Readings & Conventions

2025 DragonCon Schedule: Where I’ll Be

/ Darrell Grizzle / Leave a comment

Hope to see you at DragonCon! August 28 through September 1, 2025, in Atlanta! This is my TENTATIVE schedule (everything is tentative at DragonCon until 5 minutes after it happens). I will be updating this post throughout the con itself. I am very proud to be on panels and events this year on the Horror, Urban Fantasy, and Writer’s Tracks.


2025 DragonCon Schedule:

Thursday 7:00 pm: Dark Academia, Chastain 1-2 Westin
Our panel will take a deep dive into this fascinating and very popular literary subgenre, where magic practitioners of various types with often differing goals operate within schools, libraries, and other academic institutions. Panelists: K.A. Linde, Diana Peterfreund, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Mari Mancusi, Carol Malcolm(M), Ingrid Seymour.

Three of my favorite Dark Academia novels

Friday 11:30 pm: Scary Tales and Spooky Music, Chastain 1-2 Westin
Our popular event returns: authors reading scary stories with musical underplaying by Charming Disaster, who will then play a short concert afterwards. Panelists: Charming Disaster, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Leanna Renee Hieber, Beth Dolgner.
RESOURCE: My 99%-true ghost story “Knock Five Times” is in YAY! ALL QUEER, an anthology of queer fantasy and urban fantasy.

Saturday 2:30 pm: A Cozy Conversation About Cozy Horror, Peachtree 1-2 Westin
The term “cozy horror” has gained traction in literary circles in recent years. But what is cozy horror? Let’s find out as we explore the emerging genre’s quiet menace.
Panelists: Darrell Z. Grizzle, Jessi Ann York(M), Clay Gilbert, T. Kingfisher, Leanna Renee Hieber, Bill Bridges.
RESOURCE: My cozy horror story “Monsieur Marais at the Puppet Museum” is in the new anthology EFFIGIES AND INCANTATIONS, edited by D.C. Phillips.

Saturday 4:00 pm: She’s Alive! The Bride of Frankenstein at 90, Peachtree 1-2 Westin
Director James Whale’s “The Bride of Frankenstein” turned 90 years old in 2025. We’ll celebrate this milestone for the classic Universal Monsters film.
Panelists: Crystal Cleveland(M), Cash the Composer, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Bill Bridges, Mark Muncy.

Saturday 10:00 pm: The Other Side of the Veil: Ghosts & Spirits in UF, Chastain 1-2 Westin
Ghosts and spirits in Urban Fantasy take many forms and have a variety of goals and purposes. Our panel will discuss those they employ in their work, as well as others they admire.
Panelists: Delilah S Dawson, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Beth Dolgner, Leanna Renee Hieber, Ashley Poston, Carol Malcolm(M).

Sunday 10:00 am: The Haunted Mind: Mental Health Through the Lens of Horror, Peachtree 1-2 Westin
Our panelists will look at how mental health is portrayed in horror literature: the good, the bad, and the scary.
Panelists: Brent Abell, Nat Cassidy, Jessi Ann York, Erika Lance, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Bill Bridges(M).
RESOURCE: How Horror Movies Taught Me Empathy, a TEDx Talk by Mark Gunnells

Sunday 11:30 am: Out of the Ashes: Queer Stories in the Apocalypse,
Chastain G Westin
Explore the vibrant presence of queer representation in apocalyptic media! This panel celebrates uplifting LGBTQ+ narratives, authentic characters, and the resilience of love and identity amidst chaos. Dive into the stories that prove hope and humanity shine brightest in the darkest times.
Panelists: Birma Gainor (M), Laura Smith-Brese, Deborah Ulmer, Daniel Alexander Lyman, Darrell Z. Grizzle.
RESOURCE: My queer Appalachian apocalypse story “Ephriam” is in WE BITE BACK: A Queer Charity Anthology to benefit the Human Rights Campaign.

Sunday 1:00 pm: Bringing the Scary: Crafting Monsters, Embassy EF Hyatt
What makes a good monster? Our panelists will delve into this topic and discuss the types of monsters, whether human, animal, or supernatural – how to create them, and how to make them scary.
Panelists: Trisha J. Wooldridge(M), Darrell Z. Grizzle, Tony Sarrecchia, Tamsin L. Silver, Jason Cordova, Madaug Hishinuma.
RESOURCE: My werewolf story “Need to Know” is in DON’T ASK, GHOSTS TELL: An LGBTQ+ Horror Anthology.

See you at DragonCon!

