I Sold a Novel!

It happened. 

After years of sending out novels to agents, I'm finally getting one published: JENNY WILL EAT YOU NOW.

After I signed on with my (wonderful, capable, not to mention charming) agent Jenna early this year, we started to polish up my novel, then titled JENNY GREENTEETH. I had had fellow writers read and give comments on it over the past couple years, so with their help, it was almost ready! A few edits later, and after Jenna constructed a great submission letter, it was done. Within a couple weeks of becoming her client, my agents and I sent the novel out on submission.

The initial reactions were instantaneous and glowing. I was shocked. I expected months of silence! Jenna shared with me comments from editors who had been "looking for just this kind of thing" and claimed it sounded awesome, cool, and a good mix of "heartwarming and gruesome." That was exactly what I wanted to hear! 

And the process kept moving along. The MS got considered and rejected in short order. The compliments were wonderful, regardless, and affirmed to me that, if nothing else, we were on the right track. Publishers don't have to say nice things if they don't want to!

Then the novel got an offer from a publisher. Then it got TWO.

I am, and remain, completely stunned. I've labored on this novel for a while, unsure if it would find a home. JENNY is a story about love, loneliness, messy, monstrous desire, and being a swamp creature. The idea transfixed me. In selling it, though, it was hard to find anything like it to use as a "comp" title, at least until John Wiswell's SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN was published last year! But the market is unpredictable. At different steps in the process, I was sure I would have to eventually try my hand at the competitive world of self-publishing.

Instead, the book went to auction in March 2025. This involved a lot of email exchanges as opposed to anyone actually banging a gavel. (That I know of, anyway. The only gavel I'm aware of was in my heart.)

After a lot of back and forth, Jenna and I sold the novel to Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. The process of drawing up and agreeing to the contract took several months. 

Working with my editor, Kimberly Laws, has been just wonderful. I had the good fortune to meet her in person at Stoker Con recently, as well! She's fun, funny, and, goddamn, does she believe in this novel. She was the one who texted to tell me that, now that it's been announced on Publisher's Marketplace, it ended up being the Deal of the Day on July 15:

After announcing the sale, I've been blown away by the warm words and congratulations I've received from friends, family, and colleagues. This has left me feeling triumphant. There's a lot about 2025 that's been difficult on the political stage, but this? This has been a gift.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I Have a Literary Agent!

After spending the last couple years querying agents, I was contacted in January by Jenna Satterthwaite, Associate Literary Agent at Storm Literary Agency! I signed a contract and am now over the moon to say I have an agent.

I’m incredibly honored to join her list of clients, some of whom I’ve already gotten to know online. Jenna has been nothing but supportive and encouraging. Storm Literary has been wonderful about holding my hand. I’m excited to see where my writing career goes next and I already deeply value my time working with them.

A big thank you to all the writers I’ve gotten to know over the years who have helped me develop my craft and art. Hitting this milestone has been a true joy.

Readercon 2024

The schedule has landed! Here are some of the things I'll be doing during Readercon:

Romanticizing Death and Dying
Salon B Thursday, July 11, 2024, 8:00 PM EDT
Barbara Krasnoff (m), Amanda Downum, Emma J. Gibbon, Gillian Daniels Natalie Luhrs 

When somebody is dying or dies in fictional media, it is often romantic, or exciting, or noble, or beautiful and tragic. The reality that many of us face—pain, fear, loss of self, the gradual breakdown of the body due to age or disease—is a lot less pleasant to experience and witness. Why do we romanticize death in fiction? Is it a necessary defense against the reality of our own mortality, or just a part of making fictional worlds more entertaining, the way perfect sex is?

Book Bans and the Publishing Industry

Salon B Friday, July 12, 2024, 12:00 PM EDT

Kathryn Morrow (m), Gillian Daniels, Rob Cameron, Zin E. Rocklyn 

In our current era, book bans have re-emerged from their 20th century crypt as a popular tactic for censoring LGBTQ+ content, as well as any literature that doesn't reinforce racial hierarchies and narratives of white innocence. How has this trend affected the publishing industry, from behemoths like Scholastic to small presses and self-publishing authors? What new horrors are coming down the pike, and what, if anything, can be done to fight back?

Iconic Characters and Works in the Public Domain
Salon B Friday, July 12, 2024, 2:00 PM EDT

Sonja Ryst (m), Gillian Daniels, Kevin McLaughlin, Mark Painter, Randee Dawn 

2023 saw Winnie the Pooh star in his own slasher flick, thanks to the release of its copyright. Sherlock Holmes and the film "Metropolis" are now similarly free agents. Our panelists will discuss the new shoots now budding from old branches, as well as preview what household names will soon be available for open use. Citizen Kane: Tokyo Rosebud Drift, anyone?

