David C. Hayes is an author, performer and filmmaker. His films, like A Man Called Nereus, Bloody Bloody Bible Camp, Dark Places, The Frankenstein Syndrome, Vampeggedon, Machined, Reborn, Back Woods (and approximately 60 more) can be seen worldwide. He is the author of several novels, collections and graphic novels including The Midnight Creature Feature Picture Show, Cherub, Cannibal Fat Camp, Pegged, American Guignol, M-Company in the Axis of Evil and Muddled Mind: The Complete Works of Ed Wood, Jr.  His graphic novel Rottentail is coming out in April 2019 as a feature film and the mini-series The Rot has debuted to critical acclaim. As a playwright, David's full-length and one-act plays have been produced from coast to coast with a run Off-Broadway for the comedy Swamp Ho and sell-out performances in Phoenix for Dial P for Peanuts. His stand-up comedy and professional wrestling pasts are well hidden, though.

J L Carey Jr. is a writer and an artist living in Michigan with his wife and three children. Born April 1, 1970 in Marlette, Michigan, he honorably served in the US Navy during Desert Storm and worked for many years afterwards in the automotive industry while writing and studying his craft.

He is an Instructor of English and Art at Baker College and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from National University and a BA in English from the University of Michigan – Flint with a concentration in writing. He is also currently a journalist at East Village Magazine and has various stories and poems published in both print and online journals. Books by J L Carey Jr are Turning Pages, poems 2010 from the Agogeebic Press, Callous, In Spring Selected Poems 2013, Repressions Poems 2015, Songs of Epigenesis Poems 2016, The Reflection of Elias Dumont Novel 2016 and Astilla Novelette 2018 from the Black Madonna Press.

TOM SAWYER

Tom Sawyer is an American novelist best known for his Great Lakes-based thrillers, including “Shadows in the Dark,” “Fire Sale” and “The Lighthouse.” Over the last 20 years, he’s strived to become the Michigan version of Stephen King by penning nine novels and nearly 100 short stories that make readers afraid to fall asleep.

 With a byline like his, Tom had no choice but to join the literary world. And much like the namesake in Mark Twain's classic novel, his journey has been filled with adventure.

A childhood spent devouring episodes of The Twilight Zone after dark would ultimately spark his interest in horror and science fiction, a genre where he could mold his own bloodthirsty monsters. Tom began writing his first stories in front of the television while watching the latest 1960s-era Creature Features.

In high school, he turned to journalism to help hone his craft, covering local sports for the Pontiac-Waterford Times and later the Oakland Press.  After earning his bachelor’s degree in Communications from Oakland University, he continued freelancing for newspapers around the state.

Tom’s first novel, “The Lighthouse,” was released in 2000. His three young children were forbidden from reading it at the time, which just piqued their interest even more. “Fire Sale,” a quirky read about the dangers of disturbing an ancient Indian burial ground, grew out of an idea from his brother, Tim. Since then, Tom has published two related books titled “The Sisigwad Papers” and “Fire Sale Tales.”

Tom wrote much of his vampire novel “Shadows in the Dark” while going through Chemotherapy in 2007 for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. He is now grateful to be in remission. His latest works include a collection short stories called “From Paradise to Hell” and novel “White-Out,” released this spring.  

Tom lives in Waterford, Mich., with his lovely wife, Colleen, their dog, Marley, and two mischievous cats.

PAUL COUNELIS

Paul Counelis is an author and freelance writer for Rue Morgue, Michigan haunt guide The Fear Finder, Halloween Machine magazine, the home haunt rag Fright Times and other monster related publications.

His books for adults include the new pocket-sized collection WE DARE THE NIGHT TO CONDESCEND (available for the first time at April Ghoul's Day!), the new HALLOWEEN MACHINE PROFILE: JOHN CARPENTER as well as a look at the paranormal myths and legends of Flint, PARANORMAL MICHIGAN: HAUNTED FLINT.

He is also the author of the childrens' horror series KENDALL KINGSLEY, among other fun, scary books for kids. As UNCLE SALEM, he is the frontman of the horror rock band LORDS OF OCTOBER and a contributor to the GHOUL CAST podcast, a group of horror obsessed fiends who talk about scary movies and stuff every few weeks.

LUCIFER FULCI

Lucifer Fulci has created blogs, reviews, short stories, books, screenplays and poetry that spans multiple formats, publishers and styles. He has won a variety of awards and was once called an “untapped potential for disturbing horror in art and film” with the likes of Edward Lee and Poppy Z Brite.

 His most recent literary  works include 

Wormutanous

The Elder Thing

Vile Witches

Blasphemy (2019)

Lucifer is also the co-founder of Lords of October, and a multi-instrumentalist that is involved in 5  projects as of 2019.

Find him at -

Www.LuciferFulci.com

 and LuciferFulciofficial@gmail.com

JENNIE MOENCH

Jennie Moench was born in Flint and has lived in the area her whole life, mingling and documenting the Flint Arts community, thru video, painting and word, “Flint is my medium.” She has written three occult fiction novels, but will be at the book show with her new book, ‘Near Future.’ It is a collection of five near future stories that depict a world that took on the challenges of saving the planet. Both with practical applications and changes to our culture. All of the stories originate from Flint, Michigan and are told from the perspective of different individuals in this city. They are each an attempt to let the reader see this new world from a variety of eyes.

“My goal is to describe this new, saved, planet so that we might have a clear vision of what needs to be done and promote discussion on how to do it. But, mostly, I like to think of the book as a discussion that the future might have with the present."

