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| Reading tea leaves at a corporate function on Bay Street in Toronto. |
What does
this mean?
It means
that I’m serving up a slice of a novel every week.
Serial
Vlogger is a complete novel, a horror novel.
Since it’s
being written as I go along, it’s akin to a first draft!
I have more
than half the book written, and I know how it ends. This isn’t really a pantser
experiment in case you're worried! This is a full novel.
The idea
for Serial Vlogger has been in my head for many years.
The
character of Lenore (and a lot connected to her) has shown up in a couple of pitches,
drafts, and ideas for other horror novels and screenplays but now she’s in Serial Vlogger.
The more
time passes, the more urgency I feel about getting Serial Vlogger out as it’s a
comment on YouTube culture and social media. Since these cultures change rather
rapidly, I decided it’s time to just get the book out before things change
again so much that people won’t “get” Serial Vlogger. This is why I’ve decided to write it for free
on Substack. It’s timely and I don’t want to wait a couple of years for it to
get published.
The slices
are presented for free on Sundays on Substack.
There are
weeks that I miss for whatever reasons, so I make up for the absence by adding
extra installments during the week to catch up when I get them prepared. For
instance, there’s a slice today (December 8), tomorrow, and then we’ll be back
on track by Sunday’s slice. I don't expect to miss any more weeks for a couple of months. I'm planning to preload them over the next few days.
The slices
are smaller than chapters which is why I call them slices. Several slices will
make a chapter. I likely won't do the chapter indicators until the book is finished and then goes through some revisions.
Serial
Vlogger is my gift to you! I appreciate all my readers over the years. While
Serial Vlogger is being serialized on Substack, it is free. Once it’s finished,
we’ll see what comes next.
What is the Content?
You can
expect a Sèphera Girón work, uncensored. Readers of my work know that they can
expect social commentary, murder, ghosts, body horror, insanity, and more. Serial
Vlogger will touch on ideas such as cults, serial killers, feeders, and
obsession.
This is a FICTIONAL work of horror and I’m not known for playing nice or making my reader
comfortable. Consider this your trigger warning or disclaimer!
Now that we’re
getting up to the teens in the slice count, I expect more people will be inclined
to read as they can read more of the work all at once. Some readers like their stories doled out in bits, and some like to binge. I get it!
Patrons on Patreon
All paid levels of Patrons on my Patreon get to see the work first. In fact, they've already seen a super rough version of a big chunk of what will be published over the next few months. But they also get the little slices at least one day (when possible) before it's published on Substack.
It's FREE!
I hope you enjoy this free novel. Please subscribe for free or you can join the paid subscriber tier as a tip if you're enjoying my content.
Please share Serial Vlogger as I’m writing it for all horror fans!
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That night will be the reunion for Sanctuary Vampire Club and I will be dancing the night away at that one!
Ground Control, 1279 Queen Street West, Toronto
Also, over on Substack, I've been posting a brand new original horror novel, Serial Vlogger: A Novel in Tiny Slices! Currently, it's free! Slice number three was posted on Sunday.
sephera.substack.com
I've also begun a new adventure, a Poshmark store with a matching YouTube channel!
My Poshmark closet: http://www.poshmark.ca/closet/sephera666
My Poshmark YouTube channel:
I've also posted a new video on my Sephera's World Channel!
Have a great day!
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| Reading tea leaves at a corporate function on Bay Street in Toronto. |
Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, Ontario is coming up super fast!
I'm super excited to be on some programming!
On Thursday night at 7:30, there are three of us from the Horror Writers Association Ontario Chapter reading from our work. We each get ten minutes. I'm not sure when I go on, so come early and enjoy!
On Friday afternoon at 4:30, I'm super excited for a panel about horror TV shows.
Today, we were able to confirm Lizz de Savoye of Planet Lizzdom will be joining the panel. We are still waiting confirmation for the fourth panelist.
On Saturday at 5, we'll be running a writer's workshop. Bring pen and paper or laptop or even your phone to make notes during the exercises. The goal is to have the skeleton of a short story by the end of 45 minutes as we lead you through exercises. Don't worry, you don't have to share with the class, there isn't time. You don't have to sign up in advance and come on in even if you're running late.
The story you work on doesn't have to be a horror story, it can be anything you want. After all, you're the only one looking at it! You do not need to have an idea for a story to do the class. We are covering the basic elements of crafting a scary short story so you can figure it out as you go along or even when you get home!
I'm planning to wander around and look at exhibits as well as this year I don't have a booth. If you see me, say hi!
I've started a Poshmark Closet as I'm at the downsizing part of my life. I have tons of items that just sit in boxes for various reasons and it's time to move them along. I'm sure most of you know how that goes!
