Witches New Year is here!! It’s raining. I hope that doesn’t daunt the trick or treaters.
I am so excited, but unfortunately I had to take my cat to the vet. It turns out she has lost a ton of weight and she now has hyperthyroidism and high blood pressure. Thankfully, she will be treated for it. I hope the medicine helps her.
I have been very busy preparing for Samhain. I just love this time of year. I am not celebrating the ancestral supper at my Mom’s. I am going somewhere else to perform it. I have to clean the kitchen, set the table and prepare the food. I cooked the pot roast ahead of time. I baked a loaf of pumpkin bread and Samhain soul cakes. I plan to bake chocolate cupcakes. I have halloween cupcake liners and decorations!
I’m going to buy a bottle of red wine to make mulled cider. I want the brandy to make another herbal tincture. I have a nice Samhain simmering potpourri potion and I made a nice Samhain anointing oil. Derrick will not be home to attend the ancestral supper. I can perform it alone, then he can reheat the meal afterwards. I really have my work cut out for me to clean. I look forward to it. I still have to carve the pumpkin, dress the table- (and clean, clean and clean), heat the food and set up candles etc.
I attended a Halloween party last night. I won a prize for Best Witch! The party was low key, but I still had fun. There was not a lot of people there. Tomorrow I am attending a public Samhain Ritual and the Witches Ball after the Rit. I can’t remember ever being this busy.
Samhain is the third of three harvest Sabbats. This is a good time to honor our ancestors and reflect on our blessings. I plan to enjoy the dark half of the year. Halifax is perfect for a foggy, misty afternoon. I have not visited a cemetery yet for October. I will visit the cemetery today. I love cemeteries.
Place photos of those who have gone before you, be that family, relatives or pets. Burn brown and black candles. Keep in mind: fire safety! Cook a lovely meal for your own ancestral supper. Light a candle and set it at your window. Carve pumpkins and as you carve, work in your intention. Arrange candles, acorns, gourds, dried waxed leaves, photos around your regular altar tools for a spooky Samhain altar. Put your heart and your intention into everything you do.
I am not certain if doing a grave rubbing is allowed. I want to, but I haven’t tried it. I just don’t want to get in any trouble. I advise checking to see if it is okay first. Most of all, have fun. Be safe and have fun. The spirits are celebrating Samhain right along with you. Invite them in and that keeps you in the good karma department. Don’t dowse your pumpkins in bleach. It makes curious squirrels sick. Don’t burn a ton of candles and wear long, flowing sleeves. That starts fires. Don’t leave candles unattended. Check the kids’ candy.
Do have and show respect for the dead. Don’t summon the dead in a cemetery at midnight tonight or any night. No, it is not cool. Leaving an offering of food or something like it at a crossroads or outside your apartment is fine. If you heed these warnings, know this: Burning the apartment down because of candles left ignored or the like, IS NOT COOL! Your landlord will evict you and hate you and NEVER GIVE YOU A GOOD REFERENCE LETTER! So have fun, have tons of fun, but please be smart about it.
Know how to use a fire extinguisher. Memorize its location. Learn how to use a fire blanket that puts out fires. Buy one and store it in your home.
Keep pets safe!
Merry Samhain, everyone!!
Let me know in the comments below what a wonderful and magickal Samhain you experienced!
October is flying by. Like it’s a witch’s broomstick racing against time. I have been so busy. I apologize for not posting more here. Now for the good news!
The book drive for the Edith Garland Dupré Library (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) was a smashing success! I am so proud to have participated in the book drive. I mailed them a copy of my novella The Cult of the Spider People. Jill Girardi from Kandisha Press had this to say about the book drive’s success:
“Hi Ladies! As you may have heard me going on about, the book drive we did for the Edith Garland Dupré Library (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) was a great success! Here are the first pics of the special Women in Horror book section created just for our books!
Libraries are one of the last strongholds for free speech in America, and every single one of you who contributed helped continue to uphold and fight for this right. Thanks to all of you who sent in books, offered to donate money, and helped in any way. Freedom to read and freedom to write! This is very important to everyone on the planet. We should all have the freedom to read what we choose.
