The past years have brought severe winter storms, typically occurring early in the year. Right about now.
But as we know, the now of now is a different configuration from nows of the past, which once were nows but have since become once-weres. Apologies for the thorn-whip tangle of time. Have another beverage, glance at the nearest clock to reorient, and we might sort it out by addressing the elements’ seeming confusion.
There is no confusion, however, as far as the weather is concerned. Its shifting calculations affect us all, the atmosphere and these matters of barometric pressure, and this is why we can chat about the weather with an utter stranger when other commonalities fail to bridge a conversation.
“Gonna be cold next week,” says Bob.
“Yep,” Bill replies.
Then comes the tornado. So long, Bob and Bill.
As for the rest of you, welcome to the Chaos Synthesizer.
Black Carmenia
An interesting review of New Era came to attention sometime ago, this one from the multitalented Sandy Lender, genre blender extraordinaire. What does Sandy have to say about the first book in the Black Carmenia series? Find out here.
(Photo by Cassidy Guinn)
My sincere thanks to all of you who have followed the series, from the quiet strife of New Era to the cosmic turbulence of Oblivion’s Child.
The tale of the Black Carmenia will conclude this summer of 2024 with the third and final volume. Until then, I leave you with intimations of red.
Women in Horror 2024
March is Women in Horror Month, previously recognized in February. This provides a specific opportunity for spotlighting the many women deserving of mention and notice within the genre, from authors to artists, actors to filmmakers, to massive fans and champions of the genre. The women of horror are everywhere. Let’s celebrate them.
Kayla Randolph, associate editor for US News & World Report, as well as editor for the works of horror author Xavier Poe Kane, has this to say of her role: “As a woman in horror, I’ve lent a hand in ensuring female characters in horror—Mary Deacon and Lillian Reuter in Kane’s works, for example—are layered, developed players in the story. In addition to editing for Kane (and thanks to his getting me hooked on working within the genre), I’m currently editing my aunt Kate Randolph’s horror novel in which I get to try my hand at helping make young girl characters more than ‘creepy kid’ set pieces for atmosphere. I can’t wait until that’s shared with readers.”
Some recent books I’ve enjoyed from some of the up-and-coming women in horror include Delevan House from Ruthann Jagge and Natasha Sinclair, a work of folk horror, whose follow-up novel of The Delevan Diaries is due to release in 2024; Parachute by Holly Rae Garcia, a twisting-turning novella of cosmic horror I acquired at last year’s KillerCon; and on a slightly quieter note, The Ghost’s Daughter by Cary Herwig, a haunting coming-of-age tale.
We have notable releases to be excited for in 2024. Watch for Laurel Hightower’s The Day of the Door, due in April from Ghoulish Books; Demons in My Bloodstream, the forthcoming collection from Splatterpunk Award-winning editor and author Candace Nola, to be released by Death’s Head Press; and All the Hearts You Eat from Bram Stoker Award-winning author Hailey Piper, out in October from Titan Books.
Who are some of your favorite women in horror?
A Highway Through a Cemetery
Traveling along Highway 71 from a book event a few years ago, I passed rows of tombstones on each side of the road. Their placement so close to the highway seemed unusual at the moment, and prompted my curiosity.
The terms of cemetery and graveyard are often used interchangeably. There is an actual difference in that a graveyard is a cemetery arranged within proximity of a church, whereas cemetery is a more of a general term stemming from the Greek origin of Koimeterion, or “sleeping place,” which refers to a burial ground.
Coop Prairie Cemetery is both. One side resides next to Coop Prairie Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and the other end is arranged directly across the highway.
As the story goes, the cemetery was first laid in 1849 in Mansfield, Arkansas. In 1926, Highway 71’s construction resulted in the highway passing through the middle of the cemetery. Though I have found no specific details or evidence of the arrangement as yet, I surmise some of the graves might have been resituated to accommodate the change.
Many sources have indicated Coop Prairie Cemetery to be the only cemetery with a federal highway passing through its midst. Additional searches have revealed news of other smaller cemeteries marked by highways, but details of these instances remain vague.
Coop Prairie Cemetery has been mentioned in both Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and The Guinness Book of World Records, and is the burial place of, among others, actor Arthur Hunnicutt, who appeared in a variety of western films and television shows including El Dorado and Gunsmoke, an episode of the science fiction series The Outer Limits, and most notably for myself, starred in an episode from the third season of The Twilight Zone, The Hunt.
Events
At the month’s end, I will make my first official appearance of the year at the author meet-and-greet hosted by the Boston Mountain Heritage Society in Mountainburg. Several events are already confirmed for 2024, and it’s likely more will be announced in the months to pass.
March 23, 2024, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: Author Meet-and-Greet, hosted by the Boston Mountain Heritage Society in Mountainburg, AR.
April 12-14, 2024: AuthorCon III, presented by Scares That Care in Williamsburg, VA.
July 19-21, 2024: Imaginarium in Louisville, KY.
July 27-28, 2024: OKC's Horror Con in Oklahoma City, OK.
August 9-11, 2024: KillerCon in Austin, TX.
October 4-6, 2024: AuthorCon IV, presented by Scares That Care in St. Louis, MO.
For further developments, watch http://tommybsmith.net.
And of course:
Though I have become less active on Xitter, you may still follow me there for occasional updates:
http://www.twitter.com/penofchaos
And/or Facebook, via my author page:
http://www.facebook.com/authortommybsmith
Until the next.
Love and Destruction,
Tommy B.
It was lovely speaking with you about my experience as horror editor!