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    Wednesday, November 16, 2011

    Say, "Cheese"

    The Pentagon Row Harris Teeter, the one across I-395 from the Pentagon has a 1280-pound sculpture celebrating the Wounded Warrior Program.
    In cheese.
    I saw it today. All unsuspecting, I went into the store to pick up a few things for dinner. The doors whooshed open, My first thought was: What is that odor? It smells like Greg left something out of the refrigerator too long. Then I realized there were an awful lot of balloons in the display area to my left. Slowly, I turned... Yes, I do know that old Burles-Que routine, and no, the trigger has nothing to do with falls.
    It's all about the cheese.
    Orange. Glassy. Ripe. Carved into a replica of a famous statue embellished with a big shield proclaiming, "Harris Teeter Salutes the Wounded Warrior Project."
    In cheese.
    According to this article, the sculpture's been around since at least Veterans Day. Based on personal observation, it's starting to separate in places. (See it while you can!) Store management tells me it's going to be taken away to the local homeless shelter any day now.
    Words fail. My mouth opens. It closes. Somebody, somewhere thought it was a really cool idea to honor our veterans' service and sacrifice by memorializing it--
    In cheese.
    A half ton of cheese, people.  With little packages of Harris Teeter cheddar, the artist's chosen medium, artistically displayed around the base of the sculpture to let customers know that they, too, can buy a piece of (say it with me!)...
    CHEESE!
    I apologize in advance, but somebody's got to say it: This gives a whole new meaning to the word "cheesy".
    And people wonder where I get my ideas. No way, NO FRACKING WAY could I make this stuff up.  *headdesk*headdesk*headdesk*

    Thursday, October 27, 2011

    Princess Alethea's Traveling Sideshow, Dragon*Con Edition

    More chewy video goodness. This one dates to Dragon*Con 2011 and features authors Leanna Renee Hieber, Gray Rinehart and Princess Alethea--Alethea Kontis--herself.

    Wednesday, October 26, 2011

    DC High Heel Race 2011

    A little Halloween pressie from your Capital City. ;-)

    Thursday, October 13, 2011

    My Capclave schedule

    With no Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading in sight (sob), this year's Capclave schedule is a peach. I'll be participating in just three program items

    Friday, 7 p.m.
    Magical Worlds--The various uses of magic in fantasy, science fiction, horror and mainstream fiction. From the Force to spells, the panel will also look at unique forms of magic in a variety of books. Panelists: Danny Birt, Stuart Jaffe (moderator) and Jean Marie Ward

    Saturday, 8 p.m.
    Capclave Mass Autograph Session--A gathering of all the Capclave authors in one place, ready to sign books and chat!

    Saturday, 9 p.m.
    Washington Science Fiction Association Small Press Award and Party--Join us for the announcement of the winner of the
    WSFA Small Press Award. There will also be some other surprises revealed, plus cake! (Have I mentioned I'm nominated? With Capclave guests of honor Carrie Vaughn and Catherynne M. Valente? And Sarah Monette? And Jack McDevitt? And RJ Astruc? (You can't see it on the page, but my grin's reeeeeeaaaaaalllly wide right now. :D Heck yeah, there will be cake! And photos, too.)

    This leaves me a lot of time to hang with friends, take pictues and, hopefully, shoot a few new author videos for Buzzy. So drop by and take in a few panels--they don't even have to be mine. You'll be glad you did. Promise!

    Saturday, September 24, 2011

    The annual Dragon*Con photo blog

    For those of you who view clicking through picture galleries with the same horror our parents reserved for slide shows of Aunt Ermintrude's trip to the Catskills, today's post at Beyond the Veil is for you. I've cherry-picked some of my best photos of Dragon*Con 2011 and wrapped them in the lightest of all possible con reports. And there isn't a panel table anywhere in sight. Enjoy!

    Friday, September 16, 2011

    "Lord Bai's Discovery" nominated for WSFA Small Press Award

    This one totally blew me away. Lord Bai's Discovery" from the anthology Dragon's Lure has made the short list for the Washington Science Fiction Association's 2011 Small Press Award, along with stories by Sarah Monette, Carrie Vaughn, Jack McDevitt, Catherynne M. Valente and RJ Astruc. The awards will be presented at Capclave, October 14-16, in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

    I'm still pinching myself--to think my story about a foodie dragon is being read in such company... I may need a glass of champagne just to calm down.

