My Love/Shove (Mostly Shove) in BITCH #47

Wanna know more about such wondrous vampire sex toys as the Succu Dry and The Vamp? ("It Sparkles!") Check out my contribution to the Love/Shove section in Issue #47 of Bitch Magazine. On Page 9, it's "Twilight Merch Update: XXX Edition." Thanks to the editors for giving me a chance to show off my snark-fu.

"Though Thy Lips Are Pale" Receives Honorable Mention

Ellen Datlow has given my short story "Though Thy Lips Are Pale" an Honorable Mention for The 2009 Year's Best Horror. If you would like to read the story, it's available online. Please leave a comment if you can. Thanks!

"39 Regrets" to Appear in Hitchcock Anthology

My light verse poem "39 Regrets" will be appearing in A Sea of Alone: Poems for Alfred Hitchcock from Dark Scribe Press, edited by Christopher Conlon.

Interview on Talking Sex Radio

I'll be appearing live via webcast on Talking Sex Radio at 8:00pm on February 8th. Watch me and author Christa Faust as we talk about writing, sex and my crazy bra size.

Make/Shift Magazine Party Reading This Sunday!

What do Jedi Masters, matzos and masturbation have in common? Hit the make/shift magazine party this Sunday
and find out as I read my essay "Dogma, Darth Vader and My Sexual Awakening" from Issue 5!

Sunday, June 28, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 9:30pm
Location: Jess's house (e-mail jess@makeshiftmag.com for address)
City/Town: Los Angeles, CA

Unspeakable Horror Wins the Bram Stoker Award for Best Anthology

The Dark Scribe Press anthology, Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet won the Bram Stoker Award
for Best Anthology of 2008! It contains my story, "In Her Mirrors, Dimly." Check it out!

Stoker Awards Weekend Schedule

I'll be making three scheduled appearances at the Stoker Awards Weekend:

June 11th, Thursday
7pm
Dark Delicacies Gang Bang Signing

June 12th, Friday
4pm
GLBT in Horror (Panel)

June 13th, Saturday
2pm
Reading

Come to one -- come to all! I'll be reading my latest work, "Nickleback Ned," which screenwriter Sean Dickson said was
"like reading a thrilling Stephen King story, back when he was fresh and dangerous."

I'll also be at the awards banquet. Looking forward to see the usual suspects and more!

"The Last Word" Makes First Bram Stoker Award First Cut

My story "The Last Word" has made the 2008 Bram Stoker Award Preliminary Ballot in the category of Best Short Fiction.

The Bram Stoker Award is given out by the Horror Writers Association. The Final Ballot -- and thus official award nominations

-- will be named in mid March.

"Dogma, Darth Vader, and My Sexual Awakening"

My essay "Dogma, Darth Vader, and My Sexual Awakening" will be appearing in the feminist and social justice magazine, make/shift this Spring 2009.

I'm psyched to be branching out this way, reaching new readers and talking about sexuality, especially in a magazine given awards by The Utne Reader

two years in a row!

Talking Sex Radio on December 15th

I'll be appearing live via webcast on Talking Sex Radio at 8:00pm on December 15th. Watch me and my pal, Devi Snively, as we talk about writing,
kink and all kinds of steamy business. At the website, go to the "TV or Radio" menu and select "Live TV Show" at the appropriate hour.

Unspeakable Horror Release on December 1st

On December 1st, Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet was released from Dark Scribe Press. It includes a tale by
yours truly, of course, but it also contains tales by Lee Thomas, Sarah Langan, Rick R. Reed, Lisa Morton and many other wonderful writers!

Story to Appear in Dark Delicacies 3

I'm pleased to report that my story, "Though Thy Lips Are Pale," is to appear in the third installment of the successful
anthology series, Dark Delicacies, which is being published by Perseus/Running Press. Major talents to headline the TOC include
Clive Barker, Chuck Palahniuk, David Morrell and Heather Graham. I'm tickled peony!

Me on Venice Beach with the BBC

On the morning of September 10th, I sat at a table with the head producer Ros Atkins; Mark Sawyer (political science professor at UCLA),
editor Ted Johnson from Variety (who had been arrested during the protests outside the RNC), and KPFK radio show host
Maria Joyouspirit for two hours of international radio talk about American politics, style and spin.

Check out the 50-minute podcast!

Dark Scribe Press Buys "In Her Mirrors, Dimly"

Editor Vince Liaguno has purchased my story, "In Her Mirrors, Dimly" for his new queer horror anthology,
Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet. I'm very happy to be part of a fantastic lineup
of amazing writers, including Sarah Langan, Lisa Morton and Lee Thomas.

Watch the book trailer!

An Interview with New Voices in Horror

Every wonder what the true story is behind my story "When Gods Die"? Find out that and more in this rockin' interview with DOC at NVH.

Thomas Roche Reviews Sins of the Sirens

Here's a cool review from Thomas Roche on ErosZine for Sins of the Sirens. Thanks, Thomas!

Review & Interview with David Niall Wilson

Check out this thorough and thoughtful review of Sins of the Sirens and then David's interview with the most blasphemous Siren of all.

Stay tuned for more interviews on their way.

Sinning in San Francisco

Sorry if you missed the signing in Los Angeles. We signed and sold everything! However, there's going to be
a fantastic reading and signing up in San Francisco:

February 23rd, 2008, Saturday
3:00pm
Maria Alexander & Loren Rhoads
Signing and Reading from
Sins of the Sirens
Borderlands Books
866 Valencia St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
(888) 893-4008

See you there!

Free Shipping for Your SINS

If you pre-order your copy of Sins of the Sirens from Dark Arts Books before December 31st, you'll get free shipping!

Or if you'd rather pre-order from Amazon, it's available there, too!

