INTERGALACTIC REJECTS reached #19

 

That is all. Happy Saturday!

INTERGALACTIC REJECTS is an Amazon bestseller!

 

Okay, it’s only in one category (Fantasy Short Stories) in one format (Paper). But there it is, proof in the pixels, Intergalactic Rejects made the Amazon Top 100. And I plan to take all the evening’s fireworks as my due. :D

Balticon Recap , 2025 Edition

 

It was raining from a blue sky when I drove up to Baltimore last Thursday. The Japanese call a sunshower “Yokai Wedding.” It seemed a really appropriate way to arrive at Balticon. The con lived up to the name in more ways than one.

It was a great party. I got to hang and panel with so many of my con friends.

I ran into Laurie Toby Edison, John L. French, and Sally Kobee, who were setting up in the Dealers Room. Shortly thereafter, I connected with Amy Kaplan and Jennifer Povey. We immediately made plans to attend the Wine Village at the Inner Harbor the following night. There was music. There was wine. There was bacon—and a lot of giggling to be heard. :D I’d hoped we could add J.D. Blackrose to the party. This was her first Balticon, but we didn’t connect until later. Next year, J.D. Next year!

Next year, I may finally get to the Death Metal festival down the street or the arts festival near the museum. But I keep getting distracted by the food. This year’s discovery was Costiera in Little Italy. Between there and Mo’s, I ate very well indeed. One word of warning, though. Do NOT eat the broccoli. It’s the worst crime against vegetable-com since my mom last opened a can—and she was the unquestioned, unchallenged Worst Cook East of the Mississippi. Stick to the seafood, pasta, and salads—with or without seafood. You can’t go wrong.

The panels were great. Carl Cipra should win a prize for the best intros ever. He also did a great job of guiding Randee Dawn, David Boop, and me through “Is it Horror or Dark Fantasy?” We didn’t come to any conclusion, but it was fun not getting there.

Randee also hosted a launch party for her new book, The Only Song Worth Singing, from Shahid Mahmud’s Arc Manor Press, in the Con Suite Saturday evening. I was all set to celebrate with her in the con suite and help demolish a thoroughly amazing cake on my way to moderating “Humorous Fantasy Is a Serious Business.” But I got distracted in the best possible way.

I stumbled onto the handfasting ceremony of Suzanne A. Buck and Charlotte, whose full name I unfortunately never caught. (I told you that sunshower was the perfect omen.) It turned out I’d met Suzanne years ago, when she was a teenager. Now she’s a zoologist, a writer, and as if that isn’t enough, a consultant on Star Trek. How cool is that?

I did manage to make it to the door of the con suite, where I finally ran into J.D. We were soon joined by others, including Elektra Hammond and Diana Peterfreund, who had some fabulous NFP news to share. (Big congrats, Diana!) We were all so giddy, I completely forgot that I was supposed to connect with Morgan Hazelwood about everything I was looking forward to about the con. (Many apologies, Morgan. I’ll try to make it up to you next year.)

When I could finally tear myself away, I was already about to be late. Then I discovered I didn’t know where to find the room. Fortunately, Programming Chair Extraordinaire Yakira Heistand pointed me in the right direction. Yeah, I was late. To “Humorous Fantasy is a Serious Business,” the panel I was moderating. The shame! Really. I hate being late, but Alex Shvartsman and Doc Coleman kept things going until I arrived. The fourth participant, Martin Berman-Gorvine, wasn’t able to make it. But he did join us for “The Eye of Argon” reading/performance Sunday night.

I planned to head directly to the Masquerade. But one of the pleasures of a con is you never move in a straight line. I had a wonderful hall chat with Carolyn Ives Gilman that only broke up when she had to dash to a panel of her own.

Sunday was my busy day, starting off with “Juggling POV.” Alan Smale did an amazing job of wrangling Catherine Asaro, Ken Altabef, and me. It turned into one of the best craft panels ever.

Next up was one of my personal highlights—sharing an hour’s reading time with 2025 Heinlein Award winner and living SFF legend Sharon Lee. Her reading was wonderful—a story within a story. But the audience seemed to enjoy my snippets, especially “Burning Down the House” and the opening of “Brigid and the Snakes,” one of the stories in Intergalactic Rejects, coming from Calendar of Fools June 20. (Another good omen, don’t you think, Zach Be?)

High as that was, my next panel, “Orpheus, Again?” chaired by Rosemary Claire Smith, featuring Tom Doyle, Sherri Woolsey, and me. It was a satisfyingly deep dive into the Orpheus mythos, old and new.

