Another year, another StokerCon! I can’t believe the 2026 convention is almost here! It’s always such an exciting time of year, considering there are some horror folks I only get to see in June! I’m part of a number of events over the course of the weekend, so here’s where you can find me!

Women and Werewolves: Exploring Female Rage through Monstrosity at Virtual StokerCon
In terms of virtual programming, I was so excited to be part of a female werewolf panel, especially since my next novel, Everything Looks Better in Red, is all about female werewolves! Moderated by Stephanie M. Wytovich, I joined fellow panelists Lindy Ryan, Stephanie Rose, Christa Carmen, and Shannon Kearns. I got pretty fired up about women, werewolves, and feminine rage in the horror genre, and so did everyone else, so if you’re attending online, please check it out! We are female horror authors; hear us howl!

And of course, I’ll also be in person at the convention! So here’s my full schedule there!

“I Am Fearless & Therefore Powerful”: Bisexuality, Belonging, & Reanimated Revenge in Frankenstein on Friday, June 5th at 9:45am
First up, on Friday, I’ll be presenting at the Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference for the fourth year in a row! I’ll be in the same block as Stephanie M. Wytovich, Cynthia Pelayo, and George Hagman, so it will be so great to hear their presentations on Frankenstein as well!

The Past Is Undead: Exploring an American Vampire Canon on Friday, June 5th at 2pm
Next up, I’ll be part of this fabulous Librarian’s Day panel moderated by Ben Rubin. I’ll be a panelist along with Michelle Renee Lane, Liz Kerin, Billy Martin, and Sarah Read, What an incredible group of people to discuss American vampires with! This is truly going to be a treat!

The Ghost in the Margins: Queerness in Gothic Horror on Friday, June 5th at 4pm
For my final Friday programming, I’m beyond thrilled to be moderating a panel on gothic horror and its queer influences. The panelists include J.A.W. McCarthy, Mae Murray, Billy Martin, Andrew Robertson, and Corey Niles. Join us as we discuss everything from Frankenstein and Dracula to The Haunting of Hill House and The Gilda Stories and beyond!

Mary Shelley’s Monster: The Legacy of Frankenstein on Saturday, June 6th at 1pm 
On Saturday, I’ll be a panelist on this super cool panel all about Frankenstein! Moderated by Crystal O’Leary-Davidson, I’ll be joining fellow panelists Teel James Glenn, Lisa Kröger, John Langan, and Lawrence C. Connolly. I’m so excited to spend part of both Friday and Saturday discussing Mary Shelley and her indelible monster!

I’ll also be at the Bram Stoker Awards on Saturday night! I’m even scheduled to present the award for Superior Achievement in a Novel, which will be such a lovely way to finish off the convention!

So that’s my schedule for StokerCon this year! I can’t wait to see everyone! If you spot me lurking around shadowy corners, be sure to say hello!

Happy reading, and happy StokerCon!

So we’re only a week away from StokerCon, and needless to say, I’m very excited about it! As always, it will be so great to see everyone at the convention!

I’ll be part of a number of events next week, so here’s where I’ll be at both the in-person StokerCon on Friday and Saturday as well as the virtual StokerCon! (Side note: isn’t it too perfect that StokerCon takes place over Friday the 13th?!?)

Final Girls and the Ferocious Feminine: The Heroines and Female Villains of Horror at Virtual Stokercon
I was positively thrilled to moderate this one a couple months back, and it was truly such a fun and fierce discussion about female characters and female authors. The panelists included V. Castro, J.A.W. McCarthy, Candace Nola, May Walker, and Sara Tantlinger. This one will be part of the on-demand section of the Virtual StokerCon, so if you’re attending online, please check out our panel!

Industrial Gothic: Horror in the Industrial and Post-Industrial Age on Friday, June 13th at 1pm
Moderated by Leanna Renee Hieber, I’ll be joining fellow panelists Paul Magnan, Victoria Dalpe, and Errick Nunnally for this super cool discussion about the gothic in industrial settings. This one is all about the decaying landscapes of America and how the abandoned factories and other industry has left the country looking like a bit of a haunted house. As a Rust Belt girl myself (and author of The Rust Maidens), this panel is truly right up my alley!