I also source modern, interesting items at various places that I think might be of interest to some.
Some items, whether mine or from a store, are brand new, never worn/opened, and some even have tags!
My Sephera666/Gothmother's Closet might be considered an everything store in one respect, yet in another, it has niches, as listed on the poster.
The only thing I find difficult about Poshmark Canada is that there's no way to have separate closets for separate items. If there were categories in our actual closets of toys, clothes, and books, then that would be easier for both selling and browsing. But it isn't that, it's all about keywords. So I'm trying my best to use the keywords appropriately.
My closet is chock full of clothes and accessories that are great for fall, Back to School, Solstice, and Halloween. There are nice pieces for cosplay, fetish play, costume parties, masquerades, goth parties, witch festivals, pagan rituals, and more.
I'm still new at this but am trying to list new items every day. So follow me on Poshmark.ca at sephera666
If you're new to Poshmark and buy something from any closet on the Poshmark.ca platform, you can use the code sephera666 to receive 15% off your order.
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| Naughty French Maid, brand new, never worn |
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| Ghosts on leggings! |
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| Black dress with white cats! |
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| Barbiecore! You'll likely need a pink skater skirt for some party or event this fall! |
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| Cute flowered half top with buttons and a tie at the waist. Long sleeves. |
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| Little white mini shorts work well for any costume party! The buttons are fun! |
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| You could wear the yellow and black flowered shirt, the white hot pants and these tan leather zip-up boots then top it all off with a cowboy hat for a Western or Country look! On my Sephera666 closet, you can bundle as many items as you like for bigger discounts. Also, make me an offer if you want at any time. I'm always open to offers. |
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| This brand-new little top is so cute. I had to buy it a few days ago so that someone can wear it. I'll never be that small. The photos don't capture the true essence of the soft, shiny material. It's like fresh mocha frosting on a cake. |
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| Another Barbiecore look. That pink Barbie color will be hard to find when you're looking for a Halloween costume! Great trousers for a fifties look, a country look, or just wear them because you like them! |
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| Photos don't do justice to this nifty multilayered electrifying top. |
You can find all these pieces and dozens more over at Sephera666 at Poshmark.ca
It's been a while. A lot of life changes and this and thats to deal with these days.
However, I'm super excited to be doing a few appearances at Fan Expo in a couple of weeks!
As part of the Horror Writers Association Ontario Chapter, I'll be doing a reading on Thursday night from one of my works. I've been told it can be a mature audience so I'll see what I pick.
I might be on a panel with the HWA Ontario Chapter about ghost hunting, but I'm not sure yet.
There will be a panel From Yellowjackets to Straightjackets: Why Do We Love Horror TV? which will be a conversation with Andrew Robertson and two other panelists about our favourite horror TV shows, and maybe even some tips and tricks about how to write for such shows as well as enjoying them.
I'm also running a FREE Writing Workshop. I ran this course at Stokercon and it went over well. At Fan Expo, I only have 45 minutes to run the workshop, but it's interactive and you will leave the workshop with the beginning sketches of a new story or at least more of an idea about the elements of a horror short story and how to craft one.
So for the Writing Workshop, bring pen and paper or your laptop or whatever you like to use to take notes and sketch out a story. We will be writing in class though likely there will not be time to share our work with each other this time, depending on how many students attend.
As far as I know, I will NOT have a booth at Fan Expo this year. I understand that the HWA Ontario Chapter did not book a booth this year, either. So, you'll see me at Fan Expo at these appearances and also wandering around looking for good deals.
Keep watching my social media or the official Fan Expo Schedule Page to learn when these panels and presentations will occur. I'll update as I learn more.
I’m quite
excited for it.
I’m not
going to cheat by looking it up, but I believe in the actual Mandalorian show, the season ended when Luke came and took Grogu for training at the Jedi Temple.
I still
remember those moments wondering if it really would be Luke or not who finally
shows up as the Jedi Master. I’d been so disappointed with the new trilogy that
I didn’t dare hope that it really was Luke. But it was. And I was like a kid
again!
I spent the
past few days trudging through Andor just in case I needed to know something
for The Mandalorian. I didn’t. I think if I’d watched Andor on my own terms, I’d
have enjoyed it more. I was looking forward to binge-watching it in December, but then I couldn’t focus on shows for a couple of months. I still wasn’t in
the mood for it when I turned it on.
It was
beautifully shot, the acting was fantastic, there were some good storylines.
