Category Archives: Travel

April 16, 2023 · 4:33 am

New Orleans – March 2023

In early March, I returned to my beloved New Orleans. A favorite city of mine for many years, I was very excited to have been able to return in order to attend the Bella Nola 2023 book signing event!

We began with a long drive, about 14 hours total. We broke the trip up over two days for peace of mind and reached the city around 6pm on Thursday night. Despite our exhaustion from the drive, we just HAD to make our way to the French Quarter and Bourbon Street. As has become our tradition over the years, we began the trip with dinner at Acme Oyster House!

A staple of New Orleans since 1910, they are known not only for their oysters but also their fried fish platters and po’boys! Lots of tasty, fried goodness! Heart healthy? Not really. Deliciousness? Yes

The next day we leisurely explored the city, trying some local beer and food throughout the city. And made a walk down Bourbon Street in the daylight hours. This included lunch at the famed Mr. B’s Bistro. As you may have guessed, my husband and I are amateur foodies, so this city really is a playground for us.

That evening, we met up with some old friends, Lestat & Louis, who we’ve become close to over many years of attending the cities numerous vampire balls.

Saturday was the morning of the Bella Nola book signing at the Hilton Riverside Hotel. I had a good time meeting with fans and getting to know some fellow authors in the paranormal and romance genres. This was my first in-person signing event since Covid began and it was great to be out with fans again. A truly lovely event.

After everyone wrapped up a successful event, we then headed down to another New Orleans tradition, a bar called the Howlin’ Wolf. If you’ve never had an alligator hot dog, this is the place to try! They have a small menu, but I have yet to try anything that is not incredible! They also serve a fun selection of local beers and frequently host local bands.

That night, we met up with a circle of friends at their house where we spent the evening catching up, visiting and playing a fun game of Cards Against Humanity (For the record…I won!)

The next day was our last in New Orleans. We met with friends for a mid-morning brunch at Brennan’s. Established in 1946, Brennan’s is another long-time favorite in New Orleans, known for its Benedicts, extensive champagne list, and famous table-side banana fosters. Everything was excellent, from the scrumptious food to the comfortable atmosphere to some of the best service I have ever experienced.

We all had a wonderful time, spending over two hours visiting and savoring the food while enjoying each other’s company. Then, after a heartfelt goodbye, we went our separate ways. Hopefully, all of us, soon to return.

However, we could not leave my beloved city without making a final stop.

For those unaware, Anne Rice had a profound influence on both my academic and professional writing career. My MA degree in modern literary cultures has an emphasis on vampire literature. I not only took vampire-themed master courses but also wrote my dissertation on the works of Anne Rice. I have since lectured on her novels around the world, from California to New Zealand to the sacred halls of Oxford. I was also lucky enough to meet with Ms. Rice on multiple occasions. She was always an encouraging and insightful person who encouraged both my academic and creative work. Losing Anne in December of 2021 was a heartbreaking loss both to the gothic community and to me on a personal level; as I lost a mentor, an inspiration, and a friend. I was grateful to be able to lay flowers at Anne’s final place of rest and say a small thank you for all the ways she changed my life for the better.

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Filed under Travel, vampires, Writing

Tagged as book signing, books, dark romance, fantasy, fantasy books, New Orleans, nola, novel, paranormal romance, paranormal romance books, Vampire

December 5, 2022 · 11:17 pm

New Orleans – Halloween 2022

I spent Halloween in one of my favorite cities, New Orleans! We flew in on a Thursday evening and, after dropping off our bags, headed down in search of our long-missed Bourbon street. Even though Halloween was still days away, the party had already begun!

My friends and I have a tradition in New Orleans, to begin each trip at the Acme Oyster House, featuring some of the best cajan cuisine to be found in the Crescent City. We indulged in starting the meal with fried crawfish tails and followed it with po’boys and a large platter of fried fish with hush puppies. Everything was wonderful as we enjoyed each bite before wandering down the crowded party street, admiring early costumes & happy resellers (and grabbing a margarita…to go)!

We also discovered the French 75 Bar. As a lover of crisp, dry bubbles and sparkling cocktails, it was a must-stop on our trip!

The next morning, Friday, we took a day to explore some familiar places. We began at the Carousel Bar inside the historic Hotel Monteleone. A sparkling jewel of the French Quarter, the Hotel Monteleone is one of the last family-owned-and-operated hotels in New Orleans, and has been since 1886. The bar inside is on a moving platform, where guests are rotated in a full circle once every 15 minutes. With a traditional champagne cocktail, we enjoyed the luxurious decor and took a spin or two before heading to a late lunch at Brennan’s.

Another staple of the New Orleans food scene, Brennan’s features an innovative creole menu which combines both French and Spanish influences. Our brunch menu included Eggs St. Charles (composed of catfish and a poached egg, topped blood orange hollandaise, served over a bed of cremed spinach) and Eggs Hussard (like a traditional Eggs Benedict, but with a rich red wine sauce as well) The result – scrumptious!