DragonCon 2024 and Two New Queer Ghost Stories Coming Soon!

/ Darrell Grizzle / Leave a comment


Two new short stories by me, both of them queer ghost stories, have been accepted for publication in upcoming anthologies, one with an expected publication date of December 2024 and one in the Summer of 2025. More details coming soon!

Here are all my links to social media and other online places I haunt: https://linktr.ee/dzgrizzle

Here is my most recent publication, a “grit lit” noir story set in Georgia in 1987, during the AIDS epidemic. Based on a true story. Here’s the link to the story.

And here is where I’ll be at DragonCon, August 29 through September 2, 2024, in Atlanta. Hope to see you at the con!

THURSDAY 8/29/24 at 8:30 pm
Horror vs. Terror: Which Approach Works Best For You?
Authors tackle the eternal question: which is more effective: horror or terror? Shock and awe or creeping dread? The panelists will share their approaches, exploring the benefits and challenges of each method.
Panelists: Cherie M. Priest, Alexander G. R. Gideon (M), Brent Abell, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Jessi Ann York
Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (1 Hour)

FRIDAY 8/30/24 at 10:00 am
Igniting the Horror Muse
Authors are always asked where they get their ideas from. Join us as we pick the brains of our horror author panelists to learn how they get in the right mind to craft their fiction and unleash their chilling tales.
Panelists: Jessi Ann York (M), Darrell Z. Grizzle, Elizabeth Donald, L. Marie Wood, Trisha J. Wooldridge, J. E. Schleicher
Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (1 Hour)

FRIDAY 8/30/24 at 4:00 pm
Children of Dorian Gray: LGBTQIA+ Themes in Horror
A celebration of LGBTQIA+ contributions to the horror genre.
Panelists: Jessi Ann York, Jarvis Hammer, Darrell Z. Grizzle (M), Dusty Gannon (Vision Video), Daniel Alexander Lyman
Location: Centennial I Hyatt (1 Hour)

FRIDAY 8/30/24 at 10:00 pm
The Disembodied: Spirits & Ghosts in UF
Ghosts & spirits in Urban Fantasy take many forms & have a variety of goals & purposes. Our panel will discuss those they employ in their work, as well as others they admire.
Panelists: Todd J McCaffrey, Cherie M. Priest, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Leanna Renee Hieber, Carol Malcolm (M), Beth Dolgner
Location: Chastain 1-2 Westin (1 Hour)

SATURDAY 8/31/24 in the morning I’ll be donating blood at the annual Robert A. Heinlein “Pay It Forward” Blood Drive

SATURDAY 8/31/24 at 2:30 pm
100 Years of Ed Wood
Celebrate the centennial of the iconic filmmaker Ed Wood, known for his passionate and eccentric approach to cinema. Our panelists will discuss his cult classics like Plan 9 from Outer Space and explore his legacy.
Panelists: Bill Mulligan (M), Daniel Griffith, Laurie Norris, Thomas Mariani, Darrell Z. Grizzle, R. E. Carr
Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (1 Hour)

SATURDAY 8/31/24 at 10:00 pm
101 Fascinating Ways to Kill off a Character
Readers love a good killin’ – if it’s done in an interesting way. Panelists discuss some not-so-common ways they’ve killed characters or favorite authors have killed characters.
Panelists: John Robinson (M), L. Marie Wood, Darin Kennedy, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Bob McGough, Elizabeth Donald
Location: Embassy EF Hyatt (1 Hour)

SUNDAY 9/1/24 at 11:30 am
Unearthing Your Literary Horror Niche
Embark on a frightful journey to uncover the intersection of your deepest, darkest fears and find your writing voice. Explore different dark corners in horror fiction with our panel while you face your fears and learn to unleash your inner darkness on the page.
Panelists: Jessi Ann York (M), Darrell Z. Grizzle, L. Marie Wood, Tony Sarrecchia, Anya Martin, Tom Vandermolen
Time: Sun 11:30 am  Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (1 Hour)

SUNDAY 9/1/24 at 4:00 pm
AUTHOR READING SESSION
I will be reading with special guests Jessica Nettles and Jessi Ann York
Location: Hyatt Learning Center, Atrium Tower, Ballroom Level (1 Hour)

MONDAY 9/2/24 at 1:00 pm
A Heady Mix: Magic & Academia in Books & Media
Our panel will take a close look at the fascinating & very popular Dark Academia literary subgenre, focusing on those examples that feature magic practitioners of various types operating within schools, libraries, & other academic institutions.
Panelists: Valerie Dawn Hampton, Darrell Z. Grizzle, JM Paquette, K. N. Lee, Carol Malcolm (M), John Hartness
Location: Chastain 1-2 Westin (1 Hour)

How to Find Me Online (Only Connect)

/ Darrell Grizzle / Leave a comment

My Facebook account was hacked and deleted several months ago, and I have no access to the author page I had created on Facebook. Please note that the only Facebook account that is truly me is my new one: 
https://www.facebook.com/shadowhaunted

I am mostly active these days on Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, and Tumblr. You can find all my links, including my Amazon and Goodreads author pages, at this Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dzgrizzle

And you can find links to my published short stories on the About page of this blog.

