Horrorfind Weekend 2011 was in Gettysburg, PA this year.
I was late the first day but that's only because I decided to put everything off until the last possible moment. Admittedly, I was one of those people who grumbled about the con being further from my location this year but Gettysburg gave it a different and better flavor of clientele I think, because it has more tourists during this time of year than Baltimore (as well as more ghost hunters...and ghosts for that matter but I digress) and more to do during both day and night. I stayed down the street from the rowdy Wyndham which probably meant that during the whole three hours I spent in my room, I slept better than the unfortunate souls who stayed over there. I much preferred the less expensive but private Days Inn which was very nice for the price I paid. And for an added bonus the hotel (like many in Gettysburg) is supposedly haunted which, if nothing else, added to the charm. I have to admit that I was listening for ghosts every time I entered the room.
I was late the first day but that's only because I decided to put everything off until the last possible moment. Admittedly, I was one of those people who grumbled about the con being further from my location this year but Gettysburg gave it a different and better flavor of clientele I think, because it has more tourists during this time of year than Baltimore (as well as more ghost hunters...and ghosts for that matter but I digress) and more to do during both day and night. I stayed down the street from the rowdy Wyndham which probably meant that during the whole three hours I spent in my room, I slept better than the unfortunate souls who stayed over there. I much preferred the less expensive but private Days Inn which was very nice for the price I paid. And for an added bonus the hotel (like many in Gettysburg) is supposedly haunted which, if nothing else, added to the charm. I have to admit that I was listening for ghosts every time I entered the room.
It seems like a Horrorfind tradition that I always manage to see Kevin Lucia before anyone else. Maybe it's because he is just simultaneously everywhere. I must ask him his teleporting secret. Business was good and I sold 2 entire boxes full of books which, frankly, really surprised me given how the market has been. I may have sold many more had I actually brought more boxes with me. My vendor neighbor was the talented macabre photographer Dan Westfall who had incredible stories to tell about his travels as well as gorgeous prints (which I of course purchased).
I admit freely that I am a True Blood fan and was slighty more excited about meeting Sam Trammell than I should have been. I got his signature and a pic with him but was ashamed to act like a gushing girl upon talking to him. It doesn't happen often.
I admit freely that I am a True Blood fan and was slighty more excited about meeting Sam Trammell than I should have been. I got his signature and a pic with him but was ashamed to act like a gushing girl upon talking to him. It doesn't happen often.
Scarioke the first night was insane and wonderful of course, if you are like me and need an occasional burst of insanity to break up the monotony. Lots of cool venders and con goers there to pal around with.
By the second day, I sold out of every novella, anthology and magazine that I had brought. Now free from my table prison, I attended the Bizarro World Author Readings and was moved to tears (No it wasn't a soppy Twilight love story but it WAS the funniest vampire story you'll ever read) of laughter by the always awesome Greg Hall and his, "Dracula's Winkie". In addition were four other excellent writers who I had the pleasure of meeting: Eric Mayes, Jordan Krall, William Pauley III and Andersen Prunty. All of them had great performances and I got a needed dose of bizarro and dark humor which is always appreciated.
That evening I had some drinks with said writers and also stopped to chat with Jason Wolfgang Gehlert who had some great pointers about writing and the industry as well as an innate talent to out-scare even the purest evil (a.k.a. the mini Jason that was running rampant that night).
Later was Scaryoke with a group of drunken guys that I kept bumping into and the infamous Karlos Borloff who I had the pleasant surprise to reunite with after my appearance on one of his shows in 2008.
Needless to say I slept little, drank too much and was slightly unprepared for the mayhem but I can easily say it will be among my favorite memories of 2011.
In the end, it's all about the people. I'm never disappointed leaving Horrorfind. After all, where else can artists and enthusiasts gather together and so openly talk about murder, blood and cheesy movies with as much gusto without being arrested???
1 comment:
Has it really been since 2008 when you were on Monster Madhouse?! Unbeliveable!
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