As it turned out, in addition to being Halloween weekend, it was as the fourth Friday of October…also known as international Champagne day! So in the courtyard, the restaurant manager taught a group of customers how to properly sabre open a bottle which bartenders proceeded to pour from!

We then proceeded to walk the rows of Bourbon and Royal Street, enjoying people watching and dropping into a few shops to peruse the fantasy and gothic offering of the city.

Saturday morning was a meeting with friends over breakfast. The group included members of the Anne Rice scene like coven members Michelle, Vampires Louis du Pont du Lac and Lestat de Lioncourt (No. Seriously. It’s their actual names!).

Our group close friends usually meets in New Orleans once a year, but have been unable to do so due to Covid. It was great visiting and renewing old friendships as we caught up on each other’s lives.

Then, we ventured to Metairie Cemetery on a more solemn and important pilgrimage.

As we reached the cemetery entrance, the sun vanished behind dark grey clouds and the sky opened around us. As the rain poured down, our group of four wandered through the sacred grounds in search of the Rice Family Mausoleum. It took time to find it, the patter of splashing rain surrounding us before we finally gathered at the final resting place of our beloved Anne Rice.

For those who don’t know, my MA dissertation and a portion of my PhD studies centered on Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. Meeting Anne was one of the greatest moments of my life, and being an invited guest to her ball for several years was one of its greatest honors. She was a woman who inspired both my academic and creative work. A writer who taught me about the kind of author I wish to be. The time I was granted with her, and the conversations we had, are cherished memories which are dear to my heart.

Almost a decade ago, Anne also introduced our small group, and it was with sombre, but grateful, hearts that we laid flowers upon the mausoleum steps, the final resting place of the woman who had meant so much to us on so many levels of our lives. Together we paid our quiet respects, speaking our farewells and thanks to Anne, for all she had given us and the numerous ways she, and her enduring legacy changed our lives for the better.

The following morning, Sunday October 30th, began on a lighter note, as my husband and I took a riverboat jazz brunch cruise down the Mississippi. With good food and lively music, we took in the sights along the river and enjoyed a few rays of sunshine.

We then headed to the Garden District Book Shop, hosting the memorial second line in honor of the late Anne Rice. Nearly a thousand people showed up to honor the life and legacy of the writer who had immortalized New Orleans through her novels, as much as the immortal creatures within them. It was an incredible and humbling site to see how many gathered to honor Anne, and I was grateful to be a part of the event. (photo with Sue Quiroz)

After, we grabbed a quick bite a our favorite hole in the wall, The Howlin’ Wolf. With gator dogs, fried crawfish and local beers, it’s a great place to grab a quick bite in the city.

We then returned to the hotel to get ready for the Dark Gift Alliance Resurrection Ball. Hosted by our friends Michelle and Lestat, the event was a gorgeous gathering of those who love the gothic, vampiric, and the soul of New Orleans. Everyone was dressed to the nines, from gothic costumes to dazzling ballgowns. Featuring an array of live music, good food, and friends, the event was lovely and one I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun Halloween night.

At the end of the night, as October 30th transformed to Halloween Night, attendees of the ball left the ballroom and ventured to our outdoor location on the banks of the Mississippi River. Lead by the master of ceremonies, Madame X, a tribute was held to honor Anne Rice. I was one of three featured speakers at this memorial event. I was honored to have been asked, and to share my memories of Anne with a group of those who held her in similar fondness.

When the event wrapped up, hugs were exchanged with heartfelt thanks and goodbyes as we ventured back to the hotel and began to pack for the journey home.

The trip was an amazing assemblage of renewed friendships, reminiscing old memories, and honoring the memory of Anne Rice. It was a trip which filled my heart with happiness, comfort, and healing. I am grateful for being able to venture to the city which shall always hold a piece of my heart, and the many whose friendship has come to mean so much over the decade since my first trip.

Until our next meeting, my dear New Orleans.

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Tagged as Anne Rice, cajan, New Orleans, nola, Prince Lestat, travel, travel photos, Vampire, vampire ball, vampire chronicles, Vampire Lestat, vampires

November 4, 2017 · 5:31 pm

San Diego Comic Con

A few months ago, I had the amazing opportunity to attend San Diego Comic Con (SDCC). This was an incredible event and I had an amazing time attending!

SDCC began with a flight down to one of my favorite cities and I was able to spend a few hours writing on the beach before the event officially began.

The first day of SDCC began with an evening entrance. I was very grateful to have had my tickets provided by Dabel Brothers Publishing who were there promoting their recent publications of Sherrilyn Kenyon graphic novels, along with other numerous additional publications.

Guided by my personal assistant, Gladys, who arranged for me to attend the event, I spent the first day walking around the con, seeing some fun sights which included having a picture taken from a set of the upcoming Star Wars Episode VIII.

