tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83793959582211352562011-11-30T14:27:20.353-08:00Or: The courage to find inspiration in dark places.Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-53303474720356905042011-11-30T14:24:00.000-08:002011-11-30T14:26:25.125-08:00

Aaaaand here we go: Though not completely finished, you order it here (http://www.darkfuse.com/a-tree-of-bones-by-gemma-files-volume-3-of-the-hexslinger-series.html), for 10% off. So...if you're thus inclined, please do.;)

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-61547838701303450952011-07-28T08:20:00.000-07:002011-07-28T09:23:06.197-07:00

...but LJ's down, and may be down some time. I suppose there's always the option of switching the Dreamwidth, but...yeah, I dunno. Still not really feeling that place, considering its cast of proselytizing backbone inhabitants. So, instead: Have the entry I would've put up there, if that option was open to me.At the moment, I'm still behind as hell on A Tree of Bones, still unimpressed by my own

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-83656255239508999632011-07-18T09:50:00.001-07:002011-07-18T10:04:48.967-07:00

I'm consistently amazed by how long the recognition tail on A Book of Tongues has been, thus far, and--given the initial distribution/release problems with A Rope of Thorns--can only hope this state of affairs will continue with the other two (especially once I'm actually done with A Tree of Bones).But I've been really negligent in terms of linking to new reviews of either, so here we go:A Book

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-54590587650328997882011-07-12T06:46:00.001-07:002011-07-12T06:51:13.971-07:00

So--I'm off to Readercon as of Thursday, and here's my schedule:Thursday July 148:00 PM G We All Produce, We All Consume. Paul Di Filippo, Gemma Files, Robert Killheffer, K.A. Laity (leader), Jamie Todd Rubin. In a 2008 blog post, Leah Bobet connected the dots of increasing media interactivity and increasing independent authorship. Both trends have only escalated in the years since. When

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-11187690629796864782011-04-25T15:22:00.000-07:002011-04-25T15:42:40.556-07:00

As fans of the Hexslinger Series can probably figure out, I’ve been interested in the Mayan and Aztec pantheons for a very long time, so long that I almost can’t actually recall what first pointed me in their direction. Most likely, however, it was a 1974 paperback called Lost Cities and Vanished Civilizations by Robert Silverberg (http://retrobookshop.com/

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-39457752915961806682011-04-11T06:58:00.000-07:002011-04-11T06:59:27.016-07:00

It was a great Ad Astra, but Good God Almighty, I'm tired. And Cal seems to have picked up something, too--he was horky this morning, so he's spending the day with me. Fingers crossed it goes away quickly.Tonight, meanwhile--for those in Toronto who're interested--we have that This Is Not A Reading Series appearance--me, Claude Lalumiere, David Nickle at the Gladstone Hotel; blackjack, no hookers

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-76593772273983830192011-04-07T16:57:00.000-07:002011-04-07T21:06:14.213-07:00

...for those who are interested:Fri., 8pm, Salon 241, Horror in Unexpected Places -- Ellan Datlow, Craig Davidson, Gemma Files, Rob Shearman, Rio YouersFri., 10pm, Salon 343, Tricks of the Screenwriting Trade -- Glenn Norman (m), Michelle Goodeve, Gemma Files, Herb Kauderer, Ryan McFaddenSat., 11am, Ballroom Centre, Chilling Tales: A New Chapter in Canadian Horror and Dark Fantasy -- Michael

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-17469282049502809342011-04-04T09:04:00.000-07:002011-04-07T16:58:54.296-07:00

"Crossing the River", first published in Dark Arts Books' Mighty Unclean anthology. Cut, paste, enjoy (https://sites.google.com/site/crossingtheriveracat/). Consider it my birthday gift to y'all.;)

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-40115128266051699142011-04-04T08:13:00.000-07:002011-04-04T08:18:23.784-07:00

I must admit: I always expected to take far more crap than I’ve thus far wound up doing about there being so few women in A Book of Tongues, not to mention the equally fun fact that those few females who do make an appearance are best categorized as whores, victims, bitches, monsters or some amazingly non-PC combination of all four. (In my own defense, I still consider Dine sorceress “Grandma”

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-59560988251796908012011-02-22T06:10:00.000-08:002011-02-22T06:12:23.607-08:00

The excellent Ms. Maura McHugh interviewed me at Black Static magazine's main web-page. It was a lot of fun to do, and you'll find the result here (http://ttapress.com/1027/gemma-files-interviewed-by-maura-mchugh/0/5/).