    And to think the only news I thought I'd have today was the posting of Michael Swanwick's Balticon interview. Which you should totally read. He's one of the best raconteur's ever. Then you can go back to watching me shriek and caper around the computer. :D

    Tuesday, September 13, 2011

    Dragon*Con Photos & More

    It's been a challenging week here at Casa Ward/Uchrin. Days of rain succeeded in doing what earthquake and hurricane failed to do: postpone my work on my Dragon*Con photos and videos.

    We're still dealing with the aftermath of the flood, but the photos are sorted and posted at Flickr. I plan to post a Thursday Thirteen at Beyond the Veil in the near future, but Flickr's the place if you want to see the complete set.

    Meanwhile, Buzzy Multimedia has posted my interviews with authors Maria V. Snyder and Paolo Bacigalupi. We're also tweaking my Tour of Tor. I'll post the link soon.

    Finally, I want to remind everybody that my story "Billy's Monster" will be published in Hellfire Lounge II: Rat Pack Redux. The story leans more toward horror than my usual, but with a scheduled publication date of late September/early October, it's certainly in keeping with the season. ;-)


    Hellfire Lounge 2: Rat Pack Redux

    #

    The photo at the top is perhaps my favorite from this year's Dragon*Con. It shows Cruxshadows violinist JoHanna Moresco demonstrating violin technique to a young friend before the band's early, early Monday morning show.

    Tuesday, August 30, 2011

    The Dragon*Con Schedule Has Landed

    One of the best things about being a writer is being able to post a convention schedule. Not only is it a measure of your achievement, it also means you’ll be seeing your long distance friends. And when the schedule happens to be for Dragon*Con, well, let the party begin!

    Friday, September 1

    11:30 AM: Just the Facts, Ma'am
    Description: Non-fiction is a market that needs good writers. If this appeals to you, come listen to these pros tell you how to make it happen.
    M Chapman, G. D. Falksen, John L. Flynn, Anya Martin, and Jean Marie Ward
    Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

    8:30 PM: New and Next Weird
    Description: New weird, mash-up, slipstream, interstitial, crossover... what does the future of "genre" hold, especially for the darker fringes of fantasy?
    Lou Anders, Stephen H. Segal, Ann VanderMeer, Jeff Vandermeer, and Jean Marie Ward
    Location: Cairo - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

    10 PM: Broad Universe Reading
    Description: Quick cuts read by some by the women authors of Broad Universe
    Gail Z. Martin, Jody Lynn Nye, Jean Marie Ward, Trisha Wooldridge (moderator) and many more.
    Location: Greenbriar - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

    Sunday, September 4

    1 PM: Broad Universe Reading Part 2
    Description: More great reads by the women authors of Broad Universe.
    Gail Z. Martin, Jean Marie Ward and many more.
    Location: Fairlie - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

    Monday, September 5

    11:30 AM: Win, Lose or Draw - SF and Fantasy Style
    Description: A replay of our popular game show where your job is to draw sf and fantasy names and phrases to get others to guess them. Prizes available.
    MC: Jean Marie Ward
    Location: Fairlie - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

    Hope to see you there!

    Monday, August 22, 2011

    Sparkly Cover Goodness

    Yeah, I know, you've been wondering whether I forgot how to do this blog thing. Not quite. I just wanted to save it until I had something to make you go Ooooooh! And I do, Ben Fogletto's wonderful cover for Hellfire Lounge 2, where you'll find one of my darker little stories, "Billy's Monster".
    I don't have an ISBN or release day yet, but when I do, you'll hear it here first. Not to worry, you won't be bored in the meantime. It'll take days to see all the fabulous details in this image. Enjoy!
    Cover flat for Hellfire Lounge 2

    Tuesday, July 12, 2011

    Happy Dancing Through Tuesday

    This is so good I'm dancing. Patricia Bray and Joshua Palmatier announced the table of contents for their new fantasy anthology, The Modern Fae’s Guide to Surviving Humanity, coming from DAW Tekno Books in March 2012. And the writers are:

    Introduction by Patricia Bray and Joshua Palmatier

    "We Will Not Be Undersold" by Seanan McGuire

    "Changeling" by Susan Jett

    "Water-Called" by Kari Sperring

    "The Roots of Aston Quercus" by Juliet E. McKenna

    "To Scratch an Itch" by Avery Shade

    "Continuing Education" by Kristine Smith

    "How To Be Human™" by Barbara Ashford

    "How Much Salt" by April Steenburgh

    "Hooked" by Anton Strout

    "Crash" by S. C. Butler

    "Fixed" by Jean Marie Ward

    "A People Who Always Know" by Shannon Page & Jay Lake

    "The Slaughtered Lamb" by Elizabeth Bear

    "Corrupted" by Jim C. Hines

    Yes! That’s me on that list! “Fixed” is the story of a teenaged cat shifter who gets taken to an animal shelter while wearing fur. Needless to say, he really REALLY doesn’t want to get “Fixed”.