Shadowy Corners and Secret Liaisons: Representations of Bisexuality in Gothic Horror on Friday, June 13th at 2:45pm
Once again, I’m over the moon to be presenting at the Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference. Two years ago, it was bisexual vampires; last year, it was liminality and bisexual horror; and this year it’s gothic horror and bisexuality. Specifically, I’ll be talking all about the bisexual characters in Rebecca, The Uninvited, The Haunting of Hill House, and more, all while exploring what these depictions of bisexuality mean both to the horror genre and to the queer community.

Fowl Play: Birds in Horror on Saturday, June 14th at 11am
Moderated by the incomparable Sara Tantlinger, this one is going to be an absolute blast! I’ll be a panelist alongside Douglas Gwilym, K.P. Kulski, Christa Carmen, and A.C. Wise, and we will be discussing one of my very favorite topics: birds in horror! I am literally a writer who has a novel that opens with birds falling from the sky, so no promises that I won’t work my witchcraft and try to coax a murder of crows to the hotel just for the occasion!

Runnin’ with the Devil on Saturday, June 14th at 12pm
I’ll be moderating this super fun discussion about 1970s horror music. Think Warren Zevon, Alice Cooper, Stevie Nicks, Ozzy Osbourne, David Bowie, and more. We’ve got a delightfully large panel for this one, which includes Sara Tantlinger, Douglas Gwilym, Nat Cassidy, Philip Fracassi, David Simms, Renee S. DeCamillis, and Michael Allen Rose, so stop by for our very lively and musical discussion!

And finally, on Saturday night, we’ll be attending the Bram Stoker Awards! I know I’ve already said it plenty of times, but I’m so thrilled and honored that The Haunting of Velkwood is nominated for Superior Achievement in a Novel. It’s such a wonderful ballot, and I’m so happy that I get to be part of it!

So that’s where I’ll be next week! Also, FYI: the same as last year, I’ve opted out of the mass author signing, mostly because I already have plenty of panels (not to mention travel), so I don’t need to overtax myself. That being said, if you see me around the convention, please say hello! I’m not too terribly scary in person, I promise!

Happy reading, and happy StokerCon!

So StokerCon is only a week away, and I seriously couldn’t be more excited for it! It’s in San Diego this year, and this will be my first time back in California since my husband and I were married there back in 2008. So needless to say, we’re very happy to be returning to The Golden State!

I’ll be super busy on Friday and Saturday, so if you’re looking for where to find me, here’s my full schedule for the weekend!

“I Go Both Ways”: Liminality and Depictions of Bisexuality in Turn-of-the-Century Horror Cinema on Friday, May 31st at 11am
Once again, I’ll be presenting at the fabulous Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference! Last year, it was bisexual vampires; this year, I’m all about liminality and bisexuality, in particular in movies from the 1990s and 2000s. Basically, this gives me an opportunity to share my love for Basic Instinct, Mulholland Drive, and Jennifer’s Body. <insert bi screams of joy> And if that wasn’t all cool enough, I’m in the same presenting block as the wonderful Rocky Colavito and Kevin Wetmore, Jr., so it’s sure to be a fabulous time!

The Rising Popularity of Folklore and Fairy Tales in Modern Horror on Friday, May 31st at 2pm
Moderated by the always awesome Ben Rubin of the Horror Studies Collection at the University of Pittsburgh, we’ll be discussing one of my favorite topics: folklore and fairy tales. This one is part of the Librarian’s Day event, and I’ll be joining panelists Cynthia Pelayo, Yaika Sabat, Tanya Pell, and Lee Murray. I can’t wait to see where this discussion goes, and I hope you’ll join us to find out!

Exploring Queerness as “Otherness” in Horror on Friday, May 31st at 3pm
I’m beyond thrilled to be moderating this one! I believe this is the only programming at the convention that focuses on queer horror, so I’m incredibly honored to be at the helm! The panel will include Chad Stroup, Norman Prentiss, Sofia Ajram, Lindsay King-Miller, and Ridley Harker, so with a lineup like that, you know it’s going to be an incredible discussion!