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-63344166141250771122011-02-17T08:16:00.000-08:002011-02-17T08:29:10.062-08:00

So...as we’ve established, music is a big part of my creative process. And one of the more fun things that happened this time ‘round was that I ended up channeling my period-appropriate tunes obsession into a very weird little sidebar: In order to come up with a suitably enraging plot-point for Chapter Six of A Rope of Thorns, much of which takes place during someone’s post-wedding after-party, I

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-75253330304620354102011-01-06T09:47:00.000-08:002011-01-06T09:51:18.116-08:00

Yes, I fell off mightily near the end of 2010, for which I'm very sorry. There have been reviews to link to a-plenty since then, along with upcoming supplementals for the newest Hexslinger book. But today's big news is this:Available right now for pre-order, through Horror Mall: A Rope of Thorns, the hardback (http://www.horror-mall.com/

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-81984278926085711172010-09-15T22:49:00.000-07:002010-09-15T22:52:20.408-07:00

As we move towards the already-extended deadline (end of November), A Rope of Thorns has officially become the middle book of a trilogy. As my friend Jason Taniguchi says: "Of course! The only person surprised by this is Gemma."Book Three will be called A Tree of Bones, and is due in April of 2012, just in time for the Mayan Apocalypse. Damn my luck!

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-76381893261374316902010-07-23T10:02:00.000-07:002010-07-23T10:06:37.368-07:00

...by Brit Mandelo, and crazily good, here:http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/07/queering-sff-a-book-of-tongues-by-gemma-filesAlso, my World's Biggest Bookstore interview is up on the 'Net in full, here:http://scififanletter.blogspot.com/2010/07/gemma-files-author-interview.htmlI realize I haven't been around a lot, but that's because I really need to pour on speed if I'm going to break my way through

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-13059640110154265932010-06-26T17:11:00.000-07:002010-06-26T17:15:18.650-07:00

…a huge influx of critical response, starting with:Rue Morgue #102by Justine WarwickGraced with an absolutely beautiful cover by designer Erik Mohr, Gemma Files’ first novel, A Book of Tongues, is a “weird West” tale set in 1867. It tells the story of Pinkerton detective Ed Morrow, who is sent to infiltrate a brutal gang of outlaws led by the Reverend Asher Rook, ex-Confederate chaplain and dark

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-61228571795735557572010-05-26T13:19:00.000-07:002010-05-26T13:20:51.697-07:00

My Torontoist profile is up , and lookin' damn fine, if I say so myself. You'll find it here:http://books.torontoist.com/2010/05/speaking-in-tongues-gemma-files-on-the-hexslinger-series/Enjoy!

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-67564852814246316712010-05-23T11:49:00.000-07:002010-05-23T11:50:55.924-07:00

Also: Some of you may recall that I won this particular competition a few years back, with "Spectral Evidence". But as of June 1st, I'm well-pleased to be helping judge the 15th ChiZine Short Story Contest, along with such coolio fellow judges as Dave Nickle, Brent Hayward and Paul Tremblay. Hellblazer writer Mike Carey will be the tie-breaker.Details:PRIZES:1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes: Publication

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-16720301959687101172010-05-23T11:46:00.000-07:002010-05-23T11:48:08.792-07:00

Ah, can't please everybody!;) (http://www.amazon.com/Book-Tongues-1-Hexslinger/product-reviews/0981297862/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1)Actually, I've been waiting for my first Amazon review, and thought it would likely as not be from somebody who was more put off than enthused over my trouser-ripping sensibilities. Nevertheless, I'm happy to note he seems to have liked the

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-11947908128106883062010-05-20T16:45:00.000-07:002010-05-20T17:01:40.358-07:00

Fangoria #294Book of the Month: A Book of Tongues by Gemma FilesBy Chris AlexanderFango readers residing in Toronto may recall the days when noted, International Horror Guild award-winning Gemma Files used to scribble film reviews for lefty arts and culture newspaper Eye Weekly. As a film-school-slogging youth, I fell in love with her, the way she championed the less fortunate and less popular

