It’s that eerie time of year again. I bet you are all working hard at work yet working just as hard to be ready in time for Samhain. I hope you can take some out of your day to enjoy these blog posts. The Horror Writers Association hosts an annual blog event of which I”m participating in. The members of the organization all contribute their blog posts about their own experiences at Halloween. I find them fascinating to read and I hope you do too.
I will include the links here for your reading enjoyment. !! Have fun. My post is scheduled for October 11th.
This is plenty of scary yet heartwarming reading for your perusal!!!! I shall post more on this as the month passes. I hope you take some time to read this. It will inspire you to get in the mood for everyone’s favourite time of year.
I made apple chutney last night. Mmmm. I’m continuing in my awesome herbalism course. I received my mystery box of witchy items from Etsy. In the box was a divination cloth to use with pendulum, a lovely tarot card (Truth), a small BOS, a beautiful pendulum, a pentacle, bay leaves, palo santo incense cones, a tiny bell, loose herbs, an essential oil bottle – tiny, a red tealight candle, rose quartz, red jasper, a leaf sticker, a sunstone, and a smudge feather. Beautiful and in time for Samhain!!
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!
The Horror Writers Association is hosting its annual blog event, Halloween Haunts this year!! So far the blog post entries have been scarily good to read. I am participating in the blog event. My post will be up on October 11th. I can’t wait! I enjoy being involved in this event!! It is great to read what other like minded horror authors have to say about Halloween! Here is the link: http://horror.org/2020/10/halloween-haunts-barbasol-and-terror/
The leaves are turning, the wind is chillier, and pumpkins grace our decks and yards. It’s that magical time of year! I found two awesome magazines about Witches that I can’t wait to read. The first one is called Witches- Inside their Mysterious World. The magazine features a Witch walking through the woods with her back to the camera. Centennial Entertainment produced the magazine. The second magazine is about Witches too and it was produced by National Geographic. I can’t wait to read them!
I made a corn doll to represent my gratitude for all the blessings I have received over the year. I’ll tell you how I made the doll so you can make your own.
Gather together two skewers, Kleenex, rubber bands, a hot glue gun and glue sticks, corn cob husks (dried but not stiff), fabric for the dress, and yarn for the hair. If you want, you can watch a tutorial on youtube on how to make a basic corn doll. Here is how I made mine:
I glued two skewers together to form a T – for the body. I trimmed the skewer I laid across the first skewer. The horizontal skewer formed the arms. The vertical skewer formed the body of the doll. If glue doesn’t hold it together, use duct tape. Then, I used quilt batting to form the head and laid a Kleenex over the batting. I secured the Kleenex over the batting using a rubber band. I pushed that down the skewer till it reached the skewer laying cross ways. Then I layered on the corn husks which I first soaked in warm water. I used a hot glue gun and rubber bands to form the body of the doll. You can also try this cool trick for the hands of the doll. Twist a corn husk in itself then lay it over the doll cross ways. Tie it there with string or a rubber band. Then turn the husk over itself. This should give the look of those lovely billowing puffy sleeves. I trimmed the excess.
Once you have created the doll to your satisfaction and everything is lying securely, it is time to embellish the doll. I fashioned a witch hat for her. I also had a stash of orange yarn which I used to make her hair. I hot glued the yarn to her whole head to avoid any ‘bald’ spots then glued the witch hat on to her head. It looks so cool! I trimmed the long ends of her hair to keep it even. I bound her in a black tube dress. I stitched on black lace at the collar and pulled her body through. Then I stitched the sides of the tube dress and even stitched on an apron. Her husk arms show but I plan to embellish her hands and add a dress soon. This is my corn doll in the photo below:
I hope you like her as much as I do. It was a lot of work to create the doll. She is quite charming. I have yet to name her.
I announce with some sadness that the president of the HWA, or the Horror Writers Association, has passed. He seems to be missed by many and remembered well. I never knew him but since this blog is about the paranormal and I am a member of the Horror Writers Association, it deserves mentioning here. Last night, I read the entirety of the Horror Writers Association newsletter which focused mostly on Rocky Wood. It is understandable. He made great stride in helping this genre remain afloat alongside the more common genres of fiction. We owe him a lot.
Please do not steal or copy from this blog. If you do, be prepared to be stomped on by the Fates and karma for your bad character. I can be reached at :
heddyjohannesen @ gmail.com
