Ghoulish Book Festival 2024

I attended my first Ghoulish as a customer. Last year I was a vendor, and was also lucky enough to be included on a few panels. This year, I felt like a veteran. I had my Square reader ready, a table drape instead of a vinyl poster. I trimmed my fingernails but could do nothing for my cold hands. Apologies for all the icy high fives, everyone. My fellow authors were now old friends. Max was a trembling tower of cats held together by twine and hope.

With Chris, who has more talent than one person deserves, and Celso who is also talented and probably my cousin somehow.

I had dinner with Becky and Allison LeJeune, Zachary Rosenberg, Johnny Compton, and my ride or die, Miranda. I was on the Goosebumps panel. I bought too many books and talked shop with my tablemate, Tiffany Meuret. I admired Grace Reynolds’ fantastic display and slippers, Tom Deady’s library of authored tomes, and Tenebrous Press’ wallet-draining selection of books. I met two readers with spreadsheets (I was on both!), NoSleep Podcast fans and folks who’d never listened to a podcast before in their lives.

If you’re a writer, is it worth it? Monetarily? Well, I live here so my overhead was minimal. Is it worth it to fly or drive from out of state? Yes. Emphatically yes. Every con I’ve attended confirmed my position in and passion for this life. I am a writer. Surrounding myself with writers is like pumping extra oxygen into my lungs. It can’t be replicated online. If it could be bottled I’d have a stash of it under my bed.

Ryan Bradley got a Ghoulish book deal! Agatha said f**k it and came to see us! Books were sold and memories were made. Thanks to Max and Lori, and everyone who makes Ghoulish so different and so special. You are my people. Texas horror crew forever!