Hiatus

We'll be taking a break from our four weekly blogs, The Overnight Bestseller, Behind the Walls of Nightmare, Open Investigations (Goodreads), and Writing in Retirement (Goodreads). We expect to be back in the fall with lots of news for our readers.

We'll continue to post reviews as part of our commitment to introduce new works to our readers.

Thanks to all of you who support us by following our blogs.

A Buffoon for All Seasons

I expect I'm not alone in finding real-life horror in the fact that the ultimate 21st century buffoon, Donald Trump, is actually leading all other candidates for the Republican presidential nomination. It is summertime, after all, not April Fool's Day.

The Daily Beast points out that Trump loves to compare himself to the ultimate showman, P.T. Barnum. But  Trump's politics bear no comparison to those of Barnum, who served two terms in the Connecticut legislature and one as the mayor of Bridgeport.

Contrary to Trump, Barnum was not a reactionary, but an individual who supported Abraham Lincoln's nomination as a presidential candidate and welcomed an end to slavery. He in fact joined the Connecticut legislature so that he could ratify the Thirteenth Amendment banning slavery. Later Barnum was also a supporter of the largely unpopular cause of female suffrage.

As the writer of the article states:

Clearly–Donald Trump take note–biography is not destiny; previous jobs don’t determine political positions; and egotism need not trump humanism. P.T. Barnum was as self-absorbed and self-aggrandizing as Donald Trump, with an ego as monumental as any of Trump’s towers. But Barnum the pol trumped Trump as a statesman, championing equality and mutual respect. 

For the full text of the article, please click here.

The Horror Writers Association Announces Scholarship Recipients

The Horror Writers Association recently announced the recipients of the HWA Scholarships for 2015.

The recipient of the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship established to support underrepresented female horror writers is Thersa Matsuura. Mary Shelley is the author of the classic horror novel Frankenstein.

The recipient of the General Writing Scholarship is Eric Smith, whose work has been featured in horror anthologies.

The recipient of the Poetry Scholarship Award is Michael Tugendhat. I always think of Poe's The Raven when I think of dark poetry and it's good to see that the HWA is keeping this genre alive and well.

Congratulations to the three recipients.

For the article announcing the award recipients, please click here.

Publishing a Book Is an Act of Faith

I've discovered that it's very difficult to publish novels and then wait to see if anyone actually reads them, so I'm pleased that my second book, Fire Whisperer & Circle of Souls: Two Novellas of the Supernatural, has been well-received. It's always a battle getting reviews, and I appreciate when readers take the time to post them. One reader even sent me a personal message telling me how much she enjoyed my writing and encouraging me to continue.

Since everyone is now a potential critic, you're never quite sure what to expect from readers. When I published The Home Child, I did a Goodreads giveaway, which involved providing free copies of the book to the winners as well as incurring the significant mailing costs of Canada Post. I received a two-star rating but no review from the first contest winner to post a rating, so not only was I out $20 for the book and mailing costs, but I had no idea why she didn't like the book. (Fortunately, I have received informative reviews since that time.)

I also discovered a few months after the publication of The Home Child that there was an online pirated version of my novel with more than four hundred downloads for which I received no compensation. That money would have gone a long way in paying for future publications.

My point? Publishing a novel is an act of faith and trust.

You need to love writing to keep moving on.

Cruisin' with the Dead

 Can't get enough of The Walking Dead? Thinking of taking a cruise next winter?

The Norwegian Pearl will sail from Miami to the Bahamas on January 15-18, 2016, for three zombie-filled days of fun on the "Walker-Stalker Cruise". Passengers will be able to interact with cast members from The Walking Dead, including Norman Reedus, Chandler Riggs, and Emily Kinney, get photos and autographs, and attend question and answer sessions. There will be costume contests, theme nights, and lots of other fun.

To read the Fox News article, which includes links to the YouTube video and registration website, please click here.


(Many thanks to my niece Carrie for bringing this article to my attention.)

The Original Gong Show?

Something in my nature always makes me want to cheer for the underdog so it was with interest that I read an article about the Cherry Sisters on NPR. I had never heard of them before, but apparently they were a vaudeville act in the early 20th century that was synonymous with "bad". According to the NPR article, "[t]heir variety act included original music, bass drum thumping, poetry, mouth harp playing, inspirational recitations, essay reading, fake hypnosis and other artistic expressions. And the audience responded to the whole shebang by hurling vegetables, shouting interjections and behaving rudely." The reviews of their performances were so bad, in fact, that the Cherry Sisters sued some newspapers for defamation.

But, in spite of everything, they continued to draw in audiences, and Oscar Hammerstein himself arranged for their debut performance in New York.

Were the sisters really playing on how bad they were? That's one school of thought--that being really bad was their "hook." The other is that the sisters were naive and actually believed in their talent. As they wrote in response to a particularly scathing review: "Although we have the best act in vaudeville and are the best drawing card on the stage, we have no swelled head, as some others have ... We have had more knocking since we went into the theatrical business than any act in the history of the world."

For the NPR article, please click here.

Horror for a Good Cause

Scares that Care! Inc. is a charitable organization that donates its proceeds in support of sick children and their families. It is comprised solely of volunteers.

From July 24 - July 26, 2015, the organization will be hosting a horror convention in Williamsburg, Virginia. Similar to ComicCon, the convention will feature a number of celebrities, as well as vendors, and attendees can dress up as their favorite characters. (Please see the weapons policy.)

There is a full schedule of events including seminars, discussions, author readings, makeup wars, and a filmfest. For the complete schedule, please click here.

If you're a horror fan--and who isn't?--this is an ideal way to support a good cause and have fun doing it!