Book Review: Deadlocked, by Charlaine Harris

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second-to-last book in the Sookie Stackhouse series and many of the Goodreads, Amazon, and Audible reviews are not very glowing.

A common complaint is that there's not enough action and sex, and too much uninteresting detail. (One person complained that Sookie spent so much time cooking that she now knows how to make sweet potato pie.)

Another complaint is that Harris spends too much time on minor characters. Admist chaos, we're learning that characters from the previous books are getting married or having children or working through tough couple times. Some reviewers thought that detracted from the mystery and thriller aspects.

In Harris's defense, one reviewer pointed out that this *is* the penultimate book, and that Harris has a lot of tying up of loose ends.

And that, I think, is the key to reading this book: Harris is tying up loose ends. She's also, as other readers complained, moving certain things in a different direction. To do that, she has to spend a lot of time on things that may seem trivial.

If you're a fan of the series, and you keep in mind that Harris is doing clean-up and setting the stage for the grand finale, you'll appreciate it more than if you're hoping for a sex romp or some of the humor of earlier books.

Johanna Parker's voice work on the Recorded Books audiobook version adeptly conveys the atmosphere of the anticipated end. I've loved listening to her narrate the series and hope she reads the final book.

View all my reviews

Women's History Month

There are still a few days left in March, which is Women's History Month. If you love genre fiction by women writers, use these last few days to help them make a place in history. Help others find their work through blogging, reviewing, and rating.

If you find writing a blog or a full review daunting, how about logging on to Amazon or Goodreads or a similar site and giving a rating to books you've read by women? Every little bit helps women writers get noticed and stay in the minds of agents, editors, and publishers. That, in turn, increases the chance that more women writers will be published in the future.

Appearing at Heritage Craft Fair in Framingham

On Saturday, March 24, 2012, I'll be at the New England Horror Writers' table at the 39th Heritage Craft Fair in Framingham, MA. Along with me will be other NEHW writers including Stacey Longo, David Price, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Rob Watts, and K. Allen Wood.

This is pretty exciting for me. I know where it is (no GPS needed this time!) and I know where it is because not only did I grow up in Framingham, but the town, which I renamed Danforth, figures highly in both my novels.

The first novel, Darksome Thirst, starts in Framingham when a lone second-shift computer operator, Alicia Anderson, meets a vampire in the computer room. Yes, the witches who sense the vampire at the same time are in Bristleton (Brighton) and some later are in Fenmore (Boston), but the heart and soul of both Darksome Thirst and the standalone sequel, The Old Power Returns, is in Framingham.

Stop by if you can. It's a fundraiser for the Heritage Chorale, admission is cheap, there will be food for sale, and parking is free.

Saturday, March 24, 2012
10 AM to 4 PM

Keefe Technical School
750 Winter Street
Framingham, MA
Admission:  
   Adults $3.00
   Seniors $2.50
   Under 12 free

Other links for this Saturday's event:

http://www.heritagefair.org/


http://nehwnews.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/the-nehw-will-be-at-the-39th-heritage-craft-fair-this-saturday/

I'd Rather Read this on my Kindle

Writers often read other writer's works in draft form. We critique, proofread, review, and blurb.

In the old days, the other writer would send you a printout by postal mail. You'd carry around a sheaf of paper, scribbling furiously in the margins. When finished, you'd package the marked-up copy and take it to the post office for mailing back to the author.

Things got even easier when it became possible to email versions one could review. Microsoft Word, for example, has a review feature that tracks comments. Starting with version 10 of the free reader, Adobe Acrobat allows you to highlight and make simple comments.

When I got my Kindle, though, I wanted to be able to read copies there. My Kindle is much more transportable than a laptop or even my netbook, and the screen is much easier to read than that of a smartphone.

Kindles can read PDF, but it doesn't read well; typically the font is too small and when you resize it, the text doesn't reflow. I wanted something that would behave like a regular Kindle book, with all the features.

Kindles can read something called the Mobipocket format. (See the WikiPedia entry "Comparison of e-book formats.") Without too much pain, you can download a free copy of the Mobipocket Creator, create a .mobi version of your Word, PDF, text, or HTML document, and then put it on your Kindle.

How? If you're adventurous, go to the Mobipocket software page, download the Creator (on the right side of the page), and give it a go. (Import, optionally enter metadata, and then build.) If you need a little more assistance, check back later and I'll post the full instructions.

October/November 2011 Events

I'll be participating in the following events this Fall. 

Rock N' Shock
October 16, 2011, 11 am - 1 pm
DCU Convention Center
50 Foster St.
Worcester, MA 01608
www.rockandshock.com

Going to Rock N'Shock? Stop by the NEHW table in the vending area. I'll be there from 11-1 on Sunday, but members of NEHW will be on hand all weekend while the vending area is open.

Other NEHW members present include Jack Haringa, L.L. Soares, NECON E-Books, Ken Wood (Shock Totem), Tracy Carbone, T.J. May, Danny Evarts, Jason Harris, Stacey Longo. For more information, see the NEHW website at www.newenglandhorror.org.

Intro to National Novel Writing Month
(presented by members of the New England Chapter of Broad Universe)
October 20, 2011, 7 pm
NPL Theater
Nashua Public Library
2 Court Street
Nashua, NH 03060-3475
www.nashualibrary.org

From the Nashua Public Library Calendar:

"November is National Novel Writing Month, a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to writing. Participants begin writing on Nov. 1 with the aim of completing a 50,000-word novel by Nov. 30.

Four NaNoWriMo veterans, all members of Broad Universe, a group that celebrates female sci-fi, fantasy, and horror authors, help you make the most of the challenge—and tell you what to do when you finish."

Anthocon
November 11-13, 2011
Anthology 2011 Conference
Best Western Wynwood Hotel & Suites
580 US Route 1
Portsmouth, NH 03801
anthocon.wordpress.com

This is the first year for this con, but they've got some really good guests including authors Jackie Gamber, Catherynne M. Valente, Jennifer Pellan, Christopher Golden, Rick Hautala, and Jonathan Maberry and artist Ogmios.

Witches' Almanac #31: The Little Warrior

The Witches' Almanac has posted their table of contents for the 2012-2013 issue. My article, "The Little Warrior: A Protective Talisman" is listed along with a number of fascinating selections.

I always marvel at the diversity of articles they manage to assemble. Here are some more examples:

Weather Lore in Rural Pennsylvania, Astrology of the Vampires, Gettysburg: America’s Ghost Hunting Paradise, Museum of Witchcraft Diamond Jubilee, and The Locavore Revolution. It also has an article on the Tarot Sun card by renowned author, Paul Huson, a tarot expert, screenwriter, and novelist.

One of the more popular regular features of The Witches' Almanac is the yearly astrological forecast for each sign by Dikki-Jo Mullen, who now has a blog at dikkijomullen.wordpress.com. Dikki-Jo has been their house astrologer for ages.

The Witches' Almanac has been publishing since 1971, and I look forward to it each year. This is the seventh time I've contributed an article to the issue.

Divination as Writing Tool Panel At Pi-Con

Pi-Con - August 26-28, 2011, an annual convention in the Springfield, MA/Enfield, CT area of New England, describes itself as a celebration of geekery. Just that description is enough to want to make you go, right?

On Saturday, August 27, at 7:00 pm, in the Suffield conference room, I'll be on a panel called "Tarot & Divination as Writing Tools" where you'll learn how authors use divination tools in their writing. Participants include KT Pinto (moderator), Catt Kingsgrave, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Trisha Wooldridge, and me, Morven Westfield.

Stop by for what I'm sure will be a fascinating panel.

The entire Pi-Con schedule is posted on their website.

Book Review: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've always been fascinated with death. I don't know whether my interested in vampires, ghosts, and other things beyond the grave fed my interest or vice versa, but that, combined with a strong curiosity about the human body made this book a natural addition to my bookshelf.

Roach does not disappoint. She gives you the scientific detail, but explained in such a way that us mere mortals can not only comprehend, but appreciate, what she's telling us. Her dry humor comes through, especially since she's the one reading the book to us. (I listened to the audio edition.)

I loved this book. If you're fascinated with death, medicine, or general science, give it a shot.

View all my reviews

Broad Universe Annual Meeting

I'm a member of Broad Universe, a nonprofit international organization of women and men dedicated to celebrating and promoting the work of women writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been busy helping them launch their first ever virtual annual meeting. Prior to 2011, Broad Universe held its annual meeting at WisCon, a feminist science fiction convention held in Madison, Wisconsin. Broad Universe is moving it to a virtual location to make it possible for more members to attend.

