Blog

Cons I’m attending this year

Posted on by Lee Killough

I’ve signed up for several cons this year.
May 3-5 Demicon in Des Moines
May 24- 26 ConQuesT in Kansas City
June 28- 30 Soonercon in Midwest City (by OK City)
October 4-6 FenCon in Dallas…looong drive to Dallas from here but my sister Kris is going with me. Our first road trip together ever. Should be fun!

I Love Three Things About Fall

Posted on by Linda Madl

I Love Three Things About Fall.
• The gold and orange of the trees.
• Arranging my tabletop haunted Halloween village.
• Reading ghost stories by the fire.
Actually I love reading (and writing) ghost stories all year. But fall is especially fitting because the darkness gathers earlier. The cool air stills to apprehension. The fog rises to cloak the world in mystery, again.
With my collections of ghost story books from assorted states and abroad, I have plenty of ghost stories to read. Yet, I’m always looking for more—fiction or non-fiction. Today I found a wonderful fiction tome in the public library:
THE WEIRD: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer and published by Tor.
Intrigued, I snatched it up and carried it home. It’s a collection of weird stories from the nineteenth, twentieth, and early twenty-first century, and it’s filled with the genre’s great authors—Bierce, du Maurier, Bradbury, Oates, and King.
In the ‘Foreweird’ Michael Moorcock explains that “There are no established rules for the weird tale, which is . . . the attraction, if the story an author wants to tell can’t readily be told in an established form.” In other words, there is no set definition for the weird genre. All the better to imagine . . . the strange and dark. . .
I’m familiar with a few of the stories in the book, but most are new to me. I’m looking forward to some good reading.
I’ll also be reading a favorite of mine this fall: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING THE PARANORMAL NOVEL from publisher Dragon Moon. It’s for writers of weird fiction. I count it as a favorite not just because I contributed, but because there is useful information in it. I always learn something about the weird when I dive in to read this paranormal writing guide. I emerge inspired.
Stacking these books on the floor, I settle into my chair to savor reading about the eerie and unreal, to enjoy writing the weird and uncanny, from the safety of my fireside, and within sight of my haunted Halloween village.
So . . . Dear Readers join me in reading this fall and if you will, keep an eye open for my new weird tale: ‘The Spirited Chessboard’ soon available at Amazon and Smashwords.
Linda Madl
October 2012

Lee Killough updates

Posted on by Lee Killough

Wow, it’s been a while since I posted. But I’ve been busy. What seemed a simple job of editing an old book, Bloodlinks, for republishing as an e-book and finishing out the three Garreth Mikaelian vampire cop series (well, three books so far) turned into one of those domino projects, change one thing and everything changes. But it’s done. Bloodlinks the e-book version (better I think than the original one…lots of new scenes, expanded role for one character) is up. Not only that but Books We Love has published an omnibus edition of the Garreth books, Special Edition Lee Killough, also available on Amazon, all three books in one reasonably priced e-book. Now I’m working on a ms I plan to submit to Yard Dog Press. No supernatural detectives this time; this one is pure science fiction…space opera…aliens, evil aliens, space ships, alien planets. Ancient Enemy is the working title. It’s been fun working on and I hope my beta readers find it fun to read. Then, breath held, I will send it off for editorial judging. Down the road…I’m going to edit by three Brill/Maxwell sf mysteries for e-book publication. Three books. That should keep me busy for at least the next year.

Building Your Story (How To)

Posted on by Sheri L. McGathy

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012

Topeka-Shawnee County Public Library

Building Your Story

Come join Lee Killough, Linda Madl, and Sheri L. McGathy for a “how to” morning of World Building, Character Development, and a bit of Show vs Tell. Lee will give you the foundation for crafting your world while Linda will discuss the how to’s of character development. Sheri will explain the differences of showing verses telling in your work. Finally, you’ll get a chance to put it all together.

Then, Saturday afternoon, Lee, Linda, and Sheri will present readings from their various works, and discussion various writing techniques from The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal Novels.

Appearance – Writing about Bumps in the Night and Other Frights

Posted on by Sheri L. McGathy

Writing about Bumps in the Night and Other Frights

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011 at 1:30pm

Gardner Neighborhood Library

137 E Shawnee Street

Gardner, KS 66030

In the spirit of Halloween fun, Kansas authors Lee Killough, Linda Madl, and Sheri L. McGathy discuss their fascination with the supernatural creatures, fantasy beings, and ghosts that inspired their writing. The authors will read from their works and answer questions about their writing and the things that give us all goose bumps.

Lee Killough is published in sci-fi and is known for her supernatural and urban fantasy mysteries. Linda Madl is published in historical romance and short stories, including several ghost stories. Sheri L. McGathy is published mainly in fantasy and has earned several awards for her work.

Film news from Lee Killough

Posted on by Lee Killough

An Australian indie film maker Joel Rembach has made a short film based on Lee’s short short story A Cup of Hemlock and is entering it in film festivals in Australia and around the world. In a few weeks the film should be posted on-line where everyone can view it. Try http://www.vimeo/19117628 or Google Joel Rembach films.