S.K. Epperson's Blog, page 11
November 1, 2012
Working title: join a collective NaNoWriMo experiment
Reblogged from The Modern Manuscript ~:
This is an invitation.
As you likely already know, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) begins today, “thirty days and nights of literary abandon.”
The goal of NaNoWriMo is to write a novel of 50,000 words or approximately 175 pages in one month. It is also an opportunity for writers to band together in a supportive community to form new connections and reinvigorate existing bonds with fellow writers.
This is going to be fun. :)
October 30, 2012
All Hallows Eve & Odd
For the last few years, thanks to the wonderful world of bloggery, I’ve been able to find many writings by people who call themselves pagans, or witches, or both, and I have to confess I’ve always been intensely curious about and enamored with them. Their pages are creative and filled with color, their words often poetic and rich with imagery. I deeply envy what they say about their lives, and the ease with which they write about esoteric things. They are people I wish I knew in person.
When I was young my mother had a friend who described herself as a ‘white witch’ and my sisters and I thought she was, in a word, cool. Dalai Lama cool. She was so calm and self-contained, so centered. She seemed mystical and wise and because of her matter-of-fact no nonsense delivery, a role model. She read the cards using a regular deck, she lit candles and used sage, stones and whispered mysterious words. I wanted to know the things she knew, carry around the same solidness of self and inner peace in her soul that she seemed to possess.
But reading and learning about such things does not mean everyone is meant to practice. It’s weird, but knowing peace seems to be at odds with crafting fiction. It’s have peace in the head, or write. Can’t do both. Sometimes I wonder if writers create conflict in their lives just so we’ll have that particular well to tap if and when we need it for a character or a condition. Sure, I look at the cards and light the candles (I prefer Rolling Stones, har har) but finding inner peace and solidness of self is about as easy as eating only one piece of Halloween candy after you get home from trick-or-treating.
It just ain’t happening.
Now for some vintage fun:
Apparently if you look in a mirror at midnight and make a wish on Halloween you see the face of your true love…
(Or so the marketers made millions of hopeful young girls believe.)
Evidently, these two decided to go as pumpkin guts.
Who says you’re scary? I do.
No, wait, that’s a T on the end of the word, not a Y. Now you’re really scart. Did your parents name you ‘Rush’ by any chance?
I know you’re trying to figure out what it says in the fortune teller’s banner. Don’t deny it.
[image error]
They totally skipped Thanksgiving again, didn’t they?
Happy All Saint’s Day, Nov 1st! If you see a saint, kiss ‘em for me.
(All images were snagged from Google images from pages claiming to be royalty free. If you see one that’s not let me know and I’ll yank it.)
October 26, 2012
Trick or Treat – Curse of the Alastor
A FREE DOWNLOAD OCTOBER 26 AND 27 ON AMAZON
Curse of the Alastor
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005QTQYZK
After escaping a savage kidnapping, earnest girl of science Marti Zaroni goes to her Sicilian Uncle Zito for protection instead of the police. She wants him to stop the diabolical men who took her captive and to rescue the unwitting boy who aided in her escape.
Zito’s godson and right hand man Angelo Merona is pleased to see Marti again. He’s been in love with her for years and will do everything he can to help her but first he has to deal with his mother, who believes she’s possessed by a demon that has plagued their family for centuries. Angelo doesn’t have to worry, according to the ancient grimoire given to them before the War of the Vespers in 1282 his unusual green eyes mean he’s blessed and no demon will touch him. But everyone around Angelo is fair game Marti will learn as she decides to take on her abductors herself.
Free download October 26 and 27 on Amazon.com
(The only story I’ve written to date that features a demon. Happy Halloween!)
October 17, 2012
Death and the Victorians
Reblogged from Author S.K. Epperson:
A video by GhostWatching
I was spellbound when I found this video and several others like it on YouTube. I’ve always been intrigued by the Victorians, but never more so when it comes to their dealings with death and the bizarre custom of photographing the recently deceased in beds, sitting up on settees, or resting in the mother’s arms as if they were merely slumbering.
October 2, 2012
Blog Post 162 – Broom Lore
Reblogged from New World Witchery - the Search for American Traditional Witchcraft:
I recently helped out on a project for a local folklorist looking for information on broom lore, and wound up with easily twenty pages of notes on the topic from a wide variety of sources. I thought that today I would share a few of the commonly held beliefs regarding brooms, as well as look at some of the most unusual practices surrounding this wonderful household item.
Because brooms are more than just for sweeping...
September 23, 2012
Reaching the Deadline
Just for Sunday kicks and giggles:
Deadline approaching, he sat down Monday, looked up briefly on Tuesday when he heard what sounded like a sonic boom, but didn’t leave his desk until late Thursday when the annoying repeated beeping of a garbage collection truck took him to a window, where he saw military gear and Haz-mat suits on the street instead of garbage men. He went outside and saw bodies in plastic being removed from neighboring homes. He called out, lifted a hand, and heard a bored someone on a bullhorn say, “Great, there’s another one that thinks it’s still alive.”
September 22, 2012
Happy Autumnal Equinox!
This time of year I find myself collecting acorns, squash, bird feather, bark, stones–whatever catches my artistic fancy–and placing them on my table. I light a candle, drink a beer or some wine and in my own crude way give happy thanks for whatever shenanigans I’ve been able to get up to with kith and kin. I’ve never thought much about it. I just do it. Today I wonder if this isn’t something genetic, some memory in the blood that moves me to do these things because my kind have always done them? Say what you will, I love it. I love the mystery. I love the color. I love the concept of ‘harvest’. It’s not just about leaves on trees and apple cider. It’s about oneness with the earth. It’s about change and acceptance.
