JULIE HUTCHINGS

Artist Spotlight: Betti Bags Co. will be at the Plymouth Punk Rock Market!

TODAY’S BREW: Autocrat Hazelnut because they don’t just make coffee milk.

By Julie

OKAY you can’t even understand how exciting it is to me to show you this vendor for the Plymouth Punk Rock Market this Sunday, 12-5 where I’ll be signing my sinful series, THE HARPY for the first time as a complete trilogy (gaaasp that was all one breath.)

Betti Bags Co.

You can look at this Frankenstein’s bride bag but it’s mine so don’t look too hard.

Joanie, who is a true delight, MAKES ALL OF THESE BAGS BY HAND. Do you understand this? DO YOU SEE THEM?

She told me: “My parents got me a little sewing machine like 18 years ago. So I just started making little totes from discontinued fabric samples at my job. As with anything, the more you practice and make mistakes, the more you learn. I never would have imagined making bags the way that I do now. The majority of the work that I do is custom but I also needed to branch out from that and get some of my own bag ideas out, so that’s how I wound up meeting Leandra (of My RocknRoll Baby) and coming to the Plymouth Punk Rock Market. Annnd as usual I babbled on more than I meant to.” –actual words from Joanie who I think is adorable.

PLYMOUTH PUNK ROCK MARKET

COME SEE US, and there’s pizza and music and tons of artwork, and there’s no cover and it’s in a brewery where they do all kinds of amazing community things.

Artist Spotlight: Volatile Oddities

Today’s Brew: Pistachio from Marylou’s News. Delightful.

By Julie

The Punk Rock Market has been moved to this coming Sunday, April 30th from 12-5 because of fucking rain. BUT THAT JUST MEANS WE HAVE ANOTHER WEEK TO GET AWESOME FOR IT.

Today I want to give you a snapshot of mixed media artist Brittney Reed and….

Volatile Oddities

And she works with SFX makeup and costuming AS AWESOMELY EXHIBITED BELOW:

I MEAN HOLY SHIT.

I’m super excited to creep on this artist and manufacture inspirado through her.

COME TO THE PUNK ROCK MARKET THIS SUNDAY TO SEE HER AND MEEEEEE

I WILL BE SIGNING THE ENTIRE HARPY TRILOGY IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THIS EVENT, SO YOU BETTER BE THERE.

Artist Spotlight: Dreaming in the Darkness with OCTOBER CULT!

Today’s Brew: Coconut-hot-lightnosugar ordered just like that from Dunkin Donuts, and it will always be Dunkin Donuts to me.

By Julie

OCTOBER CULT

Today I’m PSYCHED to introduce OCTOBER CULT, whose motto is the most prettiest “Dreaming in the Darkness. ” Easy to see why–their art aesthetic is all about the occult, macabre, ethereal and beauty. If you love hauntingly beautiful imagery and notions of romantic horror, be sure to check out their Dream Boxes (3-D Mixed-Media Collages) and moody, atmospheric photography. LIKE THIS PIECE OF PERFECT MACHINERY:

Alexandra & Jeremiah are a wife & husband team; their cat Isabel is also a part of their creative world. They keep a private profile here on Instagram, so please send a F͙o͙l͙l͙o͙w͙ request their way to be able to see some of their art creations & to be a part of the October Cult! Find them on Twitter where they get back to you super fast, too.

October Cult on Twitter

I mean, Jesus Christ, look at this:

AND HOW HAPPY AND INVITING IS SHE?!

I SUPPOSE if you can’t come see us at the Punk Rock Market where both I and Alexandra will be somehow contained within four walls at the same time, then you can buy their stuff NOW HERE RIGHT NOW:

OCTOBER CULT: Dreaming in the Darkness

PLYMOUTH PUNK ROCK MARKET ON FB

Vendor Spotlight: Federation Comics!

Today’s Brew: coconut something. I need coffee recs.

By Julie

As promised I’ll feature a different amazing vendor that will be at the Punk Rock Market this Sunday with ME. Me, Me, Me.

Federation Comics will be vending #plymouthpunkrockmarket Sunday April 23 at @mayflowerbrew 12-5!

Federation Comics

Nothing better than a local comic shop that also has cool ass art.

