HWA Oregon

The Oregon Chapter of the Horror Writers Association

Meetings, News

HWA Oregon Meeting – September 21, 2025

Business

  1. Welcome
  2. Chapter Updates
    1. Salem Pride in the Park was Saturday, September 20, 2025. Richard, Amber, and Heath attended the event and represented HWA Oregon with a table. We had books on hand for sale from local presses and local author and member Lee Mitchell, as well as anthologies that included local writers. We gave out some HWA Oregon Pride stickers and other swag. We handed out over 80 flyers with chapter information on it to various fans and writers of horror. And, we ended up selling 46 books worth nearly $700 dollars for our publishers and members. All in all, it was an excellent success and we look forward to having a presence at more pride events throughout the state in the future. 
  3. HWA news
    1. Richard sent a chapter update with member news and announcements for the October HWA Newsletter.
    2. We’re watching for StokerCon 2026 updates, including when panel suggestions and applications open.
    3. Ballots went out to Active and Lifetime members for the annual election, this time for HWA Vice President, Treasurer, and four Trustee positions.
    4. HWA provided an update on the LibGen AI litigation
      1. https://horror.org/hwa-update-on-the-libgen-ai-litigation/
      2. Check out horror.org frequently for updates related to this, as well as other posts
  4. Upcoming September Chapter Events
    1. Next book club meeting: Sunday, September 28 at 6:00 p.m. on Google Meet, discussing The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
  5. October Chapter Events
    1. Wednesday, October 1st starting at 6:30pm come celebrate the book launch of fellow HWA Oregon member Kelsea Yu’s book Demon Song at Always Here Bookstore in Portland! 
    2. Next chapter meeting: Sunday, October 19 at 6:00 p.m.
      1. HWA Oregon is pleased to welcome Rebecca Zornow as our guest speaker for our October meeting. She is a writer and speculative fiction book coach who will coach us on “How to Build an Author Business Plan.”
    3. Friday, October 24th from 6:30 to 8:30pm, HWA Oregon will be co-hosting a Halloween Party with BOLD Books & Coffee. Come dressed up, as we will be holding a costume contest with prizes, enjoying readings from our members and we will have an open-mic for attendees to share their real-life spooky encounters with the crowd. This event will be open to the public. Invite your friends so we can pack the space. We have a full line up of readers for the event. It’s going to be a great time! 
    4. Saturday, October 25th from 1-3:00 p.m. at Beaverton City Library, we’ll hold our annual “Meet a Horror Author” event, with readings, books for sale, and signings.
    5. October Book Club, Sunday, October 26th at 6:00 p.m. on Google Meet: Maeve Fly by CJ Leede

Announcements

  • Elizabeth Mitchell of Little Key Press reminded us that her next anthology, Clocks, is open for submissions. The call will close at 100 submissions.
  • Kelsea Yu will have a second Demon Song book event on October 10th at 5 pm at Book Bin in Salem, Oregon, with Wendy Wagner.
  • Katherine Quevedo’s poetry chapbook The Inca Weaver’s Tales was included as one of the Elgin Award finalist books reviewed by Holly Lyn Walrath for Interstellar Flight Magazine.
  • H.A. Spector’s first published story is in Dark Harbor Magazine (requires a free subscription.)
  • J.B. Kish presented “Project Managing Your Novel: How to Write a Book in Ten Months” at the Southwest Washington Writers Conference in Centralia, WA on September 12th. He debuted and sold copies of his new workbook on the topic. J.B. praised the conference and recommended attending, submitting talks, and pitching ideas for next year’s conference.

Holley Cornetto

“Getting Out of Slush …and more” Presentation

  • H.A. Spector introduced Holley Cornetto, “a writer, librarian, professor, book reviewer, and transplanted southerner who now calls New Jersey home. She is the author of They Are Cursed Like You published in 2023 by Eerie River Publishing and We Haunt These Woods in 2022 from Bleeding Edge Books. Her short fiction has appeared in magazines such as Daily Science Fiction, Flame Tree Press Newsletter, Dark Recesses Press, and anthologies from Cemetery Gates Media, Eerie River Publishing, Dark Ink, and several others. In 2020, she was awarded a grant from the Ladies of Horror Fiction. In addition to writing The Horror Tree’s weekly newsletter, she regularly reviews for Publisher’s Weekly and The Horror Tree. She teaches creative writing in the online MFA program at Southern New Hampshire University.”
  • Holley, a past slush pile reader, editor, and professor, gave a presentation about “Getting Out of Slush, and more.” She focused on common slush problems, the realities of being a slush reader, coming up with fresh concepts and executing a theme in your stories, the stakes in your story, market research and resources, how to handle rejection, and the importance of networking.
  • During the Q&A, Holley answered questions about cover letters, getting involved as a reader or editor, and more.