It’s funny
how on Rotten Tomatoes, a lot of the reviews talk about how Andor is “adult”
Star Wars. It’s funny because for huge hunks of the movie, I felt I was in my Lego
Star Wars game, building, screwing, flying, leaping, climbing, stacking, and so on. It made me want to play but I continued to watch Andor. I
guess it depends what you’re paying attention to.
At any rate,
I’ve been doing my best to stay away from reviews, trailers and episode guides
for The Manadorian, Season Three.
I’m
wondering how they’ll explain some of the stuff that happened NOT in TheMandalorian
series but in other series. I guess they have to do a flashback “our story thus
far” for all the viewers who didn’t know they had to watch other shows to stay
up to date. They’ll have to do such things anyways for the rest of us who did
watch but it’s been so long, we forgot it all.
At the end
of the last episode, not only did Luke come for Grogu, Dinn Djarin was in
trouble for removing his helmet. There was also a battle over the darksaber. And
more that I forget right now.
Who’s excited
for The Mandalorian?
The wait is
nearly over. It felt like forever, but at last, here we are on Mandalorian Eve.
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A Different
Time for Others
Sèphera
Girón
For those
who don’t know, I’m still grieving for my dad, who died suddenly and
unexpectedly in December. My mind is hyper-focused on him, my mom, who has late-stage
Alzheimer’s, and the depressing insurmountable and time-consuming tasks that these
life events bring. So, my thoughts may be jumbled, and I apologize.
However,
it’s Women in Horror month, and the shit has hit the fan in the horror community
(again). I’ve been following the latest scandal a bit and listened to the
podcast where Brian Keene, Mary SanGiovanni, and Christopher Golden addressed
the scandal and offered thoughts around it, their journeys through the horror
field these past few decades, and shared distressed, conflicting emotions.
I’m from
same era as they are, around the same age, maybe a few years older; we all
began our careers around the same time, admired the same authors, and have had
our mighty ups and downs; both in our personal lives and professional ones.
One thing
about being around as long as we have is that we’ve seen A LOT. Both in society
as a whole and in the horror community. The past few years are proving to be
smackdown years as the genre evolves and grows.
Times have
changed dramatically. And I don’t mean just going from writing on typewriters
to home computers to cell phones.
The younger
generations roll their eyes when us elders say, “It was a different time.” They
need to understand it’s not an excuse; it’s a true fact.
I was a
teen in the seventies in London, Ontario, Canada, not knowing at the time that
I was one of the first generations to experience women’s lib, the pill,
abortion rights, the sexual revolution, striving for equality in the workplace,
saw Star Wars when it was Star Wars, and I experienced a whole world BEFORE
Star Wars ever existed!
As I’m of a
certain age, I can say without question that I’ve been sexually harassed (as
it’s termed these days) at nearly every job I’ve ever had, either by customers
or bosses. I’m from the days when if a manager in a bar was mad at the staff,
they would wing trays around, smash shit, and scream. Bosses screamed at staff
while actively working in the restaurant or store or office or theatre or or or.
Teachers gave the strap, threw chalk and erasers, and slapped.
“Others”
were mocked, the scapegoats. Arstsy fartsies, effeminate people, nerds, clowns,
and so on.
Even if you
had something to say, (and some did have something to say over the years), a
seeming voice of reason, the majority mocked or ignored, especially if you were
“others.”
So, you
blend in, playing chameleon. As most did. There might be whispers about the
mighty gatekeepers, for in those days, there were always gatekeepers. Many
gatekeepers were also “others,” but many were not. There was no internet. No way to
know who shared your thoughts or experiences. Was it cultural? You knew the
Emperor Had No Clothes, but you’re trained to blend in, don’t make waves, or
all the gates slam shut.
And in
those days, there were not a lot of gates if you had specific goals. Especially
in the arts. Especially in the horror community.
The
gatekeepers, if we’re now focusing on the horror community, weren’t necessarily editors
and publishers themselves. Still, the gatekeepers rubbed elbows with all those who
had various powers to find the keys that opened the gates to the kingdom.
People from
around the world have different world views, and so kingdoms and gatekeepers and
the gatekeepers’ gatekeepers are different as well. In Canada, the general
stereotypical regard, especially back in the eighties, was that Americans are
brash and rude. They push the envelope; they say stuff out loud that most would
never say. They bark loudly but are
usually harmless, and most mean well. So, I watched, giving a wide berth for “other
cultures” in case I wasn’t “getting it”.
Being a bit
cowed when I was younger, before the travails of life made me snarky and
outspoken (as happens with crones), I saw many words and actions that I
considered to be anything from demeaning to shocking to cruel and rude. I stood
by not doing what I should, not fighting the fight and sometimes even piling
on. I, too, have been the asshole. Absolutely.
