Sèphera Girón's Blog

 

 This year, Sèphera Girón and Dorian Grant will be presenting THREE writers' workshops. 

You can come to one, you can come to all! They are all FREE with your Fan Expo admission. 

All the workshops are 45 minutes.

All workshops will have PowerPoint and short writing exercises. 

Since the workshop is so short, there won't be time to share with the class. If you have anxiety, this might be a relief!

For all of the workshops, please bring paper and a pen to take notes and complete the exercises. Sometimes paper and pen work better for free-flowing thoughts than typing on your phone. 

Write a Short Story Using Tarot Cards

You don't need to know anything at all about tarot cards. 

You can bring your own tarot cards to work with if you like. 

We will run through some exercises that will help you sketch out a story, book, or screenplay idea. 

So You Want to Write a Horror Story?

If you've come to my previous workshops, this one will be more concise with more writing time. 

With this workshop, we will explore elements of writing a horror story, book, or screenplay. 

You will be guided through a couple of exercises that will help you sketch out the bare bones of your story.

Write a Space Opera

You will be guided through a galaxy far, far away to examine some of the elements of writing a space opera. 

You will have a couple of space opera writing exercises. 

You will have the guidelines to work on a story, book, or screenplay at the end of the workshop. 

We're looking forward to working with you!

 

 FINAL DEADLINE JUNE 1, 2025!

FINAL DEADLINE JUNE 1, 2025

ALL WRITERS WELCOME!

ALL GENRES WELCOME!

 Call for stories for the Lizzie Borden House Anthology

 

 JUNE 1, 2025 DEADLINE

Submit here:  LizzieBordenHouse@yahoo.com

Everyone knows the legend of Lizzie Borden, especially the dark nursery rhyme...

 

Lizzie Borden took an axe

Gave her mother 40 whacks.

When she saw what she had done,

Gave her father 41

 

Riverdale Avenue Books has teamed up with the Historical Lizzie Borden house to put together an anthology of stories, under the direction of award-winning horror author Sèphera Girón, who has visited the house multiple times over the past few decades.

 

The “Official” Story of the Lizzie Borden House

·       Lizzie Borden was born in 1860 in Fall River, Massachusetts. Since her mother had died when she was young, she had been at odds with her stepmother, Abby, who she and her older sister, Emily, believed married her father for his wealth. Their father, Andrew, was a prominent developer in Fall River.  

·       Lizzie grew up an upstanding member of her community, being heavily involved in the church and performing services for the poor. As Lizzie grew older, the tension between the parents and the daughters grew. Lizzie and Emily remained unmarried, bringing negative attention to the family from their peers and the sisters were critical of the way their father was distributing his wealth to their stepmother’s family..

·       The story says that Lizzie, blind with rage, hacked her father and stepmother to death in the house. The trial that followed became one of the most sensationalized courtroom cases in American history, attracting hundreds of tourists to Fall River. Lizzie was acquitted due to lack of evidence and reasonable doubt although the fact that she destroyed the clothes she wore have convinced some of her guilt. She lived the rest of her life in relative anonymity, but her legacy still lives on to this day.  

·       Download visual assets of the Lizzie Borden House via Google Drive.  

And what we are looking for:

Short stories in this anthology can spread across many genres and we’re very interested in new and unique takes on the legends and realities of the Lizzie Borden story. We’d love to see time travel, science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, romance, erotica, mysteries, etc.

Stories can be reflective of the many possibilities of the house from the rumored theatre parties at Maplecroft, the mysterious disappearance of the maid Bridget Sullivan, people who came and went from the house on the murder day, the ghost cats that greet the current guests of the bed and breakfast, what happened to Michael the caretaker, and the mysterious death of the estranged Borden sisters mere days apart. Maybe discover what happened during the making of the movies and TV shows about the unsolved murder or various ghost-hunting escapades that had taken place in the house. Let’s also be mindful of the times these murders took place where only men were jurors, we can highlight Women’s Suffrage and Prohibition. Take us on a journey of intrigue,  mystery, and fantasy in a reimaging of the Lizzie Borden story.