As a member of the Motherboard, I'll be speaking briefly, but mostly I'll be the "woman behind the curtains", trying to prevent problems and solve them as they arrive.

Here's the announcement.

---

Broad Universe will have an open annual meeting on August 14, 2011, at 7pm Eastern Time (US/Canada). This will be different from previous annual meetings in that it will be virtual -- that is, a large-scale conference call and web presentation.

New president Trisha Wooldridge will chair the meeting, which starts with a message from our outgoing president, Phoebe Wray. Other members of the Motherboard will describe what we've been doing this past year, and all will talk about our plans for the future. At the end, we'll answer questions that have been submitted.

If you're interested in attending, visit our Annual Meeting FAQ page. The meeting is open to both paid Broad Universe members and non-members.

The meeting will be recorded so that those who can't attend will be able to listen later.

Broad Universe is a nonprofit organization under US Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3).

Latest Sookie Stackhouse novel is out -- and on audio, too!

Dead Reckoning, the latest Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery by Charlaine Harris has been released.

These days I tend to do most of my "reading" by ear, either commuting to and from work, or trying to get in some daily exercise. I was pleased to discover that the Audible version, again narrated by Johanna Parker, is also available today.

As with all Audible books, you can listen to a short sample right there on the page.

Book Review: Grave Surprise, by Charlaine Harris

Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the Harper Connelly series, so I expected myself to still be warming up to the premise and the characters. That wasn't a problem: the book spent a lot of time filling in the background and showing how the characters developed because of their pasts.

I think, though, that it spent too much time there. I don't think the pace suffered, really, but more the sense of delight and fascination that one feels getting to know a new series.

I liked it enough, though, to try the third book in the series.

P.S. I actually listened to the audio version, narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan, whose narration I enjoyed.


View all my reviews

Book Review: Writing, by Stephen King

On Writing by Stephen King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It's very rare that I have the time to read a book twice. It's also rare that I buy both a paper copy and an audio copy. It's rarer still that I do both.

With On Writing I did do both: Bought and read the paper copy, then bought the audio book so I could "read" it again.

The joy of the audiobook is that King reads it himself, and you get to hear the excitement and raw emotion behind the words. Oh, it's not that the master of horror couldn't get across those emotions by words alone, but to hear them, to feel his emotion in his voice, that is a treasure.

His advice, as both a writer and a teacher of writing, is excellent. His stories, especially ones from childhood, are priceless.

Recommended. Highly recommended.



View all my reviews

Book Review: Grave Sight, by Charlaine Harris

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have two friends who were fans of Charlaine Harris' mysteries way before the Sookie Stackhouse series. They both recommended the Lily Bard series and this one, the Harper Connelly series. The premise of Harper Connelly's story interested me more, so I started with this one.

I'm not giving it 5 stars because it didn't knock my socks off, but I really did like it and enjoyed the character of Harper Collins. She's more intelligent and level-headed than Sookie Stackhouse, but I liked that.

I also liked the fact that although I started to guess the mystery, I couldn't figure out all of it, and when it was finally revealed, I didn't feel cheated.

The character of Tolliver, her brother, seemed uneven to me, but I'm not sure if that's because of the way he was written or the way he was performed. I listened to the audio version of this book, so it's hard to tell if that's the way Charlaine told it or the way Alyssa Bresnahan interpreted. I think her narration was great, but I just didn't "get" Tolliver.

I've listened to only one book in the series, though, so I can't really judge it. I've got the second book, Grave Surprise, loaded on my iPod and look forward to listening to it.

View all my reviews

So that's what my cat was saying!

Like many geriatric felines, my cat talks a lot. Both my husband and I have developed the habit of meowing back. This normally isn't a problem --unless someone else is in the room. 

One day I was standing at the front door giving my cookie order to a local Girl Scout when the cat meowed from another room. Without thinking, I meowed back. I'm sure the girl went home and told her mother that the lady across the street was strange. Really strange.

Tonight I was giving my wrist a break, using Dragon NaturallySpeaking to dictate some notes. From downstairs I heard the familiar meow. Again, without thinking, I meowed back. Looking at the clock I realized that it was probably time to feed the cat. When I looked back at the computer screen, I realized that Dragon had translated my meow to "well". So, that's what my cat was saying!

International Women's Day - March 8, 2011

From the press area of their web site:

"International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating
the economic, political and social achievements of women past,
present and future. In some countries like China, Russia,
Vietnam and Bulgaria, IWD is a national holiday. The first IWD
event was run in 1911 so 2011 sees the Global Centenary."

Hundreds of women around the world celebrate this day each year. The theme for 2011 is:

Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women

If you are a women and you've been fortunate enough to have such access, at the very least, stop and feel gratitude for what you have.

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Read an eBook Week - March 6-12, 2011

According to the history page of their web site, eBooks turn 40 this year!

In 1971, the first book to possibly qualify as an eBook was the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which was posted on a Xerox Sigma V mainframe computer. And that was the beginning of Project Gutenberg, a source of free books that continues today.

You can read the Project Gutenberg mission statement by Michael Hart, who posted that first eBook, on the Project Gutenberg web site.

Happy birthday, eBooks!
P.S. Both of by books, Darksome Thirst and The Old Power Returns, are available in Kindle versions. Other electronic formats are coming soon. Don't have a Kindle? You can read Kindle-formatted right on your computer. See my earlier blog post for details.

US Editions
Darksome Thirst

The Old Power Returns


UK Editions
Darksome Thirst

The Old Power Returns

Broad Universe Membership Special

If you've been following my blogs, you know that I'm active in Broad Universe, an international non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, encouraging, honoring, and celebrating women writers and editors in science fiction, fantasy, horror and other speculative genres.

The Broad Universe membership year runs from June 1st to May 31st, but if you join or renew now, you get 15 months of news, tips, community, and more for the price of 12 months.

If you want to support women writers in the speculative genres, and especially if you ARE -- or want to BE -- a woman writer in the speculative genres, consider joining. As it says on the web site, "For the cost of three lattes at your favorite coffee shop ($15) or a dinner for one at a reasonable restaurant ($30)," you can receive benefits that include posting your news of sales and upcoming events on our web page, listing your books in our catalog, and having access ot the Members Only area of the web.

For more information, see

http://www.broaduniverse.org/benefits/benefits-of-membership

Broadly Speaking: Faith and Fear

I had the pleasure to be one of three authors discussing faith and fear on the inaugural episode of Broadly Speaking, a new podcast series produced by members of Broad Universe.

Check it out at
http://broadlyspeaking.posterous.com/broadly-speaking-faith-and-fear

Here's the description:

Welcome to the very first Broadly Speaking edition of the Broad Pod. Broadly Speaking brings you interviews and insights from women writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror - and all the realms in between. Keeping with the Broad Pod's theme of Faith and Fear, Broadly Speaking will chat with Jennifer Pelland, Morven Westfield, and Gail Z. Martin about how they've used faith and fear in their writing, advice on how to do it well, and even how selling and marketing can be affected. Join host Trish Wooldridge for some true tales of women's adventures in writing!

Broad Universe Reading at Boskone

Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading
at Boskone 48
February 18, 2011
9 PM, Lewis

I'll be reading with fellow members of Broad Universe, an international organization dedicated to promoting, encouraging, honoring, and celebrating women writers and editors in science fiction, fantasy, horror and other speculative genres.

If you've never been to a Rapid-Fire Reading, give it a try. They're a lot of fun, yet sometimes very sobering and thought-provoking as well. You might hear stories of horror, fantasy, or science fiction -- or a delightful combination of all of the above. The readers this time include Jennifer Pelland (moderator) Justine Graykin, Elaine Isaak, Shira Lipkin, Suzanne Reynolds- Alpert, Roberta Rogow, Trisha Wooldridge, myself, and others.

For information, see the schedule at www.boskone.org

Using Local Settings in Works of Horror Well-Received

Tonight authors Daniel G. Keohane (Solomon's Grave), Tracy Carbone (The Man of Mystery Hill), and I participated in a panel discussion on using local settings in works of horror. We talked about how we each handled our fictional towns in our novels. Tracy's got her Bradfield, Dan's got Hillcrest and Ledgewood, and I have Danforth, Fenmore, and Bristleton. We touched on how other writers created their own towns (for example, Stephen King's Castle Rock) and the benefits of creating your own fictional town.

