Check it out — Skullvines Press now has a page exclusively dedicated to my new upcoming book:

http://skullvines.com/?p=515

Beanie and the Bamboozling Book Machine (www.samuelfrench.com) was recently produced by the 5th - 8th grade drama club at the St. James Lutheran Church and School of Lafayette, Indiana — from the looks of it — last weekend.

Information on June 9 - 11 auditions for July 29 - August 2 performances in Lansing, Michigan can be found at http://www.lcc.edu/hpa/events/audition.aspx

Yay, us!

I’m now a member of the Dark Fiction Guild and look forward to networking with other members on there.

My current Dark Fiction projects include:

The upcoming release of THEATRE OF THE MACABRE from Skullvines Press.

May 28 the hand lettered edition of TERMINAL: THE PLAY (w/. Brian Keene) is released by Bloodletting Press (www.horror-mall.com).

I just finished the first rough skeleton screenplay draft of an adaptation of Justin Holley’s short THE DREGS. (Tip of the hat to J.F. Mollard on that one.)

Collaborating on horror novel, currently titled OH, BABY with NYC filmmaker Rachael Saltzman.

Collaborating on a horror novella with Dave Shager.

Nearing the completion of the first of five novels I am presently contracted for with Wandering Sage Press, PRIVATEER: THE MAIDEN VOYAGE, which features many Dark Fiction elements, including zombie pirates, cannibal cultists, and sorcery most foul.

Entered a poem in an upcoming SHROUD MAGAZINE horror anthology to be edited by Kevin Lucia.

The Cedar Valley Christian School of Cedar Rapids, IA has purchased the rights to produced GRANDPA JIM IS DEAD (www.hitplays.com). That will become production #11 for the play this theatrical season, 25th overall. This also puts the overall known productions at 611.

Sorry I’ve been away for so long — busy, busy, busy.

Thanks to Tim Wick, Head of Programming for Convergence, I now know my tentative panel schedule for July 2 - 5 (thanks, Tim!):

Writing craft: creatures and character. Or, as I like to say, just having your non-human character not use contractions when they speak is not nearly enough…

Brian Keene’s adventures in the comic industry. I’m really looking forward to being on this one.

Adapting TERMINAL. ‘Nuff said.

The collaborative process. Now referred to in some circles as the annual “Roy C. Booth and Friends” panel.

The art of a good screenplay. I’m very curious to find out who I am sharing this panel with, should be a good one.

As you can see, I’ve cut it down from the seven that I did last year, and hopefully, hopefully none of these will be scheduled in the AM.

A reading of TERMINAL: THE PLAY is still being bandied around, too.

And, as a bonus, here is Cynthia’s con schedule as well:

Introducing your kids to comics.

Title sequences. The good, the bad, and the ugly of movie beginnings.

Voice and body actors.

More news and highlights as the week progresses…

I got my stage today — more details forthcoming.

A big shout out this morning to R. Thomas Riley and my upcoming publisher Skullvines Press for getting great reviews in the April edition of The Horror Fiction Review (http://www.freewebs.com/hfrzine/april09reviews.htm). Expect both to make a Bemidji store appearance in the nearer than you think future (and yes, both were up for the RT premiere of TERMINAL, too).

I managed to tack on another good 1,000 words exactly to PRIVATEER last night (well, morning, since I quit at around 2:30+ AM). Messed around and added another 50 before I logged onto here.

Check out Brian’s website (www.briankeene.com) for the exciting news about his novel DARK HOLLOW being filmed this July by basically the same folks who will be also helming the TERMINAL movie.

Doing more prep work for late Monday’s HUGE announcement.

And my other book contract that I mentioned earlier has been reported as being received.

Here’s still thinking good thoughts for the Red River Valley.

I officially submitted that werewolf story that I collaborated with Lauri G. on (and with S. Barring-Gould, 150 years after the fact, of course), and I am looking forward to the future Finnish translation (Lauri teaches English as a second language at the University of Oulu in Finland, so…)

BEANIE AND THE BAMBOOZLING BOOK MACHINE (www.samuelfrench.com) Updates: Chipola College of Marianna, Florida will be presenting the play at select area schools May 13 - 15.

HUGE announcement coming sometime late Monday, so stay tuned on that one.

My first batch of revisions on the TERMINAL: THE PLAY script have been mailed off to Brian Keene and we’re now working on the next readers’ theatre production tentatively to be held sometime during the first weekend of July at Convergence in Bloomington, MN AND getting the play fully produced later on in Pennsylvania.

Yes, a new book contract has been officially mailed out as of yesterday.

PRIVATEER continues to sail on — just finished a scene featuring an albino minotaur punching through a careened ship’s hull. Shane Moore should be very pleased with the results.

Possible play production in Haiti in the works.

And there we go.