tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86430100035772467102024-02-18T22:42:45.275-08:00Rena Mason WritesRena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-30592489748433002662014-08-14T09:23:00.001-07:002014-08-14T09:23:12.220-07:00Eli Roth's The Crypt Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.fearthecrypt.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5eXhy3RS-Fe0ST9UEOs3eYH8P0gRcEtzOr5MW544iA7lih9KS3qgXHGfClxFg80-0rqmUUNQEWoOAuSXHDcbfTeovMXOzbJAlksvtRpQ_VLxCLI9ii58DTrOgfn-06yhlCeLqO_hURtI/s1600/the+crypt.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
Yesterday, I had an interview posted on <a href="http://mfwahl.com/thecrypt/" target="_blank">Eli Roth's The Crypt</a> iPhone app (an Android version is in the works.) It's an interesting concept of "Horror on the go" and really caters specifically to the phone market. Clicking the link to the left will take you to where you can download the FREE app on your iPhone to see the whole interview and comments.<br />
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For the<a href="http://mfwahl.com/thecrypt/" target="_blank"> interview</a> I was asked to do a quick introduction video. I hate those. I'm always nervous and end up coming off a bit goofy or robotic. (And the bit of video clip I did for this had to be re-taken no less than seven times.)<br />
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Because I don't have an iPhone, I kept checking a friend's phone for the comments, which I thought were great by the way, and I really appreciated that horror fans took an interest.<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1467304/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3h2p4zgLhQiAVfbyCFjtvdUG3cJ1RViibH3ay1xoqHv-AbkNBzCIjoAm5j25HF6doPywUeYHoueJ9aeCWKCt6GbNISq3n-RkYEe8CYo5SIsY6wy4aJXn47pDoT3dEpD3bEw0icEkwPpA/s1600/human+centipede.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a>I enjoyed the interview questions, they weren't the usual ones I get for most writer interviews. My favorite one was "What's up next on your Netflix queue."<br />
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One of the comments that garnered some attention was a question about gore. In it I wrote that there's only one thing I've ever read that's made me slightly nauseated and that I would tell what it was in my next blog post. Drum roll music, please...<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Resurrectionist-Wrath-James-White/dp/0843963123" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiS7KdzPjtkURgZaLETJrLDqMtyz9RlV0uTpy66WGvKz5sF7DJlcWybnWSLz0gGpD76Kj7Gf56NffaGiO1jCC6ezAbut1OpmhUiQhclzs8JaiCuYFEUSc9W1NjcVDE5sHA_-uym3QcoVDO/s1600/Resurrectionist.jpg" height="200" width="123" /></a><i>The Resurrectionist</i> by Wrath James White. If you've never read it, I enjoyed it, and be warned, it's pretty graphic. The scene that did me in is when <i>the killer</i> "gets into it" with the lead male detective in the story. The reason I think in part, is that the only surgeries that got a little under my skin to see were <a href="http://www.klsmartin.com/application-fields/craniomaxillofacial-surgery/?L=2" target="_blank">cranio and/or oral maxillofacial</a> ones. That's all I'll say. If you click on the book cover you can purchase a copy to read the scene for yourself and decide. In my opinion, Mr. White took a common vulgar phrase and made it "real" in a way that I never imagined. When I asked him about it, he told me that he had consulted a physician in "that particular field" on whether or not his idea was possible. So there you have it! - If you want it to read, sound, look real and be believable - ask a professional.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBakUhhyphenhyphenErNVWF1JeQ5dOMokEFcFoYb-XutX7PXIVVu2Rvthl54muJSCYugYO9yNcEexllxDD3cyDqpAa9WtIE9X_nDK9ewfkipetZWUlvRhbulKmU9YoPF6rcwsXIxXKcVOk7NmiGF8la/s1600/Shadows+Over+Main+Street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBakUhhyphenhyphenErNVWF1JeQ5dOMokEFcFoYb-XutX7PXIVVu2Rvthl54muJSCYugYO9yNcEexllxDD3cyDqpAa9WtIE9X_nDK9ewfkipetZWUlvRhbulKmU9YoPF6rcwsXIxXKcVOk7NmiGF8la/s1600/Shadows+Over+Main+Street.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a>Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post. Here are two upcoming anthologies I have short stories in with some beautiful covers that didn't get posted in the interview yesterday. Both are due out this fall. Click the covers to find out more. And stay tuned!<br />
<a href="http://www.mainstreetshadows.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://blog.nettirw.com/2014/08/02/qualia-nous/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcB-iTn8CyR6znND71cd1NeCm6NUnwT_aAwNtBWgSZ8NoxIe2dqhjwJvW-4Ha3le71iHLURBH1Xx_gsRwxe77Y66ONVp3TE8vagC2zEHgBvU1ckIlfop1LcNiTuDB2426sPNwdtL93uing/s1600/qn_names.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></a>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBakUhhyphenhyphenErNVWF1JeQ5dOMokEFcFoYb-XutX7PXIVVu2Rvthl54muJSCYugYO9yNcEexllxDD3cyDqpAa9WtIE9X_nDK9ewfkipetZWUlvRhbulKmU9YoPF6rcwsXIxXKcVOk7NmiGF8la/s1600/Shadows+Over+Main+Street.jpg" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBakUhhyphenhyphenErNVWF1JeQ5dOMokEFcFoYb-XutX7PXIVVu2Rvthl54muJSCYugYO9yNcEexllxDD3cyDqpAa9WtIE9X_nDK9ewfkipetZWUlvRhbulKmU9YoPF6rcwsXIxXKcVOk7NmiGF8la/s1600/Shadows+Over+Main+Street.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-obyUc7Nm-PA%2FU-zcRGtKxhI%2FAAAAAAAAA8w%2Fr5O43ygjfPo%2Fs1600%2FShadows%252BOver%252BMain%252BStreet.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBakUhhyphenhyphenErNVWF1JeQ5dOMokEFcFoYb-XutX7PXIVVu2Rvthl54muJSCYugYO9yNcEexllxDD3cyDqpAa9WtIE9X_nDK9ewfkipetZWUlvRhbulKmU9YoPF6rcwsXIxXKcVOk7NmiGF8la/s1600/Shadows+Over+Main+Street.jpg" -->Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-14136928440650394412014-05-17T21:46:00.002-07:002014-05-18T10:30:16.638-07:00World Horror Convention/The Bram Stoker Awards® 2014 - Portland, Oregon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_eMXcLIcPC_AsG0OOFMXKqnBCQwFOK3Ow72w-vL3Pi47sH1YJQr3xcEzs_4iOIas3aVJsEAF4og-fFhiZ9_hIpm6TDL3Z7nD2a-pUo3tBbvs_r-rbIYaaw_7x6OyhsixtvtAPXIh4sgS/s1600/20140507_193450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_eMXcLIcPC_AsG0OOFMXKqnBCQwFOK3Ow72w-vL3Pi47sH1YJQr3xcEzs_4iOIas3aVJsEAF4og-fFhiZ9_hIpm6TDL3Z7nD2a-pUo3tBbvs_r-rbIYaaw_7x6OyhsixtvtAPXIh4sgS/s1600/20140507_193450.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a>Once I got to Portland, or rather, the Doubletree Hotel on Multnomah and not the Hilton on Broadway, things began to look up. I won't get into the high-anxiety airport debacle that occurred before I left Las Vegas Wednesday, May 7th, but it did subconsciously set my mind in a negative direction. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUeZ-hitljMIa7qLJAwYZE83WqUttN4UEiI4CAGFue6aURbGPv6DYVSpnkpLoAlj9SthwgFgS0rmZVgUUDwhhQ7He-_hqb1a9Nm9H8gRndYkJch9xBhhCL1itjT5v8ePPFFtnspEECbzd/s1600/20140507_195342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUeZ-hitljMIa7qLJAwYZE83WqUttN4UEiI4CAGFue6aURbGPv6DYVSpnkpLoAlj9SthwgFgS0rmZVgUUDwhhQ7He-_hqb1a9Nm9H8gRndYkJch9xBhhCL1itjT5v8ePPFFtnspEECbzd/s1600/20140507_195342.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a>Good friends (Lisa Morton, Ricky Grove, Jeff Strand, Lynne Hansen, Chris Marrs, Gord Rollo, John Palisano, and new friends Greg Chapman, John Urbancik and Mike Wells) that were ready to go have a drink and the famous wings at <a href="http://www.pokpokpdx.com/" target="_blank">Pok Pok</a> were exactly what I needed when I first came through the hotel doors and checked in. I never even made it up to my room. Gave my bags to the bellhop, then left. Taking the late flight, suffering through the horrible "space invader" sitting next to me (partly <em>on</em> me during the plane ride), and rearranging the dinner reservations was all worth it just for those wings and the wonderful company. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGXwjB8FxTwl4FIk571yVfQB6RipbydBhMgLOlqY9_hW-FiZN0Nt3Sqb-zpDn8ZABIhBArpDN1Zyted5AUI0lISugLnDStT-jbvpanXbJcv-L2UV_Ht-3fXIr6XZjChs3FvORR_Z3ayNl/s1600/20140508_094338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGXwjB8FxTwl4FIk571yVfQB6RipbydBhMgLOlqY9_hW-FiZN0Nt3Sqb-zpDn8ZABIhBArpDN1Zyted5AUI0lISugLnDStT-jbvpanXbJcv-L2UV_Ht-3fXIr6XZjChs3FvORR_Z3ayNl/s1600/20140508_094338.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpPySJEhAuKWIsFzfb7sOHLL0tsJhzJpRm4RRBOgLTzUObfrukp_efXoRZpfKEDxcOepzAYVRRmCZWKfduhYxLXSX-sYv0ocj9fiJeLTcXHfZKbuxirUgWCWr71cdpavQ_96JiPH-F3AR/s1600/20140508_111634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpPySJEhAuKWIsFzfb7sOHLL0tsJhzJpRm4RRBOgLTzUObfrukp_efXoRZpfKEDxcOepzAYVRRmCZWKfduhYxLXSX-sYv0ocj9fiJeLTcXHfZKbuxirUgWCWr71cdpavQ_96JiPH-F3AR/s1600/20140508_111634.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a>I didn't sleep all that great and got to bed late because I had to unpack. Early the next morning, sounds of construction woke me up, along with the train, and when I pulled back the curtains about 30 construction workers were on the rooftop across the way. I quickly closed the curtains and finished getting dressed. Downstairs, we gathered for the train and headed to a place called Mother's Bistro. Fortunately for us, <a href="http://rgrove.com/" target="_blank">Ricky Grove</a> researches his vacation destinations and had a plan of attack. While we (Lisa Morton, Ricky Grove, Nancy Holder, Chris Marrs, Erinn Kemper, Gord Rollo) waited for a table I kept seeing waitstaff go by carrying trays with plates of biscuits and gravy. I thought that must be good so many people have ordered it, and that's what I got. It was fantastic. After that we were off to <a href="http://www.powells.com/locations/powells-city-of-books/" target="_blank">Powell's Bookstore</a>, which was enormous. Before that, the biggest bookstore I'd ever been in was <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tattered+Cover+Book+Store/@39.751621,-105.001072,2a,90y,90t/data=!3m5!1e2!3m3!1s-nQqskZ8BT0E%2FUxhUYJTYd9I%2FAAAAAAAK8u8%2FA9HXs5LY7Jo!2e4!3e12!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x47b07b28f139baae!6m1!1e1" target="_blank">The Tattered Cover</a> in Denver. At Powell's I bought a horror/mystery book suggested by my Canadian pals, <em>Headhunter</em> by Michael Slade and <em>On the Road</em> by Kerouac for my son who asked me for it. Oh, and an umbrella, which I never used after purchase, because the weather cleared up. Later that evening, I remember going to the Opening Ceremonies and not much else. I think I'd had my first martini to kick off the event. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxkgmcfnG6V3TDiUDqmhi9a84WoOAVza8VNXR65epZC0GdNscznPUOGopbfS0UEuLKPvq5Taqeig7E6ks0AFFioV-D6ESWITyyVM0AB_sTr54pkdusAfy9tcTLuslWaYirv6JVjXAgv36/s1600/20140508_163703_LLS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxkgmcfnG6V3TDiUDqmhi9a84WoOAVza8VNXR65epZC0GdNscznPUOGopbfS0UEuLKPvq5Taqeig7E6ks0AFFioV-D6ESWITyyVM0AB_sTr54pkdusAfy9tcTLuslWaYirv6JVjXAgv36/s1600/20140508_163703_LLS.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Z_YhexDpMFQWdHIJe3FcAydxy24NTO2sYGTDZFtCjQwb3pZ42cIt8XGbjQkQ1YPir3PG4q66fGk1PRsCdV07NbQvMiu4kWdq_yw5s5KcKFAwHk_33rFttBIWBfDU0ruUOvd8vGTL1JO5/s1600/20140509_223124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Z_YhexDpMFQWdHIJe3FcAydxy24NTO2sYGTDZFtCjQwb3pZ42cIt8XGbjQkQ1YPir3PG4q66fGk1PRsCdV07NbQvMiu4kWdq_yw5s5KcKFAwHk_33rFttBIWBfDU0ruUOvd8vGTL1JO5/s1600/20140509_223124.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a>Friday I had meetings scheduled (more like relaxed pitch/chat sessions at the bar). I thought they went well. I spoke to and met lots of great people and want to thank Chris Morey, Aaron Sterns, Cherry Weiner, and Susan Chang of TOR/YA for their time and insight. After the Mass Signing where I sold out of my Double Down books of <em>East End Girls </em>it was party time! Josh Malerman, a great guy, whose debut novel <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Box-Novel-Josh-Malerman/dp/0062259652" target="_blank">Bird Box</a></em> was just released had a nice little party going on, then it was the Deadite party for a bit, then off to the Absinthe party at the Crowne Plaza with Daniel Knaupf, Maddie Von Stark, and freak show performers. After a few sips of the Absinthe everyone became a freak show performer, and I'm quite certain I saw RJ Cavender lie on a bed of nails. I might have taken a photo if I hadn't been so shocked and melting at the same time. Then before calling it a night, we were told by some of the fellas, Brian Keene and Weston Ochse maybe, that we should go and get our pictures taken, and that they were FREE! So we did, and right as the guy was putting away his equipment, but he told us we could get them online. Definitely one of my favorite pictures of the event. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-e3Q9yX95NfPN39U8LcUpBAbH0T00pk73QoMP-bMrAVMJwr3S-xdPb9_8Xn6PwUDBT2RRoiVjp6kSDW2jxAyCyJpRVkvkHR264RBhu2aOmlel8QQ9IcfrVuBljS0FkYCWicEfIeVPguB/s1600/The+Girls!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-e3Q9yX95NfPN39U8LcUpBAbH0T00pk73QoMP-bMrAVMJwr3S-xdPb9_8Xn6PwUDBT2RRoiVjp6kSDW2jxAyCyJpRVkvkHR264RBhu2aOmlel8QQ9IcfrVuBljS0FkYCWicEfIeVPguB/s1600/The+Girls!.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyO0nfMFyZo2jfpJ6T_190AW9L1_jDIPR96jKvKDEH4w4ixPzDjvnF7p8mEWko21iTxbt7N9otoSRKvI-ZJPfABPRI_mgzBTVj6HApOfxgohm5YyznWMv04BUsZQB0QhRuR0jrDeFYWGyT/s1600/20140508_191024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyO0nfMFyZo2jfpJ6T_190AW9L1_jDIPR96jKvKDEH4w4ixPzDjvnF7p8mEWko21iTxbt7N9otoSRKvI-ZJPfABPRI_mgzBTVj6HApOfxgohm5YyznWMv04BUsZQB0QhRuR0jrDeFYWGyT/s1600/20140508_191024.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a>Another favorite is a picture that Gord Rollo and I had taken by the original painting Alan M. Clark did of our Double Down Book cover. Then we read a sign that said there were to be no photos taken. If caught, I would've just told them that Gord was Canadian. That seems to be a reasonable explanation for whenever something strange or illegal happens. Ha! And that's Derek Clendening's thumb in the picture, not one of the Security STAFF checking convention badges at the door taking the camera away.<br />
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I've noticed at these conventions, many late nights and some long, surreal moments during the day, are spent in conversations of <em>I really have no idea</em>. I have a lot of these conversations with Benjamin Kane Ethridge and John Palisano. I do remember talking James Chamber's ears off and he'll probably be dodging behind furniture to steer clear of me at the next convention in Atlanta 2015. I'm not sure if the mind-numbness is from exhaustion, alcohol, or the combination. It's still enjoyable, just not always memorable or maybe the better word is rememberable. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIQOIZ3OJwQ5WZ4scCD_tEZN_VYJB0t382PkXEGmKkfYzLJ_NXdpi7Ge5405_ftcPMX0-NpshV_oRWdr1v-zsiMVV5iX7BmYLugicMS_lXChazmKbRaY7164bGzU7gIR5K-Qt7uoZnpX4/s1600/20140510_101825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIQOIZ3OJwQ5WZ4scCD_tEZN_VYJB0t382PkXEGmKkfYzLJ_NXdpi7Ge5405_ftcPMX0-NpshV_oRWdr1v-zsiMVV5iX7BmYLugicMS_lXChazmKbRaY7164bGzU7gIR5K-Qt7uoZnpX4/s1600/20140510_101825.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a>Saturday, I worked the pitch sessions until 2pm. My schedule was a hot mess of horrible handwriting and scribbles by the end of the day, but Montilee Stormer, Brian Matthews, and I made it through, and I thought things ran well. I thank them for their help, organizational skills, and ability to stay on time. (Things I was lousy at.) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iv21gdB-p-ZtHdfQYONNi_5IFiNflKvkDOBuhyphenhyphen5yYUv7HV2xWxhKnjikolmdu97edqZB1kFx73wWL7FLtUYgNRFGjma_hdiEsEFnkFUJK7tjJGwi46LcNyehwXFtRgf1qcIuNUfMnfWG/s1600/Mindy+and+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iv21gdB-p-ZtHdfQYONNi_5IFiNflKvkDOBuhyphenhyphen5yYUv7HV2xWxhKnjikolmdu97edqZB1kFx73wWL7FLtUYgNRFGjma_hdiEsEFnkFUJK7tjJGwi46LcNyehwXFtRgf1qcIuNUfMnfWG/s1600/Mindy+and+me.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a>My friends Stacy and Mindy drove all the way from Sacramento to be there for me, and I thank them for that. Later that evening was the banquet. All weekend people asked me if I was nervous and I told them no. I really wasn't nervous about that. Because I was too nervous about having to go up on stage and read an acceptance speech for Norman Rubenstein who couldn't attend, to accept his Silver Hammer award. The thought of this had me amped up, doing it had my heart racing, and I was happy to get off the stage with only messing up one word. After the speech I was exhausted and had long before settled into the idea that I was happy just to be a finalist and to have made it that far, which is still quite an accomplishment and with <strong>two</strong> works nominated my first year of publication. Wow. That still stuns me. So, when it came to the Long Fiction category I was thrilled to hear my name read off from the list of others (which I noticed were all men except for me. Need to step it up, ladies.) And I clapped for Gary A. Braunbeck who won for "The Great Pity" a fantastic story. I felt the same way when the First Novel was being presented by JG Faherty and Lisa Mannetti. I was prepared to clap for the winner, so when they called my name it took a second to register.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcT7zTRvcnICkiprpMGzib9-jErZHVstVDywUXVB8hpHixSwC1HWWdlQMgzThvJMjnL-_k0vLKj8CZcxjMP78gjSWmApCskeqcleep4Y_JziFOzvXobYe3LuGzWAkblGwD2Qdt3wgqx8gQ/s1600/Stokers-1503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcT7zTRvcnICkiprpMGzib9-jErZHVstVDywUXVB8hpHixSwC1HWWdlQMgzThvJMjnL-_k0vLKj8CZcxjMP78gjSWmApCskeqcleep4Y_JziFOzvXobYe3LuGzWAkblGwD2Qdt3wgqx8gQ/s1600/Stokers-1503.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJwJfwhlHBKxv38AWvXG_O0eC1TmwHKMiLJqxxkmaq3X6N3_UpKl5wmMpK0uS-L5klPVFHVpULgNI0vlqjBrPldjPDC6Sa7_FwOpaTYf0aoAwoz9t5FZLMqHJgmeyJCAO25BxeVMJD1F9/s1600/Winning+a+Stoker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJwJfwhlHBKxv38AWvXG_O0eC1TmwHKMiLJqxxkmaq3X6N3_UpKl5wmMpK0uS-L5klPVFHVpULgNI0vlqjBrPldjPDC6Sa7_FwOpaTYf0aoAwoz9t5FZLMqHJgmeyJCAO25BxeVMJD1F9/s1600/Winning+a+Stoker.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4r10EYV6ph6vGnhjHY0ZM90mjMZPaI0KbpKb7GaJg6fN7NcJCY0-FFoVphdI4m49JIYL1EKH9J4aGrgxnGdTzCxpbm4QjKIxPLkiDqxhGu288rkQPZOARK2q5IXmp5VwHG7QPRTQW8Yy/s1600/Holding+a+Stoker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4r10EYV6ph6vGnhjHY0ZM90mjMZPaI0KbpKb7GaJg6fN7NcJCY0-FFoVphdI4m49JIYL1EKH9J4aGrgxnGdTzCxpbm4QjKIxPLkiDqxhGu288rkQPZOARK2q5IXmp5VwHG7QPRTQW8Yy/s1600/Holding+a+Stoker.jpg" height="200" width="145" /></a>I remember hugging RJ Cavender, my editor and friend who worked on the project with me until the very end. As I walked up to the stage I tried going over in my head who I should thank but my mind was too occupied with the thought that I'd won an award. I remember thanking people I could remember, then I almost felt like crying. Then the audience got blurry, bright white, and I thought I might faint, so I rushed off the stage forgetting to thank Gene O'Neill who wrote a wonderful introduction for me. I thank him immensely, and wish that he could have been there. The rest of the time at the convention was spent in a surreal daze. So happy I got to meet Doug Murano, John F.D. Taff, Sydney Leigh, and a bunch of other people. (I'm horrible with names, forgive me.) It was great hanging out with friends and making new ones. I had a wonderful time. Unforgettable.</div>
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Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-49088943782229971992014-02-15T19:07:00.001-08:002014-02-15T19:07:39.117-08:00And So It Begins - Year of the Green Wooden Horse 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLop4yfi0ZqF6KrLNz21p0X9lTSH8ej1uQseqxRhNAX5XZWOulASa5yj4re85xlvR8hVDGRikWpD7oPuxVpcMwId3W1d_t8bza-NouEkZDp_0UDUlyvTP2dDNQqGXLhjL7IxFSNIzNpI3/s1600/wooden-horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLop4yfi0ZqF6KrLNz21p0X9lTSH8ej1uQseqxRhNAX5XZWOulASa5yj4re85xlvR8hVDGRikWpD7oPuxVpcMwId3W1d_t8bza-NouEkZDp_0UDUlyvTP2dDNQqGXLhjL7IxFSNIzNpI3/s1600/wooden-horse.jpg" height="135" width="200" /></a></div>
