This week's inspirations as noted by my students are @gradyhendrix.bsky.social and @gwendolynkiste.bsky.social Keep on rocking on!

@kozeniewski.bsky.social @briankeene.bsky.social Ahhhh! Ahhh! Pinwheels! Pinwheels in my head! Voices! Angry fish!

Happy Valentine’s Day to @marysangiovanni.bsky.social — my friend of 25 years, my wife of 3 years, my soulmate, and the girl who once clung to my excess body hair to keep from drowning in the shallow end.

Taking train home from NJ. This trip’s adventure has brought us a crazy (I hope) man screaming at everyone that we don’t know, we don’t KNOW, we’re all going to DIE, & a woman who had THE most corporate voice I’ve ever heard possibly breaking up w/ someone via Bluetooth while typing on her laptop.

Women’s Symposium announcement! A generous benefactor is offering three tickets to the event. If you are in need and you would like to attend, please contact Sonora Taylor through the website: scaresthatcare.org/womens-sympo....

For those who are curious about what it’s like to discuss feelings with @briankeene.bsky.social…

Ten Reasons Why You Should Attend the STC AuthorCon Women’s Writers’ Symposium (A Thread): 1) You identify as a woman, & you are a writer. You know what the climate of the world/this country is like toward women right now. You know what it is like in publishing for us. Your solidarity is needed.

Why thank you, Lord Samper! 😃

Happy birthday to @marysangiovanni.bsky.social! Celebrate her latest spin around the sun by joining us at the table for dumplings on an episode Eating the Fantastic, where you'll learn the reason she’s no longer afraid of vampires — plus much more! www.scottedelman.com/2018/05/12/c...

In the continuing effort to give shout-outs to the authors my students find inspiring, a shout out to R. L. Stine, @gradyhendrix.bsky.social, and Kerri Maniscalco!

For the morning crowd

Delighted to be nominated. For those interested in Strange Stones, it’s in bookstores as well as online stores!

Women’s Symposium announcement! A generous benefactor is offering three tickets to the event. If you are in need and you would like to attend, please contact Sonora Taylor through the website: scaresthatcare.org/womens-sympo....

Calling all Women Writers of specific, particularly horror! Our programming schedule is now up. Tickets are still available - and remember, this is a separate ticketed event from AuthorCon proper. scaresthatcare.org/womens-sympo....

A very Happy Birthday to @ramseycampbell.bsky.social!

My sisters and I from my birthday 10 years ago. 🤣

Thanks, folks! 😃

I’m honored to be nominated. Congratulations to all the nominees! 😃

You know, I used to read about WWII & wonder if in the face of such deadly fascism, such unadulterated EVIL, I would be brave enough to resist. Would I hide ppl, stand up to Gestapo & SS in the streets, protest what a madman was doing to our country…. 1/3

I heard this quote and love it: “If they stand behind you, give them protection. If they stand beside you, give them respect. If they stand against you, give them hell — and show no mercy.”

Tonight, the President of the United States has launched an unconstitutional war of aggression, dooming another generation to spill their blood for oil, and lay waste to a sovereign nation. I demand that Congress exercise its power, halt this conflict, and impeach this war criminal president.

Happy New Year. Welcome to the new age. Throw open the portals and polish off your ancient altars - we have some summoning to do!

I just asked my niece if what she was saying was “rizz” or “sus” and she laughed me back to the Stone Age where I belong. Apparently I didn’t use the former correctly, and no one uses the latter anymore. I used to be cool. 😜

I would commit murder for Mucinex Cold & Cough right now.

Thanks, all. Despite all this, I did get to spend time w/ @briankeene.bsky.social, my daughter, & the rest of my family, and that’s worth any amount of trouble. ❤️❤️❤️ And I got some good loot!

Not phone, it turns out. Email hacked. Money stolen. Tested positive for Covid this morning. Nightmares. Headaches. Deadlines. But all this is ok becuz @ least we have a strong, sensible econ— Uh, peace w/ our neigh— Er, a fair system for immig— Equality for — Well…at least it’s almost 2026.

Phone was hacked. If u get any weird texts/msgs/links from me, don’t click on them. Have to spend afternoon unfucking this mess. I am hot-tears-&-swear-muttering seething right now. I want Biblical-style vengeance. Instead, I get to go to Geek Squad. At the mall. The day before Christmas Eve.

So sorry to hear about James Ransone's passing. He was great in everything he did. No one should ever feel so alone. Rest in Peace, Deputy So-and-So. You were a light in the dark.

I remember when I first got this new thing called email, & every time a cute little envelope appeared in my Inbox, I’d get so excited. Now, I have approximately 8000 of them. I am less excited than I used to be. Not that I don’t appreciate hearing from people. It’s just overwhelming sometimes.

Working on writing/ghostwriting/teaching/household/symposium/book coaching stuff over the next two months. If I owe you something, I’m working on it. Please bear with me.

@briankeene.bsky.social is sharing pictures from Necon on his Patreon this week. Here's a pic from my first Necon, with Brian, @marysangiovanni.bsky.social @jeffstrand.bsky.social @cgolden.bsky.social James A. Moore and many other friends, at The Lobster Pot in Bristol RI.

So right now, @briankeene.bsky.social is making dinner. More accurately, he’s playing air-guitar across the kitchen and belting out Rush’s “Red Barchetta” and occasionally making the drum solo noises in his pjs and bathrobe, and it is as charming and adorable as it sounds.

Remember, this programming is separate from the Women’s Symposium programming; just a heads-up

If you are attending @scaresthatcare.bsky.social's AuthorCon VI as a professional, and you would like to be involved in Programming, please fill out this brief questionnaire. Deadline is December 16. forms.office.com/r/ctEjc4cF8c

The aim of the symposium is to offer practical, actionable advice, positive support, and to enable women to hold each other up whilst celebrating ourselves

I'm excited to announce my involvement in this Women in Horror Writing Symposium, open to any and ALL women, immediately prior to Authorcon VI (Which I'll also be at). I'm running a course on confidence building skills for birds trying to navigate this industry. Tickets: shorturl.at/U3Fba

@gemmafiles.bsky.social I think you'd dig this one. You too, @marysangiovanni.bsky.social, @amandaheadlee.bsky.social.

If you’re a woman and a writer and you read one thing this evening, make it this.

Hey! Psst. Hey! A new post. This is about as open and forthcoming as I get. Please read, particularly if you're a woman. This one is important to me. msgwriterslife.wordpress.com/2025/12/04/h...

Ok I’m gonna try going back to bed.

Demiurge: when you only kinda have a desire to create a material universe.

When I hoped I would always have a reason to get up in the morning, I didn’t realize it would be because I have to pee. 😒

In continuing with tradition, I like to call out when students mention writers they admire or find inspiring. Right out of the gate, first week of classes, a student mentioned being inspired by @ramseycampbell.bsky.social. Good taste in fiction always warms the heart. ;)

If you admire a woman, if her strength, her inner beauty, her talents, and her dignity are an inspiration, tell her. Tell her.

Dignity. People deserve dignity, at least. And I dare say, the mark of a strong woman (or person of any sex or gender, really) is that despite whatever happens around her, her dignity and her belief that she deserves that dignity never wavers. I aspire to that, too.

I aspire to be a woman like that.

I don’t think people give Betty White, Bea Arthur, & Dixie Carter enough credit for their eloquent, outspoken views of women’s equality & well-being. They championed beauty at any age, but more importantly, they championed women finding confidence, embracing their intelligence, 1/2

HUNDREDS of new items just added to our online store! New books! Rare books! Signed books! Comic books! Audiobooks! And hundreds more being added in the weeks ahead. Order now and receive your shipment before the holidays! vortexbooksandcomicsonline.bigcartel.com

Mary inspires a frank and - at times - emotional discussion about Brian's friendship with J. F. Gonzalez, recounting how the two met, things they achieved together, what J. F. would think of things now, and his lasting legacy on the horror genre. www.patreon.com/posts/ido-pe...

I need a laugh. Let’s play a game. Things you could say both at the Thanksgiving table and in the bedroom. I’ll start. “Whew. I’m stuffed. And I could use a nap, after that…” 🤣