Wednesday, May 25th, 2016

2016 Balticon Schedule

Balticon 50I hope I’ll be seeing you at Balticon this weekend!

I drew the short stick when it comes to panels, but I’ll be at several events over the weekend:

Saturday – 2:00 PM Autographing!
The Gimungous Autograph Session
Signing my name, along with: Diana Bastine, Walt Boyes, Alessia Brio, Val Griswold-Ford, Tom Doyle, Scott Edelman, Phil Giunta, Kelly Harmon, Starla Huchton, Mur Lafferty, Grig Larson, Chris Lester, Gail Z. Martin, Mark MacDicken, Christine Norris, Ada Palmer, TJ Perkins, Jennifer R. Povey, Izolda Trakhtenberg, Linda Swann, Lawrence Watt-Evans, S. L. Wideman, Robyn Wyrick (Room: Kent)

Saturday – 5:00 PM – Reading!
Readings with Paul Ellis, Kelly A. Harmon, Emily Leverett, Izolda Trakhtenberg (Room: Parlor 8029)

Sunday – 3:30 PM – More Reading!
Readings with: Broad Universe Members: Randdee Dawn (M), Gail Z. Martin, Jean Marie Ward, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Kelly A. Harmon, Jody Lynn Nye, Vonnie Winslow Crist (Room: Pride of Baltimore)

Sunday – 3:30 PM – Party!
Gaslight and Grimm Launch Party!
If you do nothing else this weekend, join us at this launch party! There will be AWESOME food, entertainment, readings, a lottery and more! (Room: MD Salon B)

When I’m not autographing or reading, I’ll probably be in the Dealer’s Room at the Broad Universe Table. Please stop by and say hello!

Friday, December 5th, 2014

Bel Air Authors and Artists

Bel Air Authors and ArtistsIf you have any holiday shopping to do, why don’t you join me in downtown Bel Air, MD tomorrow from 10 until 3?

I’ll be at the Bel Air Armory for an Authors and Artists event where we’ll be showcasing our art and selling it.

There will be live entertainment all day–and food! (If for nothing else, come for the food!)

I’d love to see all my old school buddies. If you’re around, please stop in and say, “hello!”

Thursday, December 4th, 2014

Chessiecon 2014 – Had the Best Time!

The logo for "Chessiecon" - a pencil sketch of a fictitious seasmonster from the Chesapeake Bay.

Chessiecon

I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone associated with Chessiecon, from organizers to volunteers to attendees. I had such a blast!

I had a table in the dealer’s room, too, this year–so I got to see a lot more folks “regularly” as they passed on through to peruse various wares. I had a great time chatting with everyone.

Total squee: all those folks who asked for Book 2 in the Charm City Darkness series. You guys made my day! (Note: It will be out soon! :))

I have one more public event this year, next weekend at the Bel Air Armory for their annual “Artists and Authors” day. It’s my old stomping grounds, so I hope to see a lot of folks I went to school with (hint, hint). Please stop by and say hello!

Wednesday, November 20th, 2013

Darkover Schedule

"Darkover 36" CaptionI’ll be in Timonium, MD Thanksgiving Weekend for the last-ever Darkover Convention.

I don’t expect to have a table, but I’ll be carrying paperback copies of my novel and short stories from my publisher for you to touch and feel (or buy). 🙂

Here’s my schedule:

FRIDAY
4:00 – 5:00PM: Military SF – Why Should You Read It? – What does Military SF contribute to the SF genre? Is its contribution more than merely entertainment value? Are there stories or themes that Military SF tells better than other SF sub-genres? Discussion should include examples and recommendations.

7:00 – 8:00PM: “Show, don’t tell!” – This is an age-old piece of advice from writers. What the heck does it mean? Is it important for writers (including screenwriters and playwrights) to understand this advice? If so, why?

SATURDAY
10:00 – 11:00am: Katherine Kurtz: The Deryni Effect – When Ballantine began its Adult Fantasy line, Katherine Kurtz’s Deryni Rising was their first title by a modern Fantasy author. Authors and fans discuss why they think the Deryni series has been so popular and received such widespread acclaim.

12:00 – 1:00PM: Jaelle’s Memorial – Held in Atrium (Just Attending)

4:00 – 5:00PM: Autograph Session

5:00 PM – Broad Universe Reading with Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Margaret Carter, Meriah Crawford, Elektra Hammond, Erika Satifka, Vonnie Winslow Crist, Leona Wisoker, and Sarah Pinsker.

6:00 – 7:00PM: The “Woman with a Sword” Phenomenon – Take your pick: from Robert E. Howard’s “Red Sonya” (a 16th Century Russian warrior-woman) to Marvel’s “Red Sonja” (a swordswoman of the Hyborian Age); from C.L. Moore’s “Jirel of Joiry” (a wandering Fantasy swordswoman) to J.A. Pitts’s “Sara Beauhall” (a Urban Fantasy lesbian blacksmith) and Revolution’s “Charlie Matheson”. And it seems that dozens of new book covers feature pictures of sword-wielding, leather-clad women. Why the attraction? Is “the woman with a sword” motif a guaranteed “winning combination” for a writer or an artist?

SUNDAY
12:00 – 1:00PM: Short Stories vs. Novels: Does Size Matter? -How does “word count” affect the writer’s craft? Writers discuss different strategies and goals when writing short vs. long fiction. Pinsker(M), Ackley-McPhail, Crist, Harmon, Sonnier.

I hope to see you there! Please drop by and say hello if you’re around.

Also:

The Con Needs Volunteers!

If you can help out, see this Darkover Volunteer Page. Every hour you volunteer, can earn you a dollar off the admission to next year’s First Annual Chessiecon.

Friday, May 25th, 2012

Balticon Schedule

Balticon Science Fiction Society Logo - BalticonI have my preliminary Balticon Schedule…yay! The Con God’s were clairvoyant when they scheduled me lightly this year, knowing in advance that my foot injury would flare. So, lucky, lucky me: I’m only on three panels.

The cool thing is: I’ll be at the Con all four days, thanks to other commitments, so I’ll be around (either at the Broad Universe Information Table or in the Con Suite if you want to come hang out) pretty much from dawn to dusk every day.

And I’ll have books if anyone wants to purchase and not pay shipping fees. Yay!

Here’s my schedule:

Friday
5:00 p.m. – Swords & Sorcery – Salon B (50 minutes)
How Has It Evolved, panelists contrast New Swords & Sorcery to that of earlier decades.

Saturday
9:00 a.m. – The Back Story – Salon B
The experiences authors had that inspired them to write the novels they wrote.

Sunday
9:00 a.m. – Readings by Brand Gamblin, Mur Lafferty and Me. – The Chase Room

1:00 p.m. Broad Universe Reading – Salon B
Includes Readings by: Jean Marie Ward; Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Roxanne Bland, Emilie P. Bush, Elaine Corvidae, J. R. Blackwell, Trish J. Wooldridge, T.J. Perkins, S. J. Tucker, and me! Six-minute readings Rapid Fire readings from some amazing women/authors.

Update!
5:00 p.m. – Publishing Nightmares – Pimlico Room
Self explanatory! I’m moderating this one…

8:00 p.m. – Teen Writers Collaboration – Parlor 1041
Teens put their heads together to write a fantasy short story.

Stop by and say ‘hello!’ if you’re around.

Sunday

Saturday, November 27th, 2010

Let’s Talk Rejection

RejectionI’ve spent the last two days at Darkover in Timonium, MD and I’m having a blast. I’ve made lots of new friends and had some terrific conversations.

(It makes me realize even more that there is *never* enough time. What I wouldn’t give for a little space-time anomaly to give myself a few extra days to socialize.)

This is my first year at Darkover, and I vow I’ll be back. I wish I’d known of it sooner.

So, why do I want to talk about rejection?

Yesterday I presented my “How to Submit Short Fiction for Publication” seminar during the convention. I was prepared with handouts and book props, knowing that I wouldn’t have the projector screen and access to the internet I usually do for demos.

I talked briefly about where to find markets and encouraged folks to look at submission guidelines when sending in work, and then I asked attendees if they had questions. I wanted to make sure that I answered all the questions people had, rather than stick with my prescribed script in the short time allotted.

But that meant we didn’t cover some items from my presentation in depth…one of which is rejection.

And I believe that if you talk about submitting work for publication, you should also talk about rejection. The two go hand-in-hand.