Wicked Shadow Press has published my flash fiction story and many other stories by talented authors in a 3 volume anthology collection- Halloweenthology! This marks their third descent into the haunting heart of Halloween and they are proud to have come this far. I am proud to be pubished in those books!
Cover of Autumn Falls the anthology my story is in
Samhain is almost here! I have a pumpkin and I stocked up on candles and incense for the big day on October 31st! I plan to have an ancestral supper. I am also atending two Halloween parties and a public Rit. I can’t wait! It will all be so much fun.
Stock up on cider and root veggies. I love sipping cider and enjoying a hearty beef stew during the autumn season. Cider and apples are full of Vitamin C, which we need in flu and cold season and the stew warms our hearts. Hot cider is good, too. Carve pumpkins and bob for apples with your friends! Get candy for the trick or treaters and your favorite costume. Before you know it, it will be October 31 and you want to be ready for it, right? I do. I am sad that I do not live on Crown Drive anymore. I had bonfires in my backyard and no one noticed or cared. I miss having my own place. I can still have fun though. I plan to enjoy every single minute of Samhain. I hope you do too.
Collect autumn leaves, hold a bonfire, dress your altar for Samhain and have fun!
I had so much fabric left over from my halloween patchwork blanket project that I used the black fabric for an altar cloth. I just organized all my sewing patterns. It was a real mess to sort through. I had to iron all the pattern pieces (a mountain of them!). I sorted them with the pattern envelopes. I spread the envelopes over my floor. I sat on the floor and it took me a few hours to get it done, but I did. That is a good task to complete before the 31st. It’s good to start the Witches New Year on the right foot….
I know that my life was uprooted earlier this year. I moved from Crown Drive. I had a lot to deal with. However, everything has calmed down. Everything is sorted and all my belongings are all in my Mom’s basement and on the main floor. I did not want to move. I lost my garden. That was the hardest part. I faced a challenge and I learned a lot about myself. I hope that everything gets better. The one thing I did not want to face was thrown right at me, so to speak. I will miss my garden and the nature trail. I do not miss living there though. I don’t miss the ants and the mold. That place was one giant ant hill. I have to live with my Mom (ugh) because the rent is so expensive. That is a huge problem for most people everywhere. I don’t know when it will be affordable again.
I have to adjust to living with someone. My Mom is the ultimate conservative mundane person. I am enjoying Samhain somewhere else with someone who doesn’t get all hung up on that.
I watched an episode, Demon under the Stairs, from the Haunted Museum recently. As I did, I suddenly experienced the worst pain in my jaw. It might be coincidental but the timing sure is worthy of note. Like I am not kidding, it was the most painful thing I ever experienced next to the nightmarish experience I had at the dentist’s office. Needless to say, I am no longer visiting that dental office. I am buying a big chunk of selenite to protect me from anymore possible ‘attacks’. I mean you know, just in case.
I watched a video about demons on YouTube in the past. As I watched, I felt a big muscle spasm between the shoulder blades. That really hurt too. Maybe it was coincidental or maybe I need to up the ante of this pain I suffer when watching certain videos. For any of you who are reading this, I do have psychic protection posts I wrote in the past on this blog.
Energy is real and all around us. Energy makes everything happen. We are composed of electromagnetic energy. The Universe is energy. A leaf has an energy as does an orange. As I type, rain falls from a grey leaden sky. I keep pining for summer but winter is here. Sometimes I have seen so much ice and snow in my backyard it seems that summer would never return, but it does. I hate winter but I know it passes. The change of the seasons never ceases to amaze me. Everything is energy and nothing is finite.