JOSH DAVIS

Josh Davis is an American horror author from Flint, Michigan with work in multiple best-selling anthologies including the Rejected for Content series. He has his own book of short stories titled The Cure for ADHD that hit shelves last August. He lives in Montrose, Michigan with his children and fiance. Check out his work and books at the 2019 April Ghouls Day!

VALARIE SAVAGE KINNEY

Valarie Savage Kinney is an occasional pirate and all-around local oddity with a penchant for wrangling words into creepy stories. Her imagination is dark but her soul is filled with glitter. She is the author of Slither, Heckled, and Consumption, as well as the Secrets of Windy Springs Series. She puts the “I” in Weird.

Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/ValarieSavageKinney/

Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/931457066949510/

711 ENTERTAINMENT

711 Entertainment is Flint’s premiere concert and event promoter known for their regular shows at The Machine Shop as well as their work with their annual concert fundraiser to help raise money for Krystal Jo’s Diner’s bicycle giveaway. 711 also has their own podcast focusing on our local scene called Entertain the Experience. We are thrilled to have 711 founder Dustin James on hand at AGD to spread the news about his Halfway To Halloween show he’ll be having at the Flint Local 432 in the evening after our show. For all the fun and details make sure to stop by and see Dustin at April Ghoul’s Day.

FB Page - https://www.facebook.com/711EntertainmentFlint

Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/252078145744902/

Connor Coyne

We want to welcome Connor Coyne to April Ghoul’s Day!

Connor Coyne is a writer living and working in Flint, Michigan. The first installment of his recent serial novel Urbantasm has been praised by novelist William Shunn as "a novel of wonder and horror."  Coyne has also written two novels - Hungry Rats and Shattering Glass - as well as a short story collection entitled Atlas. His essay "Bathtime" was included in the Picador anthology Voices from the Rust Belt and his work has been published by Vox.com, Beltmag, the Santa Clara Review and elsewhere. Coyne is a cofounder of the Gothic Funk Nation, director of Gothic Funk Press, and was a recipient of the 2013 Our Town Grant by the National Endowment for the Arts. You can find him at connorcoyne.com and urbantasm.com.

GREAT LAKES ASSOCIATION OF HORROR WRITERS

Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers (GLAHW) is a collective and compendium of writers, fans, and misshapen children all huddled together to share their love of Horror, Dark Fantasy, Sci-fi, True Crime, and the occasional Horotica. We love words to death. Since the group’s formation in 2007, we have published several anthologies, Erie Tales and Recurring Nightmares, and an annual magazine Ghostlight: Tales of Terror. Our annual Halloween party and convention appearances raise funds for the Dominican and Siena Literacy Organizations. If you like horror, sci-fi, dark fantasy, black humor, or anything creepy and scary, you will love the GLAHW. 

MATT WANSITLER

Matt Wansitler is a graphic novel artist, author and musician. He was heavily influenced by Bill Waterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strips at a very young age. He started drawing comics in middle school, creating stick figures that he affectionately named "The Stupids". He continued to write and illustrate The Stupids comics throughout high school, eventually including his friends in the story lines.

After high school, Matt began a new kind of comic book, with a new style. The new project is called "The Super Squad Force Team".  Matt is currently working on the second book.

Taking a break from The Super Squad Force Team, Matt got inspired to do something out of the box, and crazy by his standards. Thus, born was "Exploder Motherfucker", his first graphic novel.

Matt is currently the drummer of horror punk/metal band, Lords Of October and has also co-authored a collection of short horror stories with author Paul Counelis, "They See Us".

CHAD ERWAY

"Chad lives in Byron, Michigan with his wife Becky and their cat Pfft. When Chad’s not writing spine-tingling tales for youngsters, he enjoys archery, painting miniature war-gaming figures, reading (both comics and books), going to the movies with his wife, beekeeping, and playing video games, just to name a few.

Chad’s love of the kid detective and monster genres spawned this series, but it was his grandson, Jayden, that came up with the name Masterminds Incorporated."

RYAN LIESKE

Ryan Lieske is an award-winning writer and filmmaker who lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is currently at work on way more stories than he has time for but is determined to tell them all. He loves cats, ice cream, reading books, watching movies, listening to post-punk and industrial music WAY too loudly for his age, and is pretty much interested in everything and is never at a loss for things to write about or obsess over. He doesn't sleep well and thinks mornings should be outlawed. Fiction is his first novel.

ALICIA MARSLAND GEROME

Born in 1952 in Caracas, Venezuela of an American father Wm. David Marsland and Canadian mother Amy Louise Downey, the authors of VENEZUELA THROUGH ITS HISTORY, for years the defining text on that country.

Raised in France, Switzerland and England until the age of 5 when her father became the editor of a small town newspaper in Upstate New York, Alicia grew up in Greene, NY where she took art classes from Robert Ford, a local artist, as well as traveling to Binghamton for classes at the Roberson Center.

Graduated from Cornell with a major in Child Development and a minor in Design. Worked for several years in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she was a camera 'man', press operator, and designer for a small graphics firm. Returned to NY and was reporter, typesetter, and artists for her father's paper for a number of years before she met and married the Rev. Eugene D. Geromel, an Anglican priest. Together they have four children, one adopted and one foster child.

Today she operates her own small school while painting on the side. She takes classes with Alla Dubrovich, Jim Ames, and Tim Widener at the Flint Institute of Art.

She has written numerous articles and books throughout her life (plus a three year home-school curriculum). For the past fifteen years she has worked on the sci-fi/fantasy series displayed in this show. Books One and Two of the EIGHTH HERALD are available at April Ghoul's Day and on Amazon. They are entitled "Story, Story" and " Tall Tale". Book Three, "Lie", is being written now.

HEATH LOWRANCE

MELODIE BOLT