Walking through the Star Wars and Marvel model section of the con.

Sitting in the captain’s chairs from Star Trek.

And of course, my favorite part, viewing the incredible cosplay which also comes with a comic con event!

For those who have never been, SDCC is one of the largest with a reported 130,000 people in attendance over the extended weekend. Events span beyond the conference center to multiple hotels along the marina.

Exhibits, cosplay, and super-hero themed drink and food specials fill the entire area for the entirety of the events and there is always something fun to experience.

The next day was spent between exploring further and standing in line for Hall H, which is the largest room in the conference center. Inside are held some of the biggest events and speakers. In order to get into Hall H, one has to acquire a wrist band, which are handed out to those in line the night before events. These lines generally begin days in advance, with people camping out in order to secure entry to see their favorite stars and panels. Though we did not stay overnight at the venue, we stood in line approximately 13 hours in order to acquire our bands and then were back in line the next morning by 5am.

The wait was completely worthwhile! The panels we attend:

Fear the Walking Dead & The Walking Dead:

Game of Thrones:

As a huge fan of both Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, it was an incredible experience and I loved getting to listen to the speakers and panelists talking about the shows.

The last day I managed to attend a couple of panels. One on YA fantasy and another on writing dystopian novels and then had a fun time visiting with the always amazing Christopher Rice.

For those unfamiliar with Christopher’s work, his newest novel co-written by Anne Rice, Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra, will be released later this month. He was kind enough to sign a copy for me and is a novel I would highly recommend!

I also had the incredible opportunity to meet Sherrilyn Kenyon who was kind and generous with her time. I must admit to be a touch star-struck to meet her and she could not have been kinder.

Overall SDCC was an incredible experience for which I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to attend!

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Tagged as California, Christopher Rice, comic con, Dabel Brothers, game of thrones, San Diego Comic Con, SDCC, Sherrilyn Kenyon, star wars, The Walking Dead, travel

July 15, 2017 · 8:44 pm

Hawaiian Luaus to California Dreams

This has been an incredibly busy spring consisting of several trips, book releases and exciting news to come.

Events began in April with a trip down to San Diego, California for the Pacific Cultural Association/American Cultural Association national conference where I was a presenter on a panel concerning the works of bestselling novelist Anne Rice.

Along with three other presenters, we discussed the nature of Rice’s work on the field of gothic literature and the evolution of the vampiric figure in contemporary novels. The panel was an enthusiastic group of scholars from all over the world; Romania, England and Ireland, just to name a few places. The panel created a lively discussion on not only Rice’s work, but the vampiric figure. While we may not agree on all aspects of literature, we did come to one conclusion, Rice’s work has had a profound and last influence upon the gothic field.

The conference itself was an amazing event. It showcased a wide variety of topics, running multiple panels on a multitude of subjects dealing with popular and American culture. When I was not engaged with the vampire panel, I also attended several presentations on Tolkien, mythology, film, television, creative writing, and children’s literature.

In addition to the conference, I also had an opportunity to spend a wonderful afternoon visiting with dear friends and fellow artists, including the always amazing Becket, author of the Key the Steampunk Vampire Girl series, his incredible wife Christina, and artist-extraordinaire Raven Quinn, the illustrator for the map in both my Black Rose Guard and Rise of the Temple Gods series.

We had a fun afternoon visiting and discussing upcoming projects, and testing different flavors of ice cream on what turned out to be a beautiful sunny afternoon.

I was also fortunate enough to have my brother accompany me on the California trip, so we took day off to have some fun visiting some both theme parks and vineyards in the Temecula Valley.

In addition, I also had the opportunity to meet one of my narrators, Cassandra Richardson, in person. We have worked on multiple audiobook projects together, including all three of the books in the Rise of the Temple Gods series, the recently released Shadow of the Rose, and the upcoming audiobook version of my science-fiction novel, Indoctrination. It was wonderful to meet her in person and I cannot recommend her amazing talent enough!

In June, I took a vacation trip to Hawaii, a gift from both of my grandmother’s for my birthday. Though it was my second time visiting the islands, the pervious trip had been nearly a decade before.

My grandmothers, who visit the islands almost ever year, graciously showed me around, taking me on a road trip to see the important sights, namely the Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S Arizona. While I had been to this site previously, it was no less a humbling and beautiful memorial.

The rest of the trip consisted of stunning beaches, a look into Polynesian Culture, and a trip to the Dole factory for Pineapple Whips!

And course, as always, we visited the Hard Rock Cafe.

For those unaware, I am an avid pin collector and visit the cafes everywhere I go.

Both trips were incredible experiences, and I had an amazing time.

Next week, I will be traveling to San Diego Comic Con! I am very excited to be attending, and will be posting about the trip upon my return!