Here is a pic of my new tattoo on my left inner forearm (February 2024): “only connect,” the epigraph of Howards End by my favorite writer E.M. Forster, and really the theme of all his books (including Maurice, my favorite novel). Typewriter font. Inked by James Tuck, who also did the spooky cover illustration for this website.

“Only connect! That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer. Only connect, and the beast and the monk, robbed of the isolation that is life to either, will die.” ~ from Howards End


See you online!

DragonCon 2023 Report

/ Darrell Grizzle / Leave a comment

DragonCon 2023 is in the books, and it was awesome as always! I was on five panels and one reading event, on the Horror, Urban Fantasy, and Writers’ Tracks. By Friday night I sold all the copies of Lonely Hollows: 15 Tales of Folk Horror and most of the copies of I Never Meant to Start a Murder Cult that I brought with me. Here are some pics and some highlights of the con:


Here I am with Victorian gothic author extraordinaire, Leanna Renee Hieber. We were on a Folk Horror panel together on the Horror Track, and we both read from our stories in Lonely Hollows at the late night Friday event on the Urban Fantasy Track, “Spooky Tales and Haunting Music.” This is the Folk Horror panel (L-R): Darrell Z. Grizzle (Moderator), Leanna Renee Hieber, Kenneth Hite, Violette L Meier:


I got to attend author readings from friends and fellow authors Charles Gannon and Clay Gilbert. Both reading events were awesome!

I was very happy to be on the Dark Academia panel on the Urban Fantasy Track (L-R): Carol Malcolm (Moderator), K.N. Lee, D.R. Perry, R.R. Virdi, J.M. Paquette, Darrell Z. Grizzle:


Here I am, getting ready to moderate the Edgar Allan Poe panel on the Horror Track (L-R): me, Gail Z. Martin, John Hartness, Jessi Ann York, and Sarah Black from my favorite Victorian gothic metal chamber ensemble, Valentine Wolfe:


And here are pics of me as Macabre Coffin Ken (wearing my Barbie movie shirt!); me signing books after the “Spooky Tales and Haunting Music” event (my cap says Ghosts Are Real); and a pic with Michael Varnum getting our morning coffee at Buffalo Bayou Coffee, next door to our hotel during the con.


More pics: with another of my favorite authors, Gail Z. Martin (who also writes MM romance as Morgan Brice); attending a panel on the Diversity Track; and giving blood in the annual Robert A. Heinlein Pay it Forward Blood Drive.


I was especially happy to be a blood donor since this is the first year I’ve been eligible to donate.

See you at DragonCon 2023!

/ Darrell Grizzle / Leave a comment

My Facebook account was recently hacked and deleted, and I have no access to the author page I had created on Facebook. Please note that the only Facebook account that is truly me is my new one: https://www.facebook.com/shadowhaunted

During DragonCon I will be posting several times a day on Facebook, Bluesky, and if a picture is involved, Instagram. Here is my Linktree for all those links and more:
Linktree for Darrell Z. Grizzle

Here is my tentative schedule for DragonCon, August 31 to September 4, 2023. Hope to see you there! I’ll be on panels and a late-night reading on the Horror Track, the Urban Fantasy Track, and the Writers’ Track.


Friday 10:00 am Chastain 1-2 Westin (Urban Fantasy)
Title: Hallowed Halls & Twisted Magic: Dark Academia
Description: Our panel will take a deep dive into this fascinating & very popular literary subgenre where magic practitioners of various types with often differing goals operate within schools, libraries, and other academic institutions.
Panelists: Darrell Z. Grizzle, R.R. Virdi, D.R. Perry, Carol Malcolm (Moderator), K. N. Lee, JM Paquette

