Welcome to TheOriginalHeatherGraham.com
A Note on the upcoming Writers for New Orleans Workshop
Hi everyone,
Wow—time flies! At the beginning of summer, I’m so excited. Chynna is home for three months, it’s summer, and no matter what is going on, I believe that it’s ingrained in us that fall months mean school and work and summer is just—more relaxed.
Well, of course, it’s not. I attended wonderful conferences, saw friends, made new ones, and thoroughly enjoyed it all. But, it was crazy busy.
But, first! NOLA—and Writers for New Orleans.
And, now—summer begins its demise, and it’s almost Labor Day. Oh, it’s coming here close. I leave in less than two weeks for New Orleans and the final preparations for Writers for New Orleans. And, then, sadly, since I am a mom, it’s taking Chynna back to California for her junior year in college. (Junior year! Egads!)
Some exciting additions since I’ve written. Krista Stroever, senior editor for Mira books, will be attending. She’ll be on panels, and she’ll take pitches. Krista is my editor, and I adore her. Since editors don’t work with just one author and nothing I can do can change that, I’m delighted to share her with my folks at Writers. She wonderful; a slender bundle of energy and so much publishing knowledge and editorial savvy, her presence is a true gift. Of course, we’ve also got Eric Raab from Tor, who has also blown me away with his insight during our conversations, Adam Wilson—without whose easy competence and extreme talent I might have long ago truly banged my head against a wall, and another very guest—Tom Colgan, from Berkley, a gentleman—and mega editor—I find to be one of the most intuitive men in publishing today. I am thrilled. Quite frankly, I’d be delighted to keep them all to myself, but . . . damn. It doesn’t work that way.
And some of my HWA and Lizzie Borden group are joining me, too. Bram Stoker winners Lisa Manetti and Corrine Concotilli, and Brent Chapman. Cousin Kim is going to make it this year, so we’re really excited.
So, a recap!
There are panels on Friday, and a fun and enlightening experience I stole from FRW. Of course, for us way down south, it’s called Floridian Idol. For our purposes in NOLA, it’s Louisianian Idol! Pages of work are read and critiqued. Two pages, tops, and anyone can send them now to Connie, or bring them with you. Please state genre or subgenre, so we have a sense of where they’re going.
Then, the networking starts right off with fun. You can combine business with pleasure, because writing will always be a people business, and the people we meet in the business, no matter whether they’re writers, agents, editors, or readers, often turn into the amazing friends who send us off in the right direction, commiserate over a cover that doesn’t thrill, or help us over hard spots in writing and life.
First up!
Friday night starts off with Kathy Love and F. Paul Wilson’s Welcome Party. We had so much fun at the Krazy Korner last year that Kathy and Paul decided to do it there again!!! There will be lots to nibble on and beads to throw off the balcony. And time to visit with friends and just enjoy the music and cameraderie. (Erin McCarthy has hosted with Kathy the last several years, but is a bridesmaid in a wedding this Labor Day. We’ll miss her terribly, and we’re grateful as hall hell that the inimitable F. Paul Wilson has stepped in. We have tried to get him to wear a long dark wig on one side of his head so we can be grateful to him while we’re missing Erin, but I’m not sure this idea is taking hold with Mr. Wilson!)
After the welcome party you have an hour to get ready for Helen Rosburg’s “A Night with the Stars”.It will take place at the amazing World War II Museum, and Connie has done her customary amazing job setting it all up. I was there for the venue search, and immediately fell in love with the setting. The Stage Canteen is brand new and we have a delicious array of food that everyone will enjoy. You will also get two drink tickets to start the evening with the beverage of your choice. We invite everyone to dress up as the movie star of their choice or a movie character. You might just want to come in a beautiful evening gown, or just your jeans. Doesn’t matter just be prepared to walk the red carpet and join in on a night filled with fun and excitement!
There will be transportation to the Museum and back to the Hotel Monteleone when the evening is over. It’s a surprise . . . still a surprise guys, even to me.
Saturday night is time for the Slush Pile Players to bring you “Masquerade.”
