Steven Van Patten & Marc Abbott – Hell At The Way Station
Steven Van Patten is a Brooklyn native, raised in Fort Greene. After graduating from Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus on a full scholarship, he pursued a career in television production. When he's not writing scary stories, he can be found stage managing various TV shows in the New York area.
As a child, Steven couldn't help but notice a lack of cultural diversity in the horror and sci-fi movies that he otherwise loved. There was also little character development where people of color were concerned. After being disappointed time and time again, Steven decided to bring his own visions to life. As an adult, he studied over historical research night after night and traveled to various locales around the globe in order to give his stories a proper sense of worldliness.
The end result is the Brookwater's Curse series, three (soon to be four) novels focused on the odyssey of Christian Brookwater, a 1860s Georgia plantation slave who becomes a monster-slaying vampire residing in modern day New York.
The rights to his tomes have changed hands a few times, but as of the summer of 2014, they are currently back with their author, under his company, Laughing Black Vampire Productions.
After receiving much praise and a few literary awards, Steven was accepted into The Horror Writer's Association in 2014 and has joined them at various literary events, reading from his works and occasionally acting as the deejay. If he weren't busy enough, he's splitting his time participating in sketch comedy shorts, short films, plays, and guest appearing on podcasts where he openly discusses nerd culture, the supernatural, and how writing his books has changed his life for the better.
The novel Killer Genius: She Kills Because She Cares, Steven's reimagining of the serial killer genre, was released in late 2015 was nominated by The African-American Literary Show Award for Best Mystery/ Suspense Novel of 2016. The sequel, Killer Genius 2: Attack of The Gym Rats was released in late 2018.
Steven is easily found on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, under either his name or the Internet moniker @svpthinks. His books are available on most digital platforms.
Marc L Abbott is a novelist, playwright, short film director and storyteller. His written works include the stage plays A Gamble of Faith and Three Isn’t a Couple, the YA novel The Hooky Party and the children’s book Etienne and the Stardust Express. His other credits include being a contributing writer for The Cocktail Guide of the Galaxy and the New York State of Fright horror anthology.
His short horror film, Snap, has been in the indie festival circuit, picking up several official selection nods at The Coney Island Film Festival, Macabre Faire Film Festival and the New Jersey Horror Con Film Festival. His other films include A Fly on the Wall. For his work in front of the camera he has starred in Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead, Endangered and Impervia where he has been nominated three times for best actor in short film.
He is a 2015 Moth StorySlam and GrandSlam winner and has been a featured storyteller at Tell It: Brooklyn, The Dump, What Are You Afraid of, Barbershop Stories, RISK! and BadyHOUSE Storytelling Concert Series. He hosts his own monthly storytelling show in Bushwick, Brooklyn called Maaan, You’ve got to hear this! He currently has two one man shows under his belt Of Cats and Men: A Storytellers Journey and Love African American Style.