Reading Horror into the Classics

Salon 4 Friday, July 12, 2024, 3:00 PM EDT

Gillian Daniels, Adam Golaski, Ian Muneshwar, Lisa M. Bradley, Trisha J Wooldridge 

Viewed through an anti-colonialist lens, the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder would appear to belong squarely in the Horror section. What can be gained by reading various well-worn classics as works of horror, and how do changing readerships and sensibilities affect what separates the heroic from the horrifying or the whimsical from the uncanny?

Meet the Pros(e)

Salon 3 Friday, July 12, 2024, 10:15 PM EDT

Book Club: The Locked Tomb Series by Tamsyn Muir

Salon B Sunday, July 14, 2024, 12:00 PM EDT

Gillian Daniels (m), Benjamin Rosenbaum, Graham Sleight, Karl Schroeder, Yves Meynard

Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb series is dense with allusion, mystery, heartbreak, ever-more-unreliable narrators, and terrible jokes. Let's share our favorite characters and moments, point out telling details we were excited to discover, and speculate wildly about what might happen in Alecto the Ninth.

The Intersections of Romance and Horror

Sunday, July 14, 2024, 1:00 PM EDT

Romie Stott (m), Gillian Daniels, John Wiswell, Steve Berman, Zin E. Rocklyn 

Romance in dark fiction and horror can serve many purposes, such as offering respite or hope; clarifying or raising the stakes; or acting as the ultimate source of the conflict. How can romance, sex, and love be depicted in ways that serve the overall purpose of a dark story while still being satisfying in their own right (if that's the intent)? How have different subgenres, such as paranormal romance, slasher horror, or gothic fiction, approached these questions?

Arisia 2024!

New year, new Arisia, January 12-15!

Here's where I'll be. See you there!

8:30pm Friday

Barbie and Poor Things: What Was I Made For? - Media, Panel - 1hr - Alcott (3W)

An artificially-created woman leaves the safety of home to experience the “real world,” where she learns of patriarchal oppression and undergoes a personal reckoning over what it means to live as a woman in such a world. This describes both the mega-blockbuster Barbie and the acclaimed Frankenstein riff Poor Things. Forget Barbenheimer: THIS is award season’s most fascinating double feature.

Randee Dawn (m), Reuben Baron, Mildred Cady, Gillian Daniels, Abigail Devino

7:00pm Saturday

Can James Gunn Save DC Films? - Media, Panel - 1hr - Marina 2 (2E)

2023 saw the last entries in the universe formerly known as the “Snyderverse.” All bombed at the box office and, aside from the under-marketed Blue Beetle, with critics (note: this panel description was written pre-Aquaman 2... but it would be shocking if that’s not a disaster, right?). But there is hope on the horizon, with James Gunn rebooting the whole DC Universe. Can he pull it off?

Bob Chipman (m), Gillian Daniels, Siobhan Flanagan, Daniel Neff, Mark Painter

8:30pm Saturday

Saturday Night Readings - Literature, Reading - 1hr - Faneuil (3W)

Join some of Arisia’s wonderful authors, while they read from their own work.

Gillian Daniels, Sacchi Green, Chris Lester

Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet Gets Away With This

 

In Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet No. 46, my short story, "You'll Never Get Away With This" is ready for your viewing pleasure!

I'm excited to place this particular story with them as it feels uniquely right for a publication  It's about a damsel-in-distress who isn't very distressed and a gentleman villain who starts feeling less than villainous. I hope you'll take some time to read it. 

Thank you, as always, to Gavin Grant and Kelly Link for all they do. 

Arisia 2023 - The Return

Guess what, friends? It's time for Arisia 2023! 

The weekend of January 13-16, 2023, the biggest genre convention in New England is scheduled to make its return. 

And I signed up for panels!