Chinese New Year ended yesterday for those two week celebration folks. I prefer to celebrate on the first and the last day with lots of good food and family, without too much work and no house cleaning in between. Never works out that way, though, and it was also Valentine's Day yesterday, so when people would mention how dressed up I was in red for Valentine's Day, I'd just nod and smile.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_knKd2PDuzXnCtPCARtR8p28JfX5TYAqyodi_AoMZoMTqbgR0Mpz3yA_cCBQkBroGpi-qXP-xg7gmR8j7Lp53xFZxoSGzqdL1quF1Q5b5UleA06NUgG_vhowfDSrroCY4zqSDjvc0uzL/s1600/blue+cicada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_knKd2PDuzXnCtPCARtR8p28JfX5TYAqyodi_AoMZoMTqbgR0Mpz3yA_cCBQkBroGpi-qXP-xg7gmR8j7Lp53xFZxoSGzqdL1quF1Q5b5UleA06NUgG_vhowfDSrroCY4zqSDjvc0uzL/s1600/blue+cicada.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a>The horse year has never been good for me, so I don't expect much of things. I'm going to try very hard not to get excited over ventures I've got in the works, that's how strongly I feel about the bleepin' horse year. I did, however, purchase as many blue cicada type objects that I could find, in an attempt to have some balance. (Not real blue cicadas, mind you, although I did see some real cicada wing pendants. Maybe if I get desperate...) Yes, I'm a little bit culturally superstitious. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2Bit5-JzcIMQvB80ShcethIpWgJnCHltKFYNS1N3V2fCNfEy1XDbzYSSZONAIdxdqWhQkqLHFpaEgG8GG7_LsjC-QVuN0sbuo8T-OVf9O3KxyoaLJcuN2jE7f5PyMDdUk8wjJzxoptD9/s1600/WiHM2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2Bit5-JzcIMQvB80ShcethIpWgJnCHltKFYNS1N3V2fCNfEy1XDbzYSSZONAIdxdqWhQkqLHFpaEgG8GG7_LsjC-QVuN0sbuo8T-OVf9O3KxyoaLJcuN2jE7f5PyMDdUk8wjJzxoptD9/s1600/WiHM2014.jpg" height="200" width="180" /></a>It's also been Women in Horror Month (<a href="http://womeninhorrormonth.com/" target="_blank">WiHM 2013</a>) and I've written some posts about women horror authors, did an <a href="http://www.williamcookwriter.com/2014/02/women-in-horror-month-3-rena-mason.html" target="_blank">interview</a> or two, had some kind <a href="http://kevin-hopson.blogspot.com/2014/02/women-in-horror-month-review-of.html?spref=fb" target="_blank">reviewers</a> post my work on their blogs, and did a fun podcast with the great crew over at <a href="http://mixlr.com/bourbonlounge/showreel/bourbonlounges-mixlr-26/" target="_blank">The Bourbon Lounge</a> with <a href="http://katejonez.com/" target="_blank">Kate Jonez</a> and <a href="http://d-o-cat.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">S.P. Miskowski.</a> I even made it onto S.L. Schmitz's list of "92 Female Horror Authors You Must Read Right Now" on <a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/february-is-women-horror-month-92-horror-authors-you-need-to-read-right-now" target="_blank">Examiner</a>.com. I've enjoyed reading all the great articles and posts on their website and Facebook page, even retweeting a few. If you're up for making a donation for a good cause to keep the organization going, (they even have a blood drive,) click <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=-jFSxBzPAD4j3_q6AuN-ICt5_laO79CqzQok0E2i4podmYBHM9836x3HFhO&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d7ff5e1e81f2ed97dd1e90bd72966c40c" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Fell-Ghost-Story-Michael-ebook/dp/B00CO4DGDI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392519009&sr=1-1&keywords=wild+fell+michael+rowe" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Fell-Ghost-Story-Michael-ebook/dp/B00CO4DGDI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392519009&sr=1-1&keywords=wild+fell+michael+rowe" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2AsFvgY7DA7w8haa-pNCeGnuSHRVnp1xRvaH3ynAHo4cQgWmzAlFYLxM0fTA4sk8vX6-rrdRdKeUNyOMPzjOZsCvK9ATOWnzg5vigwOjSs1aQal4rQzID87s65XaOXcNebI47PP7PnZ4/s1600/Wild+Fell.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crossroads-Collection-Narrative-Horror/dp/0615904807/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392518951&sr=1-1&keywords=the+crossroads+k+trap+jones" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Crossroads-Collection-Narrative-Horror/dp/0615904807/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392518951&sr=1-1&keywords=the+crossroads+k+trap+jones" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcslEHdyDbbplnQRlabg_wXpJXUfVOWpASmnBYN9I0gIP5ktmfgXztnyhQ6L2gAXJQMjofuY7-vm6crgr-xxVYyFb-OxTQ-2kj-qAyWP8U6ch7SeyUJB13-QfwELoAQF-Mrmdm4dSeyEsd/s1600/Crossroads.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a>I read some great books last year, finishing up with <a href="http://ktrapjones.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">K. Trap Jones</a>'s Fiction Collection <em><strong>The Crossroads</strong></em> and <a href="http://www.michaelrowe.com/" target="_blank">Michael Rowe's</a> latest novel <em><strong>Wild Fell</strong></em>. Both great reads, I highly recommend. I'm kicking this year off with some awesome reads as well. Besides waiting for a bunch of pre-ordered books out soon, I'm enjoying <em><strong>Little Visible Delight</strong></em> edited by Kate Jonez and S.P. Miskowski, and <strong><em>Nameless</em></strong>, <a href="http://abrokenlaptop.com/" target="_blank">Mercedes M. Murdock Yardley</a>'s debut novel. Click on the amazing book covers to purchase. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSShJVB2Ru0FC58oULtyDlRf_5wnMqfZOR2ALPnpYQ3U3w1WRHrH-u55vOxo40wKwau5r_q1XUpfhzNPcyHVM3d7rISyl7hZJVN1Q0to6I2jB4HaIctoCWB9V7cJuKKx1X4Fm0nXxkloWL/s1600/Little+Visible+Delight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Visible-Delight-Lynda-Rucker-ebook/dp/B00H3U3MMI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392519191&sr=1-1&keywords=little+visible+delight" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSShJVB2Ru0FC58oULtyDlRf_5wnMqfZOR2ALPnpYQ3U3w1WRHrH-u55vOxo40wKwau5r_q1XUpfhzNPcyHVM3d7rISyl7hZJVN1Q0to6I2jB4HaIctoCWB9V7cJuKKx1X4Fm0nXxkloWL/s1600/Little+Visible+Delight.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Visible-Delight-Lynda-Rucker-ebook/dp/B00H3U3MMI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392519191&sr=1-1&keywords=little+visible+delight" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Nameless-Darkness-Comes-Angel-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00HWLX6RO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392519124&sr=1-1&keywords=nameless+mercedes+yardley" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvkudMqVv7zBytRv5UYqu-eBQZVQbvU5PnOgrl67M4WtL8AYMj1RwBLQ_Oxs7LaQw68qogy1jL5zbesDXrtsCweuil00gviR5TprMttlniPrlCiFy0LbXStiBpAOe8O-alguJcIs-4hmy/s1600/Nameless.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
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with the most Recs) and five from the jury. These are then voted on by the
Active and Lifetime members to produce the works that make the final ballot. (<strong>I, the Head Compiler</strong> have <strong>nothing</strong> to do with who winds up on that final ballot.)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjV4tL0hdLvrR-21e0rrQbFWH4PO9zN09cT2WWDypiE0nnUCSd6NgiYdvJ0ZWvXSrAo9sF67nU7oC-XwMVFx6Vh70D8wJD9MPtqEeHz_7ue9Okg9UFEAPRI26D7a_N5BOK6uZ5uw3joQXv/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjV4tL0hdLvrR-21e0rrQbFWH4PO9zN09cT2WWDypiE0nnUCSd6NgiYdvJ0ZWvXSrAo9sF67nU7oC-XwMVFx6Vh70D8wJD9MPtqEeHz_7ue9Okg9UFEAPRI26D7a_N5BOK6uZ5uw3joQXv/s200/1.jpg" width="200" /></a>I spend a good 2-3 hours a week altogether on the recommendations, depending on the amount. Closer to awards season, it gets busier and takes up more time. It also takes time getting the verifications entered, and adding links to works. This is all on a voluntary basis. <br />
I can't delete any recommendations that are made, so when double recommendations do come in, I have to do a search and find, then count every single rec for that work to make sure the numbers are correct each time that work gets recommended. This also goes for people who recommend their own works, or works they've been involved with, which you're not allowed to do and it clearly states that in the rules that I did not write. If you have a link to add or change (just like it says in the rules) you write to the compiler at <a href="mailto:compiler@horror.org">compiler@horror.org</a> to have them add it. It's obvious why everybody doesn't have access to the database to change their own information, but people don't understand this, because they <strong>don't</strong> read the rules, so when they can't figure out why they can't change or add to their listing, they get frustrated and blame it on me. I just got an email asking me if I could add a link because it wasn't working for them. Guess what? If you read the rules you'll learn that it never will. (I apologize, but the more I'm thinking about this, and on Thanksgiving, the angrier I'm getting.) <br />
Every official email that you receive from me as the Compiler, I've been told to write you, unless it is a simple reply letting you know that the spelling of your work or link has been corrected in the database. I do not, (am not permitted) to contact any of you on my own accord or question your works without the order coming from someone higher up. There isn't a single thing I can do in the database that isn't looked over by someone else. <br />
I have two works up this year (that have been recommended,) and I've been accused of personally attacking other author's works in my same categories, because of a letter of inquiry I was told to write by the higher ups. And I just want to say I did not and would never rally against another author's work. It's such a pity I have to defend myself against something I have no control over, and that I volunteer for. There's nothing like being called really nasty names for what has to be a complete misunderstanding made by others. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBM7adTWHeSILMoX8qnXUbk8iSq9Q-LRjNZkisx-8EcVSNUPzsSoQ7xwol1u0GX26W-YoXTTqcBBkqpQ8amH9bZbi9E-Ty6fdStATKqjOcoKUuzgQiWKyZhdsu8qVZTy2zvEKBYeQSudOR/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBM7adTWHeSILMoX8qnXUbk8iSq9Q-LRjNZkisx-8EcVSNUPzsSoQ7xwol1u0GX26W-YoXTTqcBBkqpQ8amH9bZbi9E-Ty6fdStATKqjOcoKUuzgQiWKyZhdsu8qVZTy2zvEKBYeQSudOR/s1600/2.jpg" /></a>Same thing goes for the HWA Newsletter. There's a rule that self-published works are not permitted in the Free Promotional Listings. <strong>I</strong> did not personally make this rule. If I had as much power as some people thought I had, I'd rule the world. But yes, believe it or not, people get upset with <strong>me,</strong> because I have to turn away their works. And now there's a big campaign going on to defame my character. <br />
And for what? <br />
I still haven't quite figured that out exactly, except that I know people need someone to blame. You want to blame me and call me names, because it makes you feel more like a man, woman, human being, go ahead. I've been blamed for worse and called worse names. But in the end, you're only shooting the messenger. <br />
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Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-77174211685848031952013-11-05T11:02:00.002-08:002013-11-05T11:02:37.563-08:00The Vegas Valley Book Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-qCGRBLE5tHb7aoxaukkuK8cPw0qoIw5QGQz1u1uzHejFwC3-w0hl6HUrKy8-tpOQMm3xZ3Mh2zGheL0ib4tYxB12ht2iQRNgmzbbRper4QM7V2FjiBvhSglnPe_7bbymsoenfyHkBF7/s1600/VVBF+Header+and+Logos+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-qCGRBLE5tHb7aoxaukkuK8cPw0qoIw5QGQz1u1uzHejFwC3-w0hl6HUrKy8-tpOQMm3xZ3Mh2zGheL0ib4tYxB12ht2iQRNgmzbbRper4QM7V2FjiBvhSglnPe_7bbymsoenfyHkBF7/s400/VVBF+Header+and+Logos+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPz4n7sDwg9ttnOndQ3UPAc73wbIOlPKMZsD42nHdSKFr4Fs1hndiz5EGjbwRd9Rr8f_by-XBKHi1mbfW5Sux9l8qawpOZCtjE08oLvdaxLeBL2lviitpmQTUavAYJ_vyqfMYzt3o4Skw/s1600/VVBF+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPz4n7sDwg9ttnOndQ3UPAc73wbIOlPKMZsD42nHdSKFr4Fs1hndiz5EGjbwRd9Rr8f_by-XBKHi1mbfW5Sux9l8qawpOZCtjE08oLvdaxLeBL2lviitpmQTUavAYJ_vyqfMYzt3o4Skw/s320/VVBF+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Saturday, November 2nd, 2013 marked the last day of events that were held throughout the month of October/November associated with <a href="http://vegasvalleybookfestival.org/" target="_blank">The Vegas Valley Book Festival</a>. It took place at the Historic 5th Street School in downtown Las Vegas, and you couldn't have asked for a more wonderful location or better weather. They did it up right, with interesting panels, music, and food choices. <br />
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<a href="http://www.horror.org/blog/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.horror.org/blog/" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRAnJw5iMdzsbeABiEni4I2lsgPByAZYMAUHMDIE_JGpYg6b-Xkb0a1Zq52oaIHWqCZIRgFjIHV95FLkHxSDz9INBNXBXk2SrjXWapFa_Mvty3gV7C-ixIEjZq9M04aKcoBER7htWOmvQ/s1600/hwabutton.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.horror.org/blog/" target="_blank">Horror Writers Association</a> sponsored a table and <a href="http://abrokenlaptop.com/" target="_blank">Mercedes Murdock Yardley</a> and I worked it from 10am to 3:30pm. Many people came up interested in the association, which they'd never heard of, and walked away with a pamphlet explaining the organization. They also signed up with their name and email address to receive more information<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OHd3X2OI3lz7k_wGW7tR3kEMIdn7ZcwScVBGFfJR51kMvtWA9E6N8PoNm-1pPv3qHXfwUTxprWwEYcQuhD3L7b2uUEvggSlZSDrugz6OP6pQgnVrEeAkjsVp8WiQFlEApeDRvLQz8twj/s1600/Getting+Better+All+the+Time.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OHd3X2OI3lz7k_wGW7tR3kEMIdn7ZcwScVBGFfJR51kMvtWA9E6N8PoNm-1pPv3qHXfwUTxprWwEYcQuhD3L7b2uUEvggSlZSDrugz6OP6pQgnVrEeAkjsVp8WiQFlEApeDRvLQz8twj/s200/Getting+Better+All+the+Time.png" width="146" /></a>It all started several months ago when I was asked by one of the committee members if I'd be interested in writing something for the annual anthology The Vegas Valley Book Festival puts out. The theme was "Progress" and it had to incorporate the element of Las Vegas. I did warn them that since I'm a horror writer first and foremost, my idea of "progress" might be different than others' perspectives. Of course, I said yes, and wrote a short story, "Reclamation" about water reclaiming the Earth, the last stand taking place atop one of America's biggest symbols for progress--The Hoover Dam. <br />
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Then I was asked if I'd like to sit in on a committee meeting, because the committee is interested in introducing more "genre" to future festivals. After attending the meeting, I thought, <em>Yeah, they do need some genre</em>, so then I decided to go ahead and be the horror liaison, to set up a horror panel, and invite horror authors to Vegas for the 2014 Vegas Valley Book Festival. Fortunately, so many horror authors cross genres, which makes them available to do other panels as well. I'm always happy to promote reading and the horror genre in the community. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknmY_W7W-0WtVoWfcdzvAlIVxA2ykoQPPQKj9ftE_U5uQ6AGgWG-jsFiELiL-Pa0RNVPAp2zDa4kvNH2bXA03jlN2u6oaaRsYFHbPsZtjn9Y63szEdfxDDMNzOCOZSiAZmZFvWDHHn5ea/s1600/Meet+and+Mingle.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknmY_W7W-0WtVoWfcdzvAlIVxA2ykoQPPQKj9ftE_U5uQ6AGgWG-jsFiELiL-Pa0RNVPAp2zDa4kvNH2bXA03jlN2u6oaaRsYFHbPsZtjn9Y63szEdfxDDMNzOCOZSiAZmZFvWDHHn5ea/s200/Meet+and+Mingle.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Mid-October, there was a meet and mingle cocktail hour with local and national authors at City Hall, I was also invited to participate in. It was fun and I met a lot of people that are in well-established book clubs in Vegas. I learned that some actually have waiting lists for people interested in joining. It makes perfect<br />
sense to me now, but I truly didn't realize the whole hierarchy and social importance of Vegas book clubs before. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDaeCjdCPcZquZ6Kc1xD0sf0O7D0Jl56ZU-7fIRf-MdmIaWVO22a2Ldxd8FJT4xfehxEDP0dEW-VckmG3Dv5VBusGsSo-za8izcL5B2h0KqC-GFY3Le_7EzuFp5bK7kzLZ1rkSQEdfIuCb/s1600/DSC_0079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDaeCjdCPcZquZ6Kc1xD0sf0O7D0Jl56ZU-7fIRf-MdmIaWVO22a2Ldxd8FJT4xfehxEDP0dEW-VckmG3Dv5VBusGsSo-za8izcL5B2h0KqC-GFY3Le_7EzuFp5bK7kzLZ1rkSQEdfIuCb/s200/DSC_0079.JPG" width="200" /></a>The last week of October, there was a panel for the anthology authors and editor at the beautiful Clark County Library. We were told we'd be reading an excerpt from our work in the book, and I'm not a big "read in public" kind of person, but I thought I'd be able to swing it. Well, when I arrived and saw the large auditorium set up for it, I panicked. Ha! All the other authors were there waiting on me, and I was walking around taking pictures of the place, thinking I should've taken something to relax me, but the last time I did that and read, I slurred my words and vowed never to do it again. It all worked out, and I was told my reading went well. Afterward, the authors stayed for a while and signed books for the attendees. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWFcPY10CwrQTXu5gUljbSnpEGwTAPz2jFdqEmZntN09t_3fOM3z-yum2LA38eVM9-Q0xISyKa0bfADpr09BwyuY9t4tBP5rNqSn8enJuzJDq3yJecOZe0cgmztA_GepHETve2OfAuTR9/s1600/DSC_0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWFcPY10CwrQTXu5gUljbSnpEGwTAPz2jFdqEmZntN09t_3fOM3z-yum2LA38eVM9-Q0xISyKa0bfADpr09BwyuY9t4tBP5rNqSn8enJuzJDq3yJecOZe0cgmztA_GepHETve2OfAuTR9/s200/DSC_0154.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
The overall experience was fantastic and hopeful. One point I took away from it all is that Las Vegas needs more readers. I understand that in a city where world-class entertainment is on every corner it can be difficult to sit down with a book, but there's an enrichment that comes from reading and nothing else. It stirs the imagination and takes you places that aren't filled with crowds of people, loud slot machines, and smoke-filled casinos. I have friends who tell me they wish their kids would read more, but when the parents don't read, it's more likely the kids won't, either, and that's sad for everyone. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOAOycta_VrS04rbQmrubdB4sMc8WrSajutrjySCwkddeSMxrfOmfl2ovqReMy1FWN2wJUU5vnVdDGD2fm51trYmiMjEDTdrdL-s0PSsPaqYEFntewQmiDs5eZkcec90GHdr6AzuiVHgz/s1600/Goodreads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOAOycta_VrS04rbQmrubdB4sMc8WrSajutrjySCwkddeSMxrfOmfl2ovqReMy1FWN2wJUU5vnVdDGD2fm51trYmiMjEDTdrdL-s0PSsPaqYEFntewQmiDs5eZkcec90GHdr6AzuiVHgz/s200/Goodreads.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
On the last bit about my cross-promotion with Carl Alves and the Goodread Giveaways. In the end, Carl's promotion started only 3 days after mine. I had something like 967 people request the book, Carl had around 776. I put one hundred dollars toward advertising on Goodreads. Was it worth it? No. But I did enjoy doing the giveaway and will definitely do it again in the future, without any money toward advertising. This was a fun cross-promotion Carl invited me to do with him and I'm glad we did it. Thank you, Carl. Hopefully, the winners of the giveaways will give us wonderful reviews and tell all their friends to go out and immediately buy our books. <br />
---Now, back to reality.<br />
Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-13935890150123259732013-10-19T18:07:00.000-07:002013-10-19T18:07:18.841-07:00Why I just HAD to be in FEAR THE REAPER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.createspace.com/4434662" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkf4qZJ-uoyjNqy-JpeDDmXHIOKs2-2qOV4Ss6voUWh3v_Sma-tmutgr3G4ls5fDju6cv-iHSnvFWrZ2KVe-d0QRvcLc6Q3CsjwP8SHpqUm9FYii2aa9Ly-4vUnWLTm5UmJr7M4QLpnJO/s320/Fear+the+Reaper.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Before the end of last year, <a href="http://www.taylorgrant.com/" target="_blank">Taylor Grant</a> had posted an anthology he'd gotten another one of his awesome stories into. (One of the most talented, hard-working, and down-to-earth, nicest guys I've ever met.) Read his work if you haven't, you won't be disappointed. <br />
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The thing that caught my eye right away about his post was the cover art, and then it was the title. I took it as a challenge, and for first time ever I felt like, "I HAVE to be in this anthology."<br />
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I've never considered myself the "pushy" type and I certainly didn't want to come off as desperate, but I messaged Taylor and asked him about the anthology. He told me to write the editor, <a href="http://www.joemynhardt.com/" target="_blank">Joe Mynhardt</a> who runs <a href="http://www.crystallakepub.com/" target="_blank">Crystal Lake Publishing</a>, and had just put out the anthology, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-Dark-Joe-Mynhardt/dp/0992170729/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382230608&sr=1-3&keywords=for+the+night+is+dark" target="_blank">For the Night is Dark</a></em>, which also has a great cover. Even though I didn't know Joe, I sent a brief bio and introduced myself. But besides my short story "The Eyes Have It" in <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Horror-Good-Charitable-Anthology-1/dp/1475065361/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382230650&sr=1-1&keywords=horror+for+good" target="_blank">Horror For Good: A Charitable Anthology</a></em>, nothing else I'd written had been published yet. I wrote Joe anyway and he told me that the anthology was getting pretty full but he'd look over what I sent him. <br />
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I thanked my lucky stars when he said he'd like for me to submit a story to him. The story I wrote that's in the anthology, "Death Squared" has nothing to do with why I <strong>had</strong> to be in the anthology. That subject is still a little a bit too close to tackle, but hopefully, this very personal blog will explain why. <br />
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When my younger sister and I were growing up, we fought nonstop. I was the "nerdy" one who got good grades and awards, was a cheerleader, and for the most part, obeyed my parents. She, on the other hand, skipped school, hung out with the wrong crowd, dropped out of high school, ran away when she was sent to live elsewhere, you name it. She came back to Plattsburgh, when I was in college for nursing. My parents had transferred to Colorado, so each other was all we had, and we tried to care for one another when we could. <br />
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Eventually, my sister moved to my parents home in Folsom, California. I'd graduated with my nursing degree and moved to Denver, Colorado where I worked in the Operating Room. It had been about eight years since I'd seen my sister. I went out to Folsom to visit my family in July of 1992. My sister and I hung out pretty much the whole time. My mom even rented cabins in Lake Tahoe where the whole family had fun times. I remember watching <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Army-of-Darkness/dp/B000ICXQOM/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1382230712&sr=1-1&keywords=the+army+of+darkness" target="_blank">ARMY OF DARKNESS</a> with her, and I'm not sure we'd ever laughed so hard. But my vacation ended, and I went back to Denver. <br />
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My sister and I kept in touch, though. More so than we'd ever had. She had completed her GED, had registered for college courses, and had just gotten a new job. Things were looking up for her, so I'd send her money when I had it so she could buy books for school. She'd write me letters and tell me about what she was up to. I told her I was going to paint her a watercolor. I taped the paper to my wall and just free flowed what came to mind. The center of the scene was a massive old dead tree. Then I painted a kite stuck in its branches in crimson. In the background, I painted a faint Grim Reaper, complete with scythe. I never told her what I was painting. It was to be a surprise. <br />
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About three months later, she was missing. I asked my mom if she wanted me to go out to help look, but she said no. Ten days after that, a surveyor saw bronze rims on a car earlier in the day and went back later to take them off. When he got in the water he realized someone had died in the car. It was my sister. She was nineteen years old, and only two blocks from home. Her car went off the road and hit a tree, then flipped over in the water. The autopsy report stated that she'd had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy that probably had been painful enough for her to veer off, possibly pass out. There was water in her lungs. <br />
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My mom called me when they'd found her. I flew out to California. <br />
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The whole time was a blur. My mom remembered things that my sister had told her before the accident. She told me that a few strange things happened, and that somehow, my sister thought that she might die.<br />
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My little sister's favorite holiday was Halloween. She'd always go out. That year she didn't, and when my mom asked her why, she said it was because she'd been having nightmares about the Grim Reaper. Also, there'd been a black cat that darted out in front of her car. <br />
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I've never told anyone about the painting. Especially not my mother. She's really superstitious. When I got back to Denver, I tore it from the wall and threw it in the fireplace. I put all the paint tubes in a box, along with all my brushes, and I haven't painted a thing since. Or ever will. <br />
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Do I think that I had anything to do with anything? No. I just miss my sister. <br />
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And maybe that free flow thinking had me seeing things I never want to see again. Do I free flow think when I write? Absolutely not. <br />
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My little sister feared the reaper. I do not. And so, having a story, a piece of me, in the anthology that I <strong>had</strong> to be a part of. It was a challenge I took on and don't regret. I look forward to reading the rest of the stories in the book. <br />
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Many thanks to Joe, who did more than he ever thought by trusting that I'd do all right by his book. <br />
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Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-2165869810972731972013-10-12T17:35:00.000-07:002013-10-12T17:35:06.117-07:00Vegas Book Signings and Cross Promotion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZM_G10AwPxx90RBOY0LDwZtPk0O1aql5K0-Hj2x0_w7KYyVUuhDx0MDf34l613wIZNt4aMPhKJrBcIbHnzUNhdq7CfRQ3prbPGkEP12hPt2skrRGW6P8nPVx9CJjsegF7nNGWZ2mOlsbT/s1600/Books,+Bubbles,+and+Brew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZM_G10AwPxx90RBOY0LDwZtPk0O1aql5K0-Hj2x0_w7KYyVUuhDx0MDf34l613wIZNt4aMPhKJrBcIbHnzUNhdq7CfRQ3prbPGkEP12hPt2skrRGW6P8nPVx9CJjsegF7nNGWZ2mOlsbT/s200/Books,+Bubbles,+and+Brew.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowx-8z1QpJz9s72908WC4DwT0xfyrhybDmaOZHTDXj_-SEzW_Lqv6ZXMn8hyphenhyphenfRPLoQCunLtThpE_TheOEF30SuCz1fKN41HydJrOoFXURoxXDT3mCJSHIvAhjK176A3lXuj-bQ9KYwClP/s1600/DSC_0058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowx-8z1QpJz9s72908WC4DwT0xfyrhybDmaOZHTDXj_-SEzW_Lqv6ZXMn8hyphenhyphenfRPLoQCunLtThpE_TheOEF30SuCz1fKN41HydJrOoFXURoxXDT3mCJSHIvAhjK176A3lXuj-bQ9KYwClP/s200/DSC_0058.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
I had two local book signings this past week. Monday, October 4th, was <em>Books, Bubbles, and Brew</em>, a Meet and Greet for readers and book clubs with national and local authors sponsored by the Vegas Valley Book Festival. It was at the NOW Cafe in City Hall, which is a beautiful building downtown. There was a good turnout, and I met a lot of great people. Many of them are in book clubs and mentioned they might read, <em>The Evolutionist</em> for one of their novel choices. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKVBzIbFPVpj7iFhdgNoa9UXCmCsYGd3_tTCMhNNGOYHd7zfN-NVEYDgm6y079krrv9RrFbCa63dNRQdwfDH7IwKuNNsSkIWGhDm8YhXURujiXQuhyIAcUaC_008myYlYL2Y4JrKdBajS/s1600/DSC_0059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKVBzIbFPVpj7iFhdgNoa9UXCmCsYGd3_tTCMhNNGOYHd7zfN-NVEYDgm6y079krrv9RrFbCa63dNRQdwfDH7IwKuNNsSkIWGhDm8YhXURujiXQuhyIAcUaC_008myYlYL2Y4JrKdBajS/s200/DSC_0059.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCb0ReCGtvbK5d-NFdOAPMMscYICuWO0hM9S9AWwfJGXvYBW8pa3EyeXjw8bW-eKx8nS1KlbAgywuqMHRZPA7CPZ7bNzEo6_DJ3wAadcIj-u9IfN1TZdLMxmYp6qmFMEboCmhqEPXQNxTW/s1600/20131011_182351_LLS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCb0ReCGtvbK5d-NFdOAPMMscYICuWO0hM9S9AWwfJGXvYBW8pa3EyeXjw8bW-eKx8nS1KlbAgywuqMHRZPA7CPZ7bNzEo6_DJ3wAadcIj-u9IfN1TZdLMxmYp6qmFMEboCmhqEPXQNxTW/s200/20131011_182351_LLS.jpg" width="112" /></a>Friday, October 11th was The Atomic Book Signing at the historic Atomic Liquors on Fremont Street, downtown. It's no longer a liquor store these days and is more of a bar. It was an interesting choice of venue with the loud music, bar regulars, and dimly lit areas. I'll admit that if I didn't drive there myself and knew I'd have to drive back, I'd have had a couple of martinis. Most of the attendees were coming in from the Southern Nevada Writers Convention, so the majority of them were writers. And if there's one thing I've learned from writers conventions is that writers don't tend to buy a lot of books. The best events that seem to sell books are at fan conventions and reader events like book festivals. Aside from my book launch parties, I sold the most books at the L.A. Times Book Festival, and I'm hoping to exceed those sales at the <a href="http://vegasvalleybookfestival.org/whos-coming/" target="_blank">Vegas Valley Book Festival</a> on November 2nd. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5xLYl2EUOlHt1_od1RAzrCW328o_V2CeOq-2BXDp6604Lzf5llCrlbjKSJyuNCld_niEWtbm1hqcOix4mxaO1Uzx9BVjy7lFe0gBMtoKj_FWg5diduYGYpuBSHXwC3-pDMuyyPX0TFtH/s1600/20131011_175710_LLS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5xLYl2EUOlHt1_od1RAzrCW328o_V2CeOq-2BXDp6604Lzf5llCrlbjKSJyuNCld_niEWtbm1hqcOix4mxaO1Uzx9BVjy7lFe0gBMtoKj_FWg5diduYGYpuBSHXwC3-pDMuyyPX0TFtH/s200/20131011_175710_LLS.jpg" width="200" /></a>On Thursday, October 24th at 7pm at the Clark County Library on Flamingo, I'll be discussing my short story "Reclamation" that's in the Las Vegas Writes Anthology: Progress,<a href="http://vegasvalleybookfestival.org/getting-better-all-the-time/" target="_blank"> Getting Better All the Time</a>. You can read a bit of my story if you click the link and then click on <strong>Reclamation</strong>. It's going to be interesting explaining how my apocalyptic story of how water reclaiming the Earth relates to progress, but hey, I'm a horror writer. <br />
The highlight of The Atomic Book Signing was getting to see Mercedes Murdock Yardley. We had to get a picture of her with The Atomic sign because her latest novella is a "tale of atomic love." Click <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Apocalyptic-Montessa-Nuclear-Lulu-Atomic/dp/1492708720/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381622546&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=mercedes+murdock+yardley" target="_blank">HERE</a> to buy a copy. You won't be disappointed. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxI1rs6-8EBwTBePglFcQcjcgg1m7aYnAnDL5e9eNLS5xoNKqZsR3b88gTWlslikG_H9QI4_scnvKtejEYzV6jyS4PJW2EH6mPAOpEpAdDHvyul33p4PXIFVFIaZXxRKBv49Ztut826LA/s1600/mer1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxI1rs6-8EBwTBePglFcQcjcgg1m7aYnAnDL5e9eNLS5xoNKqZsR3b88gTWlslikG_H9QI4_scnvKtejEYzV6jyS4PJW2EH6mPAOpEpAdDHvyul33p4PXIFVFIaZXxRKBv49Ztut826LA/s200/mer1.jpg" width="125" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimg21z81vv7D43YS4j-FGXBYmcP5zKhvseHGG0o4NpV_KQA9iu511euzRZo0t698J-i4TMZa4WXryTQ52IHm-qvXopP3yASMBlPRIcC59K7yyxj8rui6EyxMr0XWbxKWqm_yvxKRdBoWuL/s1600/20131011_175342_LLS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimg21z81vv7D43YS4j-FGXBYmcP5zKhvseHGG0o4NpV_KQA9iu511euzRZo0t698J-i4TMZa4WXryTQ52IHm-qvXopP3yASMBlPRIcC59K7yyxj8rui6EyxMr0XWbxKWqm_yvxKRdBoWuL/s200/20131011_175342_LLS.jpg" width="200" /></a><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7Agl7KrGZf1vr7kQGwFUgJrT1pNEj6IuUVLMO9SVEtJiGXmiu0OJ_Qq3Jb7MV6L3Uy02orrgiQ8kphkUMJA8pqOyM3V8Dnl4Q02xOAiuDLHWzv3unVgoakNXBhX61G27KduA9Jroh_tn/s200/20131011_182645_LLS.jpg" width="112" /></div>
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For the second part of my cross promotion experience with Carl Alves, I did a five question interview with him. Great stuff! Please read it. There are freebie opportunities at the end.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To get an idea of your writing
influences, who are three of your favorite writers from three <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">different</b> genres? <span style="color: #c00000;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In the horror genre, it has to be
Stephen King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though I’m not as
fond of his more recent work, his early stuff is pure gold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the seventies, eighties and nineties he
was churning out mesmerizing horror that delivered every time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is my biggest writing influence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In the fantasy genre, I would
have to go with George R. R. Martin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
only started reading him recently because I was hooked on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Game of Thrones</i> television show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I started reading the series, and damn,
the novels are simply amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
writing skills are off the chart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
world building and characters are top notch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In the crime genre, I would go
with Mario Puzo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was writing my
Mafia chapters in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blood Street</i>, the
voice of Puzo would always creep in my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He got that world down so well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He is the king of gangster writing, and I’ve always had a great
admiration for his work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Blood Street has a lot of great
Philadelphia mob and city details – did you do a lot of research, or did you
use your own personal experiences in regards to the area? And well, if you’ve
had any personal experiences with the Philadelphia mob, I’m sure everyone would
like to know about them, too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Street-Carl-Alves/dp/1937148181" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-Rs4W3CnwcIpmk4B31dMjpZ94W3pFT-otzpTG9hHHh30Cio1SsM7w5yg3Ttu1C2FDFIjC-YvUqoWZWpKUqBKumMBXdaH49ccTj0nk9hUmOOvsUwTRlRZLCQdz1udXzp424zYNFcpvlCo/s200/Carl.jpg" width="130" /></a><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I was born and raised
in Philadelphia, so it wasn’t particularly hard to get details of the city
right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really tried to incorporate the
city into the novel to the point where it was like a character in the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as mob details, since I don’t have any
personal dealings with organized crime figures, I did a lot of research into
the history of the Philadelphia Mafia, and what I found was that in the fifties
and sixties it was one of the most well run and well organized crime syndicates
in the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the eighties and
nineties, the organization fell apart in a series of unprecedented
violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty much everybody who was
in the Philly mob during that time period is either in jail or dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what I wanted was to create a mob boss character
who was highly educated and intelligent and would run the organization like a
business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In Blood Street, I was rooting for the
mobsters. Do you have any tips on how you made these characters more likable
than vampires that most readers seem to be so into?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Growing up in Philadelphia, I had
the opportunity to get to know a good deal of Italian Americans and this was
the basis for most of my Mafia characters on Blood Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took the personalities of people that I had
known and ratcheted them up to ten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the end, they are exaggerated versions of real people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the novel I intentionally didn’t try to
make one side or the other being the heroes or the villains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mob guys are inherently bad since they make
their way through life committing crime, but I did my best to make them
likeable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Wow, I see you have a degree in
Biomedical Engineering. Is science fiction something you plan to explore in your
writing in the future?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My next novel I have
scheduled for release is entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reclamation
Mother Earth</i>, which is going to be published by Montag Press, and this is a
post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based
on my educational background, you might think that I would be drawn to science
fiction, but what turns me off about the genre is that stories often get bogged
down by technological jargon and specific details, which interfere with the
telling of a good story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me the
story comes first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why I
purposely tried not to get overly technical with a lot of the science in the
novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to tell a story, not teach
a science class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get enough of that in
my day job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What projects do you have in the
works? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As I mentioned in the
previous question, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reclamation Mother
Earth</i> should be coming out in the near future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The premise of the novel is that aliens take
over the Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the first day of the
invasion, my main character who is a Navy SEAL, is there when the aliens invade
and is knocked into a coma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Five years
later, he wakes up in the care of a kind alien physician to find out that most
of the human race has been killed off and many of the survivors have been
enslaved by the alien conquerors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
starts to heal himself mentally and physically and in the process starts a
resistance movement to take back the planet from the aliens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">As part of this cross promotion experiment, we're both having giveaways on Goodreads until the end of October. If you'd like to sign up to get a free copy of Carl's <em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16139460-blood-street?ac=1" target="_blank">Blood Street</a></em>, or <em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17199632-the-evolutionist" target="_blank">The Evolutionist</a></em> by me, clicking the book titles will take you there. </span></o:p></span></div>
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Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-15383284192594189322013-10-01T20:35:00.000-07:002013-10-01T20:35:16.364-07:00My first ever Dark Delicacies book signing and the WeHo Book Fair in L.A.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqb-O0S5dqTkOniTLjI9QdyRVd8ZmOztBbl4zQYVLSmGDk-25am_jVgg9nqhRQ9jYtOqrvAr7eKnCqKh1CFQSMxUQKdBSRhWgDWbW1-giaDoxi4W3emew2wfyWqqk4juvk2u4gQv8LRod/s1600/JP's+DD+pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqb-O0S5dqTkOniTLjI9QdyRVd8ZmOztBbl4zQYVLSmGDk-25am_jVgg9nqhRQ9jYtOqrvAr7eKnCqKh1CFQSMxUQKdBSRhWgDWbW1-giaDoxi4W3emew2wfyWqqk4juvk2u4gQv8LRod/s200/JP's+DD+pic+2.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsc8QqJJ9d2py8ETjwo6AyT1C2ZgZO9MRN8L3wcK1Txbz33-xzZeS0mpBoxfOL-GmOK-ughAy8-wo9bfROAu4IVljE7rXLnSRBYpKMAEhRMRL1E1m4TYYtw7yBrD6j74PkW64RxNUcjYx/s1600/DSC_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsc8QqJJ9d2py8ETjwo6AyT1C2ZgZO9MRN8L3wcK1Txbz33-xzZeS0mpBoxfOL-GmOK-ughAy8-wo9bfROAu4IVljE7rXLnSRBYpKMAEhRMRL1E1m4TYYtw7yBrD6j74PkW64RxNUcjYx/s200/DSC_0039.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsc8QqJJ9d2py8ETjwo6AyT1C2ZgZO9MRN8L3wcK1Txbz33-xzZeS0mpBoxfOL-GmOK-ughAy8-wo9bfROAu4IVljE7rXLnSRBYpKMAEhRMRL1E1m4TYYtw7yBrD6j74PkW64RxNUcjYx/s1600/DSC_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsc8QqJJ9d2py8ETjwo6AyT1C2ZgZO9MRN8L3wcK1Txbz33-xzZeS0mpBoxfOL-GmOK-ughAy8-wo9bfROAu4IVljE7rXLnSRBYpKMAEhRMRL1E1m4TYYtw7yBrD6j74PkW64RxNUcjYx/s1600/DSC_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a><br />
Saturday, September 28th at 2pm, I had a book signing for <em><a href="http://journal-store.com/fiction/only-the-thunder-knows-east-end-girls/" target="_blank">East End Girls</a></em> at the <a href="http://www.darkdel.com/" target="_blank">Dark Delicacies</a> store in Burbank, California, along with <a href="http://www.lisamorton.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Morton</a> and <a href="http://www.ericjguignard.com/" target="_blank">Eric J. Guignard</a> for their Double Down Series Book 2 <a href="http://journal-store.com/fiction/smog-baggage-of-eternal-night/" target="_blank"><em>Smog</em>/<em>Baggage of Eternal Night</em></a>. Author <a href="http://emerdelac.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Edward M. Erdelac</a> was also there, rounding out a small part of the <a href="http://journalstone.com/" target="_blank">JournalStone</a> author family. And it was Ed's birthday. Glad I made cookies! Christopher C. Payne, the president of JournalStone showed up to keep everybody in line. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEguJb2BWrOHLKW6Zr97KaUvHTk6F1vwIk-FM6-X9LSReUZUyWJ7E6xwX169yuAA4NKzcEV8Q6qQUpf0wSg5hw7gSqUqgjNgPp_gqeW4RHeGEWWxg3oJqR-1iKJRqzRxjTtSYzW_MDvfUy/s1600/DSC_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEguJb2BWrOHLKW6Zr97KaUvHTk6F1vwIk-FM6-X9LSReUZUyWJ7E6xwX169yuAA4NKzcEV8Q6qQUpf0wSg5hw7gSqUqgjNgPp_gqeW4RHeGEWWxg3oJqR-1iKJRqzRxjTtSYzW_MDvfUy/s200/DSC_0046.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