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-57816584584264090452010-04-21T18:49:00.000-07:002010-04-21T20:44:48.158-07:00

At some point, most religions seem to offer visions of widespread gore and pending annihilation—perhaps none more gorily than the linked faith of the ancient Aztecs and Mayans. For her first novel A Book of Tongues, Gemma Files injects elements from that religion into the already-brutal Wild West soon after the Civil War, amping up the horror of a very dark tale that introduces the Hexslinger

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-66954216016087010622010-04-19T10:13:00.000-07:002010-04-21T20:43:50.410-07:00

Whenever it comes to music, like Laurence-as-Prince-Naveen in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog might say, “I’m for it.” It’s undeniably important to my process—setting a mood, giving me character insight, helping me explain things to myself. For years now, the second thing I always do when I start a new project (after my initial notes) is to cobble together a play-list of songs that remind me

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-54021828210410235782010-04-19T06:30:00.000-07:002010-04-21T20:44:14.852-07:00

Not only did my story "The Jacaranda Smile" get nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award in the Best Short Story category, but the anthology it appeared in--Apparitions, edited by Michael Kelly--was nominated for Best Anthology, and "each thing I show you is a piece of my death" was nominated for Best Novelette. And yes, this means both Steve and I will be going to Readercon this year. One way or

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-28624957170607284482010-04-02T13:30:00.000-07:002010-04-02T13:31:23.092-07:00

Perhaps you have been wondering where I will be, and what I will be doing, during next week's Ad Astra Convention, in Toronto, Canada. Well, wonder no more!Friday April 9: NOTHING SCHEDULED.Saturday April 10, 11:00 AM: ChiZine Publications Panel, Ballroom Centre. Attending: Brett Alexander Savory, Sandra Kasturi, Matt Moore Gemma Files, David Nickle, Claude Lalumiere, Douglas Smith, Helen

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-36417582785526477582010-03-31T09:29:00.001-07:002010-03-31T09:30:31.106-07:00

In slightly more personal news, I'm just back from World Horror Con in Brighton, England. Here's my affable and discreet traveling companion, David Nickle, with a far better run-down of what occurred than I could possibly manage (http://tiny.cc/ldndr). It has pictures! Some of/including me!Plus, it sub-showcases my first official review for A Book of Tongues, here (http://tiny.cc/s25mi).

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-22050801233756311532010-03-31T09:15:00.000-07:002010-04-21T20:44:31.266-07:00

Allan Pinkeron and his “Pinks”Since we’ve spent a fair deal of time on the opposite (considering that my two great fictional loves are the motivations and internal lives of villains and antiheroes), it only makes sense that we should perhaps take a brief moment to talk about “good guys”. But then again, in A Book of Tongues, the forces of law and order are mainly represented by Allan Pinkerton’s

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-7852758464819670932010-03-21T20:23:00.000-07:002010-03-21T20:26:53.579-07:00

"The Gemma Files" (ha, ha), a combination FAQ and Media Kit, can now be found here:http://sites.google.com/site/thegemmafiles/Enjoy.Nota bene: Though I had hoped to have the rest of the Book of Tongues pre-release material up before I leave for World Horror Con, things are moving pretty fast, so maybe not. Apologies in advance. I'll see y'all when I come back...

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-91677979665085749152010-03-08T06:51:00.000-08:002010-04-21T20:45:11.654-07:00

You may have already noticed I’m not much of a classic world-builder—resonance interests me far more than consistency, for which I rely on back-up from my RPG-designing husband Stephen J. Barringer (with whom I co-wrote the story “each thing I show you is a piece of my death”, first published in Clockwork Phoenix 2, from Norilana Books; it will be republished later this year in Best Horror of the

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-58400717635219477182010-02-19T09:20:00.000-08:002010-02-19T21:03:57.206-08:00

Today, we'll talk about two men of faith. Let's start with...“Reverend” Asher Elijah Rook There’s just something about a bad man who knows his Bible. Much like with Chess and Ben Foster, it all began with Russell Crowe’s Ben Wade in 3:10 to Yuma—but Ben’s a happy hypocrite in many ways, an atheist autodidact who uses the Good Book as just another way to work his will on idiots. I wanted Reverend

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-76990392104947008282010-02-17T10:23:00.000-08:002010-03-31T09:36:10.600-07:00

Predictably, we begin with:Chess PargeterThis pretty little Satan of a man wears his preferences the way he wears his guns—outside his pants, for all the honest world to feel. An unrepentant man-killer in both senses of the phrase, he’s both known since damn early on that ladies ain’t his meat and he ain’t theirs, and consistently sneered at the dangers of living life the way he chooses to.