Purrfect Terrors: Cats in Horror on Saturday, June 1st at 2pm
Cats in horror! Is there anything better? Sarah Faxon will be moderating this one alongside panelists Sara Tantlinger, John Palisano, and Ashley (A.E.) Santana. No doubt I’ll be bringing up two of my favorite fearsome felines from cinema: Blanche from Hausu and Jezebel from The Sentinel! Hooray for creepy cats!

Witchcraft and Spiritualism in Horror on Saturday, June 1st at 5pm
Sarah Read is the dynamite moderator, and I seriously couldn’t be more excited. As a practicing witch myself, I’ve got plenty to say on the subject, and I’m very eager to hear everyone else’s thoughts as well. I’ll be joining panelists Christa Carmen, Johnny Worthen, Marie Whittaker, and Todd Keisling, and since this is my last programming of the weekend, it’s a perfect way to go out with a bang.

So those are all the places I’ll be on Friday and Saturday! And FYI: I decided to opt out of an author reading and the mass author signing, mostly because I have plenty to do already, and I don’t want to overtax myself at the convention. (This is me trying to practice better self-care after a lifetime of asking “What’s self-care?”) Also, if you can’t make it to any of the panels or my talk on bisexuality and horror, then just find me hanging around the convention and say hello! I’m fairly friendly when I’m not lurking in shadowy corners!

Happy reading, and happy StokerCon!

So we’re just over a week away from this year’s StokerCon, and needless to say, I’m so excited for it! (I initially wrote “so stoked” but I mean, that’s a bit too much, yes? All right, fine, I’m totally stoked for it!) As always, I adore StokerCon and get downright giddy for the convention. This year, I’m cheerfully busy with both the in person and the virtual convention, so if you want to catch me somewhere during the con, then you’re in luck!

And here goes with all the places I’ll be next week at StokerCon!

You Can’t Get There From Here: Tales of Weird Pittsburgh on Thursday, June 15th at 4pm
With moderator Douglas Gwilym at the helm, I’ll be hanging out with panelists Frank Oreto, Nelson Pyles, Michelle Renee Lane, and Stephanie M. Wytovich as we ponder Pittsburgh’s place in the horror genre. I know I’ve already said this all over social media, but I’m so happy that StokerCon is in Pittsburgh this year, and as a member of HWA Pittsburgh, it’s so exciting to get to share our love for the city with everyone!

“We Belong to Each Other”: Reclaiming Representations of Bisexuality in 1970s and 1980s Vampire Cinema on Friday, June 16th at 1pm
I’m over the moon to be presenting at the Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference this year! As you can no doubt discern from the title, my talk is all about bisexual vampires of the 70s and 80s, including Daughters of Darkness, The Hunger, The Lost Boys, and more. I’m part of the block called “The Vampire’s Time Has Come: Symbols, Stories, and Sexuality,” alongside Naomi Borwein and Alex Aleco, and I’m so eager to hear their talks. Tremendous thanks to RJ Joseph and Bridget Keown for putting together this incredible conference. It’s truly such an honor to be presenting at it!

The Cannibal Panel on Friday, June 16th at 4pm
Moderated by the fabulous Sara Tantlinger, I’ll be joining panelists Rebecca Rowland, Owl Goingback, Wrath James White, and EV Knight as we discuss—what else?—horror tales about devouring human flesh. My recent story, “The Hungry Wives of Bleak Street,” is all about cannibalism, and appropriately appears in American Cannibal, edited by the amazing and aforementioned Rebecca Rowland, so it will be fun to talk about that story and anthology as well as hear all about the diverse work coming from other horror writers.

Mass Author Signing on Friday, June 16th at 5pm
I’ll be joining an expansive group of authors as part of the mass author signing! White Whale Bookstore will be on hand selling copies of the Stoker nominated works, so if you want to pick up Reluctant Immortals, then that’s a thing you should be able to do! Also, if you have copies of my books already, please feel free to bring them as I’d of course be happy to sign them!

