My horror-loving friends, it is time 👻 Please join me in playing my annual #31DaysofHorror bingo! This game is one of my favorite things on the internet all year. And let’s face it, it’s hard to find stuff to love on the internet lately.
Simple rules:
Each day in October watch a horror movie.
For each horror movie, mark a tombstone on the bingo board.
Post your progress and challenge others.
Tag me to be entered to win.
1 movie a day, 1 tombstone per movie.
First to blackout “wins”. While there is no official winning (and the rules are more like guidelines), this year, I will raffle off a RED WALLS gift box for everyone who plays. Make sure to tag me so I see it and can enter you in!
Here comes spooky season! 👻 And it may be the only life raft I have from debilitating depression right now.
Summer sprinted to an end, landing us in September. For me, spooky season starts with Colorado Festival of Horror (CoFoH). Horror may be year-round for me, but the CoFoH weekend of horror movies, celebrities, and art sets the tone for the impending October and Halloween surge.
This year’s festival was BUSY for me. My schedule was stacked. I volunteered all three days, was on four panels, and had a signing block in the dealer’s room. But I still managed to find time for the costume contest, karaoke, a screening, and a couple of other panels.
This year’s theme was monsters, and the big draw was the colonial marines from Aliens. When I was volunteering, I worked at Michael Beihn’s table. Though, honestly, my husband did all the work, and I made appearances briefly to snap pictures for the fans.
Running around to panels kept me pretty engaged.
Enter the HeTerrorTopia (part I and II): What is a heterotopia? you ask. I asked the same thing preparing for these panels! In part one, we explained the concept of a heterotopia (in very short: a world within a world) and provided examples in the horror genre. I chose Stephen King because he may very well be the king of heterotopias. Then, in part two, we used the concept to create our own heterotopia as an interactive group. We ended up selecting a quarantine wing of a hospital during pandemic. The session ended up drifting into group therapy and trauma dumping about COVID, but clearly, we all needed it. I was thrilled that people got the concept (faster than I did) and to see so much participation in the workshop.
Feminism in Horror: From femme fatales to final girls, this panel covered the good, the bad, and the future of feminism in horror. We discussed how feminism means more than female representation and concentrated on creating authentic, nuanced characters of every representation. As an author constantly labeled as “pink horror” or “girl horror”, it’s nice to talk about what that really means.
Monster Mash: This panel started by defining what a monster is in horror then examining what makes a compelling monster. However, after 10pm on day two of the con, things rapidly descended in the best way. We ended up playing rounds of Monster Smash or Pass to uproarious laughter. This was probably the most fun I’ve had on any panel. Obviously, we need a full, focused Monster Smash or Pass panel next year.
The largest development for me, as an author, was having a signing at The Slab table in the Death Dealer’s Room. After Stephen Graham Jones, no less. It was thrilling to see my name all over the program and promo material.
While I brought multiple books, my focus was obviously on the latest: Red Walls. And Red Walls SOLD. This weekend was probably the most successful I’ve seen for book sales. Between my signing table and the Horror Writers Association booth, I sold half my last order of copies!
Everyone says it’s the cover, and I can’t argue with them. I’m trying to figure out how to turn it into my next tattoo.
So, the weekend was very successful for me as an author and very fun and fulfilling as a horror fan. It has me excited for Telluride Horror Show next month and Creepaway Camp next summer. I will take all the distraction I can get!
I extroverted HARD last weekend, put myself out there (literally) at events across Colorado. Between dance performances and book events, there was no shortage of artistic expression for me.
I started with the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo. I have performed at the fair with a dance collective for a few years now, usually with my duet partner. Unfortunately, my partner is recovering from surgery, so it was a solo endeavor this year.
Despite later internet backlash (don’t get me started), the show itself was a delight. My children so rarely get to see my perform (as they are not old enough for bars and clubs), and since they both helped me with my KPOP Demon Hunters dance, I was thrilled for them to see it onstage.
Then, I hit an author milestone: a Barnes & Noble book signing. Red Walls is the second of my books to be carried by Barnes & Noble, but Followers came out on the heels of the pandemic, so I never did in-person events for it.
I know Barnes & Noble is one of many book retailers out there. Yet, somehow, it felt validating, like a rite of passage in my author journey. Traffic was relatively light while my table was up, and I don’t know that I found my target audience in Boulder, but I talked to people and sold a few copies. So I call it a success!
On the heels of the signing, I sprinted back from Boulder to Colorado Springs to perform again in the annual Inappropriate Recital. My children helped with my makeup so I could present “My Idol” once again.
I explained my love of KPOP Demon Hunters in my last post. Finding a metal version of my (maybe) favorite song on the soundtrack then collaborating with my children on look and choreography made it all the more fun.
I also got to perform with a new troupe in a fusion of styles, neither of which I am very fluent with. So it presented a fun challenge.
Every time I take a break from the stage or deprioritize performing, I miss it. I guess I can’t quit it.
But whew, that was a lot of putting myself out there (and driving) in a 48 hour period. I go through a rollercoaster of emotions with these sorts of activities. The excitement and anxiety of preparation, the thrill of connection and expression (and positive reception), the drop of the thing finally being over. Call it exercise for the upcoming Colorado Festival of Horror weekend!
I have a stacked schedule of panels and signing and volunteering at CoFoH this year, so I better get my stamina up. This autumn was scheduled by a very optimistic, motivated, and employed past me. I’m hoping to skid into the end of the year still sane and intact.
Until then, enjoy a compilation of my performances of “My Idol”:
Fiery Pen 