The Sirens of Summer

Dark Arts Books has announced that this summer it will be releasing Sins of the Sirens.
This is a collection of "new stories and rarities" by the following sirens:

Maria Alexander (Hey, that's me!)

Christa Faust

Loren Rhoads

Mehitobel Wilson

I'm delighted to be in such good company, of course! The collection will include
two new tales -- "The Last Word" and "Pinned" -- as well as a reprint, "The Dark River of His Flesh," from Paradox Magazine.

More French Kink on ErosZine.com

Part II of my exclusive two-part report for ErosZine.com on the BDSM scene here in France appeared February 20th:

Part II: Rendez-Vous and Retail in French BDSM

WARNING: This website deals with sexuality and all kinds of naughty, perverted stuff.

French Kink: A Report on ErosZine.com

Exclusively for ErosZine.com, I've written a two-part report on the BDSM scene here in France:

Part I: Liberte, Egalite, Sexualite* -- French Philosophy and BDSM Culture

WARNING: This website deals with sexuality. And you will have your libertine stereotypes of France crushed.

Part II appears in February 2007. Stay tuned!

*Apologies to my French readers. My website is corrupting foreign characters, so I've removed them.

Back on the BBC with Blasphemy!

On January 5, 2007, I returned to the BBC World Radio show "Have Your Say" to discuss The Blasphemy Challenge.
Have a soul you're not using? Why not trade it for a copy of Brian Flemming's documentary The Who Wasn't There?

Click here to hear the show!

I open with the host and close it with a commentary. There were lots of great points made by interesting speakers from all over the world. Check it out!

Interview on the BBC.

On December 21, I had the opportunity to be part of the "Have Your Say" radio show on BBC World Radio about French culture,
Paris, and the phenomenon of Japanese tourists having to be repatriated for nervous breakdowns during Parisian vacations.

Click here to listen to the show! I'm the first person interviewed.

Signed with Paula Balzer at The Paula Balzer Agency.

Paula Balzer, who was long with Sarah Lazin Books and has sold numerous nonfiction and fiction books, is now representing all of my literary work.
Please contact her if you have any questions about my current manuscripts or film rights to stories. Her information is:

Paula Balzer
The Paula Balzer Agency
55 Eastern Parkway #5H
Brooklyn, NY 11238
(347) 787-4131
paula at pbliterary dot com

I'll be participating atWHC this year! It's May 11th-14th. My schedule is as follows:

Thursday evening, May 11th @ 8:00pm
Signing at Borderlands Books

Friday afternoon, May 12 @ 1:00pm
A Tradition of Horrible Ladies, a Persephone Panel
Each Persephonite will be speaking on a different historically important
female horror writer. I'll be speaking about the ghost stories of Edith Wharton.

Friday evening, May 12th @ 8:00pm
Mass Autograph Signing

Saturday afternoon, May 13th @ 1:00pm
A reading
I'll probably trot out my newly penned tale, "The Last Word" -- you
don't want to miss this!

Hope to see you there!

This Thursday, I'll be speaking to a class at Otis College on Vampire Literature taught by Dr. Steve Wehmeyer, the ex-bodhran player of the world-famous Gaelic Storm band.

The talk will mainly cover vampire literature, my own works, and how they all tie into various subcultures, especially bondage, blood sports, and Gothic community.

Two of my stories published last year have qualified for the 2005 Bram Stoker Award:

"This Body of Death," which appeared in Lost on the Darkside, edited by John Pelan for
ROC Books, made the Short Fiction category.

"Veil of Skin," which appeared in Blood Surrender, edited by Cecilia Tan for Blue Moon Books,
an imprint of Avalon Publishing, made the Long Fiction category.

Voting on the preliminary ballot takes place until March 28, 2006. Wish me luck!

I've qualified for the 2006 John W. Campbell award!

This is an award for New Writers in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Check out my official biography. If you're attending WorldCon 2006 and are registered, you can nominate me by March 10th.

The newly resurrected Gothic.net has just reprinted four of my stories, including
the evil Christmas story "Coming Home", and others:

"When Gods Die"
"Black Roses and Hail Mary's"
and my most acclaimed story, "The King of Shadows"

Much congratulations and thanks to Amelia G and Forrest Black for bringing something back
from the dead and making it so beautiful.

Check out my signing of "This Body of Death" in Lost on the Darkside with
award-winning writer Michael Reaves:

January 14th, 2006, Saturday at 2:00pm
Dark Delicacies
4213 W. Burbank Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505
1-888-DARKDEL

A host of other writers will be joining us. See the Dark Delicacies website for more details.

I'll be a Guest at Loscon 32, participating in panels and signing autographs.

Currently, I'm scheduled to appear as follows:

Saturday, November 26th
Autograph Session 11:30am
Building a "Bible" for a Novel Series 1:00pm
(with Steven Barnes, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Deborah J. Ross, and Chris Weber)

Sunday, November 27th
Good Vampire, Bad Vampire 11:30am
(with Mick Farren, Julie Sczesny, Jill Sherwin, and Nancy Ellis Taylor)

Come hear a poetry reading fundraiser for Katrina victims!

December 12th, 2005 around 8pm
Santa Catalina Branch of the Pasadena Public Library
999 E. Washington Blvd.
Pasadena, CA
(626) 744-7272

I'll be reading my work from In the Arms of Words, a charity anthology of poetry for the victims of all natural disasters, recently released from Foothills Publishing.

I'll be reading my erotic horror fiction at the World Fantasy Convention in Madison, WI:

November 5th, 2005
8:30pm
Conference V
"This Body of Death," in Lost on the Darkside from ROC Books.

My novelette "This Body of Death" appears in Lost on the Darkside, which was just released from ROC Books.