Reading + Vending: AUTHOR FEST at San Mateo Public Library
Tomorrow, July 14 from noon-3pm at the San Mateo Public Library marks the third time I will be doing a professional reading as an author. Admission is FREE and there will be a slew of amazing local authors reading and vending as well. I plan to read from my dark fantasy novella To Nurture & Kill …
Tomorrow, July 14 from noon-3pm at the San Mateo Public Library marks the third time I will be doing a professional reading as an author. Admission is FREE and there will be a slew of amazing local authors reading and vending as well.
I plan to read from my dark fantasy novella To Nurture & Kill, though I am still trying to decide which bit to read. I always do the first chapter, but I kinda really want to read from a later section in the book, one where Kira is old enough to verbally interact with Eutau. After all, the novella at its core is about the relationship between these two characters.
"Wandering mercenary Eutau Vidal promised his dying sister that he would care for her child--an infant with dark, dangerous powers. Will Eutau find meaning in the promise he reluctantly made amid the ashes of war, or will he turn his back on the innocent?"
Reading from my works is one of my favorite things as an author. I was sweating bullets the first time, especially since I was sharing a table with some pretty amazing authors: Katherine Kerr and Heather Rose Jones. I was simultaneously fangirling and freaking out.
The second time I did a reading was as a member of the Horror Writers Association, alongside Loren Rhoads. I was thrilled (and fangirling, again) because I got to hear her read from her novel, Lost Angels. Spoiler alert: I really enjoyed Lost Angels.
So, if you are looking for something fun do this Saturday, consider visiting the San Mateo Public Library and enjoy an afternoon of being read to by local authors :)
Hope to see you there!
Imagination Fair at BayCon 2018: Come Learn About The Faceless God And The Corn Festival
This Saturday, 5/26, at 10am-4pm I will be a part of this year's Imagination Fair at BayCon 2018. BayCon is the Bay Area’s longest fan-run science fiction & fantasy convention. This will be my first time presenting at Imagination Fair, and it will also be the first time I have ever done anything like this since, well, middle school. Think of it as science fair meets literature and fandom.
This Saturday, 5/26, at 10am-4pm I will be a part of this year's Imagination Fair at BayCon 2018. BayCon is the Bay Area’s longest fan-run science fiction & fantasy convention. This will be my first time presenting at Imagination Fair, and it will also be the first time I have ever done anything like this since, well, middle school. Think of it as science fair meets literature and fandom.
To give you an idea of what I mean, here is my pitch for what I will be showcasing:
THE FACELESS GOD AND THE CORN FESTIVAL
Come learn the history (and inspiration) behind the Corn Festival, a tradition celebrated in the world of the Ellderet. Then get ready to play a game of ring toss to test your speed at avoiding the deadly tezca snakes that quest through the corn fields. Winners get an extra entry in the raffle to win a $5 Amazon gift card, while losers will have their soul offered up to the Faceless God!
I have always wanted to talk about the Corn Festival showcased in To Nurture & Kill, especially because I got called out at a writing workshop for including corn in the world of the Ellderet as it "wasn't available in medieval Europe" and thus it was somehow a problem element. A-huh. Corn might not have been a part of the Old World, but it most certainly was an integral part of the New World, especially the Mexica diet.
Other than the $5 Amazon gift card, prizes will also include one bundle set of The Deadbringer and To Nurture & Kill, and a mal de ojo (evil eye) charm.
Not pictured is the bashful $5 Amazon gift card.
And since this is a fair: "Authors, artists, and presenters will be on hand to supply you with goodies, instruction, and amusements to inspire your imagination! HorrorAddicts.net, SEARCH Magazine, Emerian Rich, J. Malcolm Stewart, Laurel Anne Hill and her Cthulu monster, Loren Rhoads, Sumiko Saulson, Valerie Frankel, Mercy Hollow, and more will be on hand to inspire! We'll also have a cos-play face painter, selfie booth, cosplay supply giveaway, prize table, adult coloring & puzzle table and more."
