LOSCON 30 GUEST BIO

Arguably too perky for such dark stuff, Maria writes horror and lots of it.   Her stories and poetry have appeared in such online publications as Gothic.net, Chiaroscuro Magazine, Horrorfind.com, The Swamp, and Far Sector SFFH, as well as anthologies from Catalyst Press and Vox 13.   Her dark poetry collection, Biting Midnight: A Feast of Darksome Verse, was released in 2002 by Medium Rare Books.   She appeared three times the last two years on the Bram Stoker Preliminary Ballot, has received various Honorable Mentions in the Year's Best Fantasy & Horror anthologies, and was a Finalist in the 2003 Moondance Film Festival fiction competition sponsored by Zoetrope, Oprah, and other industry behemoths.   She is Head of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Horror Writers Association, and studies swordplay for stage and screen with industry professionals.