Friday 2:30 pm Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Horror)
Title: The Shadows of Folklore: Crafting Folk Horror Stories
Description: From ancient traditions to contemporary legends, folk horror draws on the darker elements of human experience to create tales of terror and unease. Discover the key elements of folk horror, including the use of landscape and setting as well as the incorporation of pagan and occult themes.
Panelists: Violette L Meier, Valerie Dawn Hampton, Darrell Z. Grizzle (Moderator), Leanna Renee Hieber, Kenneth Hite

Friday 8:30 pm Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Horror)
Title: The Fear Within: Finding Your Voice in Horror
Description: Discovering your unique voice is essential to standing out in the horror genre. Join our panelists as they explore how personal experience can shape your approach, the importance of originality and innovation, and how to balance homage with fresh ideas.
Panelists: Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (2023 Literary Guest of Honor), Tony Sarrecchia (Moderator), Jessica Ann York, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Chesya Burke, Brent Abell

Friday 11:30 pm Chastain 1-2 Westin (Urban Fantasy)
Title: Spooky Tales and Haunting Music
Description: Our popular event returns for its fourth year, with authors reading sections of ghost stories with musical underplaying by Valentine Wolfe, who will then play a short concert afterwards.
Panelists: Leanna Renee Hieber, Gail Z. Martin, Valentine Wolfe, Beth Dolgner, Darrell Z. Grizzle

Sunday 1:00 pm Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Horror)
Title: Tell-Tale Hearts: Poe-inspired Works
Description: This panel will showcase contemporary creatives who have been inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. They will discuss their own works that pay homage to Poe’s style, themes, or characters. Gain insights into the creative process behind crafting a modern-day narrative in the vein of the great master himself.
Panelists: Jessica Ann York, John G. Hartness, R E Carr, Gail Z. Martin, Sarah Black (of Valentine Wolfe), Darrell Z. Grizzle (Moderator)

Sunday 7:00 pm Embassy EF Hyatt (Writers Track)
Title: So Scary, I Scared Myself
Description: Lackluster horror? Nope. That won’t work. This panel will discuss ways to amp up your scary stories and novels.
Panelists: Jessica Ann York, Cat Rambo, Anya Martin, Cathalson, Chesya Burke, Darrell Z. Grizzle


And here is a selfie of me being a vampire nerd (and also a Star Trek nerd; that’s Seven of Nine on my phone case) from last year’s DragonCon:

Lonely Hollows Book Event!

/ Darrell Grizzle / Leave a comment

Join us for a book event at FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, Georgia! Celebrating the new anthology, LONELY HOLLOWS: 15 TALES OF FOLK HORROR, which includes my queer Lovecraftian folk horror story, “Incantation on a Summer Night.” The event features seven local authors who have stories in the book, as well as our awesome cover artist Lynne Hansen. Books will be available for purchase at the event. Saturday, July 29, 2023, at 1:00 pm!

And save the dates: I will be an Attending Professional at DragonCon 2023 (August 31 to September 4) and I’ll be an Author Guest at Multiverse 2023 (October 20-22), both in Atlanta! Here’s a link to get your Multiverse membership: https://purchase.growtix.com/eh/Multiverse_Convention_2023?aa=dzgrizzle23

If you want to read LONELY HOLLOWS on Kindle Unlimited, here’s the link. And my previous collection of short stories is also available on Kindle Unlimited: I NEVER MEANT TO START A MURDER CULT.

DragonCon 2022!

/ Darrell Grizzle / Leave a comment

I’m excited to be an Attending Professional at DragonCon, September 1-5 in Atlanta! I’m on 8 panels and events this year, on the Horror Track, the Urban Fantasy Track, and the Writers Track. Here’s where I’ll be:

Thursday 7:00 pm, Westin Peachtree 1-2 (Horror Track)
Gothic Literature: Ruin and Evil
An examination of Gothic themes in literature and how they continue to inform modern writers.
Gail Z. Martin (Moderator), Beth Dolgner, Leanna Renee Hieber, Tony Sarrecchia, Darrell Z. Grizzle

Friday 1:00 pm, Westin Peachtree 1-2 (Horror Track)
Foundations of Fear: Building Haunted Houses in Fiction
A roundtable of authors discuss making the haunted house archetype relevant for modern readers.
Gail Z. Martin (M), Leanna Renee Hieber, Marie Whittaker, Hank Schwaeble, Darrell Z. Grizzle

Friday 7:00 pm, Westin Peachtree 1-2 (Horror Track)
Harvest of Dread: Conjuring Folk Horror in Fiction
Authors on incorporating themes of folk horror into fiction.
James R. Tuck (M), Gail Z. Martin, Jessica Nettles, D.J. Butler, Aaron Michael Ritchey, Darrell Z. Grizzle