I am inspired to sew a scary doll. She is not haunted but she will be hopefully if I take her places that are speculated to be haunted. The photo shows the layout of the pattern pieces. The body of the doll is white. The hair which will be mostly made up of black and some purple yarn, she will have buttons for eyes, and her dress is a black and white spider print fabric I stashed in the sewing cart. The sleeves are the same fabric as the dress. The stockings are a grey fabric with a black bat print and the boots are black. She will get a witch charm necklace, a broom and a witch hat. I think she will be so Goth and cute. I can’t wait to work on the doll! Then of course, she will need a name. No, I will not name her Morticia. There are a thousand dolls named Morticia. Claudia would suit her though. Maybe she will need fangs and a driving hunger for blood?
Ha! The entire doll – the body of the doll and the dress has to be sewn with a 1/4″ inch seam allowance. I had to find out how that is done. My needle plate shows a 3/8″ inch, 5/8″ inch and 7/8″ inch seam allowances. So the 1/4″ inch seam allowance is before 3/8″. You can now imagine that means a tiny, narrow seam allowance. Now I know where that is indicated because 1/4″ inches is 2/8″ inch. I have to see slowly and carefully. Wow. I will never be so precise as now. I made a doll in the past and I was never this careful. That’s because I am now using a pattern. To make it worse, the body of the doll and the clothing which will forever be a part of the doll is white. It will all show if I screw up. I will mark with tape where the mark is where I have to sew. Sewing slowly and keeping an eye on it will be the only way to get this done. This is not a rush job. I have never needed to sew in a 1/4″ inch before. Needles to say, I don’t look forward to it but it is not impossible. That’s why marking rulers and understanding math can come in handy- and patience!
I can’t wait to stuff the doll and sew the costume. But that comes after patiently sewing the doll and minding the seam allowance. Or it is all for naught. Too much work to go through for nothing. But anything worth doing is worth doing well. I will post photos as I go along. This will be a fun weekend project. I googled goth scary witch dolls. I am going for a scary cute goth look. The buttons I wanted to use might be too big for her face. I ordered black skull buttons online at Amazon. I don’t want to use regular buttons on the doll. I need a button at the collar and on her boots. Skull buttons will make her look edgy and with attitude.
If you want to make this doll, use the pattern by Kwik Sew 4390. That is the pattern I used. You have to have all the fabric at hand that you will need. The clothing is sewn to the doll’s body and is never intended to be separate from the doll. The body of most of the doll is white. The stockings and the booties (See legs of doll in the photo) are the clothing. The arms are white and the face and neck. The hair piece that gets sewn to the head of the doll has to be the haircolor and the yarn has to match. Since the yarn hair was black, I used black cotton for the hair front and hair back. Be sure to use matching thread. Sew the eyes on last or before you attach any other parts to the doll. I wanted to use big buttons for her eyes but the buttons were too big. Here are some photos I took on the progress of the doll:
When you sew the arms and legs, you cut out four pieces. The arms have to look right on the doll and are reversed of each other. One right arm and one left arm. The same goes with the legs. Our arms and legs face a certain way. It is no different with a doll.
When you sew the head to the body (front), keep a straight seam allowance. If you want to, you can use a pencil and mark a very light straight line from the notch marked on the forehead all the way down to the neck. The seamline of the head of the doll to the body must be straight. The notches and points have to meet. It is the same with the back of the doll. I stuffed the arms and legs tightly and packed the stuffing down firmly using a wooden dowel but not hard enough to tear fabric or seams. You have to get the details of the doll’s body right or otherwise don’t bother.
Leave the back of the doll open for turning and stuffing. Take your time with this. Take your time making the entire doll. This is an act of creation so go slowly. Sew the doll with love and it will show. I sewed the smile on and traced a light line on for the smile with pencil then stitched over the pencil marks. I sprinkled in mugwort and mandrake then stitched the back of the doll by hand. Once you have correctly and nicely sewn the body, you can progress with the clothing.