This event was sponsored and organized by the West Boylston Arts Foundation (WBAF), as a celebration of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday. WBAF is a non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to prevent cuts to town school arts and music programs. It was established in June 2007, following budget cuts which threatened to eliminate art and music classes in the West Boylston school system.

The building was beautiful, the library staff was helpful, and WBAF President Mark Baldi and his daughter were gracious hosts and audience members. In general, the audience was very attentive, asked great questions, and made the evening a pure delight.

For more information on WBAF and the great work they're doing, see their web site and the November 2010 Banner article Foundation Plans Winter Events.

Didn't get a Kindle for Christmas? Have I got a tip for you!

I read a post recently where someone was expressing dismay at not being able to read a book because it was available only in Kindle format.

I knew that there are free Kindle apps available for the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, and Android because I use one on my iPod Touch. I didn't know if she had any of those devices, but I thought it was worth a shot. Being a good netizen, I looked up the web address so I could tell her where to find them.

Surprise! There are also free programs available for the Windows PC and Mac! Check it out:

Free Kindle Reading Apps


Oh, and if you're looking for a good read for your new Kindle application, both of my books are available :-D


Darksome Thirst

The Old Power Returns

Enjoy!

Morven

Using Local Settings in Works of Horror

I will be joining authors Daniel G. Keohane (Solomon's Grave) and Tracy Carbone (The Man of Mystery Hill) for a reading, signing, anda panel discussion on using local settings in their works of horror. (My novels are set in a thinly-disguised Framingham, Boston, and Brighton, Massachusetts.)


This event is for the West Boylston (Massachusetts) Arts Foundation, which is celebrating Edgar Allan Poe's birthday.

All are welcome, and attendance is free.

For directions, visit www.beamanlibrary.org/directions.html


Learn more about the WBAF at www.wbaf.org/.

Staying on track with writing

During my writing session this morning, I discovered a few things I didn't know about Microsoft Word 2007:

To hide text, select it and then press Ctrl-Shift-h.
Hidden text isn't counted in word count.

That's good news for me because it means that I can write myself notes at the beginning of each scene, make the text hidden, and still have a good idea of how many words I've actually got.

YES!

Panels at Albacon - Update

Albacon begins this Friday and I've been so busy with other things that I didn't get a chance to update my blog regarding the panels. I've dropped out of one and joined another, and was added to another one I didn't know about. I'm really pleased with the programming. All of it sounds fun, interesting, and worthwhile.

Albacon is being held
October 8-10, 2010 at the Best Western Sovereign Hotel, 1228 Western Ave., Albany, NY 12203

Registration is still open and there are still rooms available at $86/night, single or double occupancy. (A sign of the economy, I guess.) There is also a FREE shuttle from the airport, train, or bus station. See http://www.albacon.org/hotel.php for details on getting the rate and the shuttle.


Here's my schedule as it stands now, with a short description of the panels and a list of the panelists.

Friday

4 pm
Promotion on a Low Budget

What are the secrets to promotion that doesn't break the bank, but gets your name out there where it matters.

Alexandre, Price (M), Johnson, Kempe, Westfield



Saturday

12 noon
Vampires: Sparkling or Bloody?

Vampires: rotting corpses who feed on human vitality or dreamy sparkly beautiful mopey demi-gods? Discuss.
Arthen, Crowley, Darvill, Kessler (M), Pinto, Westfield


1 pm
Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading

Arthen, Kempe, Laity, Rogow, Westfield


2pm
eBooks and eReaders

Ebooks are outselling hardcovers: the future is here! What're the best ereaders--and can you sign them somehow?
D'Arc, Kempe, S Miller, Roman, (M) Westfield


11 pm
Steamy Romance Reading

The stories don't have to be scorching, but it helps! This is a 18+ event. Attendees will have the chance to win some swag thanks to Authors After Dark.
Alexandre, Arthen, Crowley, D'Arc, Darvill, Jamison, Kempe, Lynne, Marlowe, Price, Westfield

Mentioned on the Out of the Coffin podcast

About a week and a half ago, I was listening to Epsiode 61 of the Out of the Coffin podcast on the way to work. Shortly after the intro, I heard host Dan Shaurette say, "I just finished reading Darksome Thirst by Morven Westfield" - he loved it!

Talk about a way to start the day! Writing can be such a struggle sometimes, but those little moments when someone praises your work, when someone gets it, those moments are priceless.

Panels at Albacon

I just saw a preliminary list of the panels for Albacon, being held October 8-10, 2010 in Albany, New York.

I'm going to be participating in the following panels/events. This schedule is still subject to change, but if it changes, I'll post a correction here.

Friday, noon
Paranormal Romance: the Hottest Genre

Friday, 5 pm
General Signing with Workshop Authors

Saturday, noon
Vampires: Sparkling or Bloody?

Saturday, 1 pm
Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading

Update: I've just agreed to another panel, which should be exciting:

Saturday, 2 pm
eBooks and eReaders

Book Review: Dead to the World, by Charlaine Harris

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another good, rollicking Stackhouse mystery. This book in the series features Eric more than Bill, so if you're an Eric fan, you'll love it. (Count me in that category.)

As a writer who has witch and Wiccan characters in my own novels, I love the way Harris portrays witches and Wiccans in hers. There are good, there are bad, and in her world, witches and Wiccans are different. As someone with a bad memory and a long time between books, I love the way Harris gently fills in backstory. Though she's probably doing it for new readers, I've found it immensely helpful.

If you're just familiar with the True Blood TV series, you should read the books, too. One does not spoil the other. They combine to give a rich view of the happenings in Bon Temps.

Book Review: Dracula the Undead, by Dacre Stoker

Dracula the Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I've been a Dracula fan since the early Hammer films. I've also read Bram Stoker's book, so it's not just that I'm in love with the film presentations.

I actually listened to the audio version, but I'm putting my review on a book version because my comments aren't on the audio. The audio (from Audible) is, as with all the Audible productions I've listened to so far, excellent. The voice talent is fantastic and the production is clear and professional. So, no problem there.

I had no problem with the story taking liberties with the plot lines (Mina actually was in love with Dracula). Some of the anachronisms of vampire lore jerked me out of the story for a second, but only a second. For example, modern vampire lore uses the adjective preternatural a lot, a term I don't remember hearing pre-Anne Rice. It might have been in Stoker's original and I just don't remember it, but when I hear that term, I think of post-Rice vampires. That sin can be forgiven, though; I myself use it in my novels, whose vampires are more Dark Shadows era than Rice era.

I had no problem with the tone of the book. It was deliciously old-fashioned, much like the original Stoker. That, I felt, was a strong point.

The plotting, though, had too many stretches. Dacre Stoker tied in Jack the Ripper and Elizabeth Bathory into the Dracula story, which could have worked, but I think there were just too many plot irons in the fire. When the time came to wrap them up at the end, it seemed a little rushed just because there was so much to wrap up.

Your experience reading it as opposed to listening to it might differ. When reading, one pauses and mulls things over more, I find. Yes, I can pause my iPod, but I find that I don't. I don't know why; certainly when reading a physical book, I will stop and look away from the page to savor a scene or to remember the foreshadowing of certain plots. For some reason, though, I don't do that when listening.

Still, I found it enjoyable, and worth a read for any Dracula afficianado.

Podcast Episode Posted

I just posted a short episode of Vampires, Witches, and Geeks on www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com

This episode contains news and announcements.

Online Author Conference

Now this should be fun -- CoyoteCon is a completely online conference for authors! Not only are there no travel costs associated with this conference, there are no costs, either! That's right, free. (You do have to register, though, because space is limited.)

The conference runs May 1-31, 2010, though most of the events happen on the weekends.

Gotta love this error message :-)

Got this error message on my iPod Touch when I tried to look at I Can Has Cheeseburger while not connected to the net:

No Can Has Cheezburger.
No can find cheezburger. Did kitteh unplug network?

Found a picture of it on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahkitj/3847189427/

I just love it when programmers are allowed to use humor in error messages!

Broad Universe at Borders, Shrewsbury, MA 3/6/2010

Join local members of Broad Universe today to celebrate National Women's History Month with an introduction to some of the greatest women writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Broad Universe is a non-profit international organization with the primary goal of promoting science fiction, fantasy, and horror written by women.

Join them for short presentations and rapid-fire readings. All events are free and open to the public.


March 6, 2010, 1 pm

Note: Elaine Isaak sprained her ankle and won't be able to present on James Tiptree, Jr. today.

