There really is nothing like a convention to really get the creative juices flowing. Especially Scares That Care AuthorCon. So many creatives under one roof. So many books in one place. It’s an incredible thing to behold. So many good conversations. So much raw inspiration. It’s the kick in the ass I need from time to time when I fall into a sort of slump, held captive by my own brain trying to trick me and mess with my perception of this whole writing thing.
But more on AuthorCon III later in the newsletter.
Welcome to Confusions, Delusions, and Formidable Impressions!
News
This Damned House II is now available! The ARC reviews have a been great so far. I sincerely hope people give this one a shot. You don’t have to have read the first one to enjoy this one. They both follow the same structure of four novelettes in each unit of a fourplex apartment with a wraparound story that sort of ties it all together. There will be a third instalment next year, as well as an additional book set in this universe. The publisher hasn’t announced that project yet, but it will be a fun one.
"My Guitar Gently Screams" - The instrument has a mind of its own and it wants your blood!
"The Picture of Gorian Drey" - What if the pictures on the walls started talking to you?
"This is Your Precious Moment" - Never trust the mischievous grin of a gleeful imp.
"Just as Alive as She Was When She Died" - The Neighbors don't know he's a murderer, but the dead never forget!
AuthorCon III
I had a great time at AuthrorCon III in Williamsburg, Virginia. Got to chat with old friends and make new friends. I met new readers and was excited to see familiar faces come up to my table from last year. I'm always awed when people know who I am. Seriously. I feel like a nobody in the horror field, so that really makes a difference. It feeds my ego. And who doesn't like their ego fed from time to time?
But above all that, Scares That Care raises money for people in need. The opening ceremony is always a tearjerker. Knowing the money raised is actually going to individuals in need is amazing and I'm grateful to be even just a tiny part of that.
I'm not going to mention names, because I'll forget too many people and feel like an ass, with the exception of my table-mate Carter Johnson. It was awesome to have someone to talk to when things got slow. Turns out we have a lot in common, so chatting with him was like talking to an old friend. Thanks for sharing your table with me, Carter!
I look forward to the event next year!
I have a bad habit of not taking photos at events, so here are a few I snagged from other sources.
Recent Reads from Hell
I just finished reading Hindsight by Ronald Kelly, and boy was this a good read. I have never read anything from Ron that I didn’t like, and Hindsight was no exception. Even more impressive is that this was his first published novel. Sometimes authors put out a book or two before they really find their stride, but that isn’t the case here. This book was well written, well plotted, and enjoyable from beginning to end. Ol’ Ron even pulled at my heartstrings a bit and managed to get a tear or two out of me. Been a while since I read something that hit me like that. This is quiet horror at its best. A slow burn coming of age tale. A period piece. A slice of Americana. I highly recommend it.
I’m currently reading The House That Jack Built by Graham Masterton, an ARC for a blurb that is so damn good I can’t wait for you all to read it, and a book of biker stories.