Creeping Sense of Doom - Friday, 7pm - Writing, Panel - 1hr - Marina Ballroom 2 (2E)
Long before the monster strikes and the evil lurches into view, some authors excel at creating dread. How do you hint at the terror lurking just around the corner without spoiling the rest of the story? Panelists will explore the question of creating apprehension and foreboding in works of horror and other genres.
Kenneth Schneyer (m), Rachel A. Brune, Morgan Crooks, Gillian Daniels, Michelle C. Light

Revisionist Folk and Fairy Tales - Friday, 8:30pm - Literature, Panel - 1hr - Marina Ballroom 1 (2E)

Folk and fairy tales are our oldest forms of speculative fiction, and inventive retellings have long been popular reads. Get ready for a tour of pivotal works in this genre, as well as new and noteworthy contributions.
Gillian Daniels (m), Zareh Artinian, Siobhan Flanagan, Scratch, Trisha J. Wooldridge

Crafting Memorable Villains - Saturday, 11:30am - Writing, Panel - 1hr - Stone (2W)

It’s been said that every villain is the hero of their own story. Speculative Fiction is populated with compelling assassins, thieves, warlocks, con artists and jsut plain jerks, who are as complex and compelling as the protagonists they come up against. What makes villains and anti-heroes irresistible? Our panelists will share how to craft the perfect villain and explain why anti-heroes and villains are so important in their stories. Find out how much fun it can be to give in to the dark side!
Gillian Daniels (m), Michael C. Bailey, M. Dalto, Kristin Janz, Justine Manzano, W.B.J. Williams

Superman and Religion - Saturday, 8:30pm - Comics, Panel - 1hr - Burroughs (3E)

Superman remains a fascinating figure in American mythology: As an often Christlike figure (who worships a Kryptonian sun deity), created by two Jewish sons of immigrants, the Man of Steel also includes elements from the Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh. Is Superman plausible as a defender-of-all-faiths, or does he “belong” to any one faith? Our panelists will consider both historical and recent storylines.

Gillian Daniels (m), Benjamin Chicka, Siobhan Flanagan, Troy Minkowsky, Daniel Neff, A. Joseph Ross

Boskone 2022

With Boskone's COVID policy in place and numbers of cases in Massachusetts sharply dropping across the board, I'm pleased to say I'll be a panelist at Boskone this year!

If you're masked, vaxxed, and ready to party, I hope to see you either in-person or virtually!

What Is Horror? Format: Panel

18 Feb 2022, Friday 18:00 - 18:50, Marina II (Westin)

Horror is a feeling. Or maybe it's a body count. For some people, it's just a four-letter word. From body horror to folk horror to slasher, we'll discuss the differences and similarities in these subgenres — and see if we can find common ground.

Jennifer Williams, Paul Tremblay, Gillian Daniels (M)

The Queer Future Format: Panel

19 Feb 2022, Saturday 13:00 - 13:50, Marina I (Westin)

With a much-needed surge of people openly embracing diverse genders and sexual identities, how is speculative fiction doing in representing the breadth of identities in stories set in SF/F/H? Is there still a disparity? How can SF writers/creators best write the "other" if it's outside their own lived experience? And what more do we want to see in an engaging queer future within speculative fiction?

Julian K. Jarboe, Andrea Hairston (Smith College), Gillian Daniels, Vince Docherty (M)

Scary Fairies Format: Panel

19 Feb 2022, Saturday 16:00 - 16:50, Harbor II (Westin)

Should you find yourself in Fairyland: eat not, drink not, and think not the folk there are of any trifling pixie kind. Tales of old warn the Fae are clever sly creatures of a most uncertain temper. Listen to our seasoned Fairyland farers, know well that certain other Rules there be … and pray their tips and tricks may shield your stay in the Seelie Court.

Gillian Daniels (M), Sarah Jean Horwitz, Anne Nydam, Esther Friesner

I Love Loki Format: Panel

19 Feb 2022, Saturday 17:00 - 17:50, Harbor I (Westin)

Loki: the Marvel trickster we all adore to abhor. Is it the charming actor, Tom Hiddleston? The fun of seeing his pride persistently punctured? The appeal of his battling brother act with poor Thor? Let’s talk about the God of Mischief we know from the comics, the movies, the TV screen — and the even weirder Norse legends.

Jennifer Williams, Gillian Daniels (M), Kenneth Schneyer (Johnson & Wales University), Mike Squatrito (Association of Rhode Island Authors), Jennifer Pelland

Hope in Horror? Format: Panel

20 Feb 2022, Sunday 11:00 - 11:50, Burroughs (Westin)

When it comes to horror fiction, is hope just a four-letter word? Can a successful horror story have a happy ending? Can it afford to teach us anything positive about the human condition? Or is it by definition doomed to hopelessness and nihilism?

Paul Tremblay, Gillian Daniels, Errick Nunnally (Journey Planet Fanzine)

Strong Women · Strange Worlds June 17th Reading!

For the first time, I'll be reading with Strong Women-Strange Worlds! I'm doing a Third Thursday Quick Reads event on Thursday, June 17, at 5:00pm EST. So I recommend a cocktail or pleasant beverage! 

