I should not have joked at the end of September/beginning of October that I would be at my most powerful during spooky season. Now, my hubris is coming back to bite me in the ass. Everyone wants a piece of the horror author in October. I’ve barely had any days off, I haven’t been able to hang out with friends (although thankfully I do have something fun planned this weekend), and some days have been overwhelming.
And yet, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
So, what’s been going on? What have I gotten up to this past month? What haven’t I gotten up to?
The first weekend of the month, Trevor and I got together to record the latest episode of Writing & Robots. At least, I think that’s when we did it. It’s been a busy month, and everything is a blur. And it doesn’t help that we recorded the podcast late at night when we usually do that in the morning.
Next weekend! I attended my first ever Can*Con which was so much fun! I made new friends, did some networking, sat in on some interesting panels, and ate way too many chips in the consuite. Will I go again? You bet!
The following weekend was supposed to be my first ever VPop 613 Parking-Lot Pop up event. Unfortunately, that got rained out and postponed to November 4th. And yes, I will have plenty of books available for The Book Purge. What did I do with my weekend off (the only two days back to back I had off the entire month)? Worked a little bit, and binged all things horror.
Now for this weekend. MY FIRST EVER BOOK SIGNING! Come see me at the Indigo in Kanata if you want your book signed, or if you just want to say hi. I never thought I would reach this point so soon in my career, so I am freaking out just a tiny bit. Please send virtual hugs.
“But Stephanie, did you get any writing done?” You bet! Buckle up.
Project 1: Preptober
I’m *shudders* planning for NaNoWriMo this year. Normally, I’m a pantser, but I wanted to try something new this year. The story is called Modern Hauntings and I talk a little bit about it on the podcast with Trevor. For now, I’m keeping details to a minimum (mostly because I haven’t even written the thing yet). But you can be sure there will be NaNo updates on all my socials throughout November.
Project 2: Skull Daddy
As of yesterday, I have finished draft 5 of Skull Daddy! Once the chaos of October is over, I’m going to put out the official call for beta readers. So now’s your chance – if you want to get to the front of the line, subscribe to my newsletter or send me a DM.
Project 3: Falling Apart
I’m publishing a surprise collection! I’m calling it a surprise because it’s existence surprised even me. I had no plans to do this but, well, it just happened. It comes out on November 21st, and if you stop by any of the events I’m attending between now and then, you’ll have a chance to get a FREE short story from the collection as a teaser. So without further ado, I present to you… Falling Apart.
What keeps you from falling apart? A rock-solid support system, a favourite pet, or devouring the flesh of those unlucky enough to cross your path? If the taste of brains is what keeps you going, then this book is for you.
Zombies come in all different forms, and each of these stories presents the undead and dying in a different way, whether they’re the main character or not. Some of these walking corpses are freshly risen from the grave and hungry for vengeance (among other things). Others are coming to terms with what it means to live in a post-apocalyptic hellscape.
This fourth collection from former zombie hater Stephanie Anne promises trauma, drama, and miscellaneous body parts. Can you keep it together as you make your way through these stories?