#itsgonnarule #youshouldgo #beer #mayflowerbrewing #punk #punkrock #punkrockfleamarket #foodtruck #vinylrecords #tshirts #bandshirts #weirdart #brewery #breweryevents #thingstodoinplymouth #southshorema #vintagehousewares #weirdstuffforweirdpeople

I’M GONNA BE AT THIS PUNK ROCK MARKET, READ ALL ABOUT IT.

Today’s Brew: New England Coffee Cinnamon Hazelnut, a local legend. I mean at least in my mouth it is.

By Juie

I’m PSYCHED to signing books–two trilogies for the first time ever–at the Plymouth Punk Rock Market this Sunday! This is the coolest venue, coolest idea, coolest people, right up my alley. I visited it last time they thew this fun-fest and had to be a part of it after blowing all my money there. Check out the Punk Rock Market FB page here:

Plymouth Punk Rock Market

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffb.me%2Fe%2F2C4Vp8RCq%3Fmibextid%3DRQdjqZ&h=AT1Eo7XfLzF-eAV3KXv0lhXdedKaWxj14ZHOXoN0h-EMfsiIPXRz5r8H6jDXG3oYPGz3hY4SPCzWRebSsTkA4-MxbfAAzk8y3afMNhuLlgc6L7-yUUAE7cq4k8nFFW2CEcZg&__tn__=R]-R&c[0]=AT1S31FBGBHA8HQQnZ56gXiLyByIJp0hlEznHuoIEU92f18oTVKlUdADbRU60mSB5C1IQGg1TdmwABM5e47eXDuFRIARpm1W7MKGHwSgU_VjugEe6Sj9Sr54fOpFftSqob3lsWiykwptQZV19pBRBa7Oy277uH5Lt2vFi4PNlLbPfdV9CWHXyMH0Gdse5E8IAV8EHrCbnmgO

If you can’t be at the Punk Rock Market because you live hella far from Plymouth, and there can be no other reason, I WILL BE FEATURING A DIFFERENT ARTIST VENDOR EVERY DAY THIS WEEK ON ME BLOG. ME HEARTIES. So you can shop their shops and fun their funs.

Our gracious host, who owns MyRocknRollBaby https://www.etsy.com/shop/MyRocknRollBaby?ref=shop_sugg_market (the maker of my favorite bag covered in Victorian skeletons) and the best head wraps ever) posted about the origins of punk rock markets and I wanted to share:

What’s a punk rock market anyway?? #longpost

I first heard of Punk Rock Flea Markets when I lived in the Philadelphia / NJ area. I didn’t really know what it was. Then when I went to one and thought, why don’t we have these back home in MA???

An artisan market but for weird people, and with good music and beer. And they’re wicked fun. #weirdstuffforweirdpeople

I sold my handmade accessories and housewares at these events in PA&NJ but I didn’t organize any events there. It was a highlight of my 5 years living there to be around like minded people and support other artists, and it was my goal to get one started here.

Handmade and vintage goods, vinyl records, T-shirts, taxidermy, weird art, spiderweb jewelry, witchy stuff, horror stuff.

Plus, live music by The O’Toole’s, food trucks and beer. All ages & no cover. Sunday April 23 at Mayflower Brewing Company

#itsgonnarule #youshouldgo #prfm #punkrock #fleamarket #foodtrucks #livemusic #plymouthma #mayflowerbrewing #thingstodoinplymouthma #outdoorevents #records #taxidermy #cassettes #weirdart #punk

I truly hope to see LOTS of you there!

GET YER FREE HARPY!

Today’s Brew: Cinnamon something or other, it’s caffeinated isn’t it?

By Julie

I HAVE TOO MUCH NEWS TO REPORT so quick rundown but first things first:

YOU CAN GET THE HARPY FOR FREE RIGHT NOW. And there’s a reason for it, so keep reading after you CLICK DOWN THERE:

GET YER FREE HARPY

The reason WHY you’re getting a free Harpy today is because IT’S A CELEBRATION!

HARPY 3: DAMNATION HAS EMERGED!

THE FINAL HARPY BOOK IS RIGHT HERE among other places where books are sold.

You can of course get the whole hellacioius trilogy for $10 right here, too:

Go to Hell! All three bookaroos!

They sure do look pretty together, don’t they?

AND FINALLY, I have a kajillion events coming up in the Massachusetts area, and they are AWESOME. We’re talking punk rock, beer if you want it, haunted buildings, paranormal stuff, Cape Cod, Kung Fu… I mean check out my events page, it’s amazing.

I want to thank every single one of you reading, this or anything else. It’s readers that make this world a smart one.

I’d love to hear if you’ve gotten your free HARPY, and if you’ve given one to a friend maybe?! I mean, it costs you nothing and it will make you look SO THOUGHTFUL.

Happy reading and Happy Harpying!

IT LIVES! The final Vampires of Fate novel rears its undead head!

Today’s Brew: Peppermint by Dunkin Donuts (forever DD’s if you’re from Boston)

By Julie

YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU’D SEE THE DAY but the Vampires of Fate (the trilogy formerly known as the Shinigami Vampires) is COMPLETE. Completo. Finito. Fin. Over. Overito. I’ll stop.

This series has been through Hell and back. There’s no form of publishing it hasn’t touched, no shortage of editing, no small number of covers, unlimited criticism and praise. RUNNING HOME is the book that made me an author, and for a million reasons it’s wildly close to my heart. Your first book…it bares your soul, man. And yet since then I’ve exposed more and more of myself in everything I’ve written, just in a less raw and literal way. I think the raw and literal is even more compromising. I worked through some stuff writing this series, and I learned that some stuff I’ll probably never work through and that’s just plain okay. It has to be. Pain and fear make the writer.

ANYWHOO, I’d love for you to see where this story led, who Eliza became. Yeah, it’s a scary vampire romance, but it’s about her and always has been. I wanted to do two things when I sat down to create this book in the heat of my first maternity leave, drunk with hormones after reading Twilight. Those things were yes, sleep, but these things too:

Create a world where the extraordinary lies just beneath the ordinary.
Make a grownup heroine with her own identity and fears.

I stayed very true to those expectations over the past 15 years. FIFTEEN YEARS. And I think it holds up.

I’d love for you to share the bittersweet end with me.

Go on now! Start your vampire binge. You can grab it at Barnes and Noble or Amazon of course. But just grab it and let me know what you think! Happy reading!

What I Learned from Chuck Wendig, Delilah Dawson, and Kevin Hearne When We All Took Over Barnes & Noble The Other Day

Today’s Brew: Eggnog from Dunkins because time is meaningless

By Julie

OH HI THERE.

Guess what, the other night I got to go out! And I got to go out to a triple book signing and panel with my amazing friends and as amazing authors Chuck Wendig, Delilah Dawson and Kevin Hearne. I mean, I’m not trying to name-drop but seriously. I am. Anyway, this isn’t about measuring coolness, it’s about a couple of things I took away from that panel that I bet you’d like to hear too. SO LISTEN UP.

When asked about their writing processes, the answers were so vastly different and so important, even if you’re not a writer. They’re good guidelines for all kinds of life stuff. Remember this is the first time the three of them have been out in public in two years. Here’s what I got:

Delilah Dawson during the pandemic forced herself to stick to a routine which of course was nearly impossible with kids, everyone being at home suddenly… You know the drill. But she made herself MEDITATE for 15 minutes a day. And only then would she allow herself to write. The best part of this for me is that she hates meditating.

So writing became the reward for sitting through the bad thing for 15 minutes and she’d be so antsy to STOP meditating that she couldn’t wait to write.

THE LESSON BECOMES: TREAT YOUR WRITING LIKE A REWARD, NOT LIKE AN OBLIGATION OR A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB.

My pretty pretty Princess Chuck Wendig always centers me when it comes to writing advice. This time when asked about his writing process he told a cool story about when he was mentored by a screenwriter. When his mentor told him to make an outline, Chuck laughed, saying oh hell naw, novelists don’t do that. But all his hundreds of books later, maybe he does. Or not. Or halfway of such.

