The Seers’ Table October 2021

The Seers Table September 30, 2021 by HWAWeb Linda D. Addison, Member of the Diverse Works Inclusion Community You can see any of The Seers’ Table posts since inception (March 2016) by going to the HWA main page and selection menu item: “Our Blogs / Diverse Works”. Kate Maruyama introduces: Nicole D. Sconiers is the author of Escape from Beckyville: Tales of Race, Hair and Rage, a speculative fiction short-story collection that has been taught at colleges and universities around the country. Her short story, “Kim,” was published in the anthology Sycorax’s Daughters, which was a Bram Stoker Award® finalist.…

Halloween Haunts: The Pandemic Party by Naching T. Kassa

The chill of night filled the air. Shadows ruled the world and not even the plump autumn moon could keep them at bay. Halloween had come at last. The children donned their costumes and sat down to wait in the living room of the 1969 trailer home. The oldest, dressed as Blade, tapped his blue flashlight on the arm of the rocking chair, while his sister, a Day of the Dead Cutie, sat nearby. Their baby brother, clad in a Superman costume glared at them both. I, their guide, entered the room and announced the time had come. They all…

Halloween Haunts: Freakling Forever by T.J. Tranchell

We moved a lot when I was a kid—hell, I’ve kept moving even as an adult—so I’ve managed to lose touch with people quickly. Just before my fifth birthday (maybe just before my sixth?), I went back to one neighborhood to deliver a party invitation to my friend Scotty. His own mid-October birthday party was in full swing, and I was asked to stay. Cake and ice cream commenced followed by a trip to a haunted house. I had never been to a haunted house, but I knew the place we were going. The dilapidated structure sat next to the…

Halloween Haunts: Wicca is Alive and Well in Cleveland by Katherine Kerestman

Park your broomsticks on Broadview Road in the artsy, ethnic, and eclectic Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, and visit the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick, where museum owner Steven Intermill will tell you about the cache of artefacts collected by the founder of American Wicca, Raymond Buckland. Born in England to a family of Romani heritage and occultist leanings, Raymond Buckland had studied Wicca there under Gerald Gardner (1884 – 1964), the father of modern Wicca. Buckland collected occult objects, which were first housed in a New York City museum in his own basement from 1966 – 1976,…

Halloween Haunts: The Season Begins by Michael J. Moore

It's that stagnant, nocturnal air—nothing close to warm, but not so cold you need a jacket. Those thin clouds, strewn across a pitch-black sky. It's the moon, hovering just out of reach, a sinister grin beaming down from its pockmarked face. Autumn leaves, rotting by the road. It's that first step onto the dewy lawn, decorated with plastic tombstones and spiderweb-covered trees. Your bag bouncing at your side, nowhere near as full as it should be. It's different for us all, I'm sure. For this horror writer, however, Halloween has never had anything to do with ancient myths from far…

Latinx Horror: Interview with Richie Narvaez

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Richie Narvaez writes in multiple genres about Latinidad, Puerto Rico, urban culture, and social issues. His horror/spec fic story “Room for Rent,” from the anthology LATINX RISING was read by LeVar Burton on the LeVar Burton Reads podcast. Richie’s most recent novel is the historical YA mystery HOLLY HERNANDEZ AND THE DEATH OF DISCO, which received an Agatha Award and an Anthony Award. His latest work is the anthology Noiryorican. Visit him online at www.richienarvaez.com. What inspired you to start writing? I was an awkward, shy kid and there were things going on in my…

Halloween Haunts: Weird Women Take on Halloween: Five Early Halloween Works by Women by Lisa Morton

When we remember holiday ghost tales, we probably go to Charles Dickens and the most famous ghost story of them all, “A Christmas Carol”. Think about Halloween stories, and you might imagine that you’d have to wait until at least the mid-twentieth century, when Robert Bloch and Ray Bradbury rolled around. But here’s one of those historical bits that even the most knowledgeable horror fan might have missed: many of the earliest stories about Halloween were by women. That’s right, not long after Dickens tormented Scrooge with Christmas ghosts, his feminine counterparts were setting their spirits loose on Halloween. After…

Latinx Horror: Interview with Guadalupe García McCall

Guadalupe García McCall is the author of four award-winning YA novels, some stories, and many poems. Among the many accolades bestowed upon her works, her debut novel, UNDER THE MESQUITE, received the prestigious Pura Belpre Author Award and her second book, SUMMER OF THE MARIPOSAS, was an Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Finalist. Though she calls Texas home, she is an Assistant Professor of English at George Fox University and resides with her husband in the Pacific Northwest. Her next book, THE KEEPER, is due from Harper Collins on January 25, 2022. What inspired you…

Latinx Heritage in Horror: Interview with Romina Garber

Romina Garber is a New York Times and international bestselling author whose books include Lobizona & the ZODIAC series. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and raised in Miami, Florida, Romina landed her first writing gig as a teen—College She Wrote, a weekly Sunday column for the Miami Herald that was later picked up for national syndication—and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She is a graduate of Harvard College and a Virgo to the core. Find her online at: IG: @rominagarber https://rominagarber.com/about/ Twitter: @rominarussell FB: @rominabooks What inspired you to start writing? I was born in Buenos Aires, and I immigrated…