Then, the fitting cap to my con, “The Eye of Argon.” Ian Randal Strock was the unenviable task of herding cats—I mean leading Amy Kaplan, Mary G. Thompson, and me through our paces as readers and performers of the beloved “Worst SF Story of All Time.” (Honestly, it really isn’t that bad.) I don’t think he was expecting the enthusiasm with which Amy, Mary, and I—ably assisted by Sarah Avery and the rest of our studio audience—approached our roles. And it is ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE that the undulating tavern wenches and belly-fluttering prince had anything to do with Ian calling time and personally reading the last three paragraphs of Chapter three-and-a-half. Untrue, I say!

The only thing that could cap that was a debrief in the hotel bar with Amy and her husband Bruce. My French 75 was surprisingly great. The other folks’ cocktails…Hey, it was the company that mattered.

My only regret is I should have taken more pictures, especially of the Masquerade. The costumes were spectacular. But so was the con. Big thanks are due to everyone involved, directors, staff, volunteers, participants, and attendees. And apologies to anyone whose name I forgot, because you know you always forget someone.

Can’t wait to do it all over again next year! Without the forgetting part, that is. 😉

I'm Baaaaak--With my Schedule for Balticon too

 

Like it says on the box, I’m back on the web. JeanMarieWard.com was down for the better part of a year thanks after a someone hacked my former webmaster’s server. But a brilliant friend not only recovered most of the data from the Wayback Machine, she taught me how to navigate process of rebuilding the site. Who knew building blocks could be SO HARD?

I’m also back at Balticon–or will be momentarily. I’ll be leaving spouse and cat tomorrow to return to Baltimore’s best Memorial Day Weekend party. I have a wonderful schedule of panels too:

Friday, May 23, 7 PM, Mount Washington Room
Is it Horror or Dark Fantasy?
New sub-genres pop up all the time. Dark Fantasy is being used a lot these days. Is it horror light or something altogether different? Panelists: Carl Cipra (Moderator), David Boop, Randee Dawn, Jean Marie Ward

Saturday, May 24, 7 PM, Pride of Baltimore II Room
Humorous Fantasy Is a Serious Business
Is humorous fantasy underrated? In an era of serious narratives and grimdark stories, have humorous approaches to fantasy become less popular? Readers may not take humorous fantasy because of its…non-seriousness. Humor, absurdity, and satire are not only a reason to laugh, but can also be a vehicle for biting observations. Sir Terry Pratchett was a past master of the form. Who leads the field now? Panelists: Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), Doc Coleman, Alex Shvartsman, Martin Berman-Gorvine

Sunday, May 25, 1 PM, Mount Washington Room
Juggling POV
It’s a hallmark of SFF to provide different points of view. How many POV characters are too many? How do jump from one character to another without losing your readers? Learn from pros who have kept their readers along for the ride. Panelists: Alan Smale (Moderator), Ken Altabef, Catherine Asaro, Jean Marie Ward

Sunday, May 25, 4 PM, St. George Room
Readings
Readers: Sharon Lee and Jean Marie Ward (Editorial note: SQUEEEE!!!)

Sunday, May 25, 5:30 PM, Gibson Room
Orpheus Again?
Orpheus and Eurydice mythos have seeded the imaginations of numerous creators. From the Netflix show Kaos to Broadway’s Hadestown to the novelette “L’Esprit de L’Escalier” by Catherine Valente, why does the myth have such a resonance in modern times? What is it telling us about how we see life and love? Or is there something deeper? Panelists: Rosemary Claire Smith (Moderator), Sherri Cook, Tom Doyle, Jean Marie Ward

Sunday, May 25, 8:30 PM, Mount Washington Room
Eye of Argon Reading
Yes, we’re doing it again. We just can’t stop enjoying the absurdity of this absurdly written piece of absurd fiction. While the reading starts with our panelists, the pain often spills over into the audience. Gird your loins. Panelists: Ian Randal Strock (Moderator), A.L. Kaplan, Mary G. Thompson, Jean Marie Ward

See you there!

 

Things are about to get hot—in my fiction, that is. “Burning Down the House,” the first installment in my Sorcerer vs. Sorcerer series from Ginger Blue Publishing, hits the virtual shelves in less than two weeks. Think Dumb and Dumber or Spy vs. Spy, only with magic.

Eddie Woodhouse and Ducky “Duc d’ Or” Orr are opposites in every way. Eddie is a low-rent sorcerer from the wrong side of the tracks with a record of screw-ups a mile long. Ducky is magus with a doctorate in thaumaturgy from a line sorcerers stretching all the way back to the Middle Ages. Every time they meet, something goes boom. And now, Eddie has swallowed a djinni.

Did I mention Eddie is a screw up?

The book will be available from all the usual suspects:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Apple Books

Kobo

And I’ve got some online readings planned to celebrate. More about that soon. Meanwhile, revel in that gorgeous cover. My loopy sorcerers never had it so good.

#fantasy #sorcerers #comedy #sff #90minuteread #novella #gingerbluepublishing

Economic Black-Outs and Me

 

Friday is the first Economic Blackout date. The goal here is to show the power of people acting together. The bro-ligarchs have forgotten that their wealth and power depends on the power of our purses. It’s time to remind them where true power lies.

This is about acting together, because we can. We must.

It is NOT about boycotting any of these super-corps indefinitely. Honestly, that’s impossible. Too many independent creators—including writers and small press—depend on Amazon and partners like Kickstarter. (Yes, folks, Kickstarter is in partnership with Amazon. To say nothing of The Washington Post, which is owned by Jeff Bezos.) If you buy pet food or baby formula, you’re buying Nestle. Period. In some parts of America, Walmart is the only store around. And heaven help the parent who tries to avoid General Mills in the cereal aisle.

But we CAN arrange our purchases to make sure there are carefully chosen gaps in the profit stream WITHOUT harming small businesses or denying ourselves the products we need.

This is NOT about extremism. Even on blackout dates, if anyone in my family gets sick, I’m going to be at the drug store buying medicine and supplies. Nobody would question that. It’s not about harming ourselves. It’s about sending a message. Anyone who says differently is either misinformed or gaslighting you.

Full disclosure, I’ve got skin in the Amazon game. My primary publisher is a micro press. Ninety percent of their sales come from Amazon, and they’ve assigned my next title a March publication date for my new release, Burning Down the House. Another of my publishers is running a March Kickstarter I really want to succeed. If I can’t work out a promotional strategy that recognizes this initiative and encourages people to buy AROUND it, I’m screwed. Doesn’t matter if I participate in the black-out (spoiler alert: I will) or not. There will be a dip in purchases, because people will observe the blackout dates, regardless of what I do.

To say differently is to deny what’s happening. Memes and images like the ones I post are the equivalent of traffic alerts. When you’re listening to the radio and hear there’s an accident on the road you planned to take, do you yell at the traffic report, or do you take a different route? If you’re at the supermarket, and the PA system announces, “Spill on Aisle 5,” do you bullheadedly drive your shopping cart through a puddle of tomato sauce and broken glass?

Some people claim economic blackouts don’t address the real problem. The real problem is corruption. No kidding. Our nation is being gutted by a convicted felon who has been described in official Russian media as a Russian asset, an undesirable alien, a hypocritical band of toady oligarchs, and their shills in congress and the judiciary. Together they hold all the traditional levers of political power.

Traditional methods won’t work. There are no traditional remedies for corruption on this scale. The next election cycle will be too late. We must act together and use whatever legal means we can to right their wrongs. Now.

It’s an American tradition, going all the way back to the founding of our nation. We’ve faced seemingly insurmountable odds before. There once was a mad king surrounded by fawning, corrupt aristocrats and the equally corrupt judges they controlled. They also exempted themselves from taxes and increased them for everyone else to pay for their pleasures and reinforce their position at the top of the food chain. Thomas Paine wrote about it. “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

But right now, the words that resonate with me are those of Ben Franklin upon the signing of the Declaration of Independence: “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

Let us hang together now.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

This afternoon, I stood among a group of over a dozen Representatives, outside the Treasury Department. These Reps. included members of the Oversight, Ways and Means, & Homeland Security, all of which have oversight over the Treasury. They requested to be admitted to find out what Elon Musk and his underage syncophants--none of whom were elected or have any official standing--were doing rifling the data and money that belong to the American people. The two Secret Service agents guarding the approach to the building were clearly out of their depth. They spent roughly 40 minutes running in and out of the building trying to help. Finally they got word that the Secretary of the Treasury, who is legally and Constitutionally obligated to respond to Congress, denied them access. He said he was "too busy" to talk to them. THEY ARE HIS BOSSES. Not Elon Musk.

