June, 2026
June means StokerCon!
June means traveling to StokerCon to hang out with almost a thousand horror writers, librarians, content creators, publishers, and fans from across the country and the world. It’s a highlight of my year.
June also means summer: a much needed break from my professional life when I can write and recharge.
It’s also time when I have even more space to read and consume the media I love. Let’s dive in!
What I’m Working On
StokerCon is a great opportunity to network, share ideas, and connect with people who love horror as much as I do. It’s a busy three days! Here are some highlights.
First, here I am with some of the other great horror and thriller writers published by my publisher Winding Road Stories.
Get the new WRSD anthology free! Featuring stories by all of us, including Robert P. Ottone and Tim Waggoner, both Bram Stoker award winners!
I got to meet Billy Martin (who writes as Poppy Z. Brite). Billy changed my view of what horror could be when I read Lost Souls. My copy is now signed! Pictured here with his husband, the artist Grey Cross.
I had the great pleasure of being on the Be a Dear: Trad Wife Horror panel, which was packed and well received. (There were six male identified people in the room.) There are some seriously high-powered authors on this panel: check them out!
The Horror Writers Colorado Chapter was well represented. We have a flourishing and active chapter! It’s great to be in a place with so many talented people doing interesting things.
The mass author signing is an opportunity to meet readers and sell books. It’s always loud, crowded, and overwhelming. This year was no different! That’s Colorado author Celina Thompson smiling at the camera! Glad I had a friend for this chaotic event.
Finally, StokerCon is an opportunity to see people from my writer’s group who I typically only see on Zoom. These humans are hugely helpful to my work: they edit, provide feedback, catch continuity errors, and just generally elevate my writing. They are all also great writers!
Here we are headed to the reception before the Stoker awards are given. Heather is summoning the spirits!
Upcoming!
I have a busy summer!
First up: Creepaway Camp! I am super excited to be a “camp counselor” for an adults only, horror themed summer camp! I’ll be on the “Creepy Colorado” panel, and doing a talk on Paranormal Investigation.
In August, I’ll be signing and selling books at the release party of Island X by Marissa Yarrow. I’m reading There it is Again by Yarrow and enjoying it immensely! If you like slow burn and atmospheric, check it out.
Finally…
I’ll skip the “what I’m reading” and “watching sections” this month. I’m re-reading The Dark Tower series, but fitting in other books as well. I’m traveling and writing, so not currently watching much. I did manage to see the final season of The Boys - while the ending felt a little rushed, I thought it wrapped up as it should have. And Homelander is top of my list of scariest villains! Props to Antony Starr for creating one hell of a terrifying, inhuman monster! Yeesh.
Until July!