The <i>Deviations</i> Journey: Citrus County Library Events: Halloween Horrorfest and NaNoWriMo Kickoff

Photo credit: Jim Ehlers of the Citrus County Library System.

(My Necronomicon report is coming soon!)

The library held its Halloween Horrorfest on October 29. I gave readings, answered questions, and did book signings along with Belea Keeney (at left, outfitted as Tippi Hedren's character in Hitchcock's The Birds) and K.L. Nappier (next to Belea). I'm third from the left, followed by Citrus County Library director Flossie Benton Rogers.

I hadn't dressed in costume for about 25 years and hadn't worn makeup for almost that long, so arrived at the Homosassa Library early to practice. This self-portrait comes courtesy of the library's bathroom mirror.

My nails, painted the night before, survived a full night's sleep and some heavy-duty typing that morning, but my left thumbnail paint chipped when I tried to remove the safety seal on my purple lipstick. Fortunately, I'd brought the polish with me for any needed touch-ups.

My hair has thinned considerably over the years, but I could still create some witchy frizz by setting my washed hair in many tiny braids overnight, unbraiding, and brushing vigorously. I uploaded this shot about an hour before the event, using the library's WiFi. It got me a few stares, and a couple of people didn't recognize me -- but when a toddler smiled, waved, and called, "Hi!" I concluded I wasn't very frightening.

Usually I look as I do in this flyer for the event, minus the orange tint:

More legible in the large view.

Author Book Displays, Halloween Horrorfest

Author book display. Left of the pumpkins: K.L.Nappier's Full Wolf Moon and its sequel Bitten, along with three Twisted Tails anthologies in which her work appears. Right of the pumpkins: anthologies Florida Horror and The Beast Within, in which Belea Keeney's work appears; followed by my work in anthologies Riffing on Strings: Creative Writing Inspired by String Theory and Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet, magazines Electric Velocipede and Asimov's, and my novel Deviations: Covenant.

The library's book display included general writing guides and guides to writing horror.

Back on the 19th, I joined Loretta Rogers and Belea for the library's NaNoWriMo Kickoff at its Lakes Region/Inverness branch:

Photo credit here and below: Karen Slaska of the Citrus County Library System.

Belea spoke about creating a setting, Loretta spoke about genre and establishing story components, and I spoke about social networking for writers. An online version of my handout, with live links, is here.

Thanks to Flossie, Jim, Karen, Susan Mutschler, the fabulous folks who decorated the Homosassa community room, the staffs at Homosassa and Inverness, and all our attendees for a couple of great events! Belea, Loretta, and I will team up at the library again -- this time at the Central Ridge branch -- on November 13 for the "Write-In," the second of our three-part NaNoWriMo series.