I’ll be attending the When Words Collide writers conference in Calgary, Alberta August 9-11. On Sunday, I’ll be participating in a panel on apocalyptic fiction at 1PM and giving a talk on how to produce book trailers at 3PM.

The Calgary Flood produced $3-5 billion in damage and forced nearly 100,000 people from their homes. I work at home in my own little bubble and had a hard time believing what was happening at first. It had rained for days, sure, but it really didn’t seem to rain that much. It’s not like we got hit by a hurricane. But it rained a ton in the mountains, swelling the river, which jumped its banks and flooded all of downtown. Suddenly, the entire city was gripped in a major crisis.

My family stayed high and dry, and we didn’t lose power, gas or water, but things got scary last Thursday when the news reported that our neighborhood had been given a mandatory evacuation order. This didn’t make sense to me, as we’re on high ground, so I checked the City of Calgary website and found out only the westernmost part of our area was being evacuated.

In a crisis, one of the most stressful aspects is incomplete information. The schools were closed; when will they reopen? We heard a rumor from an inside source that the water would be turned off; was this true and if so, how likely was it? Just a half-mile from my house, the entire area is out of power; would we be able to keep power?

We packed for evacuation just in case. We filled bathtubs and stocked up on a week’s supply of water in case the water ran out. I also bought a lot of food. Luckily, at one store without power, I had a decent amount of cash on me. Our propane tank for our barbecue was almost full. Walking down the street, everybody was being extra nice and waving; we’re all in this together, we were saying. I drove to the mall to find (which I miraculously did) my mother-in-law (who has no cell) and bring her home, as the bus she normally takes was canceled. Otherwise, I got no work done for my clients; my head was in survival/protect mode. Once we realized we were okay, we reached out to friends who might need help.

We dodged a bullet. We were very lucky.

Once the rain stopped and people began to return to their homes, we drove down into the flood area to see if we could help out. You wouldn’t believe the devastation. I spent hours knocking down waterlogged drywall, tearing apart shelving, and hauling garbage that had once been someone’s life and possessions. Houses hollowed out and covered in mud. It was like being on a massive construction site, or rather destruction site. The homeowners were fighting hard to accept what had happened. The number of volunteers coming out to help was amazing.

Here are a few photos of the Calgary Flood about a week after the worst of it:

I recently joined the Horror Writers Association as an Active Member, and made it a point to attend the organization’s annual conference, the World Horror Convention, in New Orleans this year. Man, am I glad I did!

I’d never been to New Orleans before and found the town offering the entertainment of Las Vegas but with real old-world charm and without the severe loathing that inevitably sets in after a few days in Vegas. The hotel, which was a great facility, is smack dab in the French Quarter on Royal Street, with Bourbon Street only a block away. I ate a lot of great food, heard a lot of great music–including some amazing street bands–and soaked up the atmosphere, loose and easy vibe, and the architecture.

Regarding the conference itself, I had the pleasure of talking shop and partying with some of the best authors in the business, great anthology editors and publishers. It was a great event for learning, networking and making new friends including the awesome John Dixon, Dana Fredsti, Kilt Kilpatrick and others.

If you’re a horror writer, you have to go. You’ll get a lot out of it. The 2014 event is in Portland.

I’m proud to be an Active Member of the World Horror Association. This week, I’m heading to New Orleans for the World Horror Convention, the annual HWA gathering of authors, publishers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, dealers and fans. It’s a great place to learn, network and have fun. I’m looking forward to seeing Joe McKinney, Bill Braddock and other great talents in the field. If you’re going, drop me an IM!

From May 24 to 26, I’ll be attending Crypticon, the horror convention in Seattle, which will take place May 24-26, and joining Permuted Press authors Peter Clines, Timothy W. Long, Eloise Knapp and others for book selling and signing. Celebrity guests include Cassandra Peterson (Elvira), Tom Savini, Diane Franklin and others.

If you’re in the area, drop by!

And if you’re attending, be sure to come to a panel discussion, “Have we reached the zombie glut? Or will new points of view on zombie stories, like WARM BODIES, keep the genre fresh?”

(The first question in the topic is great. The second is ridiculous. Every author who’s worth reading keeps the genre fresh.)

Speaking will be me, Timothy W. Long (AMONG THE LIVING) and Isaac Marion (WARM BODIES). The panel is currently scheduled for Emerald Ballroom C at 8:00 PM on Saturday, May 25.

From May 24 to 26, I’ll be attending Crypticon, the horror convention in Seattle, which will take place May 24-26, and joining Permuted Press authors Peter Clines, Timothy W. Long, Eloise Knapp and others for book selling and signing. Celebrity guests include Cassandra Peterson (Elvira), Tom Savini, Diane Franklin and others.

If you’re in the area, drop by!

And if you’re attending, be sure to come to a panel discussion, “Have we reached the zombie glut? Or will new points of view on zombie stories, like WARM BODIES, keep the genre fresh?”

(The first question in the topic is great. The second is ridiculous. Every author who’s worth reading keeps the genre fresh.)

Speaking will be me, Tim Long (AMONG THE LIVING) and Isaac Marion (WARM BODIES). The panel is currently scheduled for Emerald Ballroom C at 8:00 PM on Saturday, May 25.