Borders
476 Boston Turnpike
Shrewsbury, MA 01545

Jennifer Pelland -- Octavia Butler
Trisha Wooldridge -- Madeleine L'Engle
Pheobe Wray -- Connie Willis
Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert -- Marge Piercy

March is National Women's History Month

From the National Women's History Project web site:

"The overarching theme for March 2010 is Writing Women Back into History. In 2010, in celebration of our 30th Anniversary, we will be highlighting themes from previous years. Each of these past themes recognizes a different aspect of women’s achievements, from ecology to art, and from sports to politics."

Local members of Broad Universe, a non-profit international organization with the primary goal of promoting science fiction, fantasy, and horror written by women, will celebrate National Women's History Month with an introduction to some of the greatest women writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror.

Join them for short presentations and rapid-fire readings. All events are free and open to the public.


March 6, 2010, 1 pm

Borders
476 Boston Turnpike
Shrewsbury, MA 01545

Jennifer Pelland -- Octavia Butler
Trisha Wooldridge -- Madeleine L'Engle
Elaine Isaak -- James Tiptree, Jr.
Pheobe Wray -- Connie Willis
Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert -- Marge Piercy


March 13, 2010, 7 pm

Toadstool Bookshop
Lorden Plaza
586 Nashua Street
Milford, NH 03055

Jennifer Pelland -- Octavia Butler
Trisha Wooldridge -- Madeleine L'Engle
Elaine Isaak -- James Tiptree, Jr.
Pheobe Wray -- Connie Willis


March 18, 2010, 6:30 pm

Jacob Edwards Library
236 Main Street
Southbridge, MA 01550

Trisha Wooldridge -- Madeleine L'Engle
Pheobe Wray -- Connie Willis

Podcast interview with author & witch Dorothy Morrison

I posted the first part of my podcast interview with author & witch Dorothy Morrison a couple of days ago. We had a lot of fun doing it, too.

If you're not familiar with Dorothy, here's some background info.

Dorothy Morrison is the author of over a dozen non-fiction books on paganism and Wicca including

Everyday Magic
The Craft: A Witch's Book of Shadows
Magical Needlework
Utterly Wicked

With Kristen Madden, she co-wrote Dancing the Goddess Incarnate and is the creator of The Whimsical Tarot.

In the first half of the interview, I talked to Dorothy about storytelling, her first novel (Lucinda's Web), and the woes and wackiness of book touring.

A native Texan, Dorothy lives in Virginia with her husband.

Massachusetts residents: Don't forget to vote on Tuesday.

There's a special election to vote for the replacement for the late Senator Ted Kennedy. Whether you're for Coakley or Brown, vote. Apparently this election will be close.

Podcasting Pioneer Tee Morris Suffers Family Loss

As you know, I have a podcast. It isn't a major production and it isn't one of the top podcasts on iTunes, but it is a podcast, I do have listeners, and I've done it all myself. Well, mostly.

One year for Christmas I asked hubby for a book on podcasting called Podcasting for Dummies. One of the authors was Tee Morris, who, I later discovered, was the first podcaster to podcast a novel. The book was immensely helpful, and I began to listen to one of Tee's podcasts, The Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy. He's always seemed like a genuine, helpful guy.

Yesterday his wife died from complications of the flu, leaving behind Tee and a 7-year-old daughter. It’s so hard to believe that a man who was so giving would have something so precious taken from him.

One of his friends, fellow author Philipa (Pip) Ballantine has set up a ChipIn fund to raise money to cover their immediate expenses and to set up a fund for his daughter, who his listeners know as Sonic Boom. If you'd like to contribute, click the widget below or look him up on ChipIn.

Lynda Hilburn Reads

Just posted a new podcast up on www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com. Linda Hilburn, author of The Vampire Shrink, reads from Dark Harvest. This is the second book in her Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist series.

This reading was recorded June 11, 2009. I've had a really busy summer and recorded way too many interviews around the same time. I just got carried away because it was so fascinating listening to these authors talk about their vampires, how their vampires were made, and what could kill them. I still have two more interviews, with readings, to post. Look for those after the new year.

Adrenaline Rush

I am thankful

... that I was looking straight ahead and not in my rearview mirror or down at my speedometer.

... that the speed limit on that section of road was not 65.

... that I have lived in this area long enough now to know that the whitetails around here usually don't travel alone.

... that I just had my brakes redone a couple of weeks ago.

... that I had enough tread left on my tires to come to a screeching halt when I saw deer 2 and 3.

... that there was no one behind me when I did.

... that all EIGHT deer made it across the road, just a couple of feet in front of my bumper...

It's beginning to smell a lot like zombies...

Those of you who know me know that I don't really care for Christmas because of all the stress.

So, what in the WORLD would make me hum Christmas carols before Thanksgiving?

Answer: This new book I heard about on Pod of Horror #57!

Check it out:
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies


Oh, yeah. Earworm. Definitely earworm.

"I saw mommy chewing Santa Claus..."

Lynda Hilburn, author of The Vampire Shrink

Just posted: Interview with Lynda Hilburn, author of the Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist series which includes The Vampire Shrink and Dark Harvest.

Poor Lynda. We actually recorded this interview way back in June 11, 2009, but then vacation and an over-full schedule of appearances and signings made my podcast post-production worse. I think I had one or two I still needed to produce when I interviewed hers, which didn't help.

I had forgotten how interesting the interview was and how much fun we had! It was a real pleasure to listen to it again as I cleaned up the sound. Hope you enjoy it. In addition to being a paranormal romance writer, Lynda makes her living as a licensed psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, professional psychic/tarot reader, university instructor, and workshop presenter. Makes for a good combination!

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In the United States, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can find out more information at http://nbcam.org/

If you'd like to fund a free mammogram for someone in need, visit this site and click the button for free mammograms:

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com

Thanks!

Saturday at Rock n'Shock

I joined fellow New England Horror Writers (NEHW) at Rock N'Shock, which is being held at the DCU Convention Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester, MA 01608.

NEHW has a table in the vending area, which is an experience in itself: DVDs, posters, original art, makeup, masks, magazines, and books packed into a convention hall. Unlike your normal business or industry convention, though, the color palette here was dark and rich. No corporate greys and blues here. This convention was rich reds, various hues and saturations of black, and various colors and shades of putrification, punctuated with, of course, the traditional bright orange of Halloween.

Yesterday I was at the table from 3-7 pm. Today I'll be there from 1-6 pm.

Podcast back

My "Vampires, Witches, and Geeks" podcast is back. There was a technical problem at the hosting site. I don't know what it was or if it was computer-related or a natural disaster in the area, but they're back now.

This, of course, brings up the question about what I'd do if they hadn't come back up. I'm very satisfied with my experience at Podbean.com (this is the first outage I've been aware of in over a year), so I'd definitely try to hang tight and hope they'd come back online soon. If it looked like it was going to be a long time, I'd move my files over to a temporary site and redirect listeners there.

And now I'm off to get ready for Rock n'Shock in Worcester.

Rock N'Shock

Rock N' Shock (Oct 16-18, 2009)

I'll be joining fellow New England Horror Writers (NEHW) at Rock N'Shock, which is being held at the DCU Convention Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester, MA 01608.

I'll be at the NEHW table Sat 3-7 pm and Sun 1-6 pm.

October: National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In the United States, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can find out more information at http://nbcam.org/, which also has links to articles for those affected by breast cancer, including how to read a pathology report, where to find support, and how to stay informed.

If you'd like to fund a free mammogram for someone in need, visit the Breast Cancer site and click the button for free mammograms:

www.thebreastcancersite.com

Live Interview on BlogTalk Radio

Live Interview on BlogTalk Radio (Sunday, Sept 27, 2009), 4:00 Eastern Time.

This should be fun... gulp! Host Karagan is going to interview me LIVE on his popular Witchtalk show.

He's had some really interesting guests: Gothic magician/vampire Vlad (Interview with a Vampire - Interviewing Vlad), Vinnie Russo (Sicilian Witchcraft - with Rev. Vincent Russo), Oberon Zell Ravenheart (The Ways of the Wizard - a conversation with Oberon Zell Ravenheart), Christopher Penczak (The Temple of Witchcraft - an interview with Christopher Penczak), Raven and Stephanie Grimassi (Ways of the Strega - a conversation with Raven and Stephanie Grimassi), and more -- all since June of this year! Those are hard acts to follow, but I know Karagan is a warm and gracious host, so it should be fine.

