Dec 19, 2019
PVD Speculative Presents: An Evening of Dark Fiction
6-8 PM
Koto Providence
50 Exchange Terrace, Providence, RI 02903
Directions
Welcome to an evening of dark fiction readings by Christa Carmen, Curtis M. Lawson, Errick Nunnally, Barry Lee Dejasu, and Joshua Rex.
PVD Speculative Presents: An Evening of Dark Fiction
6-8 PM
Koto Providence
50 Exchange Terrace, Providence, RI 02903
Directions
Welcome to an evening of dark fiction readings by Christa Carmen, Curtis M. Lawson, Errick Nunnally, Barry Lee Dejasu, and Joshua Rex.
Nov 1-2, 2019
Rhode Island Comic Con
Friday: 3PM-9PM and Saturday: 10AM-7PM
Rhode Island Convention Center & Dunkin Donuts Center
Directions
Rhode Island Comic Con
Friday: 3PM-9PM and Saturday: 10AM-7PM
Rhode Island Convention Center & Dunkin Donuts Center
Directions
Oct 30, 2019
Teen & Adult Halloween Book Reading
7 PM
Savoy Bookshop & Cafe
10 Canal Street
Westerly, RI 02891
Directions
Halloween-themed book reading for teens and adults featuring Christa Carmen (Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked) and Coral Isabella Aurora (The Teenager's Guide to Surviving a Horror Film).
Teen & Adult Halloween Book Reading
7 PM
Savoy Bookshop & Cafe
10 Canal Street
Westerly, RI 02891
Directions
Halloween-themed book reading for teens and adults featuring Christa Carmen (Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked) and Coral Isabella Aurora (The Teenager's Guide to Surviving a Horror Film).
Aug 21-25, 2019
NecronomiCon 2019
Biltmore Hotel
11 Dorrance Street
Providence, RI 02903
Directions
Pre-Party Readings, Wednesday, August 21, 2019, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: A special author reading event at the Black Box at AS220, 95 Empire Street in Providence, Rhode Island. Authors will share 7-10 minutes each of their work.
Panel, Friday, August 23, 2019, 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.: SONGS THE SANDMAN SINGS: THE LEGACY AND INFLUENCE OF E.T.A. HOFFMANN – Newport-Washington, Omni 3rd Floor. German Romantic and polymath E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776 – 1822) was an early pioneer in science fiction and fantasy, with macabre sensibilities that influenced Poe, Kafka, and Hitchcock. Perhaps best known for his stories The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, The Sandman, and Automata, his work and ideas connected fantasy, mesmerism, dreams, and machine culture in ways sometimes overlooked today. Panelists Christa Carmen, Michael Dirda, Sean Moreland (M), Sonya Taaffe, & L.C. von Hessen discuss his work and illuminate his enduring influence on weird fiction.
Panel, Sunday, August 25, 2019, 3:00 – 4:15 p.m.: THE DREAMLANDS AND DREAM NARRATIVE IN HPL – Washington-Newport Room, Omni 3rd Floor. Dreams figure prominently in the work of Lovecraft, both in his Dream Cycle stories and in other work. Our panelists explore the geography and denizens of the Dreamlands, and his use of dreams in general in fiction and poetry. What were the major influences on his dream writing and how did his own dreams invade his waking life? How have writers expanded on or modified his ideas since? Close your eyes and find out! Panelists: Christa Carmen, Pete Rawlik (M), Jason Bradley Thompson, Peter Cannon, James Chambers.
NecronomiCon 2019
Biltmore Hotel
11 Dorrance Street
Providence, RI 02903
Directions
Pre-Party Readings, Wednesday, August 21, 2019, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: A special author reading event at the Black Box at AS220, 95 Empire Street in Providence, Rhode Island. Authors will share 7-10 minutes each of their work.
Panel, Friday, August 23, 2019, 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.: SONGS THE SANDMAN SINGS: THE LEGACY AND INFLUENCE OF E.T.A. HOFFMANN – Newport-Washington, Omni 3rd Floor. German Romantic and polymath E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776 – 1822) was an early pioneer in science fiction and fantasy, with macabre sensibilities that influenced Poe, Kafka, and Hitchcock. Perhaps best known for his stories The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, The Sandman, and Automata, his work and ideas connected fantasy, mesmerism, dreams, and machine culture in ways sometimes overlooked today. Panelists Christa Carmen, Michael Dirda, Sean Moreland (M), Sonya Taaffe, & L.C. von Hessen discuss his work and illuminate his enduring influence on weird fiction.