You can now register for the event here!

Looking at the current line-up, which is subject to change, I'll be reading alongside Elaine Isaak and C.S.E. Cooney (both of whom I have prior reading experience and are lovely people to boot) as well as Ingrid Kallick, Elle Ire, and MB Austin. The emcee will be the eminent Sarah Smith!

Their next reading is this Friday at noon and features Barbara Ann Wright, Gloria Oliver, Sarah Jean Horwitz (who I met at a convention a while back), Patricia Correll, Jane C. Esther, and Carol Berg. Please join them if you can.

Updates to register for the event will be available here. You can also sign up for their mailing list to receive information about upcoming events.

LCRW #43 Rides to Hell and Back

I have a story in the upcoming 43rd issue of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, "King Moon’s Tithe to Hell"! I'm so excited (and nervous) to share it with you all. It's a story about fairyland, love, and hell. 

You can order your very own copy here. Take a gander at the super stars in the table of contents. This includes the very talented and cool Leah Bobet, for whom I read slush many moons ago when she was editor and publisher of Ideomancer Speculative Fiction. 

I'm vaccinated and healthy and fizzy and funny and fine. In New England, 70% of adults have received their first shot, the weather is sunny without being too hot, and it's my birthday month. Everything feels new and blooming.

Boskone: February 12-14, 2021

Arisia may be over for the year, but Boskone is now on the horizon! I'm on panels for it as well:

 

Creating Across Media

12 Feb 2021, Friday 17:00 - 18:00, Carlton - (Mtg Room) (Virtual Westin)

Versatility is an author's greatest tool in today's publishing market. Whether it's books, blogging, comics, drama, film, gaming, graphic novels, non-fiction, short fiction, social media, or TV there is a story to be told. When switching from one to the other, what do you need to keep in mind? What are some of the key tips and tricks to creating compelling content no matter which medium you are writing in at the moment?

Christopher Golden, Walter Jon Williams (Word Domination), Scott Edelman (M), Gillian Daniels, Mur Lafferty

Female Character Evolution in Speculative Fiction

13 Feb 2021, Saturday 13:00 - 14:00, Burroughs (Webinar) (Virtual Westin)

Is there more to life than virgin-mother-crone? Let's look at how physical and psychological change in women is portrayed in fiction today. We've talked about how the representation of women in fiction has changed, but we'll talk here about how a woman actual changes through time and experience within today's works. How does SF/F/H approach the physical changes, from childhood to womanhood or the later changes in life? How do print and screen differ in this regard? 

Nancy Holder, Gillian Daniels (M), Maura McHugh, Connie Willis, Tamora Pierce (Tamora Pierce LLC)

 

Horror Comics: The Art of Graphic Terror

14 Feb 2021, Sunday 11:30 - 12:30, Burroughs (Webinar) (Virtual Westin)

From comics to graphic novels, these artists and authors don't pull their punches. Instead they excel at steadily building the narrative dread through a combination of disconcerting story elements that happen both in the panel and off the page as they push old tropes into unknown territory. From body horror to creepypasta, zombies, noirish superheroes, organ farmers, demonic ice cream men, and fairies dwelling inside the rotting corpse of, well, never mind, why do we read them? Is it the sheer inventive fun of titles like Afterlife With Archie; Killadelphia; Die; Crawl to Me; or Gyo: The Death-Stench Creeps? Maybe it’s the sequential-storytelling skills of writers like Joe Hill, Cullen Bunn, Gail Simone, Victor Lavalle, or Carmen Maria Machado? Or maybe there’s just something wrong with us?

Jack Haringa (Worcester Academy), Cat Scully, Maura McHugh, Gillian Daniels (M), Joe Hill

 

The Representation of LGBTQ+ in Popular Culture

14 Feb 2021, Sunday 14:30 - 15:30, Carlton - (Mtg Room) (Virtual Westin)

LGBTQ+ characters are no longer invisible on the screen. While there has been an obvious shift in popular culture, we still have a long way to go in the fight for appropriate representation in film, television, and fiction. The surge in LGBTQ+ representation has brought with it a surge of creators exploiting our desire to see a more realistic representation of diverse stories, often writing characters who are either caricatures or characters in relationships without being fleshed out appropriately. We'll discuss good and bad examples of LGBTQ+ characters. How do they help or hurt popular conception, including self perception, of gays and lesbians?

Jennifer Williams (Circlet Press), Sara Megibow (KT Literary), Gillian Daniels, Julia Rios (Mermaids Monthly) (M)

 

Arisia 2021: Online! Because of a Plague!