A bit of a warning; this year, it’s interactive. Be sure to warn us (okay, warn me, so I can warn the group) if you don’t want to be dragged out of your chair.
Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Carnival in many places across the world, it’s a time when people put on costumes and mask, and prepare for the abstinence of Lent. In Rio, it’s sexy, wild and crazy, in Venice, it’s the beauty and splendor of rich historical costume, and in New Orleans . . . well, it can be anything. But do we only wear masks at Mardi Gras, and what do we really hide behind them? Come in your favorite attire, behind whatever mask you choose to wear. Be sexy or splendid, eat, drink, and be merry, and enjoy an evening of fun and mayhem while we seek to look behind those different masks we all so often find ourselves wearing.
This is just the nighttime activities….the panels on Friday and Saturday will be fun, inspiring, and hopefully a great learning experience. For those staying on Sunday, we have a nighttime offering—a wine tasting, and a vampire tour, ala The Vampire Boutique!
-
Our list of authors, editors, artists, graphic artists, and agents include
- • Cherry Weiner – Literary Agent
- • Tom Colgan - Executive Editor, The Penguin Books
- • Krista Stroever – Executive Editor, Mira Books
- • Helen A. Rosburg, Medallion Press
- • Ali DeGray, Medallion Media
- • Adam Wilson, Mira Books
- • Eric Raab, Tor Books
- • Yevgeniya Yeretskaya-Pozzessere, Up With Paper
- • Heather Graham
- • F. Paul Wilson (Who has won just about everything known to God!)
- • Kathy Love
- • Joe Konrath
- • Kayla Perrin
- • Leslie (L.A.) Banks
- • Sarah Wendell
- • Tina Wainscott
- • Linda Conrad
- • Harley Jane Kozak
- • Alexandra Sokoloff
- • Mary Stella
- • Kathy Pickering
- • Kate Poole
- • Silver James
- • Lisa Manetti (Bram Stoker winner!)
- • Corinne Concotilli (Bram Stoker winner!)
For questions or easy phone registration, please call Connie at 337 319 5783. (As those who know me are well aware, Connie is ten times more efficient than I, and she’s actually great at answering her phone!)
updated 8/20/10
updated 7/26/10
I just spent a few of the most intriguing days at Camp Necon and the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. I've heard about Necon from friends forever, and I'd heard the Lizzie Borden story a zillion times--not to mention the rhyme--Lizzie Borden took an ax and gave her mother 40 whacks, when she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41. Not at all correct, really, it was about 40 whacks all together, and her step-mother rather than her mother, but . . .
It started out on a Thursday. Headed to Boston and Dennis and I rented a car and drove out to Bristol, Rhode Island, and the Roger Williams College. "Papa" Necon puts on an amazing time. It was actually my first experience at a dorm, since Dennis and I were married when we went to college. But our suite-mates were old hands, and wonderful. They helped us along. First up, a few drinks with friends, and out to dinner with Dave and Trudi and Doug Clegg. Back to the "saugie" roast, and I'm not even sure that's spelled right. The amazing thing about Necon is that there is a "quad" and everyone hangs out there, so there's lots of laughing and talking with friends. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are on a college schedule, and there are lines with lots of very young campers at the college. There were some great panels, and some really fun silly panels, and there's a talent show, a roast, and a few game shows. It's like four days with exactly 200 people who become your 200 best friends. It was hard to leave--though we were certainly exhausted enough to do so!
Okay, so, we didn't exactly leave. We headed 20 miles to Fall River, Massachusetts, where writer Lisa Manetti has become very good friends with Lee-Ann, owner and operator of the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. Lee-Ann has done a remarkable job. Looking at the photos from 1892 and the house today, it is truly the same place--minus the bodies. But do the ghosts remain? Lisa was gracious enough to offer the newbies--comprised of Dennis and myself and Brent, and then Jason and Juan--first dibs. So, we chose the murder room. It seemed fine by daylight. No problem. As night fell, I decided that I wasn't going to bed. I'd felt entirely creepy in the basement--where the bodies had once lain for autopsy--and even in the attic, which is simply . . . creepy. Naturally, we had a seance. Totally intriguing. And the outcome? I still believe Lizzie did it. The crime was filled with personal rage, and she certainly felt that rage. Proof? Ah, well, it's one of those cases we may never really understand.
So . . . as the hours went by, though the house was filled with 11 friends and we spent half the day laughing at various antics, we began to fall out. One by one, up to bed. I was with Dennis 2 (we had two of them!) watching various programs on Lizzie and then I gave up--the sun finally started coming up. I headed up to bed, and was so tired I managed to get a few hours sleep right in the murder room. Morning came and we had breakfast all together, and regretfully, finally had to part. I flew home--and then sat on the runway over an hour while our plane--having taken off late--had to wait for an open gate. Lizzie's was worth it!
Next week, on to RWA.
From 6/29/10
Summer is here. In Miami, and across the country, the heat is on! Summer is always a strange time, kids out of school, many people looking forward to a bit of time off--the beaches get crowded, and we desperately seek shade in which to park out cars. Summertime--a little bit lazy and sluggish, but there's always something interesting out there, too.
Last night I attended the Morales Family Fund Raiser to benefit Autism Research. It's a cause near and dear to my heart, because we have a cousin with autism. We've watched the love in his house, and we've seen the patience required and how heartbreaking it can be for parents to strive to communicate with and create the best lives possible for their children.
This fundraiser is brilliant. Karaoke challenges. Bernie Ravelo volunteers his time and equipment, and you pay to sing, to make someone else sing--and you pay if you don't want to sing. As in, if you want me to pay the big bucks, you put my name down for a rap song--and I pay to get out of it!
As the night wore on, with discounted food and drinks at the Sandbar, more and more people arrived--and the amounts in the envelopes went up and up! Everyone had a great time, and everything went to an amazing cause.
Summer is starting out just fine.
From 6/4/10
I just came back from Deborah LeBlanc's Pen to Press in New OrleansNow, we all know, it's not difficult to get me to New Orleans. I love the city. But as this came closer, I began to panic. I was going to have "students" for four days, and I was supposed to prepare them to submit their material. I wasn't sure that I had four days worth of decent information to give anyone. And still . . . the time came. It was great. Along with Deb, fellow teachers were C.J. Lyons, Cherry Adair, F. Paul Wilson, and Hank Schwaeble, which meant good friend/delightful author Rhodi Hawk would be there, too! By the weekend, friends who were agents and publishers would arrive, as well, along with one of the world's best booksellers, Molly Bolden (Bent Pages, Houma.)
But as to my students, well . . . .
They were wonderful. We got in a circle first and got to know one another. And we learned about each other's dreams and aspirations. Then, we tackled work. The first full day, they learned a Heather Graham lesson; living is as much a part of writing as anything else. And so assignments were given out that had to do with our field trips. Good heavens, Tabitha came all the way from Australia! She had to see something of the French Quarter! So we traipsed around a bit of the city, and they wrote brilliantly about what they had seen.
I figured out I didn't really teach a class. I gained seven new amazing friends--Tabitha, Kerisa, Sharon, Leslie, Jodine and the young 'uns, as we called them, Lynn and Autumn. (They were too cute for words!) And I know that very soon, I'll be reading their work in print, and I'll get to take a tiny bit of pride in helping them find all the genius they have within themselves
The things that scare us are often the best things we do!
From 5/7/10
RT, always one of our biggest bashes for the year, has now come and gone--and, as the saying goes, a great time was had by all. The getting there was a story in itself--fifteen hours from Miami, Florida, to Columbus, Ohio, for Bryee, Jess, Caitlin, and I, due to the storms that would soon tear up the country. But we arrived and it all began.
It was phenomenal fun, and hopefully, good for readers and writers--in all stages of their careers! I was involved in the historical Mad Hatter tea party at midnight on Wednesday night, after enjoying Elora's Cave's red party. Thursday, the "faeries" were adorable, few more so than the Barry Eisler fairy! I loved my panels, especially the "sex" panel with Kathy Love, Erin McCarthy, Barry Eisler, F. Paul Wilson and a jug of "sex on the beach."
