#kate northcott

[see-arcane]

The Substack! It lives!

Please do get an eyeful of the whole thing, but for those who want to cut straight to one of the newer goodies, this is the link to the new preview chapter of Harker.

Minor note: For some reason the order of posts got a bit screwy. The chapters for specific stories are all still clustered together but a bit mixed around. I think it has something to do with me fussing with edits and the Substack publishing in order of what was tinkered with last, but oh well. I'll do better with future posts that aren't dropped in a bulk pile.

Hope you enjoy the early Halloween treat!

[msclaritea]

~A Vampire For Sherlock~

In Pursuing Sherlock, author Bill Mason goes lurking through the pages of canon to find links to vampires, and finds that there are actually very few. As Holmes states in The Sussex Vampire, “The world is big enough for us. No ghosts need apply.”

What does first stand out in Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, he finds, are a different sort of vampire, all in the form of women.

The Psychic Vampire

From Barbara Roden, in The Journal of The New Conan Doyle Society, 1993, the definition of a Psychic Vampire: “These creatures who do not resort to such crudites as sucking blood or turning into bats. They do not shun the daylight or sleep in coffins; instead, they appropriate the life forces of their victims by draining them of energy, and, in some cases, the will to live.” The stories with these characters include:

Kate Northcott in John Bartington Cowles She is said to have “a mysterious and evil influenced over her prospective husbands”

Miss Penclosa in The Parasite Uses her powers against a man she is in love with, causing “a malevolent, psychological sapping of will”

Sarah in The Cardboard Box “uses her power and evil influence over her sister Mary and Mary’s husband”

Isadora Klein in The Three Gables “saps Douglas Maberley of his energy and willpower”

Mason goes on to lament the lack of thrilling, evil (see traditional) Dracula-type characters. He refers to Psychic Vampires as not much fun. “Too much Freud, too little Wes Craven.” But, he finds, there is one. There is indeed a vampire figure, and a story in canon that parallels the most famous, and influential vampire of all time.

“A murderous aristocrat from Central Europe, with a history of violence and death behind him, moves to England in search of fresh victims. He leases a large house, which serves as his base of operations. He has unusual power and influence over women; a power he uses for evil. While in England, he destroys one woman and sets his sights on another; a woman of exceptional qualities. His threat to this woman is recognized by her friends and protectors, who are determined to save her. They call on the most knowledgeable and accomplished expert they can find; and he is assisted by a trusted friend, a medical doctor. Despite being a brilliant and totally ruthless foe who has anticipated almost every obstacle in his path, the villain is defeated and his intended victim rescued.“

“This is of course, the plot of Dracula, Bram Stoker’s most famous novel, which was published in 1897…But as Sherlockians, we should also recognize it, because this exact same story, in every single detail, is that of The Illustrious Client, 1924, in which Sherlock Holmes is retained to protect the lovely Violet de Merville from the designs of the murderous Baron Adelbert Gruner.”

There are two references to The Illustrious Client in A Scandal in Belgravia.

Harry, The Equerry “Client is illustrious, in the extreme.”

Sherlock “I’m used to mystery at one end of my cases. both ends is too much work.”

Mason goes on to compare 18 points of similarity between the two stories, comparing characters, such as Holmes and Van Helsing, Dr. Watson and Dr. Seward, plus the sexual subtext that is not only in Dracula, but in every manifestation of vampire mythology literature and popular culture.

Additional Personal Notes on Stoker and Doyle

Abraham “Bram” Stoker (8 november 1847 - 20 april 1912) was an Irish writer wellknown for his novel Dracula. He was a friend of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He was at his marriage on 18 september 1907. In that same year he conducted and wrote an interview with Conan Doyle: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Tells of His Career and Work, His Sentiments Towards America, and His Approaching Marriage.

When Bram Stoker managed The Lyceum Theatre in London, he produced the Conan Doyle play A Story of Waterloo (based on the story A Straggler of ‘15). Conan Doyle wrote in his autobiography: « I had written a short story called “A Straggler of ‘15,” which had seemed to me to be a moving picture of an old soldier and his ways. My own eyes were moist as I wrote it and that is the surest way to moisten those of others. I now turned this into a one-act play, and, greatly daring, I sent it to Henry Irving, of whose genius I had been a fervent admirer ever since those Edinburgh days when I had paid my sixpence for the gallery night after night to see him in “Hamlet” and “The Lyons Mail.” To my great delight I had a pleasing note from Bram Stoker, the great man’s secretary, offering me £100 for the copyright. »

Stoker was a Sherlock Holmes fan. He thought he could use it as a model in a first version of Dracula, as a specialist of psychic research named Singleton, with a policeman named Cotford and a Watson-like history teacher named Max Windshoeffel.

