I apologize for the late notice on the first one … I’ve been swamped this week! But I hope if you happen to be in Austin this weekend, you’ll have the opportunity to check it out and have some fun.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

	Clockwork con Jan. 20-22 Austin, TX   Steam Powered Giraffe will be there. I saw them perform last Friday and was really impressed. Other guests include O.M. Grey, who I met at the Symposium. A very nice and approachable lady.
	Lady Mari’s Costumed Walkabout April 14 11am to 3pm Del Mar Fairgrounds San Diego, CA   Lady Mari is a woman with a big personality. I saw her modeling an outfit at the Symposium’s fashion show. I bet she’s a lot of fun to hang out with.
	Gaslight Gathering May 11-13 Town & Country Hotel San Diego, CA   This event bills itself as Southern California’s first dedicated steampunk and Victoriana convention.
	Clockwork Alchemy May 25-28 Doubletree Hotel San Jose, CA   This is a new convention for steampunk fans put on by FanimeCon.
	Steamcon IV October 24-26 Hyatt Regency Bellevue, WA   Each year has a theme and because this year it is close to Halloween, the theme is “Victorian Monsters.”

The series, which tells the story of Calla, the alpha female of a shape-shifting wolf pack, started with Nighshade in 2010. Bloodrose, the third and final book will be out on January 3, 2012.

Along with the two books was an announcement that Cremer will be signing books at two locations in Southern California, and I thought I’d share.

Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012
7 pm
Barnes & Noble
7881 Edinger Ave. #110
Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Friday, Jan. 13
4-6 pm
Pages: A Bookstore
904 Manhattan Ave.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

	Ghosts and Gravestones Tour, Boston Walk amongst the dead in burial grounds nearly 400 years old, hear stories of those whose mortal remains lie beneath your feet and listen to tales of the sordid practices that went along with them. Highlights include the site of the biggest grave-robbing scandal in New England’s history and Boston’s largest unmarked burying ground, as well as tortures, punishments and executions.
	Haunted Boston Listen to enchanting and chilling tales of Boston’s most famous ghosts, as well as the area’s extensive and rich history. Your guide will tell you extraordinary and tragic tales from the founding of Colonial Boston right up to present day. This family-friendly tour includes secrets lying beneath Boston Common, the Boston Athenaeum and a well-known hotel that is Boston’s most haunted.
	Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast/Museum Erected in 1845, the home was originally a two-family and was later made into a single family by Andrew J. Borden. The Bed & Breakfast is named after his youngest daughter, Lizzie. Although she was tried and acquitted of her accused crimes, the community of Fall River ostracized her. Since the murders on August 4, 1892 the house has been a private residence. Now, for the first time the public is allowed not only to view the murder scene, but is also given an opportunity to spend a night (if you dare) in the actual house where the murders took place. The home has been restored to its original Victorian splendor, with careful attention to making it as close to the Borden home of August, 1892 as is possible.
	Spooner House Ghost Tour, Plymouth Be your own detective during this exclusive paranormal investigation of the historic Spooner House on North Street. Guides steeped in Spooner family lore will help you seek out strange anomalies and invisible energies in the nooks and crannies of the centuries-old house. Bring your own wireless hand-held equipment and be a DIY ghost hunter! Card readers and psychics will also be on hand. The fee is $30 per person and prepaid reservations are required. For more information email pasm@verizon.net or call 508-746-0012.
	Haunted Harbor Cruise, Salem Come learn about the haunted happenings of Salem Sound on this 1.5-hour cruise along the shores of Salem, Marblehead, Beverly, Manchester and mysterious Misery Islands. This is a fun filled informative cruise loaded with spooky stories of ruthless local pirates, haunted lighthouses, mansions, abandoned mental wards, tails of local ghosts, ocean demons and living monsters who reek havoc on local ships to this day!
	Summon the Dead Séance Experience a sinister paranormal séance in the darkened theatre of The Witches Cottage. Complete with ghostly appearances and startling moments, this theatrical séance is sure to make a believer out of anyone. Seating is limited seating; allow 45 minutes. This performance is not for the faint of heart.
	Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tours, Salem Salem’s original ghost tour, Haunted Footsteps’ guides will recount Salem’s haunted history and share their own encounters with supernatural Salem. Bring your camera to capture the ghostly orbs you may encounter on this tour!
	Omen Psychic Parlor Discover your destiny with a psychic reading at Omen. Participate in a séance or witchcraft workshop. Omen offers Tarot, palmistry, mediumship and clairvoyance to guide you.
	Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Concord’s largest cemetery, Sleepy Hollow has an estimated 10,000 gravesites, many of local, national, and international interest. It was one of the first cemeteries in the United States to be designed to have a sylvan character and has also been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Here is where you will find the burial sites of Henry Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott and Bronson Alcott.
	Spider Gates Cemetery Located in Leicester MA, this cemetery has a spooky reputation. Folklore includes: a strip of lawn where grass doesn’t grow; a central raised area 20 feet by 20 feet, called “the altar,” which Satanists have permission to use; a second cemetery that can only be found once; and a haunted house.
	The Bloody Pit: Hoosac Tunnel This railroad line goes nearly five miles through a mountain. Legend has it that 200 men were killed during construction. The crew nicknamed the tunnel project “The Bloody Pit.” In 1865, two miners were killed in an explosion at the site. A third worker, Kelly Ringo, the man who had accidentally detonated the blast, walked away unhurt. One year later, Ringo’s body was found in the hole; he had been strangled to death. No living person was apprehended for the crime, if there was one. It was believed the ghosts of the two miners exacting revenge. There are many tales of spooky happenings in the Hoosac, and the ghosts of the many men who died there may still haunt the tunnel.
	Haunted Cape Cod Be spooked as you walk these one of a kind tours, featuring lessons on electric voice phenomenon (recording voices of the dead), detect paranormal activity and visit active haunted places where strange occurrences are likely to take place. Offers Barnstable Village’s Haunted and History Walking Tours, Ghost Tours and “Love You To Death” tours.

