My 2019 RavenCon Schedule

The 2019 con season has arrived, and my opener is a great one: RavenCon. Come join us in Williamsburg, Virginia, April 5-7, for panels, gaming, music, art and a great Masquerade. And if you decide to check out a few of my panels, I won’t object. Heck, I’ll make it easier by listing them all. Hope to see you there!

Friday

8 - 8:50 PM Reading Room 4

Valerie J. Mikles, Jean Marie Ward

10 PM (Panel) Alt-History with a Fantastical Flair / Room 8

Alternate history often has a military basis and a near-future, SF flavor… but it doesn’t have to be that way. Our panel considers alt-history that leans to the fantastic. Panelists: Doc Coleman (Moderator), Cass Morris, Jean Marie Ward, John C. Wright

11 PM (Panel) This Is Halloween / Room L

All Hallow's Eve, Samhain, All Souls' Day, Dia de los Muertos, Mischief Night… Whatever you want to call it, we’ll discuss the history of Halloween, its various traditions, and how it’s influenced our favorite books and moviesAll Hallow's Eve, Samhain, All Souls' Day, Dia de los Muertos, Mischief Night… Whatever you want to call it, we’ll discuss the history of Halloween, its various traditions, and how it’s influenced our favorite books and moviesAll Hallow's Eve, Samhain, All Souls' Day, Dia de los Muertos, Mischief Night… Whatever you want to call it, we’ll discuss the history of Halloween, its various traditions, and how it’s influenced our favorite books and movies. Panelists: Richard Groller (M), Jeanne Adams, Syrinx, Jean Marie Ward

Midnight (Panel) Dream Narratives / Room 8

From William Shakespeare to Lewis Carroll to Neil Gaiman, ambitious authors are addicted to dreams as a narrative device. What's going on when we're asleep that is so terribly compelling to fantasy writers? Panelists: Jeanne Adams (M), Emily Lavin Leverett, Pat O’Keefe, Jean Marie Ward

Saturday

2 PM - 4 PM (Reading) Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading / Room F / Moderator

Join members of Broad Universe—an organization dedicated to women in genre fiction—for a whole bunch of really short readings crammed into one panel. Jean Marie Ward (M), Jeanne Adams, Margaret L. Carter, Paige L. Christie, Jason Gilbert, Laurel Anne Hill, Amy Kaplan, Dina Leacock, Emily Lavin Leverett, Gail Z. Martin, Melissa McArthur, Margaret S. McGraw, Nancy Northcott, Jennifer R. Povey, Leann Rettell, Joan Wendland, Leona Wisoker

6 PM (Panel) Writing Ancient Cultures / Room F

We weren’t there, but we want to make our readers feel like they are. How do we manage to accurately and adequately set the stage? Learn how much research is necessary, how much is too much, and where to go to get the best sources. James P. Nettles (M), Cass Morris, Jean Marie Ward, Robert Waters

7 PM Female Friendship in SFF / Room 8

In attempting to write strong female characters, many authors strip these characters of close personal relationships and supportive friendships. How can authors address this and who is getting it right? Panelists: Nancy Northcott (M), Paige L. Christie, Cass Morris, Jean Marie Ward

9 PM (Panel) Crime and Fantasy / Room 8 / Moderator

From vampire assassins to wizard private eyes to undead thugs, crime has been mixing it up with fantasy for years. What is it about crime, noir, and the paranormal that's so appealing? Also, what are some really good titles? Panelists: Jean Marie Ward (M), R.S. Belcher, John C. Wright

My Schedule for RavenCon 2018

It’s con season—and not a moment too soon. This year, it may be the only way to tell spring has sprung.

First up is one of my favorites, RavenCon. I hope you’ll join me and guests like Chuck Wendig, Mark Cline and Eric Wile in Williamsburg, Virginia, April 20-22. The programming, as you can see from my schedule, can’t be beat:

Friday

5 PM, Room 4

Reading

Panelists: Val Griswold-Ford and Jean Marie Ward

6 PM, Room 8

Worldbuilding: Crafting New Worlds--How to create worlds and universes that are unique and original.