In many
areas of my life, I’ve been quiet when I should have stood up for myself or
someone else. We’re the product of our choices and the good thing about life is
that you can make new choices if the old ones don’t serve you. We have the
ability to transform our thoughts and behaviour. We can learn how to “judge” in
more gentle, sympathetic and empathetic ways.
And maybe
that’s why “the kids these days” don’t understand “why didn’t you speak up
against this or that?” or “why didn’t you report it?”
The younger
generations may not realize that things like human resources departments only
really came about in the nineties and beyond. Even into the 2000s, there were
no real rights at jobs, at being human. There was no manager to talk to at all
about anything. You just had to shut up and suck it up. If you complained about
something you heard/saw to the wrong person, it could get out, and you’d never
enter the kingdom. There was no one in charge, and self-policing groups for behaviours
that weren’t outright assault or stalking weren’t really a thing yet.
There are
masks. There are different personas for different people. Not everyone sees a
person’s every side. We all have different sides, I would think. Especially if, over the years, we’re on various medications, drugs, alcohol, are in a cult,
abusive relationship, someone died, and so on. Some people change over the
years. Some for the worst. Some don’t change at all.
If there
were words or actions that felt wrong, who did you tell back then?
With no
internet or mass communication, there was no way to know that others felt it
too.
But now we
do have mass communication. Sometimes, too much.
I truly
admire the newer generations pointing at infractions of humanity, grievous
infractions that many had slipped past, denied, ignored, placated, or shrugged
off.
Many elders
like Brian, Mary, Chris and myself are listening and learning. We’re learning
that being silent did no one any good. We now have our eyes open that allies
fighting for what’s just common decency are in full view and in great numbers.
We don’t have to make nice anymore. We can call it as we see it, and people will
back us up.
This has
been a great awakening for me these past few years. I’m hoping to find my own
strength to call out that which isn’t right. And I sincerely apologize to those
I let down or didn’t protect. I’m working harder all the time to be better. A
few years ago, I began making a YouTube theme of “Writers Behaving Badly” in an attempt to uncover some of these things but then stopped when the depression of
lockdown and such kicked in.
My dad was
an immigrant, part of a boatload of children from Spain sent to the States as
“orphans” to start a new life. His life was a series of horrors; racism,
religious abuse, physical abuse and more for being “others”. Yet, for my whole
life, he judged people by deeds and character and devoured history about all
cultures, races, genders and sexuality, always trying to understand why humans
are so horrible to each other. He shunned all organized religions, believed
they were invented to control others, and that you don’t need a religion to be
a decent person. He was a humanist.
I miss my
dad.
But I know, parents die, and I was lucky to have him in my life for sixty years. I credit him and my mom for making me more focused on character and deeds and to be curious about how we historically got here from all cultural, religious, and racial aspects. My whole immediate family is prone to giving people “the benefit of the doubt,” and I’m learning as I age that there’s no law that says we have to do that. That was from the “don’t make waves” generations. We don’t have to be that anymore. I’ve felt distressed for decades about some things I’ve seen and heard in many areas of my life, and regret rarely doing much about but, usually, because I didn’t know what to do.
The younger
generations are giving me the strength to see that something CAN be done about a
lot of things.
This is
eye-opening for so many of us. Sometimes evolution and revolution are good
things.
To a very
few, I’d like to suggest that instead of shaming and blaming and JUDGING us with
“how could you not know?” or “why didn’t you report it?” why not be patient and
teach us how to be better at fighting it? One day, you too will be of “a
different time.”
These days
on social media, there are witch hunts for the witch hunts and I’m not sure
that’s any better than the original issue. Digging into people’s privacy (spying
on who is “friends” with someone, for instance) and dictating your personal
beliefs on how things should be handled (unfriend or else…!) is just as bad as
being the misogynist, racist, homophobic asshole you’re complaining about, in
my opinion. So to those few, I suggest you focus on getting your own life
straight and do your part to fight the fight, which doesn’t include shaming and
blaming other people for their own choices in how they handle a controversy if
they even know about it. Not everyone spends their time online sucking up your
drama.
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| See how much we've learned since this ad ran in the sixties?!?! |
And to everyone
and especially to those who feel like they’re on the outside looking in, “others,”
let’s keep fighting and learning and growing together. There is room for every
human being at the table in every house in every kingdom. Claim your spot!
Happy Women
in Horror Month!
Books from Tales
Dearly Departed came out in late 2022! Have you picked up your copy yet? Lots of horror shorts in this collection by Andrew Robertson and myself from The Great Lakes Horror Company!