Fun times, for sure :) Hope to see you there!!
For more information concerning Imagination Fair, please visit the events page.
¡No Manches! (Not A Book Review): The City & The City by China Miéville
Spoiler Free Run Down…THE CITY & THE CITY was amazing. It's mystery meets urban fantasy. The story is told in the first person by Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad. He is investigating a murder that will take him from his home city of Besźel to its neighboring city, Ul Qoma. Imagine a city on a glass map that was stomped on. Now, follow the nonsense cracks to draw up invisible, at times overlapping, borders to create two cities--Besźel and Ul Qoma--and two very distinct cultures. Sound convoluted? Well, it is. But it works!
Spoiler Free Run Down...
THE CITY & THE CITY was amazing. It's mystery meets urban fantasy. The story is told in the first person by Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad. He is investigating a murder that will take him from his home city of Besźel to its neighboring city, Ul Qoma. Imagine a city on a glass map that was stomped on. Now, follow the nonsense cracks to draw up invisible, at times overlapping, borders to create two cities--Besźel and Ul Qoma--and two very distinct cultures. Sound convoluted? Well, it is. But it works!
Even though the story follows Tyador, the book is really about the two cities and the strange, strict rules that shape its people. And should a citizen breach those invisible borders, the mysterious Breach will take you away and you will never be seen again.
If you don't like meticulous description and want a fast-paced read with a clean ending, then I wouldn't recommend this book. But, if you like a well-thought-out plot with fully realized lead characters (Tyador, Beszel, and Ul Qoma--yes, the two cities are more than just background) and non-methodical solutions to solving a crime, then please check out this book.
Potential Spoilers...
My fascination with this book comes from not ever being 100% sure if the two cities were just the product of fucked-up borders and people willing to live in such a way or if there was some technology or magic at play. That everyone was willing to conform to the point where a murderer would be allowed to go free just to avoid breach was aggravating. More than once I yelled at the characters "fuck protocol and just cross the damn border!" But I feel that that frustration was very integral to the story and was what gave the characters' actions meaning, especially toward the end.
And then there's the Breach. Are they just people or are they a bit more??? It's never confirmed and that vagueness made the story for me. Personally, I like to believe that there is some lost technology at play that gives the Breach the power they have over the two cities. I like to believe that they have been removed from time.
Poor Tyador. It was literally a "you can't have your cake and eat it too" scenario. That bittersweet ending is what made the story perfect for me. Choices were made and actions followed through, but at the very essence of it all were the rules that kept the City & the City alive.
I Was An Extra in Anthony DeRouen's Horror Film, The Last Showing (featuring Laura Jean Mummert)
I'm going to be an extra in a horror film: The Last Showing, by my friend and fellow HWA member, Anthony DeRouen! I first met Anthony during the 2017 Bay Area Book Festival in Downtown Berkeley at the Horror Writers Association booth. Anthony happened to be at the booth that day, and what I remember most about that initial meeting was his enthusiasm for the horror genre and his upcoming films.
I'm going to be an extra in a horror film: The Last Showing, by my friend and fellow HWA member, Anthony DeRouen! I first met Anthony during the 2017 Bay Area Book Festival in Downtown Berkeley at the Horror Writers Association booth. Anthony happened to be at the booth that day, and what I remember most about that initial meeting was his enthusiasm for the horror genre and his upcoming films. His passion for what he was doing was palpable, and I couldn’t help but be excited for him.
After officially joining the HWA, I chatted with Anthony a bit more and got to hear about his journey as a filmmaker. You read and hear and see videos about filming and the work that goes into it, but being able to hear the process explained from someone you know is daunting. It’s a metric shit-ton of work, and the number of moving pieces is staggering.
One day, Anthony mentioned that he needed extras for his film, and I’m happy (more like mad excited) to be able to say that I “got to be an extra for a horror film.” But not only that, I got to be an extra for someone who was doing something he believed in.
