New Review & Write Up - Paranormality.com

There is a new review up for The Haunted Mansion Project: Year One from the nice folks at Paranormality.com - and they also did a write-up on the project itself. Enjoy...

Guest on Writer's Chatroom - 5/6

The Writer's Chatroom is having us in as guest authors to talk about the Haunted Mansion Project: Year One this Sunday (May 6) from 4-6 p.m. PST. It is a moderated chat and Damnation Books will give away a couple of copies of the anthology during the break. Kim Richards, Nikki Boscia, and Rain Graves (that's me) will be on hand to answer your questions. The link to the chatroom is http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm - and there is no password needed but please be sure you have the latest version of Java on your computer or you may have trouble logging in.

Review at The Crow's Caw - The Haunted Mansion Project: Year One

Great review of The Haunted Mansion Project: Year One over at The Crow's Caw by Bob Freeman.

World Horror Convention 2012 - Salt Lake City - Schedule

I'll update this when I know any individual readings I might be scheduled for.I was originally scheduled for panels earlier on Thursday and Sunday, but my flights did not coincide, so this is gratefully amended, thanks to the WHC2012 staff. :-)

THURSDAY:

Evening arrival.
*possibly attending the evening Poetry Readings

FRIDAY

2:00 PM
Reading (possibly Zombies vs. Robots, if there is time for it). Email me with other requests...



8:00 PM
Mass Autograph Signing

Books & Goodies I will have on-hand:
1. BARFODDER: Poetry Written in Dark Bars & Questionable Cafes (Cemetery Dance) - 2nd printing
2. THE HAUNTED MANSION PROJECT: YEAR ONE in Trade Paperback (Damnation Books - *New Release!).
3. A limited number of the 2011 reader cards featuring the cover of the June, 2012 release of THE FOUR ELEMENTS by Linda Addison, Rain Graves, Charlee Jacob, and Marge Simon (Bad Moon Books)
4. Sign-up info for the Haunted Mansion Retreat 2012 - September 27-30

9:00 PM
Mass Autograph Signing, cont.

10:30 PM
-Gross Out Contest! It's back and better than ever! Come root on your favorite readers and crown your champion! Don't forget...the theme is The theme is Weird Western, and our honorable judges are Joe R. Lansdale, Rick Hautala, and Kelly Laymon. Weston Ochse is our head bouncer...and if you'd like to bounce, please inquire with him.
(Hosted by Rain Graves)

-Damnation Books Party - Come celebrate the release of the Haunted Mansion Project: Year One, presented by Rain Graves & Edited by Eunice Magill with many of the other contributors.
*I will be there AFTER the Gross Out Contest is over...probably 11:30pm or later.

SATURDAY

3:00 PM
-Music in Horror. How it influences the "scar" and why we love it.
(Lawrence C. Connolly, Guy Anthony De Marco, John Hornor Jacobs, Rain
Graves (M), Rio Youers)

*note: I will also be available for Tarot readings...email me for an appointment (up to 30 minutes).

The Haunted Mansion Project: Year One - Pre Release Link

The Haunted Mansion Project Year One, Presented by Rain Graves and Edited by E.S. Magill, is now live on the Damnation Books website. Kindle, iTunes, and regular Amazon links will follow.

We will have copies of the Trade Paperback for sale at World Horror Convention 2012 in a few weeks. The price for an ebook is $5.95, and for the Trade Paperback it's $20.00 (US/Canada), 13.00 UK, 15.25 EU, and 18.90 AU. All net sales (after printer cost) go at 100% to the Haunted Mansion Project.

The book contains a fantastic set of factual and fictional information--from a scientific perspective of data gathered at the site and analyzed by our professional investigative team, Ghost-Girls, essays and journal notes from attendees and their paranormal experiences or skepticism, to stories and poems inspired by the time spent there.

For your perusal, here is the Table of Contents:

Forward by E.S. Magill
Introduction by Rain Graves

THE FINDINGS
Investigative Narrative by Nichole Boscia

THE FACTS
The Haunted Mansion Rules and the Writers Who Mock Them by S.G. Browne
Touched by Loren Rhoads
Journal of a Paranormal Mind by Rain Graves
Notes from the Haunted Mansion by Sephera Giron
Sounds Like Faith to Me by Kim Richards
Coming Home: Some Thoughts on Haunted Houses by E.S. Magill

PHOTOGRAPHS
Taken by Attendees

THE FICTION AND POETRY
Depictions by Yvonne Navarro
Red Road to Spirit Mansion by Rain Graves
And Not a Drop to Drink by E.S. Magill
Ghost Meter Blues by Weston Ochse
He Journeyed Through Midgard by Christian Colvin
The Journal by Kim Richards
Insane Cinquains by Dan Weidman
In the Night, In the Dark by S.G. Browne
The Old House (At 324 Oak Street) by Rain Graves
The Third Room by Sephera Giron
A Curiosity of Shadows by Loren Rhoads

For information on how to attend the next Retreat, please visit The Haunted Mansion Retreat 2012 website.

WHC2012 in Salt Lake City and the Annual Gross Out Contest

As usual, I will be a participant in the programming at WHC2012 in Salt Lake City next month. I'll post my formal schedule as we get closer to the date and that information is given to me... but in the interest of getting folks excited and all the emails I've been receiving on the Annual Gross Out Contest, I thought I'd post up the official rules, as drawn up by yours truly, your Hostess of the Grossest.

Contestants will compete for a number of "fitting" prizes, and/or
certificates. First Place Winner will be named Emperor ______________
of the United Gross, and Protector of Insmouth.*1


Official Rules:

1. No props, but costumes (excluding a birthday suit) that befit a character you are reading are welcome. When I say no props, I mean no stork suits with extensive appendages, no naked raw chickens, and no bugs. You'd think I wouldn't have to say that, but I do... Your story should be the shining nugget of golden grossness, not whatever you are holding in your hand that doesn't happen to be paper.

2. Your story must have a beginning, a middle, and an end, unless it's an excerpt from a larger story--which must be stated prior to reading.

3. Your story must have a plot. It cannot be gross for the sake of gross. It must be meaningfully gross. Gross profundity, even.

4. Your story must not exceed five minutes. At the three minute mark, the bouncers will give the audience, or jury, the opportunity to thumbs up or thumbs down the contestant. If the jury decides the contestant is a thumbs down, he must hang, and will be escorted off stage by the Sheriff and/or Deputies.

5. The theme of the event this year is Weird Western, though your stories do not have to be weird westerns. You are, after all, in the west...which has a rich history of being weird.

6. Judges will award contestants points for plot, over all grossness, and your ability to read it. Points will be deducted this year if you go over your time limit. The audience, or jury, will also cast one vote per person to be tallied in addition to the judges points, as the tie breaker, or just to add to the scores. An audience favorite may tip the vote considerably one way or another, so we encourage you to play your best hand...or tentacle.


7. Judges will be 3-4 people, easily identified by their t-shirts. Contestants will be given name badges. Bouncers will be ominous, and organized by Weston Ochse. To inquire about a job, email Weston at Wes at westonochse dot com.

8. A note to contestants: Because this contest can run on forever, there will only be a limited number of slots available for sign-up. You may sign-up in advance, or on the spot...but please note that only a limited number of spots will be available in advance. To sign up in advance, send an email to raingraves at yahoo dot com. To take your chances on-site, please arrive 5-10 minutes early to sign-up on the sheet provided.


Footnotes:
*1. A play on Emperor Norton - who proclaimed himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico. He put many laws into effect that are still on the books to this day. YES YOU CAN!

New Poetry in Italian; OneMama.org & ABOW Event 12/3

My poem, "Una Morte Felice" based on the voodoo theme of Maman Brigitte can be read (in Italian) at Il Posto Nero: Maman Brigitte issue. That link will give you the PDF download version. Alternatively, you can view it here, at the magazine's website.

This Saturday, 12/3, I will be reading tarot cards for the One Mama charity event, in conjunction with A Band of Wives. All cover charges ($10 at the door) will benefit the charity, as well as a portion of the proceeds from my readings. Here is the flyer: