The Worlds of Michael D'Ambrosio

The National Haunters Convention

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:38:15 +0000

Welcome back, everyone. I had a fun-filled and busy weekend at the National Haunters’ Convention. The convention is held every year in Oaks, Pennsylvania, just north of King of Prussia, on the first weekend in May. This is a tradeshow style convention that featured an amazing variety of Hallowen/horror vendors and exhibitors. There were several old-style hearses on hand with the appropriate decor (coffins, bodies) on display. Many special effects artists and vendors were on hand to demonstrate their products. From creating your own tombstones and corpses to full sized sets demonstrating zombies, witches and other undeadly creatures, some with working hydraulic parts! Of course, Fangoria and 13th Hour horror magazines were on hand to show off their mags as well. Classes were offered for those who want to make their own costumes and props along with the materials to do. Other classes were also available for writers (by yours truly) as well. The Travel Channel sent a film crew to show the convention as one of the attractions of the area. I was alos pleased to see other authors there like CJ Henderson, Pat Thomas, Thomas Malafarina besides myself to promote books. This is one unique convention that is definitely worth checking out. For more information, check out their website at www.national hauntersconvention.com . Next on my itinerary is BaltiCon over Memorial Day weekend. Join me again in a few weeks when I post an update on BaltiCon and hopefully some other news as well.

From the Library to the Haunt

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 09:19:44 +0000

Welcome back, everyone. I just returned from the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. I can’t tell you how amazed I was. The library is so big and the desing is fantastic. The decor of the ceilings is a blend of many cultures and artforms as are many of the walls. The symbolism behind the design is even more stunning, from Angels to Astrology and from History to Science. I hope to go back later this summer and spend a day there to take in some of the many thousands of books the library houses. One thing I realized is that the staff who take care of the Library do the most phenomenal job in mainaining it and makng it grow over time. Without their persistent hard work, it would never have gotten to where it is today. It also requires a special thanks to those who sponsor the Library and fund it. Some of the collections are priceless and not all the money came from the government.
I also want to offer a special thanks to Helen Hester-Ossa for putting together a fantastic program for the employees. This is a great experience for both those who attend and for artists and writers of all genre. It was breath-taking to be a prt of theLIbrary of Congress just for one day.
Next, on my agenda is The National Haunters Convention in King of Prussia this coming weekend. For all my friends and fans in the Philly area and beyond, this is a convention you don’t want to miss. Check out their website at www.nationalhauntersconvention.com . Other fantastic literary friends who will be participating in the convention are Stavros Cockrell, Leslie Bannatyne, and THomas M. Malafarina. They have a host of other activities going on that are phenomenal. I, myself, am actually loooking forward to the costume party on Saturday night. So come one, come all, to the National Haunters Convention on May 4-6. Thanks again for joining me. Please come back next week for an update and review of the upcoming convention.

Hitting the Bricks Again

admin — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:34:11 +0000

Hello everyone. I’ve just returned from Tennessee and a visit to two beautiful cities: Nashville and Memphis. MidsouthCon, the annual science fiction convention in Memphis, was a thrill. The staff there treat all their guests as if they were the Guest of Honor. The programming was well organized and the coordinators were always around to make sure everything went smooth. I had the pleasure of moderating a panel with Michael Stackpole which is always informative and entertaining. I also had the opportunity to catch up with some good writer friends; Steve Zimmerman, Sean Taylor, and Kathy Sullivan just to name a few. I also met my good friend Jon Klement from Dragon Talk Radio. As always I did make some new friends as well. Meeting other friends in the business is more than just fun. So many things are changing and we share information to help each other. No matter how much we know about th eliterary world, there is always a lot more that we don’t.

Next on my list of stops is Conglomeration in Louisville. This will be my first trip to Conglomeration since I usually do Fright Night/Fandomfest in July in Louisville. Unfortunately, I can’t make it to Fandomfest this year so Conglomeration gets the nod.

In the screenplay world, I just ordered a coverage report for my Night Creeps horror script. A very distinguished director has expressed an interest in Night Creeps with a coverage report to go as well. The coverage report is a valuable marketing tool that encompasses a lot of marketing data. For anyone interested in knowing more, go to www.hollywoodlitsales.com and see all the information that comes with it.

Yes, I’ve completed my series bibles and synopses for the 3 TV series of Fractured Time. Now I’m crossing my fingers to see how my friend and distinguished producer in New York does. While I don’t have a deal or anything near it, there is a good chance that this could open the door for one. If not, well, I’ll just keep on trying. Join me again for more information and news. Thanks and enjoy a pleasant spring season.

That Book Place

admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:20:09 +0000

I just got back from Madison, Indiana before heading back out to Tennessee. I’d like to commend Frank and Kim Hall, the owners of That Book Place, as well as their staff and family who worked so hard to put on a great book fair this weekend. I was quite impressed and would love to return there next year. On Friday night, we had a great showing for several literary panels and had lots of fun. There were over thirty authors there for the outdoor fair on Saturday. The weather cooperated and the turnout was great. The mayor, Damon Welch, is an ardent supporter of the fair and came by to meet the authors.

My next stop is Nashville and then Memphis for MidsouthCon. I’m looking forward to a great time there. This is my first time participating in MidsouthCon and I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. I’ll be on three panels and doing an autograph session on Saturday as well. As always, I’ll have copies of my books to peddle to the masses.

I just completed the third season opening episode and series bible for the producer who is helping me to set up the proposal for a Fractured Time TV series. Now that it’s behind, me, I’m hoping he can do his thing and make a deal happen. In the mean time, I do have a lot of work to do on the third season episodes as I never expected interest in all three seasons at once.

Now that Galaxy of the Damned has been released and the Space Frontiers series is completed, I have gotten a lot of pressure from fans to reveal what is next in novels for me. Well, I have actually started work on the first chapter of Princess Pain. This story is about a “lovely” woman named Marina, daughter of Will and Shanna who, at thirty, has serious issues and no people skills. That’s all I’ll say at this point.

Next month, I’ll be in Louisville for Conglomeration. This is another first time stop for me. I have a number of friends, both fans and writers, who will be there so I expect to have a good time. Thanks you again for joining me and stop by again for the latest news and appearances.

March(ing) On!

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 04:55:31 +0000

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to my world of writing. I just returned from StellarCon and Barnhill’s in North Carolina and settling back into my work. I was recently contacted by a well-known director who expressed interest in my Night Creeps script. In addition, I’m still working on the series bibles for a possible three seasons of Fractured Time episodes. I have a well-know producer from New York who is working with me and with his help, I’m hoping we can turn this into a deal. Some of you may not understand but there are reasons I can’t reveal their names at this time. This is common in the industry so don’t feel left out.
While at StellarCon, I met some really cool people for the first time. Michael Ray Williams (Adrenalin Group), an awesome actor and Jaysen Buterin, actor and now director with Mad Ones Films made a great impression on everyone. Their film shorts on Saturday night were outstanding.
Next on my agenda is That Book Place in Madison, Indiana. They are having me in for an event on Friday night with a few other authors to watrm up for the big Authors’ Fair on Saturday. For those of you in the area, check it out. There are many authors from a varierty of genres who will be participating. Now, I must return to my desk. I have to get something finished tonight. Thank you and join me again for more news and updates.