 

We will be publishing the anthology, in hardcover, trade paperback and ebooks, and it will be available in book stores and online wherever books are sold.

 

We are looking for short stories of 1,000 to 5,000 words in all genres and categories.  Authors will be paid a $10 fee, and receive a copy of each edition of the book.

 

If you would like to send us your stories, please send them to LizzieBordenHouse@yahoo.com  and submissions@riverdaleavebooks.com or lori@riverdaleavebooks.com  with the subject “LizzieBorden.” After which, we will send you confirmation that we received your submission. If you do not receive a confirmation from either of those three emails, you may follow up with an email requesting confirmation.

 

Submissions will be open from now until June 1, 2025. After June 1, 2025, we will begin sending out acceptance or rejection emails for your submitted short stories. Please, do not follow up on whether your story has been accepted.

 

About the editor: Sèphera Girón is the author of 20 traditionally published books under various names. Her main love is horror and most of her work embraces themes of occult, metaphysical, erotica, and suspense.

As a freelance editor for over 10 years, Sèphera has helped hundreds of authors put their best words forward. She feels lucky that she not only can write for a living but she can help others write for a living as well.

In recent years, Sèphera has enjoyed paranormal investigations from as near as Casa Loma in Toronto to the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River and a haunted mansion in California. Her most recent trip took her to the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, the place that inspired The Overlook in The Shining by Stephen King. Some of her adventures inspired a few of her own books and stories.

Sèphera lives in Toronto.

 

Riverdale Avenue Books is an award-winning, New York-based boutique publisher with 15 imprints: Afraid, a horror imprint; The Binge Watchers Guides examining TV and film; Circlet, the latest incarnation of the classic sci-fi and fantasy erotica imprint; Desire, an erotica/erotic romance imprint; Magnus, the award-winning nonfiction imprint of LGBTQ titles; Magnus Lit, our LGBTQ fiction imprint; Pop featuring pop culture titles; Quest, a science fiction fantasy line; Truth, an erotic memoir line; Dagger, a mystery thriller imprint; Sports and Gaming featuring sports and gaming titles; Verve featuring lifestyle titles; Hera, featuring both the true and fictional lives and loves of women aged 35 and up and 120 Days, a reprint imprint for LGB classics. Started in 2012 by industry veteran Lori Perkins, visit us at www.RiverdaleAveBooks.com.

 

FINAL DEADLINE JUNE 1, 2025!

 Call for stories for the Lizzie Borden House Anthology

 

 

Everyone knows the legend of Lizzie Borden, especially the darknursery rhyme...

 

Lizzie Borden took an axe

Gave her mother 40 whacks.

When she saw what she had done,

Gave her father 41

 

Riverdale Avenue Books has teamed up with the Historical LizzieBorden house to put together an anthology of stories, under the direction ofaward-winning horror author Sèphera Girón,who has visited the house multiple times over the past few decades.

 

The “Official” Story of the Lizzie BordenHouse

·       LizzieBorden was born in 1860 in Fall River, Massachusetts. Since her mother had diedwhen she was young, she had been at odds with her stepmother, Abby, who she andher older sister, Emily, believed married her father for his wealth. Theirfather, Andrew, was a prominent developer in Fall River.  

·       Lizzie grewup an upstanding member of her community, being heavily involved in the churchand performing services for the poor. As Lizzie grew older, the tension betweenthe parents and the daughters grew. Lizzie and Emily remained unmarried,bringing negative attention to the family from their peers and the sisters werecritical of the way their father was distributing his wealth to theirstepmother’s family..

·       The storysays that Lizzie, blind with rage, hacked her father and stepmother to death inthe house. The trial that followed became one of the most sensationalizedcourtroom cases in American history, attracting hundreds of tourists to FallRiver. Lizzie was acquitted due to lack of evidence and reasonable doubtalthough the fact that she destroyed the clothes she wore have convinced someof her guilt. She lived the rest of her life in relative anonymity, but herlegacy still lives on to this day.  

·       Downloadvisual assets of the Lizzie Borden House via Google Drive.  