Friday 10 pm, Westin Chastain 1-2 (Urban Fantasy)
Things That Go Bump in the Night (or Day): Ghosts & Spirits in Urban Fantasy
Ghosts in Urban Fantasy take many forms & have a variety of goals & purposes. Our panel will discuss those they employ in their work, as well as others they admire.|
Carol Malcolm (M), Delilah Dawson, Beth Dolgner, Leanna Renee Hieber, Stuart Jaffe, Darrell Z. Grizzle

Friday 10 pm, Westin Chastain 1-2 (Urban Fantasy)
Spooky Tales and Haunting Music
Our group of authors will each read a scary story, followed by a short concert of atmospheric music by Victorian Chamber Metal virtuosos, Valentine Wolfe.
Beth Dolgner, Leanna Renee Hieber, Valentine Wolfe, Darrell Z. Grizzle

Saturday 11:30 am, Westin Peachtree 1-2 (Horror Track)
Shattered Mirrors: Writing Human Monsters
It has been said that humans are the most dangerous animals of all. This panel will examine writing killers and other terrifying human evils.
Jessica Ann York (M), Jessica Nettles, Clay Gilbert, Delilah S. Dawson, D.J. Bodden, Darrell Z. Grizzle

Sunday 10:00 am, Westin Peachtree 1-2 (Horror Track)
Sinister Forces: Invoking Supernatural Horror
Authors discuss incorporating supernatural elements into horror fiction.
Darrell Z. Grizzle (M), Jessica Ann York, Bill Mulligan, Hank Schwaeble, Trisha J. Wooldridge

Sunday 2:30 pm, Hyatt Embassy EF (Writers Track)
Horror? Soft Horror? Things that make you jump out of your skin?!
Readers of horror vary in their tastes greatly. Some love a psychological tale while others look for the most blood-thirsty novels available. Where do you, as a writer, fit into this popular genre?
Nancy Knight (M), Gail Z. Martin, James R. Tuck, Erika Lance, David Boop, Darrell Z. Grizzle



DragonCon 2022

/ Darrell Grizzle / Leave a comment

I’m very happy to announce that I will be an Attending Professional at DragonCon this year, September 1-5, 2022, in Atlanta! Look for me on the Horror and Urban Fantasy tracks!


Moderating a vampire panel (V-Wars authors) on the Horror Track, DragonCon 2018.
L-R: me, James Tuck, Dacre Stoker, Scott Sigler, Keith DeCandido, Larry Correia

I Will Not Be Attending DragonCon

/ Darrell Grizzle / 1 Comment

After much consideration, consultation with others, and even prayer, I’ve made the extremely difficult decision to not attend Dragon Con, Sept. 2-6, 2021. I deeply appreciate the safety precautions DragonCon has put in place, but I have several pre-existing medical conditions that put me at high risk, even being fully vaccinated as I am. I am grateful to Derek at the Dragon Con Horror Track and Carol at the Dragon Con Urban Fantasy Track. They were wonderful in creating a schedule for me that looks like spooky fun as well as helping me promote myself as a writer, and I appreciate that more than I can tell. I am also grateful to Valentine Wolfe for creating an ambient vocal music number to accompany the ghost poem I had planned to read at Spooky Tales & Haunting Music, Friday night at the con.

I look forward to seeing everyone at DragonCon 2022!

Where I’ll Be at Monsterama 2019

/ Darrell Grizzle / Leave a comment

Join us at Monsterama, September 27-29, 2019! While DragonCon is my High Holy Days, Monsterama is my home! It’s a much smaller con, but it’s awesome, especially if you’re a monster kid or a fan of retro horror pop culture.

2019 Monsterama.png

Here’s my tentative schedule for the con:

Friday 9/27, 4:30 pm The Bomb Under the Table: Writing Suspense: Amanda DeWees, John Hornor Jacobs, Darrell Z. Grizzle

Friday 9/27, 9:30 pm Author Readings: Charles R. Rutledge, Jeff Strand, John Hornor Jacobs, Darrell Z. Grizzle

Saturday 9/28, 10 am Terror Down South: Nancy Collins, John Hornor Jacobs, Charles R. Rutledge, Darrell Z. Grizzle

Saturday 9/28, 8 pm Collaborative Storytelling: Amanda DeWees, Jeff Strand, Darrell Z. Grizzle

Sunday 9/29, 1 pm Occult Detectives: Cliff Biggers, Amanda DeWees, Darrell Z. Grizzle

Click here to register and for more information!