Dreaming of Providence

Been rereading "The Haunter of the Dark," and that always makes me dream of Providence.  In the photo above I am standing in front of Lovecraft's final home, where he wrote the story.  It seems I cannot read "Haunter" without also wanting to reread one of my favourite Robert Bloch stories, "The Shadow from the Steeple," whut Bob wrote as a sequel to "The Haunter of the Dark."  And always...always, reading those stories together fills me with an ache to write my own wee sequel to "The Shadow from the Steeple," to continue the myth of the daemonic force that haunted Providence in those stories.  This writing of sequels to Lovecraft's tales, or tales inspired by him, seems a peculiarly Lovecraftian disease, and I love it.  Yuggoth knows that there are many such stories that I dream of writing, but Yog knows if I'll ever get around to writing any of them.  Still--still, this new ache to write a sequel to Bob's story seems rather potent at ye moment, so we shall see.  I need to write at least 30,000 or 40,000 words of new original fiction for my second collection forthcoming from Centipede Press, and I've decided I want that book to be Lovecraftian-to-ye-core.

Getting rather excited about World Horror Convention next month, so I am; although I'm glad I'll be there for two days only, as I get so worn out with the required activity.  S. T. Joshi is my ride to and from the convention, and he needs to leave no later than noon on Saturday so as to be home in time to prepare to sing that evening with his choral group.  Friday is gonna be a busy day for me.  I have a Lovecraft panel at eleven in ye morning, and then David Barker and I will be doing a special 2:00 p. m. signing of our new book at the Book Bin table in ye dealer's room (followed at 3:00 p. m. by Ellen Datlow doing a special signing of her fab new anthology, LOVECRAFT'S MONSTERS).  Then from six to nine p. m. is the mass autograph session with all of the horror writers at the convention.  Directly after that is the special launch party for S. T.'s new anthology,  SEARCHERS AFTER DARK, in which I have a new Sesqua story.  Whew, that's all gonna wear me down, but it's also gonna be such fun.  Hope to see some of y'all there!