Bubonicon – Dab of Darkness Book Reviews

Audiobook & Ebook Giveaway: Interview with Natalie Wright, Author of the H.A.L.F. Series

Folks, please give a warm welcome to author Natalie Wright. I recently met her at Albuquerque’s Bubonicon where we spent close to an hour talking about books (of course!). It’s my great pleasure to have her on the blog today. Enjoy! Scroll to the bottom for the ebook and audiobook giveaway of Books 1 & 2 of her H.A.L.F. series.

If you could be an extra on a TV show or movie, what would it be and what would you be doing?

This one is hard because I love so many movies and shows! I’m a huge Star Wars nut, so it would be great to be an extra in a Star Wars movie. I’d love to be cast as a Jedi knight, swinging a light saber in the background. But given my short, squat stature and lack of athleticism, they’d probably cast me as an Ewok!

I also love Game of Thrones and would love to wear a beautiful silk gown and perhaps be a lady-in-waiting in a court. But given my flaming hair and Celtic genes, they’d probably cast me as a Stygian-witch sort of character, wearing rough-spun peasant clothes and gathering herbs or brewing potions.

If you could have a signed copy of any novel what would it be and why?

Wow, that’s a great question! I think it would be A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. Of course she is no longer with us, so it’s not going to happen! But that book was so influential to me as a child. It was the first science fiction book that I ever read and it opened a world of possibility for me.

It’s time for you to host the book club. Who do you invite (living, dead, fictional, real)? And what 3 books will you be discussing?

Ooohh, a delicious question. I’m a huge fan of the Bard so I’d have to invite William Shakespeare. And since I’m inviting dead people, I’d also invite Charles Dickens, Madeleine L’Engle (and hopefully get that autograph we talked about ;-), and Robert Jordan (author of the Wheel of Time series). And speaking of the Wheel of Time, I’d love to meet my current book boyfriend, Rand Al’Thor in person so I’d invite him (so long as he promises not to channel the One Power and burn anything down).

But who wants a party with only dead people? I loved The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and I think she’d get along nicely with the ghost guests. Another favorite and all-around cool lady, I’d love for Anne Rice to attend. I think I owned at least one copy of every one of Anne’s books when I was in my 20’s and 30’s. And of course J.K. Rowling. I mean come on, any book party has to include the icon that pretty much created the YA genre. Finally, I’d want to meet Suzanne Collins. I’d love to pick her brain about many aspects of The Hunger Games trilogy.

We can discuss only three books?! Impossible!

Given the folks in attendance, it would be fun to compare and contrast the young protagonists/heroes of Hamlet, Harry Potter and Rand from Wheel of Time. And wouldn’t it be cool to get William Shakespeare’s opinions on Katniss Everdeen? Okay, that’s four books.

What future invention would you like to see not only created during your life time, but readily available to the public?

The invention that I want is teleportation. I’m ridiculously curious and want to see everything and love to travel and see new things. Even if I had an unlimited purse, the time (and pain in the arse) of travel makes it a drag. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could get into a telephone booth-type gadget and like Dr. Who, basically instantly and relatively painlessly travel to another part of the world? Or even another part of the galaxy?

What has been your worst or most difficult job? How does it compare to writing?

Okay, I’ve had some crappy jobs. Right up there was the summer between my senior year of high school and college when I worked at a SuperAmerica gas station/convenience mart (like a Circle K for west coasters). Absolute worst thing ever? Working on July 4 and a biker gang stopped and all of them used the toilet. I refuse to speak of what I had to clean up in that restroom!

The most difficult job though was my twenty years as a divorce lawyer. Better pay than the convenience mart job and I didn’t have to clean nasty bathrooms! But it was emotionally intense. I enjoyed helping people, but it was hard to be involved in rancor day-in and day-out.

Writing has its own difficulties, but I truly love every aspect of my writing life. I even like editing.

Care to share an awkward fangirl/fanboy moment, either one where someone was gushing over your work…..or one where you were gushing over another author’s work?

Being a big fan of The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin, I was super excited last year when I found out he would be at Bubonicon in Albuquerque. I had a table in the vendor area that was right across from George’s bookstore and though he didn’t work the table, he popped in from time-to-time to chat with the folks running it for him. I had several chances over the three days to at least say hello. I watched as other people approached him, respectfully, to get autographs.

I sat at my table and each time he walked by, it was like I had been hit by a spell that made me mute! I couldn’t even speak or make eye contact! I was so afraid of sounding like a babbling idiot that I didn’t even say hello.

Maybe next year I’ll work up the nerve to at least say hi.

Finally, what upcoming events and works would you like to share with the readers?

I travel quite a bit to appear at sci-fi/fantasy cons, comic cons and book festivals. My next travel will be in late September for Salt Lake Comic Con. It’s my favorite large con (around 120,000+ people attend). It’s a gathering of nerds and geeks from all over the northwestern US and lots of readers! I’ll also be at Tucson Comic Con (TusCon) and the Mesa Book Festival this year.

