fans young and old stopped by the booth to meet the authors, buy some books, and learn more about what it is, exactly, that is so fascinating about the horror genre. NEHW members Tracy Carbone, Alyn Day, Sarah Gomes, Scott Goudsward, Jason Harris, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Nathan Schoonover, Rob Watts, K. Allen Wood, and myself were on hand to meet the convention-goers. Author T.T. Zuma and Sci-Fi Saturday Night creators The Dome, the Dead Redhead, and Illustrator X stopped by the booth as well.

The attendees were largely made up of high school age students, dressed up in creative costumes that varied from anime and manga characters to the occasional Darth Vader and assorted storm troopers. While this particular writer would have never been allowed by my father to leave the house dressed in some of the outfits on display, the mood of the crowd was upbeat and squeals of excitement could be heard as each new Pikachu and Vegeta costume came through the door. Despite not really knowing who these characters were, the attendees’ enthusiasm was contagious, and the NEHW members had an entertaining day.

The Women in Horror panel. From left to right: Stacey Longo, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Alyn Day, and Tracy Carbone. Photo by Jason Harris

Tracy Carbone, Alyn Day, and Kristi Petersen Schoonover participated in a panel on Women in Horror, moderated by myself. The panel debated such topics as victimization of female characters in the horror genre and who would win in a catfight between Halloween’s Lori Strode and Nightmare on Elm Street’s Nancy Thompson. They were followed by a panel on Trends in Horror comprised of Nathan Schoonover, Rob Watts, K. Allen Wood, and myself. It was moderated by Jason Harris. This group discussed the cyclical nature of horror trends and deliberated over the future of shows like The Walking Dead and Finding Bigfoot. Audience participation was high for both panels, and both groups received enthusiastic applause at the end of the day.

Personally, I had a great time at Queen City Kamikaze. I gained a new fan (thank you, Artie!) and was able to visit with old friends and new. Book sales were high, buoyed by the morning’s announcement that the NEHW’s first anthology, Epitaphs, was now officially a Bram Stoker Awards nominee. Going back to high school wasn’t bad at all, but of course that should have been a given—no matter what the age, horror writers are usually considered to be the cool kids in class.

Feb 19 2012

Organization’s First Anthology Makes the HWA Final Ballot

Organization’s First Anthology Makes the HWA Final Ballot

by Jason Harris

It became official on Saturday, January 18, the New England Horror Writers’ first anthology is now a Stoker nominated collection.

Epitaphs is on the final ballot of the Horror Writers Association’s Bram Stoker Awards for works published in 2011. The Awards will be presented at a gala banquet on Saturday, March 31, at the World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“It’s a great achievement for the NEHW to have its first anthology get this far,” Carbone, who is the editor of the collection, said on her Facebook page. “We all put in a tremendous amount of work in a short time to get this off the ground and I want to again thank the board and all the contributors.”

To purchase a copy of Epitaphs, click here.

Feb 16 2012

Panels at Queen City Kamikaze

The New England Horror Writers’ organization will conduct two panels this Saturday at the Queen City Kamikaze anime and video game convention in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The NEHW panels are titled: Women in Horror and Trends in Horror: From the Apocalypse to Zombies: Where is Horror Heading?. The Women in Horror will be moderated by author Stacey Longo and start at 4 p.m. She will be joined by fellow authors Tracey Carbone, Alyn Day, and Kristi Petersen Schoonover.

The Trends in Horror panel will start at 4:50 p.m. and be moderated by Jason Harris. His guests will be authors K. Allen Wood, Rob Watts, and Stacey Longo. Demonhunter Nathan Schoonover will also be joining the panel.

The Queen City Kamikaze Anime and Video Game convention takes place at the Manchester Memorial High School at 1 Crusader Way in Manchester, New Hampshire. It operates from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information about the convention, click here.

Feb 15 2012

Queen City Kamikaze Happens Saturday

The Queen City Kamikaze anime and video game convention happens this Saturday in New Hampshire. It’s only days away and the New England Horror Writers’ organization is preparing to be there.

Authors Stacey Longo, Tracy Carbone, K. Allen Wood, Alyn Day, Rob Watts, Kristi Petersen Schoonover and Scott Goudsward will be selling and signing books at the convention. The Demonhunter a.k.a. Nathan Schoonover will also be on hand to talk about being a paranormal investigator for almost 20 years.

Here is the list of the books/magazines that will be available at the NEHW tables: Huldufolk, Shock Totem, Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole, Malicious Deviance, The Soul Collector, Trailer Trash, So Long And Thanks For All The Brains, Traps, Shroud magazine, Shadows over New England, The Zombie Feed, In Poe’s Shadow, Dark Things IV, Darkest Thirst, Shadows & Nightmares, Wake the Witch, Shadows over Florida, Daily Frights 2012, Nobody, Hell Hath No Fury, How the West Was Wicked, and 2012 Daily Bites of Flesh.

Epitaphs, the first NEHW anthology will also be available to buy. Longo, Wood, and Goudsward all have stories in this collection, which was edited by Carbone.

The Queen City Kamikaze Anime and Video Game convention takes place at the Manchester Memorial High School at 1 Crusader Way in Manchester, New Hampshire. It operates from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information about the convention, click here.