Rehearsals for "Spellbinder--Through the Severely Cracked Looking Glass" were almost as fun as the real thing--Chynna made it in plenty of time to play a very tall Sookie Stackhouse and her CalArts classmate, Saxon Jones, amazed us all with show-stealing performance of Lady Gaga! F. Paul Wilson was a dashing Edward Cullin in a very bad wig, while Helen Rosburg made an exquisite White Queen. No one saw Alice--Derek with a full beard--until the end of the show, so it was great! The Pink Flamingos--Beth Ciotta, Harley Jane Kozak, and Alex Sokoloff--were stupendous, and Mary Stella held it all together as the White Rabbit. In our variation, Debbie Richardson and Connie Perry were perfect as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dummer. Caitlin Richardson prowled charmingly as the Cheshire Cat, and Joe Konrath made a most interesting March Hare. Zach Bolden (son of Molly Bolden, Bent Pages, Houma, Louisiana) was a six-foot ten inch leprechaun. Bryee and Jessica Magazine cleverly moved the mushroom around the stage as Hoo and Ka, the caterpillar. Shayne, frighteningly enough, was a perfect Dexter feeling the need, the need for a Beatles tune, that was! James Rosburg, Jason Pozzessere, Juan Roca and Mark Johnston rounded out our cast of "thousands" and Connie Perry made the set a feast for the eyes. It was great! Oh, I was the Mad Hatter, having the marvelous guests for the tea party. And my dauther-in-law, Yevgeniya Yerekskaya-Pozzessere, designed T-shirts that brought in a nice sum for our charity, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation.
We'll have more pictures up soon. The conference ended with the book fair, the model pageant, a prom party by Dorchester, and on Sunday, author speed dating. What fun. Now, home, and back to work. I'll post the newest again next Thursday!
From 4/22/10
Back from Houma, Louisiana, and the Big Easy,and being there is such a wonderful experience that I'm still barely noticing the suitcases around the house that are half full, the absolute mess . . . . Ah, well, what is new?
Heading into the next, RT! I finished the script for the vampire ball, and it's out, and the players are now able to send me their thoughts and their bits, and we're trying very hard, of course, to produce an evening that runs as smoothly as last year's event. But, hm, life is to be lived! If we fail, it won't be for lack of effort.
It's seriously fun, though, buying costumes, thinking about the set--and then remembering that we have to get raffle tickets and baskets together. Helen and I pay for the event, and we're not trying to make any money back--we are trying to raise funds for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Fund. Thanks to a lot of good friends, I definitely have the prizes to give away to make a raffle ticket well worth the cost!
I believe it will be my first trip to Columbus, Ohio. And there's much more going on than just my party, though it does have to be my major focus! But before that, others are handling the hard part for the Mad Hatter Tea Party. And as for the other parties, great! I just attend. I'm taking off on Monday, so next week, I'll have the first of the pictures up!
If you're anywhere near Columbus on Saturday, May 1st, Kathryn Falk runs one of the most amazing autographing events in the world. Five dollars to enter for non-registered guests. Buy new books, or bring your old!
from 4/16/10
New Orleans is, in my mind...one our country's truly unique treasures. And where else better to go on a "ghost expedition?" This was definitely a different experience. It wasn't a walk, nor did we use equipment on this particular evening, as I have done before with the Peace River Ghost Trackers at the Spanish Military Hospital in St. Augustine. This was more an excercise to get in touch with our senses. And so, we headed out to Ashley House, an historic property behind the pool at the Avenue Plaza Hotel. First, it's absolutely beautiful with a winding staircase, and it's been restored to the Civil War era with subtle perfection. We go in at night knowing nothing about the place, what is supposed to be, who is supposed to be haunting the residence, or any of the history. Now, I am the world's greatest coward, and I always have to wonder what I'm feeling just because I'm so susceptible to suggestion. But sent in alone, Connie and I both stop at the entry--there seems to be a heaviness about the place. We're looking for impressions, and I don't care for the music room at all--is it the darkness? Or something really there. Upstairs, in one of the bedrooms, the impression is sadness. Now, of course, I'm jumping at the movement of every shadow . . . .
