You can find out more information by following this link.

The Bram Stoker Awards® Weekend and World Horror Convention are combined this year in New Orleans. Pitches to several publishers and one agent will be held on Saturday, June 15. The editors and agent are:

Alec Shane – Agent, Writers House
Blood Bound Books – Geoff Hyatt
Cycatrix Press – Jason V Brock
Dark Regions Press – RJ Cavender
Hydra, Random House – Sarah Peed
JournalStone – Chris C. Payne
Nightscape Press – Mark Scioneaux
Samhain Publishing – Don D’Auria
Tor – Liz Gorinski

To secure your slot, email RJ Cavender at rjc@editorialdepartment.com with your top three pitch choices. In the subject of your email, please write Pitch Sessions – (Author’s Last Name).

All authors will be signed up for two pitch sessions, available on a first come, first serve basis.

Not sure what each publisher and agent are looking for? There’s a website where they straight up tell you. Read it. See if you have anything that fits. Then sign up, and don’t be nervous.

There will be a dark-haired Shock Totem girl in stilettos who will be helping out. Taking you to your pitch session, letting you know when your time is almost up. Straightening your collar and letting you know if there’s lipstick on your teeth. Join me! It will be fun!

But sign up ASAP. Slots are limited and they started filling up immediately.

P.S. I had a bit of trouble inserting this picture. Every time my Itty Bit (who is almost two) saw it, she screamed, “AAAAAHHHHH! MOMMY!!!!!”  Which was about seven times or so.

AAAAAHHHHHHH!

Anyway! I hope you enjoy the interview!

That is all.

We made bird feeders this evening.

Cute. Sweet. Best of all? They were very, very easy.

We took some small pine cones, birdseed, peanut butter, and yarn.

Tiny Daughter spread peanut butter on the pine cones. I managed to pull her hair back so it didn’t fall in the peanut butter (too much). Points for Mom!

Then you roll the pine cones in the seed, and tie yarn around it. Voila!

And hang them outside. Easy peasy, lemon squeasy.

Really, it only took us about twenty minutes from start to finish. But the kiddos were so excited, and it didn’t overwhelm me.

Enjoy, my friends!

http://i.imgur.com/ZwLtozI.gif

It’s a cat. Dressed up like a shark. Riding a Roomba. Chasing a baby duck.

What’s sexy about zombies? 51 authors answered that question with wild, weird, and titillating tales – because true love never dies, it just decays…

Laura was literally the first friend that I made when I moved to Las Vegas seven years ago. So when I was asked to interview a 50 Shades of Decay author, I was delighted to pick her! See this super cute pic? We had Shirley Temples together at the NaNoWriMo Write-In a few years ago. It was a lot of fun.

Laura! I’m so excited that you’re on my blog! Okay, so forget for a minute that we know each other. Tell me about yourself.

LJH: This is the question I hate – tell me about you.  Well I’m an ex-oil brat (much like a military brat but we just didn’t move as much) so I have had the pleasure of living in lots of places to help draw from for experiences and people.  I went to Louisiana State University for my undergrad work in Creative Writing and started work on a Masters at the University of West Florida for Film.  I have recently moved from Las Vegas to Rhode Island and so enjoy the area (except for the snow.)

Your short story is in 50 Shades of Decay. Can you tell us a little bit about it, without giving anything away?

LJH: My story “Out With A Bang” is about the age old problem of what to do if you are the Queen Bee of a high school and the zombie apocalypse takes place, what will you do for fun.  My main character, Daisy, is faced with the fact that everyone is gone and she has to find fun and considering this is a zombie erotica story, you know what that means.  Truthfully, the story, in my mind is considered dark not as much erotic since the experiences Daisy went through shows why she is such a “B.”

Tell me about your writing journey. Where did you get started? Where can we find your work?

LJH: The first story I remember putting to paper was a story I was asked to write in sixth grade and it was about what would I do if an Earthquake happened.  It was a class assignment.  However, I have been making up stories since I was too young to know what I was doing.  My parents tell me I use to make up stories when I was two and three years old about “when I was big.”  The stories were about myself and a younger sister and how our father was a bad man. In the real world I am the baby of the family.

I have three stories in the newest Best of Necon Flash 2012, Pill Hill Press’ Fem-Fangs called “Animal Lover” and stories in two Six Sentence Anthologies – “Mind Games” and “The Mysterious Dr Ramsey.”  I am currently waiting to hear back from a couple of anthologies.
Any certain themes that you seem to write about?

LJH: When I start writing a story it’s more I get an idea and run with it, if a theme forms within the story it is not always planned.  However, I love the idea of writing about the horrors man does to his fellow man.  I also seem to have a thread of lost and broken love in lot of my stories.  A lot of time the characters are put through some sort of loss and they must fight their way through it. 

Now this is your time to shine, Laura! Plug yourself! Where can we find you online? At which conferences?

LJH: I will be honest, I need a better online presence, but I can be found at https://www.facebook.com/laura.j.hickman

 This year I will be hopping around lots of Cons.  It’s a busy but fun year for me.  I will be at WHC in New Orleans in June, Necon in Rhode Island in July, Necronomicon in Rhode Island in August, KillerCon in Vegas in September, and Anthocon in Portsmouth, NH in November. Moving to the Northeast has opened up chances for me to go to a whole new set of cons, but I can’t miss my two favorites, KillerCon and Necon.  Both are so worth the trip – even a big plane trip for me.

Thanks, Laura! I love you!

Here’s her bio:

Laura J. Hickman spends her life writing and creating new worlds.  She has recently moved to the New England area, but spent the majority of her life in both New Orleans and Las Vegas.  She has had stories published in numerous places, including Necon E-books, Pill Hill Press and 6 Sentences.

Her time spent in numerous places has helped her writing grow and has found inspiration in everything from the Florida Beaches, to the haunted streets of the French Quarter to the sin filled casinos of Las Vegas.  She has found help with some great readers and a wonderful editor.  Laura feels like with the correct support from friends, family and a great editor her writing has improved so much and is still pushing for her goals to be accomplished.

50 Shades of Decay can be picked up at Smashwords. Enjoy!

Apparently you can see it in the Northern US tonight. It’s one of my dreams to see it. I hope that many of you have the chance to step outside and experience something exquisite!  All of my love, friends.

Proof of Life

How can I be hiding if I announce it cheerfully, you ask? It’s sort of like a kitschy rhinestone flamingo hiding in its natural habitat. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Check out the best link that I found all day.

I’m taking a month-long hiatus from Facebook and Twitter, which is really hard, actually. Because a lot of things go on there, and I’m feeling out of the loop. But I’m tired. And people can suck. And I’m working on edits to Stormlight, and I just need to back away and lick my wounds for a bit. Not just from Facebook, of course, but from all outside responsibility. Just for a little while.

When did I get so plugged in? Real life is passing me by.

Also, in a fit of “I will live my life and be HAPPY, oh yes!” I’m taking open-water scuba diving courses. So I’m one step closer to my dream of cage-diving with Great Whites. I want to be comfortable enough diving that I can focus on not getting my head gnawed off versus freaking out about wearing scuba gear. Plus I’ve always wanted to scuba.

I’m working on improving my quality of life.  I’ve declined some  new opportunities, and I’m stepping back briefly from a few current responsibilities. I’m also trying to do one fun recipe or craft from Pinterest once a week. Don’t laugh! So many things catch my eye! It’s been a lot of fun.

But I’m alive. And I had a haircut. Woo hoo!  Itty Bit will never have a haircut as long as she lives, not it I can help it. It’s too glorious. See you guys!