Guess what's next weekend? Arisia 2021! And I'm on programming! Which you can see from the vantage point of Zoom!

Here's my schedule:

 

Hold Your Enthusiasm: Problematic Things - Communities, Panel - 55min - Zoom Room 1, 5:30pm Friday

In recent years, J.K. Rowling made clear her transphobia. This year, The Flash fired its Ralph Dibney, actor Hartley Sawyer, after several racist, mysoginist, and homophobic tweets resurfaced. Knowing that these people and many others have said and will continue to say incredibly problematic and harmful things, can we continue to enjoy their work? Or is everything they’ve ever done cancelled? If we do continue to enjoy these works, how can we do so in a way that doesn’t harm others?

Arthur Chu (m), Reuben Baron, Rob Cameron, Gillian Daniels, Lee C. Hillman (Gwendolyn Grace)

Writing in the Age of COVID - Writing, Panel - 55min - Zoom Room 1, 7:00pm Friday

Speculative fiction writers have imagined all manner of plagues, pandemics, and post-apocalyptic scenarios. Having lived with COVID-19 for the better part of a year, how did speculative fiction writers do? What did they get right and what did they get wrong? This panel will discuss how writers can draw from this collective disaster to make plague fiction more relevant or realistic in the future.

Laurence Raphael Brothers (m), Gillian Daniels, Julie C. Day, Suzanne Palmer, Ken Schneyer

The Octavia Butler future is now - Literature, Panel - 55min - Zoom Room 1, 4:00pm Saturday
In her Earthseed series, Octavia Butler gave us a vision of the 2020s that is disturbingly close to our reality, including storms, and droughts brought on by climate change; escapism through addictive pharmaceuticals and games, and perhaps most chillingly a far-right US President backed by extremist evangelical Christians. This panel will review the highlights of these books and discuss the influences on Butler’s writing as well as the influence these novels have had since their publication.
Gillian Daniels (m), Bunnificent, Rob Cameron, Andrea Hairston, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert, Sam Schreiber 

 
Go Team Venture! (and close the door behind you) - Media, Panel - 55min - Zoom Room 2, 11:30am Sunday
Growing quickly from its start as a spoof of 60s Hanna-Barbera action cartoons, The Venture Bros. built a full universe populated by complex characters with intertwined story arcs that kept us coming back for 7 seasons released over the span of 16 years. Many hearts broke when it was abruptly announced the show was not getting a season 8. Why did we love this show so much, how did it change over the long term, and what might have happened with The Monarch and Dr. Venture next?
Gillian Daniels (m), Lyndsay Ely, Eve Leonard, David G. Shaw, Hildy Silverman

Sunday Afternoon Readings 1 - Literature, Reading - 55min - Zoom Room 4, 4:00pm Sunday
Join some of Arisia’s wonderful authors, while they read from their own work.

Laurence Raphael Brothers, Gillian Daniels, Ruthanna Emrys, Sonya Taaffe

Wicked Women, Bobbie, and Her Father

I'm so, so happy The Dark Magazine has published another of my short stories for publication, Bobbie and Her Father! This one means a lot to me. It's about family, growing up with a difficult body, and trying to be the best person you can when there are holes in your knowledge of what "good" looks like. Charles Payseur writes in his lovely review, "The result is visceral, an exploration of how these acts, these violences [...] come in cycles."

I'm very proud of it.

Because I guess I'm a horror writer now, I have another story coming out later this year in an anthology of female horror writers, Wicked Women! The table of contents is available here and includes special guests Jane Yolen and Hillary Monahan. I'm grateful to Scott T. Goudward and Trisha J. Wooldridge at New England Horror Writers Press for their hard work in curating and editing the collection.  

I'll, of course, be linking the hell out of it when it's available.

***

Lock down continues. I live in Massachusetts where the virus isn't as bad as many parts of the U.S., but I don't expect to return to the office or to eat in restaurants again until some time after the vaccine is available. The federal government, by the way, is just awful.

As I wrote in March, I'm journaling, reading, and jogging. The last I'm doing about five times a week for a minimum of three miles each time I'm out. I've added some weight training, too, though this is essentially cardio again. I've fallen off of yoga and meditation for the last few weeks and wonder if I should start again.

I really value the time I've spent with my roommates as well as the outings we've done and the movies we've watched together. 

Over on Twitter, I've spent a lot of time writing about the books and movies (lots of horror) I've been consuming. 

Down at my Patreon, I've been posting excerpts from the new novel I've been working on as well as some art. Shout out to Saint Gibson at Holy Roots Tarot for being a new backer! After a few days, many of my posts become public, so I recommend checking it out even if you don't want to send me dollars and cents. 

As a last thank you, I want to send a shout out to Judith Huang for performing her Ballad of Bloody Brigid at CoNZealand!

Wiscon, The Nebulas, and the Ballad of Bloody Brigid!

So, I can yell about my short story sales now! In August, The Dark will be publishing another of my short horror fantasy stories, "Bobbie and Her Father."

Some time next year, Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet will publish their second piece with me (and my first short story with them), "King Moon's Tithe to Hell."

May was some kind of month, let me tell you. 

***

This past weekend, I attended my first Wiscon in a way I didn't imagine doing so a year ago: virtually. It was deeply fun.

The chaos of the discord server that served as the main socialization page had the same taste as a convention: tons of strangers, united by specific, common interests, all competing to talk to each other. Once I figured out how to mute and mark channels as read, it was much easier, though the overwhelming energy was absolutely still in the air.

There were less panels than I expected, but what was there felt very tight and well done. My favorite pieces of programming included Benjamin Rosenbaum's lecture, "Doctor Who as the Wandering Jew," THE NOT HUGO AWARD-WINNING BUT VERY IMPORTANT NOT ANOTHER F*CKING RACE PANEL, and Renaming the Otherwise Award. The last addressed some questions I had regarding the name change of what was formerly called the Tiptree Award in a thoughtful, nuanced way.

I had so much fun, I went ahead and registered for the virtual Nebula Conference. It was much more business-oriented and intimidating than Wiscon, but still enormously social (through Zoom breakout rooms, mostly) and full of amazing programming. My favorites included Finances for Traditionally Published Novelists, Publish SFF Romance: Pick a Seat, Not a Side, the rescue cat livestream, and The 55th Nebula Awards.

Wiscon also gave me the chance to meet fellow writer, Judith Huang, whose debut novel, Sofia and The Utopia Machine, has been added to my to-read list. We chatted a little and she was kind enough to read my story in The Dark, Brigid Was Hung By Her Hair from the Second Story Window. Then, to my shock and joy, she wrote me a ballad based on it! 

With her permission, it's my absolute pleasure to share it with you.

The Ballad of Bloody Brigid

Speculative Boston Rides Again

Courtesy of  Speculative Boston and WGBH, here's a video of me discussing fiction with eminent authors, Nina MacLaughlin, Sonya Taaffe, and C.S.E. Cooney at Trident Booksellers.

It was a lovely evening. I know Sonya and Claire separately from genre conventions and Boston gatherings. They are luminous, wonderful people to know. I met Nina for the first time that day and she was a wonderful addition to the readings and the discussion. I was also happy to be a part of a full house with a deeply engaged, thoughtful audience.

Maybe the shelter-in-place/quarantine is getting to me, but this night was SO GOOD. I'm so pleased Andrea Martinez Corbin continues to give me the opportunity to host some fine, talented people.

Boskone 57!

What are you doing during Boskone 2020? Hopefully coming by to say hello!

FEBRUARY 14-16, 2020

GUEST OF HONOR: Kim Stanley Robinson
YOUNG ADULT FICTION GUEST: Holly Black
OFFICIAL ARTIST: Eric Wilkerson
MUSICAL GUEST: Cheshire Moon
HAL CLEMENT SCIENCE SPEAKER: Jon Singer
NESFA PRESS GUEST: Jim Burns
(I'm not hyperventilating over the guest list, what are you talking about, don't make accusations at me.)

Here's my schedule for the convention! Any and all changes will be made here.

From Anime to Live Action
Marina 4, Friday, Feb 14 04:00 PM to 04:50 PM (50 minutes)

There's a long history of anime titles being reimagined as live-action films. With the increased availability of CGI technology, this trend has recently picked up considerably. How well do the remakes of iconic anime features such as Attack on Titan, Battle Angel Alita, Dragonball, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, etc., represent their originals? Do they work as stand-alones? Where do they fail to meet expectations, or surpass the original? How well can live actors dramatize anime toons — especially the nonhuman characters?


Living With Disability in a Speculative World
Marina 2, Friday Feb 14 07:00 PM to 07:50 PM (50 minutes)

Navigating the real world, even with all our modern amenities, is still no easy thing. But imagine yourself trying to escape a djinn in the desert, pickaxing rocks in an alien mining colony, or slaving at the hearth in an elven lord's kitchen — all while disabled. The body is as frail as it is strong, and disabilities change the way a person is seen by and interacts with others in their environment. Our panelists talk candidly about disabilities (seen and unseen) and their effect physically, socially, and psychologically within various speculative story worlds.


Great LGBTQ+ Characters in Speculative Fiction
Marina 3, Sunday, Feb 16 11:00 AM to 11:50 AM (50 minutes)

Let’s consider some vivid examples — from Le Guin’s Estraven and Kushner’s Richard St Vier to TV’s Captain Jack, Carey’s Phedra, and Muir’s Gideon. Looking at these and other portraits: Who feels the most real? Who are our favorites? Is progress measured by how much their sexuality/gender is a character detail, not a big deal? What are we (still) waiting for?


Audiobooks for Kids and Teens
Griffin, Sunday, Feb 16 02:00 PM to 02:50 PM (50 minutes)

Audiobooks are a great way to experience fiction. Let’s talk about how they change the dynamic between younger readers and books. How can they be used to inspire reluctant readers? Are there any downsides? What are some “must-hear” audiobooks for kids and teens? And which narrators are especially good at creating engaging narrative voices and compelling atmospheres beyond the page?

Arisia 2020 Schedule!

Later this month, January 17-20th, it's Arisia 2020! Once again, they have been kind (or foolhardy) enough to put me on panels!


Whips, chains, & capes: Superheroes & Kink (Otis) (Comics) Panel Fri 11:30 PM
Everyone knows that superheroes routinely save the world while dressed in skin tight clothes that leave nothing to the imagination. They pummel the bad guys and posture for each other in ways that suggest there’s more to what they do than serving justice.
 
How to Be A Good Fan of Problematic Things (Marina 3) (Fan Interest) Panel Sat 10:00 AM
From NFL football to Kevin Spacey movies to Heinlein novels, our fandoms are rife with things that can be validly critiqued. How can we continue to like things, even passionately, while acknowledging flaws? How do we respond to valid critiques versus outright attacks on the fandom? How are these issues different when a problematic creator is no longer alive? Does the taint stay with a fandom forever?

Catalyze Short Play Readings (Grand Ballroom CD) (Theater Performance) Sat 2:00 PM
A selection of short science fiction plays from local playwriting collaborative Catalyze!

The Ethics of Writing Speculative Fiction (Douglas) (Writing) Panel Sun 10:00 AM
In an online article for Bustle, writer JR Thorpe describes speculative fiction as helping thinking people be more ethical. How can writers grapple with challenging dilemma and real-world problems through fiction? This panel will examine the use and misuse of speculative fiction to confront thorny ethical problems.

The Resurgence of Horror Fiction (Marina 1) (Literature) Panel Sun 4:00 PM
Horror has always been a somewhat disdained genre, even more so than SF. But in recent years it’s growing in popularity and sophistication, with publishers like Tom Doherty launching new horror imprints. But like other genres, horror is defined by specific conventions, themes and tropes. Is some horror fiction regressive (especially concerning women) or transgressive? Do horror tropes reinforce stereotypes or force us to face our fears and weaknesses?

Bringing Horror into Other Genres (Otis) (Writing) Panel Sun 7:00 PM
Increasingly, stories and writing borrow elements and tropes from different genres, including horror. What elements of horror can be brought into other genres? Other than simply ‘scaring the reader,’ what is the purpose of such cross-pollination? Can the tropes and devices of horror fiction be used for surprising effects?

Relativism and the Superhero (Otis) (Comics) Panel Mon 1:00 PM
The last three decades have seen heroes and villains become more complicated as the old stories of black and white morality turn to gray. The motivations behind the characters can make for interesting stories, but has the blurring of the moral lines gone too far? Join our panelists as they attempt to sort out the good, the bad and the morally ambiguous.

2019 Writing Recap

StraAinsel
A short story in The Dawnline: Feral States, additional material for the post-apocalyptic vampire nomad game that was fully fully funded through Kickstarter in October 2018 with Voidspiral Entertainment! After I sold my short story, Older Sister, to them as bonus content for their succesful campaign, I sent in a follow-up that appeared this year in Feral States.
Brigid Was Hung By Her Hair from the Second Story Window
A short story about immigration, goddesses, and songs published in The Dark Magazine, September 2019. It earned me some kind reviews!

Eat the Children and Other Poems of Monsters
An illustrated collection of my previously published fantasy and horror poetry!
How to Repair Creation: Despair and Activism
Diary comics around the idea of performing "tikkun olam," acts that better or repair the world.