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Tagged as Anne Rice, books, California, conference, Hawaii, literature, travel, Vampire

February 21, 2017 · 7:03 am

Australia, New Zealand & Middle Earth

Our crazy foray into the Outback began with more time in airports and airplanes than I’ve ever spent. After the brief puddle-jumper flight to Vancouver, B.C. we boarded our flight for Australia.

16 hours later we arrived in Brisbane in order to catch a flight to Sydney, before then catching a flight to Cairns (a town on the Australian east coast). Which means, with the time changes, we got on a plane in the US at 8pm on Saturday night. We reached our first destination at 9pm on Monday night! Time travel! Great Scott!

After collapsing at the hotel for the night, we got up early and caught the shuttle to the marina for our boat tour of the Great Barrier Reef. Personally, I’m very nervous when it comes to being out on the water, but managed to work up the nerve to get into the ocean for a little while. We saw the coral and loads of fish, including a few from the cast of Finding Nemo.

My husband and Steve, on the other hand, loved the water. So they were out much longer while I enjoyed the scenic views of the upper deck of the boat. It was a clear, sunny day, just perfect for it. Which was very fortunate considering the thunderstorm that rolled in a few hours after we got off the boat.

The three of us grabbed some dinner downtown. My husband and Steve (again, far braver) also sampled some of the local delicacies. On the Bill of Fare: Barramundi (a kind of regional sea-bass), Crocodile, Kangaroo, and Emu. I decided to stick with Shrimp, though I’m told Roo can be tasty. I’ll live with the mystery.

We then flew to a place I had always dreamed of visiting, Sydney!

Naturally, we made sure to visit the Sydney Opera House. We took the full tour, learning the history of the conception, construction and history of the famous building. It was a lot of fun though, I must say, the Opera House itself was a much more practical building than I imagined. I guess, for some reason, I envisioned something like the royal opera house of Paris or Munich. Elaborate structures with paintings on the ceilings and velvet curtains. Instead, it was a modern marvel, practical with a major emphasis on function over aesthetic compared to its European counterparts. Given that it was completed in the 1970’s, the modern nature of the building makes a lot more sense.

The next day in Sydney we went out to explore more of the city. As anyone who knows me will be anything but shocked, our wandering led to a wine bar. Along with some delicious native wines, they served an amazing fondue. The first course: goat cheese with chaarcutere & the second: dark chocolate with fruit and sweets. We basically ended up with the room to ourselves and the staff matched Australian wines to all the foods we were trying. All three of us love wine tasting so that was a lot of fun and we got to relax and marvel at the fact that we were actually trying Australian wine in Australia with Australians.

Steve did not accompany us to New Zealand (some nonsense about “going home…paying bills…fired if I’m not back by Monday”), so that was just me and Cam on that portion of the trip. We started our Kiwi adventure with a tour of the Glow-worm Caves.

After a pretty hike through the hills, we were taken into a pitch-black cave and put on this inflatable raft. The group floated down the river running through the insides of the caves. Looking up, at times it was like looking at a starry-night sky with a slightly blue-green glow to it. A glow-worm is itself like a small caterpillar, smaller than most fishing lures, and the bio-luminescence is meant to attract food. I wasn’t crazy about the bug, part, but the visuals were certainly something to behold.

Going into the cave was a bit of a trial for me, as it was narrow in a few places and I can get a touch claustrophobic, but I am glad that I did it, as it was certainly a unique and beautiful experience.

Then we went to my favorite part – Hobbiton!

On a working farm a couple of hours outside of Auckland is the original set for Hobbiton, home town of the Hobbits from the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film series.

We managed to grab tickets to the evening banquet tour and it was AMAZING!!! We took an extended evening tour of the shire, got tons of photos and heard fun stories about the movie set and filming. The story of the discovery of the filming site was fascinating enough. A scout wandered onto the property on a random farm on a Saturday. Fortunately, it was halftime during the Rugby game and the owner opened the door. The scout was allowed to tour the property and found the three things Peter Jackson was looking for: a lake, a tree, and of course, hills.

The scenery itself was beautiful. Each of the Hobbitt Holes had a different theme, noting the different jobs each of the inhabitants would have done (gardener, bee-keeper, fisherman, post-box artist, etc.) We also got to see Sam’s House, the Party Tree, and Bag-End. After the tour, we went into the Green Dragon and tried some ales that were made specifically there (I brought home a bottle of Southfarthing Cider and Middle Earth wine).

Dinner began with a red-velvet curtain reveal of the Hobbit-inspired feast. Food was displayed like a work of art!

Roasted chickens, fried sausages, beef-and-ale pie, ham-hock, all manner of veggies, and more than enough for Seconds (or Thirds, if you are in the Hobbit spirit). It was also followed by a huge dessert tray with some varieties of New Zealand desserts, which were interesting to try including Kiwi Pavolva (hard meringue, whipped cream and fruit).

Then we got to take the tour back through the Hobbiton set by lantern-light. The entire experience was incredible and we got really great memories captured by some great photos.

I had my conference the next day—the Gothic Association of New Zealand and Australia. (GANZA) I presented a paper on child vampires that seemed well received and had the pleasure of getting to meet a wide range of Gothic scholars whose company I greatly enjoyed.

Then we headed down to Wellington, which is on the southern tip of the North Island. I loved the city. It was on the coastline so we walked the beach and had dinner where we could see the ocean.

This began our independent Lord of the rings filming site expedition.

We saw Mt. Victoria (the filming location for the scene where Aragon gets the sword Anduril in Return of the King) and then went to see the filming location for Rivendell! It was also incredible, inside of a National park that was rather breathtaking in itself.

We also took a brief tour of Weta Studios, which designed all the props for LOTR and did the digital work on Golum and and few other main scenes. They also worked on District 9, The Avengers, and the new Wall of China film with Matt Damon that is coming out soon, just to name a few.

While in the area, we spent a couple of nights with family friends who live there. They played tour-guide for two days and took us to the filming location of Mt. Doom. Another beautiful site, and an actual active volcano no less.

And then we spent the second morning at a vineyard, trying some local New Zealand wines.

That’s the condensed version of my trip. I loved it, but it went by too fast!

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Tagged as australia, fantasy, gothic, hobbitton, lord of the rings, middle earth, new zealand, rivendell, shire, travel

September 8, 2016 · 8:26 pm

Summer Recap – 2016

This summer has been incredibly busy and filled with wonderful events, lots of writing, and working with several narrators to release audiobooks.

First, for some VERY exciting news! Barnes and Noble in Vancouver, WA is now carrying Black Rose, the first novel in the bestselling Black Rose Guard dark fantasy series!

If you are in the area, feel free to check it out!

Second, Audiobook news! Black Rose, Heart of the Rose, Heir to Kale & Heir to Koloso are now available in audiobook format through Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. Brought to life by wonderful narrators, these are great editions of the novels for anyone who enjoys audiobooks and I could not be more excited.

Blood Rose will also become available in Feb. of 2017.

The summer itself began with the second annual Words on the Vine Book Signing at Bethany Vineyards in WA, featuring seven amazing authors who gathered together to share their love of literature with fans.

Dina James, Brandy L. Rivers, Shane Chase,

Sarah M. Credit, Blythe Ayne, Greg Wilkey & K.L. Bone

In addition to the event itself, it also was a cause for celebration as the original members of #TeamGregWilkey was reunited for the event!

For those who don’t know, Greg, in addition to being a wonderful friend, is also the author of The Life and Undead of Mortimer Drake Vampire series and the Neither Nor series. More info can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Dead-Undeath-Mortimer-Drake-ebook/dp/B0058DX8F8/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8#nav-subnav

We had a wonderful time visiting with friends, discussing the finer arts of writing and showing off our (less-than-stellar) bowling skills.

Next, I attended the Author Palooka signing in Mesquite, Nevada over the summer. I enjoyed spending the day with fellow authors and getting to meet new readers!

The trip though began with a few days hanging out in California where I had the great privilege of visiting with several friends who also happen to be fellow authors and artists. I had a wonderful lunch with wonderful friends Becket & Stina.

Becket is an author in his own right, of The Blood Vivicanti and Key the Steampunk Vampire Girl. If you’re unfamiliar with his writing, I highly recommend checking out his books here: http://www.becket.me

I also have a wonderful night visiting with my friend and the artist of the incredible map featured in my Rise of the Temple Gods novels, Raven Quinn.

She is also a wonderful singer/songwriter. More information on her work can be found here: http://www.ravenquinn.com

After California and the signing, I spent a few additional days in Las Vegas. We gambled a little, saw a few shows, including the incredible Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil, which I would recommend for any lover Jackson’s music.

We also went to the Siegfried and Roy Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat where we met not only the animals, but happen to run into Siegfried himself!

I also attended the annual PDX vampire ball.

Traditionally held in early spring, the event instead took place in June this year. It was a wonderful event featuring, great music, fun drinks, gorgeous gowns, and of course a traditional midnight waltz.

I also attended a fun writers workshop at the local Barnes and Noble lead by my long-time friend and writing mentor, the amazing NYT Bestselling Author Lilith Saintcrow!

What’s Next?

This weekend I will be attending Rose City Comic Con – photos coming!

October 19th – Rise of the Temple Gods: Heir to the Defendants, book 3 will be released. Cover & Synopsis coming soon!

2017 – Much more coming including the release of both book 4 in The Black Rose Guard series – Silver Rose and the first in a series of side-stories, Shadow of the Rose!

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Tagged as audiobook, barnes and noble, dark fantasy, dark romance, fantasy, fantasy novel, greg wilkey, las vegas, Vampire, writing

November 12, 2015 · 10:21 pm

Witches, Vampires & New Orleans – Undead Con 2015!