Chuck stays true to one piece of advice which is basically, “You do you.” Make the rules, then break them. Screw up and fix it, don’t take it too seriously until you do. But this night he said DON’T DEFINE YOURSELF BY THE WRITING PROCESS YOU THINK YOU HAVE. Basically, anyway. Don’t pigeonhole yourself into this idea of what your process is. It should be ever-changing. It should grow with you, it should be an experiment, it should never be stagnant. I added that last stuff. But it’s easy to see why I love this guy so much.

Kevin Hearne is a wizard from another dimension. He usually writes one draft and it’s editor-ready. He’s clearly very disciplined and knows his tools. He uses Word docs like the rest of the world until he has a multi-faceted story and world (so everything he does), in which case he uses Scrivener first. What I get is that he boiled it down to a science that works for him without a lot of need to experiment and he does it right the first time.

This isn’t a thing that will work for everyone, but remember, SOMETIMES it might. It won’t always be the same for everyone and for every book. Unless you’re Kevin Hearne and know yourself so well that you’re invincible.

NOW THE PLUGS.

It’s Not Just You

Dahlia is one of those authors I always thought was miles ahead of me, and to hear her say this resonates. In my IT’S NOT JUST YOU, I’d like to contribute that it’s not just you that tries so many different approaches you can’t keep them all straight until you don’t know what you’re doing at all.

The Daily Dahlia

Confession: probably my biggest pet peeve on the planet is when people start a question with “Am I the only one who…?” No. You’re not. You’re not the only one who writes that way, reads that way, likes that food, likes that band, thinks Benedict Cumberbatch sounds like a Game of Thrones character or looks like someone squeezed Spongebob and stuck googly eyes on him…you’re just not. But. There’s a different kind of “Is it just me?” feeling, and that’s the stress of when you’re drowning in something and nobody’s talking about it and you feel like everyone’s got it together but you, and so you don’t wanna say a thing, and it all snowballs until you basically wanna curl up and die. I know that feeling. It’s why I wrote this post after splitting with my first agent. So in case you are wondering any of these things, I…

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I’m in This Gothic Anthology!

Today’s Brew: Cinnamon Nutmeg from Dunkin’s

By Julie

It’s been a minute, because I’ve been BUSY, and one of the things I’ve been busy with is writing a story for this amazing anthology. It’s on the Bram Stoker Award Recommended Reading List! And my story is in it! And everybody says this, how lucky they are to be in the company they’re in with a project, but man alive, do I mean it with this one. Some of these pieces, and the beautiful artwork for them by incredible artists, are just mindblowing to me.

Twenty-five women and non-binary writers from the worlds of Horror Fiction and Illustration form an unholy union and drag the blackened heart of Classic Gothic Horror into modern daylight! In the process, they have sculpted an altogether sleeker, more feral beast.

In the hands of Mary Shelley, Daphne Du Maurier and Shirley Jackson, Gothic Horror explored the bleak shadows of our homes; the darkest corners of the human mind; madness, personal transformation, the occult. IN SOMNIO recasts the legacy of the original Gothmothers in a chilling contemporary light.

Within the walls of an arcane modern art gallery; upon the shores of a hostile but compelling sea; into the blackest burrows of the animal kingdom; tableside at the world’s last restaurant on the eve of the apocalypse; from the deep deep South to a Lovecraftian Steampunk theatre, a cornucopia of disturbing vignettes await you.

Fans of twisted takes on the classics such as Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters; Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House/Bly Manor; moody, secretive novels like Night Film and A House at the Bottom of the Lake; and traditional Gothic Horror and ghost stories will all find something to chill their bones in IN SOMNIO.

This collection features eighteen vibrant, unique stories ranging from deeply intimate one-room settings to sprawling fantasy worlds; from the depths of darkness to comedy and adventure. Each story brings a new perspective to our inherent love of Gothic Horror and what those vital elements of terror still have to say today.

Get the book for no more reason than to see the unbelievable illustration for my story, The Beach, by the incomparable Daniella Batsheva (You can find her here: http://www.daniellabatsheva.com/ ). I was beside myself when I got a look at it.

I’ll leave it there for now, though I could sing this antho praises for years, and will in the future. But I hope you’ll pick it up for some light reading, and I hope you love The Beach, because it truly settled into my bones when I was writing it. I felt actually lucky to have thought it up, like it was given to me. Now go, read!