Karagan is a Witch and also a professional trained actor and director. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, his journey into Witchcraft and Wicca began 15 years ago (in Portugal). He now lives in Salem, Massachusetts.

If you happen to listen to the show live and want to call in, the number is (718) 664-9228.

If you can't listen to it live, you can listen to the recorded episode later at www.blogtalkradio.com/witchtalk

Hope to hear some friendly voices asking me about vampires, the witches in my novel, and anything geeky -- honest!

Podcast Interview with Margaret Carter

I just posted a new episode of my podcast, Vampires, Witches, and Geeks:
VWnG019 Interview with Margaret Carter

Margaret’s first vampire book was published in 1970 and she’s had a rich and prolific career since then, including both fiction and non-fiction. Her works span multiple formats; comprising short stories, novelettes, and novels. Her most-recent work is an erotic paranormal romance novelette, “Lion’s Bower,” published in May 2009 by Ellora’s Cave.

New England Authors Event in Charlton

I'll be participating in a multi-author event on September 6, 2009 (Labor Day weekend) from 7-10 PM in Charlton, MA

It's part of Charlton's Old Home Day celebration and features 12 authors who write mainstream, literary, and genre fiction. Charlton Library, 40 Main Street, Charlton, MA 01507

I'll have copies of my two vampire novels, Darksome Thirst and The Old Power Returns. Stop by and say hello!

For more appearances, check out my Events page.

This weekend at Pi-Con

I'm going to be a busy person this weekend...

Pi-Con (August 21-23, 2009) - I'll be moderating and participating in a number of panels at Pi-Con, "An Event for Geeks, Nerds, and Dorks" in Enfield, CT, not far from where they usually hold it in Springfield, MA.

Sat 1:00 pm – Not All Vampires Sparkle
Sat 7:00 pm – Autograph session
Sat 8:00 pm – Tech Tools for Writers (Moderator)
Sun 10:00 am – Podcasting 101 (Moderator)
Sun 11:00 am – Podcasting Demo (Moderator)
Sun 1:00 pm – Reading

For details, see http://www.pi-con.org/programming.php

Mary Shelley's Birthday Celebration

(or "My Dates with Frankie")

Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, would be turning 212 on August 30 if she were alive today. If you're a fan of Frankenstein's monster (this person surely seems to be) or a fan of the mother of horror, come celebrate with us.

Mary Shelley's Birthday Celebration
(August 27-30, 2009)

Join New England women writers from the international organization, Broad Universe, as they honor the 212th anniversary of Mary Shelley's birth. Learn about the amazing life and work of a woman whose vision reached far ahead of her time. Hear the truth about the original "mad scientist" and his creation.

• Thursday, August 27th, 6:30 - 8:00
  Jacob Edwards Library, 236 Main Street, Southbridge, MA 01550
  http://www.jacobedwardslibrary.org/
  Vampire fiction writers Inanna Arthen and Morven Westfield and SF/Fantasy author Trisha J. Wooldridge
  
  
• Saturday, August 29th, 10:00 AM to noon
  Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St, Nashua, NH 03060-3475
  http://www.nashua.lib.nh.us
  Vampire fiction writer Morven Westfield and SF/Fantasy authors Elaine Isaak, Phoebe Wray, Trisha J. Wooldridge and Julie Andrews
  
  
• Saturday, August 29th, 2:00 to 4:00
  Toadstool Books, Lorden Plaza, Milford, NH 03055
  http://www.toadbooks.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp
  Vampire fiction writers Inanna Arthen and Morven Westfield and SF/Fantasy authors Elaine Isaak, Phoebe Wray, Trisha J. Wooldridge, Justine Graykin and Julie Andrews
  
  
• Sunday, August 30th, noon - 2:00
  Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
  http://www.pandemoniumbooks.com/
  Vampire fiction writers Inanna Arthen and Morven Westfield, past Nebula Award nominee Jennifer Pelland, and SF/Fantasy authors Elaine Isaak, Phoebe Wray, Trisha J. Wooldridge and Julie Andrews
  
  
• Sunday, August 30th, 4:00 - 6:00
  Back Pages Books, 289 Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453
  http://www.backpagesbooks.com/
  Vampire fiction writers Inanna Arthen and Morven Westfield, past Nebula Award nominee Jennifer Pelland, and SF/Fantasy authors Elaine Isaak, Phoebe Wray, Trisha J. Wooldridge and Julie Andrews

Celebrate Frankenstein's Mother

Members of the BroadUniverse are conspiring to locally celebrate the birthday of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, who was born August 30, 1797.

A number of events in the New England area are being planned. Come hear about Mary Shelley, hear her works read, and eat Frankenstein cookies!

The first one up is in Southbridge, Massachusetts. I'll post the information for the rest as the dates become firm.


Thursday, Aug 27, 2009, 6:30-8:00 PM

Jacob Edwards Library, 236 Main Street, Southbridge, MA 01550. Authors Trisha Wooldridge, Inanna Arthen, and Morven Westfield. Trisha J. Wooldridge, author, journalist and educator, will offer brief talks about Shelley's themes and influence. Arthen and Westfield will also contribute to the evening's events.

Available in Kindle format

Did I mention that both of my books, Darksome Thirst and The Old Power Returns are available from Amazon in Kindle format? They're pretty inexpensive now, too. Apparently Darksome Thirst has been available for a while, but the publisher had some technical problems with The Old Power Returns.

Personally I'd love a Kindle, but I have to drive to my day job, which makes reading during the commute impossible. Lately I've been listening to audiobooks. I just finished listening to Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris, part of the Sookie Stackhouse series. The reader, Johanna Parker, is really, really good. Though her voice and characterization are slightly different from Anna Paquin's portrayal on True Blood, it's still not enough to jar you. I watch True Blood faithfully and still enjoy listening to the audiobooks on the drive into work.

Cornelia Amiri Reads from Her Work

I just posted the second part of the interview with author Cornelia Amiri, where she reads a selection from her novel, A Fine Cauldron of Fish*, and from her short story “Vampire Dancer," which appeared in Sleeping With the Undead. Cornelia's web site is at www.myspace.com/CelticRomanceQueen



* Don't you just love that title?

Interview with Cornelia Amiri

I just finished a podcast interview with author Cornlia Amiri, who writes a different type of vampire novel featuring vampiric fey!

Within the next week I'll be posting the second half of the podcast, where she reads from some of her material, but right now I have to get ready to run off to Readercon.

Here's the description of the episode. Don't worry if you don't have an MP3 player; you can go to www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com and listen to it right there.

"Author Cornelia Amiri draws on her love of history and fifteen years of research on the ancient Celts to write tales of long swords, hot heroes, and warrior women. Ms. Amiri is the author of seven Celtic/Romance books: Queen of Kings, A Fine Cauldron of Fish, Druid Quest, The Fox Prince, Vixen Princess, Danger is Sweet, and One Heart One Way. She has short stories in two anthologies, “Dead End Job” in A Death in Texas and “Vampire Dancer” in Sleeping With the Undead. Visit her web site at www.myspace.com/CelticRomanceQueen"

Sunday, Wiscon 33, Part 2

Sunday May 24th, 2009, continued

"Media vs. Book Fandom"
Ariel Franklin-Hudson (m), Constance Callahan, Sigrid J. Ellis, Jacqueline A. Gross, Michael D. Thomas

The description read: "Do you know what Paul Gross arms are? Has anything ever harshed your squee? How do SF/F print and media fandoms get along? Is there a generational difference? Gender differences? Race differences? Vocabulary differences? Do people tend to participate in both, or only one or the other? What does each fandom think of the other? Where do comics fans fit in? And what about those crazy bandom people?"

I wasn't sure what to expect, but even then, it wasn't what I expected. That said, I found it incredibly interesting. I was particularly interested in how print and media fandoms get along, and what I learned is that they're not exclusionary; most agreed they were both. (I wonder if they'd say that at a media con; I expect print fandom to also watch media, but I'm not sure it works the other way around.)

One thing that struck me while listening to it is that many of the "classic" SF/F/H that I hear about at cons, which are often before my time, are *WAY* before the time of the younger fan. Is it still relevant to them? Is my feminist protagonist not believable to them because they didn't face the battles she did? Is it like me reading an novel from the twenties or something?