It was a lot of fun and great to see everyone, like<a href="http://johnpalisano.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"> John Palisano</a> who kindly stopped by to say hello and buy some books. I finally and formally met Del and Sue, which was the best part. I even got to sign some books.<br />
<a href="http://johnskipp.livejournal.com/" target="_blank">John Skipp</a> showed up and danced a little. Then his director friend, Mike Mendez, of a soon to be released movie - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1830713/" target="_blank">BIG ASS SPIDER</a> - came and had two of my cookies! Better be a good flick, but I have no doubt spider fans everywhere will be crawling all over it.<br />
Afterward, Lisa suggested dinner for some of us at a nearby <a href="http://aruneethai.com/" target="_blank">Thai restaurant</a>, and it was amazing. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-GGsjrvUYARWG-EcF4aVzMi_kqRL5NAwcr7GE4CaEBWX1F3lQKpmScAF_Zl40llcZxQV7nQFKms3eAHyog3_G2i6lSbk0hILMHyJB7ucWWz3Zx5z1pIKNpX0EWrJHcdNVFbbX8xWZdr6/s1600/DSC_0049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-GGsjrvUYARWG-EcF4aVzMi_kqRL5NAwcr7GE4CaEBWX1F3lQKpmScAF_Zl40llcZxQV7nQFKms3eAHyog3_G2i6lSbk0hILMHyJB7ucWWz3Zx5z1pIKNpX0EWrJHcdNVFbbX8xWZdr6/s200/DSC_0049.JPG" width="133" /></a>Sunday was the <a href="http://www.westhollywoodbookfair.org/" target="_blank">West Hollywood Book Fair</a>. I slept in and took my time getting there because I was certain my table slot was at 2pm. Well, I was wrong. After stopping by <a href="http://iliadbooks.com/zencart/" target="_blank">The Iliad</a>, which is one of the coolest bookstores ever, I headed to the book fair and found out I was supposed to be there at noon to sign with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/P.S.-Gifford/e/B002BLY8T0" target="_blank">P.S. Gifford</a>.<br />
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It was great to see and talk to<a href="http://brad-hodson.com/" target="_blank"> Brad C. Hodson</a> again. <br />
I'd had more pictures of The Iliad that were really fantastic shots, but they got deleted when my brand new phone died. I'll have to take another trip out there soon for more great pictures and time with friends. <br />
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The <a href="http://hwala.horror.org/wp/" target="_blank">HWA L.A. Chapter</a> is all kinds of awesome. They always have something going on, are so welcome, friendly, and helpful. Makes me wish I lived just a little bit closer. But what's a four hour drive to be with great friends. It goes by in a flash when I think of the time spent with people I truly enjoy.<br />
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Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-40779764523776530062013-09-07T09:59:00.002-07:002013-09-07T09:59:31.819-07:00Cross Promotion and Advertising with Carl Alves This year, at the Bram Stoker Award<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">® </span>Weekend, Incorporating World Horror Convention in New Orleans 2013, Carl Alves and I attended an excellent workshop on how to market your work by <a href="http://newsle.com/person/mattschwartz/126534" target="_blank">Matt Schwartz</a> from Random House. One of Matt's suggestions was to get together with an author friend or two and cross-promote each other's works. That's what Carl and I are doing this weekend. <br />
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I'll admit I'd never read any of Carl's work before this, but he sent me a copy of <em><strong>Blood Street</strong></em> and I've really been enjoying the story. I'm not a big vampire novel fan these days, although I loved <em>Salem's Lot</em> and the Anne Rice novels among other traditional vampire stories back in the day. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Street-Carl-Alves/dp/1937148181/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378570792&sr=8-1&keywords=blood+street+carl+alves" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKbG_OMmcfl1DXYgNhyvHMUNXqjPcbNOSCetTaLRnT5ETCAVfQPhW2aqYlIeNjTpDcKa8qbsxTlZpkAfFbv8JcozcT9PZd8l1VLCNpPCE8szGpoKGJxVXMUaG95HyKVkJfD8x0oZYsV-9/s1600/Blood+Street.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to purchase.</td></tr>
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This is the synopsis from Amazon: <em><strong>Blood Street</strong> </em>is True Blood meets the Sopranos set in the streets of Philadelphia. When vampires tangle with the Philadelphia mafia, one thing is certain - all hell is going to break loose. <br /> Alexei chose the wrong neighborhood to claim his latest victim, a member of Enzo Salerno's crime syndicate. Now Philadelphia mob boss Enzo Salerno is determined to hunt down the man who killed his associate in such gruesome fashion in his South Philly row home and serve his own brand of old fashioned Italian style vengeance. <span></span><br /><span> Perplexed by this unnatural murder, Salerno uncovers clues that lead him to believe that this was not a mob hit, and that a vampire was responsible for this death. Magnus, the leader of Alexei's brood, must use all of his resources to save them from both the mafia and the FBI, sparking a bloody war that plays out in the streets of Philadelphia. Who will survive on Blood Street? </span><br />
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<span>I'm ten chapters in, and my favorite part of the story thus far is the mob setup. Carl gets it right, which makes me wonder a little...Ha! But I've seen all those mobster movies and read <em>The Godfather</em>, and you won't be disappointed with the development of these mob characters and their crime syndicate. He's done a great job of "showing" and not "telling." I'm sure it would have been easier to do an info dump to explain it all, but Carl takes the time to weave it nicely through the story. </span><br />
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<span>I've recently been introduced to the vampires part of the story, and they're the typical vampires from back in the day, and I thank him for that. Nice job so far. When I'm finished with the book, I'll post reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and in my next blog, where I will also write about how the whole cross-promotion trial went. </span>Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-41179236055041910202013-09-02T10:05:00.000-07:002013-09-02T10:05:28.077-07:00EAST END GIRLS Book Launch Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqQ9AtcuZvKFM8T9RITmh9Y46Q4Njsac6DMg9fFJlpsucZvP2yUO1xneBJfNvxPE8HQr9eP1plLM11l5XszicJbr_lvaoqm1NiMvgEohsQ2T1J_-NmQvUQyRRgc4q1NdZcWq_kADn_nm5/s1600/Front-Cover-Image-East-End-Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqQ9AtcuZvKFM8T9RITmh9Y46Q4Njsac6DMg9fFJlpsucZvP2yUO1xneBJfNvxPE8HQr9eP1plLM11l5XszicJbr_lvaoqm1NiMvgEohsQ2T1J_-NmQvUQyRRgc4q1NdZcWq_kADn_nm5/s200/Front-Cover-Image-East-End-Girls.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfwSuMMx_-0KkVJaUHPpq9MNQLEI23WpYxSuseVeb9bmUEZ49wM7fSUnQhN2lqYoCkXmZiZ4yXm_NuCnLiDR7P7v26hSI_UMad3jREoA5Y38bC8AHSCxqjRDTpV9mQ4NLDyuU1YQCwu6e/s1600/DSCF0958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfwSuMMx_-0KkVJaUHPpq9MNQLEI23WpYxSuseVeb9bmUEZ49wM7fSUnQhN2lqYoCkXmZiZ4yXm_NuCnLiDR7P7v26hSI_UMad3jREoA5Y38bC8AHSCxqjRDTpV9mQ4NLDyuU1YQCwu6e/s200/DSCF0958.JPG" width="200" /></a>Saturday, August 31st was the evening of my book launch party for<em> East End Girls</em>, my historical horror novella for JournalStone Publishing's Double Down Series, Volume 1. Gord Rollo's, <em>Only the Thunder Knows,</em> about notorious grave robbers Burke and Hare is on the flipside. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMjA67GjQ09wn91TuzgcMcVrYfOYqWynqZX4B3UIsTQhinedYYP2pyPbSk1eJLQF5IwQRwtVvzERb_i40JQDOetdoz_lmK4zEa0J3A9uUrsT4UV48W-oZJyavDr_L-PPs2MMMcHmqbTfQ/s1600/Three+of+us+at+EEG+Book+Launch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMjA67GjQ09wn91TuzgcMcVrYfOYqWynqZX4B3UIsTQhinedYYP2pyPbSk1eJLQF5IwQRwtVvzERb_i40JQDOetdoz_lmK4zEa0J3A9uUrsT4UV48W-oZJyavDr_L-PPs2MMMcHmqbTfQ/s200/Three+of+us+at+EEG+Book+Launch.jpg" width="111" /></a>This is the second book launch party I've had within a six month period, so this one went smoother as far as me knowing what I needed for setting up, and I was a lot less nervous. A dear friend of mine runs a jewelry business called <a href="http://ravenousdesign.com/" target="_blank">Ravenous Design</a> and I invited her to join me, along with another one of her friends, who co-created <a href="http://hipssister.com/" target="_blank">HipsSister</a> athletic wear, so between the three of us, we got some good traffic and cross-selling. Fortunately, I also brought copies of my debut novel, <em>The Evolutionist,</em> and it sold nearly as well as <em>East End Girls</em> did, because friends have told friends that it's about the "local" area and those who have read it are spreading the word. (Thank you all for that! XOXO!) So, all in all, I sold a little over fifty books, which was pretty awesome. But I will say the only minor downside to having a joint venture was that I used what I made in sales to purchase items from my party partners. Ha! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1DsbPaBPRIe7T0NXsdF4tsdFaLBqpGkzNBZazINHxRLGV5Ls6Bg5dzBCVbMTUfhqjMKzcgquh2a6VHVcdTQxVKNZw7Sb9c7qHR_en3wEg9z1MRObre8vgtdP7ZAHLWg5gyImbBItxyXR/s1600/DSCF0965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1DsbPaBPRIe7T0NXsdF4tsdFaLBqpGkzNBZazINHxRLGV5Ls6Bg5dzBCVbMTUfhqjMKzcgquh2a6VHVcdTQxVKNZw7Sb9c7qHR_en3wEg9z1MRObre8vgtdP7ZAHLWg5gyImbBItxyXR/s200/DSCF0965.JPG" width="200" /></a>Since I've been writing, (and maybe even a little before that,) I've become somewhat of a recluse. But as a writer, I've learned that it's important to "get out there" and be able to "sell yourself." Having these book launch parties is one way for me to see old friends and make new ones. It's amazing how well you think you know people, but then you find out something new. A friend of a friend may be a well-known agent, or Hollywood producer, or run an advertising agency. All connections that might become handy at some point in your career. Then your friends make those same connections with others for things that they're curious about, or interested in, or need, and relationships and friendships are made. It's a beautiful thing. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKSHc0NTYo2tXjBVvlnuJjwOZOCiV3FSXi7i3_V8yDiD-_gIaDwdBDcq8Hz9Yjh3HUJt9RkHBDBa8Y45F4DbJgpUqgZkVGku1kgh327oRsbt5F9xR9lmQlOJ5TMHw5qajw3S2h3w_LHWO/s1600/Tricia+and+Me+EEG+Book+Launch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKSHc0NTYo2tXjBVvlnuJjwOZOCiV3FSXi7i3_V8yDiD-_gIaDwdBDcq8Hz9Yjh3HUJt9RkHBDBa8Y45F4DbJgpUqgZkVGku1kgh327oRsbt5F9xR9lmQlOJ5TMHw5qajw3S2h3w_LHWO/s200/Tricia+and+Me+EEG+Book+Launch.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
I had a wonderful time, and actually got up and walked around and talked to people when the initial crowd thinned out. Now I feel one of the reasons I have to continue writing is so I can have more book parties and more opportunities to mingle with friends and make new ones. I'd really like to thank everyone that came, spoke with me, and had a good time. Always love the support!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Vx6SgRl21D8P2hMFBWlJ54gYp9gJN1Ve-yJ_8023KezUKp_18p52XyfLqAJFLATUkItzQ5Suv7KAPrSfd6DjTe4ljDiqaZYET6KYxzx5LGpEGAIZzW8pOeaL-2b1hBIS86IyMyD-67lK/s1600/DSCF0995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Vx6SgRl21D8P2hMFBWlJ54gYp9gJN1Ve-yJ_8023KezUKp_18p52XyfLqAJFLATUkItzQ5Suv7KAPrSfd6DjTe4ljDiqaZYET6KYxzx5LGpEGAIZzW8pOeaL-2b1hBIS86IyMyD-67lK/s320/DSCF0995.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
My next event is KillerCon Convention at The Stratosphere here in Vegas, September 19th thru the 22nd. It also takes place over my birthday, and a whole lot of fun happens! Click the logo below for more information. There's still time to register. <br />
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Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-70866182323214915592013-08-08T16:10:00.002-07:002013-08-08T16:21:53.800-07:00"Reclamation"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZXVsGjMbXYpg1zLNWednTjg74giTDEerFrQHBffsP6JrBwVVkSezyEL_3JHmgkvIXD-MLzsishVVmkA8Zpu2SkI8__zmElyOiOFpVmDv1UxZiueu6mhGQl6lWbPPZXiayjwyPj3Obyj4/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZXVsGjMbXYpg1zLNWednTjg74giTDEerFrQHBffsP6JrBwVVkSezyEL_3JHmgkvIXD-MLzsishVVmkA8Zpu2SkI8__zmElyOiOFpVmDv1UxZiueu6mhGQl6lWbPPZXiayjwyPj3Obyj4/s1600/logo.png" /></a>A few months ago, I was asked by a local Las Vegas editor if I'd be interested in writing a short story for the upcoming <em>Las Vegas Writes </em>anthology, which coincides with the <a href="http://vegasvalleybookfestival.org/" target="_blank">Vegas Valley Book Festival</a>, (October 30th - November 2nd) and a contributing authors' panel discussion/book launch scheduled for Halloween. <br />
<em>Hell Yeah!</em> is what I was thinking, but I'm pretty sure I responded with a little more decorum. I was told that the theme is <strong><em>progress</em></strong> and it has to be about Las Vegas in some way. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wish-You-Were-Here-Postcards/dp/1935043676/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375996775&sr=8-1&keywords=wish+you+were+here+las+vegas+book" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAmVT_XknxtVQPsTg95I7qVco0z5rO4eU0WIrtyDMPNIHBWI9s6GEXlLfwdcxyug_dWh7nqizF_ISPOOoiJEsQ48-8g85fPQId3O5ZMQKXOedmWQwRbTSvqRBVGlRfM4MUSNTfmhz9gBn/s1600/Wish+you+were+here.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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To get an idea of what they might be looking for I read last year's anthology, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wish-You-Were-Here-Postcards/dp/1935043676/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375999644&sr=8-1&keywords=wish+you+were+here+in+vegas+books" target="_blank">Wish You Were Here</a></em>, which was an homage of stories and essays to the old Vegas postcards, which I think were also used as writing prompts or at least chosen to go along with the pieces, which I thought was brilliant.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDr3zZsexS7Cz4gmfJmKaK6qsMtR2MywB9M1J9Pr2FgT9cHaoSUGsQ-X-Ib8aehz_Ms2m-6q9gFv3Iu4SainuGe5HSzYojF7knRFmIdCEHDLe64edWjs1I4gxLUz4lYg1guS2vQi95H5MX/s1600/DSCF0671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDr3zZsexS7Cz4gmfJmKaK6qsMtR2MywB9M1J9Pr2FgT9cHaoSUGsQ-X-Ib8aehz_Ms2m-6q9gFv3Iu4SainuGe5HSzYojF7knRFmIdCEHDLe64edWjs1I4gxLUz4lYg1guS2vQi95H5MX/s200/DSCF0671.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
I've had a story in my head for a while, working out the nuts and bolts of it for a few months, but I knew right from the beginning it would have to do with water. I live in the dessert, so water is something precious. Then I've always thought that the whole "Primordial Soup" idea was interesting, too. Put those things together in a "horror/scientific" type of mind and I thought, what if the soup came back because water got smart and didn't like what we were doing to it? What would it do to us? How would it act? After a trip to the Hoover Dam for some background and research, my short story "Reclamation" became a more solidified idea and I began to write it out. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvc4MJFg1_AJ2_kdR2a5sRPbzHevT6CPCu3wMzSW0gmoO4aYVPO38lWTn3HqJn0GI2XTv_-MdQnNniaiTnm_WjlK79x8aTdyrZhQJHjn_oHMHKUIi6ex32wVF6DCCkbd06FSx9EPoCBaB/s1600/DSCF0672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvc4MJFg1_AJ2_kdR2a5sRPbzHevT6CPCu3wMzSW0gmoO4aYVPO38lWTn3HqJn0GI2XTv_-MdQnNniaiTnm_WjlK79x8aTdyrZhQJHjn_oHMHKUIi6ex32wVF6DCCkbd06FSx9EPoCBaB/s200/DSCF0672.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
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Taking the Hoover Dam tour wasn't just probably one of the coolest things I'd ever done, I got some good research out of it and learned quite a bit. After watching a short black and white film like the ones they showed us on projectors back in the day like old "Re-building of America" documentaries after The Great Depression, we got on an elevator and went down over 500 ft. The crowded elevator part was a bit uncomfortable, but it was very quick. I'm not even sure I felt butterflies in my stomach when we slowed/stopped. Then down below, I didn't feel like I was that far under the earth. It was very cool and open, considering it was about 110F degrees outside that day. The Nevada side turbines in the picture to the left where the American Flag hangs, hum a lot quieter than I thought they would. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-uJzBCQ0yOImY2vv1pIeHdNWul5BaZUWkRZgqsMzZiJplWYaGHDPaku5jbNSMrLJOIg2uBxBwvhDFcOBy3aRM57HV0hnZvuX1USacW9GMh6c91_T8e-_dnQbvC44SWxI_J7oXxo53VmU/s1600/DSCF0733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-uJzBCQ0yOImY2vv1pIeHdNWul5BaZUWkRZgqsMzZiJplWYaGHDPaku5jbNSMrLJOIg2uBxBwvhDFcOBy3aRM57HV0hnZvuX1USacW9GMh6c91_T8e-_dnQbvC44SWxI_J7oXxo53VmU/s320/DSCF0733.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzO1zCkC3cMQg6p42IOGpKsnWGTx9zToElTB1cnMZlu3OaydIEaKfZIOtbcKEp-Uw6YzU620RbFy0e3h9Nyij_P1ZNHeg_mFr_JVCCkfZJwIgUOzi3IJZtB2IPXFw1IMNMccqw3ie-97n/s1600/DSCF0735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzO1zCkC3cMQg6p42IOGpKsnWGTx9zToElTB1cnMZlu3OaydIEaKfZIOtbcKEp-Uw6YzU620RbFy0e3h9Nyij_P1ZNHeg_mFr_JVCCkfZJwIgUOzi3IJZtB2IPXFw1IMNMccqw3ie-97n/s200/DSCF0735.JPG" width="150" /></a>Then you take the elevator back up after the tour guide is done explaining how things work. Our tour guide was very patient, as I kept him busy asking questions that made the rest of the tour group a little nervous. <br />
Let me tell you, if you've never done it, the view from the top is a doozy. Especially if you have issues with heights and it's windy. Hundreds of people walk across the top of the damn every day. There's also another bridge that was recently built to keep cars from driving over the top of the dam anymore. To be honest, that's fine by me. I always hated that drive over. Not that the new bridge is any less scary.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwXUkmFjN7ULewv1m6zkltB0I6eHsMZOwFr1gWRjwZFhIYPEpjpriv-7qIlJE8uk_bRvg6sI0MU55q0seKCqdt8povBIHriaJPmpuLZ7_Rnv_1wEKoKwBekHD1KhcRmwPZdbcRO3VTXNi/s1600/DSCF0740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwXUkmFjN7ULewv1m6zkltB0I6eHsMZOwFr1gWRjwZFhIYPEpjpriv-7qIlJE8uk_bRvg6sI0MU55q0seKCqdt8povBIHriaJPmpuLZ7_Rnv_1wEKoKwBekHD1KhcRmwPZdbcRO3VTXNi/s320/DSCF0740.JPG" width="240" /></a> At the end of the trip we went to view some of the famous statuary done by Norwegian-born, naturalized American Oskar J.W. Hansen. One of them was the monument of dedication on the Nevada side of the dam. Rising from a black, polished base, is a 142-foot flagpole flanked by two winged figures, which Hansen calls the Winged Figures of the Republic. The winged bronzes which guard the flag, wear the look of eagles. The winged figures are 30 feet high. Their shells are 5/8-inch thick, and contain more than 4 tons of statuary bronze. The figures were formed from sand molds weighing 492 tons. The bronze that forms the shells was heated to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, and poured into the molds in one continuous, molten stream. It is said that touching their feet is good luck so were sure to do this. <br />
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I suppose my whole point in writing this particular blog post was to show how important research is even when writing a short story. I wanted to know what the smells were like at the dam, what it felt like, and sounded like, so that I could "show" not "tell" when I wrote details in my story. From minor to major ones, research is an all important thing. I know that when I'm reading, and with my nursing/medical background, if I read something that just isn't possible or not right, but know could have easily been rectified with a little research, I tend to put the book down. And I'm not saying that my research is always a hundred percent. I <em>am</em> writing a work of fiction after all. <br />
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I turned "Reclamation" in the yesterday and reminded the editor that I'm a horror writer, so my idea of <em><strong>progress</strong></em> may differ from others. <br />
<br />Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-80656955106832295802013-05-02T09:38:00.000-07:002013-05-11T16:52:41.169-07:00THE EVOLUTIONIST Las Vegas Book Launch Party April 13th was the big day. My friends had flown in from Sacramento late Friday night on the twelfth, and after an interesting cab ride they suffered through from the airport, we all finally settled in after two in the morning. Excited for the day ahead, I woke up early and made them wake up, too. We had breakfast and then I left them at the hotel so I could make preparations and try to get a nap. (Unfortunately, the nap didn't happen.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlMTEGiT03JTY9sB4Qcu2-GSV0nN0nK-EJot_CubXItLVjL43SXncM3S8BeIw6w6pSHARk-uomN0-gAU6MHbIPNLjVWDmud1w2hRZF5QOzEPHw6Q4Z2t8bp9_8brGGXZ2CLTJpGPKtmfw/s1600/The+Evolutionist-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlMTEGiT03JTY9sB4Qcu2-GSV0nN0nK-EJot_CubXItLVjL43SXncM3S8BeIw6w6pSHARk-uomN0-gAU6MHbIPNLjVWDmud1w2hRZF5QOzEPHw6Q4Z2t8bp9_8brGGXZ2CLTJpGPKtmfw/s200/The+Evolutionist-6.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRyBi63s8J68f1GLLVAvFjyZPXdmUCBFnRC_Uk82a3qLuNqn98zXmksPFZKSrc4RCuaR97ZGKDlvZ6IFjeafS4EGw_wuqMcDoi-4ltz3tGwy7ROzMhiBEjEEbGTL8_1wsxUCeO9uAjkTh/s1600/The+Evolutionist-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRyBi63s8J68f1GLLVAvFjyZPXdmUCBFnRC_Uk82a3qLuNqn98zXmksPFZKSrc4RCuaR97ZGKDlvZ6IFjeafS4EGw_wuqMcDoi-4ltz3tGwy7ROzMhiBEjEEbGTL8_1wsxUCeO9uAjkTh/s200/The+Evolutionist-17.jpg" width="133" /></a>The Suncoast Hotel provided quite the spread, including some really cute individual desserts. If you missed out, the food was delish. <br />
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By the time the party started, I was already feeling a bit tired. And nervous. So I had a dirty martini I'd been sipping. (Because alcohol always helps to wake you up. NOT.) People started coming in around 5pm and I began signing books, and my friend Mindy was in charge of the accounting. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugLTA4MXSeSEeuaRlEjodkBOhWiVcqiwPX7YvBShFSj8akQ2pj86cw7yAoZnpiDd8a7wqqWRnoL0MhotLTjyulVl-_0-YZFT-fxAl8T53gYZVwBIgDiDoDIEDyzVEv0LDPpUazuEvKFJP/s1600/The+Evolutionist-68.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugLTA4MXSeSEeuaRlEjodkBOhWiVcqiwPX7YvBShFSj8akQ2pj86cw7yAoZnpiDd8a7wqqWRnoL0MhotLTjyulVl-_0-YZFT-fxAl8T53gYZVwBIgDiDoDIEDyzVEv0LDPpUazuEvKFJP/s320/The+Evolutionist-68.jpg" width="320" /></a>I enjoyed meeting lots of new people that were interested in the book, but because I was busy signing, I missed out on talking to some old friends I hadn't seen in a while, which was kind of a bummer. So, I took a few more sips of martini. <br />
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I met one lady who was writing and interested in getting advice on how to get her fan fiction of<em> Fifty Shades of Grey</em> published. (I didn't tell her that she was the second person locally, within a matter of two weeks, that had approached me on the same exact subject matter, which I thought was kind of interesting.) Anyway, as writers, we always like to encourage other writers to keep writing, so I gave her the advice of attending romance/erotica cons and Googling publishers/editors that would be interested and submitting. I have not read the series, so it was hard to know which publishers to recommend, and I'm at the far end of the spectrum from romance novels as far as my own stories. Ha! To be honest, one of the best ways to learn is trial and error. I learned everything the hard way myself, from the correct way of formatting a manuscript, to submitting to an agent versus indie publishers, and everything in between. It's not easy, but if you can learn the process and continue to write, then I feel you become more appreciative of it all and know that it's something you really want and not just a fly-by-night idea. Of course, at the time, I couldn't think of that last best bit of advice. Then I had more sips of martini and continued with more of the signings. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LNgeJMdTBZn5rIOrMIA-IRMCUX_fUxS5PHWmkR5PjrMwC3SFO8FtByKW0pMr6ldextGkzA4sr6DNTRsrSkVJsMIaC8hqpWIZJGE_zOYaqVOAWkHWgrxO8P-HvrebStvqklpKoaU_ho2P/s1600/The+Evolutionist-48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LNgeJMdTBZn5rIOrMIA-IRMCUX_fUxS5PHWmkR5PjrMwC3SFO8FtByKW0pMr6ldextGkzA4sr6DNTRsrSkVJsMIaC8hqpWIZJGE_zOYaqVOAWkHWgrxO8P-HvrebStvqklpKoaU_ho2P/s320/The+Evolutionist-48.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
When things started to slow down, I finally got up and mingled a little bit. I was thoroughly exhausted at this point and maybe a little bit buzzed. Having something to eat definitely helped. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNoEyL5nhZdq2fFt5BnslugOG_5V16HayEx1DiXrX1UBxz9DYboP5R5wv1NTsmiq5ZBV-k_7WDmFtBI_7tRDVUAhovmgDY3nyULozsiN-rqNek82-_24AASTe8tkEavr10zH3a8MLlnK1/s1600/The+Evolutionist-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNoEyL5nhZdq2fFt5BnslugOG_5V16HayEx1DiXrX1UBxz9DYboP5R5wv1NTsmiq5ZBV-k_7WDmFtBI_7tRDVUAhovmgDY3nyULozsiN-rqNek82-_24AASTe8tkEavr10zH3a8MLlnK1/s320/The+Evolutionist-25.jpg" width="213" /></a>All in all, I thought it was a good turnout, a lot of fun, and I even sold some books! I'd like to thank my friend Mindy for her accounting skills, Stacy Scranton for her photography skills, (she will be the official photographer for <a href="http://www.stokers2013.org/" target="_blank">The Bram Stoker Awards<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">® <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Weekend </span></span>Incorporating World Horror Convention in New Orleans</a> from June 13-16, 2013,) where I will also be in attendance, reading, signing, selling, and volunteering. I also want to thank my husband for all his help and everyone who came to support me. It's definitely something I'd consider doing again. There were many more photos that wouldn't all fit here, so I will eventually add them to the gallery on my website, <a href="http://www.renamasonwrites.com/">www.renamasonwrites.com</a> <br />
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Coming soon is my blog on the <a href="http://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times Festival of Books</a> and some NOLA advice from someone who has been to a writer's convention there for 6 years in a row. Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-22124483275245227422013-03-25T10:57:00.001-07:002013-03-25T11:01:37.892-07:00Black Water Snake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjbFbXo4MEmk5ZZqTMUWj52hOKlMIQ4R0naxljTEh7mNK05UL_aN15jvmoaxWWbKj4Y59s-alJBa6WInvQlM75N71iJVgO6U4HJQTek0h0PXriICHQ8LNXuTfzKzZQTDC1xdH7zsmTzh2/s1600/Black-Snake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjbFbXo4MEmk5ZZqTMUWj52hOKlMIQ4R0naxljTEh7mNK05UL_aN15jvmoaxWWbKj4Y59s-alJBa6WInvQlM75N71iJVgO6U4HJQTek0h0PXriICHQ8LNXuTfzKzZQTDC1xdH7zsmTzh2/s200/Black-Snake.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The new year hasn't quite started off the way that I would've wanted, but hopefully, it improves as the weeks go by. The "black" years have never been good for me anyhow. For starters, I had been looking for (and trying out) new laptops. I wanted something really small, thin, and light, but it had to be powerful enough to run a database. I found one! The AcerS7. I absolutely love it. The only downside is the "Delete" button that is at the bottom of the keyboard, two spaces to the right of the spacebar. I'd like to shoot the engineer who came up with that idea. I haven't lost part of an MS thus far, but I have deleted entire paragraphs of emails. I'm going to try putting some kind of textured sticker on the key to let my fingers know (teach them) that they shouldn't be on it. I've been typing for so long and up to 120wpm w/ fewer than 13 mistakes, that my fingers type sometimes, faster than my thoughts. They even make corrections on their own. (Or maybe, it just feels that way.) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqAJVlOF0cmJEBqkp1HLeIrv4kzluCAIrqk4YZkPqq42RfW-Mvhp6Is1MmIm39mtoQEL75p5h7DekeUfRoytXS2Oiw3r97EkgPZIfst-NqgW-SelWde7rKwRfodQnWySgJ5BxE2vL3gho/s1600/s7-product-series-main.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqAJVlOF0cmJEBqkp1HLeIrv4kzluCAIrqk4YZkPqq42RfW-Mvhp6Is1MmIm39mtoQEL75p5h7DekeUfRoytXS2Oiw3r97EkgPZIfst-NqgW-SelWde7rKwRfodQnWySgJ5BxE2vL3gho/s200/s7-product-series-main.png" width="200" /></a>In any case, the Acer S7 has my thumbs up. Most of the complaints about it in other reviews were for it's low amount of memory. I don't use a lot of memory, so that wasn't a big issue for me, and I purchased a mini XD card and stuck it in the slot. Wow. It's amazing to me how that tiny little thing could hold 32gigs of ram (or whatever.) I'm no techie by any means. So the laptop works great, but it's my internet that is bad, and there's nothing I can do about that right now. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHw2QsfjW7b5QPbWg88lgq-qxiHrnLt8U5Ychr-0ziWIXr_1hWx4MVQanezgqTVxbxjBH4jl-aFeuFsJh9GGLuXAADSf4sCKILIiyiMjsN9S7ng3ZNjTtfRSFeKq-FaTxzTEE6pgS0ziEm/s1600/evolutionis2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHw2QsfjW7b5QPbWg88lgq-qxiHrnLt8U5Ychr-0ziWIXr_1hWx4MVQanezgqTVxbxjBH4jl-aFeuFsJh9GGLuXAADSf4sCKILIiyiMjsN9S7ng3ZNjTtfRSFeKq-FaTxzTEE6pgS0ziEm/s200/evolutionis2.jpg" width="141" /></a>The next bit of good news with a sting is that my debut novel, <em>The Evolutionist</em>, will be out by the end of this month or early April. I was hoping that it would be out sooner, but things happen for a reason. I've scheduled a book launch party for Saturday, April 13th at The Suncoast Hotel in Summerlin. I'm hoping---fingers crossed---everything goes off without a hitch. This past Saturday, I decided to update <a href="http://www.renamasonwrites.com/" target="_blank">my website</a> for the release of the novel. Because of my "spotty" internet service and frustration, I ended up deleting the entire thing but the main page. It took me all of yesterday, but I think I have it back up and running. Nothing is coming without a price this year. That's what I'm saying about the "black" part of the water snake year. But at least I'm learning early on. <br />
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On some good news that brings me a little more added work, I was promoted to the HWA Head Compiler for the Bram Stoker Awards
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">®<span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I also took on the "Recently Born of Horrific Minds" column for the monthly HWA Newsletter. I did get some help for the compiling, though. And that is most certainly good news. The column is fun writing up, and I enjoy working with Kathy Ptacek and Erinn Kemp (the columnists for "The Classifieds" and "Fiendish Endeavors." You can find out more and how to advertise and receive the monthly newsletter here: <a href="http://www.horror.org/">http://www.horror.org/</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I also received an acceptance letter to the International Thrillers Writers as an active member. Find out more about this organization here: <a href="http://thrillerwriters.org/">http://thrillerwriters.org/</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpT7hX7vhJ4zepvBTNiYFP61EXMDR467WCk2rr3KBuk1sVImJjbTvx20Yt7uioeh3Gww0FlE9GGSVN53IqFfEMCjFJNbBcTmPnUVvKC04s6LtNC1gqq9AfUPeUklS10Roi84rqF2FS_DE/s1600/Front-Cover-Image-Only-the-Thunder-Knows_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpT7hX7vhJ4zepvBTNiYFP61EXMDR467WCk2rr3KBuk1sVImJjbTvx20Yt7uioeh3Gww0FlE9GGSVN53IqFfEMCjFJNbBcTmPnUVvKC04s6LtNC1gqq9AfUPeUklS10Roi84rqF2FS_DE/s200/Front-Cover-Image-Only-the-Thunder-Knows_thumb.jpg" width="134" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuaxeThKJhOOBq5AZDz_Xm0HH6fZw2FCBvBLPkYgpHxVLz2EOBWu8JLUnfqYPrTMLuxb6HmSWdyXwnMYQfTjYEVRC90cA2KgJUOhKtGPvSzbQDTGrVea0q_wCwshqkorVu634Q9TX_fyr/s1600/Front-Cover-Image-East-End-Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuaxeThKJhOOBq5AZDz_Xm0HH6fZw2FCBvBLPkYgpHxVLz2EOBWu8JLUnfqYPrTMLuxb6HmSWdyXwnMYQfTjYEVRC90cA2KgJUOhKtGPvSzbQDTGrVea0q_wCwshqkorVu634Q9TX_fyr/s200/Front-Cover-Image-East-End-Girls.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My novella, <em>East End Girls</em>, is now available for preorder. <a href="http://journal-store.com/fiction/only-the-thunder-knows-east-end-girls/">http://journal-store.com/fiction/only-the-thunder-knows-east-end-girls/</a> Thanks to Gene O'Neill and Chris Marrs, Gord Rollo teamed up with me to do a "Double Down" book for <a href="http://journalstone.com/2012/10/09/journalstone-publishing-announces-new-double-down-book-series/" target="_blank">JournalStone Publishing</a>. They're supposed to be like the old "Ace Doubles" flip books. It was a lot of fun to write. We both decided on historical horror tales while Gord was here in Las Vegas for <a href="http://killercon.com/" target="_blank">KillerCon</a> last year. So great to see it all fall into place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Then there was some really sad news this month with the passing of <a href="http://www.jamesherbert.com/" target="_blank">James Herbert</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/David-B.-Silva/e/B003ZOK102" target="_blank">David B. Silva</a>, and <a href="http://www.rickhautala.com/" target="_blank">Rick Hautala</a>. Please if you can, make donations to their families or even just buy their books to keep their legacies going. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-81708374180717071432012-11-28T08:21:00.000-08:002012-11-28T08:21:27.986-08:00The Next Big Thing Blog Tour<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8QOu9KEJ-8CMHLnTQ6sEG7AjaBS3p8qWxZEDUYa8QKfitTXg7XP7FUBR2B69siIavE1rP4uBy2tUi0SHkvICzcfEMg98xQil6WnDQu0jhOPIloYVgfR_fcFDNZ4sW_CDggkdHr198SM7/s1600/thenextbigthing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8QOu9KEJ-8CMHLnTQ6sEG7AjaBS3p8qWxZEDUYa8QKfitTXg7XP7FUBR2B69siIavE1rP4uBy2tUi0SHkvICzcfEMg98xQil6WnDQu0jhOPIloYVgfR_fcFDNZ4sW_CDggkdHr198SM7/s200/thenextbigthing.jpg" width="131" /></a>Two weeks ago, author <a href="http://bkethridge.com/" target="_blank">Benjamin Kane Ethridge</a> asked me join this chain-letter type blog tour and after several email volleys, I finally "got it" and agreed to do it. So here goes.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8eFAqGNOYdMxsbj-oza1E2LuX6VhFUP0BpEParHPrtvHVCIfHPlZlxMYexB-3_2IP4hCyFbwl0TiiYSGmdMKkbm99c7jxAYIbiF1XHM-wvjNg-7vYZ11JsARlrAtiiD-DVHsXrN0L4Ib/s1600/East+End+Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8eFAqGNOYdMxsbj-oza1E2LuX6VhFUP0BpEParHPrtvHVCIfHPlZlxMYexB-3_2IP4hCyFbwl0TiiYSGmdMKkbm99c7jxAYIbiF1XHM-wvjNg-7vYZ11JsARlrAtiiD-DVHsXrN0L4Ib/s200/East+End+Girls.jpg" width="120" /></a><br />
1) What is the working title of your next book? The working title of my next work is <em>East End Girls</em>, and it's a novella.<br />
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2) Where did the idea come from for the book? The idea came a few years ago while I was reading/researching famous historical crimes and thought, what if?<br />
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3) What genre does your book fall under? The genre is Horror/Alternate History.<br />
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4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition? If I could choose any actors for a film adaptation of my book, I would want <em>Real</em> British ones. Emily Blunt would be my first choice for the main character. <br />
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5) A one-sentence synopsis describing my book: Desperate to follow in her father's footsteps, a young lady crosses paths with Jack the Ripper and discovers the darkness that dwells within a killer.<br />
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6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? It is being published by JournalStone in the "Double Down" series.<br />
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7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript? 30 days of NaNoWriMo!<br />
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8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? Stevenson's, <em>Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</em>, but it's a bit of a stretch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudt8J_uq89WDh0rROlkQeX6O6bI2jrUC-JMDq_irY-BYknWTemV7FnLSeqsMvdEMdCqkwYM0-S_BQzAtd2Nw1UgVEoqq513-b5353Hot1mETuB-Sdzo5_z2fMoNe4kcfkRaRCF_i0HXfS/s1600/DR_JEKYLL_AND_MR_HYDE___31_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudt8J_uq89WDh0rROlkQeX6O6bI2jrUC-JMDq_irY-BYknWTemV7FnLSeqsMvdEMdCqkwYM0-S_BQzAtd2Nw1UgVEoqq513-b5353Hot1mETuB-Sdzo5_z2fMoNe4kcfkRaRCF_i0HXfS/s200/DR_JEKYLL_AND_MR_HYDE___31_.jpg" width="153" /></a>9) Who or what inspired you to write this book? I had originally planned it as a short story but was encouraged by my editor, <a href="http://www.editorialdepartment.com/editors/rj-cavender" target="_blank">R.J. Cavender</a>, to write it as a novella or novel. Other than that, it was my love of history that inspired the story. <br />
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10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest? It has a historical twist, which I personally enjoy reading.<br />
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This blog tour of "The Next Big Thing" continues next Wednesday, December 5th. Keep an eye out for Q & A's with:<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cynthiavespia.com%2F&h=kAQE28Mld" target="_blank">Cynthia Vespia</a>, <a href="http://sylvre.com/" target="_blank">Lou Sylvre</a>, <a href="http://jerrywheeleronline.com/" target="_blank">Jerry Wheeler</a>, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/00430074872787059897" target="_blank">David-Matthew Barnes</a>, and <a href="http://derekaustinjohnson.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Derek Johnson</a>.<br />
<br />Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-56898651526727722962012-11-18T09:35:00.000-08:002012-11-18T09:35:08.942-08:00The Haunted Mansion Writer's Retreat 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kqkIP9sNCR7kPRojMPCKw7S7Jjd0HbsbjkmLAAK9ygNImG64QoRZ8Kn5bIb7WvkYwciotGNptNeg7xa3bUNkwtrUqrAHb7Q81d_WfV3KxLHROcEzOs6hry-XTl-BxNA2HLFcG7OIMd8d/s1600/DSCF2375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kqkIP9sNCR7kPRojMPCKw7S7Jjd0HbsbjkmLAAK9ygNImG64QoRZ8Kn5bIb7WvkYwciotGNptNeg7xa3bUNkwtrUqrAHb7Q81d_WfV3KxLHROcEzOs6hry-XTl-BxNA2HLFcG7OIMd8d/s1600/DSCF2375.JPG" width="200" /></a>It was Thursday, September 27th, exactly one week after my birthday, and still recovering from KillerCon Convention in Las Vegas, when I was met at the luggage carousel at SFO by <a href="http://lisamorton.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Morton</a> who was all smiles. Despite all of our reported delays and texting them to one another, we all seemed to land around the same time and didn't have to wait too long for anyone. As soon as I retrieved my luggage, we were off to find <a href="http://deepcuts111.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Chris Marrs</a>, which thanks to Lisa, who actually reads the signs in airports, we were able to do without taking a shuttle to the other side of the airport. After a harrowing taxi ride we finally made it to the mansion and were met by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Weston-Ochse/e/B002BM38Z4" target="_blank">Weston Ochse</a>. Inside, we had our pictures taken and pinned above the fireplace which reminded me of players in a murder mystery. </div>
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Our lovely hostess, <a href="http://raingraves.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Rain Graves</a>, showed us to our rooms and gave us a tour of the house. The interior was beautiful. Creaky stairs, dark woodwork, stained glass. Just lovely. During the tour Rain pointed out "hot spots" in the house for paranormal activity. I'll admit I'm not so into that kind of thing. I've always thought along the lines of letting <em>sleeping dogs lie</em>. But when Rain told me that my roommate wasn't coming, I'll be honest, I was a bit nervous about sleeping alone and thankful I brought Prince Valium to help me out with that. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WIU8WuF2572_YYb_a11Fs1708V5S8bxR0uY2QBkV1DtiFRC1GV0c2cEtgDtJgkUYyLLTTniOv3XzCfzuc5L6I9GYIVJTgfOT4B9PyJV5OnIbiKNfjdlwqv-oRSu843abVjW8AcuUPndO/s1600/DSCF2314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WIU8WuF2572_YYb_a11Fs1708V5S8bxR0uY2QBkV1DtiFRC1GV0c2cEtgDtJgkUYyLLTTniOv3XzCfzuc5L6I9GYIVJTgfOT4B9PyJV5OnIbiKNfjdlwqv-oRSu843abVjW8AcuUPndO/s200/DSCF2314.JPG" width="200" /></a>Not long after the tour, we were forced by the wonderful <a href="http://deepcuts111.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Eunice Magill</a> to take a walk of the grounds. And oh, what a walk that was. If the house didn't give you the creeps, the pathwalk most certainly would. When I saw the old swimming pool, I immediately thought of the "baby bog" from Matheson's, Hell House. There are old twisted trees, stone and stick totems reminiscent of <em><a href="http://www.blairwitch.com/" target="_blank">The Blair Witch Project</a></em>, a cave, a burnt hollowed out tree, and lots of steep steps that led up and up and up. Trying to walk at night without a flashlight would surely result in a broken neck or in the least, a sprained ankle. I took a picture of what to me looked like a wood nymph. </div>