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-14103258676486937332010-02-01T10:06:00.000-08:002010-04-21T20:42:56.254-07:00

Due to space and time constraints, CZP Publications were unable to allow me to include my original Apologia at the back of A Book of Tongues. So I thought I'd start my pre-release series of related promotional materials there--by proving I did actually do some research, though not a lot, and explaining a little bit about my "process" (ha ha). Enjoy.A BOOK OF TONGUES: Apologia, References, Etc.I

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-79060155389395066692009-12-10T19:52:00.001-08:002009-12-10T19:55:47.517-08:00

So now it can be told: My story "Hell Friend" will appear in Clockwork Phoenix 3, which makes two years in a row. Coincidentally, So now it can be told, Part Deux: Ellen Datlow has accepted "each thing i show you is a piece of my death", from Clockwork Phoenix 2, for reprint in Year's Best Horror #2. My co-author/husband Stephen J. Barringer and I are both far beyond pleased; it's the sort of

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-37676795702153144582009-12-08T22:40:00.000-08:002009-12-08T22:41:35.773-08:00

Last year, I sold a website called Spoken Ink--which specializes in short stories read by solid British actors--the rights to adapt "The Emperor's Old Bones" for podcast/download. And now, just in time for Christmas, you can listen to a sample and/or download the rest here:http://www.spokenink.co.uk/catalog?genre=3#174The actor playing Tim is named Martin Ball, and I like his quality a lot--he

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-69063359738559431442009-11-30T10:52:00.001-08:002009-11-30T11:04:26.045-08:00

Hi, all. If you've wondered where I've been, I'm now almost two weeks past having gotten a much-needed breast reduction, so it's all been about itchy, itchy recuperation 'round my place, lately. However, there have been a few new developments in departments unrelated to my boob-size, too:First off, it's decided...I'm going to Brighton for World Horror Con 2010! This means I'll be physically

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-65341627890754276232009-11-08T20:38:00.000-08:002009-11-08T20:43:24.925-08:00

"Jack-Knife: A Melodrama Inspired from Life, in Fourteen Vocal Tableaux" is the second of my uncollected stories to be hosted through Dark is Better. First published in Shivers IV (Cemetery Dance), it owes a great deal to my entirely predictable adolescent interest in Ripperiana; I wrote it initially wit the idea of submitting it to the Canadian Broadcasting Company as a radio play, inspired by

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-91577297863379436782009-10-30T11:12:00.000-07:002010-04-21T20:45:56.897-07:00

The first uncollected story to be officially posted at Dark is Better is "Dead Voices on Air (A Landscape with Maps & Legends); check the sidebar to click on through, then click on the story's title in that site's "Table of Contents". This piece was directly influenced by web-based storytelling like "The Dionaea House", as well as my own longstanding love of folk music and fairytales. It also

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-53881685974072879262009-10-29T23:20:00.000-07:002010-02-07T10:08:50.716-08:00

On Wednesday, I finished Draft Zero of A Book of Tongues; today was mainly spent editing it, and tomorrow it gets sent off to my ChiZine publisher/editors (along with others), who hopefully will have advice for me on where best to cut 20,000 words out. Seems like a lot, but as my husband points out, that's basically just 1,000 words per each of the novel's 22 chapters.Meanwhile, I've also been

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8379395958221135256.post-92050092948478370392009-06-09T13:44:00.000-07:002009-06-09T13:46:34.411-07:00

With Livejournal possibly on the way out, I've decided to move at least some of my action over here. We'll see what it amounts to--possibly just a place to park my stuff, or something distinct from my established presence. As you were.

Gemma Fileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07480180851740150282noreply@blogger.com0