After the panels and dinner, there were parties, parties, parties. The Belly Dancing Party (Woodrow "asim" Hill, Jenn Pelland) was experiential, which was fun. I joined in for a little bit of circle dancing, preferring to sit out the belly dancing. The Fancy Dress Party just meant that there were a lot of people in the party room wearing fancy dress and looking terribly overheated (some outfits were steampunk and layered), but it was beautiful to look at. I wandered from room to room, talking occasionally, but mostly having a good time wandering from room to room. For one thing, the breeze from walking kept me cooler ;-)

I went to bed at a decent hour, not wanting to be out of it for the panel I would be leading early the next morning.

Sunday, Wiscon 33, Part 1

Sunday May 24th, 2009 - Part 1

Did I really miss all the morning panels? Yes, and it wasn't because I slept late. I'm a member of Broad Universe and one of the things we do at many conventions is to have a dealer's table. We sell books by members, talk about the purpose of the organization, but also serve as a useful stopping point for other Broad Universe members. It's always nice sitting there behind the books, reading the names of the members who stop by to say hello. Broad Universe is an international organization with the primary goal of promoting science fiction, fantasy, and horror written by women. Some of the members who stop by are writers, educators, and publishers, but some are just curious readers.

So, on Sunday morning I spent some time volunteering at the table, then took off and had some lunch before hitting the panels.


"The Care and Feeding of Your Vampire"
Fred Schepartz (m), Alex Bledsoe, Suzy Charnas, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Jordan Castillo Price

Being a huge vampire fan, I was really eager to attend this one. The moderator was Fred Schepartz, author of Vampire Cabbie (set in Madison, no less!). Panelists included Alex Bledsoe (author of Blood Groove), Suzy Charnas (author of the highly regarded The Vampire Tapestries), Alaya Dawn Johnson (author of a forthcoming 1920s vampire novel), and Jordan Castillo Price (author of the PsyCop novels). [An editorial note here: All of these authors have other wrting credits, but I noted only the vampire ones because that's what the panel is about.]

I really liked this panel, maybe because it's the type of thing I'm trying to do with my podcast*: That is, to ask other writers about their vampires and vampire universes, what inspired them, and why they made the choices they did. Most of the time I just sat there enthralled (pun!), but I did manage to scratch out a few notes.

When Suzy Charnas wrote The Vampire Tapestries (published 1980/81), she was writing it against the erotic undertone in most vampire stories (I think this might have been around the time of Anne Rice -- I keep forgetting when Rice's books became popular, even though that subject came up in a recent podcast!) Her vampire Wayland is not actually human, but a different species. He has learned to act like humans to survive. Since then she's written other vamps, including comic vamps.

Fred Schepartz's vampire is 1000 years old and [relatively recently] lost all his money in a stock market crash, so now he's driving cab in Madison to earn a living. (Don't ya love it?)

Alex Bledsoe's vampire was staked in Wales in 1915, but is freed in Memphis. Was woken in the 70s.

Alaya Dawn Johnson's novel is really "an immigrant novel." (I think Stoker's was, too, wasn't it? Or at least the fear of "other" was a metaphor for the fear of foreigners, right?)

They talked about whether their vamps could change into things (like mist -- Fred's can), how the sun affects them (Alex's can go out in sunlight), and much more. I really enjoyed this panel.


*My vampire podcast is Vampires, Witches, and Geeks

Saturday, WisCon 33

Saturday May 23rd, 2009

Sat in for a few minutes on the "So You Want to be Published" panel. Always good to keep abreast of trends. Wait. Didn't I blog this already? I'm sure I did. Ah, yes, I did! I am *not* losing it! I blogged it on LiveJournal before I made the decision to blog everything on Blogspot and point there. Oh, well. I'll copy it in here so that I have everything in one place.


"So You Want to be Published"
Liz L. Gorinsky (m), Lori Devoti, Ann Leckie, Jack McDevitt, Jordan Castillo Price

Attended two panels in the morning, one on getting published, the other on Book View Cafe. Yes, just about every con I attend has a panel on being published, but it's interesting to hear different viewpoints and to keep an eye on industry changes. Besides, occasionally you hear something phrased just a little differently that makes a point so much more poignant. For example, we all know that a cover letter for a submission should be professional, interesting, and without grammatical error because it represents you and your writing ability. One panelist, though, phrased it in a way that really drives home how important it is. She said, "It sets up an expectation in the editor's mind." In other words, if your cover letter is only mediocre, but the editor decides to read a page of your submission anyway, the editor starts reading with the bias that the writing is probably going to be mediocre, too.


"Book View Cafe: A New Venture in Online Publishing"
Nancy Jane Moore (m), Sylvia Kelso, Madeleine Robins, Jennifer K. Stevenson

Very interesting project by some very talented women. I'll let the site speak for itself: http://www.bookviewcafe.com/ I registered while attending the panel. (Don't you just love free WiFi?)

Speaking of talented women, I met Catherine Lundoff, who I had interviewed for Vampires, Witches, and Geeks. She and her partner are absolutely wonderful (darn, I forgot to congratulate them in person on their upcoming nuptuals) , of course (I expected no less). One of their friends, S. N. Arly, is going to be on the panel I'm moderating on Monday morning and it was nice to meet her ahead of time.

Took a turn at the Broad Universe table, where I met author Larrissa Niec, who was also volunteering at the table. We had a lot of people stopping by between panels. WisCon has this wonderful schedule where there's usually a 15-minute break between panels. It gives you time to go to the toilet or make a quick stop at a vendor or information table.


"Treatment of Aging in Science Fiction"
Eleanor A. Arnason (m), Gerri Balter, Richard J. Chwedyk, Magenta Griffith, Diana Sherman

This was an thought-provoking one. Many of the characters in SF are young, robust. What roles do older people play in SF and Fantasy? Author Eleanor Arnason suggested we should start writing older characters and show them with the signs of aging (like arthritis).


"Witches and Wizards: Gender and Power in Portrayals of Magic"
Sarah G. Micklem (m), Gerri Balter, Melodie Bolt, Beverly Friend, Victoria Janssen

Interesting examination of how the two are portrayed differently in fiction. Beverly Friend had a great handout which reminded me of the old feminist flyers of the 70s that compared how women are perceived differently from men when doing the same action. (Example: A woman instructs an employee to do something. She's bossy. A man does the same thing. He's a leader. Or something like that.)

Here's an example from Friend's handout: Witch: usually old and ugly (wart on nose, stooped). Wizard: Usually old and imposing (tall, erect, bearded). Witch: Robe often shabby or torn. Wizard: Robe often regal and embroidered.



After that panel ended, I visited the party floor and flitted from room to room, sometimes seeing people I knew and other times striking up conversations with panelists who had impressed me or absolute strangers. I felt more at ease than I did last year, my first year at the convention. WisCon has a panel for first-time attendees, but I missed it both years. Maybe next year I can make it ;-)

Edited on 6/4/09 to add panelist names.

Friday, WisCon 33

Friday May. 22nd, 2009

I thought I'd have plenty of time to blog in the evening, but last night I got busy sorting out things I'd need for today's events and today I've spent the time getting ready for this evening's events :-)

For lunch I wandered down State St and got a Gyro from Parthenon Gyros, It was excellent, but HUGE! Now I'm ready for a nap ;-) BUT, nap I can't because I've got plenty to do to prepare for tonight's opening ceremonies (I'm participating in a skit) and the Broad Universe reading at 10:30 pm. After that, I'll be ready to crash, I'm sure.

After lunch, attended the first event of the convention, The Gathering. I'm sure I'm not going to do it much justice in my description, but it's such a fun thing that I've got to try.

Basically the convention takes over two ballrooms of the hotel and throughout this large "room" they have stations where different events are happening. For example, at one station someone was doing face painting, at another someone was doing tarot card readings, at another there was a book sale to benefit the convention. People were sitting around a table making necklaces for their namebadges, someone was giving an intro to shapenote singing, and members of the Interstitial Arts Foundation were serving up delicious cookies, coffee, and tea. There was much, much more, but those are the ones I saw and remember off the top of my head.

The big draw is the the clothing giveaway. Con-goers drop off cool clothing they no longer want and other con-goers rummage through them. It's like a rummage sale without exchanging money! I brought five pieces of clothing that I thought would appeal to the WisCon crowd: two shirts made by Deva Lifewear, a nice summer dress that never looked right on me, a denim vest, and a wonderfully funky tee-shirt someone gave me as a joke that says "Queen of the F****** Universe. Any questions?" Needless to say, the shirt got snapped up right away.

Last year was the first year that I attended WisCon and I didn't really get into the spirit of the Gathering. I wandered on the periphery, thinking, "This is nice," but not really being affected by it. ThAis year, feeling more a part of WisCon because I know what to expect, I enjoyed it more. Of course it helps that I now know and recognize more people, but I think it just helps that I've acclimated to the con.

I managed to drop in on the Mod Squad panel for just bit. If they offer it again next year and you're considering being on a panel, go. It's part of their continuing education of panel moderators, an effort I appreciated. I've been to very few really bad panels, but there were a few that could have used better moderating, and this panel gave a lot of insight on how to do just that.

At 4:30 I had to meet other members of Broad Universe for a rehearsal. We were doing the opening skit and I played the part of The Bee. (Yeah, those who know my phobias can stop laughing now. The cosmos *does* have a sick sense of humor!) I think I overplayed my part and I was so nervous I forgot to look at the audience, but everyone had a good time nonetheless.

Unfortunately, I missed "Norovirus and You: Responses to WisCholera 2008," which sounded really interesting. It was to be a debriefing session that also described what steps they were taking to prevent more of the same. They worked really hard on food safety and general health precautions over the weekend, but as people have stated repeatedly, any time you have nearly 1,000 people from all over the country (and a few from outside) converging in one spot and closely interacting, you're bound to have contagion. As I type this, I'm dabbing my nose from a serious head cold, but I'm not complaining. It could have been norovirus again or swine flu. I think they did an excellent job of education and containment.

Broad Universe always does what they call a "Rapid-fire Reading" at WisCon. It's not that we read so fast, but that each reader has a very short period of time to read a brief selection from her work. This time, for example, I think it was just under 5 minutes. I read a short selection from my first book, DARKSOME THIRST, one in which the vampire Frederick has an ill-begotten rendezvous with his latest squeeze, Susie. It was well-received, and I think I did well, but once again, *I was too nervous to look at the audience!* I don't know why. Yes, I'm naturally shy, but usually once I'm onstage I'm a ham. I had rehearsed, but maybe not enough. Maybe it's because it was so far away from home? Who knows. Something to work on.

I went to bed not long after the reading broke up at 11:45. It had been a long day, and the fact that my home time zone was one hour later must have contributed.

Arrived at Wiscon 33

Thursday May. 21st, 2009 at 10:13 PM

Arrived in Madison around 3 today. It had been hot on the plane and the airport, and the street outside was no different. What happened to the 70-73 temps I thought I saw on the weather forecast? I do *not* consider 79+ low 70s! I was sweating in my jeans and black long-sleeved shirt.

Heard someone call my name as I exited the airport. It was [info]jenwrites, who had also just arrived. Nice to see a familiar face.

Checked in at the Inn at the Park and then walked to the Concourse, where WisCon is actually being held. Had dinner with fellow Motherboard members of [info]broaduniverse and then hit the registration table when it opened at 7. I've registered and have my badge. I'm now official ;-)

I have a breakfast meeting tomorrow morning, so I'm off to bed now (10 pm).

Interview with Tate Hallaway

I should be packing for WisCon, but I wanted to get my podcasts out before I go. I just posted another episode of my Vampires, Witches, and Geeks podcast. It's a reading that author Tate Hallaway did as a companion piece to the interview I did with her earlier.

Here is the information for both the interview and the reading.

VWnG015 Interview with Author Tate Hallaway
• May 5th, 2009

A Scorpio with a Leo Rising, Tate Hallaway is an amateur astrologer and practicing Witch. Dead if I Do, her new book in her romantic vampire series, is being released May 5, 2009.

Listen to this episode to find out how to win the first book in Tate’s series, Tall, Dark, & Dead. (Due to the cost of postage, offer valid in the United States only. Sorry!)


Tate Hallaway Reads from Dead if I Do
• May 17th, 2009

Author Tate Hallaway reads from her latest novel, Dead if I Do, which came out in May 2009. You think you had problems when your parents met your fiance? Think again as you enjoy this reading from Tate’s latest novel.

Visit her web site at www.tatehallaway.com. For her science fiction alter ego, visit www.lydamorehouse.com.

Interview with Gail Z Martin

Sometime earlier this year I got this great idea to interview a group of female authors who wrote vampire fiction. I didn't really think through how much work it would be to edit and publish all these podcasts, but I'm glad I didn't because I probably wouldn't have!

Seriously, though, it's usually *me* that needs the editing. I ramble on, trying to say something intelligent or trying to make the author feel at ease and then when I listen to it later, I realize it doesn't really contribute anything to the episode, so I have to edit it out. I try to keep my episodes around 30 minutes or less so that people can listen to them during short breaks.

In April, I interviewed author Gail Z Martin, who also did a short reading from her book in the next episode.

VWnG014 Interview with Author Gail Z. Martin
• April 19th, 2009

Gail Z. Martin is the author of The Summoner, The Blood King, and Dark Haven in The Chronicles of The Necromancer series. Book Four, Dark Lady’s Chosen, makes its international debut in early 2010.

Gail discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and ghost stories in elementary school. The first story she wrote—at age five—was about a vampire. Her favorite TV show as a preschooler was Dark Shadows. At age 14, she decided to become a writer. She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites.

For book updates, tour information and contact details, visit www.ChroniclesOfTheNecromancer.com. Gail is also the host of the Ghost in the Machine Fantasy Podcast, and you can find her on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.

Gail Z Martin Reads from Dark Haven
• May 2nd, 2009

Author Gail Z Martin reads from her latest novel, Dark Haven, which came out in February 2009.

WisCon 33

Going to WisCon this year?

I'll be participating in the Broad Universe rapid-fire reading, where eleven members read from their work, an assortment of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. I'll also be leading a panel called "Tech Tools for Writers" (see description below).

If you're at the convention, stop in. Here are the details, including room info.

Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading

Fri 10:30 - 11:59PM Assembly
Nancy Moore, J. Kathleen Cheney, Tina Connolly, Lori Devoti, Moondancer Drake, Gwynne Garfinkle, Kimberley Long-Ewing, Larissa N. Niec, Kathryn Sullivan, Katherine Mankiller, Morven Westfield, Phoebe Wray

Tech Tools for Writers (moderator)

Mon 8:30 - 9:59AM Senate A
Morven Westfield, Kelly Jones, S. N. Arly, Caroline Stevermer, Alex Wilson

Are you still writing out your manuscripts long–hand, or are you one of those fearless warriors who's using the latest and greatest mind–mapping tool? For some of us, only index cards will do for the outlining phase, whereas others swear by spreadsheets. In this panel, writers will discuss some of the tools they use to maximize the time they have for writing.

The SignOut
Mon 11:30AM - 1:00PM Capitol/Wisconsin
Authors sit around at tables and sign books and chat with readers. Lots of fun because there are so many of us.
Great chance to say goodbye before we all hop on planes or jump in cars and go home.

Multi-Author Signing in Northborough, MA

There's a new bookstore a few towns over and one of my fellow Broads (member of Broad Universe) has arranged a group book signing for us there.

Group signings are always more fun -- the authors get to see their author friends and the audience gets to hear a variety of styles and stories. This event should be even more so as we'll be reading selections of science fiction, fantasy, and horror that includes dystopian universes, magical kingdoms, vampires, and bad-@#$ faeries!

Authors Elaine Isaak, Jennifer Pelland,Trish Wooldridge, Justine Graykin, Phoebe Wray, and I will be reading.


Friday, May 8, 2009
6:00pm - 9:00pm

Jeannie's Book Emporium
299 West Main Street, #4
Northborough, MA 01532

Jeannie's is a new independent book store in the area. Come check it out!

Another podcast in the can

I just published another episode of Vampires, Witches, and Geeks, my podcast of the same. In this one, I announce the winners of my contest to guess my character Alicia's astrological signs. Check it out. You'll be surprised.

The episode also contains:

News items on Dark Shadows, True Blood fan podcast, and Angel star Andy Hallett.
A short commentary on the Twilight film.
Geek talk.
Past & upcoming events.
Info on upcoming episodes.

Happy International Women's Day

International Women's Day (IWD) is "IWD is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future." It was first celebrated in 1911.

The early years of IWD were often centered around campaigning for the right of women to vote, something that many of us in the modern industrialized world take for granted.

Generic update

Well, Boskone was good. The weather wasn't bad, so the drive in was fine. Sure, it was cold, but this is New England and it's winter.