Panel, Sunday, August 25, 2019, 3:00 – 4:15 p.m.: THE DREAMLANDS AND DREAM NARRATIVE IN HPL – Washington-Newport Room, Omni 3rd Floor. Dreams figure prominently in the work of Lovecraft, both in his Dream Cycle stories and in other work. Our panelists explore the geography and denizens of the Dreamlands, and his use of dreams in general in fiction and poetry. What were the major influences on his dream writing and how did his own dreams invade his waking life? How have writers expanded on or modified his ideas since? Close your eyes and find out! Panelists: Christa Carmen, Pete Rawlik (M), Jason Bradley Thompson, Peter Cannon, James Chambers.
May 2, 2019
Lovecraft Arts & Sciences Horror Reading Event
Time TBD
Lovecraft Arts & Sciences
65 Weybosset St, Providence, RI
Directions
Lovecraft Arts & Sciences Horror Reading Event
Time TBD
Lovecraft Arts & Sciences
65 Weybosset St, Providence, RI
Directions
March 30, 2019
Warwick Public Library Author Meet & Greet
10 AM – 3 PM
Warwick Public Library
600 Sandy Ln, Warwick, RI
Directions
Warwick Public Library Author Meet & Greet
10 AM – 3 PM
Warwick Public Library
600 Sandy Ln, Warwick, RI
Directions
March 23, 2019
Noir at the Bar
6 PM
Hosted by Noir At the Bar PVD
115 Empire Street, Providence, RI
Directions
Noir at the Bar
6 PM
Hosted by Noir At the Bar PVD
115 Empire Street, Providence, RI
Directions
March 14, 2019
Wyrd: A Horror Reading Event
7 PM - 9 PM
Koto Sushi & Grill
90 Washington St, Salem, MA
Directions
Wyrd: A Horror Reading Event
7 PM - 9 PM
Koto Sushi & Grill
90 Washington St, Salem, MA
Directions
December 1, 2018
Rhode Island Author Expo 2018
10 AM - 4 PM
Rhodes on the Pawtuxet Cranston, RI
Directions
Rhode Island Author Expo 2018
10 AM - 4 PM
Rhodes on the Pawtuxet Cranston, RI
Directions
November 23, 2018
WADK Author Interview Series: Christa Carmen
10:30 AM
1540 WADK Newport
Listen here
WADK Author Interview Series: Christa Carmen
10:30 AM
1540 WADK Newport
Listen here
November 2-4, 2018
Rhode Island Comic Con
Friday: 3PM-9PM • Saturday: 10AM-7PM • Sunday: 10AM-5PM
Rhode Island Convention Center & Dunkin Donuts Center
Directions
Rhode Island Comic Con
Friday: 3PM-9PM • Saturday: 10AM-7PM • Sunday: 10AM-5PM
Rhode Island Convention Center & Dunkin Donuts Center
Directions
October 12-14, 2018
Saugatuck StoryFest Guest
Westport Library
20 Jesup Rd
Westport, CT 06880
Directions
Panel, Saturday, October 13, 2018, 12 pm: The Female Voice in Horror – Christa Carmen, Gwendolyn Kiste, & Chavisa Woods. Three rising voices in horror will engage Saugatuck StoryFest guests in a conversation about the future of horror and the role of the female voice in shaping that future.
Saugatuck StoryFest Guest
Westport Library
20 Jesup Rd
Westport, CT 06880
Directions
Panel, Saturday, October 13, 2018, 12 pm: The Female Voice in Horror – Christa Carmen, Gwendolyn Kiste, & Chavisa Woods. Three rising voices in horror will engage Saugatuck StoryFest guests in a conversation about the future of horror and the role of the female voice in shaping that future.
October 6, 2018
Beans & Books' Featured Author
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Bean Barn
599 Tiogue Ave
Coventry, RI 02816
Directions
Beans & Books' Featured Author
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Bean Barn
599 Tiogue Ave
Coventry, RI 02816
Directions
August 28, 2018
"Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked" Launch Party
Savoy Bookshop & Café, Westerly, RI
Event details
"Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked" Launch Party
Savoy Bookshop & Café, Westerly, RI
Event details
July 28th, 2018 at 7:00 PM
A Night of Horror!
Books on the Square 471 Angell St, Providence, Rhode Island 02906
Books on the Square and the New England Horror Writers present A Night of Horror! Hosted by Scott Goudsward and featuring authors Christa Carmen, Jason Parent, Matt Bechtell, Catherine Grant, and Kenneth Vaughan.
