I had a weird dream the other night. It was about a toy–a real toy from the 1980s–I had as a kid, one my uncle had given me. It is shaped like a rock, but when you slide part of it, a fearsome head pops up, and its rock arm lifts up, devouring anything that […]
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As the author of a light-hearted mystery series for kids, people have been asking me lately, “why horror?” Some seem surprised that mild-mannered Val would write about ghosts and murder and a bad man who seeks everyone’s demise. The reason I like horror is the same reason I like 1984 by George Orwell. In 1984, […]
In an effort to teach myself Photoshop’s “pen” tool (which can be used to create computer illustrations), I created this scene from Faulkner’s Apprentice: The scene is a compilation of a few concepts in the novel. The woman in front is the protagonist, Lorelei. Lorei’s dream has always been to be an author, but she’s […]
Back to the Future is my absolute favorite movie. In high school, I had a shrine in my room dedicated to anything BTTF I could find. A great inspiration for me as an author was the character of George McFly, an aspiring sci-fi writer/nerd who always shied away from confrontation and adversity until his son […]
As December begins, I wanted to share some opportunities for giving and saving (or both!): First, one of my publishers, DWB, is raising money to help a family in need this Christmas. You can read the family’s story, and find out how to donate, at this link. As a corgi lover, I’m also partnering with […]
I thought I’d finish out the first month of my nine weeks of horror-and-Halloween reviews with a book by my favorite author, the late Ray Bradbury. The Halloween tree is a classic, appropriate for children but deep enough for adults as well and a perfect way to lead us into October. In typical Ray Bradbury […]
I have signed on (in a volunteer capacity) as editor of my husband’s anthology project, Forging Freedom anthology at Freedom Forge Press. Because I think it’s a worthwhile effort, I’d like to share a bit about the book. If you’re interested in submitting a story for it, submissions are open until January (you can read […]
I’ve always been fascinated by time travel. Ever since watching Back to the Future when I was too young to understand most of it, I was intrigued by the idea of going back to a time before I was born. The world seems larger than any of us can comprehend, and even the stories of […]
Want to find out why I am–err, was–afraid of the dark? Why was I terrified of the 1980’s TV show Beauty and the Beast? What’s so special about Sun-Maid raisins? Check out the answer to this and more. I’ve been interviewed by Jan Bowman. Stop by, check out her blog, and leave a comment: http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com/2012/07/entry-79-writers-talk-interview-11-val.html
The first “grown up” novel I remember reading is The Martian Chronicles. My parents came into my room one day and handed me the book as if it were a rite of passage. It was an old copy—it had that old book smell—and it was folded and worn like it had been read many times. […]