Image copyright: Anthony DeRouen. (Anthony standing on the right.) I’m the one dressed in black, long hair, and clapping.
From left to right: Grayson Dere, Laura Jean Mummert, Anthony DeRouen.
The film is The Last Showing and features the lovely Lara Jean Mummert. The expected release date is later this year. Here’s the film's blurb: A theater is terrorized by an apparition that manifests during the last nightly showing.
I don't know about you, but I've definitely daydreamed about horror stories taking place inside empty theaters. Think about it: large dead screens, numerous vacant seats, countless abandoned rooms...
Image copyright: Anthony DeRouen
A second film Anthony is working on is He Takes and Returns, which is also scheduled for 2018 and will first haunt California horror film festivals, followed by out-of-state circuits.
Image copyright: Anthony DeRouen
Check out the trailer:
If you happen to see these films in your area, go check them out!
Anthony DeRouen was born and raised in Redwood City, California. Anthony began writing short stories and fan fiction in 2008. He has published one novel and written two others in the A Show for the Gods series: Precipice, Diviner, and End of Dreams.
Following his love for telling stories, Anthony began drafting horror tales. The first He Takes and Returns, will film in October 2017 while The Last Showing - a short film based off a feature length screenplay Anthony wrote - completed principal photography in August. Both films will be released in 2018.
Mexica New Year 2018: The Year Of Chicuace (6) Tochtli (Rabbit)
Caveat: I'm still a student and have much more to learn from my peers and teachers, so please do not take what is written in this post as the be-all-end-all. I encourage you to do your own research :) Piyali (hello)! The Mexica New Year is right around the corner, and I am pleased to say that despite having a convention the weekend of, I will be able to attend some of this year's celebrations. I'm so excited as this will be my first time attending!!
Caveat: I'm still a student and have much more to learn from my peers and teachers, so please do not take what is written in this post as the be-all-end-all. I encourage you to do your own research :)
-----
Piyali (hello)!
The Mexica New Year is right around the corner, and I am pleased to say that despite having a convention the weekend of, I will be able to attend some of this year's celebrations. I'm so excited as this will be my first time attending!! If filming is permitted, expect a vlog.
The event that I'm going to is the 20th Annual Mexica New Year, which is hosted by Calpulli Tonalehqueh and held in San Jose.
In lead up to this event, the Nahuatl Tlahtocan student organization meet-up talked a little bit about the Tonalpohualli i.e., the Mexica/Aztec Calendar. A site recommend by them and one I foresee referencing is www.azteccalendar.com. This IG post does a great job of breaking the calendar down.
Our teocuitlapixqui (treasurer) helped us discover our birth-year and day sign. I was born in the year 8 Calli (house) and my day sign is Ehecatl (wind).
"Calli . . . represents the interior space of our heads, where thoughts are born." (Arte Yolteotl) In the case of Ehecatl: "Ehecatl reminds us to give breath to all that we do." (Arte Yolteotl)
If you want to check out some amazing artwork depicting the tonalli (symbols), please head over to Arte Yolteotl by Veronica Xochitl Valadez. You'll also find information explaining each tonalli.
Arte Yolteotl by Veronica Xochitl Valadez
Arte Yolteotl by Veronica Xochitl Valadez
The plan is to arrive at 6am to see the Sunrise Ceremony and stay to at least see the Mexica Dancers. Seeing the danzantes and hearing the drums is becoming something special to me because of the way it makes me feel--alive. Afterward, it's a drive over to FogCon 8 and straight to the bar for coffee.
My panel, Good Grimdark Done Well By Marginalized People, does not start till 9:30pm, which means moar coffee. I plan to vlog about FogCon, so you'll most likely get to witness my slow descent into madness.
Have you ever celebrated Mexica New Year? If you know your year and/or day sign, let me know in the comments.
Timoittazceh (nos vemos/see you).
EMM