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Then the dinner bell rang! The food was beyond delicious and we were never left hungry. I can't even list a favorite dish because they were all so tasty. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEiTbeAjaYhV1Ey-u6JKyXgkQKQPjbGgsxX0LupBB3BkiLz7FjzBb1q172qpoeGfyTE8pQlfogQ6ZsUit2HLJC0Fg-SV1LaZWZw2gYtWhXJl8HXUwLq2be_IxCdvZ4IBGBofCCzsLdx6V5/s1600/DSCF2387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEiTbeAjaYhV1Ey-u6JKyXgkQKQPjbGgsxX0LupBB3BkiLz7FjzBb1q172qpoeGfyTE8pQlfogQ6ZsUit2HLJC0Fg-SV1LaZWZw2gYtWhXJl8HXUwLq2be_IxCdvZ4IBGBofCCzsLdx6V5/s1600/DSCF2387.JPG" width="200" /></a>At night we'd sit on the porch and talk. Sometimes three deer would show up then take off when they heard rustling in the trees. Someone talked about mountain lions and after that I stayed close to the house at night. Ghosts are one thing, but an animal attack is well, a whole other animal. (Yeah, cheesy.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUFplUG9AivJvVEagnTQr980fmZFvEtziBCZpWlbBZc0esQNxjukJn5kHAAsTOudzdc4wbIesv6m7AmgDyliwzwVgBs4nvllWbE1MIN92SE9K167lV12uqaNW_QBY9U17x5NT9P_affMA/s1600/DSCF2330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUFplUG9AivJvVEagnTQr980fmZFvEtziBCZpWlbBZc0esQNxjukJn5kHAAsTOudzdc4wbIesv6m7AmgDyliwzwVgBs4nvllWbE1MIN92SE9K167lV12uqaNW_QBY9U17x5NT9P_affMA/s1600/DSCF2330.JPG" width="200" /></a>The second night, the lovely and talented <a href="http://www.franfriel.com/" target="_blank">Fran Friel</a> came down from the very "active" 3rd floor and roomed with me. Definitely the best roommate I've ever had and she never complained that I was in the bigger bed. HA! Gotta love her for that. A real sweetheart. And super bonus, I got a signed copy of <em>Mama's Boy</em>, which I can't wait to start reading. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoU2ySQX8b5QFtoN4gLpOjYc8GSnzY-KIBDj0JxEkVFNfUi_rTXp6vLaicS1bAenixUrkYzskF0Kuy7VJBFaSwzX6UTQdyR2r3tZj8cjIE2t8gDQ-UudzARlwAfTwIefFD2M3IG6zbKkY/s1600/mama%2527s+boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoU2ySQX8b5QFtoN4gLpOjYc8GSnzY-KIBDj0JxEkVFNfUi_rTXp6vLaicS1bAenixUrkYzskF0Kuy7VJBFaSwzX6UTQdyR2r3tZj8cjIE2t8gDQ-UudzARlwAfTwIefFD2M3IG6zbKkY/s1600/mama%2527s+boy.jpg" width="200" /></a>During the day, many of us hung out in the library and worked on our individual projects. One of which was a rug. LOL! <a href="http://www.lorenrhoads.com/" target="_blank">Loren Rhoads</a>. I got a lot done while I was there, so if you think it's all fun and games, it's not. I completed five chapters of rewrites and edited a short story. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SjBqG5onqPyEET0rTROG41KNUGG39Qpfk7e7vfSrp86AQKZl3eI7vISgEx6HMP318N61LNwtwEsFA3WHYlFwdgVPdol51VW_-n8exiFX-p47vHEO6w_jHBBKR431SJc2v5z2P9QqHEv8/s1600/DSCF2343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SjBqG5onqPyEET0rTROG41KNUGG39Qpfk7e7vfSrp86AQKZl3eI7vISgEx6HMP318N61LNwtwEsFA3WHYlFwdgVPdol51VW_-n8exiFX-p47vHEO6w_jHBBKR431SJc2v5z2P9QqHEv8/s1600/DSCF2343.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAzVHa8SF7MqOwjTxu-_uvdqj1EgcGWF9OBTziA581Pm9zDYGlEnUQCmU1Kc1WAdBt40cITkp3S-ErmAtrcD51SDBayXVGBMVd-pMq31Q4hyQb6HNWoMDF5QUwsHhd3MEC9ObheFEV5VZ/s1600/Changeling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAzVHa8SF7MqOwjTxu-_uvdqj1EgcGWF9OBTziA581Pm9zDYGlEnUQCmU1Kc1WAdBt40cITkp3S-ErmAtrcD51SDBayXVGBMVd-pMq31Q4hyQb6HNWoMDF5QUwsHhd3MEC9ObheFEV5VZ/s1600/Changeling.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://sgbrowne.com/" target="_blank">S.G. Browne</a>, Weston and <a href="http://www.sff.net/people/seph/" target="_blank">Sephera Giron</a> would walk around the house with one of those handheld "ghost reader thingies" and a tape recorder. They came back excited about a recording, but no one believed them because it sounded like Darth Vader taking a breath. But after some cleaning up of the recordings by the very talented <a href="http://damnationbooks.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/world-horror-con-pictures/img_7077/" target="_blank">William Gilchrist</a>, voices both male and female were heard speaking clear words. I was sitting next to them as they sorted through the recordings and it made the hairs on my arms and neck stand up. Reminded me of the scene in the movie, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Changeling-George-C-Scott/dp/0783116926" target="_blank">The Changeling</a></em>, (the best ghost story ever,) when George C. Scott's character first heard the haunting child's voice on the recording. C-R-E-E-P-Y. That night I was real glad Fran was with me. <br />
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A few other ghostly moments went down, and I actually did feel changes in the house that made me uncomfortable at times, but overall, I never felt like anything bad was out to get me. Then again, I choose to ignore things like I said before - <em>let sleeping dogs lie</em>. <br />
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It was a great experience and the camraderie couldn't be beat. I tend to feel a little <em>awkward</em> in large groups, but The Haunted Mansion Writer's Retreat 2014 will be something I look forward to in the future. For those of you who might be thinking about it. Do it. Book early, you won't regret it. </div>
Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-91488541226056856512012-10-07T08:48:00.000-07:002012-10-07T08:48:29.529-07:00KillerCon 4 - Las Vegas 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJkFGcGHh2XT0QyO79XDTPeqHt6vyGgmW0uEV6adaCUskVyAFUQumcys2bKTLqcENdNS0MpQ20MjTKsVRaBeBBdPuILHS0_LoOSMc53Q7LCsKt3NMeCGmzX_bieV2EtUj9boQUBaW1LME/s1600/killercon4_logo_-_web_l3al_mq54.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJkFGcGHh2XT0QyO79XDTPeqHt6vyGgmW0uEV6adaCUskVyAFUQumcys2bKTLqcENdNS0MpQ20MjTKsVRaBeBBdPuILHS0_LoOSMc53Q7LCsKt3NMeCGmzX_bieV2EtUj9boQUBaW1LME/s200/killercon4_logo_-_web_l3al_mq54.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJkFGcGHh2XT0QyO79XDTPeqHt6vyGgmW0uEV6adaCUskVyAFUQumcys2bKTLqcENdNS0MpQ20MjTKsVRaBeBBdPuILHS0_LoOSMc53Q7LCsKt3NMeCGmzX_bieV2EtUj9boQUBaW1LME/s1600/killercon4_logo_-_web_l3al_mq54.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7e5Xe-4r4yYUggztj-HlVvramotlrN2goSXc4Dmvk72uV85CA3yAEjfjmDCHbuueXOEOfFvNLqPUWbPky1zEXoIgZw4icO6a4sCaZJWbJg5R4POb0eGpmOJ0ylYyD6dtl3OhQ_-1T7kpP/s1600/Killercon-5343+(360x241).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7e5Xe-4r4yYUggztj-HlVvramotlrN2goSXc4Dmvk72uV85CA3yAEjfjmDCHbuueXOEOfFvNLqPUWbPky1zEXoIgZw4icO6a4sCaZJWbJg5R4POb0eGpmOJ0ylYyD6dtl3OhQ_-1T7kpP/s200/Killercon-5343+(360x241).jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://killercon.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"></a>This was my third KillerCon and by far one of the most attended and busiest. It started off with the t-shirt printing company spelling Jack Ketchum's name wrong. In the craziness that ensued to fix this error, a lot of sleep was lost and I spent the rest of the time trying to catch up, and it never happened. Then YAY! They were able to fix it. Then BOO, one of the other volunteers, (<a href="http://www.masonbundschuh.com/" target="_blank">Mason Bundschuh</a>, thanks a lot Mason ;) mentioned that Kelley Armstrong's name was also spelled wrong, and then I was done after that, but apologized to her for the error. She was very cool about it too. The GOH's at KillerCon are so awesome! Needless to say, next year's t-shirts will be done by a different company and at least one or two weeks in advance. The proofs will also go around to several volunteers for approval. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17RU-SxE_cE5m5gEcbfnmKJN4Bvgant5rTq5KusUCE-naMC-OtRFKPj6jGubUZbbRsnH4G8aXL4QrsCz3Dh-CwooM3AD2GO9lMdjt2lMv-VNWOCfcNQf8izmOQu51ijg1uTyHVLpeu1id/s1600/Zipline+pic+(222x166).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17RU-SxE_cE5m5gEcbfnmKJN4Bvgant5rTq5KusUCE-naMC-OtRFKPj6jGubUZbbRsnH4G8aXL4QrsCz3Dh-CwooM3AD2GO9lMdjt2lMv-VNWOCfcNQf8izmOQu51ijg1uTyHVLpeu1id/s200/Zipline+pic+(222x166).jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRZbxuPrunkbEZE7Rb_cZdwRRsytFl9Q91889tCVUM2MDT4fVjNhXaVCv6ZbLhTuZBQI_52Z5t6FapKiN4kr-GvDR9bvAFjNK12x05cBJKR6Frxie9zGZ7jpcdbGhvpIgrsa0jfBfkRD2/s1600/Killercon-5373+%2528360x241%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRZbxuPrunkbEZE7Rb_cZdwRRsytFl9Q91889tCVUM2MDT4fVjNhXaVCv6ZbLhTuZBQI_52Z5t6FapKiN4kr-GvDR9bvAFjNK12x05cBJKR6Frxie9zGZ7jpcdbGhvpIgrsa0jfBfkRD2/s200/Killercon-5373+%2528360x241%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a>KillerCon kicked off on my birthday this year! And I could think of no better way to make up for the for the t-shirt debacle than having a cake rolled out for me, and Dallas, (<a href="http://www.jackketchum.net/im-not-sam-contest/" target="_blank">Jack Ketchum</a>,) front and center, singing happy birthday. It was all kinds of awesome! I'd like to thank everybody that was involved behind the sneaky maneuver. It was a great surprise I'll always remember and cherish. Then it was off to zipline down Fremont Street! I gathered up a small group including Christie White, <a href="http://markcscioneaux.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mark Scioneaux</a> (co-owner of <a href="http://www.nightscapepress.com/" target="_blank">Nightscape Press</a>,) and his lovely wife, Jessica. My childhood bestie, Mindy Morgan, and her wife, <a href="http://www.stacyscrantonphotography.com/" target="_blank">Stacy Scranton</a>, the official KillerCon photographer, also came along. And we had a BLAST! It was great flying down the street with old and new friends. I was ready for a drink after that. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosSAdn2QWnJnZlxlGKSbRC0iIbokh0GD6sjIiV9DrOl_VJ2ZfJiCMJUTT8cclsfeAcsb1nShbnEautT-BUwv8PQ2UfwBV5aXpR6rtlx0OTPwF8sSLg-y8fKxrdp1aIrFZHyZ4NU70HAAv/s1600/IMG_20120920_204824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosSAdn2QWnJnZlxlGKSbRC0iIbokh0GD6sjIiV9DrOl_VJ2ZfJiCMJUTT8cclsfeAcsb1nShbnEautT-BUwv8PQ2UfwBV5aXpR6rtlx0OTPwF8sSLg-y8fKxrdp1aIrFZHyZ4NU70HAAv/s200/IMG_20120920_204824.jpg" width="200" /></a>The next few days were spent in the dirty martini hangover haze that I associate with KillerCon. However, compounded with my lack of sleep, I only became more exhausted and would end the nights early. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnghDUX_G9-InM5L7lwgST0rU4iOdS9XwB5AYEJ4nZnUwIf3qP5nEtSx-Z-icVklJ0m5bSgDNTvXqYrzRy7xs7DTzqckTKpmsx12F7DpklsIxYpg4Mvf4Uw-cQtUjikVal0L9yLIH4XAJI/s1600/Killercon-6189+(360x241).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnghDUX_G9-InM5L7lwgST0rU4iOdS9XwB5AYEJ4nZnUwIf3qP5nEtSx-Z-icVklJ0m5bSgDNTvXqYrzRy7xs7DTzqckTKpmsx12F7DpklsIxYpg4Mvf4Uw-cQtUjikVal0L9yLIH4XAJI/s200/Killercon-6189+(360x241).jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgmRP0X33u3mtLNxhaExuN8eGv2ilx884XFt1hxKliBimOZHFp16QJYOuVv9TDqohe8usW2oHQ-uBiKMrwZWhfNTZJvPIGISTh7yxxb2JK6aJdcQFR0lRxPVKXYAoP6iuRfxE6tyQyv2U/s1600/Killercon-5749+(337x504).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgmRP0X33u3mtLNxhaExuN8eGv2ilx884XFt1hxKliBimOZHFp16QJYOuVv9TDqohe8usW2oHQ-uBiKMrwZWhfNTZJvPIGISTh7yxxb2JK6aJdcQFR0lRxPVKXYAoP6iuRfxE6tyQyv2U/s200/Killercon-5749+(337x504).jpg" width="133" /></a>Friday evening was an important dinner I had set up in advance at the famous <a href="http://www.goldensteersteakhouselasvegas.com/" target="_blank">Golden Steer Steakhouse</a>. It is a nostalgic Las Vegas restaurant frequented by many famous and infamous celebrities and mobsters. For those of you who like to see "old" Vegas, it's a must. After making several changes to the reservations and trying to "herd cats" as <a href="http://www.editorialdepartment.com/editors/rj-cavender" target="_blank">R.J. Cavender</a> would say, it turned out to be a fabulous dining experience with many great people. Deals go down in Vegas. This city makes things happen, and one of the things that happened for me was a publishing contract. I will post this information when it is officially released. What I can say is that a dear friend and colleague is also a part of the deal, and gave me a thumbs up when someone had asked about my writing. Yeah - KillerCon - don't miss out. After dinner, I had to apologize for having to eat and run, but I was planning on entering the erotica contest that was only an hour away, and it was worth it because I won 3rd place. I don't usually like to read at conventions, but I wanted opinions on an excerpt from my next novel and the win gave me the thumbs up I needed. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLE3vJ5K5XgHtQDIBSr8daWv0oRtHez3axzJ7L7F2J1BThJljeHkLYeTQJeuaRCkmsns1h7ReTNie4ZKyCE_OPOcbcaY-gp8mYrGlU-7pEsq5A3IT34a9ZKXeAvu8UamPDDLooZZIv2vk/s1600/IMG_20120922_155640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLE3vJ5K5XgHtQDIBSr8daWv0oRtHez3axzJ7L7F2J1BThJljeHkLYeTQJeuaRCkmsns1h7ReTNie4ZKyCE_OPOcbcaY-gp8mYrGlU-7pEsq5A3IT34a9ZKXeAvu8UamPDDLooZZIv2vk/s200/IMG_20120922_155640.jpg" width="200" /></a>Saturday was a busy day. Zombie make-up artists <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0565425/" target="_blank">Michael McCarty</a> and Emmy winner, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0427681/" target="_blank">Carey Jones</a> dolled up two brave volunteers. <a href="http://www.damnationbooks.com/people.php?author=63" target="_blank">Patricia MacEwen</a> did an alien autopsy, and I attended a self-editing workshop hosted by editor, R.J. Cavender. There were also a bunch of great readings and panels I wanted to attend. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_O'Neill" target="_blank">Gene O'Neill</a> gave up his reading time to let everyone make announcements about their own up and coming work. What a class act! When he got to me, I wasn't prepared and couldn't think of my one sentence pitch for <em>The Evolutionist</em>, due out January 2013 by Nightscape Press, so I kind of rambled on about it and felt like an idiot later. It was a run around day for sure, but I was able to grab a quick bite to eat at Roxy's Diner in the late afternoon with R.J. Cavender, <a href="http://www.jsreinhardt.com/about.html" target="_blank">Jason Reinhardt</a>, (who walked away with first prize at the Gross-Out Contest later that night,) my childhood bestie, Mindy, and we were later joined by author and all-around great guy, <a href="http://ericallenjackson.com/" target="_blank">Eric Jackson</a>. It was great, but we were all tired and decided we would try and nap before the later events and parties. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihV1S2dnwJgM1AoXpaa80GkOiyTiWmep9eOUE8DTN9cgeLetGK31YO6T8PzOiCahZLqrR7iuZ5SYDWrY9JyVyB4aROZEaJCMCFxblwvuWjGNiMcpGLl9o3Ac1pT5f8djHPBFoGy2hv8P9l/s1600/Killercon-5772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihV1S2dnwJgM1AoXpaa80GkOiyTiWmep9eOUE8DTN9cgeLetGK31YO6T8PzOiCahZLqrR7iuZ5SYDWrY9JyVyB4aROZEaJCMCFxblwvuWjGNiMcpGLl9o3Ac1pT5f8djHPBFoGy2hv8P9l/s200/Killercon-5772.jpg" width="133" /></a>The Gross-Out contest was awesome and congratulations to Jason. Cutting Block Press's party was a huge success and I'm glad I volunteered to help out. I thought my table decorations turned out great and the sandwiches were yummy. It was great chatting with <a href="http://www.jasunni.com/" target="_blank">Sunni Brock</a> and to later see that she used one of the vampire fang cocktail napkins in her Facebook photo. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRCW16Q_gvB4hvO3_Xz7TBfULGk63Kn1hialDzROxkNhZq2cdUtdVOBqZ9eJL0gEZsHADAyONma-y1LM_1_Ne9KAbxD0P5eRCBC3aEiQJmqS5UitU61Pm24AiAqTu5B2kwHJQXXQgnFPg/s1600/Killercon-5791+(360x241).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRCW16Q_gvB4hvO3_Xz7TBfULGk63Kn1hialDzROxkNhZq2cdUtdVOBqZ9eJL0gEZsHADAyONma-y1LM_1_Ne9KAbxD0P5eRCBC3aEiQJmqS5UitU61Pm24AiAqTu5B2kwHJQXXQgnFPg/s200/Killercon-5791+(360x241).jpg" width="200" /></a>I left early Sunday morning and was unable to say goodbye to so many people, but I promise to make up for it next year. It was a wonderful time and so good to see old friends and make new acquaintances. I also had the pleasure of meeting fellow Nightscape Press authors, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Requiem-Dead-Flies-Peter-Dudar/dp/193864400X" target="_blank">Peter Dudar</a> and <a href="http://www.sff.net/people/llsoares/" target="_blank">L.L. Soares</a>. Great guys and awesome authors. I picked up several books that are on the Stoker® reading list and will review them in the upcoming months. Best wishes to everyone. Nice to see John Palisano, Benjamin Kane Ethridge and his lovely wife, Irma. Brad C. Hodson, Eric Guignard, Robert and Jennifer Wilson (other half of Nightscape Press.) Jen is recovering from seizures after a bout of exhaustion, so please, let's keep her in our thoughts. Eunice Magill, Angel McCoy, Chris Marrs, Shane Mackenzie and his lovely wife, Melinda. Adam Cesare, Taylor Grant, Christopher Payne, Fran Friel, Aaron French, Theresa Dillon, Cynthia Vespia, Monica O'Rourke, Darryl Dawson Brown, Scott Magner, Edmund Colell, Tim Marquitz, Damien Grintalis, and so many, many more. All of the volunteers, and a special shout out to Wrath, Christie, Bailey, Boyd, and R.J. I apologize for leaving anyone out. I will post a more complete photo album on my website <a href="http://renamasonwrites.com/">renamasonwrites.com</a> in the next week or so. </div>
Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-60431919340283014352012-09-14T17:41:00.002-07:002012-09-14T17:46:18.598-07:00KILLERCON Las Vegas 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://killercon.com/images/killercon4_logo_-_web1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="96" src="http://killercon.com/images/killercon4_logo_-_web1.png" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;" width="200" /></a></div>
It's that KillerCon Convention time of year again and there's no better way to kick it off than on my birthday! For those of you who are attending, there are a few things you should know. The daytime temperatures have been averaging in the upper 90's, but don't let this fool you. Most of the time you will be indoors and casino temperatures average in the mid 60's. This is to help keep the patrons awake so they can continue gambling. Wouldn't want anyone getting too warm and cozy then wanting to go to sleep. Rest is forbidden, so it's a good idea to bring along your favorite sweater, sweatjacket, or a light blazer. <br />
This is the desert. It's very dry here and higher in altitude than a lot of people think. Many visitors (and locals) suffer from headaches because they don't drink enough water. You should be drinking at least 10 glasses a day, and even more if you are drinking alcohol.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRSfXti6SprOdHycMN2Ov2zprP3pLGo30s2PQ2o_0YkBM-8fn6G7WCthAk4DkYn6cXGyjp_EwPJu8TUk233BDnaaMrQ4N1tWEBx-f5T6d3Y43xhEzwabG2J-Y9-3ikvlXEDf3aNm5IVmt/s1600/Vegas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRSfXti6SprOdHycMN2Ov2zprP3pLGo30s2PQ2o_0YkBM-8fn6G7WCthAk4DkYn6cXGyjp_EwPJu8TUk233BDnaaMrQ4N1tWEBx-f5T6d3Y43xhEzwabG2J-Y9-3ikvlXEDf3aNm5IVmt/s200/Vegas.jpg" width="200" /></a>If you are renting a car, BE CAREFUL! The drivers in Vegas are notoriously horrible in their own right, but add a bunch of tourists and the roads around the strip become a free-for-all. There have been more pedestrians hit here since January then all of last year combined. You also have to keep a lookout for drunk drivers. Since this is a 24hr nonstop city, they're driving around at ALL times of the day. Yesterday, a drunk driver hit a bus stop killing four people and sent eight others to the hospital. It was horrific.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/public/LIkJ91cqYN4ygJFSfzd7P7xhWrLiH_Vyhjf-WgqV_rkWuus2zMiF_d_nLfX6scC5w0ALR8WtGY9mfq66iZV8APfQzs9nUsap2PvEhfW89iAEFbivWaNVCYFLQXQmw14EfBQlpew3mdENSDZAoaaD9AUpKs00-zJP9A4hVhXmQH4Z_FkE5qHCaQay2rUt9UhottFH-YXLNH1OMTPjJOzZrc_8wpd6UK6I74ixHjxSEVAGn7H_VK9qcEtvzTlAy4xfh2ikiTL3JX1n0x_6zT00lGqXgdk19CuGw84Vt--OAv8oTaumr4D5l7XvEtRRE-X9yakB49IDyXg=s220-c" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="th" height="200" sb_id="ms__id1767" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/public/LIkJ91cqYN4ygJFSfzd7P7xhWrLiH_Vyhjf-WgqV_rkWuus2zMiF_d_nLfX6scC5w0ALR8WtGY9mfq66iZV8APfQzs9nUsap2PvEhfW89iAEFbivWaNVCYFLQXQmw14EfBQlpew3mdENSDZAoaaD9AUpKs00-zJP9A4hVhXmQH4Z_FkE5qHCaQay2rUt9UhottFH-YXLNH1OMTPjJOzZrc_8wpd6UK6I74ixHjxSEVAGn7H_VK9qcEtvzTlAy4xfh2ikiTL3JX1n0x_6zT00lGqXgdk19CuGw84Vt--OAv8oTaumr4D5l7XvEtRRE-X9yakB49IDyXg=s220-c" width="200" /></a>Another important issue are shoes. Everybody likes to dress up in Vegas and it's perfectly fine to wear those five-inch spiked heels for a couple of hours, but during the day, during the convention, you'll want your most comfortable pair of shoes. A lot of walking is involved. These hotel/casinos are huge. For the ladies, it's time to pack that dress that's a little too short, a little too tight and way too revealing. And if it sparkles, all the better! It's Vegas! You will blend in with all the librarians from Iowa and accountants from Arkansas who come here to PLAY! I look forward to seeing everyone.
