Elsewhere...

No think piece this week because woo-boy, things have gotten busy suddenly. Not only with book stuff but with life. We’ve decided to leave our remote house in West Virginia and return to civilization. We’re moving for a variety of reasons, including to be closer to my husband’s mother. The next few weeks/months will be busy with packing, viewings, etc. If you know of anyone in the D.C. area who wants a practically brand-new vacation house or country retirement home, send them my way, okay?

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I decided to take up weaving and am I glad I did. It’s very relaxing which, as you might imagine, I really need right now. If there’s any interest, I can post something more in-depth on this down the road. Or not.

However, the worst thing, the thing that’s got me on tenterhooks, is that we’re waiting to hear from Hollywood on not 1 but 2 pretty important projects. It’s not worth fixating on because Hollywood moves on its own timetable—and now is worse than ever, I’ve been told—but how can you stop thinking about something potentially life-changing??? Hence, weaving. Healthier than taking up smoking.

Book festival season is right around the corner and you can catch me at the following:

• April 11, San Antonio Book Fest. I’ll be appearing at 1:45 pm in the library auditorium with Johnny Compton talking about “Monsters, Myths & Texas Twists”. If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll join me.

• May 2, Washington Writers Conference in Rockville MD. I’ll be with Ed Aymar on the 2 pm panel, “Plot Secrets of the Pros.” This is a great conference if you want to learn more about the craft and business of writing.

• May 16, Gaithersburg Book Festival in Gaithersburg MD. Details TBA.

Recent events

If you missed my March 25 event at the Queens Public Library, you can watch the video below:

The March 26 event with Wake County Public Library was fantastic! Over 200 attended the virtual panel to hear Becky Spratford, Jennifer McMahon, Tananarive Due, Rachel Harrison and myself talk about horror, writing horror as a woman, and the craft of writing. I hope the library makes a video available as it was, really, a great time.

“[The] wild soap-operatic power struggle . . . delivers potent chills, while building to a powerful and revelatory ending.” – the Washington Post

“Not just a clever redo of Succession with Faustian bargains; it’s about 21st century capitalism as a literally inbred pestilence.” – Chicago Tribune

“[A] fraught tale of domestic dysfunction paired with a dark secret . . . Fiend is an absorbing, clever, and taut modern horror novel.” – Shelf Awareness