July Updates: Spooky Season is Live!
Oh hey. It's been a minute.
My school year just ended two weeks ago. It was a challenging year of growth, in a brand new position I was essentially creating for the school, and the pressure of finding out whether or not I would earn tenure. Throw in the budgets being slashed for public education across the country and countless highly qualified educators losing their jobs because the money wasn't there; let's just say I'm still recovering after two weeks of just allowing myself to exist. That was a lot of pressure to find out if I could keep doing what I was doing (I can) or if I had to start all over in a new district.
But this isn't about the past; this is about the future.
The title is cheeky but it is an accurate update. I am already in the throws of prep for spooky season, aka Halloween. I have new books coming out throughout the rest of the year, plus TONS of events already lined up for my art, my writing, and me.
On July 25, from 11AM-7PM, you'll find me at the NJ Expo Center in Edison for the New Jersey Punk Rock Flea Market's Summa' Sizzla' event with all my books and bookish items. Come meet a weird fiction author in person to chat everything horror. Pick up a bookmark, a signed book, or a mystery deal. The NJ Punk Rock Flea Market is one of my favorite events to vend at, visit, and spend the day at. There is so much to do. From live performances to a large gallery of talented tattoo and piercing artists, amazing artists and businesses to a full on art gallery built from the ground up for this event, the Summa' Sizzla' is going to be a great way to beat the heat.
Then, for a complete change of pace, on August 1, from 12PM-3PM, I will be at the Sparta VFW in Sparta, NJ for the Bookworm Bonanza. This inaugural event is a fundraiser for Blakely and The Valerie Fund, a charitable organization focused on providing individualized care for children with cancer and blood disorders. There will be 15 vendors, freebies, raffles, and a book swap room in addition to a bandaid drive for the cause. This is a local event for bookish people coming together for a great cause. I'll be there again with the books and the book accessories. It'll be fun.
Keeping it chronological and confirmed (stay tuned), the next big fling is September 25-27 at the Delta Hotel in Woodbridge, NJ for NJ Horror Con. I'm treating myself for my birthday to a 3 day table focused on (you guessed it) my books. Tis the season. We'll be celebrating the long-awaited return of the #31Days series with Vol. 3 available for purchase in person and online on September 25. Other surprises are lined up. This is a fantastic convention for horror fans who like signings, art, books, and merchandise of all kinds. There's also a film festival attached, which I highly recommend. If you've never gone to a horror film festival, you haven't experienced what the world of horror can really offer.
Then, we're swinging back to the NJ Expo Center in Edison on October 17 for the Jersey Devil Night Market presented by the Punk Rock Flea Market. We're taking over from 3pm to 11pm with artists, vendors, tattoo and piercing artists, plus a horror film festival, fortune tellers, and a costume contest. Last year, it was the Dark Oddity Fest; this year, we take the night. I have a double end cap table with my mother for more Halloween ceramics than you can ever imagine; books will also be available, but this is where you can pick up one of a kind Halloween trees, jack-o-lanterns, witches, monsters, and critters.
But wait, there's more. On November 14, from 11AM-4PM, I'll be at Iron Peak in Hillsborough, NJ for the Horror Rad Mall Marketplace. This event has been a long time coming from our friends at NJ Horror Con. It's turning into a first of its kind marketplace for toys, cards, art, and horror. There will be Disney Pin Trading, card trading, and more guests are being announced all the time. This is THE event to go to if you want the full Sketching Details presents The Gannonverse experience. I have a 10x10 booth and I'm not afraid to make it an immersive haunt experience with books, art, and interactive elements. Come rip some packs of Artifacts.
And yes, there are gaps in the schedule. I'm not at liberty to share everything happening in those weeks yet. Expect at least one more event for August that I've been trying to get into for years.
Tickets are on sale now for all of these events. The Bookworm Bonanza has free admission, so no tickets are necessary. I look forward to seeing you out and about as we celebrate literature, local artists, and horror.