Stoker and Conan Doyle both collaborated with other writers on the serial novel: The Fate of Fenella, in 1892

Pt 2 of a Book Series. Check out Holmes & The Rule of Three

@gosherlocked @sarahthecoat @may-shepard @ebaeschnbliah @brilliantorinsane @simpleanddestructivechemistry @sherlock-overflow-error @consultingidiots @loveismyrevolution @just-sort-of-happened

@devoursjohnlock @thememacat

[bluebearquilts]

Quilts of Significance is the prompt for day 17 of IGQuiltFest2021. All quilts are significant. My Fireworks Flowers is significant for several reasons. First and foremost, it was a Quilt of Valor pattern. Secondly, it was featured in the May/June 2020 issue of Love of Quilting magazine. Finally, it made its tv debut in January 2021 on Love of Quilting tv with Kate Colleran, @seamslikeadreamquilts, as she puts her own spin on this paper pieced pattern. This quilt just loves the limelight! The fabrics in the quilt are Northcott’s Toscanna line. #igquiltfest2021 #igquiltfest2021day17 #famousquilts #northcottfabrics #loveofquiltingmagazine #loveofquiltingtv #bluebearquilts #quilt #quiltsofinstagram #paperpiece https://www.instagram.com/p/CMhlV5hnK_2/?igshid=4c0a5wlzehjn

[louisehagger]

Wonderful that our series #InPraiseofMotherNature is included in @assocphoto Spotlight exhibition Hope 🌅✨ https://www.the-aop.org/what-s-on/spotlight/current-exhibition 4 February - 3 March 2021 As the instability of life continues we are filled with hope for the future. We called out to our Accredited photographers to delve into their archives and share their best images interpreting the theme of Hope and what it signifies to them. Explore the images from opening doors to life, to hopeful gazes, health, new spring shoots and depictions of leisure time spent at home. Exhibiting Photographers: Kate Abbey, James Bell, Wendy Carrig, Dylan Collard, Matt Davies, Glyn Davies, Dvora, Jillian Edelstein, Louise Hagger, Karan Kapoor, Henrick Knudson, Catherine Losing, Gabrielle Motola, Florian Mueller, Dean Northcott, Carol Sharp, Kristina Varaksina, Antti Viitala and Robert Wilson. In Praise of Mother Nature: A collaboration with the fantastic @victoria_tunstall & @itslucyruth 🌅 Concept & set design by @victoria_tunstall, food styling by @itslucyruth, #foodphotography by me #louisehagger, retouching by @darkroomdigital_uk 🌿 In celebration of the plentiful bounty that nature provides,  In Praise of Mother Nature is a series of images, showing the wide variety of fruit and vegetables, displayed as two illuminated stain glass windows.  . . . #stilllifephotography #hope #spotlightexhibition #stainedglass #foodart @assocphoto @wyatt_clarke_jones @patbates_associates @f22aop #mothernature #seasonal #produce #nature #beautiful #stilllife #food #foodie #fruit #vegetables #green #sunrise #painting #church #worship #womeninphotography #instafood #instagood #instadaily #sunday #mondaymotivation #artphotography (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLBrqd5nRTA/?igshid=hed8gnkaub5l

[janeaustentextposts]

Can you give me (and your followers) some random regency names for fics? Such as Lady Georgiana Conroy, etc etc because I've noticed some silly repetitions of Janes and Elizabeth's... and strangely enough all of the surnames are Fairfax 🤔 would be very nice of you.

You wanna know my Secret Surname/Title Trick?

Google maps, bro.

Zoom in to some random-ass corner of Britain if it appeals to you and grab some place-names. Maybe mix and match some beginnings and endings and see if you like how they sound. Bear in mind the changes that can be made to spellings, swapping out Ys for some vowels or adding Es to the end. I once wrote a fic where I wasn’t impressed by a Lord Cunningham, but Lord Conyngeham made me laugh as he should. Titles are often tied into place names, so anything ending in -ton, -ville, -ley/-leigh, etc. works well.

Surname/title ideas I’ve used:

Abberley, Romsey, Kincaide, Besswell, Meredith, Armstrong, Beckett, Osbourne, Knox, Bolton, Brydges, Roydon, Shaw, Ebbsgate, Oughterridge, Sothersby, Hawksley, Northcott, Selkirke, Devereux (French influence on English surnames could signify an old Norman ancestor, perhaps, as we might infer from names like Darcy.) And there’s nothing wrong with being common! Litter your fics with Greys and Greens and Browns and Whites and Smiths and Taylors and Bakers and Fletchers and all the old occupational surnames. (Though these would be unlikely to be found among the higher echelons of old genteel and aristocratic society.)

For given names, there are the standard old ‘English’ names, but bearing in mind the mania for all things neo-classical, Greek and Latin-based names became very popular for girls at the time, too. Also consider if the family has any foreign influences or special interests which might prompt a more unusual name! I’ve put more common nicknames and shorter variations in brackets after some names.

Catherine (Kate, Katie, Cathy, Kitty,) Elizabeth (Lizzy, Eliza, Beth, Betty, Bess,) Jane (Jenny, Janet,) Mary (Molly, Polly,) Frances (Fanny,) Harriet (Hetty,) Theresa (Tess,) Maud, Ruth, Lucille/Lucilla (Lucy,) Sophie/Sophia, Sarah (Sally,) Louise/Louisa, Georgina/Georgiana, Antonia, Theodosia, Anne, Lydia, Rebecca, Edwina, Cora, Frederica, Alice, Rosanna, Aurelia, Julia/Juliana, Eleanor/Elinor (Nora,) Helen/Ellen (Nelly), Stella, Charlotte/Caroline (Lottie, Caro,) Margaret, Philippa (Pippa.)

Robert, Laurence, Theodore, Walter, Dominic, Stephen, James, Taliesin, Victor, Edward, Francis (Frank), John (Jack,) William, Henry, Charles, Martin, Timothy, Thomas, Edgar, Gilbert, Jasper, Elliot, Joseph, George, Nicholas, Anthony, Howard, Evelyn, Ivor, Alexander, Everett, Frederick, Arthur, Peregrine, Felix, Aldous, Paul, Phillip, Edmund, Owen, Richard (*note that Austen was consistently ripping on dudes named Richard in her writing, including going so far as to make a “Dick” joke about a jerk who bore the name.)

