Spooky season is almost upon us, y’all! Ghost stories, crispy fall weather, pumpkin everything. There’s also a slew of events happening this fall, some spooky and some spooky adjacent. Here are some of the places I’ll be and things I’ll be doing. Hope to see you there!
Galactic Terrors – HWA NY Reading Series – Thursday, September 17 – 8pm
The New York Chapter of the Horror Writers Association hosts the Galactic Terrors Reading Series online, and on September 17 at 8pm, I’ll be joining Ellen Datlow, Paul Tremblay, Liz Hand, and Steve Rasnic Tem, for a discussion of the recent anthology, Lovecraft’s Brood. We’ll each be reading brief excerpts of our stories, followed by a discussion and a Q&A. ETA: If you missed the event live, you can still view it here.
Vampire’s Library Horror Book Fair – Saturday, September 26 – 11am to 4pm
The wonderful folks at Speculation Publications organized a Horror Book Fair at a Vampire Museum, how freaking cool is that? Vampa in Doylestown, PA will be hosting authors and publishers including Gwendolyn Kiste, Laura Parnum, Wallach, A.C. Wise, LCW Allingham, William J. Donahue, River Eno, Amanda Headlee, TT Madden, Rich Shiffman, Nicole Wolverton, Book Worms Horror Zine, Dracula Beyond Stoker, Speculation Publications, and more. There will be readings throughout the day in the Vampire Sanctuary ( I’ll be reading at 11:40am), and authors and publishers will be signing and selling books all day long. It’s also an excellent opportunity to tour the museum and grounds, which are well-worth the trip alone.
Capclave – October 2-4, 2026
Schools, Sorcery, and Science: Academia in Speculative Fiction – Saturday – 10am – Truman
A.C. Wise (moderator), Sherri Cook Woosley, David Walton, Edward Swing, Tom Doyle
Frequently writers use schools as the setting (and often an additional character!) for their story. Does it work better for Sci Fi or Fantasy? Is it limited to stories set in a specific cultural or other milieu? Why has dark academia become so popular (as opposed to light or regular academia)? Or is all this just the influence of Harry Potter?
Food Glorious Food – Sunday – 10am – Washington Theater
A.C. Wise (moderator), Elektra Hammond, Jo Miles, Miguel O. Mitchell, Lawrence Schoen, and Nibedita Sen
Writers try to engage all the reader’s senses, including that of taste, SFWA has a cookbook! Some books revel in the use of food while others even include recipes. Diane Duane has even created a whole website devoted to the recipes of the Middle Kingdoms! How does writing about food enhance the storytelling? What meals have you read about and wished you could partake? And why does nearly every fantasy novel seem to be sponsored by the stew industry? Panelists will talk about how they incorporate food into their stories, some foods they wish they could eat and why food is so important in some stories, while in others it’s non-existent.
Story Hour Podcast – October 21 – 7pm PST/10pm EST
I’ll be returning to the wonderful Story Hour Podcast on October 21st to read something spooky alongside E.C. Dorgan. I haven’t decided what I’ll read yet, but I’m sure it will be something seasonally appropriate!
The Night Parade Book Launch – October 27 – 6:30-7:30pm
Just a few days before Halloween, I’ll be joining Stephanie Feldman at Main Point Books in Wayne, PA to celebrate her new collection, The Night Parade and Other Stories. The collection is gorgeous, and perfect for spooky season. I’ll be talking to Stephanie about the collection and all things spooky. There will be an audience Q&A as well, and I have it on good authority there may be some yummy seasonally-appropriate treats on hand as well!
Horror Makes Us Happy Live Chat – November 15 – 7:30pm
I’ll be doing a live chat with the wonderful folks at the Horror Makes Us Happy Podcast, talking about all things horrific and – as is the beauty of a live chat – whatever else strikes our fancy in the moment!