The right arm of the doll’s sleeve cap features spiders. The left arm of the sleeve cap features the webs (where the spiders hide!). I drew an eyebrow on her brow very carefully with a sharpie pen and I did the same with her lashes. The pocket fabric is upside down and the collar fabric is wrong side up but it somehow works. The pocket can still hold spells!!! For the hair braids, you sew the braids to the head where the darts are. You can use whatever color yarn you want, but have lots of it on hand. If you want, you can sew a weft of the yarn hair and then sew it on by hand. You have to sew the yarn on by hand, Mark with a water soluble marker where you want to sew on the yarn. I have included a video here to better demonstrate how to sew on the yarn. Before you sew anything, watch this excellent video!:
I highly suggest you sew on the yarn by hand. If you use a hot glue gun, you will regret it. It won’t have that seamless look. Hot glue makes a mess. Sewing with needle and thread spares you lots of agony. I made the doll a dress and tacked it on to her body the same I did with the collar. I sewed on a pocket to the dress before I sewed the dress together. I had to sew the dress by hand because for some frustrating reason the machine refused to sew this fabric together. The dress comes with a slip. I gathered the fabric together but I had more luck just cutting the fabric to truly fit her body and I pinned the slip to the doll. Make sure to use thread that is the same as the yarn and the head of the doll.
I made the doll!!!! I love her and she is just sooo cute! I was successful in sewing the slim seam allowance. I stuffed the arms and the legs then I sewed the back of the doll’s head to the body. I sewed the back of the doll to the front of the doll. If you want to make your own doll and are trying this, you can’t catch the seams of the arms and legs when doing this. Then I finally stuffed the doll. Tear the wool into little pieces then put the stuffing into the doll. Be sure to pack it in carefully. You also have to stuff the doll’s head firmly because you don’t want the doll’s head to be floppy. I recommend watching how the woman in the video sews the doll body if you are inspired to make a doll yourself. It is incredibly helpful. I love my doll Miranda Spiderella. She is cute and scary! A perfect combination.
I might hunt a little rocking chair for her for a nice place to sit. I am sure I will eventually find something. This will be fun and hard work. I will let you know how it turns out!!
After this project is complete, I want to sew myself a brown winter coat.
This post is a little different from the paranormal posts. I have been busy preparing for Yule. I thought I would share how you can create beautiful wreaths and decorations for Yule. I want to do a Scandinavian theme this year. I crafted gnomes, a wreath and herbal recipes for Yule. So grab a mug of warm cider, sit down and read all about it!!
Before we get started, I want to share the most awesome news!! I successfully graduated from the Introductory Herbal course today. I am happy. The course was quite detailed and I still feel a need to review all the notes, handouts, and what not. I shall continue on to the Intermediate course, which is more in depth than the Introductory.
GNOMES
I am beginning with the easiest craft first then I shall delve into the complicated projects. I bought faux fur and blue and red felt at the fabric store, wooden pieces and I gathered scissors a razor to cut the fur- never with scissors, a hot glue gun, and beads. To make the gnome, get the fur and turn it over so the underside shows up. You cut the fur with a razor because if you use scissors, then the fur will make a real mess. Cut the fur – which will represent a beard, so that it tapers to a point. You can add a moustache too if you want. Glue the fur to the wood piece, preferably round, and smooth it all out. Cut a square piece of felt and cut a triangle from that square. Form a cone from the triangle and with the back side of the gnome fur and wood showing, glue it down. Then fold the edges of the cone in and glue that down. Turn the gnome right side up and depending on what bead for a nose you prefer, glue the bead to the gnome between the felt hat and the fur. See the photo.
You can make a knot with string, glue the string to the top of the felt hat on the underside, and then you can hang your charming ornament to your tree. I made gnomes with red and blue felt. The gnome in the photo was a gift for my Mother. She adores the gnome I gifted her.
WREATHS
Wreaths are beautiful and festive decorations to enhance the warmth of your home. I hung my wreath indoors so I can appreciate its beauty. The wreath in the photo is the one I crafted this Yule. Here is how you can make yours. Dress warm and venture outdoors. This is a herbal wreath. It is best made from natural local greenery in your neighbourhood. If you can cut branches in your area, then feel free to do so. Obtain cedar, pine, spruce, juniper, holly, ivy and rosemary. Don’t forget citrus slices, pinecones, berries and acorns.