I used to rely heavily on the Regency name generator on the now-defunct website Stuff and Nonsense, but someone has saved it here. Several of the resulting name combos can come out a bit ridiculous in the line of Georgette Heyer novels, which don’t always feel realistic to me, but might be good for more comedic characters. And sometimes people do have ridiculous names.

[londontheatre]

Nichola McAuliffe as Miss Havisham. Photo credit Matt Austin

Tilted Wig Productions and Malvern Theatres today announced a national tour of the Charles Dickens classic, Great Expectations which opens at Malvern Theatres on 8 February 2018 (Press Night at Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford on Wednesday 21st February). Nichola McAuliffe will take the role of Miss Havisham in this powerful new stage adaptation by Ken Bentley, directed by Sophie Boyce Couzens and designed by James Turner. Lighting design is by Richard Williamson, Sound Design by Max Pappenheim and the composer is Ollie King.

The cast also includes Séan Aydon (Pip), Isla Carter (Estella), Edward Ferrow (Joe Gargery) and Richard Earl (Jaggers/Pumblechook).

Following a terrifying encounter with an escaped convict, young Pip is given an unexpected chance to better himself by visiting the reclusive and mysterious Miss Havisham. In the decaying grandeur of her house, Pip falls in love with Estella and helped by an anonymous benefactor, he moves to the bustling city to pursue his dream of winning Estella’s heart and becoming part of the educated elite.

Peopled by some of Dickens’ most colourful and memorable characters and painted in rich, vivid colour this new production promises a powerful and theatrical telling of Dicken’s universally loved masterpiece.

Olivier Award-winning actress Nichola McAuliffe is best known for her role in the long-running TV series Surgical Spirit, the films Tomorrow Never Dies and Chéri and for her many stage appearances including Kiss Me Kate for the RSC, The Night of the Iguana in the West End and Alan Bennett’s The Lady in the Van.

Sophie Boyce Couzens directed the premiere of Zero Down (Theatre 503) in 2015 and its successful transfer to the Pleasance Courtyard at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016. In 2014 she directed the first major UK stage revival of Caryl Churchill’s The After-Dinner Joke at the Orange Tree Theatre. In 2015, Sophie was Associate Director on the West-End transfer of James Fritz’s Olivier Award-nominated Four Minutes, Twelve Seconds at Trafalgar Studios 2. Other Directing includes Romeo and Juliet (Strawberry Hill House), Dead Things (White Bear Theatre), And Other Stories (Orange Tree Theatre), In the Absence of Grace and Girl, Seventeen (Drayton Arms Theatre, MISK Theatre Productions), Chris’ Mass Protest (The Tristan Bates Theatre, Lonesome School Boy Productions), On the Road to West Egg (Bread & Roses Theatre Company).

Sophie was trainee director at the Orange Tree Theatre and Assistant Director credits include Invincible (transfer to St James Theatre), Duck, Death & the Tulip, Invincible, The Middlemarch Trilogy and Spring’s Eternal (Orange Tree Theatre).

In July 2017 Sophie co-lead the Advanced Theatre Course at Malvern Theatres with Kim Ismay and guest tutors Timothy West and Neil Pearson. She was guest lecturer at St. Mary’s University in Twickenham in 2016 and 2017.

Sophie has worked extensively with young people in the theatre including at The Egg Theatre, Prime Theatre Company and the Orange Tree Theatre.

Ken Bentley has written original plays and adaptations in a number of genres for the stage and for audio. Recent audio work includes: an adaptation of H.G. Wells’s The Island of Doctor Moreau starring Ronald Pickup; Doctor Who: The Eye of Harmony starring John Hurt; and, The Hunted which was shortlisted for the BBC Audio Drama Awards in 2016.

As a prolific director of audio plays for Big Finish Productions Ken has been a finalist in the BBC Audio Drama Awards in 2015 and 2016; and won in 2017 for Doctor Who: Absent Friends starring Paul McGann, Nicola Walker and Hattie Morahan.

Listings Information 8 – 10 & 15 – 17 Feb Malvern Theatres http://ift.tt/Y4jW5c

20 – 24 Feb Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford http://ift.tt/2dSdJqv

27 Feb – 3 Mar Theatr Clwyd, Mold www.theatrclwyd.com

6 – 10 Mar Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds www.theatreroyal.org

12 -17 Mar Richmond Theatre http://ift.tt/1uj5LZg

19 – 24 Mar Palace Theatre, Southend http://ift.tt/1MwTxRZ

27 – 31 Mar Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne http://ift.tt/2hruCb2

3 – 7 Apr Buxton Opera House http://ift.tt/Yy1mRn

10 – 14 Apr Theatre by the Lake, Keswick http://ift.tt/Y4jW5a

24 – 28 Apr Theatre Royal, Winchester http://ift.tt/1pLzMlZ

2 – 5 May Belgrade Theatre, Coventry www.belgrade.co.uk

8 – 12 May Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham http://ift.tt/1jbSPg4

22 – 26 May New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth http://ift.tt/1hIH7bP

29 May – 2 June Churchill Theatre, Bromley http://ift.tt/2f8ibQC

6 – 9 June The Hawth, Crawley www.hawth.co.uk

19 – 23 June Exeter Northcott Theatre http://ift.tt/1MmKJ28

http://ift.tt/2jZxSx9 London Theatre 1

[imverycrafty-blog]

Design Wall Tuesday: Free Motion Quilting

Welcome to Design Wall Tuesday!