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This morning, I had my first ever phone interview on blogspotradio with Frankie Hernandez and David-Matthew Barnes. Please tune in and give it a listen. <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pysk/2012/09/14/people-you-should-know-1">http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pysk/2012/09/14/people-you-should-know-1</a><br />
Yeah, I mention <em>The Lovely Bones</em>, but many of my lady friends read it who otherwise wouldn't have read anything that was considered "horror." I actually thought it was good too, until about halfway through when it "jumped the shark."<br />
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<a href="http://www.darkregions.com/product_images/a/838/dark_side__27351_std.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image 1" border="0" height="200" src="http://www.darkregions.com/product_images/a/838/dark_side__27351_std.jpg" title="Image 1" width="126" /></a>I've read a lot since my last post which was a while ago - Gord Rollo's, <em>The Dark Side of Heaven</em>, was a great read. About a third of the way through it really picked up and I couldn't put it down. I finished <em>Enter Night</em>, by Michael Rowe which was also an excellent read. Laird Barron's, <em>The Croning</em>, which was a take on tales with a twist, I enjoyed. I've also been doing some research on Jack the Ripper and have read a few books on the history of the Whitechapel murders. I'm currently reading, <em>American Idol</em>, by S.C. Hayden which is a religious satire and a little bit out of the norm from what I normally read, but with what's been going on in world news lately, I'm finding it very poignant and enjoying it. I finished Gene O'Neill's, <em>Blue Heron</em>. More mystery and espionage, it was a great read. One of the books I really enjoyed was <em>A Requiem for Dead Flies</em>, by Peter Dudar about a haunted farmhouse and a crazy grandma. I highly recommend it, which brings me to my next bit. <br />
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<a href="http://www.nightscapepress.com/bookstore/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-374" height="74" src="http://www.nightscapepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/blackbackgroundlogo-300x112.png" title="Click me to go to the Nightscape Press bookstore!" width="200" /></a>Nightscape Press is offering its recent releases on Kindle this weekend for FREE! You'd be crazy not to jump on the offer. Click the books below to go to Amazon and get your FREE Kindle downloads. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Requiem-Dead-Flies-Supernatural-ebook/dp/B008E6QX3U/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1347669801&sr=1-1&keywords=a+requiem+for+dead+flies" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Product Details" class="productImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51g2j48Z%2B2L._AA115_.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_15?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=butterfly+potion&sprefix=butterfly+potio%2Cdigital-text%2C241" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Product Details" class="productImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JAHjbOU4L._AA115_.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_16?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=world%27s+collider+a+shared-world+anthology&sprefix=world%27s+collider%2Cdigital-text%2C245" target="_blank"><img alt="Product Details" class="productImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XfzXOjHwL._AA115_.jpg" /></a></div>
Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-84346854921001300872012-06-22T17:08:00.000-07:002012-06-22T19:33:26.079-07:00NOLA - Part Deux<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Rpn3zfHhG1NtkokG-bz0BBS9YgwKGxfvIJ6m3sgPlllNdEk1P_NbtZHBvFwIZv2EKIOc-EmgpY-eDr-64SkqhSEcnr8e8mk-biCgWhR6ekKgA2yK330biZj5QUKtSFjIx99m3vpnM0gs/s1600/DSCF1846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Rpn3zfHhG1NtkokG-bz0BBS9YgwKGxfvIJ6m3sgPlllNdEk1P_NbtZHBvFwIZv2EKIOc-EmgpY-eDr-64SkqhSEcnr8e8mk-biCgWhR6ekKgA2yK330biZj5QUKtSFjIx99m3vpnM0gs/s200/DSCF1846.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
This is at the rear of the <a href="http://www.stlouiscathedral.org/VirtualAr.htm" target="_blank">St. Louis Cathedral in the St. Anthony Garden.</a> Floodlights are projected at night, creating an imposing shadow of Jesus with his arms upraised. The best view is straight down Orleans Street off of Bourbon. Even if you're not religious, it's a captivating sight. And if you happen to be stumbling drunk and look up, it could be a life changer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4itE8PiZmnpNAA5LsjbHiVxhv405zepoLljFvtTHqu_fHJA_Shjzf1SSm1Boch93b7FPrQhEDXPvNH9XzSFkk4_C4eBcO21IjMwwJfXkQ9gBwmrqyWVywaR5w9i1N1hY3ERhdbU4G-uEc/s1600/IMG_20120519_083829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4itE8PiZmnpNAA5LsjbHiVxhv405zepoLljFvtTHqu_fHJA_Shjzf1SSm1Boch93b7FPrQhEDXPvNH9XzSFkk4_C4eBcO21IjMwwJfXkQ9gBwmrqyWVywaR5w9i1N1hY3ERhdbU4G-uEc/s200/IMG_20120519_083829.jpg" width="200" /></a>Another must foodie stop in the Crescent City I mentioned before is <a href="http://www.cafedumonde.com/" target="_blank">Cafe du Monde</a>. They've got good strong coffee writers live by, and THE best beignets. One bit of advice for the HWA crowd. There is a ton of powdered sugar everywhere. Your coveted black t-shirts will get dusted. It is unavoidable. Bring lots of those hand wipes, and you should be good. Or if you see me there, ask for one, I've always got them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDBKkgPsDUGRC7AnuE1sc5VqjiZbR04AVp_m9cDmUYwgl6u1alZGrZWZAfxVAH_JpdQrfTMRdu6EAHrWDxoCTy8_i3XPrEyolqy0QEcos4mFhkOqwjzwYZiUxDcNF8RPb-Ip4-RkF12rt/s1600/373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDBKkgPsDUGRC7AnuE1sc5VqjiZbR04AVp_m9cDmUYwgl6u1alZGrZWZAfxVAH_JpdQrfTMRdu6EAHrWDxoCTy8_i3XPrEyolqy0QEcos4mFhkOqwjzwYZiUxDcNF8RPb-Ip4-RkF12rt/s200/373.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.jackson-square.com/" target="_blank">Jackson Square</a> is a great place to walk around and check out the local flavor in art. You can also get your palm read and listen to live jazz. Two of the coolest things to see are weddings and funeral processions along the "police assisted" closed off streets of The French Quarter. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWaTJ_-mPJcrvvzKJ8ByBHVqCxYTUAQG5JJ4htqMMHDjaA3fXYHDYVYK-rSQyARxJGgAkbgvfycYzWk3ChyphenhyphenyFvXs4h-h-XdsigDEOcsTVpES220k_Jl_3Cu7EJ008hIblKENdJEeRaLTB/s200/376.jpg" width="200" /><span id="goog_148565409"></span></a>The <a href="http://www.neworleansonline.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1336" target="_blank">French Market<span id="goog_148565410"></span></a>, is a big open air shopping spot for souvenirs and kitsch and stuff, but it's also a great place to walk around in some shade and people watch. My favorite souvenir shop is Voodoo Blues along Bourbon Street, not too far off Orleans. They have locally made products. Marie Laveau's shop is also great for sage and other hard to find items. You'll know what I mean when you walk through it, and I'm pretty sure they only take cash. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQV6c6PwcDJgOTXJi7X4VHErngIx7Hc3eDMCPO2KdMgGcu_tjZSh0VOyV-b2C8iTCF6_LjyJY-9qYJJgkVPBLOlV0ePunjXvKqx3Uq9xSB4uhzHTrVg-P8VEJaV7VYVE0EQa_SJd2jQ-5e/s1600/Nightscape+Press+Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQV6c6PwcDJgOTXJi7X4VHErngIx7Hc3eDMCPO2KdMgGcu_tjZSh0VOyV-b2C8iTCF6_LjyJY-9qYJJgkVPBLOlV0ePunjXvKqx3Uq9xSB4uhzHTrVg-P8VEJaV7VYVE0EQa_SJd2jQ-5e/s200/Nightscape+Press+Logo.png" width="180" /></a>In other fantastic news. I am more than thrilled that my debut novel, <em>The Evolutionist</em>, has been picked up by Nightscape Press with a release date to be announced soon. You can read more about it here. <a href="http://www.nightscapepress.com/" target="_blank">http://www.nightscapepress.com/</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPyGndKrrCdr_LHQqpNABFkKbHpmcm_5SbuDTuIlkmB-Fo1kE7N_iB49GB0nYQmbGkGz_AQ0TLFtO56atMZ019t2YAlsAo-C5-Qy6QyAZYo0784BuiRHIwW-aqwG16Fuepo1a4RWUSStK/s1600/HFGCoverFull-FINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPyGndKrrCdr_LHQqpNABFkKbHpmcm_5SbuDTuIlkmB-Fo1kE7N_iB49GB0nYQmbGkGz_AQ0TLFtO56atMZ019t2YAlsAo-C5-Qy6QyAZYo0784BuiRHIwW-aqwG16Fuepo1a4RWUSStK/s200/HFGCoverFull-FINAL.jpg" width="200" /></a>If you still haven't got your copy of <em>Horror For Good</em>, please do so. It's for a great cause, and there are a ton of excellent stories in there that are well worth it. It's now available on Amazon too.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Horror-For-Good-Charitable-Anthology">http://www.amazon.com/Horror-For-Good-Charitable-Anthology</a> Kevin Hopson also recently reviewed my story, The Eyes Have It, and gave it four stars. You can read the review here on his website <a href="http://kevin-hopson.blogspot.com/2012/06/eyes-have-it-by-rena-mason.html" target="_blank">Darkness Abound</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSka8j7Kd7xtUmrnBprhckf8dMQvsMaLCieKTofwbNbxShtOdtnl7gihK-Np6VHzX3lZgh2dGcCtJmmk9m71e0d4eaL-4jQe_35UV1BHJmlolbC4AHQLo5PQKsp41g-HdraMXUzbBwoSYQ/s1600/rusting+chickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSka8j7Kd7xtUmrnBprhckf8dMQvsMaLCieKTofwbNbxShtOdtnl7gihK-Np6VHzX3lZgh2dGcCtJmmk9m71e0d4eaL-4jQe_35UV1BHJmlolbC4AHQLo5PQKsp41g-HdraMXUzbBwoSYQ/s200/rusting+chickens.jpg" width="131" /></a>In reading/review news, I recently finished Gene O'Neill's, <em>Rusting Chickens</em>. It's a great story about a man suffering from injuries received on a mission overseas. He comes home and begins having hallucinations that things are moving that shouldn't be. There is a military backstory woven into the present day story of his recovery, but you don't have to be in the military to understand it. This novella is very well done, and in the end - to me - it was a beautiful love story. Go figure. And I'm not a romantic, I assure you. I highly recommend this book. His prose is fun, but concise, and at times quite haunting. I thought I had the story nailed, but he really blew my theory out of the water at the end. <a href="http://www.darkregions.com/rusting-chickens-by-gene-oneill/" target="_blank">http://www.darkregions.com/rusting-chickens-by-gene-oneill/</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZ0axca3sjvEEC512NkH_Tc7xoVnGTJiwUIwJT9T0cQf7PKDFVJRVVeuGYM6BMGhfJxyipLtpFoSqtDZ8gusxWYXZndr5d0W1EAN33QckGDMC_Ou2x2cYuabWH8J-JZCb-oPh4W90xxXi/s1600/Valentino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZ0axca3sjvEEC512NkH_Tc7xoVnGTJiwUIwJT9T0cQf7PKDFVJRVVeuGYM6BMGhfJxyipLtpFoSqtDZ8gusxWYXZndr5d0W1EAN33QckGDMC_Ou2x2cYuabWH8J-JZCb-oPh4W90xxXi/s1600/Valentino.jpg" /></a>In hot shopping news. Totes are all the rage. This summer, everyone's come out with a tote for their line. In Vegas though, everything should sparkle to catch all the lights. So my tote choice is this medium sized sequined bag with pastel silk flowers on the front. It's not too large and it comes with a strap in case you'd like to carry it over your shoulder. Jazzy and chic at the same time. Can't beat that!</div>Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-57607545258885722862012-05-24T09:39:00.000-07:002012-05-24T09:39:46.802-07:00SASFEST 9.5 NOLA 2012<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuPQLFTuv3LWYgW4njj-UexCL0x3IKxgiIzJDgM_Zvrzcbeu7m1BEtNi0kKvZbZUSu2kL0ZJM_9duRSMM5rSG08pTo-95d8PXfFPD28-1-DBQDeeuGRCxzhiwVzY_4ORoBuBDoeBVDFpP/s1600/018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuPQLFTuv3LWYgW4njj-UexCL0x3IKxgiIzJDgM_Zvrzcbeu7m1BEtNi0kKvZbZUSu2kL0ZJM_9duRSMM5rSG08pTo-95d8PXfFPD28-1-DBQDeeuGRCxzhiwVzY_4ORoBuBDoeBVDFpP/s200/018.jpg" width="150" /></a>This year's <a href="http://sasfest.org/" target="_blank">Saints & Sinners Literary Festival</a>, a literary event co-produced by the <a href="http://www.noaidstaskforce.org/" target="_blank">NO/AIDS Task Force</a> and the <a href="http://www.tennesseewilliams.net/" target="_blank">Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival</a> was held May 18th - 20th. It was a "mini" because they're getting ready for the big 10 year anniversary celebration which will occur next year in May, 2013. There was an opening cocktail party and readings from the short story contest finalists at <a href="http://hotelmonteleone.com/" target="_blank">The Hotel Monteleone</a>, which was very nice. Jerry Rabushka was the winner, but three of the other finalists were in my workshop the next day -<a href="http://www.jrgreenwellmga79.com/" target="_blank"> J.R. Greenwell</a>, Jeff Lindemann, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/In-Exile-History-Surrounding-ebook/dp/B0077R2LWO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1337872424&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Frank Perez</a>. All fantastic men, and great authors. Saturday, was the <a href="http://www.jamesoncurrier.com/" target="_blank">Jameson Currier</a> workshop. I submitted one of my short stories for review. There were 10 in all. I got lots of great feedback and advice, and gave some too. I also befriended <a href="http://ericandrewskatz.com/" target="_blank">Eric Andrews-Katz</a>, a great guy who has a couple of novels out with <a href="http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/" target="_blank">Bold Stroke Books</a>, one of the big sponsors of the festival. During lunch break, my friends, <a href="http://www.davidmatthewbarnes.com/" target="_blank">David-Matthew Barnes</a>, and Edward Ortiz had a meal at <a href="http://www.greengoddessnola.com/" target="_blank">The Green Goddess</a>, which is located diagonally across from the hotel. The food was good, but I should've ordered something other than what I did. We sat outside, and the weather was gorgeous this go around. The best it's been since the four years I started annually going to Saints & Sinners in May. In the evening, after the workshop there were several readings held at <a href="http://gallery-orange.com/" target="_blank">The Gallery Orange</a> - beautiful place with many pieces I wish I could afford. <a href="http://www.aandmbooks.com/" target="_blank">Faye Jacobs</a> is a wonderful reader with many great stories to tell, and I also enjoyed <a href="http://jerrywheeleronline.com/Home_Page.html" target="_blank">Jerry Wheeler</a>'s story. He was also in my workshop, and I very much enjoy his work. Overall, the mini-convention was a success, and I'd like to send shout-outs to a few of the people that help make it happen. <a href="http://lodestarquarterly.com/work/363/" target="_blank">Amie M. Evans</a>, <a href="http://www.tennesseewilliams.net/paul-j-willis-executive-director" target="_blank">Paul J. Willis</a>, and <a href="http://scottynola.livejournal.com/" target="_blank">Greg Herren</a>. The first picture is of the <a href="http://stlouiscathedral.org/" target="_blank">St. Louis Cathedral</a> in Jackson Square. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqisJ5OJzBx1ItcD2aw6DL4Z6EExjEys98vb65kizwfeBWMNjx8_IeM653e75NzWBkz-zi9cUFSUolo9_8Vc7NCYSV28n05AlKKs5G1DFqJCQ0H5YIrcPMFuQ39ZqzrqzLcPD_REiNXyzy/s1600/382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqisJ5OJzBx1ItcD2aw6DL4Z6EExjEys98vb65kizwfeBWMNjx8_IeM653e75NzWBkz-zi9cUFSUolo9_8Vc7NCYSV28n05AlKKs5G1DFqJCQ0H5YIrcPMFuQ39ZqzrqzLcPD_REiNXyzy/s200/382.jpg" width="200" /></a>Aside from trying out The Green Goddess this year, I ventured to my usual "must" haunts in New Orleans, Le Cafe Du Monde, and the Stanley around Jackson Square. I also for the first time tried the famous Muffaletta sandwich. My first one was at Napoleon's, where they make great drinks, and the second time, I went to the original place. <a href="http://www.centralgroceryneworleans.com/" target="_blank">Central Grocery Store</a>. I thought of it as an Italian sandwich. The meats are salami, prosciutto ham, stuff like that, with Italian cheese, and this yummy olive "salad" in a large round, sesame covered bread. It was awesome salty goodness. But if you're someone who despises olives, like <a href="http://edkurtzbleeds.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Ed Kurtz</a>, of <a href="http://abattoirpress.com/" target="_blank">Abattoir</a>/<a href="http://redrumhorror.com/" target="_blank">Redrum Horror</a> Press, you may not want to try this sandwich, but you're missing out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigWjSb2X3LwEB4W3MzymCqitk1wMh5BjcyrDwljEDZHSLMrzWBf3vzsOV1a6QV8BgAhP48jM3KzrtFlsZAR4zrIs6kEeC2M3S6W3B4UQVgg4sez8jlTsFkgA2AoUk94GxhprtyMHjGtBXz/s1600/DSCF2044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigWjSb2X3LwEB4W3MzymCqitk1wMh5BjcyrDwljEDZHSLMrzWBf3vzsOV1a6QV8BgAhP48jM3KzrtFlsZAR4zrIs6kEeC2M3S6W3B4UQVgg4sez8jlTsFkgA2AoUk94GxhprtyMHjGtBXz/s200/DSCF2044.JPG" width="200" /></a>I didn't stay at the convention hotel because the blocked rooms were all taken, but they suggested a different hotel only a block away, called <a href="http://www.olivierhouse.com/" target="_blank">The Olivier House</a>. I thought this was a quaint, rustic hotel, but the bed I had was very uncomfortable. I didn't mind or complain about walking up three flights of stairs every time I needed to go anywhere because the elevator is known as "the coffin". The staff was nice, and they have a cute courtyard, but my aging body needs sleep, and I couldn't get it from that mattress. It was reasonably priced however, and said to be haunted, but no ghost would've messed with me when I have a backache.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpa8mncQ_WXpJGrTJx5qGkbJ1bo98rDjgwmhuqXuTpqPzQvDWFK-fF7NRT1roC7M4rKMwZJGectIhXXv1CjiJZnJ-Q0CIYPs9ADknGHkHvwFuzh49TXUn777m8XuvqWcV4hKBGhF9IcUK/s1600/tory+burch+flip+flops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpa8mncQ_WXpJGrTJx5qGkbJ1bo98rDjgwmhuqXuTpqPzQvDWFK-fF7NRT1roC7M4rKMwZJGectIhXXv1CjiJZnJ-Q0CIYPs9ADknGHkHvwFuzh49TXUn777m8XuvqWcV4hKBGhF9IcUK/s200/tory+burch+flip+flops.jpg" width="159" /></a>This blog about New Orleans will have to be in two parts. There's just too much to say. But the MOST important thing/tip I can write about is comfortable shoes. Bring them. They will be your life saver. Living in Las Vegas, I have a million pair of flip-flops, but after walking everywhere in New Orleans on uneven cobblestones, I still get blisters. Bring Band-Aids. Four to five usually do the trick. And if you wear shoes with socks, bring extra socks to change throughout the day. It is usually hot, very humid, and nobody wants to smell your stinky feet. I've yet to find flip-flops that are "the most comfortable", but a brand I do like and have several of are <a href="http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/tory-burch-flip-flops?ID=610946&cm_mmc=Froogle_pla_pe-_-adtype-pla-_-target-21882504424-_-kw-&gclid=CLi6w6WombACFSoZQgodEh8l4g" target="_blank">Tory Burch</a>. They have funky colors and some that aren't just flat, but have an arch. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBFrBeSwhjfZtiUa4XcerePhpKUgUrGKZB1djHg1DKeND2FmV37JoxoYNvcsp-pSlaxT6YuiSVe4YolUTPXaFUQQ-yvXVbniUPzyaVfjYRlEfL43wdz9rqmnq1sU6Hz7S-oO_bSzjcm7K/s1600/Mesmerized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBFrBeSwhjfZtiUa4XcerePhpKUgUrGKZB1djHg1DKeND2FmV37JoxoYNvcsp-pSlaxT6YuiSVe4YolUTPXaFUQQ-yvXVbniUPzyaVfjYRlEfL43wdz9rqmnq1sU6Hz7S-oO_bSzjcm7K/s200/Mesmerized.jpg" width="200" /></a>On the way there, I finally finished <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mesmerized-David-Matthew-Barnes/dp/1602821917" target="_blank">Mesmerized</a>, by David-Matthew Barnes. It's a YA (older teen), coming of age/coming out book, but it was more than that. The MC had to deal with the death of her older brother, which was a hate crime. She had to help her family and friends get through it, while working through it herself. She had to face the criminal that did it. It was a powerful story in a neat little package. I enjoyed it very much. I don't often get to read stories with happy endings, and this one really came full circle for me. </div>Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-80787230550743700412012-05-13T17:40:00.000-07:002012-05-13T17:40:31.023-07:00A Horror Mom's DayFirst and foremost I have to pimp my first ever published short story, <em>The Eyes Have It</em>, in <em>Horror For Good: A Charitable Anthology. </em>If you haven't yet picked up this fantastic book, I highly recommend it and not just because I'm in it. Some of my favorites that left impressions are: <em>Blood For The American People</em>, by Lisa Morton, <em>The Gift</em>, by Monica O'Rourke, and <em>Baptism</em> by Tracie McBride. Go ladies! I'm so fortunate to be amongst these very talented women. Also enjoyed <em>The Silent Ones</em> by Taylor Grant. It's a mind haunt that creeps into you and takes a while to get over. Brad C. Hodson's, <em>The Other Patrick,</em> is so fantastic it made me cry. And last but not least, <em>Shiva, Open Your Eye</em> by Laird Barron. All of them excellent reads. Trust me. Click the "BUY ME" text to order your copy today. And all proceeds go to amfAR, the foundation for AIDS research. It's a no lose situation. <br />
