I’m a sucker for Halloween. You know the mom who tags along behind her
kids in full costume, even when there’s no adult party afterward? Yep, that’s me. Because Halloween is not
about the candy—okay, okay, it’s not entirely
about the candy. Most importantly,
Halloween is the holiday that celebrates the imagination, especially the dark
side of the imagination. Also, it’s the one night of the year when I can dress
up as Bellatrix and chase all of the little Harry Potters around the cul-de-sac
screaming “I killed Sirius Black!” without the neighbors thinking I’m deranged
and calling Child Protective Services.
So when my friend, writer Alys Arden, mentioned Hallowread, a book festival for genre
fiction readers and writers that is held the weekend before Halloween, I was
intrigued. A ghost tour, a palm reading,
and a chance to interact with fans of
spooky stories?
Count me in.
And that was before I discovered that Hallowread is going on
the road this year. Instead of its usual
locale of Ellicott City, the 2016 festival is being held in Havre de Grace,
Maryland – which just happens to be one of the settings for my new book that
launches this October, The Delphi Effect.
Count me in double.
The Delphi Effect
is the story of a seventeen-year-old Anna who has the unfortunate ability to
pick up ghostly “hitchers.” Anna’s latest mental hitchhiker is Molly, who wants
Anna to assist in tracking down the man who murdered her and added her left
pinky to his growing collection of souvenirs taken from his victims. Helping Molly drags Anna into a conspiracy
that reaches to the highest levels of government, and also sheds light on the
origin of her psychic abilities.
Like my previous series, The
CHRONOS Files, the Delphi Trilogy begins in the DC area. The last half of The Delphi Effect, however, takes place in Havre de Grace and also
in (well, mostly, under) the
abandoned Bainbridge Naval Training Station in nearby Port Deposit,
Maryland.
The Port Deposit site, which has been abandoned since the
1990s, was originally constructed in 1894 as The Tome School for Boys. In 1942, it was repurposed as a training
center for World War II troops, along with additional land on the hills above
the Susquehanna River. Sadly, one of the
most iconic buildings, Memorial Hall, caught fire back in 2014. My own sources suggest that the fire was
caused by a kid with pyrokinetic powers, but I suppose the police theory of
teen vandalism is plausible, too.
Rumors that the location is haunted have persisted for
years. The intrepid photographer I
interviewed during my research found several creepy messages like the one
pictured below inside the abandoned school.
And while those messages might
have been left by other corporal visitors, rather than by ghosts from a bygone
era, the photographer noted that if he had it to do over, he’d start earlier in
the day, rather than waiting until nearly dusk. You can see more images from the Tome School
on my website. (The buildings are now closed to visitors,
but tours
of the campus are offered during the summer months.)
The town of Havre de Grace also boasts its share of ghosts. Maybe
the readers and writers at Hallowread
will spot a few on our ghost tour through the city. If you’re able to join us, and you encounter
an apparition who’s missing a pinky, tell Molly to be patient. Anna’s coming soon.
Website: http://www.rysa.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/timebound
Twitter: @rysawalker
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/RysaWalker
October 21-23 2016 in Havre de Grace, Maryland!
Multi author event with various activities throughout the weekend including Writing Workshops, Ghost Tour, SteamPunk Author Tea, Author Panels, Book Signing, Paranormal Investigation and so much more. Hang out with your favorite authors in our new host city, the haunted and historic town of Havre de Grace, Maryland!
Local Maryland author of dark urban fantasy, Rachel Rawlings, had a crazy idea. Create a book convention for genre fiction and hold it the weekend before Halloween. Haunted and historic Ellicott City held a special place in her heart so there was no other place to take her first ever convention. The town welcomed her and HallowRead with open arms. Each ticket sold helped raise money for the Ellicott City Partnership- a coalition of residents and business owners for the betterment of the town. HallowRead raised money for projects like rain barrels which help reduce the sediment and contaminants running into the Patapsco River and fund grants for projects like Paint Main Street which helped small business owners get a much needed fresh coat of paint improving the moral and over all appearance of the town.
Rachel is excited to take the convention on the road for 2016 and raise funds for Harford County literacy programs and the local library system! One ticket, whether it’s a $10 paranormal investigation or the full monty ticket, makes a difference for the town and the wonderful people who call it home, something Rachel is extremely proud of.
Click here to see a list of HallowRead events http://hallowread.com/events/
Get your tickets here: http://hallowread.com/tickets/
See a list of attending authors here: http://hallowread.com/authors/
Author Opportunities still available!
Interested in participating in HallowRead?
Registration of $35.00 includes a feature on panels, the signing, website and social media, plus other special incentives!
About the Founder of Hallowread:
Rachel Rawlings was born and raised in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. Her family, originally from Rhode Island, spent summers in New England sparking her fascination with Salem, MA. She has been writing fictional stories and poems since middle school, but it wasn't until 2009 that she found the inspiration to create her heroine Maurin Kincaide and complete her first full length novel, The Morrigna.
When she isn't writing, Rachel can often be found with her nose buried in a good book. An avid reader of Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, Horror and Steampunk herself, Rachel founded Hallowread- an interactive convention for both authors and fans of those genres.
More information on Hallowread, its schedule of events and participating authors can be found at www.hallowread.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com/Hallowread .
She still lives in Maryland with her husband and three children.
Goodreads Author Page http://goo.gl/FZW0RN
Amazon Author Page http://goo.gl/Q6Ubn1
No comments:
Post a Comment