    Although you won’t be able to hold the book (or the pixels of the ebook version) in your hands until March, The Modern Fae’s Guide to Surviving Humanity is available for pre-order on a number of sites, including Amazon. Buy, buy, buy! In multiples, if you can. Patricia and Joshua were so much fun to work with, I’d love to do it again.

    Meanwhile, I’m grinning from ear to ear.

    Monday, May 30, 2011

    My first video interview from behind the camera

    Be afraid. I'm back to asking nosy questions again, and this time I'm armed with a video camera.  And you thought the Rapture was scary.
    My first video interview from behind the camera is now live at BuzzyMultimedia.com.  Carole Nelson Douglas has been writing top flight science fiction and fantasy--to say nothing of her tales of Las Vegas's only cat PI--for thirty years.  In her Buzzy interview, the focus is on her Delilah Street Paranormal Mysteries.  But don't worry.  There are lots of entertaining feline detours along the way.  (Duz said it was vital to mention this point, and who am I to argue with the Feline Overlord?)
    More interviews with wonderful writers are in the pipeline--folks like Connie Willis, Joe Haldeman and Michael Swanwick--along with a few surprises.  Meanwhile, my next job is finishing a short story and posting my Balticon photos.  Between the Nebula Awards Weekend and Balticon, it's been a fun couple of weeks.  But now it's back to work.

    Thursday, May 26, 2011

    Nebula Weekend Photos

    I know, two posts in a single week. Try not to die of shock. ;-)

    I posted
    my photos of Nebula Weekend on Flickr. I wanted to get them done before heading to Balticon. They're smaller than usual. Next time I won't resize in Corel Paint, but I have the full-size originals if anyone is interested. Besides they're big enough to see the smiles.

    When I get back from Balticon, I'll be working pedal to the metal on a fiction deadline as well as on a spate of video interviews for Buzzy Multimedia. Yes, me, making movies. Mwahahaha!

    I turned in the first, an interview with
    Carole Nelson Douglas (the Delilah Street paranormal mystery series, among many, many others) on Tuesday. It should air in a few days. Next up will be the interviews I recorded at the Nebulas: Connie Willis (this year's winner for best novel--I think Connie owns more Nebulas thany anyone), John Scalzi, Joe Haldeman, Mary Robinette Kowal and Chris Claremont.

    Who knows who'll find themselves in my lens in Balticon? Be afraid. Be very afraid.

    But don't forget to attend my
    panels!

    Wednesday, May 25, 2011

    My Schedule for Balticon 45



    It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

    No, not the big Red/Green holiday. I mean con season! For me it’s kicking off in a big way with Balticon 45 at the Marriott in Hunt Valley, Maryland, this weekend, May 27-30. So far, my schedule includes six panels and events:

    Friday, May 27
    7 p.m. , Salon B – Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading
    Join us for a selection of sweet and savory readings by seven exciting women authors.
    Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, D. Renee Bagby, Vonnie Winslow Crist, Gail Z. Martin, Roberta Rogow, Jean Marie Ward (moderator), Phoebe Wray.

    10 p.m., Parlor 1041 – Anime: Why Do We Love It?
    Anime fans in self-analysis. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
    Panelists: D. Renee Bagby, Ruth Lampi, Grig “Punkie” Larson, Jean Marie Ward (moderator).

    Saturday, May 27
    1 p.m., Salon B – Whose Program Is It Anyway?
    Panelists—and audience members—behaving badly at cons. What’s the worst thing that ever happened to you or somebody you know at a con? Those are the best stories EVAH!
    Panelists: Hildy Silverman, Jennifer Stone, Michael Swanwick, Jean Marie Ward, Leona Wisoker (moderator)

    7 p.m., Belmont – Clark Ashton Who? Great Forgotten Science Fiction Authors
    So much great literature, so little time. Panelists discuss their favorites among yesterday’s greats and their candidates for that great File 13 in the sky.
    Panelists: Marc “Grailwolf” Bailey, Carl Cipra (moderator), Michael Swanwick, Jean Marie Ward, Diane Weinstein.