Thank you for joining us to see what some of our editors from McCall’s Quilting and Quiltmaker are quilting this week. Get a peek at design wall inspiration, upcoming Quick Quilts and free motion settings.

From Associate Editor, Gigi Khalsa:

Gigi’s Design Wall Inspirations

This weekend I was working on quilting and finishing up a few projects to share later, but while I was working, my room seemed a little lackluster because there wasn’t anything colorful on my design wall. I have a few tie-dyed scraps given to me by a friend and I think I decided upon a way to use them, so I put them up on the design wall, along with some coordinating Northcott fabrics, for a burst of color and inspiration. I think the quilt that I’ll make of these fabrics will be a little more complex as far as cutting and piecing, but this is a good start to get my creativity flowing. I find my design wall is one of the most useful tools to support my creativity. If you don’t have a design wall of your own check out the Fons & Porter Design Wall.

From Acquisitions Editor, Lori Baker:

Lori’s Quick Quilt Block Design

Two weeks after I finished cutting the patches, with a multitude of interruptions (and a whole lot of evenings when I didn’t even turn on a sewing machine), my quilt top for an upcoming issue of Quick Quilts is finished. I’m excited about it. I love the beautiful blue and green batik fabrics from Island Batik Fabrics. Here is one block. You’ll have to believe me when I say the quilt top is wonderful. It is ready to be sent off to the quilter. I can’t wait to see it when she gets done with it.

From Associate Editor, Mary Kate Karr-Petras:

Mary Kate’s free motion waves

My weekend sewing was spent making pillow shams to coordinate with My Not-Precious Quilt that I finished last week. (You can read about my quilt here.) I decided to quilt the shams with wavy horizontal lines just as I did the quilt itself, the difference being that I’m quilting them on a new-to-me domestic machine as opposed to a longarm, which is how I did the bed quilt. As I wrote a few weeks ago, I’ve spent a good amount of time troubleshooting the free-motion settings on this machine; I’ve got the tension issues largely sorted out, so now my focus is on coordinating speed and stitch length with the goal of quilting pretty lines. As you can see, I’m not there yet. I keep waiting for free-motion quilting to get fun or even mildly satisfying, but I know I’m just going to have to put in a lot more time to get there. I have a quilt top for someone special that I want to free-motion quilt, so I have more motivation to practice than I’ve ever had before. I will gratefully accept all good FMQ vibes or words of advice you care to send my way.

Join us for Design Wall Tuesday next week to see what quilting fun our staff is having!

[gravetells]

#CMCon17 Wrap-up & #Giveaway: Four reasons why Coastal Magic is still the best little reader con out there

Putting together a conference is a tremendous amount of work. And it doesn’t really pay…in money, at least. Being a Featured Blogger gives you access to some opportunities and experiences normal convention-goers don’t get, and being behind the scenes really sheds light on the sheer insanity just waiting to bubble over in the background. I have rarely seen such selfless dedication to a cause as Jennifer Morris and her so very generous family members when it comes to Coastal Magic.

GraveTells & Jennifer Morris at CMCon17

This conference only accepts 300 readers total, in order to keep the author-reader ratio generous and intimate. There is, without a doubt, something magical about Coastal Magic. CMCon17 did not sell out, but I’d wager it will start to in coming years, and here’s a glimpse of why you want to be on the leading edge of that wave of reader enthusiasm…

Location, location, location

My room’s view @ CMCon17

A lovely dawn wake-up call

Daytime view from my room

The best breakfast buffet, with custom-made omelets (free for Hilton Gold members)!

Coastal Magic takes place in Daytona Beach, Florida—literally right on the beach. Half the rooms in this rather luxurious Hilton hotel have a view just like the ones above. And boy is it peaceful. From my room I was able to see beach-side weddings (with some very yummy-looking Marines!) and morning joggers and watch the sun rise. I only had to open my sliding window to hear the waves crashing and the gulls calling. So beautiful, so invigorating.

Dynamite panels & activities

If you attend the crazy, massive Romantic Times convention, you’re probably familiar with Damon Suede’s Cinema Craptastique, a social media snarkfest that targets a truly terrible mainstream movie each year. The practice run for RT’s Cinema is at CMCon, and the setting is much more intimate. Many people find this to be one of the highlights of the convention.

Lunch with an Author is also a highly coveted event, giving readers a chance to eat lunch with a Featured Author of their choice in a small-group environment (4 readers to one author). And you never know what other authors will be seated at your table. For instance, last year I sat with Donna Herren (Kit Rocha) and Lorelei James. This year was Lara Adrian, Lisa Kessler, and Tonya Burrows.

CMCon17 Lunch with an Author

Lunch with Lara Adrian

Lunch with an Author at CMCon17: Lara Adrian, Lisa Kessler, & Tonya Burrows

This year’s party theme was Movie Magic, and attendees showed up in an array of unique and striking costumes…

The best Katniss ever, author & blogger Chelle Olson

Drake Austin’s creepy self…what were you again?

Stephen Osborne as the menacing Phantom (not to be confused with the Phantom Menace *shudder*)

Selfie station with Sookie Stackhouse…I mean author & blogger Chelsea Mueller

Queen Graylin Fox…whose tiara I coveted

GraveTells, HD Smith, Alyssa Day, & Tonya Burrows

Mahlet, Sue from GraveTells, Jennifer Morris from Books Make Me Happy, Jen “Twimom” from That’s What I’m Talking About, and author Chudney Thomas

Author Kiernan Kelly‘s facepainting magic

GraveTells and Rebecca Zanetti

Dancing the night away

The Flash Fiction panel draws a HUGE crowd every year. Who wouldn’t want to watch some of the funniest authors at the con making up the most ridiculous(ly dirty) stories on the fly?

Intrepid authors Amy Lane, Julie Kenner, Dee Davis, Becky McGraw, Damon Suede, Lucienne Diver, and Kiernan Kelly

And THEN…

One of my favorite things about being a Featured Blogger for this con is having the opportunity to moderate panels. I always enjoy the Music panel, but totally forgot to take a group selfie. Shout-out to Lisa Kessler, Kathleen Collins, Chudney Thomas, BA Tortuga, and Shannon Bell for being such great fun! I also completely neglected to snag a photo op with the Super Bad vs Supernaturally Bad panel—Kait Ballenger, Damon Suede, JA Souders, Rebecca Zanetti, & Amy Lane—you guys were awesome! Here are a few of my other favorites from this year:

Blue Collar vs White Collar with BA Tortuga, Gail Z Martin, Kristal Hollis, Kate McMurray, Tere Michaels, and Damon Suede

Genre Hopping with Jana Oliver, Katie Reus, Lara Adrian, Rebecca Zanetti, Hildie McQueen, Aria Kane, and Gail Z Martin

The Killing Game with Amy Lane, Dee Davis, Eric Asher, and Graylin Fox

Some of the con’s activities are even more special, set up by the authors themselves as a thank you to their fan groups. Huge thanks to Chelle Eden (author duo Chelle Olson and Tigris Eden) and Lisa Kessler for including me in their smaller parties! <3

Dinner with Lisa Kessler’s Night Angels

Chelle Eden‘s Ellys in Faeryland preview party

Party! Ellys In Faeryland by Chelle Eden

Ellys In Faeryland by Chelle Eden

Making personal connections

This might seem like a duh, but—aside from the incredible location—most of the appeal of Coastal Magic for me is in all the personal relationships I’m able to form with authors, bloggers, and readers. And those relationships last, partly (I believe) because the quality of the time you get to spend together at CMCon is so high. Below are some of the highlights of my shenanigans this year, but in no way covers all the awesome. This post is long enough already!

Breakfast with Asa Maria Bradley

Lunch with Dee Davis

Dinner with Asa Maria Bradley, Tonya Burrows, Boone Brux, Rebecca Zanetti, and Kathy Lyons

Sue (DaVinciKittie) & Gayla Leath, fellow freelance editor!

Terrible lunch, excellent company! Damon Suede, Katie Reus, Kathleen Collins, Stephen Osborne, & Sarah Romsa

One-on-one time with Lisa Kessler

Heart you, Kathy Lyons!

I ADORED getting to finally meet the lovely, talented, and sweet Katie Reus

Elicia Hyder, heres to survivors, warriors, and new BFFs!

A scrumptious dinner with Chudney Thomas, Nicole Plummer, and Amy Lane. Love you ladies!

Hanging with Nicole Plummer, my most excellent panel assistant

And finally, the unforgettable Amy Lane

Winning fab prizes

When I say “fab”, I truly mean fabulous. One of this year’s raffle baskets was a super classy Coach purse. I might have put all my tickets in it. I might have not won it. *pout* Still love you, Dee! <3 This year’s raffle raised $1236 for Habitat For Humanity. We had twenty less baskets donated than last year and still raised the same amount of money. How incredible is that?!

Baskets donated for the Habitat for Humanity raffle fundraiser

I contributed two baskets for this year’s charity raffle, one from GraveTells—full of crazy awesome swag and books signed by CMCon’s Featured Authors—and one from all my ladies and gents over at the San Francisco Area RWA chapter—full of more awesome signed books and swag.

The GraveTells raffle basket

The SFARWA raffle basket

The lucky winner of the SFARWA basket!

Unicorns!

TC Blue is known for her wild animal hunts at Coastal Magic, and this year’s target was the elusive sparkly-horned unicorn. These adorable little guys had raffle numbers that TC used to give out her own prizes. I brought home two and am sending one out in each Prize Pack below (forgot to put them in the pictures, doh!).

Giveaway

Speaking of prizes, let’s give some away now. =) Leave a comment on this post (pretty please?), then fill out the prize widget below to enter. Open to world-wide shipping. I’ll draw one winner for each Prize Pack. Good luck!

Prize Pack #1

Includes:

(Signed!) The Alpha King by Victoria Sue

Free ebook download from Kathy Lyons (the postcard in the middle has a code)

(Not pictured!) One of TC Blue’s unicorns

Notebook & pen from Katie Reus and Chudney Thomas

Mini notepad from Jennifer Estep

Shoe key chain (SO ADORABLE!) from Cynthia D’Alba

Portable measuring tape from Asa Maria Bradley

Sampler booklet from Gail Z Martin

1001 Dark Nights sampler booklet

1001 Dark Nights 2018 Cruise magnet (I’m going! Will I see you there?)

Ellys in Faeryland postcard from Chelle Eden (cover preview – these are very rare right now!)

Postcards from Julie Kenner and KC Burn

Bookmarks from Alyssa Day, Rising Storm serial, 1001 Dark Nights novellas

Prize Pack #2

Includes:

(Signed!) Rising Storm, Episode 8 by Dee Davis

(Not pictured!) One of TC Blue’s unicorns

1001 Dark Nights coloring book with coloring pencils

1001 Dark Nights sampler booklet

Free ebook download from Gail Z Martin (the postcard on the right has a code)

(Signed!) Short story booklet from Kathy Lyons

Goodie pack from Hildie McQueen

Mini notepad from Debra Jess

Vampires pin from Shannon Bell

“Clean hands, dirty books” hand sanitizer from Kiernan Kelly

“Shh I’m with my book boyfriend” door hanger from Julie Kenner

Drink coaster from Evelyn Lederman

Postcards from Nancy Northcott and Diana Marik

Bookmarks from Rising Storm serial and 1001 Dark Nights novellas

Preview card from HD Smith

Entry-Form

from #CMCon17 Wrap-up & #Giveaway: Four reasons why Coastal Magic is still the best little reader con out there

[see-arcane]

For those of you who have already picked up the published novella: Thank you!

For those of you who have only browsed through the first two preview chapters (or have just not taken a look at all): Surprise! There's not one, not two, but three preview chapters of The Vampyres lurking in my Substack!

Take a peek if you want to see the eponymous Vampyre straight up not having a good time.

I wrote a book!

The Vampyres is the happy horrifying accident born of feverish scribbling in the wake of Dracula season* (*inhaling Dracula Daily and Re: Dracula at the same time May thru November). It features a number of familiar villainous faces from classic supernatural lit, though not everyone is wearing their original name anymore. The story takes place in the 21st century and you can only hold onto those sentimental titles so long in the mayfly mortal world before you start drawing attention.

Not that swapping out pseudonyms has done anything to thwart the new shadow looming over the revenant community…

Free Preview Chapters (If You Want a Sneak Peek)

Tumblr version - PDF

More info under the cut!

Description

Something is culling the undead.

Whether they imbibe blood, leech life, or traded mortality away to their devil of choice, the revenants of the world are disappearing. The Vampyre, a possessor of many names and collector of many lives, has been fretting over the phenomenon for some time.

A laughable fear, for he is one of those canny cadaverous few who made a deal for perpetual resurrection. The bitten may crumble, but the bargainer can rise from death after death. So he reminds himself. So he worries is no longer the case.

Not when the boyar in the Carpathians was one of the first to vanish. Still, the monster from the mountains may simply be in hiding, just as the rest of the bargainers must be. The Vampyre convinces himself of this for a single night……before the monster called Quinn Morse makes itself known.

Where to Buy

eBook: https://books2read.com/thevampyres

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[see-arcane]

is penclosa also novella?

Penclosa, solo work edition, is sadly halted.

But that doesn't mean she (and other notable underused horror ladies) are out of commission. Like Barking Harker, what should have been a compact narrative started boiling over until it bloated. If/when I put her and her loving character in the spotlight again, it'll be in an interesting corner with a less puffed up premise.

Keep an eye out, Jonathan. 👁👁

[londontheatre]

JOSIE LAWRENCE as MOTHER COURAGE

Final casting is announced to join multi award-winning Josie Lawrence, one of the UK’s best-loved actors and comedians, in a new production of Mother Courage and her Children.

Mother Courage and her Children by Bertolt Brecht, translated by Pulitzer Prize-winning Tony Kushner (Angels in America at the National Theatre) will run 2 November – 9 December at Southwark Playhouse. Press night is Monday 6 November at 7.30pm.

The rest of the cast are: Laura Checkley (one half of award-winning comedy duo Checkley & Bush, her theatre credits include Gone With The Wind, West End); Ivy Corbin (Masha, Three Sisters, Union Theatre); Celeste de Veazey (The Bureau of Lost Things, Theatre 503); Rosalind Ford (These Trees Are Made of Blood, Arcola Theatre); Ben Fox (Andre, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Commitments, West End); Jake Phillips Head (a recent graduate of Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, making his professional debut); Shiv Jalota (The Grapes of Wrath, West Yorkshire Playhouse); Julian Moore-Cook (Rolling Stone, Orange Tree and Our American Cousin, Finborough); Nuno Queimado (Jesus Christ Superstar, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and From Here to Eternity, West End); David Shelley (Windows, Finborough Theatre, King John, Rose Theatre); Phoebe Vigor (Jane Eyre, National Theatre).

Mother Courage And Her Children is directed by Hannah Chissick, returning to Southwark Playhouse after the success of the musical Side Show, and is produced by Danielle Tarento, whose recent successes at the same venue include the UK première of Grey Gardens (with Sheila Hancock and Jenna Russell), Titanic, the world première of Gods and Monsters and Chekov’s Three Sisters reworked for the 21st century by award-winning playwright Anya Reiss.

Creative team: Director Hannah Chissick, Musical Supervisor and Arranger David Randall, Set & Costume Designer Barney George, Lighting Designer Robbie Butler, Sound Designer Patrick Ball.

In a land ravaged by war, Mother Courage pulls her cart with her three children in the wake of the army, trading with soldiers and attempting to make profit from the war. Widely considered to be one of the greatest plays of the 20th century, Mother Courage And Her Children has been described as the greatest anti-war play of all time. It remains a timely exploration of displacement, war weariness and invisible enemies. It mirrored then, as it does now, the growing fear at the ever-advancing threat of terror infiltrating our everyday lives and our desire to protect ourselves and what is ours at any cost.

JOSIE LAWRENCE said: “I first read Mother Courage when I was an 18-year-old drama student and immediately fell in love with the play. Now I feel ready to play her. It’s a major tick on my theatrical bucket list.”

Josie’s credits include: For The Royal Shakespeare Company: Helen of Troy in Faust: Dunyasha in The Cherry Orchard: Kate in The Taming of The Shrew (The Dame Peggy Ashcroft Award for Best Actress). For the National Theatre: Agnetha in Bryony Lavery’s Frozen: Dora in Picasso’s Women: Doll Common in The Alchemist. West End: Mrs Anna in The King and I (London Palladium): Bonnie in Acorn Antiques The Musical (Haymarket): Alarms and Excursions (The Gielgud). Other roles: Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Manchester Evening News Best Actress Award (Manchester Royal Exchange): Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare’s Globe)

Television: Stella (Sky 1), Humans (BBC1), You Have Been Watching with Meera Syal (GOLD), The Kennedy’s (BBC2), Jonathan Creek (BBC), Robin Hood (BBC), EastEnders (BBC), Minder (ITV), Skins (E4), Doctors (BBC), The Old Curiosity Shop (ITV), Casualty (BBC), Holby City (BBC), Wizards and Aliens (BBC), Common Ground (BBC), The Last Detective (BBC), Josie (Channel 4), A Many Splintered Thing (BBC), Keen Eddie (Channel 4), three series plus Christmas special of Outside Edge (ITV), Fat Friends (ITV), The Flint Street Nativity (ITV), SWALK and Lunch In The Park with Paul Merton (BBC), Nine series of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Channel 4), Downwardly Mobile (ITV), Bill’s New Frock (BBC), Absolutely Fabulous (BBC), The Green Man (ITV), Miss Marple (BBC), Poirot (BBC), Not With A Bang (ITV), Friday Night Live (Channel 4), Rachel and The Roarettes (BBC), Campaign (BBC), Norbet Smith, A Life (BBC), The Comic Strip Presents (Channel 4). Film. Finding Your Feet: Enchanted April: The American Way: The Sin Eater: Married to Malcolm: Mam: Looking for Vi: Round Ireland with a Fridge: Bonobo. Since 1985 Josie has been a member of The Comedy Store Players based at London’s famous Comedy Store. They are in The Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running comedy group.

Hannah Chissick (Director) Most recently Hannah directed Down the Dock Road by Alan Bleasdale (Liverpool Royal Court), the UK professional premiere of the musical Side Show (Southwark Playhouse), Brass for NYMT (Hackney Empire), Rags and Amour (Royal Academy of Music), Marry Me a Little (St James Studio) and Teechers for the John Godber Theatre Company. She was Assistant Director to Matthew Warchus on the play Art in London and New York and was Associate Director on Matthew’s acclaimed production of Boeing Boeing, directing 4 casts in London, 2 on Broadway and 1 in Melbourne. In 2003, Hannah became the youngest women to become an Artistic Director in the UK, when Harrogate Theatre appointed her at the age of 25. Other credits include the critically-acclaimed revival of Side by Side by Sondheim (The Venue, London), Abigail’s Party (Northcott Theatre Exeter), Teechers (Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke), a tour of Grumpy Old Women Live, the world premiere of Horrid Henry – Live (tour and West End) and the world premiere of Pushing Up Poppies (Theatre 503).

Danielle Tarento (Producer) Danielle was named Best Producer at the 2012 Off West End Awards and won Best Off West End Production at the WhatsOnStage Awards for Titanic at Southwark Playhouse. She has also produced the world première of Le Grand Mort, starring Julian Clary and James Nelson-Joyce, currently playing at Trafalgar Studuios, Grey Gardens, Allegro, Grand Hotel, Gods And Monsters, Dogfight, Three Sisters, Victor/Victoria, Mack & Mabel, Parade and Company at Southwark Playhouse; Death Takes A Holiday, Ragtime and Titanic (Charing Cross Theatre), Pure Imagination: The Songs of Leslie Bricusse (St James Theatre), Taboo (Brixton Clubhouse); The Pitchfork Disney (Arcola); Burlesque, Drowning On Dry Land (Jermyn Street); Noël And Gertie (Cockpit). She is co-founder of the Menier Chocolate Factory and co-produced all in-house shows 2004 – 2006, including Sunday In The Park With George, which received a West End transfer and 5 Olivier Awards. Forthcoming productions include a UK and Ireland tour of Titanic.

Danielle Tarento presents  Mother Courage And Her Children By Bertolt Brecht Translated by Tony Kushner Music by Duke Special Director Hannah Chissick Musical Supervisor and Arranger David Randall Set & Costume Designer Barney George Lighting Designer Robbie Butler Sound Designer Patrick Ball

THE LARGE SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE 77-85 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BD Dates: 2 November – 9 December 2017 http://ift.tt/NsSQwM

http://ift.tt/2h5DAiK LondonTheatre1.com

[londontheatre]

LtoR Curtis T Johns, Nick Carsberg, AJ Bentley, Yazdan Qafouri, Sario Solomon credit Matt Crockett

The full cast are now announced for David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and Take That’s UK Tour of Tim Firth’s new musical, THE BAND, with the music of Take That. The tour will begin at Manchester Opera House on 8 September, with a national press night on Tuesday 26 September 2017. The advance box office for the tour has now topped a record-breaking £10million.

Joining the previously announced AJ Bentley, Nick Carsberg, Curtis T Johns, Yazdan Qafouri and Sario Solomon, collectively known as 5 to 5, winners of BBC’s Let It Shine, who will play The Band, Rachel Lumberg as Rachel and Faye Christall as Young Rachel, will be Emily Joyce as Heather, Alison Fitzjohn as Claire, Jayne McKenna as Zoe, Katy Clayton as Young Heather, Sarah Kate Howarth as Young Claire, Lauren Jacobs as Young Zoe, Rachelle Diedericks as Debbie,Martin Miller as Jeff and Andy Williams as Dave.

AJ Bentley studied dance before taking part in Let It Shine. Nick Carsberg was a classic car restorer before taking part in Let It Shine. Curtis T Johns has been a songwriter for the last eight years, writing for artists such as Matt Cardle and Ray Quinn. He also owns and runs a rugby club in his home city of Leeds. Yazdan Qafouri is originally from Iran, but was raised in the North East of England. Sario Solomon made his professional debut at the age of 11 in Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Rachel Lumberg’s most recent tours include This Is My Family, The Full Monty, Dandy Dick and Calendar Girls. Faye Christall’s theatre credits include Broken Biscuits (Paines Plough), Gone Viral (St James Theatre) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), and she is part of the Cirque Du Soleil Company.

Emily Joyce’s television credits include series regulars Jill in My Almost Famous Family, Sarah Fletcher in Mutual Friends and Janet Dawkins in My Hero. Her most recent theatre includes Judy in the West End production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Alison Fitzjohn has just finished as assistant director and performer in David Walliams’s tour of Gangsta Granny. She also played The Queen of Hearts/Duchess in the Olivier-nominated immersive production of Alice’s Adventures Underground by Les Enfants Terribles. Over the past 12 years, Alison has performed all over the world in Horrible Histories, Barmy Britain and Horrible Science. Jayne McKenna’s recent theatre credits include Rose Naracott in War Horse in the West End, Sylvia in This Happy Breed for the Peter Hall Company, Lily Gibb in Men Should Weep at the National and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth at the Northcott Theatre. She also appeared in the film version of the National Theatre’s production of London Road as Imelda.

Katy Clayton made her first TV appearance at the age of six on Coronation Street. She appeared in various TV shows such as Casualty, Shameless and Waterloo Road and played series regular Samantha Booth in Where the Heart Is for four years. Sarah Kate Howarth’s theatre credits include Copycat (Southwark Playhouse), Whistle Down The Wind (Union Theatre), Tess of the D’Urbervilles (New Wimbledon Theatre) and Spring Awakening (Edinburgh Fringe). Lauren Jacobs and Rachelle Diedericks will be making their professional debuts in THE BAND.

Martin Miller’s recent theatre includes Antonio in The Revenger’s Tragedy and Keith Haines in Darkness, both for Nottingham Playhouse, two UK tours of The Full Monty as Dave, and Alfred Hitchcock in The Lovesong of Alfred J Hitchcock (Leicester Curve, UK Tour and Brits Off Broadway). Andy Williams’s recent theatre credits include Arnold in Hir (Bush Theatre), Giles/Captain in Emma Rice’s production of Rebecca (Plymouth Theatre Royal/Tour), The 39 Steps (Criterion Theatre), Ted Narracot in War Horse (New London Theatre) and Albert/Fred/Stephen in Kneehigh Theatre’s Brief Encounter.

THE BAND is a new musical about what it’s like to grow up with a boyband. For five 16 year-old friends in 1992, ‘the band’ is everything. 25 years on, we are reunited with the group of friends, now 40-something women, as they try once more to fulfil their dream of meeting their heroes.

THE BAND will be directed by Kim Gavin and Jack Ryder, designed by Jon Bausor and choreographed by Kim Gavin, with lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe, video design by Luke Halls and sound design by Terry Jardine and Nick Lidster.

THE BAND will be produced by David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Robbie Williams.

TOUR SCHEDULE Manchester Opera House 8 September 2017 – 30 September 2017

Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 4 October 2017 – 14 October 2017

Bradford Alhambra Theatre 17 October 2017 – 28 October 2017

Southampton Mayflower Theatre 31 October 2017 – 11 November 2017

Llandudno Venue Cymru 14 November 2017 – 25 November 2017

Stoke Regent Theatre 28 November 2017 – 9 December 2017

Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre 9 January 2018 – 20 January 2018

Liverpool Empire Theatre 23 January 2018 – 3 February 2018

Norwich Theatre Royal 6 February 2018 – 17 February 2018

Canterbury Marlowe Theatre 20 February 2018 – 3 March 2018

Hull New Theatre 6 March 2018 – 17 March 2018

Leeds Grand Theatre 20 March 2018 – 31 March 2018

Newcastle Theatre Royal 3 April 2018 – 14 April 2018

Bristol Hippodrome 17 April 2018 – 28 April 2018

Birmingham Hippodrome 1 May 2018 – 12 May 2018

Plymouth Theatre Royal 15 May 2018 – 26 May 2018

Northampton Royal & Derngate 29 May 2018 – 9 June 2018

Nottingham Theatre Royal 12 June 2018 – 23 June 2018

Glasgow King’s Theatre 26 June 2018 – 7 July 2018

Edinburgh Playhouse 10 July 2018 – 14 July 2018

http://ift.tt/2s4gnRH LondonTheatre1.com