You Just Live Here: Inhabiting the Modern Haunted House on Saturday, June 17th at 10am
I’ll be hanging out with panelists Aaron Dries, Johnny Compton, Craig Davidson, EV Knight, Sarah Read, and moderator Andrew F. Sullivan while we talk all about haunted houses. This one is particularly exciting for me since my next novel features not only one haunted house but a whole haunted neighborhood, so this is definitely timely for me and my own writing. And I can honestly listen to writers discuss haunted houses all daylong, which means I have no doubt this is going to be a great time.

The Invisible Other: Bisexuality and the Horror Genre on Saturday, June 17th at 12pm
Last but in no way least, I’m moderating this super cool discussion alongside panelists J.A.W. McCarthy, K.P. Kulski, Eric Raglin, and Angela Sylvaine. From what I can tell, this is the first ever panel at a genre writing convention to focus on bisexuality and horror, so I’m beyond thrilled for us to make a small bit of queer horror history as I talk with the ultra talented panelists about all things bi+ and creepy!

Virtual Author Reading (On Demand)
And then there’s the content for virtual StokerCon! This year, I’m doing a virtual author reading! I was the reading coordinator for StokerCon 2023, and since we didn’t have enough spots in person for everyone, I decided to take my role as coordinator seriously and not to take up the space of another writer, especially since I know how important author readings are, in particular for newer writers. And as it turns out, my schedule is packed with programming, so while I will of course miss out on the camaraderie of an in-person reading, everything definitely worked out this year. For my virtual video, I read an excerpt from Reluctant Immortals, my little psychedelic gothic baby (which, by the way, is currently on sale over at Amazon), so check it out if you’re part of the online convention.

Something Old, Something New: The Power of Horror Retellings at Virtual StokerCon (On Demand)
This panel, which explores what makes a good horror retelling, features authors Craig Laurance Gidney, Gaby Triana, Jessica McHugh, Alyssa Palombo, Addie Tsai, and Eden Royce. I’m the moderator of this panel, as we discuss our favorite horror tales and why we chose those particular stories to reinvent in our own work. It was a fabulous time conversing with this group of authors, so please give it a watch if you’re hanging around the virtual con!

Monstrous Metaphors: Horror Movies and Cultural Commentary at Virtual StokerCon (On Demand)
With S.A. Bradley as the moderator of this panel that’s all about the politics and cultural significance of horror, I joined panelists Stephanie M. Wytovich, Marc L. Abbott, and Britannic Zane for a lively discussion about the intersections of horror with race, gender, sexuality, and more. We recorded this one last month, and it was an absolute blast. Such a fun conversation with such fun people!

And finally, on Saturday evening, we’ll be attending the Stokers! Yes, I’ve already said it so many times already, but I’m so elated and surprised that Reluctant Immortals is nominated for Superior Achievement in a Novel. For a book that’s all about forgotten women, it’s such a lovely and amazing experience for it to be recognized. I can’t wait to spend the evening celebrating with all the other nominees! It’s such a terrific ballot, and it will be so wonderful to hang out with everyone at the ceremony!

So that’s my schedule for the convention! If you see me at any of the panels or just hanging out around the hotel, please say hi! I’m fairly friendly and would love to meet more of my internet writing friends in person!

Happy reading, and happy StokerCon!

Welcome back, and happy World Dracula Day! In honor of this auspicious holiday, today seems like the perfect chance to talk a little bit about Reluctant Immortals and what I’ve been up to lately. It’s been a busy year so far in my writing world, which is always nice, since it tends to keep the existential dread at bay.

So let’s dive into some updates about my little vampire baby!

Reluctant Immortals is a finalist at both the Lambda Literary Awards and the Bram Stoker Awards!

First and foremost, if you follow me on social media, you’ve already seen me screaming from the rooftops about this, but just in case you didn’t hear: Reluctant Immortals is nominated for Superior Achievement in a Novel at the Bram Stoker Awards as well as being a finalist for Bisexual Fiction at the Lambda Literary Awards!

*screams joyfully from the rooftops once again*

There have been a lot of wonderful things to happen with the book, so it’s beyond thrilling and humbling to end the promotion cycle for my Dracula-Jane Eyre retelling by attending not one but two awards ceremonies next month where Reluctant Immortals is a finalist. Honestly, even just typing that sentence is surreal.

Being a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards holds a very unique place in my heart. Most readers and reviewers didn’t mention the sapphic story line in Reluctant Immortals; I think that was in part because it’s not revealed until about the quarter mark of the book, and nobody wanted to give away spoilers. But it always made me a little sad it wasn’t discussed more because exploring the relationship between Jane Eyre and Bertha Antoinetta Mason was always one of the most exciting things about writing Reluctant Immortals. So needless to say, having the book recognized in the Bisexual Fiction category at an award ceremony that’s been called “the queer book Oscars” is an absolutely huge honor. Especially this year, with all the ongoing attacks on LGBTQ+ books, I’m proud to be a queer author representing queer horror fiction. So yeah, I’m very, very excited about this.

And of course, it should go without saying that being nominated for a Stoker holds a very special place for me as well. I still can’t believe I’ve been nominated this year, let alone ever won a Stoker in the past, so that remains a wonderfully mystifying part of my existence and career. The ballot for this year’s Stokers is out of this world, and I’m so eager to not only see everyone at the convention and award ceremony next month, but to get to share the excitement with all my fellow nominees. I know people say it’s an honor to be nominated, but here’s the thing: it really, really, REALLY is.

My personal writing archive is now live and open for research at the University of Pittsburgh

Another huge update: my personal writing archive at the University of Pittsburgh’s Horror Studies Collection has officially been processed and has its own page online. I’ve talked about this several times in the past, but it wasn’t open to research until recently. *squeals with delight* Again, I know I’ve said it before, but having my work archived at a university was a big dream of mine from the time I was a kid, and I remain stunned that this is real. But like I said, it’s got its own page and everything, so I guess it is indeed true. *pinches myself to make sure*

In related cool news, there will be a private event at the Horror Studies Collection the week of StokerCon for all registered attendees, so if you’ll be in the Pittsburgh area on the Wednesday before the con, definitely come and hang out with us. You should have gotten an official StokerCon email about the event, so check your inbox! Speaking of which…

StokerCon Pittsburgh is coming soon!

In just a few weeks, a swarm of horror authors will be descending on Station Square in Pittsburgh for StokerCon 2023! Hooray! I’ve already recorded two virtual panels and my author reading for the online portion of the convention, and I’ll be doing even more programming in person, including multiple panels that are still in the process of being announced.

I’m also beyond thrilled to be presenting at the Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference, which will be taking place all day on Friday, June 16th at the convention. My presentation, “We Belong to Each Other: Reclaiming Representations of Bisexuality in 1970s and 1980s Vampire Cinema” will be part of an incredible block of vampire-themed academic talks, which will also include Naomi Borwein and Alex Aleco.

Early next month, I’ll be doing a post on my full StokerCon schedule, so stay tuned for anyone who is interested!

I have new short stories in American Cannibal and Forbidden Magic anthologies as well as Cosmic Horror Monthly!

In other news, it’s been a really exciting year for short story writing here in my little corner of the word. I’m literally finishing up a new story now, and I’ve been fortunate to see three new tales released in the last few months. My flesh-eating 1950s melodrama, “The Hungry Wives of Bleak Street,” made its debut in American Cannibal edited by Rebecca Rowland. “Hear, Hearth, Heartbeat,” a witchy tale of strange friendship that survives the decades, was featured in the Forbidden Magic issue of The Cellar Door. And finally, my Three Mile Island cosmic horror story, “Melting Point,” was in the latest issue of Cosmic Horror Monthly. I’m deeply proud of all three of these stories, so please pick up a copy of one (or all of them!) if you’re so inclined.

Looking down the road, I have recent acceptances for Novus Monstrum and The First Five Minutes of the Apocalypse, as well as upcoming stories out in Shakespeare Unleashed, No Trouble at All, and Never Wake along with several others that haven’t been publicly announced yet, so there will be plenty more short fiction from me coming soon.

So those are all my major updates for the moment. Otherwise, I’m just hanging out here on the old abandoned horse farm, working on new fiction. Edits on my next book have been sent over to my publisher, so I will hopefully have some news to share about my fourth novel very soon. (And seriously, FOURTH NOVEL?! How did that even happen?)

Happy reading, and happy spring!