So, for those who attended yesterday (Thank you for coming!) here’s my take on rejection…just some things to keep in mind.

If you submit work to be published, you will be rejected. The first few rejections sting, especially when an editor points out a perceived flaw in the work.

The trick is not to take it personally. There are a lot of factors that play into rejection besides the quality of the work:

  • The editor was looking for something specific
  • Your story didn’t meet the editor’s criteria (and keep in mind: beyond the guidelines, you didn’t even know what those criteria were!)
  • The editor recently accepted a similar story for publication
  • The editor had too many “same genre” stories on hand already (for example: Fantasy and Science fiction is chock full of fantasy, but not enough science fiction submissions this month–and you just sent them another fantasy)

Two more reasons not to take it personally:

  • The editor’s not rejecting you – he doesn’t even know you.
  • It happens to everyone…here are some famous examples of rejection:
     
    • Carrie by Steven King: rejected 30 times
    • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle – rejected 26 times
    • Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig – rejected 121 times!

Sometimes there’s a silver lining to receiving a rejection: you’ll receive comments from the editor stating why he rejected the piece. Be joyful! Comments from editors are rare. The fact that an editor took the time to jot down a few sentences about your work means the writing is good. Evaluate whether the comments jive with your vision of the story. If they do, make the changes and send the story back out. If they don’t, send the story as-is to your next market of choice.

If you receive a standard, “form” rejection, send it out immediately to the next market on your list.

Keep writing. A day of writing prose is better than not writing at all. And keep submitting your work. Persistence pays off. Continuing to send a story out should eventually result in publication.

What should you do with your rejections? Some people burn them, other file them, Steven King pounded a nail into a wall and hung his rejections on it until the weight of them pulled it down.

I get more electronic rejections than paper these days, so the nail trick isn’t an option (without effort) so I log them into a spreadsheet. After the first 100 rejections, I bought my critique group a round of coffee (we meet at the local donut shop) and again for each 50 rejections thereafter. Getting a rejection still isn’t easy, or fun…but looking forward to coffee with my friends isn’t such a bad thing.

Saturday, October 30th, 2010

Reading at Constellation Books Today

Event:

Tea With The Authors
Today at 3:00pm
Constellation Books 303 Main Street, Reisterstown, Maryland

Please join me and authors Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Jean Marie Ward, Vonnie Winslow Crist, and Robert E Waters at Constellation Books, Reisterstown, MD for tea, cookies, and readings/signings from their various stories from anthologies Bad-Ass Fairies 3, Dragon’s Lure, Barbarian’s at the Jumpgate, etc. (I might even read from Blood Soup, keeping with the holiday atmosphere…)

Come to this pre-Halloween event and bring your friends, ghouls, witches, warlocks, etc.

Read the Constellation Books announcement.
http://www.constellationbooks.com/event/tea-bad-ass-fairy-authors

Author Websites:

Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Jean Marie Ward

Vonnie Winslow Crist

Robert E. Waters

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Library of Congress Reading – Flyer

Catherine Asaro created this awesome flyer for the Library of Congress reading on March 3. Isn’t it beautiful?

(The pic of me is about three haircuts ago…but it’s still a “fairly good” representation. I hate  to have my photo taken!)

Hope to see you there!

Reading at the Library of Congress, March 3, 2010
Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Library of Congress Reading – Won’t You Come?

I’ll be reading at the Library of Congress in March with a bunch of writing giants!  (Or, should I say Amazons, since they’re all women?) I’m very excited!

There’s going to be a book signing afterward. My first “official” signing. It couldn’t happen at a cooler place.

Of course I’ll be reading from Blood Soup.  If there’s time, I may read some from The Dragon’s Clause.

Here’s the published notice:

 

What IF… Science Fiction & Fantasy Forum

presents

Science Fiction and Fantasy from Broad Universe

Featuring Authors:

• Catherine Asaro • Ellen Kushner • Sue Lange • Kelly A. Harmon

Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 12:10 – 1:00 pm
LM139, 1st Floor, Madison Building
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

A book signing will follow.

Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 TTY or ADA@locdotgov.

Contact Nate Evans at natev@loc.gov for more information.

Broad Universe is an international organization of women and men dedicated to celebrating and promoting the work of women writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror.