I'm delighted to share that my poem, "Bury Me Under Fallen Stars," will appear in the Autumnal Equinox issue of the literary magazine Magpie Messenger. The Magpie Messenger is published by Curious Corvid Publishing, a publisher specializing in Gothic works and dark poetry.
We've weathered Hurricane Matthew, and the past weekend was more and less spooky than planned before the storms rolled through Florida. I have stories and photos to share. If you want to help out, there are many, many people within the United States and the Caribbean who were devastated by Hurricane Matthew. The American Red … Continue reading #HurricaneHorrorNights – 21 Days until Halloween
There is Halloween in the woods. Limbs and leaves fall. Decomposers invade. The trees take on a different beauty in death, with fungi threading through its tissue, splitting its bark open. Beautiful rot, as it becomes part of the forest floor. Orange fungi. Black muck.
A taxidermied Bufo marinus that’s been made into a change purse is a permanent resident of my office at my day job. Animals skulls and insects preserved in jars keep it company. My coworkers have different bones and dead things at their desks. So it is with field biologists: we love critters so much, we bring them back … Continue reading Halloween at Work – 25 Days until Halloween
It's the first day of October and the Countdown to Halloween begins today! Well, actually, I hold Halloween in my heart all year. There are always some spooky things lying about the house and scary stories to read and write. If this is your first visit here, welcome, and I hope you enjoy browsing through blog … Continue reading Countdown to Halloween Begins!
Two of my favorite sessions at the Florida Writers Conference were today. I spent the morning delving in to how characters respond to supernatural elements and geeking out over writing horror so it fills a reader with dread. But there was time this afternoon to check off a Halloween task: pumpkins! They were so bright, so huge, … Continue reading Sunday Chores, Again – 13 Days Until Halloween
Orange for pumpkins. For Halloween. For turning leaves and intense sunsets. For brightly colored creatures, beautiful and frightening. And black, to offset the orange. To bring on the longer nights.
Wild areas teem with life and death. The urgency and decay are deeply beautiful to me and source of much of my writing. In the wet areas, life bursts forth throughout the year. Mosquitos emerge from the water desperate for a blood meal and mating. New shoots grow from the ground at alarming speeds. And all … Continue reading Writing From Wild Areas – 25 Days Until Halloween
I saw a surf shop mannequin in a wet suit and witch hat this weekend. Someone had drawn eyes on paper and taped them in place. They weren't particularly witchy eyes, but they transformed her blank visage to a face. She was a winsome, sporty witch. It was a short-sleeved, short-legged wetsuit. Because it's still bathing … Continue reading Halloween In Florida – 29 Days Until Halloween
October is here! October is here! There's a faint chill in the morning, and night is coming earlier. Bats are flying like mad in the evenings as the summer insects emerge and search for mates. Pumpkins are everywhere. Flying skeletons and graveyard fences are showing up in neighborhood yards. I'm late haunting our yard … Continue reading It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year – 30 Days Until Halloween
Victoria Nations 