Still Floating: 40 Years of Pennywise contributor Lauren Elise Daniels

There is a well-known theory that editors generally put the two strongest stories as bookends, one leading off and the other closing out. With no disrespect to any of the authors or the amazing essays included in Still Floating—they are all wonderful, unique, and necessary to the book—that is exactly the formula I used.

Lauren's essay, "The Barrens: The Walled Garden at the Center of Our Story" is one of the most beautiful pieces of writing I've ever read. To have it included in Still Floating is an honor. The elegance of the writing combined with the deeply personal memories Lauren shares makes for a very emotional read. This essay needs to win all the awards. They may need to invent a new award to properly honor it.

I am thrilled to announce—and I just found this out today—that Lauren will be traveling to Bangor (all the way from Australia!) for the official launch party in September. I had the pleasure of hearing Lauren read the essay at StokerCon and I'm hoping she will repeat the performance at the premiere. As powerful as it is to read, it is an experience on a different level to hear her read it.

Lauren's bio:

An American author, poet, and editor living in Australia, Lauren Elise (L. E.) Daniels is a 2x Bram Stoker Award® and 3x Australasian Shadows Awards nominee for fiction and poetry. She is also a finalist for the Shirley Jackson, Aurealis, Ditmar Awards for editing. Lauren’s novel Serpent’s Wake: A Tale for the Bitten (Interactive Publications) is a Notable Work with the Horror Writers Association’s Mental Health Initiative. Her recent work appears in anthologies published by The Godmother of Horror, Flame Tree Press, Black Spot Books, Crystal Lake Publishing, Hippocampus Press, Twisted Wing Productions, and Underland Press. She holds an MFA from Emerson College, has edited over 150 titles, and directs Brisbane Writers Workshop.