I bought a straw wreath when I should have bought a grapevine wreath. I had to rethink how I would attach everything. I came up with an idea. I listened to Blackmore’s Night, lit a candle and sipped hot cider. I laid everything out. I used scissors, a hot glue gun, ribbons, and rubber elastic bands,. I put down paper towel and a large clear plastic bag on my table then laid out the rosemary, cedar, pine and spruce, and juniper. I arranged the herbs into bundles – the spruce and pine, juniper, cedar and rosemary. Then I secured it all together with a rubber band, tied the bundle with silver ribbon to hide the rubber band, and then rested it on the wreath. Once I had it all the way I wanted it, I tied the bundles all interconnecting with each other to the wreath with wide brown paper ribbon. The brown ribbon almost concealed the silver ribbon. I hot glued an acorn and pinecones to the brown ribbon. I am dehydrating citrus slices now and I plan to add them to the wreath. tied the big bow on to the wreath and hung the wreath up!!! The bundles can be removed and released later on when I am done with the wreath. I foraged for the greenery on the trail! I am very pleased with the wreath! The wreath smells as beautiful as it appears.
Citrus Slices
To dry the orange slices, cut them very fine and be careful. Arrange them on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with very fine sugar. Dry them in the oven at 200 %F for 4 hours. Check on the slices periodically. Once they are done, let them cool. Fasten the fragrant slices to the wreath.
HERBAL REMEDIES AS GFITS
I have studied the herbal course for the last 4 months. I was stressed deciding what to gift my Mother this year for Yule. I searched lots of options until it hit me. I should put my herbal education to good use. I crafted herbal chapstick, one for her, and one for me, and herbal tea for her.
I hope she likes her gifts. I am putting together a care basket foe her. I plan to sew her a sleep eye mask soon too. Rather than explain here how the herbal chapstick is done, I am going to include the link so you can check it out on your own.
I hope this post inspires you to try your hand at crafting for Yule. ‘Tis the season of giving and festivities, so have fun. I wish you all a merry Yule.
I started writing seriously in high school after reading several of Stephen King’s novels; I got hooked on horror at the tender age of twelve when an aunt gave me a copy of Cujo. I’ve been reading Stephen King’s books ever since. Growing up during the 1980s, I noticed there weren’t very may women writing scary stories. Inspired, I set out to change that. Why should men have all the fun, writing frightfully good fiction? After all, women are highly attuned to emotions — clearly capable of delivering subtle scares, as well as visceral visions that linger long after the reader turns the final page.
Horror is such a primal emotion. Humans have always endured dread — it’s enmeshed in our subconscious — the very essence of our being. Countless stories have been told about what scares us; an innumerable amount await.
When I first submitted my stories for publication, I encountered lots of rejection. Uncertain if this was because I was a woman, or due to the fact I was new to the genre, I eschewed self-doubt and quickly progressed from form rejection letters to the inclusion of personal comments, which proved quite useful. Fears unfounded. As the submission process evolved from via snail mail — don’t forget to include a SASE — to email, and ultimately Submittable, I grew bolder, grateful for Editors’ comments and fresh perspective, which enabled me to grow as a writer and submit my work to another market, where it was usually accepted.
After several stories found homes in various magazines, I challenged myself to send stories to anthologies and have been published in several. Such an honor when Editor Billie Sue Mosiman invited me to submit a story to Fright Mare, an all-female author anthology published in 2016, that featured stories by: Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Elizabeth Massie, Kathryn Ptacek, Loren Rhoads, Lucy Taylor, just to name a few. Twenty authors in all. It’s a fantastic compilation that demonstrates that women can write frightfully-good fiction!
As a female horror author, several male authors have asked how I manage to write men so well. They’re curious about my process for capturing different nuances and mannerisms. My answer is shockingly simple: I write from experience — the men in my life, past and present provide ample inspiration for my characters. Over the years, I’ve based male characters in my novellas and stories on co-workers, ex-boyfriends, or family. No man that crosses my path is safe from scrutiny.
