Monday, August 2, 2010
The Vampires Of...
For those of you who like it when I wear my reporter hat, I've started a new mini-series at Buzzy Multimedia: "The Vampires Of..." The first installment features the delightful Rachel Caine, with a photo of her and her husband R. Cat. Enjoy!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Just Because
Today's Beyond the Veil post wasn't what I planned doesn't mean you shouldn't read it. ;-)
Friday, July 23, 2010
Surfacing at last
I know, I know. The only interesting blogging I've been doing lately has been on behalf of S.J. Willing. It's not that I've given up blogging for un-Lent or anything. I've just been busy, working on some fiction, nonfiction and, for the first time in ages, some fan fiction.
You'll like the short story. It's the new and improved "Syren Bridge", twice as long with more characters, more fun and all the strudel-ly goodness you loved in the first version. I hope to be able to tell you more about its new home in a couple months.
It'll be a lot longer before I can talk about the nonfiction project. It's very different from anything I've done before, but you'll definitely want to read it.
On the guilty pleasures front, I succumbed to the lure of John Scalzi’s June fan fiction challenge. Scalzi is a very evil man, and I say that in full knowledge that he is now president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and therefore ruler of the known SF/fantasy multiverse. But he’s still ebil, Ebil, EBIL.
To benefit the Lupus Alliance of America, Scalzi, Wil Wheaton (yes, that Wil Wheaton), Catherynne Valente, Patrick Rothfuss created a chapbook for electronic publication by Subterranean Press later this year. If that’s all they did I would’ve give them a karmic pass and scoped out the book when it appeared. But noooooooooooo, they couldn’t let it go at a good deed. Somebody (and I think we know who that is) commissioned Jeff Zugale to create the attached cover art. But that wasn’t all they did. Scalzi, Wheaton and SP solicited fanfic writers to create stories explaining the picture. The best story, as determined by the Jury of Awesomeness, will be awarded double the SFWA-defined professional rate/word and be included in the chapbook.
And this is how I spent my June.
Before it was over, Scalzi & Co. received over 350 submissions—which tells you how the Jury of Awesomeness is going to spend their July, August and possibly September. From the links posted after the contest closed, some of the entries were mind-boggling. How does anyone compete with a complete play? Meep!
In other news, I'm attending a new con. I've been added to the guest list of Intervention, the Washington DC-area webcomics con. Intervention will be held at the Rockville Hilton (home of Capclave) September 10-12. I'll be sharing the bill with fellow DC Area Storyteller Anthony Stevens and, for the first time, the love of my life. Yes, Greg Uchrin of IV Caffeine will be attending Intervention as a guest and a dealer. Come and cheer him on...and buy lots of stuff.
In the meantime, there’s ReConStruction and DragonCon.
ReConStruction (August 3-8 in Raleigh, North Carolina) is the tenth occasional North American Science Fiction Convention—in other words, what happens when WorldCon travels somewhere other than the U.S. or Canada for the summer, like this year. It boasts all the usual WorldCon events, including dances, masquerades, auctions, interviews and panels. Laurie Toby Edison, one of my very favorite jewelers, will be there, too. No word on the final program yet, but the interim list of participants and panels looks really good.
Then there’s DragonCon, the ultimate end of summer party. It’s bigger than ever this year. We even sucked in the Westin. Soon all the business district will be ours! Then…
Er, leaving off the plans for world domination, programming is coming together for that, too. What I’ve seen looks fabulous. And if you’re there, be sure to join us for the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Readings. I’ll firing up two new stories: “Syren Bridge” and “Lord Bai and the Magic Pirates”. I am told my impression of a Wagnerian soprano singing about strudel is enough to scar a person for life. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
You'll like the short story. It's the new and improved "Syren Bridge", twice as long with more characters, more fun and all the strudel-ly goodness you loved in the first version. I hope to be able to tell you more about its new home in a couple months.
It'll be a lot longer before I can talk about the nonfiction project. It's very different from anything I've done before, but you'll definitely want to read it.
On the guilty pleasures front, I succumbed to the lure of John Scalzi’s June fan fiction challenge. Scalzi is a very evil man, and I say that in full knowledge that he is now president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and therefore ruler of the known SF/fantasy multiverse. But he’s still ebil, Ebil, EBIL.To benefit the Lupus Alliance of America, Scalzi, Wil Wheaton (yes, that Wil Wheaton), Catherynne Valente, Patrick Rothfuss created a chapbook for electronic publication by Subterranean Press later this year. If that’s all they did I would’ve give them a karmic pass and scoped out the book when it appeared. But noooooooooooo, they couldn’t let it go at a good deed. Somebody (and I think we know who that is) commissioned Jeff Zugale to create the attached cover art. But that wasn’t all they did. Scalzi, Wheaton and SP solicited fanfic writers to create stories explaining the picture. The best story, as determined by the Jury of Awesomeness, will be awarded double the SFWA-defined professional rate/word and be included in the chapbook.
And this is how I spent my June.
Before it was over, Scalzi & Co. received over 350 submissions—which tells you how the Jury of Awesomeness is going to spend their July, August and possibly September. From the links posted after the contest closed, some of the entries were mind-boggling. How does anyone compete with a complete play? Meep!