A Night of Horror!
Books on the Square 471 Angell St, Providence, Rhode Island 02906
Books on the Square and the New England Horror Writers present A Night of Horror! Hosted by Scott Goudsward and featuring authors Christa Carmen, Jason Parent, Matt Bechtell, Catherine Grant, and Kenneth Vaughan.
July 19-22, 2018
NECON 38, Northeastern Writers' Conference
The Roger Williams University Baypoint Inn and Conference Center
Portsmouth, RI
Panel, Friday, July 20th, 2 pm
The Spark: What Inspires a Great Short Story?: It's the question all short fiction writers hate - "Where do your stories come from?" And since most Necon Campers are too old to believe that old wives’ tale about a stork, we've gathered some of the best in speculative short fiction—Christa Carmen, Meghan Arcuri-Moran, Toni L.P. Kelner, Ed Kurtz, Helen Marshall, and moderator Nicholas Kaufmann—to give us a glimpse into their creative process.
NECON 38, Northeastern Writers' Conference
The Roger Williams University Baypoint Inn and Conference Center
Portsmouth, RI
Panel, Friday, July 20th, 2 pm
The Spark: What Inspires a Great Short Story?: It's the question all short fiction writers hate - "Where do your stories come from?" And since most Necon Campers are too old to believe that old wives’ tale about a stork, we've gathered some of the best in speculative short fiction—Christa Carmen, Meghan Arcuri-Moran, Toni L.P. Kelner, Ed Kurtz, Helen Marshall, and moderator Nicholas Kaufmann—to give us a glimpse into their creative process.
July 12-15, 2018
Readercon, Quincy Marriott
Quincy, MA
Group Reading, Friday, July 13th, 2 pm
The New American Bizarrerie: A Reading From Gothic to Gilded, from Latinx Sci-Fi to Weird Americana, from the Icarus-altitudes of the Surreal to the depths of the Dark Fantastic, readers Christa Carmen, C.S.E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez, Julia Rios, Patty Templeton, and Jessica Wick will regale you with a glorious gallimaufry of contemporary spec-fic.
Readercon, Quincy Marriott
Quincy, MA
Group Reading, Friday, July 13th, 2 pm
The New American Bizarrerie: A Reading From Gothic to Gilded, from Latinx Sci-Fi to Weird Americana, from the Icarus-altitudes of the Surreal to the depths of the Dark Fantastic, readers Christa Carmen, C.S.E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez, Julia Rios, Patty Templeton, and Jessica Wick will regale you with a glorious gallimaufry of contemporary spec-fic.
March 1-4, 2018
StokerCon
Providence Biltmore, Providence, RI
Panel: The Vital Importance of Tone, Saturday, March 3, 2018, 11:00 am.
Moderator: Jason Parent; Additional Speakers: Donna Lynch, Gregory Bastianelli, Matt Bechtel.
Description: Sometimes the line difference between horrific and hysterical lies only in the delivery. Horror straddles the absurd, the laughable, and the terrifying, often all in the same work. How does tone affect works of horror both in print and on screen? When does humor work with horror? What tonal elements contribute to successful horror/comedy/parody, and what tonal elements can be used to intensify the fright factor?
StokerCon
Providence Biltmore, Providence, RI
Panel: The Vital Importance of Tone, Saturday, March 3, 2018, 11:00 am.
Moderator: Jason Parent; Additional Speakers: Donna Lynch, Gregory Bastianelli, Matt Bechtel.
Description: Sometimes the line difference between horrific and hysterical lies only in the delivery. Horror straddles the absurd, the laughable, and the terrifying, often all in the same work. How does tone affect works of horror both in print and on screen? When does humor work with horror? What tonal elements contribute to successful horror/comedy/parody, and what tonal elements can be used to intensify the fright factor?
January 26-28, 2018
Borderlands Press Writers Boot Camp
Towson University Marriott Conference Hotel
Towson, MD
Workshopped: 85,000 word horror/crime thriller, Coming Down Fast; 900 word flash fiction piece, “Crash.”
Read “Terror at Towson University Marriott: 2018 Borderlands Writers Boot Camp” blog post here.
Borderlands Press Writers Boot Camp
Towson University Marriott Conference Hotel
Towson, MD
Workshopped: 85,000 word horror/crime thriller, Coming Down Fast; 900 word flash fiction piece, “Crash.”