I attended a lot of panels this time. Twilight was mentioned twice in panel descriptions and it seems a lot of people are concerned about the messages that it gives young adults. Some fear that Edward is too controlling, while others just think it's creepy that he watches her sleep and that she constantly risks her life for him. Someone compared him to Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights so I've checked out the book on CD from the library to refresh my memory. It will give me something to listen to on the way to the day job, especially now that I finished the second book in the Twilight series.

After Boskone, I started work on the next episode of my podcast. I interviewed accomplished author and editor Catherine Lundoff, whose collection, Night’s Kiss: Lesbian Erotica, has just been released by Lethe Press, talks with me about her vampire stories. It was interesting and fun; Catherine is great to talk to. We had a good laugh about zombies. You'll have to listen to figure that one out ;-)

I suppose I should get back to work on getting my tax info together. If you're interested in the podcast interview with Catherine, go to www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com

Boskone this weekend

Knock on wood, no snow storms predicted for this weekend's trek into Boskone. Sure, it's going to be below freezing, but we'll be indoors and it seems that it was much colder just a few weeks ago.

Hope to see some of you there. I'm horrible at remembering faces, so don't be insulted if I sneak a peek at your name tag before returning your welcoming hello. Oh, yeah, and I have to remind myself that it's OKAY to look at people's chests at conventions because that's where the name tags usually are ;-)

I won't be doing any readings or panels at this one, but watch for me at the Broad Universe table in the huckster's room (vending area). Broad Universe is is an international organization with the primary goal of promoting science fiction, fantasy, and horror written by women. "Anyone excited about that project is welcome to join us" -- that is, you don't have to be a writer, an artist, an editor, poet, or other contributor to join us. You just have to like (and support) the idea that women can -- and do -- make worthy contributions to these genres. So, stop by. We sell books, sign up new members, and chat about the field.

Upcoming events for 2009

I thought that this year I'd not go to as many conventions and just stay home and write. Yup, I really thought that. Then I started looking at each one and I always had a reason why I'd make an exception for just this one. Boskone, Conbust, Readercon, Pi-Con, and Necon are all under two hours' drive. How could I say no to those? And WisCon, besides being unique in that it's feminist, is where Broad Universe has its roots. I just couldn't say no to that.

Here's what I've got for upcoming events so far. I'm not doing any panels or readings for Boskone or Conbust. I don't know what I'll do for the others, though I do know I'll be participating in a Broad Universe board meeting just before WisCon starts.

Boskone 46 (February 13-15, 2009)
Conbust (March 28-30, 2009)
WisCon 33 (May 22-25, 2009)
Readercon 20 (July 9-12, 2009)
Necon 29 (July 16-19, 2009)
Pi-Con (August 21-23, 2009)

Interview with Spirit Communicator Jimahl di Fiosa

I don't know why it took so long to get this podcast online... No, actually I do.

I recorded my interview with spirit communicator and fellow author Jimahl di Fiosa back in September, but I had a previous interview to post. That should have bumped him to October, but I had a "news" podcast to produce and, let's face it, October is a fairly busy month for authors who write about vampires and witches.

In November, I had NaNoWriMo. Writing an average of 1,667 words a day left no time for audio production, which pushed things into December, the dreaded holiday season.

So, with apologies to Jimahl, whose latest book Talk to Me: When the Dead Speak to the Living came out in October 2008, I give you his interview at http://www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com/

Morven

Canceling Jan 11 event at Bay State Paranormal Center

The weather service is forecasting 4-8" of snow in the area. Rather than risk the safety of attendees, I'm canceling my appearance, but hope to be able to schedule a future date.

My apologies for the late notice, but I wanted to wait to see if the storm would pass us by.

Reading, signing, and discussion January 11

Okay, so you've had your fill of fruitcake and eggnog and you're ready to get back to the real, uh, fantasy world. What better way than to spend an hour or so talking vampires, witches, and geeks?

On Sunday, January 11, 2009, at 2:30 pm, I'll be at

Bay State Paranormal Center
20 Broadway
Taunton, MA 02780
1-508-880-8696

I'll be be giving a brief talk and a reading from THE OLD POWER RETURNS, my second novel in the series of vampires, witches, and geeks.

Also appearing that day is my good friend Jimahl di Fiosa, who will be reading from and talking about his new book "Talk to Me: When the Dead Speak to the Living" (for more info, see www.jimahldifiosa.com).

If you're in the area, stop on by.

Guess Alicia's Sun Sign

Are you one of those people who can just "tell" when someone's a Leo (or some other sign)? Yes? Then you're going to love this contest.

Alicia Anderson is the protagonist in Darksome Thirst and The Old Power Returns. She's about to start learning more about astrology as part of her general training in the occult sciences, which she's undertaking to help her in her battle against a particularly troublesome vampire. Can you guess her sign from her characterization in the novels?

First Prize

Guess her Sun, Moon, and Rising signs and win your choice of a Crystal Wheel or Floral Horoscope from Dikki-Jo Mullen.

Dikki-Jo is a nationally noted astrologer and spiritual counselor who has authored manynationally published articles. Her feature items and detailed astrology forecasts appear in The Witches' Almanac and Dell Horoscope publications, available in fine book stores everywhere.

Second Prize

Guess any two signs (sun/moon, moon/rising, and so on) and win a signed copy of the yet unpublished book three in the Alicia Anderson series and a copy of the 2009-2010 Witches' Almanac, in which my article on crystal balls appears.

You have until midnight Eastern Standard Time February 28, 2009 to post your entries. For full details, see the Contest Entry Page at

http://www.morvenwestfield.com/contest200901.shtml

I finished NaNoWriMo with 50,216 words!

The term that they use is "win"; that is, you win NaNoWriMo if you complete 50,000 words on your novel by November 30. I dunno why, but I prefer to use the verb to finish, as in "I finished NaNoWriMo" and that I did indeed do!

This is only half the battle. I'll let the novel "cool" over the month of December while I catch up on things I let go in November. Then sometime in January I'll start whipping this novel into shape as Book Three (no title yet) of my vampires, witches, and geeks series featuring Alicia Anderson and the vampire Wesley.

Still Slogging Away

I made this same text blog on my podcast page. Since people usually subscribe to just the audio feed from that page, they might miss it, so I'm repeating it here.

NaNoWriMo 2008 Progress

I’m still slogging through my manuscript for book three in my vampire series. I had hoped to have a solid outline before I started so that I could just dig in and write sequentially, but I was so busy with appearances in September and October that I didn’t get to it.

When November 1 came, and NaNoWriMo started, I had to just dive in and hope for the best. The first week went well as I wrote the scenes for each returning character and started filling in the background information for the new characters, some mortal and some vampiric.

Then I hit a slump the second week, which I hear is pretty common and felt very similar to the sophomore slump of writing your second book — heck, someone even referred to it as the sophomore slump! I started worrying that the book was crap, that I hadn’t done enough planning, and that I should just give it up for now. But, if you never start writing, you won’t finish, and I finally convinced myself that now is just a good a time as any.

So, I’m still plugging away at the new vampire novel, and if you want to see my progress, go to my home page and look at the word count at the very top of the page.

As soon as I hit my 50,000 words, I’m going to work on the next podcast, the promised interview with Dan and Michelle from Out of the Coffin, and go into more details on the contest I’m running.

Morven

Reading and Signing at Bay State Paranormal

Saturday, November 08, 2008
Bay State Paranormal Center
20 Broadway, Taunton, MA 02780

At 3:15 pm, I'll give a short talk and a brief reading from my current book, The Old Power Returns, and tell you a little bit about the third book, which I'm working on now. For more info, see www.paranormal-events.info or www.myspace.com/mugshotlizzie

After that, I climb back into my hole, trying to write 1,667 words a day for NaNoWriMo 2008.

Happy November!

NaNoWriMo -- First day results

1,706 words this morning! Yay! I'm going to try to get ahead of the game this weekend, but I've also got to take down the Halloween decorations and put them away.

Still, I'm happy with my first-day start.

Happy NaNoWriMo!

Morven

Happy Halloween

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe Halloween and, if you celebrate it, a blessed Samhain.

I've just posted another podcast episode of Vampires, Witches, and Geeks. That's going to be it for a few weeks because starting tomorrow, I'm participating in NaNoWriMo, where I'll be pushing to get a 50,000-word draft of my next novel in just one month. Yup. One month. That's 1,667 words a day.

Wish me luck!

Morven

Remember: October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In the United States, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can find out more information at http://nbcam.org/

If you'd like to fund a free mammogram for someone in need, visit this site and click the button for free mammograms:

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com