Afterwards, these Representatives, joined several Senators, including Minority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer and SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN Fighting for Progressive Values to condemn the hostile take over of federal payment systems and all the data associated with them by, in the words of one speaker, "a nepo man-baby" with nothing but contempt for working Americans.
That contempt extends to Republicans as well as Democrats. All our data. All our money. All the services WE PAID FOR. Everything is under attack.

This is a coup and a Constitutional crisis the likes of which we have never faced before. We must join together to ensure a “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” President Abraham Lincoln wrote that line in his Gettysburg Address. He was a Republican, but I guarantee you, he would stand with us now.

Join the fight. It starts in the Senate. Call your Senators--Republican and Democrat. Demand they Shut Down The Senate (Chuck Shumer's slogan, btw) to stop the bro-ligarch's power grab. Tell th

-Blanket opposition: Vote “NO” on every Trump nominee, starting with Russell Vought (pronounced “Vote”), the Project 2025 architect that Trump wants to run the Office of Management and Budget.

-Weaponize quorum calls: Disrupt official business by calling for a quorum check at any opportunity and walking out if Republicans don’t have 51 votes on the floor.

-Block unanimous consent: Eat up as much floor time as possible by objecting to unanimous consent requests and forcing each procedural step to take the maximum amount of time.

We have to fight back and make governing so painful for the bro-ligarchs that they can’t just steamroll their agenda. The more that we can disrupt, obstruct, and delay, the less damage they can do.

Let's get our country back!

Read more here:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/04/democrats-protest-elon-musk-treasury-washington

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/protestors-gather-stop-elon-musks-billionaire-takeover

My 2024 Capclave Schedule

Come one, come all to Capclave, DC’s hometown con. The festivities start Friday afternoon (September 27) and run all the way until 4 PM Sunday (September 29) at the Hilton Washington, DC/Rockville, MD, Meeting Center. I’ll be there, participating in the six great events listed below. Hope you’ll join me and share the fun

 

Friday

 

4 PM, Washington Theater

An Offline Discussion of Online Events (Ends at: 4:55 PM)

Participants: Andy Duncan, Morgan Hazelwood (M), Sarah Mitchell, Jean Marie Ward
Costs are rising, volunteers are hard to get, and people are firm in their beliefs. A few years removed from the rise of online and hybrid events, panelists discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and future of these events.

 

8 PM, Washington Theater

This One Time... (Ends at: 8:55 PM)

Participants: Morgan Hazelwood, Ian Randal Strock, Michael A. Ventrella, Jean Marie Ward (M)
It may not have been at band camp, but we are involved in stories our whole life. From a young age to the current day, something is almost always happening. Panelists tell brief funny stories from their life, career, and friends.

 

10 PM, Eisenhower

Hold My Beer (Ends at: 10:55 PM)

Participants: Danian Jerry, Jennifer R. Povey, Sheree Renée Thomas, Michael A. Ventrella, Jean Marie Ward (M)
Just when you thought the world couldn't get any stranger, this happened. A discussion of the current world. No topic off the table. Trigger Warning.

 

Saturday

 

7 PM, Mass Signing and Awards Ceremony (Ends at: 8:55 PM) Atrium

The annual gathering of Capclave attendees with presentation of the Guest of Honor Gifts, the WSFA Small Press Award, and the Baltimore Science Fiction Society's Amateur Writers Award.

 

Sunday

 

1 PM, Author Reading: Jean Marie Ward (Ends at: 1:25) Adams

 

2 PM, Companions, Pets, and More (Ends at 2:55 PM) Eisenhower

Participants: Jennifer Brinn, Randee Dawn (M), Matt Dinniman, Miguel O. Mitchell, Jean Marie Ward
Princess Donut, Lassie, and Big Dee each play a role in moving the plot forward. What is the role of the animal character? How do you convince readers of their animal nature even while they develop beyond the simple impulses of their origins.

My Dragon Con 2024 Schedule

Dragon Con is almost here, and I have I got a schedule for you. Look at those topics! Look at those participants! And if you haven’t yet bought a copy of my new collection of short stories, Dragons, Cats, and Formidable Femmes, you buy your own—and get it autographed—at the Fantasy Gather, Friday, August 30, from 8 until midnight. See you soon!