Whether it’s his piercing blue eyes, the scuff of his beard when he kisses me, or the quiet desperation of a homeless man camped out on the sidewalk in front of his cardboard condo, rattling— clink, clink, clink — a dark, blue paper cup full of grimy change and crumpled dollar bills that says, IT’S OUR PLEASURE TO SERVE YOU in wavy, white letters that rise like steam, I’m always focused on minute details. A casual passerby that interests me starts out as a character sketch in a little, red notebook I carry with me everywhere, and if he’s interesting enough, I’ll flesh him out and work him into my latest novella or story.
I’ve been a published horror author for over twenty-five years, and while I’ve had my fair share of successes, there have been a few daunting experiences, too. I despise the misconception that only men can write effective horror. During the mid-1990s, when I started to attend conventions, I was one of a handful female horror authors there, part of a vast minority. We women banded together, seeking camaraderie.
When I first started out, I felt a bit intimidated by all of the male horror authors gathered together. I had male horror authors come up to me and ask, “Who are you here with? Where’s your boyfriend?” I would muster up some courage and say, “I’m here promoting my work. Come check out my reading at 3:00 p.m.” And some of those guys would show up and admit afterward that I’d managed to scare them.
The horror genre is a bit of a boy’s club, no doubt about it. The odds are stacked against female authors, but creative, ambitious women will always find a way to run with the boys. Besides me, over five hundred successful horror authors come to mind: Megan Abbott, Maria Abrams, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Linda Addison, Erin Al-Mehairi, Ania Ahlborn, Christy Aldridge, Viotlet Allen, C.S. Alleyne, Scarlett R. Algee, Scarlett Amaris, Gemma Amor, Meghan Arcuri, Kristen Arnett Margaret Atwood, Carmen Baca, Eugen Bacon, Suzanne Baginskie, Patty Barrué, Meghan Ball, Zuzanne Belec, Nico Bell, Jennifer Bernardini, Carina Marie Bissett, T.L. Bodine, Ava Black, Joanna Ho Bradshaw, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Theresa Braun, Jennifer Brody, N.M. Brown, Tiffany Michelle Brown, Jennifer Brozek, Nadia Bulkin, Liz Butcher, Chesya Burke, R.A. Busby, P. D. Cacek, Shelly Campbell, Somer Canon, Tracy Carbone, Ann Dávila Cardinal, Christa Carmen, Elsa Carruthers, Clare Castleberry, V. Castro, Catherine Cavendish, Autumn Christian, Zen Cho, Jennifer Preston Chushcoff, Kristin Cleaveland, Donyae Coles, Jen Conley, S.H. Cooper, Tracy Cross, Jennifer Crow, Elizabeth Crowens, Nicole Cushing, Nina D’Arcangela, M. Lopes da Silva, Victoria Dalpe, Chelsea Davis, Randee Dawn, Sandy DeLuca, Kristi DeMeester, A.K. Dennis, Shawnna Deresch, Amanda Desiree, M.M. De Voe, Theresa Derwin, Ellie Douglas, Tananarive Due, H.B. Diaz, Denise Dumars, Sarah Duck-Mayr, Megan Jauregui Eccles, Inna Effress, Tori Eldridge, Meg Elison, Stephanie Ellis, Kelly Evans, Destiny Eve, Tracy Fahey, Gabrielle Faust, Alyson Faye, Epiphany Farrell, Kelly Florence, Geneve Flynn, Gillian Flynn, Dona Fox, Sara Gran, Graylin Fox, Lara Frater, Fran Friel, Laura Frost, Doungjai Gam, Holly Rae Garcia, Rhonda J. Garcia, Cate Gardner, Kristin Garth, Lisa Garvey, Fiona Maeve Geist, Christine M. Germain, Emma J. Gibbon, Megan Giddings, Jill Girardi, Sephera Giron, Larissa Glasser, Elana Gomel, Jewelle Gomez, Jennifer Anne Gordon, Courtney Gould, Misha Green, April Grey, K.C. Grifant, Taylor Grothe, D.M. Guay, Jessica Guess, Carol Gyzander, Meg Hafdahl, Polly Hall, Elizabeth Hand, Eve Harms, Rachel Harrison, Meghan Hart, Rachel Sadie Hartmann, Maria Haskins, Shannah Heath, Wendy Heard, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Nicole Henneman, Christina Henry, Karen Heuler, Laurel Hightower, Alicia Hilton, Rowan Hill, Jennifer Hillier, Nancy Holder, Kat Howard, Claire C. Holland, Emily Hughes, D.K. Hundt, June Hur, Tonya Hurley, Natalie Ironside, Vanessa Jae, Ruthann Jagge, Serena Jayne, Kenzie Jennings, Miranda Jewess, Heddy Johannesen, Carole Johnstone, B.F. Jones, Lisa Jones, Rhonda Jackson Joseph, Mona Kabbani, Magda Kaluzynska, Jo Kaplan, Alma Katsu, Laura Keating, Erinn Kemper, Caroline Kepnes, Cassandra Khaw, Nancy Kilpatrick, Gwendolyn Kiste, E.V. Knight, Gini Koch, K.H. Koehler, Kathe Koja, Samantha Kolesnik, Stevie Kopas, Jean Hanff Korelitz, Barbara Krasnoff, Naomi Kritzer, Monica Kuebler, Debbie Kuhn, K.P. Kulski, Laura Kurtz, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Carrie Laben, Red Lagoe, N.R. Lambert, Angela LaManna, Charie D. LaMarr, Jess Landry, Michelle Lane, Sarah Langan, Marie Lanza, Tara Laskowski, Estelle Laure, Shannon Lawrence, Deborah LeBlanc, Heather Levy, Beverley Lee, Ginger Lee, Lindsay Lerman, Susanne Leist, Tonya Liburd, Patricia Lillie, Livia Llewellyn, Lori Lopez, Erin Louis, Lynn Love, Leslie Lutz, Donna Lynch, Sian MacArthur, Carmen Maria Machado, L.L. Madrid, Katie Manning, Caitlin Marceau, Chris Marrs, Gretchen Felker-Martin, Rena Mason, Laura Mauro, Catherine McCarthy, J.A.W. McCarthy, Angel Leigh McCoy, Kathryn E. McGee, Seanan McGuire, Jessica McHugh, Mandy McHugh, Claire McKenna, Angel McCoy, Jennifer McMahon, Lauren McMenemy, Gale Meadows, Maryse Meijer, Claudette Melanson, Melissa Mendelson, Helen Merrick, Toni Miller, Renee Miller, S.P. Miskowski, Villimey Mist, Archita Mittra, Carole Ann Moleti, Hillary Monahan, J.H. Moncrieff, Sarah Moorhead, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Briana Morgan, Christine Morgan, Tiff Morris, Laura Morrison, Lisa Morton, J. Motoki, Cheryl Mullenax, Amy-Jean Muller, Allison Mulvihill, Iseult Murphy, Ksenia Murray, Lee Murray, Mae Murray, Ilana C. Myer, Natasha Nafrini, Fergal F. Nally, Victoria Nations, Annie Neugebauer, Mari Ness, T.J. Newman, Heidi Nickerson, Thana Niveau, Christi Nogle, Columbkill Noonan, Rachel Nussbaum, Joyce Carol Oates, Ihuoma Ofordire, Nnedi Okorafor, Nuzo Onoh, Mallory O’Meara, Cindy O’Quinn, Marie O’Regan, Kelli Owen, Kathy Palm, Adele Park, Ash Parsons, Joanna Parypinski, Alison Peirse, Cynthia (Cina) Pelayo, Mocha Pennington, Jessica Peter, Kate Reed Petty, Lydia Peever, Sarah Pinborough, Sarah Pinsker, Janine Pipe, Hailey Piper, Charlotte Platt, Molly Pohlig, Dea Poirier, Cherie Priest, Lydia Prime, Lisa Quigley, Monique Quintana, Stephanie Rabig, Mary Rajotte, Gina Ranalli, Tonia Ransom, Tina Rath, Sarah Read, Paula R. C. Readman, Dixon Reuel, Kelly Robinson, Zin E. Rocklyn, Marsheila Rockwell, Betty Rocksteady, Eva Roslin, Eden Royce, Sian Rosé, Diana