Undertow: Grief for a Changing World
Diary comics about anxiety and climate change.

Enjoy, y'all!

Buhler Fritz Zuber "Distant Thoughts"

Straight from my Patreon, here's a list of what I've published this year that is available for your consumption:

"Ainsel" - A short story in The Dawnline: Feral States, additional material for the post-apocalyptic vampire nomad game that was fully fully funded through Kickstarter in October 2018 with Voidspiral Entertainment! After I sold my short story, Older Sister, to them as bonus content for their succesful campaign, I sent in a follow-up that appeared this year in Feral States.

"Brigid Was Hung By Her Hair from the Second Story Window" - A short story about immigration, goddesses, and songs published in The Dark Magazine, September 2019. It earned me some very kind reviews!

Eat the Children and Other Poems of Monsters - An illustrated collection of my previously published fantasy and horror poetry!

How to Repair Creation: Despair and Activism - Diary comics around the idea of performing "tikkun olam," acts that better or repair the world.

Undertow: Grief for a Changing World - Diary comics about anxiety and climate change.

Outside of publications, I've been doing a good chunk of writing. I did some daily writing challenges for Lent, Camp NaNoWriMo, and regular NaNoWriMo with mixed success, but words did, indeed, happen.

I did two revisions of my decopunk robot thriller novel, A Girl Named Doe, and am currently working on the third revision (draft 4). It's at about 82K at the moment!

You can also see the short plays I wrote with the Catalyze Playwrighting Group this year, The Widows Parkman and Webster and Real-Ass Space Explorers.

Overall, I sent out 45 poetry, short story, and novel query submissions, which translated to 34 rejections, 2 acceptances, and 9 pending responses! For contrast, I sent out 73 submissions in 2018 and got 1 acceptance. So...improvement! Hurray!

Satellite Futures, November 2nd and November 7th!

On Saturday, November 2nd at 7pm, come to a series of free plays put on by Catalyze Playwriting Group at the Mosesian Center for the Arts! I've been a member of Catalyze these past couple years and it's been immensely rewarding as an experience.

These short plays include my 10+ minute piece, "Real-Ass Space Explorers." (Yes, that's the title.) The roles will be read by David Olsen and Arianna Smith!
 
After you see some sweet short plays, you should then go to Flat Earth Theatre's production of Alistair McDowall's X! I'm so grateful to them for giving us this opportunity.

Enjoy the poster I threw together for this show!

HAUNTED by a Busy October!

You know how, in August and September, you (okay, I) say things like, "Oh, I'll do this in October! It's such a far away month, October."

Imagine my surprise that October has turned out to be a busy month! Who could have foreseen this happenstance?

This Sunday, October 13th, 12-6pm, I'll be at the Black Market Flea in the Cambridge Community Center! I'll be selling my comics, poems, an RPG to which I've contributed, and fiction!

I'll have a lot of the material I had at LadiesCon last month there with me, but I'm hoping to have a new zine to share, as well.

If you don't come to gaze upon my wares, may I suggest gazing on the gorgeous art, books, posters, prints, and jewelry other vendors will be selling?

Later still this month, I'll be hosting another Speculative Boston Reading on Thursday, October 24th 7-9pm at Trident Booksellers & Cafe!

I'll be asking questions and presenting readings with authors Errick Nunnally, Bracken Macleod, and Isabel Yap, all of whom have dabbled in fiction with horrifying elements and all of whom, to my knowledge, are enormously warm and kind.

Many thanks to Andrea Corbin for her continued work running Speculative Boston and making a space for genre writers to share their work and talk about their experiences. You should help spread the word around the Boston area!

Now, less of an event and more of a hurray, Tor.com recommend my most recently published short story, "Brigid Was Hung By Her Hair from the Second Story Window" (The Dark Magazine) in its Must-Read Speculative Short Fiction for September 2019! They call it "haunting," which is endlessly pleasing to me. I'm in good company, too, as the list also includes a short story from a fellow Clarion 2011 classmate I deeply admire, the sweet, aching “A Bird, a Song, a Revolution” by Brooke Bolander.

If I'm keeping good company in life and online, I must be doing something right.

I'll Follow You Into The Dark

On September 1, 2019, my short story, Brigid Was Hung By Her Hair from the Second Story Window, was published by The Dark. I've been hoping to get into this magazine for years. The editors choosing my story shocks and delights me to my very core. Give it a read!

ALSO! Along with the generous comments made to me by readers over on Twitter, Charles Payseur at Quick Sip Reviews wrote it up and calls it "a fine read!" I'm so pleased!