Title: Social Media. Friend, Enemy, or Frenemy?
Description: Some people whiz through social media platforms easily. Others struggle. This panel demystifies the process so that your promotional efforts are rewarding rather than overwhelming.
Panelists: Tyra Burton, Gail Z Martin, S. L. Rowland, Jean Marie Ward, Venessa Giunta(M), Theresa Glover
Time: Fri 01:00 pm
Location: Embassy EF Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: The House Doesn't Always Win: A SurrealEstate Fan Panel
Description: A moderated fan panel discussion over the first two seasons of the popular show.
Panelists: Jean Marie Ward, D.R. Perry, Lisa Harrison, Laura Beard Hayden, Rocky Shields, Carol Malcolm(M)
Time: Fri 05:30 pm
Location: Chastain 1-2 Westin (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Fantasy Gather
Description: Fantasy writers at Dragon Con sell their current releases one-on-one
Panelists: Multiple authors
Time: Set-up 0700 pm, Event Fri 08:00 pm (Length: 4 Hours)
Location: International Ballroom

Title: Humor is Subjective: Everybody Laughs Differently
Description: What one person thinks is funny isn't always funny to someone else. Our panelists discuss times when their funny...wasn't. And how to get it right.
Panelists: Shami A Stovall, Benjamin Wallace, Jean Marie Ward(M), Kevin J. Anderson, Gini Koch
Time: Sat 05:30 pm
Location: Embassy AB Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Delphic Oracle
Description: Watch our panelists play a game similar to telephone, but so much more fun for the rest of us.
Panelists: Daniel Schinhofen, Gini Koch, Jean Marie Ward, J. B. Garner(M), Terry Maggert
Time: Sat 08:30 pm
Location: Embassy CD Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Herstorically Speaking: Women Who Changed the Tide of History
Description: From kevlar to alphabet blocks, signal flares to paper bags, the extraordinary work of women has helped create our modern world. We've collected a panel of experts to tell the stories and struggles of women throughout history that might have been left out of your history book.
Panelists: Esther Friesner, Mel Todd(M), Jean Marie Ward, Omisade Richardson, Jesse J. Holland
Time: Sun 11:30 am
Location: Macon Courtland Grand (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Historical Romance Novels: A Deep Dive into Our Craving for Love
Description: Nothing is truer than love. There are times when we need romantic gestures, longing looks & the sweetness of love in our lives. If love is on your mind, listen in & bring discussion points as our panelists discuss the sweeter side of romance & where they turn when their heart craves a gentle touch.
Panelists: Esther Friesner, Jean Marie Ward, Emily Myerscough(M), Nancy Northcott, Bethanne Kim
Time: Sun 01:00 pm
Location: Macon Courtland Grand (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Do the Classics Speak to the Current Generation of Fans
Description: Many of the classic works of science fiction were written in a time that was markedly different from the world we live in now. Our panelists will discuss if these works still have something to say to the fans of today.
Panelists: Bill Ritch, Jean Marie Ward (M), Ben Yalow, Storm Humbert, Robert J. Sawyer, Gray Rinehart, Alison Tracy
Time: Sun 04:00 pm
Location: Embassy AB Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Win, Lose or Draw!
Description: Our traditional end of con contest where fans try to draw in order to make their team guess correctly!
Panelists: Jean Marie Ward(M)
Time: Mon 02:30 pm
Location: Embassy AB Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Forever Magpie

My parents are both vets, and I always visit their grave around the dates of their respective deaths. Yesterday's visit to commemorate my dad was particularly bittersweet, because I'm getting ready to publish my first collection of short stories, Dragons, Cats, & Formidable Femmes from Ginger Blue Publishing. Dad died before I published my first nonfiction book, and Mom died shortly after I published my first novel. They never got to see my writing take off.

But you know how it is. Even if you don't believe in an afterlife, you make believe to keep the connection with your loved ones alive. I always talk to my parents when I'm there. This time, I decided to leave a couple postcards featuring the pretty, shiny cover by the grave marker. Mother, especially, would have loved it. Her brother Pat nicknamed her "la gazza ladra"--"the thieving magpie"--for a reason. Mom could never resist anything sparkly. There was no danger of the cards turning into trash. It's a graveyard. Flowers and tributes are a given. The groundskeepers remove them on a regular schedule to keep the cemetery pristine.

I photographed one of the cards against Dad's side of the marker and wedged the card between the grass and tombstone to prevent it from annoying other visitors. Then I switched sides, photographed Mom's, and tried to position her card behind the grass next to the marble marker like I had Dad's.

The card whooshed down the side of the headstone and disappeared under the sod like I'd found the mail slot to the Underworld. I wouldn't have thought you could slide a knife blade between the marker and the dirt, much less seven inches of cardstock. I burst out laughing. "You're still a magpie! Well, wherever you are, Mom, just remember, pre-orders mean love."