Rowland, Karen Runge, Erica Ruppert, Lindy Ryan, Sumiko Saulson, Veronica Schanoes, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Cat Scully, Barrington Smith-Seetachitt, Ali Seay, Lora Senf, Priya Sharma, Deborah Sheldon, Natashia Sinclar, Jennifer Soucy, Yolanda Sfetsos, Katherine Silva, Hildy Silverman, Marge Simon, Natasha Sinclair, Angela Slatter, Zhanna Slor, Angela Yuriko Smith, Farah Rose Smith, Christina Sng, J. Snow, Lucy A. Snyder, Monique Snyman, Jennifer Soucy, Jessica L. Sparrow, Zoje Stage, Caitlin Starling, Jessica Stevens, Jan Stinchcomb, Roni Stinger, J.A. Sullivan, Madeleine Swann, Morgan Sylvia, Angela Sylvaine, Mitzi Szereto, Anna Taborska, Denise N. Tapscott, Sonora Taylor, Sara Tantlinger, Cassandra L. Thompson, Brenda S. Tolian, Gaby Triana, Dani Trussoni, Ash Tudor, Elle Turpitt, Mary Turzillo, Tlotlo Tsamaase, Lisa Tuttle, Cameron Ulam, Gina Urso, Genevieve Valentine, Emily Verona, L.C. von Hessen, Roxie Voorhees, Damien Angelica Walters, Wendy N. Wagner, Holly Walrarth, Colleen Wanglund, Holly Lyn Walrath, Antonia Rachel Ward, Catriona Ward, Kyla Lee Ward, Kaaron Warren, Erica Waters, Vera West, Kimberly White, Sheri White, Tara Stillions Whitehead, Marie Whittaker, Hannah Whitten, Leslie Wibberley, Monica Wilcox, Fran Wilde, Emma-Claire Wilson, Mehitobel Wilson, Nicole Willson, Cassondra Windwalker, A.C. Wise, Kimberly White, Christa Wojciechowski, Nicole Wolverton, L. Marie Wood, T.L. Wood, Alex Woodroe, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Lou Yardley, Mercedes M. Yardley, Pauline Yates, Joy Yehle, and Jessica Ann York.
I’ve gotten to know many of these lovely ladies at various conventions and also on Twitter. I’ve noticed that we have several personality traits in common: We’re all extremely ambitious and self-assured — we’re not afraid to speak our minds — we’re also very outgoing and savvy.
At StokerCon™, in historic Providence, Rhode Island, I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel comprised solely of female horror authors. In addition to myself, panelists included Meghan Arcuri, Mary Ann Back, April Grey, andElizabeth Massie. We packed the room and had a lively discussion about the trials and tribulations of not only how we survive in the male-dominated horror genre, but how we manage to thrive! Our legions are growing — we know no bounds…”
I am so proud to be a part of this!!
Come on girls, sharpen your pencils and voodoo quills. You’ve got work to do!
“Gothic horror and cosmic dread from the ghostly shores of Halifax.”
Heddy Johannesen
Conjuror of Gothic Horror
Welcome to My Monsters.
I've always been drawn to the shadows, where the monsters live and their stories hunger to be told.
I write about ghosts, monsters, witches, and outsiders, exploring the darker places where fear, mystery, grief, and the supernatural collide.
Welcome to The Paranormal Quill
Gothic Horror. Dark Folklore. Cosmic Indifference.
Step across the threshold.
I am Heddy Johannesen—conjurer of gothic horrors, paranormal nonfiction writer, and dedicated student of herbalism. From the ghostly shores of Halifax, Nova Scotia, I pull back the veil on creepy alternate dimensions and secrets that refuse to stay buried
Pull up a chair, light a candle, and explore the shadows with me. Just mind the spiderwebs.