Some interesting links for the day and or the season.
http://www.schooloftheseasons.com/celauteq.html
Still planning my meal… :)
http://crystal-cure.com/persephone.html
The story of Demeter, goddess of the harvest who presides over the cycle of life and death, and Kore, or Persephone, Demeter’s daughter, abducted to the underworld by Hades.
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/mabontheautumnequinox/a/AllAboutMabon.htm
(I’d never heard of ‘Mabon’ but it sounds sort of like what I do so I included it.)
Share with me your own urgings at this time of year? Does anyone else find themselves out there gathering sticks and feathers and pining for pumpkin beer?
September 17, 2012
Review of Vivienne Again
I promised a review and here it is. :)
Writer-director Kim Garland grew up around the funeral home business and whatever dark imaginings and morbid fantasies that spring to mind from the association are evident in her first short film, Vivienne Again where the shy, wounded newly employed Vivienne (Erin Fritch) is attendant to the funeral of beautiful young Sophie (Christina Brucato) and finds her attention drawn to three strange men dressed in grey, one of whom seems overly curious about what happens to Sophie and when. What occurs next has to be the nightmare of every person who ever stood beside the body of a dead person in a coffin and when the shock subsides a mystery begins to reveal itself. We learn the curious man in grey is Jed (Scott William Winters) and that Sophie isn’t the first dead body he’s left lying around. But he’s back for her now and Vivienne finds herself driven to act, even ‘pushed’ into involving herself. Then it’s her turn to become part of the mystery while the beautiful Sophie vanishes. Yes, you’re left with more than one question as the credits roll, but you also want to see what’s next. At least I did, and when I read that Kim is already working on the second part of what is to become a trilogy of stories about the world Vivienne stepped into, I knew I had more to look forward to. Deal Travis In will be Kim’s answer to the mystery of the men in grey and will no doubt be as skillfully written and directed as I found Vivienne Again to be. A very impressive first effort for Hell’s Kitchen’s Kim Garland.
Where you can see the short:
Upcoming Screenings
FilmColumbia Festival
October 17-21, 2012
Venue TBD (Chatham, NY)
> Screening: Details still to come.
* Select cast/crew (tbd) may be in attendance.
Hosted by The Chatham Film Club and Crandell Theatre, FilmColumbia offers film buffs an exciting long weekend of film screenings and meet the filmmaker events.
In their twelve year history, FilmColumbia has screened many films that have gone on to garner industry and critic awards and nominations. This year’s selections will introduce audiences to an outstanding group of new films before they are released to the general public.
Flyway Film Festival
October 18-21, 2012
Venue TBD (Pepin, WI)
> Screening: Details still to come.
* Select cast/crew (tbd) may be in attendance.
The Flyway Film Festival was founded in 2008 on the beautiful shores of Lake Pepin in southwestern Wisconsin.
The Festival highlights feature and short films, and hosts visiting filmmakers, panel discussions, a Kickoff Gala with food, filmmakers and live music. All in an intimate and interactive environment along the banks of the Mississippi River.
Big Apple Film Festival
November 14-18, 2012
Tribeca Cinemas (New York, NY)
> Screening: Details still to come.
*Writer/Director Kim Garland will be in attendance.
The Big Apple Film Festival screens a variety of specially selected films from the New York City independent film community, as well as additional selections from across the country and around the world.
The festival includes New York City premieres, interactive panel discussions with industry professionals from the New York City film community, honorary award presentations to individuals who have played an influential role in independent filmmaking in the New York City area, networking parties and events, as well as a closing night awards ceremony in which awards will be presented for achievement in filmmaking, screenwriting and acting.
Visit the web page http://www.vivienneagain.com
September 11, 2012
Kim Garland is Kicking Ass
Meet Kim Garland, New York filmmaker. I first came across Kim on Twitter and was struck by her incredible energy and drive to excel at her craft. Her enthusiasm for her ideas is contagious as is evidenced by her many friends and followers. Sometimes you run across someone who you just know is going to make their dreams happen, and in a way that makes the rest of the world sit up and take notice. I believe Kim is one of those people, and I can’t wait till she’s a big time director and I can go begging for her to take something of mine and turn it into a film. Keep your eyes open for her, folks, because she’ll definitely be coming to a theater near you soon. :)
[image error]
Kim’s first short VIVIENNE AGAIN premiered last May at the New York International Short Film Festival and has been an official selection at:
FilmColumbia Festival
Dragon Con Film Festival
HollyShorts Film Festival
Here’s a clip:
Her second short DEAL TRAVIS IN is the second of a planned trilogy of short films set in a world first seen in VIVIENNE AGAIN.
Visit Kim’s pages and check out her filming adventures in Hell’s Kitchen, where she brings ideas about death to life.
@Kim_Garland on Twitter
http://www.facebook.com/KimGarlandFilms
September 5, 2012
In recognition of crazy neighbors
Or perhaps on the occasion of being the crazy neighbor.
We’ve all had them. Those people that drive us absolutely nuts with their noisome pets, misbehaved sprinklers, obnoxious spouses, roaring mufflers, strange smells, peculiar sounds coming from dryer vents like that of a person trapped in the basement, begging someone, anyone to please help them get out…
Download The Neighborhood free until September 30, 2012
Enter coupon code UV72C
https://www.smashwords.com/bo oks/view/180110