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<a href="https://www.createspace.com/3829545" target="_blank">BUY ME</a><br />
<br />My Mother's Day has been greatly accentuated by being a part of this book and meeting some fantastic people in the process, including some of the other authors in the TOC, and editors: Mark C. Scioneaux, Robert S. Wilson, and Jennifer Wilson. <br />
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This special day started with a Starbuck's Americano and Krispy Kreme donuts in bed, a call to my mother, who loved her Mother's Day present, and wonderful Mother's Day cards from my boys. Then reality hit, and I had to do some laundry. Went to see The Avengers with my boys, and it was FANTASTIC. Going to have some BBQ for dinner, then watching Game of Thrones. I couldn't have asked for a better day. <br />
<br />As far as Mother's Day gifts go, holidays are year round for me. I've learned to take care of myself, and what does a "cool", horror mom want for Mother's Day besides books? This one---Accessories!!<br />
<br />I received two scarves for Mother's Day. This first one is by Alexander McQueen, may he rest in peace. He was a most awesome designer and did a lot with the "skull" motif. And would I love to have one of his skull minaudiere's? Hell yeah, but four grand is pretty steep for anything. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBq8MNQphAuiBx-D1W9Gw_0jG3ciJsqwni5PBrABdUhV7gHNaQJC35Wpe-ishnFOD8QjVFp0_WdUppfEcJLQ8Kb8QpfbfRLXZ9KLqQQM5X2-fLq23xsMKwVrK4X2P0c6VpO2HCnIIH_nB/s1600/Alexander+McQueen+Scarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBq8MNQphAuiBx-D1W9Gw_0jG3ciJsqwni5PBrABdUhV7gHNaQJC35Wpe-ishnFOD8QjVFp0_WdUppfEcJLQ8Kb8QpfbfRLXZ9KLqQQM5X2-fLq23xsMKwVrK4X2P0c6VpO2HCnIIH_nB/s200/Alexander+McQueen+Scarf.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLNbAa2MFaeXhwr_BY-szGmzI_XHkkeKMTdFuELDZ5yIb3vInJyBokKwmgygjTLtmq6mFz0lI27mc5EH6wsio7qqo80fuqEodBt82f5AQq9NY8jowibSKS9JsDD8Ksk3QHT7-pCASo9I7/s1600/Tarot+Card+scarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLNbAa2MFaeXhwr_BY-szGmzI_XHkkeKMTdFuELDZ5yIb3vInJyBokKwmgygjTLtmq6mFz0lI27mc5EH6wsio7qqo80fuqEodBt82f5AQq9NY8jowibSKS9JsDD8Ksk3QHT7-pCASo9I7/s1600/Tarot+Card+scarf.jpg" /></a>The other one is a Givenchy, Tarot Card scarf. I've never seen anything like it, and thought it was too cool to pass up. The scarves are very light and can be worn in the summer to jazz up a T-shirt and jean shorts. Scarves can also be used to put up your hair, which is something that I love to do because it's a classic look, and I hate having my hair hanging in my face when it's hot and humid out. Scarves - they're not just for winter ladies! Bring 'em out and accessorize yourself <em>cool</em>.</div>
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For men, I prefer the casual look of cargo shorts and a polo shirt for everyday, out and about errands. I'm a big fan of the Pyscho Bunny line, and not just because Cameron Tringale, (the golfer), wears them. They have a ton of different colors, but I chose this one because the logo shows up. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3YKQkzrGC7vyVvtU3VEPn0q7G27uLB-vu3EGdhRSJgta_t8bRmNGtNOxFf3SheKIvSrLt7_qCiWBipDKSvEpHzYMtES7ew4OdzHk5Kjiw22olMa8spNErllyiCvvYPTgluVHvHaw-GLY/s1600/Psycho+Bunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3YKQkzrGC7vyVvtU3VEPn0q7G27uLB-vu3EGdhRSJgta_t8bRmNGtNOxFf3SheKIvSrLt7_qCiWBipDKSvEpHzYMtES7ew4OdzHk5Kjiw22olMa8spNErllyiCvvYPTgluVHvHaw-GLY/s320/Psycho+Bunny.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-21958433235473750532012-04-06T12:09:00.001-07:002012-04-06T12:17:06.058-07:00WHC2012 Salt Lake City, UtahI'm still recovering from World Horror Convention 2012. Although the bar closes early everywhere there, small parties and room gatherings were plentiful if you looked. I had a fantastic time and made many new friends including Nicholas Grabowsky with Black Bed Sheet Books, and two of his authors, Alexander Beresford and Sean Hayden. All really nice guys and talented writers. I also spent some quality time speaking with and listening to Mr. Frank Hutton, one of the final nominees for best anthology. A real class act all the way. It was a pleasure meeting Robert Shane Wilson, Jennifer Wilson and Mark Scioneaux of Nightscape Press and co-editors of <em>Horror For Good: A Charitable Anthology</em> for which my first published short story is in among an amazing TOC (Table of Contents). And I'm still pinching myself about it. The anthology can be purchased here. <a href="https://www.createspace.com/3829545">https://www.createspace.com/3829545</a> Soon, it will also be available on Amazon, and I will post a link for the Kindle version and hard copy of the book. <br />
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The Stoker Award Banquet was nice and I really liked the potatoes Au Gratin. Jeff Strand did a marvelous job as always MC'ing the event. And he brought me a copy of <em>Fangboy</em> for my son, which I was tremendously grateful for. It's a wonderful thing to see everyone dressed up. If it weren't for the zombies they hired to hand out the awards, it could have been a computer software event and no one would've known the difference. Here is the list of Stoker Award winners. <a href="http://www.stokers2012.org/">http://www.stokers2012.org/</a><br />
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The after parties were fantastic, and I really appreciate everyone not giving me any crap for wearing my fuzzy Cheetah flip-flop slippers to the parties. By the end of WHC my feet were in need of a heel hiatus and that was <em>with</em> comfortable shoes that I brought with me. At this party I was able to speak with Jason and Sunni Brock, whom I both adore, Gene O'Neill, he's just wonderful, and Rocky Wood, the HWA President. There were so many more people I can't list them all. I had planned on taking a lot of pictures, but that quickly fell by the wayside with my shoulder aching from just carrying my purse all day. I did take a few panel photos which I will post in the gallery on my website. <a href="http://www.renamasonwrites.com/">http://www.renamasonwrites.com/</a><br />
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A special shout out to friend and author Jason Reinhardt for winning the Gross-Out Contest with a story I got to pre-read months ago, and just hanging out with me in general. We spent a few nights closing the bar with Mark Scioneaux and Andy Theundeadreview Taylor, watching the Hellraiser series with the TV on mute, which made the movies even better with our added drunken commentary. <br />
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Overall it was a fantastic experience, and has energized me to move forward. Since I've been back, I started working on critiquing stories for a workshop I will be attending at the Saints & Sinners Festival 9.5 in May. <a href="http://sasfest.org/">http://sasfest.org/</a> I've also finished a short story for it, am working on another two short stories, and am supposed to be rewriting my next novel from 1st person to 3rd. I'm definitely busy, but it's a kind of busy that I enjoy. <br />
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This will be my third May in New Orleans in a row, for the Saints & Sinners LitFest, and I have encountered heat, humidity, and extreme humidity in the form of rain and thunderstorms. I've learned to dress "accordingly." One of this year's "hot" runway looks is the Maxi Dress. A long dress that is usually made of thin, cotton, jersey. Very comfortable and versatile. I actually wore one to last year's Stoker Awards ceremony, but opted for a more traditional "cocktail" look this year. I've recently purchased one to bring along to NOLA again this year. I love the look and versality. Can be worn with a T-shirt underneath and belt. A summer tote, sun hat and sunglasses would complete the look.<br />
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<img alt="" catalog-item="NMS12_T422N" data-zoom-url="http://images.neimanmarcus.com/products/mz/NMT422N_mz.jpg" src="http://images.neimanmarcus.com/products/mu/NMT422N_mu.jpg" />Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-49077925342746574842012-03-23T18:56:00.000-07:002012-03-23T18:56:33.898-07:00One Week 'Til World Horror Convention 2012There's only one more week until World Horror Convention 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah happens. I'm very much looking forward to this, and have already been told to get ready to sign some books. <br />
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A few weeks ago I finished<em> Empire of Salt</em> by Weston Ochse. It's a zombie novel that takes place in an area called the Salton Sea. Even though there were several typos in the beginning quarter of the story that threw me off, I continued to read, and have to say that I enjoyed it overall. The teenage, female protagonist was easy to relate to, as were most of the characters in the story. I believe the ending was left the way it was to make way for a sequel. <br />
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This past week I finished <em>The Devil's Coattails</em> anthology edited by Jason V. Brock and William F. Nolan. I have to say that I enjoyed this book and its stories very much. Not all of it was straight up horror, and every story had a nice literary bent that I really enjoyed reading. I highly recommend this book, and the artwork and hardcover book itself are exquisite. <br />
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Connected with the World Horror Convention this year is the Bram Stoker Awards Banquet. I have tickets to attend this. Last year it was in Long Island, New York and I had a great time. It's an opportunity to see all of the horror peeps dressed up. Which brings me to my next discussion. What to do if you had a dress you were planning to wear, but have gained some weight since then.<br />
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I generally run between a size 10 and a 12. So throughout the year, I purchase dresses in both of these sizes. My two favorite gown/dress designers are David Meister and Tadashi Shoji. Their dresses are generous and can usually "stretch" if need be. If I order a 10 I'm usually safe, and same way with a 12. The ruching techniques they use really give you a lot of flexibility. For the Stoker Banquet I am planning to wear a navy blue Tadashi Shoji dress with beadwork in the midsection. My shoes are navy blue Kate Spades with a black, sequined bow in the back which makes it easier to wear with sheer, black stockings. I just have to remember to walk slow and "dainty." During the day, I will be wearing cowboy boots, so the transition will take a little practice while I'm getting dressed. <br />
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I wish all of the Bram Stoker finalists the best of luck, and I can't wait to post all of the winners!Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-48109507280451087362012-03-02T14:31:00.000-08:002012-03-02T14:31:27.271-08:00March MadnessThe end of the month holds World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah from the 29th to the 1st of April, along with the Stoker Awards Banquet on the night of the 31st. I'm looking forward to seeing all of my old friends and making some new ones. My first published short story will also be making its debut there in the book, <em>Horror For Good: A Charitable Anthology</em>. I'm very excited and honored to be among the fantastic authors in the TOC including Jack Ketchum, Joe R. Lansdale, Jeff Strand, Wrath James White, and so many more from the horror genre. It will make this convention even more special for me.<br />
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I recently finished <em>The German,</em> by Lee Thomas. It's by far the best book I've read this year. There are many layers to it that build slowly, then come together for a well told and beautifully written story. It's about a German man who fled to the United States after nearly being gunned down in WWII. He moves to a small town in Texas, keeps to himself mostly, and makes furniture. Brutal murders begin to occur and there is no evidence except for a note taunting the law, scribbled in German. With the war in full swing and many men abroad, it doesn't take long before the townspeople begin to segregrate and torment the German population. The main character included. I think what I enjoyed so much about this book was that The German (main character,) knew who he was, wasn't ashamed of it, and never backed down. He had a simple philosophy and that was how he lived his life, yet he couldn't get away from discrimination and hate. I thought the story ended well. Overall, I was very pleased. <br />
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I am currently reading, <em>Empire of Salt</em>, by Weston Ochse. Review to come soon.<br />
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On a fashion note, I've been trying to lean my bad habit of designer bags that are made from leather. Not that I'm completely against leather now, but I am no longer buying any items using real fur, and have <em>never</em> purchased anything made from exotic skins. Particularly when there are designers such as Stella McCartney who makes cool bags from anything but leather and fur. I may also start following the example from her website <a href="http://www.stellamccartney.com/">http://www.stellamccartney.com</a>, and opt for "Meat Free Mondays." Being that I grew up partly on a farm, this will be very difficult, but I'm going to try. One day a week couldn't hurt. We'll see.<br />
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</div>Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-8986877258531827842012-02-21T10:25:00.000-08:002012-02-21T10:25:50.342-08:00Fat TuesdayAs I posted on my Facebook wall--- "It's Fat Tuesday Bedelia, and I WANT MY King CAKE!" It's one of those favorite lines from a movie that I still use today. The movie/graphic novel was <em>Creepshow</em>, by Stephen King. When I was around eleven or twelve years old (not all that long ago, HA!) it was one of the movies my family watched together when you were able to rent a VCR for the weekend and a bunch of movies. My parents were on a horror movie kick so most of the movies we watched were in that genre. Although my parents no longer enjoy watching horror movies, they sparked my love for it and I haven't stopped watching/loving them since. I think watching horror movies makes me feel like there are worse situations I could be in and that's what draws me to them. Then I think about movies or shows I've seen and books I've read and think, hmm...what if this happened instead? and the characters were switched around? and they were in a big city? And that's how some of my ideas for novels come to life. <br />
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I recently read an unpublished novel by friend and colleague, JG Faherty that I enjoyed a lot despite the fact I didn't think I would, only because the topic matter was something I wouldn't normally choose to read about. But it was no surprise I enjoyed it considering his YA novel, <em>The Ghosts of Coronado Bay</em> is nominated for a Bram Stoker Award in the YA/Horror category. Here is the link to the full list of final nominees. <a href="http://www.horror.org/">http://www.horror.org/</a> A big congratulations to all of them. JG Faherty also has a book out that I've recently preordered titled, <em>The Cold Spot</em> from Darkfuse Publications. I'm looking forward to reading it. <a href="http://www.darkfuse.com/the-cold-spot-by-jg-faherty.html">http://www.darkfuse.com/the-cold-spot-by-jg-faherty.html</a><br />
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I'm also in the process of reading Lee Thomas', <em>The German</em>, which I will blurb about when I'm done. It's also a Bram Stoker Award nominee and has really good reviews posted everywhere.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRT1jN41KXOQesPWoT8aeALGD1r3eXAr9pSHRKGzIsov0xoRep6pfNEhplkVH3M1Kq7k0NGaE3UpymcgEjwlVwktRgqxUlZPTNTc5ndaLDrDVzEiYLfg9ftt7cBuvjgBqdkbTnkGp_or2/s1600/Flame+Wedge+Sandal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRT1jN41KXOQesPWoT8aeALGD1r3eXAr9pSHRKGzIsov0xoRep6pfNEhplkVH3M1Kq7k0NGaE3UpymcgEjwlVwktRgqxUlZPTNTc5ndaLDrDVzEiYLfg9ftt7cBuvjgBqdkbTnkGp_or2/s1600/Flame+Wedge+Sandal.jpg" /></a></div>In fashion news, (my other love), NY Fashion Week ended a few days ago and I've been busy shopping the sales from previous seasons/years. One item that stood out for this season were these cool Prada shoes that seemed so unlike the brand. (Their spring/summer purse line was very unimpressive.) But these shoes! They're like Batman shoes, and a couple of them even come equipped with rocket boosters in the back. Although Italian-made shoes don't fit my big American feet so well, I'd almost consider the torture of wearing them for a few hours.Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643010003577246710.post-54714475874206128542012-02-09T14:19:00.000-08:002012-02-09T14:21:48.961-08:00CAKE<a href="http://youtu.be/__PU5CVSegg">http://youtu.be/__PU5CVSegg</a><br />
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"Bowel-shaking earthquakes of doubt and remorse..." <br />
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Today this old CAKE song pretty much sums up how I'm feeling. It doesn't matter how many times I go over a piece of my work, there's always that feeling of <em>I'm not so sure it's all that good</em> milling around. Don't know if there's anyway to get over that, but tomorrow I'm leaving the house, maybe catch a movie. Then it's time to get back to work on my next novel, a fantasy/horror/romance (but not really, because the lovers die) story that was a lot of fun to write when I started it over a year ago. It needs a lot of work, but the <em>different</em> will be a good change for me, I hope.Rena Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08624598578599227529noreply@blogger.com0