HWA Welcomes Jeff Oliver, bringing Slasher to the Social Media Team

We are excited to welcome Jeff Oliver, the newest member to our Social Media Team, who is helping us birth into existence our very newest social media platform presence on Slasher! For those unfamiliar Slasher, it is an 18+ social network specifically designed for the horror community, our fandom and our content creators. It is a place for horror fans to connect with authors, artists, movies, music, and podcasts, and as such, increasingly, we find our members popping up over there. And so, have established a presence in order to better serve and connect with both HWA members and the…

Latinx Horror: Interview with Gaby Triana

Biography Gaby Triana is the bestselling author of 18 novels for adults and teens, including Moon Child, the Haunted Florida series (Island of Bones, River of Ghosts, City of Spells), Cakespell, Wake the Hollow, Summer of Yesterday, and Paradise Island: A Sam and Colby Story. Her short stories have appeared in the Classic Monsters Unleashed Anthology, Don't Turn Out the Lights: A Tribute Anthology to Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Weird Tales Magazine (Issue #365). Also the host of a YouTube channel, The Witch Haunt, Gaby writes about witchy powers, ghosts, haunted places, and abandoned…

#DisneyMustPlay Update

Over on Writer Beware, @victoriastrauss gives a clear and concise update of what's happening with the #DisneyMustPay Task Force.

Latinx Horror: Interview with David Bowles

Biography David Bowles is a Mexican American author and translator from the US-Mexico border, where he teaches at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Among his award-winning books are Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico, Lords of the Earth, and the graphic novel series Clockwork Curandera. His work has also been published in multiple anthologies, plus venues such as The New York Times, Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine, and Rattle. Find him online at www.davidbowles.us. What inspired you to start writing? My Mexican American family (and our larger community) has longstanding, rich oral traditions. And in my…

Latinx Horror: Interview with Charlie Vázquez

Charlie Vázquez is the author of the novel Contraband (2010, Rebel Satori), the collection Fantasmas: Puerto Rican Tales of the Dead (CV Publishing, 2020), and other books. He’s the former New York City coordinator for Puerto Rico’s Festival de la Palabra and was awarded a Commendation from the City of New York in 2014 for his contributions to Latino literary heritage. Charlie is a founding member of Latino Rebels and a certified mindfulness meditation instructor in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, as taught by David Nichtern. Find him online at www.charlievazquez.com What inspired you to start writing? My maternal…

Chapter News

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) would like to welcome Shawnna Deresch, Carol Gyzander, and Rosemary Thorne as its new Chapter Program Managers. Although they share responsibilities across the board, Shawnna and Carol will focus on the U.S. Chapters, while Rosemary will focus on our international Chapters. They have already been doing amazing things with the program, and we love working with them. Thank you, Shawnna, Carol, & Rosemary! The HWA is a worldwide organization with more than 1500 members around the globe. We encourage local chapters, which provide important face-to-face interaction as well as a wide range of possible local…

Officer Election Results 2021

The Horror Writers Association held its annual election from September 7th through September 15th, 2021. Our members have voted and we are pleased to share the results. We welcome four Trustee positions, a new Treasurer, and the re-election of our Vice President Meghan Arcuri. The elected officers shall hold their respective offices for terms of two years. Their terms officially begin—appropriately enough—on October 31st at midnight. I’d like to thank our Election Team Volunteers Nicole Kurtz, Jamal Hodge, Angel Leigh McCoy, and Verifiers: Sumiko Saulson and Lindy Ryan. I’d also like to thank our outgoing Treasurer Les Klinger and Trustees…

Latinx Horror: Interview with Cynthia Pelayo

Biography Cynthia “Cina” Pelayo is a two-time Bram Stoker Awards® nominated poet and author. She is the author of LOTERIA, CHILDREN OF CHICAGO was released by Agora / Polis Books in 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Columbia College, a Master of Science in Marketing from Roosevelt University, a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and is a Doctoral Candidate in Business Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Find her online at www.CinaPelayo.com or on Twitter @cinapelayo. What inspired you to start writing? Ultimately, when…

Library Committee Members Announced

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is pleased to introduce the members of our Library Committee: Becky Spratford and Konrad Stump! The Library Committee has been working with specific libraries to help them identify authors in their areas who are also HWA members for book discussions, author panels, and even to host writing workshops. They are here to help increase our members’ visibility in libraries. If you have an idea, they want to hear about it. Please feel free to reach out any time by emailing them at libraries@horror.org Becky Spratford is a library consultant and the author of The Readers’…

Latinx Horror: Interview with E. Reyes

E. Reyes is the author of the novel The House on Moon Creek Avenue, and the anthologies Devil’s Hill, Strange Tales of the Macabre, and The Halloween Grindhouse. His works are included in Pulp Harvest (edited by Nick Harper), Latinx Screams (edited by Cina Pelayo and V. Castro), and Trump: Utopia or Dystopia? (edited by JF Garrard and Jen Frankel). Reyes lives in the city Devil’s Hill is based on with his wife and three kids, keeping it spooky. What inspired you to start writing? I was inspired by the Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine. As soon as I started…