    Sunday, May 28
    4 p.m., Salon D – Best SF TV Shows
    The audience is invited to help the panel decide which science fiction television shows (a) are really science fiction and (b) the best.
    Panelists: Marc “Grailwolf” Bailey, T.J. Perkins, Hildy Silverman (moderator), Suzanne Rosin, Jean Marie Ward.

    5 p.m., Salon B – Science Fiction Title Chain
    It’s a game! The audience provides the words for a science fiction story or novel’s title. The panelists arrange them in a more or less coherent order, and each panelist comes up with a descriptive synopsis. The audience votes on the synopsis they like best.
    Panelists: Lisa Adler-Golden (moderator)Nancy Brauer, Brian Koscienski, Grig “Punkie” Larson, Jean Marie Ward.

    And if I’m lucky, I may be added to two more:

    History as a Source of Fantasy, 4 p.m. Saturday, Belmont Room.

    Ghosts, 5 p.m., Saturday, Salon C.

    See you in Hunt Valley!

    ###

    Saturday, April 9, 2011

    Foxy Folklore

    Just got home from DC's Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Street Festival).  The weather was grim, but the performances were great.  (I'm listening to the new Aun CD I bought after their show and will post pictures...soon.  Soon.  Really.  ;-))  But all the fun meant I'm slow posting the link to my new Beyond the Veil blog, "Foxfire".  Appropriately, considering the occasion, it deals with foxes, among the most iconic creatures of Asian folklore--and among the West's most reviled.  Enjoy!

    Thursday, March 31, 2011

    SynDCon Schedule

    As you probably guessed from my silence on the blog-waves, I’m lost in the writing cave again. But I’ll emerge for two days this weekend to participate in the seminars and wonderfulness that is SynDCon, the Washington DC area’s premier gaming convention.
    My schedule comprises three panels in the auditorium of the con hotel, the Hilton Conference Center in Rockville, MD. (It really is only steps away from the Twinbrook Metro!)

    Saturday, April 2
    Noon – 2 p.m.
    Getting Published in Fiction
    Four crazy writers tell you how they convinced people to pay them for doing what they’d do for free. I suspect there will be some funny rejection stories, too. After all, misery does love company.
    Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail (moderator), Vonnie Winslow Crist, Jean Marie Ward & Diane Whiteside

    6 – 8 p.m.
    The Literary Handyman Mini-Writer’s Workshop
    This is where Dani puts on her editor’s hat and gets to the guts of what makes a good, saleable story, with Vonnie and I sharing our scars--er, learning experiences.
    Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail (moderator), Vonnie Winslow Crist & Jean Marie Ward

    Sunday, April 3
    Noon – 2 p.m.
    Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading
    Join the women writers of Broad Universe for a selection of small yet tasty bites of fiction. The current plan calls for each of us to read twice. I’m planning a selection from “Personal Demons” (my contribution to Hellebore & Rue) and the first unveiling of a Sooper Sekrit ProjeK, which will not be mentioned in paper or pixies--er, pixels until the anthology table of contents is announced…by somebody else. But I can tell you this: There will be cats. And of course, chocolate. Can’t have an RFR without chocolate!
    Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Kelly A. Harmon, Jean Marie Ward (moderator) & Diane Whiteside.

    Looking forward to seeing you there!

    Friday, March 18, 2011

    Outer Alliance Podcast Featuring Hellebore & Rue


    The Outer Alliance Podcast featuring HELLEBORE & RUE is now live. Host Julia Rios did a great job of interviewing editor Catherine Lundoff, contributor Lisa Nohealani and me last Sunday. Particularly fascinating are Catherine's insights into the story selection process and Lisa's discussion of her wonderful story, "And out of the Strong Came Forth Sweetness". And oh yeah, I talk about and read from "Personal Demons", too.

    A peek inside a book restorer's workshop

    Last month I had the chance to visit the workshop of the book restorer working on the 18th century bible on display in the Carlyle House. Since we're all book lovers here, I thought the results might be interesting, especially since there's bacon involved. You can read all about it in today's Samhain Publishing blog. Enjoy!