And what we are looking for:

Short stories in this anthology can spreadacross many genres and we’re very interested in new and unique takes on thelegends and realities of the Lizzie Borden story. We’d love to see time travel,science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, romance, erotica, mysteries, etc.

Stories can be reflective of the manypossibilities of the house from the rumored theatre parties at Maplecroft, themysterious disappearance of the maid Bridget Sullivan, people who came and wentfrom the house on the murder day, the ghost cats that greet the current guestsof the bed and breakfast, what happened to Michael the caretaker, and themysterious death of the estranged Borden sisters mere days apart. Maybediscover what happened during the making of the movies and TV shows about the unsolvedmurder or various ghost-hunting escapades that had taken place in the house. Let’salso be mindful of the times these murders took place where only men werejurors, we can highlight Women’s Suffrage and Prohibition. Take us on a journeyof intrigue,  mystery, and fantasy in areimaging of the Lizzie Borden story.

 

We will be publishing the anthology, inhardcover, trade paperback and ebooks, and it will be available in book storesand online wherever books are sold.

 

We are looking for short stories of 1,000to 5,000 words in all genres and categories. Authors will be paid a $10 fee, and receive a copy of each edition ofthe book.

 

If you would like to send us your stories,please send them to LizzieBordenHouse@yahoo.com  and submissions@riverdaleavebooks.comor lori@riverdaleavebooks.com  with the subject “LizzieBorden.” After which,we will send you confirmation that we received your submission. If you do notreceive a confirmation from either of those three emails, you may follow upwith an email requesting confirmation.

 

Submissions will be open from now untilJune 1, 2025. After June 1, 2025, we will begin sending out acceptance orrejection emails for your submitted short stories. Please, do not follow up onwhether your story has been accepted.

 

About the editor: SèpheraGirón is the author of 20 traditionally published books under various names.Her main love is horror and most of her work embraces themes of occult,metaphysical, erotica, and suspense.

As a freelance editor for over 10 years, Sèphera has helpedhundreds of authors put their best words forward. She feels lucky that she notonly can write for a living but she can help others write for a living as well.

In recent years, Sèphera has enjoyed paranormalinvestigations from as near as Casa Loma in Toronto to the Lizzie Borden Housein Fall River and a haunted mansion in California. Her most recent trip tookher to the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, the place that inspired The Overlook inThe Shining by Stephen King. Some of her adventures inspired a few of her ownbooks and stories.

Sèphera lives in Toronto.

 

Riverdale Avenue Books is an award-winning, New York-based boutiquepublisher with 15 imprints: Afraid, a horror imprint; The Binge Watchers Guides examining TV and film; Circlet, the latest incarnation of theclassic sci-fi and fantasy erotica imprint; Desire, an erotica/erotic romance imprint; Magnus, the award-winning nonfiction imprint of LGBTQ titles; Magnus Lit, our LGBTQ fiction imprint; Pop featuring pop culture titles; Quest, a science fiction fantasy line;Truth, an erotic memoir line; Dagger, a mystery thriller imprint; Sports and Gaming featuring sports and gaming titles; Verve featuring lifestyle titles; Hera, featuring both the true and fictional lives and loves ofwomen aged 35 and up and 120 Days, areprint imprint for LGB classics. Started in 2012 by industry veteran LoriPerkins, visit us at www.RiverdaleAveBooks.com.

 

 

FROM BROOK LEWIS:


SLIME CITY MASSACRE 15TH ANNIVERSARY LIVE REUNION HOSTED BY WORLDFILMGEEK TOMORROW MARCH 1, 2025It is with excitement and gratitude that I share the news that @WorldFilmGeek #worldfilmgeek is hosting our #slimecitymassacre 15th Anniversary live #reunion tomorrow, March 1, 2025 at 4PM EST/1PM PST WorldFilmGeek [image error][image error] This is a free live broadcast with our super “Slime City Massacre” #horror #scifi #action #film Family, so if you are chillin’ tomorrow and want to join our live, we would be thrilled to have you with us[image error][image error][image error][image error] This is my first virtual #appearance in years, so I feel blessed to be doing it with these talented people and a #classic #indiefilm that changed my life and I will cherish until the end of time[image error][image error] I have experienced a lot throughout my #acting and #producing career, but #filming with this team in #buffalo #buffalonewyork #newyork was incredible[image error][image error] So, please join our cherished Writer & Director #GregoryLamberson and cast Jennifer Bihl, Kealan Patrick Burke, @DebbieRochon Lee Perkins, @BrookeLewisLA @JFR_Productions Mary Bogle, Craig Saban, and @Sephera [image error] #slimecity #horrormovies #scifimovies #actionmovies #screamqueens fans, please comment below[image error] and let us know if you will be joining us tomorrow[image error][image error] I am sending you love until[image error] #brookelewisbellas [image error] https://m.youtube.com/@WorldFilmGeek

I'm super excited to be invited to be part of the reunion!

I hope you can see it!

 

It's been mighty crispy here in Toronto, but if you're in town on Saturday, January 18, 2025,  why not swing by Little Ghosts Books for a couple of hours of poetry and discussion from 1 - 3?

There will be short readings by three poets: Liz Worth, Philip Rowan, and Sèphera Girón, along with a discussion about horror poetry. We'd love for you to ask questions and share your thoughts. 

I'll be reading three short poems.

Little Ghosts is chock full of dark delights ranging from books, T-shirts, snacks, and beverages!

Copies of the reader's books will be available, so pick one up and get it signed!

Make sure you take a look at all the cool books they have in stock and pick up the ones that catch your eye!

Information about the event can be found here: Little Ghosts Books

 

This weekend, I'll be at Frightmare in the Falls!

I have two books out this month!

THEATRE MACABRE is a short collection of poetry about the theatre!

Each poem has a photograph before it. I took and manipulated all of the photos with some help from Canva and some of their graphics and photos. 

The cover was created by Dinis Freitas (as all Great Lakes Horror Company covers are created!) Dinis was also on Big Brother Canada in the 2024 (and last) season. 

Formatting was done by Kody Boye. I gave it my best shot, but Kody had to take the reins!

Thank you to all my patrons on Patreon for supporting me while I write!

Theatre Macabre is my first poetry book. I've dabbled in poetry on and off over my entire life. I've had many poems published. I've written a few songs. I've considered poetry collections before and have even assembled some incomplete ones but never published them as 1) I didn't finish writing enough poems or 2) publishing was different twenty years ago. 

Now that publishing is easier,  I thought that maybe I'd try my hand at a poetry series. I was on the last few poems when I told Andrew Robertson I was publishing a poetry book. He offered Great Lakes Publishing to put it out. Of course, I jumped at the chance. Great Lakes does a great job with my work so far! The next poetry book after Theatre Macabre will be centered around amusement parks!

The poetry in Theatre Macabre is all new and unpublished. A couple of the poems were written a few years ago, but most were written this year. 

I had over fifty photos I pulled from my photos over the past decade to use for the book, but in the end, I only used a few. It was SO HARD to decide which ones to use. That's how I knew that I would make a series. I have more cool photos to play with. 

The photos are purposely manipulated in the mouths and eyes. 

I hope you like THEATRE MACABRE!

Don't forget to leave a review. It really helps.

    I'll be reading from Theatre Macabre at Little Ghosts Books in Toronto on January 18, 2025.
The event is from 1 -3. Of course, everything is subject to change. 
Liz Worth is launching her new poetry book and invited me to be part of the presentation. When I know if more authors are added, I'll post on social media. 

Liz Worth and I are sharing a table at Frightmare in the Falls, October 25-27. 

We'll both have copies of our new books there as well as copies of our other work. 

I also have released the first few chapters of Serial Vlogger into print form for readers who don't want to click on twenty-something links to read our story so far!

Serial Vlogger is a horror story and social commentary.

We follow the lives of several characters; some are vloggers, some watch the vloggers, all crave a better life.

In the city, there's something sinister roaming the streets. Watch for the white vans...they are the first clue.