Panelists: Michael Thompson (M), Jennifer R. Povey, Mark H. Wandry, Jean Marie Ward

8 PM, Room 8

How Women Challenge and Change Science Fiction and Fantasy--We'll go over the influence of both female characters and female authors on science fiction and fantasy.

Panelists: Jean Marie Ward (M), Andrea Judy, Kettle Macaulay, Misty Massey

Saturday

3-5 PM, Room 5

Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading—Two hours of bite-sized readings from some of your favorite authors—with chocolate and door prizes.

Panelists: Jean Marie Ward (M), Samantha Bryant, Meriah Lysistrata Crawford, Paula S. Jordan, A.L. Kaplan, Emily Lavin Leverett, Gail Z. Martin, Jennifer R. Povey, Ken Schrader, Leona R. Wissoker

5 PM, Room 8

Making the Impossible Plausible--How can you make the impossible seem at least somewhat plausible in your writing?

Panelists: John G. Walker (M), Jim Beall, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Jean Marie Ward

6 PM, Room 8

Effective Writing of Historical Fiction--How to keep the historical part of your writing from flying into the fantastical.

Panelists: Sandra J. Baldari (M), L. Jagi Lamplighter, Cecilee Linke, Jean Marie Ward

7 PM, Room L

Falstaff Books Spotlight—The latest from the Misfit Toys of your favorite small press.

Panelists: John G. Hartness (M), Darin Kennedy, Misty Massey, Jean Marie Ward

9 PM, Room L

It’s a Con. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Our panelists know, and they’ve promised to tell all.

Panelists: MrShirt (M), Stacey Helton, Greg Smith, Jean Marie Ward

If you want to learn more, check out the RavenCon website and their onlineschedule. Or better yet, join us there. You won’t regret it.

My RavenCon Schedule, Version 2015

If it’s April, it must be RavenCon, Richmond’s home-grown con. Yours truly will be on the program again this year—as will lots of my favorite people. What you see here is only the smallest part of the whole.

Friday, April 24
5 PM (Panel) Urban Fantasy in the Real World
Room G
Panelists discuss using real-world places and historical figures in your writing. What can you do and what will get you in trouble? How do you keep a place real enough to be recognizable to people who have visited or lived there, but still make it suit your fiction needs?
R.S. Belcher, J. T. Glover, Kurrie Hoyt, Gail Martin, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator)

7 PM Opening Ceremonies
Rooms E and F

11 PM (Event) CJ Henderson Memorial
Bon Air
Friends and fans of CJ Henderson gather together to remember this iconic author and frequent guest of RavenCon.
Danielle Ackley-McPhail (Moderator), Heidi Hooper, Mike McPhail, Michael Ventrella, Jean Marie Ward

Saturday, April 25

4 PM (Presentation/Workshop) Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading
Chesterfield
Bite-sized readings from seven of your favorite authors.
Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Meriah Crawford, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Gail Martin, KT Pinto, Jennifer Povey, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator)

7 PM (Panel) Weird Westerns
York
What is it about the west that attracts speculative fiction writers? Firefly, The Dark Tower, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, and The Wild Wild West; film, television, anime, and commercial fiction use the west as a setting and place for magic to happen. Why do we love this sub-genre? Where is it going next?
Danielle Ackley-McPhail, R.S. Belcher, Doc Coleman, Nicole Givens Kurtz (Moderator), Jean Marie Ward

10 PM (Panel) The Villain's Journey
Anna
We all know about the Hero’s Journey. But is there a corresponding Villain’s Journey? Panelists will discuss the arc villains (or antagonists) can and should take through novels and other media.
Emily Lavin Leverett, Kate Paulk, D. Alexander Ward, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator)

Hope to see you at the con and at the book launch parties being hosted by my good friends Gail Z. Martin (Saturday, 11 PM—I love her so much I may actually crawl out of my coffin before noon to attend) and the folks at Double Dragon Publishing (Friday, 6 PM—by far a saner hour). ‘Til Friday!

Picturespicturespictures!

I'm back, with a first look at Ben Fogletto's amazing cover art for Hellfire Lounge 4: Reflections of Evil, coming in August to a bricks-and-mortar and online bookseller near you.