We find out later that there is supposedly a woman who stands in the entry, perhaps making sure that strangers do not come in and mess up the house! There was a middle aged man who died of a heart attack in the music room, and upstairs, twin sisters had died within months of one another, one from a riding accident, and one from disease. Confederate prisoners were held in the house when "Beast" Butler clamped down on New Orleans when the city was occupied by Northern forces during the Civil War.
I am now trying to find real records on the house, because the history that would bring about a "haunting" is most fascinating to me!
In New Orleans, a bit of scouting and planning for our Writers for New Orleans, taking place Labor Day weekend (please visit writersforneworleans.com,) and then on to Houma and the Jubilee Jambalaya, a chance to see Harley (magnificent and hysterical keynote speech) and Paul, Traci, Tina, Cherie, Molly, Kay, and so many really good friends. Now, a bit more business, and home--to plan for the RT Booklovers convention coming up in Columbus, Ohio, April 28th to May 2nd.
from 4/07/10
Just back from Easter, --or East-over, as we're calling it, because our extended family includes member of the Jewish faith. A great time, ah, yes, work included, but all the better with family.
Oh, yes, and East-over came right after Brighton, and the World Horror Convention, which was incredible--so much amazing art, and so much fun at the party at Horatio's, the "Slushpile" band playing, and Helen and I and tribe in "Steampunk!" Then, we did the Chevy Chase tour of London, trying to get in Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and the Jack the Ripper tour, all in one day. Bob Loughlin was one of the best Tower guides, ever, kept us laughing and learning, and we had Donald Rumbelow, author, and one of the best guides ever for the Ripper tour. We made it all--even if I did feel like a mother duck rushing my crew along. I have been to London several times, but was trying to think of the most "London" things to do for my crew. Sorry--I did not allow them time for much shopping. And books! Well, we had great books, we had just come from World Horror Convention, and a wealth of scary stuff-- hoping, of course, it would be scary enough to entertain us through the twelve hours in the air and six hours in the airports for the trip home via Chicago.
This week--on to New Orleans, Louisiana. First, a ghost expedition at Ashley House with Dr. Larry Montz, a signing in NOLA, and on to the Jambalaya Jubilee, one of my favorite events of any year. It's truly Southern hospitality in Houma, and several friends are speaking, including key-noter Harley Jane Kozak and Slushpile drummer F. Paul Wilson. Next, I'll report on the ghost expedition, and all that occurs in NOLA and Houma.
from 3/26/10
As I write this, I'm doing my usual, running around the proverbial chicken with its head cut off--ready to leave for World Horror Convention in London, where I'll see lots of old friends, and meet a lot of new, I imagine!
Helen Rosburg and I will be throwing a Gory Ghoul party there featuring the Slush Pile band with Paul Wilson, Dave Simms, and Rhodi Hawk and myself (writers) and a few family members and friends. Looking forward to fun time with the Rosburgs, Ali, and friends as well. I'll we have to do now is get through that endless flight . . . !
On the day I return, The Killing Ege will be on the shelves. A cult massacre happens in Miami, and the killers are caught--or are there? Ten years later, the bloodshed begins again, and one of the survivors must realize she is again on the hit list . . .
Miami, my home town, can be fun. It can live up to its reputation in all ways--it can be hot as hell, crazy as hell, Hispanic, Russian, Haitian . . . you name it! Busy and dirty, pretentious and glittery. But it is my home and I love it!
Anyway, get back for Easter with the family, which is growing, so it will be a busy few weeks ahead. London! Brighton! A million hour long plane ride . . . oh, my. Oh, well. Can't wait to get there, and also see some of my HWA fellow board members. They rock! After out Gory Ghoul party, I think I get to hand out a coveted Stoker, and when you're not getting the award, it's sure cool to get to give it away!
I will be reporting back after Jolly Old England! Please look for The Killing Edge! Hardcover from Mira, already shipping out from Amazon!