For Halloween this year, I returned once again to the city which had so thoroughly captured a large piece of my heart, my beloved New Orleans. It was my third time visiting this wonderful city and second as an invited author of the Undead Conference and Vampire Lestat Ball. The experience was a delightful adventure of seeing new places and revisiting past favorites, sharing my love for the Gothic with fellow enthusiasts and seeing friends both old and new.

The trip began with two fun nights at the Hotel Monteleone, a historic hotel in the French Quarter. After arriving rather late on the first night, we enjoyed a relaxing morning before having lunch at a local bistro called Mr. B’s. If anyone is looking for an excellent restaurant in the area, I would highly recommend it. From the meals to the mouth-watering desserts, everything was excellent and it offered a relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere.

This wonderful meal was followed by a a few hours of relaxation in the spa before meeting my brother, who had also flown in for the events. With him, we spent the evening walking down the streets of the French Quarter and enjoying the unique feel that is New Orleans.

Thursday was when the real fun began. It started with an excellent breakfast between a group of talented artists and writers who also have the privilege of calling each other the most incredible of friends. With great discussion of art, literature, films, upcoming projects and life in general, we had an amazing and fun morning just getting to spend time visiting, a rarity in our collections of busy lives.

After breakfast, we headed off to the Hilton Garden Inn, where the Undead Con was being held for registration and, more importantly, a reunion of #TeamGregWilkey. For those who do not know, Greg Wilkey is not only a great friend but an author I greatly admire. Last year, after the vampire ball in the wee hours of the morning, #TeamGregWilkey was born as we awaited the world’s slowest pancakes, a group of six friends who decided to find a new and exciting way to promote his work. (I also wrote one of the introductions to Greg’s newest edition of his Mortimer Drake Vampire series, which can be found here if you have not read his work yet) http://www.amazon.com/Life-Undeath-Mortimer-Drake-Omnibus/dp/0996662804/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447368170&sr=8-1&keywords=greg+wilkey

This year it was the same great group and friends…plus t-shirts! It was awesome to see our friend again and with him, reuniting our group to explore New Orleans with the same love and wonder as the first time we walked the streets together.

Later that night, we went to the Q&A with bestselling author, Anne Rice. Though I have had the honor of meeting her several times now, I still cannot help but feel the giddiness of a star-struck child every time I get to see her. Especially when she greeted me with a hug at the entrance of the church where the event was to take place!

Ms. Rice spent her time at the event greeting guests and answering questions about her writing, both past works and upcoming. Then the rest of our time was spent visiting with old friends and making new ones!

The next day I attended the “Ghost” panel, of which Greg was a participant. The panel answered questions from the crowd and spoke of their spiritual and supernatural experiences, from both personal experience for some, and in the work of fiction for others. It created a unique group and a very interesting discussion for the attentive audience.

After the panel, we grabbed a quick lunch and then got ready for the 27th annual Vampire Lestat Ball, this year titled Gathering of the Ancients. A few hours later after a trip to the saloon and getting tied into my gown, we were ready for the ball. As a featured author, along with other members of my group, we had VIP upstairs access and were escorted past the line directly to the ballroom. The venue was massive, featuring multiple open bars, dance floors, and live bands.

I enjoyed the event, visiting my friends, taking photographs in our formal wear and dancing to the gothic tunes which filled the ballrooms. Then, I also had the privilege of again seeing Anne Rice, who was kind enough to take photos with fans during the party.

However, one of my absolute favorite photographs was this one, standing with friend and fellow authors Greg and Becket (author of Key the Steampunk Vampire Girl series). It was so wonderful to see them both that night.

The next day was my own panel, which I shared with Greg Wilkey, Sarah M. Cradit, Alys Arden, and Dawn Chartier. We had a fun panel with great questions covering everything from our writing methods, to our favorite villains. We had a wonderful time and great discussion with both the audience and each other.

From there, we attended the book release party for another fellow author, Eric Shaw Quinn, whose new book, Write Murder, had just been released. Hosted by the guest of honor and Christopher Rice, the party was rather intimate with an open bar and excellent food.

Every attendee was surprised by a free copy of the novel which was subsequently signed by the guest of honor. Attendees were also greeted by author Christopher Rice, who was there supporting Eric.

We had a great time at the party visiting with the various guests and enjoying the time with friends.

After that, it was straight to the Witches Ball. My second time to attend, it was a wondrous gathering at the Elms Mansion in New Orleans.

Though a touch on the rainy side, the ball organizers did a great job of covering the outdoor section of the party enough to allow people to enjoy, despite watching it rain. I had a great opportunity to see and visit with some dear friends who I had not seen since the last ball.

The next day and after several tearful goodbyes, the majority of the events ended and people began to return home. However, we had booked several additional days to simply explore and enjoy the city. We spent the next few days visiting the French Quarter, visiting others who had booked additional days and simply hanging out together. I also was delighted by the opportunity to meet Trisha Baker, author of the Crimson Vampire series which begins with Crimson Kiss. I have been a long-time fan of her work and was very excited by the chance to meet her.

New Orleans is definitely among my favorite cities that I have ever visited. Everything from the food to the laid-back atmosphere to the friends who gather every year at this wonderful series of events makes the trip completely worthwhile and one that I have been honored and privileged to attend and hope to continue to be a part of for many years to come.

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Tagged as Anne Rice, books, conference, Gothic Literature, Halloween, New Orleans, Vampire, Vampire Lestat, witches ball

November 10, 2015 · 5:48 am

Vancouver BC & the Gothic Conference

“Every [living] scholar you have ever studied, is probably in this room,” a favorite professor stated at the first event of the International Gothic Association (IGA) Conference. And, with a few exceptions — he was right.

This post is a little late, (and I promise that a recap of New Orleans will be posted soon) but in August of this year, I had the pleasure of speaking at the IGA biannual Conference in Vancouver BC, Canada. The trip started great, as we located the conference hotel with relative ease and proceeded to check in the night before events were to begin, giving a touch of time to recover from the long drive.

The first day was wonderful as I spent the afternoon both visiting with friends and making new ones. There was also a meet and greet that night which featured an impressive gathering of Gothic lovers from students to writers to professors who came together to celebrate their mutual love of dark landscapes, creatures and literature.

The conference itself was an exciting array of papers, covering topics from the oldest of gothic myth of the victorian era to the most modern of supernatural portrayals ranging from the the supernatural television shows Vampire Diaries and True Blood, to the 2014 release, Prince Lestat to (my personal favorite) Key the Steampunk Vampire Girl, the most current of which was released only a few months ago. It also covered zombies, ghosts, victorian literature and all manner of Gothic tales.

I loved getting to meet everyone and stood in awe as a few of those whose work I have studied, quoted and (though I’ll never admit it) worshiped walked by with kind hellos, willing to indulge endless questions pertaining to student’s favorite themes and topics.

My own paper came on the final day of the conference, at a panel hosted at 8 o’clock that morning. Given the early morning status, I was slightly worried that few people would show. However, to my surprise and delight, almost the entire ballroom was filled with interested people. I had never presented a paper to a crowd quite so large before and was a touch nervous walking up to the podium, however after a few moments of speaking, my nerves had (mostly) vanished and I was able to deliver the speech, which seemed well-received by the listeners. A wonderful introduction to the IGA conference overall, as this was the first time I had ever had the pleasure of attending.

Vancouver was a fun city to visit, though I must admit it is often difficult to truly explore in the middle of a long conference. However we did get to visit some great restaurants, a lovely park and a few other places as we went through town. The greatest night that we had to explore, was the last night of the conference, when we took a river boat tour which doubled as the official dinner for the conference.

It was a fun boat with live music and beautiful settings against the background of the Vancouver sunset. The food was surprisingly good (some conference dinners leave a touch to be wanting) and a good time was had by all.

Overall, it was a great experience and I am very much looking forward to attending this wonderful event in the future.

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Tagged as conference, gothic, Gothic Literature, Vancouver BC

August 18, 2015 · 10:51 pm

London, Oxford & the Monster Conference

In July of this year, I attended the 13th annual conference on Monsters and the Monstrous held at Mansfield College, the University of Oxford.

To begin the trip, flew first into London, where I spent the first two days exploring one of my favorite cities in all of Europe. Though I have been to many countries and had many wondrous adventures, there is likely no place on Earth has has even held my heart so captivated as England. Such a blend of culture and history. Modern and ancient. The land of Shakespeare, Tolkien, Harry Potter, Kings and Queens…

With my grandmother at Hampton Court.

I started the trip by taking a trip to Hampton Court Palace, the court of King Henry VIII, among others.

The palace was massive, elaborate and beautiful. Featuring massive paintings, large bedrooms, dazzling staircases.

Despite having lived in England for several years, I had never been to the palace before, so I was very excited to get to explore. I was also joined there by my friend and writing partner, Jonny,

Who assisted me in the very important mission of finding the centre of the Hampton Court Maze. Here we are, after surprisingly only one wrong turn!

We had an wonderful time!

I also spent an evening at the Queen’s Theatre, where I saw Les Miserables.

It was an emotionally moving masterpiece.Everything from the music, to the voices, to the theatre itself were exquisite. It is definitely up there with the best I have ever seen. (Though I must add here, that Phantom of the Opera is and probably always will be my favorite.)

Then I was off to Oxford.

It was my first time there as well, and I was very excited to not only see the numerous buildings which compose the university, but also to arrive there as a conference presenter. The conference, run by inter-disciplinary.net is a gathering of scholars from beginning post-graduates to full-fledged professors from multiple fields of study who gather to discuss topics they love – in this case, monsters.