And if that weren't enough, Edd Coutts has done a stunning job of capturing the moment when Eddie Woodhouse meets the Luftwaffe on the Hindenburg. Yep, "Glass Transit", my contribution to the anthology, features Eddie and Ducky "Duke D'Or" Orr, everybody's favorite hard luck sorcerers, on Nazi Germany's biggest flying bomb. Don't say you weren't warned.



And I've posted pictures of RavenCon! The short version can be found in my Thursday Thirteen for Beyond the Veil. But there's more, lots more, on my Flickr page. Enjoy!

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Heading to RavenCon

Between deadlines and conventions, 2013 is shaping up as a wonderfully busy year.

For those of you who missed it, I was one of the guests of honor at James Madison University's Madicon the first weekend in March. I had a great time with old friends and new, and as usual, I have the pictures to prove it.

This weekend will find me in Richmond at RavenCon. This year's writing guests of honor are Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta. The artist guest of honor is The Devil's Panties creator Jennie Breeden. I'm looking forward to all their panels, but I confess, I'm especially looking forward to Jennie's. Her web videos are laugh-so-loud-you-scare-the-cat funny, even when she's hawking merchandise. I can only hope to compete on my five panels.

Yeah, you know what's coming--my RavenCon schedule:

Friday
3 p.m., Room F
Steampowered--the Rage of the New Victorians
From werewolves to anti-zombie airship pilots, the Empire has struck back. What is it about this genre and time period that is so appealing. Is it the machinery? The celebration of intellect? Or is it the clothes?
Carl Cipra (Moderator), Laura Anne Hill, Jean Marie Ward, Susan Zee

11 p.m., York Room
Yes, But is it Funny? Comedy in Science Fiction
...And presumably everything else. This is the late night panel. You really think we're going to stay on topic? Mwahahaha!
Jim Bernheimer, Bud Sparhawk, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), Joan Wendland

Saturday
2 p.m., Anna Room
Judging a Book by its Cover
What are the latest trends in science fiction, fantasy and horror covers? What do you love--and hate--about book covers? And what are the latest trends?
Betty Cross, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), J. Andrew World

4 p.m., Room E
Beyond Steampunk
Gaslight fantasy. Weird west. Dieselpunk. Cyberpunk. Explore the punked-out fictions that are not set in a British Victorian or Edwardian past.
Betty Cross, Laura Anne Hill, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), Susan Zee

Sunday
1 p.m., Room E
The Discreet Charm of the Historical Fantasy
What prompts otherwise sane writers to spend years researching Imperial Japan, the Silk Road, or the Ripper's London. How do they know when they've gotten it right?
Day Al-Mohamed, Maggie Allen, KT Pinto, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator)

Hope to see you there!

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RavenCon Schedule

RavenCon is this weekend!  I can’t wait, and when you see the schedule they’ve given me, you’ll know why.  And this is only the tip of their programming iceberg.  Glen Cook and Matthew Stewart are the writer and artist guests of honor, respectively.  This year the con hosts its first media guest, Battlestar Galactica’s Nicki Clyne. Not to mention an all-new Masquerade and a concert by Bella Morte, whose lead singer Andy Deane is also a writer and on the program.   And so am I:

Friday, April 14

4 p.m.

Space Cowboys and Fantasy Noir: From Shadowrun to the Garret Files to Priest, mixing genres can result in some interesting stories.  What genres mix well?

John Betancourt Glen Cook, S. Reesa Herberth, Stuart Jaffe, Michelle Moore, Jean Marie Ward

5 p.m.

Creating a Timeline: How carefully should an author keep track of what happens, when, and where?  What are some techniques to make this easier?

Day Al-Mohamed (m), Pamela K. Kinney, Bud Sparhawk, Jean Marie Ward, Robert E. Waters, Steve White

Saturday, April 15

2 p.m.

Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading: Tasty, bite-sized readings from the authors of Broad Universe, an international organization dedicated to promoting science fiction, fantasy and horror written by women.

Danielle Ackley McPhail, KT Pinto, Gail Z. Martin, Jean Marie Ward, Leona Wisoker (m)

3 p.m.

Design a Superhero: What makes a superhero great? Panelists describe what they think makes a memorable superhero.

