Spooky Empire 2026 Speaker's Schedule

I'm thrilled to be one of the horror authors invited to speak at Spooky Empire in Orlando, FL this Halloween weekend! The full schedule for the creators' track will be posted on the official convention website soon. For now, here are the events in which I'll be participating:

Friday, October 30th:

5:00 PM - 60 Years of Dark Shadows

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the gothic soap opera. Our experts talk about the show’s legacy, its ongoing influence, and where its newest incarnation might take us.

Panelists: Amanda Desiree, Stephanie E. Jensen, Bridget Brave, Elaine Pascale, Douglas Ford

Moderator: Tom Lucas

6:00 PM - Signing Table

Amanda Desiree, Douglas Ford

Saturday, October 31st:

1:00 PM - Horror for Beginners

Re-introduce yourself to your horror favorites with this walk-through horror history with filmmaker and Lecturer in Film at UCF, Zachary Beckler.

Panelists: Sarah Tice, Bridget Brave, Matt Masucci, Amanda Desiree

Moderator: Zachary Beckler

5:00 PM - Found Footage and Creepy Accounts

Join a discussion of found footage horror and epistolary horror. Explore how these styles make our stories more frightening and where changes in technology and media could take us next.

Panelists: Amanda Desiree, Robbie Dorman, Matt Masucci, Josh Ginsberg, Chris Balzano

Moderator: Zachary Beckler

7:00 PM - Horror Jeopardy!

This game show-style panel pits two teams against one another to see who can most quickly prove their expertise in horror trivia.

Panelists: Sarah Tice, Zachary Beckler, Amanda Desiree, Elaine Pascale, John Skipp, Douglas Ford

Moderator: Eric O’Dierno

Sunday. November 1st:

2:00 PM - It’s All in Your Head—and Under Your Skin

Our panelists discuss the intersections between mind and body in horror and what freaks them out more: body horror or psychological horror?

Panelists: Sarah Tice, Stephanie E. Jensen, Amanda Desiree, Usman T. Malik, Sally Darling

Moderator: John Skipp

3:00 PM - Monsters Remixed

With some of our favorite cinematic monsters nearing 100 years old, this panel explores their newest incarnations, why we still love them, how they have shaped modern horror, and how they might continue to evolve.

Panelists: Amanda Desiree, Elaine Pascale, Sally Darling, Robbie Dorman, Douglas Ford

Moderator: Matt Masucci

Spooky Empire will be held at the Hyatt Regency located at 9801 International Dr., Orlando, FL 32819. Tickets can be purchased and more event details can be found at https://spookyempire.com