Month: March 2017

Dark Side of the Con 2017: A Rundown of America’s First Goth Convention

Last weekend I went over to the Dark Side, at Jeff Mach and VampireFreaks’s newest convention, a three-day event designed specifically for goths. Dark Side of the Con came right on the heels of another brand new convention, Glimmerdark, which I attended and posted a rundown of last month. In my overview, I noted that Glimmerdark hit a few snags trying to figure out what kind of convention it was and what audience it wanted to cater to. Dark Side of the Con, I felt, had no such problem. The convention was geared toward a very specific audience—goths—and with VampireFreaks helping to run the show, it was an audience that the organizers knew well. A few weeks ago, I posted a preview of which aspects of the con I was looking forward to most. Overall, my expectations fared pretty well against reality, despite the fact that a poorly timed sore throat and headache prevented me from getting as much out of the weekend as I wanted to. Read on for some highlights of the convention.

The spooky DJ stand for Dark Side’s Friday and Saturday night parties

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Bloggiesta To Do List: Spring 2017

It snuck up on me this year, but apparently it’s time for another Bloggiesta! Spring Bloggiesta is a week-long blogging marathon hosted by bloggiesta.com. From today (Monday, March 20) until Sunday March 26, bloggers around the internet will come together to support and inspire each other while working on bettering their own blogs. I always find Bloggiesta events to be a helpful reminder for me to take care of long-term blog-related goals and to get some great advice from more experienced bloggers.  Continue reading Bloggiesta To Do List: Spring 2017

Sea of Secrets Review—A Gothic Romance Spin on Hamlet

Oriel’s life seems like a fairy tale when she finally escapes her emotionally abusive father to go live with some loving—and wealthy!—long-lost relatives. But when she meets Herron, the dark and brooding young duke, she learns that this paradise may not be as perfect as it seems. Could someone in her new family really be a murderer, as the duke suspects? Find out when you read Sea of Secrets by Amanda DeWees! Last year, I picked up a couple of works by this spectacular self-published author of Victorian Gothic fiction, including her short Christmas tale Upon a Ghostly Yule. As a bit of a spin-off from Sea of Secrets, this short story introduced me to the Reginald family and hinted at their myriad scandals. It was about time, then, that I finally picked up Sea of Secrets itself. Continue reading Sea of Secrets Review—A Gothic Romance Spin on Hamlet

The Gothic Library Is Now an IndieBound Affiliate!

Dear readers, I am excited to announce that The Gothic Library is now an IndieBound Affiliate! What does this mean? It means that you can now support both The Gothic Library and your local independent bookstore by purchasing books through the IndieBound affiliate links at the bottom of many of my posts.

IndieBound.org is a website dedicated to connecting you to independently owned businesses around the country. Instead of getting your books from Amazon or large chain stores, you can shop online with the same ease while supporting the members of the industry that need it the most. Buying from independent bookstores has a number of benefits. Independent bookstores are some of the biggest supporters of the little guys! They often take risks on new authors, small publishers, and even the self-published, and help to give them a boost. They are also the foundation of fantastic communities. Workers at independent bookstores are some of the most passionate book-lovers I’ve met, and they are masters at curating and recommending books. Independent bookstores bring readers together, and can help connect authors with a local fanbase. Economically, shopping at a local independent bookstore keeps more money within your own community. On IndieBound, you can plug in your zip code to buy from local stores, even when you’re shopping online! Check out IndieBound.org for more reasons why you should shop indie.

So how does this help The Gothic Library? Well, if you click on any of my affiliate links and then make a purchase, either through IndieBound or on the website of one of the independent bookstores that it links to, I get a small percentage of the proceeds! These probably won’t add up to much, but every little bit helps fuel my book-love. I will be adding links to the end of my book review posts whenever possible, so if my review piques your interest consider taking the opportunity to buy the book! I’ve started adding links to some of my older posts and will be including them in my book reviews going forward.

In the mean time, you can also check out my general IndieBound link below and just browse. As long as you originally reach the website through my link, any purchase you make will support The Gothic Library. Happy shopping!
Shop Indie Bookstores

Gothtrepreneur: Interview with Jet from VampireFreaks

Last week, I gave you all a preview of what I’m looking forward to at the new goth convention, Dark Side of the Con. This week, I got to chat with Jet, VampireFreaks founder and co-host of the convention, to ask him about goth, gothic events, and more. Jet has had a huge influence in the goth scene over the past two decades, both in New York City and world wide via his website, and I’m very excited to have had the chance to meet him and get his perspective on the goth scene.

Jet, founder of Vampire Freaks

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Preview of Dark Side of the Con: Finally a Local Goth Convention!

Want to spend a weekend just letting your goth flag fly in a hotel full of other creatures of the night? This St. Patrick’s Day weekend, you can dodge the garish green and seclude yourself among like-minded admirers of a monochrome wardrobe at Dark Side of the Con. Last month I gave you all a sneak peek and then overview of a brand new faerie festival called Glimmerdark. Now I’ve been invited back to attend another inaugural Jeff Mach Event and report back with my thoughts. Dark Side of the Con, happening in Piscataway, NJ, on March 17–19, is a new goth convention co-hosted by Jeff Mach and Vampire Freaks—the creators of a thriving online goth community and purveyors of excellent gothic goods. I’ll give you the low-down after the con, but in the meantime, here’s what’s got me excited, so far:

Continue reading Preview of Dark Side of the Con: Finally a Local Goth Convention!