    Wednesday, March 16, 2011

    Of Anthologies and Podcasts

    I knew from reading my co-contributors' stories, that I lucked out placing "Personal Demons" (aka The Little Story That Could) in Hellebore & Rue. But I didn't realize all the fascinating stories behind the anthology until I sat in on an interview with Catherine Lundoff and fellow writer Lisa Nohealani Morton this Sunday. Host Julia Rios plans to post the interview this weekend. I'll share the link as soon as it goes live. In the meantime, I think you'll enjoy Tracy S. Morris's interview with Catherine and co-editor JoSelle Vanderhooft.

    You'll also enjoy Tracy's Tranquility Series which really is The Beverly Hillbillies meets The X-Files, but that's a different blog entirely.

    On the podcasting front, it was my privilege to host the March edition of the Broad Pod, a monthly selection of short readings from the members of Broad Universe. Broad Universe is an international organization dedicated to promoting, celebrating and honoring women writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror. March is Women's History Month. In honor of the occasion, the selections of this month's five featured authors focus on the many aspects of Woman Power:

    - Charged with treason, Gail Z. Martin’s pregnant queen Kiera must wage a war of words to save herself, her friends and her unborn child.

    - In Larissa N. Niec’s selection, the goddess Rhianna’s high priestess embarks on a dangerous spirit quest to seek help for her dying land.

    - Theresa Crater introduces her heroine—and us—to the legendary Morgan le Fey in the land beneath the hallowed hill.

    - Then journey with Diane Whiteside to present-day Virginia, where a psychically gifted homicide detective learns just how powerful a woman working for the FBI can be.

    - Finally, soar into the future with Danielle Ackley-McPhail and a squadron of hell-raising women fighter pilots led by the infamous Scarlet Jay.

    And this is only the beginning of the week's entertainments. If I've been quiet on the blogosphere of late, it's only because so much will be happening this week. There will be blogs at Beyond the Veil and Samhain, as well as Julia's interview for Outer Alliance.

    To say nothing of lots of green beer. Cheers!

    Sunday, February 13, 2011

    News, News, News, News

    No sooner did I finish the story that kept me hunkered down in the writing cave all January, when another New! Shiny! request landed in my email box. So I'm going to play prairie dog and head back to the burrow until sometime this spring. But before I do, I wanted to catch everyone up on all the good stuff.

    First, if you want to get a taste of the story that occupied my January, head over to Beyond the Veil, the Samhain Publishing paranormal writers blog, for a discussion of how I developed one of the names for that story, aka "Fixed". Yes, there is a cat involved, and a shelter, and the cat winces a lot.

    The next two items are personal appearances that might be of special interest to folks in the Washington DC area. On March 5, from 10 a.m. to about noon, I'll be moderating a panel of comprising noted science fiction and fantasy authors Catherine Asaro, Mindy Klasky, Pamela Palmer, Diana Peterfreund, Rebecca York and special guest Colleen Gleason. The panel is part of an all-day seminar hosted by Washington Romance Writers at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center, Bethesda, MD. It will continue after lunch with Colleen's workshops on the hero's journey and world-building. Click here for more information (including links to driving directions). This event is free and open to the public, and I know from personal experience, WRW always offers prizes, including books signed by the participating authors.

    The spiffy logo belongs to SynDCon II, the Washington DC area's premiere gaming convention, set for the Rockville Hilton (former home of Capclave), April 1-3. The convention will feature board games, role-playing games, miniature war games and a host of special events, including a writing workshop and panels targeted to the needs of gamer writers and developers. The cast of characters will include Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Vonnie Winslow Crist, Kelly A. Harmon, Diane Whiteside and me. I'll post more details on the program as they become available.

    Finally, I'm celebrating the release of "Person Demons", my short story about a Tibetan-American sorceress practising her craft in America's most romantic city, Alexandria, VA. The story appears in Hellebore & Rue, an anthology celebrating queer women magic users. It was was a big stretch for me on a number of levels. I'm one of those writers who follows characters around taking dictation, and I was very worried about getting it right when the lead character was so different from me. But some things are universal: love, hope--and devils manipulating people's emotions for their own ends. I hope you'll check out the anthology, if only for the cover, which is as lovely as any I've ever seen.

    Happy Valentine's Day!