Butch Allen, Billy Flynn, CJ Henderson, Patrick A. Vanner, Jean Marie Ward

5 p.m.

Modern Fairy Tales: Lost Girl, Grimm, and Once Upon a Time all bring fairy tales to the TV screen.  What makes some shows work, and others not?

Butch Allen, Flynnstress, Warren Rochelle, Suzanne Rosin, Michelle D. Sonnier, Jean Marie Ward

Sunday, April 16

11 a.m.

Are Panels About Vampires Played Out?  Every year, we have a panel asking if vampires are passé.  Are panels asking if vampires are passé…passé?

Scott M. Baker, Keith R.A. DeCandido, KT Pinto, Jim Stratton, Jean Marie Ward, Robert E. Waters

2 p.m.

Military Science Fiction and Fantasy: Panelists discuss the various subgenres of military SF and fantasy, from Star Trek to Battlestar Galactica to the Black Company.
Glen Cook, Mike McPhail, Tony Ruggerio, Janine K. Spendlove, Patrick A. Vanner, Jean Marie Ward (m)

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Six Sentence Sunday: Stealth Con, or How to Succeed at Cons with a Cunning Plan

Our beloved Feline Overlord is ailing, and last weekend was devoted to him. But I'm back this week, with a little nonfiction in honor of RavenCon, where I'll be next weekend--the story of my first RavenCon in 2007:

The email from RavenCon’s assistant director of programming was polite but not encouraging:

“Right now our guest list is full, but I will put you on our short list if a guest cancels…”

A lot of writers will take that as a hint. In other words: “Stay home, little girl, you’re not big enough/you’re the wrong genre to play in our sandbox.” But I’m evil and wise in the ways of science fiction/fantasy conventions. And I had a cunning plan.

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If you want to read more about my first RavenCon, you can find the full story here.

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!

RavenCon, Retreat and the Library of Congress, Oh My!

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the more fun I’m having away from the keyboard, the less likely I am to blog. Guess who’s been having way too much fun this month. We’ll draw a veil over the household’s Easter/Oster celebrations. Suffice it to say much chocolate was consumed—necessary fuel for what was to follow.

Next came RavenCon, which this year featured two of my favorite people, Rachel Caine and her husband R. Cat, as Writer and Artist Guests of Honor, respectively. And that’s not even counting the great people who run the convention. If you’re interested in a visual tour of the fun, my April 9 and 10 photos can be found here. Sunday, April 11, I was too busy to shoot. Honest!

The very next day, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Sarah Avery, Christine Norris and I upheld the honor of Broad Universe at the Library of Congress. We didn’t get any photos of the Rapid Fire Reading itself, but if you want to see the unusual suspects, click here.

On April 16, it was off to Turn the Page Bookstore Café in Boonsboro, Maryland, for the annual mega-signing with Nora Roberts and the featured guests of the Washington Romance Writers annual conference, “In the Company of Writers”, then the conference itself. The Retreat, as it’s called, is always a highlight of my year. I just wish the love came through in the photos. The subjects are so much lovelier than their photos.

I’ll write a longer report for my monthly Beyond the Veil blog on May 8. But until then, I leave you with this. Enjoy!


(Left to right) authors Charlaine Harris, Diane Whiteside and Ginjer Buchanan, Ace/Roc editor-in-chief at the WRW Retreat, April 17.

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RavenCon Anon

RavenCon 2010 makes Richmond, Virginia, the place to be this weekend, April 9-11. The con features Rachel Caine, author of the best selling Weather Warden and Morganville Vampire series, her multi-talented artist husband R. Cat and gaming guru Steve Long as guests of honor, as well as lots of other talented writers, artists, gamers and costumers you really want to meet.

With a guest list like that, you know I couldn’t stay away. Not only that, I even strong-armed—ahem, persuaded the con committee to let me play on some panels. My schedule follows. I hope you’ll join me there!

Friday

7 p.m.: Two Way Street
Writers and artists often feed each other muses. Artists talk about the writers who inspired them and vice versa.
Panelists: R. Cat (Artist Guest of Honor), James Enge, Heidi Hooper, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), J. Andrew World

10 p.m.: Where Have All the Female Vampires Gone?
Help us find out.
Panelists: Jim Blanton, Rob Floyd, Kalayna Price (Moderator), Jean Marie Ward

Saturday

11 p.m.: Ghost Hunting—New Trend or Passing Fad
There's a lot of stuff on TV and in literature—but is anyone still pursuing this at home? What makes or breaks the hunt for a ghost and how long will it continue?
Panelists: Pam Kinney, Cheralyn Lambeth, Laura Underwood (Moderator), Jean Marie Ward

Sunday

10:30 a.m.: Jean Marie’s Koffee Klatsch
Come rescue me from talking to myself for a half hour after wrestling ghosts ‘til the wee hours of the morning. I will have chocolate…

Noon: That’s Bull
We all agree it's fiction but there are times when even authors take too much liberty. Panelists discuss what they have read and perhaps their own forays across the line of believability. How far will a reader be willing to go to suspend disbelief? Does a writer lose credibility or are they just pushing the envelope?
Panelists: Laura Cory-Haywood, Sarah Harvey (Moderator), Larry Hodges, Jean Marie Ward

1 p.m.: Leyaks Don’t Get No Respect
World mythology is full of weird and wondrous beings who've yet to make their mark on the fiction bestseller lists. Writers and artists talk about their favorite obscure creatures and why they deserve their time to shine…or darkly glow, as the case may be.
Panelists: Iver Cooper, Kalayna Price, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), Leona Wisoker

2 p.m.: Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading
Four first-rate authors read exciting, bite-sized excerpts of their work that will leave you hungry for more. (Check out the flyer if you want to know more about the writers.)
Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Debra Killeen, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), Diane Whiteside

Going to RavenCon

My 2009 conference season starts off with a bang this Friday at Richmond’s RavenCon. If you’re in the neighborhood of the Crowne Plaza West, drop by and say hello--and hang around for the festivities. Mary Shelley’s going to be making a return engagement, and this time I think I can get the hair right. As for the rest, I think they’re going to get their money’s worth...

Friday

5 p.m.: Twice-Told Tales
Some of the most popular adult and young adult fantasy in today’s market are retellings of classic fairy tales and myths. What’s the allure? How do writers find something new to say about the stories we all know?
Panelists: Marcia Collette, Edmund Schubert (moderator), Jean Marie Ward, John C. Wright

7 p.m.: Writing 411: (Not Necessarily) The Usual Suspects (90-minute literary workshop)
Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Jack Bauer, Reno—chances are the thing you like best and remember longest about your favorite stories are the characters. This session will discuss the importance of characters in the creation of plot.
Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Jean Marie Ward, Allen Wold (moderator), John C. Wright

10 p.m.: Urban Fantasy 101
Werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters—these used to be classic “horror” elements. What defines Urban Fantasy and how does it differ from classic horror?
Panelists: Danny Birt, Marcia Colette, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Hildy Silverman, Jean Marie Ward (moderator)

Saturday

3 p.m.: Dead Authors Society
Four authors channel the spirits of their favorite dead authors for the duration. Talk to William Morris, David Gemmel, Louie L’Amour and Mary Shelley live…sort of.Panelists: Lyn Gardner, Laurel Anne Hill, Peter Prellwitz, Tony Ruggiero (moderator), Jean Marie Ward

6 p.m.: Books on TV
Several new series are popping up on TV based on popular novels--TrueBlood and Legend of the Seeker, for example. How closely do these TV shows follow their inspiration and will book fans follow them to television?
Panelists: James Fulbright, Jean Marie Ward

10 p.m.: Love at First Bite
What is it about vampires? From TrueBlood to Twilight, vampires seem to be taking over. What makes them fun to read and watch? Oh… and do they deserve “human rights” or are they “monsters”?
Panelists: Paul Bibeau, Marcia Collette, Tony Ruggiero (moderator), Jean Marie Ward

Sunday

Noon: Does Blood Smell?
A panel about some of the more “icky” aspects of writing and research.
Panelists: Laurel Anne Hill, Gail Martin, Tony Ruggiero (moderator), Maggie Stiefvater, Jean Marie Ward