These are just highlights, so for more information visit www.massvacation.com.

	Factory of Terror, Fall River Voted the #1 Haunted House in New England, the Factory of Terror has three combined haunts. There are more than 35 rooms with spirit filled walls, underground tunnels and more than 30 professional horror film actors.
	Bog Fright Night Weekend, Wareham From October 21 to 23, enjoy scary wagon rides run through the wooded bogs! Wagon ride tickets are $5 with pre-paid reservations and $7 at the event. Reservations are highly recommended to avoid long lines and secure a ride on the desired night. For advance tickets, stop in or call between 2-6 p.m.
	Creepy Carousel, Fall River On October 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. come to the special children’s Halloween Party at the Fall River Carousel geared for younger children, ages 12 and under. Costume contests, candy hunts, ghost stories, crafts, face painting, and cupcake decorating. $10 pp. Call for reservations, for space limited: 508-678-1100 x101.
	Spirits of the Gable, The House of the Seven Gables Guilt! Greed! Revenge! Witness two families entangled by a curse in this presentation of The House of the Seven Gables acted in the mansion that inspired the story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Travel through this house at your own risk, for as long as there is a Pyncheon descendant inside, only darkness and death will fill its walls. Performances begin every five minutes and last approximately 35 minutes. Reservations highly recommended. 978.744.0991 ext. 104.
	The Salem Night Tour Stroll through Salem’s haunted history with the guides at the Salem Night Tour. Affiliated with the Histrionic Academy, which runs tours at Boston’s Freedom Trail and in Plymouth, this tour can interpret the historic gravestones, spooky sites and colorful characters from Salem’s past.
	Frightfest at Six Flags New England During the month of October, check out all Six Flags New England in Agawam has to offer for your Halloween celebrations. Thrills and frills you can’t get enough of. Takes place weekends and holidays in October. Call (413) 786-9300 ext 3241 for more information and times.
	The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Estate and Gardens One of the great writers of her time, Edith Wharton wrote a number of ghost stories and gave us a number of haunting characters as well. It’s said that the spirit of Wharton lingers on at The Mount, the author’s Lenox estate that was built in 1902. Visitors report hearing Wharton laugh. Shakespeare & Company called The Mount home for many years. They reported strange occurrences – footsteps, laughter, and sounds – almost from the start. Some claim that fellow author Henry James joins his friend Wharton in haunting the site. When Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson, and the rest of the Ghost Hunters team came to investigate The Mount they found very significant indications of paranormal activity. Footsteps, voices, even a head peeping around a corner … just to prove what so many before them have claimed. The Mount is indeed a center of ghostly activity! Ghost tours through Oct. 29.

These are just highlights, so for more information visit www.massvacation.com.

“This event has been ten grueling years in the making,” said Jack Morey, Executive Vice President. “We’ve been talking about it, having meetings and making plans; we just needed a centerpiece to justify something of this magnitude. The addition of Ghost Ship last summer provided us with the signature ‘fright feature’ that we needed to launch Morey’s Fears.”

Morey’s Fears attractions are slated to include the Sea Serpent, SuperScooters, Tea Cups, Pirates of the Wildwoods, Rollie’s Coaster, Musik Express, Moby Dick and an especially horrifying Ghost Ship experience as the main act of the event. There will also be two scary all-new Halloween attractions that will only be available during Morey’s Fears. Themed food and drinks will also be available.

“This event is being geared toward teens and adults looking for a terrifyingly good time,” said Dino Fazio, Director of Pier Operations. “It is not recommended for young children as it is being designed to be one of the most frightening Halloween attractions out there.”