My paper was titled:

The Child Who Kills: An examination of the Dionysian Child through John Linqvist’s Let the Right One In

Though it also focused on several other novels featuring child vampires, including Becket’s Key the Steampunk Vampire series (with illustrations by Raven Quinn, Trisha Baker’s Crimson series and Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles.

I was very excited to not only be presenting it at Oxford but also among such a distinguished group of my peers. The paper went very well and lead to much discussion and debate.

I also managed to see a few sites in Oxford. I was very excited to grab a drink at the Eagle and Child pub,

A place where both J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis once met.

They were members of the same writers group known as the Inklings.

I also visited the University of Oxford Christchurch campus where I saw one of the famous dining halls, which was one of the influences for the hall featured in Harry Potter.

And the library where I saw a journal written in Mary Shelley’s own handwriting.

Truly amazing!

After Oxford, I returned to London again for another full day before leaving. I spent most of the afternoon at The Globe Theatre. The Globe, which features Shakespeare’s plays, was built to be a replica of the original theatre which existed in Shakespeare’s lifetime.

People who attend performance there have a choice between being seated or standing beside the stage during the performance. It is a token to Elizabethan theater (1500 & 1600s) where the cheap ‘seats’ were actually simply standing and people paid extra to actually sit during a performance. I opted for a seat myself and watched the play from the upper levels. I saw Richard II, and it was very well done.

After that, it was time to say goodbye to England. Though I am certain it is a place I will return to in the future.

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Tagged as conference, England, monsters, oxford

July 2, 2015 · 6:18 am

Germany, Romania & the Dracula Workshop

Last week, I attended the International Conference Beliefs and Behaviors in Education and Culture in where I was a presenter in the workshop titled: Where’s the Place of Dracula: (De)constructing Stereotypes in the Study of the Mythical Space in Literature and the Arts.

The conference was held at the West University of Timișoara, Romania. Everything from the actual conference to the tour of the Romanian countryside was absolutely amazing! And what better place to hold a Dracula conference than in Romania, where Stoker set his famous novel.

However before I went to Romania, I first decided to spend a few days in Munich, Germany, a country I had always wanted to visit. After landing in the city, my first full day was spent exploring downtown. Sights included: Marienplatz, which is a plaza showing several beautiful examples of Gothic architecture. It was referred to by one local I spoke with as the ‘Heart of Prague’ and a glance at the magnificent structure which forms the center of he Plaza, I could easily see why it would be referred to in such a way.

We also went to the Residenz Munchen. composed of a series of elaborate buildings consisting of the households of important figures, elaborate artwork, to an opera house which was by far, my favorite of the buildings I was fortunate enough to view.

And of course, and perhaps most importantly, the Hard Rock Cafe! (I am an avid pin and shot glass collector)

We met my friend, Hans, for lunch. He is photographer, fellow writer and Dracula scholar, author of several Dracula research books including the Dracula Bram Stoker Travel Guide, a project he is working on with fellow author, Dacre Stoker.

We also went to Nymphenburg Palace, which was nothing short of breathtaking from the elaborate rooms (which reminded me a lot of the Strahov Monastery in Prague):

Outside photograph of Nymphenburg Palace

Inside photograph of Nymphenburg Palace

To the garden which featured statues of the Greek Gods. It was a special site for me, as a lover of classical Greek and Roman history and literature.

Altogether, we spent three wonderful days in Munich before heading back to the airport for a thankfully much shorter flight, to Timisoara, Romania. The conference organizers were kind of enough to arrange transportation, so all of the conference attendees had rides awaiting them to their respective hotels, which was very much appreciated.

The conference itself was filled with speakers on various subjects dealing with various issues concerning everything from the education system, to contemporary issues facing Romania and surrounding countries, to what I had been invited to speak on – Dracula. The key note speech on Stoker’s Dracula was given a Prof. of Gothic literature. The speech would begin the discussion for the workshop which took place the following day. The workshop itself was a wonderful gathering of vampire enthusiasts; from professors in the field to graduate students to a few select authors and independent researchers. Topics covered included, but were certainly not limited to: The possible location of Dracula’s Castle the impact of vampire texts upon actual locations; family dynamics in vampire film; to people who self-identify as ‘real’ vampires in one form or another. Each speaker was amazing and had something very unique to offer to the building group discussion and I was honored to be a part of it.

Speakers of the Dracula Workshop – photo credit to: http://benecke.com/

The last day of the conference was a group tour into Transylvania where the highlight of the visit was a castle which serves as a possible contender for a might have inspired Bram Stoker when he sat down to write the story of the now famous Transylvanian count. It was an impression, imagination-inspiring place, to say the least.

I absolutely loved getting to explore Corvin Castle, but to have the opportunity to do so alongside a group of people who love the vampire story as much as I, made it absolute magic!

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