All posts by Axel Howerton

Axel Howerton is a former entertainment journalist, and the author of the Arthur Ellis Award nominated detective caper "Hot Sinatra", the modern gothic fairytale "Furr", and the forthcoming "Wolf & Devil" urban fantasy series. His work, including short stories, columns, poetry and essays, have appeared the world over, in no fewer than five languages. Axel is the Prairies director of the Crime Writers of Canada, and a member of the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association, the Calgary Crime Writers, and the Kintsugi Poets. He is also the editor of the books "Death by Drive-In", "AB Negative", and "Tall Tales of the Weird West", and is the organizer behind one of Canada's first recurring "Noir At The Bar" events, #NoirBarYYC. Visit Axel online at www.axelhow.com to sign up for the GotHow? email list and receive free exclusive ebook collections, sneak peeks, and more.#AxelHow #GotHow
Writing

#WWCYYC2019 Official #AxelHow schedule

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Hey kids!

Wanna find me at next weekend’s WHEN WORDS COLLIDE conference?

Here’s my official schedule for the weekend:
(and if you don’t have tickets, come on down for #NoirBarYYC on Friday night, or the Autograph Session on Saturday! CALGARY DELTA SOUTH – Macleod Trail and Southland Drive!)

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 9

3pm – Parkland

Does It Have to Be Murder?

Alice Bienia, P J Vernon, Therese Greenwood, Axel Howerton (PM)

Does the crime have to be murder to make a good mystery? What other crimes can fuel a great story? Panellists discuss what types of crimes engage a reader for an entire novel; whether the crime has to be violent; and consider whether there are crimes that are too grisly to captivate an audience.

 

4pm – Parkland

Where in the World?

Jonas Saul, Jayne Barnard, Jim Jackson, Axel Howerton, Robert Bose (M)

Location, location, location! applies not only to real estate. Your setting impacts tone, plot, character. It can include both time and place. Learn how and why our panellists chose their setting, from prosaicto exotic, city to wilderness, modern to historical time period.

 

8pm – Fairview

The Magic of Writing Magic

Axel Howerton, C.S. MacCath, Cat McDonald, Louise Marley, Marc Watson

We’re here. Some of us burn incense after every query we send, some of us wince every time a character turns over the Death card on TV, and some of us write about the occult world that is a living,breathing part of us. Pagans, witches, and occultists of all stripes get together to talk about the magic of the world as we see and write it.

 
9pm – Atrium Cafe

#NOIRBARYYC

Canada’s first, and Calgary’s only, Noir at the Bar event.
Booze, Broads, Bullets, and Bullshit with the world’s best crime writers reading their darkest, nastiest, and most entertaining stuff while competing for the coveted Golden Skull Award! Check out the FB Event page for more!

***OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – 18+***

 

NBYYC 2019

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10

 

1PM – Fireside

Coffin Hop Press Presents:

A sneak peek at the newest titles and upcoming projects from Canada’s finest dark crime and weird fiction publisher – Coffin Hop Press!

Coffee! Door Prizes! Award Winners and Nominees! Book Giveaway!

 
8pm – Parkland/Bonavista/Willow Park

WWC Autograph Session

Come meet Coffin Hop Press authors like Axel Howerton, Robert Bose, Sarah L. Johnson and Golden Spur Award winner/Ellis Award Nominee Therese Greenwood! Pick up CHP books and have them signed by the authors!

***OPEN TO THE PUBLIC***

Writing

Been so long…

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I know, I know. I’m terrible at keeping in touch. Online and in real life. With anything really, except my family and my day job, I am mostly unreliable.

So it’s been a long time… a long time since I’ve posted anything, and a long time since I’ve written anything new. I’m still mired in the mental blockage of edits on #DemonDays and I’ve been 139% blocked on writing any new stories or making any headway on anything outside of the occasional publishing work for Coffin Hop Press.

But today I wrote some new stuff. It’s just a couple of poems, but it’s a start.

The first one is below. It’s a little rough. Certainly not much of a valentine.

The other one turned out more in tune with the proposed spirit of the holiday, but that one is for her eyes only. Unless you know her, then she’ll probably share.

In any case. Here’s the first real new words in a year or more. Let’s hope this is the leak that causes the levee to break.

 

BEEN SO LONG
– A.R. Howerton

 

It’s been so long

Since I’ve given my words to you

Just you

Without reproducing and redacting

Reconsidering for recompense

Carving finer and sanding smooth

For the whole wide world

To savour

Or ignore

To forget

Or neglect

And

I suppose

That will happen

To these words too

If there’s enough of them

To fill a page

Or use as kindling

But

For today

They’re only for you

My love

My weakness

My everything

For you

At least until the next chance I get

To sell my soul

For a moment’s delusion

That I’m full of talent

Irresistibly powerful

That I’m full of light that shines out on the world

That I’m worth their time

And their money

Convincing only myself

That any of it matters at all

When the only thing that truly matters

Is you

 

-For Lizzy

2/14/19