Summary:

What:
Morey’s Fears

Where:
Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Waterparks
Schellenger Avenue and the Boardwalk
Wildwood, NJ

When:
Friday and Saturday nights
October 14-15, 21-22 and 28-29
6:30-11 pm

Price:
$25
Season Pass Members can save $10

For more info:
www.moreyspiers.com

“Texas Frightmare Weekend has made a name for itself by bringing the biggest fan favorites in the horror and genre world to Dallas,” said Texas festival director Loyd Cryer. “This year, securing rare appearances by Eihi Shiina and Yoshihiro Nishimura side-by-side with legends like [Clive] Barker and [Roger] Corman and so many others will potentially make this our most memorable event yet.”

Other confirmed guests include Robert Englund (the original Freddy Krueger), Doug Bradley (Pinhead) and Cary Elwes, Shawnee Smith and Costas Mandylor (stars of Saw).

For more information and to get your tickets, visit www.texasfrightmareweekend.com.

	John de Lancie Q from the modern Star Trek franchise series Colonel Simmons from Stargate SG-1 I saw him speak at a convention years ago … he is a hoot!
	Tricia Helfer Number Six from the Battlestar Galactica reboot Agent Bonnie Belski from Warehouse 13 Sophia Adler from No Ordinary Family
	Eddie McClintock Pete Lattimer from Warehouse 13 Jason Abbott from Moonlight
	Christopher Judge Teal’c from Stargate SG-1 Hector from Andromeda
	Gary Lockwood Lt. Cmdr. Gary Mitchell from the original Star Trek Dr. Frank Poole from 2001: A Space Odyssey I met him at a convention years ago … he was very nice.
	Sally Kellerman Dr. Elizabeth Dehner from the original Star Trek
	Cliff Simon Ba’al from Stargate SG-1

For more guests and information about this event, visit www.shore-leave.com.

Along with the independent films from the Famous Monsters Film Festival finalists, the Imagi-Movies Festival will celebrate the Vincent Price Centennial with daughter Victoria Price and the 80th anniversary of Universal’s Frankenstein and Dracula with the Lugosi and Karloff families.

In addition, the theater will feature exclusive previews for upcoming horror films such as Universal’s The Thing, a rare collection of Stephen King’s Dollar Babies exposé, and a Famous Monsters and the H.P. Lovecraft Society’s compilation of Lovecraft films in honor of one of horror’s iconic writers.

Come enjoy a weekend of movies and film-making with fans and even take home some tools of the trade during live panels with some of the leading names in Hollywood.

Summary

What:
The Imagi-Movies Film Festival

Where:
Laemmle Music Hall
9036 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA

When:
April 8-10, 2011

For more information:
www.famousmonstersconvention.com

	Dean Stockwell Stockwell has quite a genre history, including roles in Quantum Leap, the Battlestar Galactica reboot, David Lynch’s Dune, Captain Planet and the Planeteers and 2004’s The Manchurian Candidate, as well as appearances on numerous genre shows such as The Twilight Zone (both the original and the remake), Stargate SG:1, Star Trek: Enterprise, Nowhere Man, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and several Alfred Hitchcock series.
	Michael Gross Gross, probably most remembered for playing the father in Family Ties, did a smashing good job (IMHO) in the series of Tremors films (and short-lived TV show) as a firearms enthusiast and a paranoid anti-government survivalist. His additional genre cred include spots on The Outer Limits (1996), The Hunger (1997) and Medium, as well as a few cheesy B (or less) SF films.
	Meredith Baxter Baxter, who worked with Gross on Family Ties, also has a genre past. She was in Ben (the movie about killer rats), The Cat Creature and spots on The Love Boat.
	Alex Winter Overshadowed by Keanu Reaves in the Bill & Ted Movies, Winter has gone on to be in a handful of genre films, including Freaked (1993) and Saul of the Mole Men (King Mole Man).
	Gary and Jake Busey This father and son duo has created quite the genre family legacy. Gary was in Silver Bullet, Predator 2, Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms, The Gingerdead Man and more. Jake, following in his fathers’ footsteps can be seen in Tales from the Crypt, The Frighteners, Starship Troopers and The Twilight Zone (TV-2002).

In Summary

What:
Chiller Theatre Toy, Model and Film Expo

Where:
Hilton Parsippany
One Hilton Court,
Parsippany, NJ

When:
April 29 through May 1

For more information:
www.chillertheatre.com

• games,
• panels,
• celebrity Q&As,
• celebrity photo op sessions,
• celebrity autograph sessions,
• a Cocktail Carnival and Banquet with the Stars, and
• a Masquerade Ball on Saturday Evening.

Guests will include:

	Paul Wesley “Stefan Salvatore”
	Robert Pralgo “Mayor Lockwood”
	Chris W. Martin “Zach Salvaore”

Summary:

What:
Eyecon featuring Stars from The Vampire Diaries

Where:
The Westin Atlanta Airport
4736 Best Road
Atlanta, Georgia

When:
March 25-27, 2011

For more information:
www.eyeconfla.com/vampirediaries