Spooky Stories and the People Behind Them

Have you ever wondered about the people behind your favorite horror books? Where do they get their ideas? What is their process? What type of horror inspires and interests them? If you love spooky stories and want to know more about them, then this is the event for you! Join us for a thrilling panel where our four authors discuss and explore creating horror. This panel will be moderated by Baltimore's own host of the macabre, Melissa LaMartina. As part of the event, we will be giving out some copies of each panelist's books to randomly selected attendees until supplies run out. Panelists Include: Adam Cesare is a New Yorker who lives in Philadelphia. He studied English and film at Boston University. He is the author of the Bram Stoker Award-winning Clown in a Cornfield series, the graphic novel Dead Mall, and several other novels and novellas including the cult hit Video Night. An avid fan of horror cinema, you can talk movies with him on YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, and the rest of his socials. TT Madden is a trans, mixed race writer of "off kilter, politically barbed horror." She's written several novellas, which she refuses to use AI in, or to keep politics out of. She loves writing about the intersections of her various identities, and queer characters who are allowed to be messy and complicated. Jessica McHugh is a 3x Bram Stoker Award-nominated poet, a multi-genre novelist, & an internationally-produced playwright whose had thirty-two books published in eighteen years, including her Elgin Award-nominated blackout poetry collection, “The Quiet Ways I Destroy You” and her cross-generational horror series, “The Gardening Guidebooks Trilogy.” Explore the growing worlds of Jessica McHugh & commission blackout poetry at McHughniverse.com. Jamie Nash is a screen writer that has worked with some of the top fright masters in the business including Blumhouse Entertainment, Rogue Pictures, Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures and Lionsgate. When Jamie’s not busy writing spec screenplays and TV pilots, he works as a screenwriting consultant. He wrote the bestselling book Save The Cat! Writes for TV and The SaveThe Cat! Beat Sheet Workbook and Save The Cat! Writes Horror. Our moderator is Melissa LaMartina, a filmmaker who thrives on a multi-faceted creative life. Brought up acting and directing in Baltimore’s vibrant theatre community, she went on to co-produce horror comedies like Out There Halloween Mega Tape and What Happens Next Will Scare You before stepping into the director’s chair with For Sale by Exorcist. She also wrote the narrative for the hit horror video game series, Amanda the Adventurer. When she’s not making monsters, Melissa moonlights as Aurora Gorealis, the horror host behind Shocktail Hour, and sings for the surf-punk band Beach Creeper. Melissa lives in Baltimore with her husband, Chris, and cats, Madame Leota and Ezra. You can find her on Instagram at @melissalamartina and @aurora_gorealis. Registration is recommended due to limited space.