WHC News

I couldn't be more excited about going to the World Horror Convention at the end of the month! I've been writing horror for years and loving horror my entire life, but have never been to a WHC. I intended on going to the one in the UK last year, but that fell through. This year it's ON! Everyone connected to the con has been great. Earlier, I got an email asking for panel ideas because they wanted to do something other than the normal vampire and zombie stuff. I drew a blank at the time and apparently I wasn't the only one because I'm going to be on the Vampire MEGA-Panel!! There's also going to be a Zombie Mega-Panel. I thought that was funny, but hey. It's a horror con. Vampires and zombies are all over the place. Might as well talk about 'em. There's going to be a ton of other stuff and the programming looks fantastic. My only problem is that my panel is at 1o:00 Saturday MORNING. UGH!!!! Rest assured, I will be there, chock full 'o caffeine and ready to panel it up.

Just getting to Austin will be fun because I'm road tripping there. Normally, that would be cheaper than flying but with gas prices what they are I'm not so sure. Then again, you can't put a price on crowded airports, intrusive searches, cramped quarters, aching eardrums, parking problems....ok. The price is too much and I'm happy to drive instead.

My new dog Mallory will not be driving with me. That kind of stinks, but she'll be in good hands. Speaking of my Schnoolde Sidekick, today she's going to the vet to get her stitches out from her spaying which also means the Cone of Shame will be removed! Yay. Look at her up there. So droopy. So demoralized. But things weren't always so bad. Her cone also acted as a crude parabolic dish to enhance the sound while watching amazing 80's movies! Check out the third picture for a look at how she made a valiant escape attempt while also wreaking glorious revenge on my blinds. Oy.

Slow Sunday

Megan's out of town this weekend, which leaves me alone with the dog. No big problem there. Unfortunately, walkin' the dog is pretty much all I've got going this weekend. Well, that and work. Always work. Could be worse. There could be NO work.

So I have to take Abby out yesterday morning and it's raining. If I open the door and she even hears rain, she wants nothing to do with it. What's the deal with dogs not wanting to get wet? Do they realize how bad it makes them smell? Where some people are still out partying early Saturday morning, I'm trying to find a dry section against my house and then convincing Abby to cop a squat there instead of her usual place. Let the good times rolllll.

Also, I'm trying to wrangle a spot for myself at next year's Comic Con. By the time the big show in San Diego rolls around again, the first 3 Skinners will be out. Maybe I'll have people wanting books signed. Maybe I'll be a huge draw. Maybe my publisher will believe some of this enough to get me in. I'll pay my own travel expenses! Pleeeeease! Ok. Enough begging. We'll see. Just to be safe, I'm going to work on a costume. I could go as Tombstone (the Spidey villain, not the frozen pizza). Or maybe I and the rest of the Nevermore crew could all go dressed as Multiple Man. Cool, huh?

Moody

I’d forgotten how fickle dogs can be. The last few days, Abby couldn’t get enough of me. Always on my lap, checking up on me while I’m working, wagging the tail when I enter a room, all that good stuff. Today, she can take me or leave me. Fine. If that’s how she wants to be, two can play that game. I’ll just go about my life on my own! I’ve heard that dogs pick up traits from their owners, but it hasn’t been long enough for her to get this much. Has it? Besides, I don’t know where she would have picked that up from. Maybe Megan. Certainly not me. I’m done with that mutt!
Wait, there she is…tail wagging and everything. How cute. I love you Abby!
Aaaand she leaves the room. Who needs ya?! I DON’T!

Going through the copyedits for Skinners 2. Actually, I’m almost done with them. They use a new-fangled computer program that prints notes on the side of the page, letting you know everything they deleted or whatever. One page had notes COMPLETELY filling up the right margin. And they weren’t just a few big notes. It was a TON of little ones. They were all fine suggestions, but I wanted to just write, “YOWZA” along the edge. I would have, but there wasn’t any room thanks to my bad comma usage and repeating of certain words. Doh.

I came up with a cool new word while writing Skinners 3. Squamatasapien. You heard it first here! Basically, it’s a technical term for Lizard Man. Minor spoiler for Skinners 3? Actually, VERY minor but it’s something.

The pause that refreshes

Megan and I went to St. Louis to visit the families for Easter. It was a good trip and the dog came along. Abby did very well in the car, sitting on Megan's lap the whole way while avoiding the temptation to jump on me while I was driving. She did great at my Mom's place and behaved in the new surroundings. We started wondering what could be the drawback to this little mutt? I mean, there had to be SOMEthing that took away from her stellar marks. If the dog was perfect, where does that leave ME??

Then Abby met my sister-in-law's dog, Olive. Now, Olive is the sweetest dog I've ever met and she politely sniffed Abby upon our arrival. And then...Abby proceeded to morph into a tooth-flashing, snarling demon straight out of...well...one of my books. It had the potential to get ugly. Abby was like Joe Pesci from Casino, but without a handy pen to stab someone for no good reason. Things worked out eventually and it was a great trip. My thanks to Jenny for putting up with the little demon-in-a-box masquerading as a 13 pound Rat Terrier mix.

This trip also came in the midst of writing Skinners 3. That's been going pretty well. I've got the pieces I need, but hit a snag in transitioning from one spot to another. I was a little miffed at having to drop everything and drive to St. Louis, but that turned out to be just what I needed. My body may have been behind the wheel, but my brain was still chugging away. It even came up with just the stuff I needed to get Skinners moving again along with some bonus stuff to make the whole series better.

So...lots of food, a road trip, the chance to get some Jack in the Box tacos after watching my dog freak out, creative juices flowing, AND Reeces Peanut Butter Eggs!!! Not a bad way to spend a weekend.

Hello, Abby

I finally caved and got a dog. Not that I've had anything against dogs, but my wife and I were pretty much run out of an apartment due to a long string of yapping, noisy, destructive neighbor mutts that made life miserable for the entire complex. Since then, I've been enjoying the quiet life but Megan has been chipping away at me to get a mutt of our own.

We went down to the Humane Society, saw a few rambunctious yappers and then met Abby. Well, how could you look at that face and not cave? I mean this in the toughest, horror writer, blood an guts way, but just LOOK at that little face!

Ok. I promise this won't become a babbling dog blog. Of course, you may have to see an occasional picture or two now and then, but just....nope. I'll keep it under control.