Read “Terror at Towson University Marriott: 2018 Borderlands Writers Boot Camp” blog post here.
September 28, 2017
An Evening with Stephen King + Owen King, authors of SLEEPING BEAUTIES
Newtonville Books presents an evening with Stephen King and his son, Owen King, authors of SLEEPING BEAUTIES. Attended with Robin and Samara Amstutz, Stacey and David Thibeault, and Dave and LeAnn Rhone Hinchberger, of the Overlook Connection Bookstore & Press.
Read Christa Carmen’s review of Sleeping Beauties here.
An Evening with Stephen King + Owen King, authors of SLEEPING BEAUTIES
Newtonville Books presents an evening with Stephen King and his son, Owen King, authors of SLEEPING BEAUTIES. Attended with Robin and Samara Amstutz, Stacey and David Thibeault, and Dave and LeAnn Rhone Hinchberger, of the Overlook Connection Bookstore & Press.
Read Christa Carmen’s review of Sleeping Beauties here.
July 11-14, 2017
NECON, Northeastern Writers' Conference
The Roger Williams University Baypoint Inn and Conference Center
Portsmouth, RI
NECON, Northeastern Writers' Conference
The Roger Williams University Baypoint Inn and Conference Center
Portsmouth, RI
March 17, 2017
Ghosts, Saints, & Faeries
Artists' Cooperative Gallery of Westerly
Westerly, RI
A night of stories, poems and songs featuring the hallowed and uncanny.
HISTORY: An Irish woman hanged as a witch for speaking Gaelic.
FICTION: A girl whose addiction turns her into a ghost even before she dies.
POETRY: A man asks his dead abuela to return and tell her own story after a lifetime of hearing other people tell it.
SONG: Banshees and haunted rose gardens, oh my!
DISCUSSION: How is a saint like a superhero? AND SO MUCH MORE!
Performances by Faye Ringel, C. S. E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez, Patty Templeton, Christa Carmen, Jessica Wick, and Amber Longanchor.
Ghosts, Saints, & Faeries
Artists' Cooperative Gallery of Westerly
Westerly, RI
A night of stories, poems and songs featuring the hallowed and uncanny.
HISTORY: An Irish woman hanged as a witch for speaking Gaelic.
FICTION: A girl whose addiction turns her into a ghost even before she dies.
POETRY: A man asks his dead abuela to return and tell her own story after a lifetime of hearing other people tell it.
SONG: Banshees and haunted rose gardens, oh my!
DISCUSSION: How is a saint like a superhero? AND SO MUCH MORE!
Performances by Faye Ringel, C. S. E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez, Patty Templeton, Christa Carmen, Jessica Wick, and Amber Longanchor.
First Fridays
Maize n Manna Whole Foods
Westerly, RI
Spoken word open mic for all ages from 6-7pm on the first Friday of each month. All forms of poetry, prose, essay or stories welcome. Original work encouraged!
Maize n Manna Whole Foods
Westerly, RI
Spoken word open mic for all ages from 6-7pm on the first Friday of each month. All forms of poetry, prose, essay or stories welcome. Original work encouraged!
- Dave Simms offers a stunning review of The Daughters of Block Island for Cemetery Dance: “The gothic horror novel just received a massive shot of adrenaline to its bleak-but-beautiful-heart...a stunning novel that arrives in the final month of the year, just in time for the calendar’s longest nights of darkness. In this debut novel, Carmen doesn’t attempt to top the classics; instead, she subverts them in a unique manner. She embraces the tropes that made the subgenre what it is and forges an enthralling tale of two sisters, a strange town, and a cast of characters that would make the masters proud...If this is any indication of what Christa Carmen can bring into the world, readers will be smiling under candlelight for years to come. An exceptional new talent has arrived.”
- KIRKUS REVIEWS calls The Daughters of Block Island, “Great fun for readers who’ve done their background reading and want to try a Gothic Plus.”
- Of The Daughters of Block Island, Dead Headspace’s Brennan LaFaro writes, “What a fine line Christa Carmen has to walk with this book, and how masterfully she walks it… a layered tale that borders on cozy, while never quite allowing the reader to settle in too comfortably...Here lies mystery and secrets, and I was here for it.”
Interviews
-
Gwendolyn Kiste’s Blog
Roundtable Interview
Read Interview Part I
Read Interview Part II -
Murder Coaster
Matthew Brockmeyer interviews co-host Christa Carmen
Read Interview -
Book Notions
Q&A with Christa Carmen
Read Interview