In other news, I'm attending a new con. I've been added to the guest list of Intervention, the Washington DC-area webcomics con. Intervention will be held at the Rockville Hilton (home of Capclave) September 10-12. I'll be sharing the bill with fellow DC Area Storyteller Anthony Stevens and, for the first time, the love of my life. Yes, Greg Uchrin of IV Caffeine will be attending Intervention as a guest and a dealer. Come and cheer him on...and buy lots of stuff.
In the meantime, there’s ReConStruction and DragonCon.
ReConStruction (August 3-8 in Raleigh, North Carolina) is the tenth occasional North American Science Fiction Convention—in other words, what happens when WorldCon travels somewhere other than the U.S. or Canada for the summer, like this year. It boasts all the usual WorldCon events, including dances, masquerades, auctions, interviews and panels. Laurie Toby Edison, one of my very favorite jewelers, will be there, too. No word on the final program yet, but the interim list of participants and panels looks really good.
Then there’s DragonCon, the ultimate end of summer party. It’s bigger than ever this year. We even sucked in the Westin. Soon all the business district will be ours! Then…
Er, leaving off the plans for world domination, programming is coming together for that, too. What I’ve seen looks fabulous. And if you’re there, be sure to join us for the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Readings. I’ll firing up two new stories: “Syren Bridge” and “Lord Bai and the Magic Pirates”. I am told my impression of a Wagnerian soprano singing about strudel is enough to scar a person for life. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Save our SJ
After a five-year medical nightmare, writer SJ Willing has lost the use of his pancreas. He can survive and thrive with the right meds, but they cost $250/month he can't afford, and like most writers, he lacks insurance. His fellow writers at Beyond the Veil have started a number of projects to help out. The first, a "Save our SJ" Donate button on the cover of the group novel Dunvegas, is now live. Please, visit and click. If you need more incentives, I've posted 13 reasons why you should. And I'll add one more: He's a good guy with family who loves and needs him. Thanks!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
"Hoodoo Cupid" is front & center at Fictionwise
Well, look at that. I have no idea how long it will be up there, but seeing my little romance on the front page of anything makes me squee. I am so easy. Of course, I just finished watching "Comes a Horseman" again on Syfy. Now off to bed, hopefully with dreams of Domain in my head...
Sunday, June 6, 2010
All This & Glitter Too
Rose of Night Shade Industries (right) and yours truly at Balticon 44.
If you want to know what kind of mischief I got into at last week's Balticon, the story is now live. The photos, too. Enjoy!
Friday, May 28, 2010
New Short Story
I took a page out of S.J. Willing's book today and posted a short short story for my Samhain blog. Consider it a free pass into the weirder corners of my mind. It's "All About the Flies". Really. ;-)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Coming Soon to a Balticon Near You
Normally I wait until I’ve got my schedule in my hand to do a long Balticon promo post, but I think this merits a special post. Danielle Ackley-McPhail—writer, editor and hostess of some of the wildest con parties around—will be launching not one, not two, but three anthologies at Balticon from 7-9 p.m., Sunday May 30, at the Hunt Valley Marriott outside Baltimore, Maryland.
On the surface dragons, fairies and vampires might not seem to have a lot in common, but as Dani says, fiction readers never grow tired of them. “Each of these anthologies takes one of those legends and gives the reader what they want…and so much more.”
Since one of my favorite short stories, “Lord Bai’s Discovery”, is included in Dragon’s Lure, I must heartily agree. :-)
As always with Dani’s parties, there will be scads of writers, great refreshments and marvelous prizes, including a hand-sculpted dragon box by acclaimed artist Linda Saboe. There will also be readings by the anthology contributors including Dani, Linda, Elaine Corvidae, Keith R.A. DeCandido, John Grant, Kelly Harmon, C.J. Henderson, Brian Koscienski, Jeffrey Lymon, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Terri Osborne, Chris Pisano and me, Me, ME!
Well, to be honest, I won’t be reading three times. But I do plan to read “Lord Bai’s Discovery”. Hope to see you there. In the meantime, if you want to learn more, check out Dani’s launch page.
On the surface dragons, fairies and vampires might not seem to have a lot in common, but as Dani says, fiction readers never grow tired of them. “Each of these anthologies takes one of those legends and gives the reader what they want…and so much more.”
Since one of my favorite short stories, “Lord Bai’s Discovery”, is included in Dragon’s Lure, I must heartily agree. :-)
As always with Dani’s parties, there will be scads of writers, great refreshments and marvelous prizes, including a hand-sculpted dragon box by acclaimed artist Linda Saboe. There will also be readings by the anthology contributors including Dani, Linda, Elaine Corvidae, Keith R.A. DeCandido, John Grant, Kelly Harmon, C.J. Henderson, Brian Koscienski, Jeffrey Lymon, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Terri Osborne, Chris Pisano and me, Me, ME!
Well, to be honest, I won’t be reading three times. But I do plan to read “Lord Bai’s Discovery”. Hope to see you there. In the meantime, if you want to learn more, check out Dani’s launch page.
Enjoy!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Con Catch-up
Finally finished my April con reports on RavenCon, the Library of Congress, Turn the Page Bookstore Cafe's 2010 mega-signing and the Washington Romance Writers Retreat. The results, plus twelve occasions for blackmail--er, photos are now live at Beyond the Veil. That means if you want to know what Roxanne St. Claire and Charlaine Harris are doing with those sugar packets, you'll just have to click the link. Mwahahahahahaha!
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