Now that I’ve finished writing the H.A.L.F. series—which I worked on for seven years!—I’m free to explore anything. Exciting! I’m toying with the idea of writing a spin-off from the H.A.L.F. series involving the M’Uktah culture on their planet. I’m also developing an epic high fantasy series, but I’m keeping the details of that one quiet for now. If it goes as I envision, I think readers are going to love it.

About Author Natalie Wright:

Natalie is the author of the award-winning science fiction series H.A.L.F., and The Akasha Chronicles, a popular young adult fantasy trilogy with over 2 Million reads on Wattpad. She lives in Tucson, Arizona with her husband, teen daughter, and two cat overlords.

Natalie spends her time writing, reading, geeking out over nerd culture and cool science, and meeting readers and fans at book festivals and comic cons throughout the western United States. Natalie appears frequently on radio, podcasts and vlogs such as The Speculative Fiction Cantina, Front Row Geeks and iHeart Radio.

Website ~ Newsletter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram ~ GoodReads ~ Twitter

Synopsis of H.A.L.F. The Deep Beneath, Book 1:

H.A.L.F. 9 has taken his first breath of desert air and his first steps in the human world. Created to be a weapon, he proved too powerful for his makers and has lived a sedated life hidden from humans. But H.A.L.F. 9 has escaped the underground lab he called home, and the sedation has worn off. He has never been more alive. More powerful. Or more deadly.

Erika Holt longs to ride her motorcycle east until pavement meets shore. She bides her time until graduation when she’ll say adios to the trailer she shares with her alcoholic mother and memories of her dead father. But a typical night in the desert with friends thrusts Erika into a situation more dangerous than she ever imagined.

Circumstances push the two together, and each must make a fateful choice. Will Erika help H.A.L.F. 9 despite her “don’t get involved” rule? And will H.A.L.F. 9 let Erika live even though he was trained to kill?

The two may need to forget their rules and training and if either is to survive the dangers of the deep beneath them.

Amazon ~ Audible

Synopsis of H.A.L.F. The Makers, Book 2:

Roswell. Area 51. The X-Files.

You’ve seen the aliens known as “the Greys” in movies and on TV. But what if everything you think you know about them is wrong?

And what if the Greys are only the beginning?

On a nondescript planet on the far side of the galaxy, the M’Uktah have evolved from a wolf-like predatory creature into a highly advanced species that has mastered intergalactic travel. They are cultured. Refined.

And hungry.

Erika Holt dodged death and departed Earth in an alien ship. It wasn’t how she’d planned to spend her senior year. Is she on her way to paradise? Or to a hell worse than the underground lab she escaped?

The greys rescued Tex from A.H.D.N.A. and have promised him a life he could never have imagined. But what will he have to give up to become one with the Conexus?

Jack Wilson is still Commander Sturgis’ prisoner but a promise of freedom comes from an unlikely source. Will his liberation cost more than he’s willing to pay?

Commander Sturgis has the vindication she craved and the alien war she prepared for. But while she cleans up the mess the aliens left behind, The Makers have other plans for Sturgis and her prized creation, Alecto.

Caught up in their personal battles, will any of them realize the threat that looms over us all before it’s too late?

Amazon ~ Audible

GIVEAWAY!!!

Each winner will be allowed to choose either Book 1 or Book 2 of the H.A.L.F. series. There will be 2 ebook winners and 2 audiobook winners. That’s 4 winners total! Giveaway is open international. Ends October 16, 2017, midnight. Do the Rafflecopter thing below or answer these questions in the comments: 1) Who are some of your favorite science fiction authors? If you could have a signed copy of any novel what would it be and why? Leave a way to contact you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bubonicon 2017

After some lengthy quality time in a sick bed and major surgery, I finally get to return to Bubonicon after 2 years. So glad to be back! I just love this event.

I had the pleasure of seeing some old favorites. Diana Gabaldon is always such a charming and entertaining speaker. She just has a way of captivating a room and giving us all a good laugh. I thoroughly enjoy her Outlander series (Book 1 review). I read the first 3 books while in college and recently I am revisiting those books. She’s also very approachable and encourages people to catch her in the hall or such if we have a question about her works.

David Lee Summers was there and it was great to catch up with him and his wife Kumie. I am most pleased to see that his steampunk Clockwork Legion series is now available on Audible! Yay! I’ve listened to Book 1, Owl Dance, and have Book 2 waiting in the wings. While his publication company didn’t have a booth this year, I picked up an anthology he has a story in and got signatures. Then I gifted that forward to a friend of mine.

Daniel Abraham, half the writing team behind The Expanse series (published under James S. A. Corey) was there and he’s just so easy to chat with. He had an hour slot where he read the prologue to the forthcoming Book 7 in The Expanse series and then there was time for Q&A from the audience.

During the Mass Autograph Session I was able to walk around and chat a little with some authors. It was nice to touch base with T. Jackson King, who I interviewed a few years ago. Some of his books are now available on Audible – yay! I’m currently listening to Earth vs. Aliens, which is narrated by King’s talented cousin, Somerset Hamilton.

I had the pleasure to tell Ursula Vernon how much I enjoyed her short story Jackalope Wives , which I listened to on the Apex Magazine Podcast. Also during the Mass Autograph Session, I stopped by Darynda Jones‘s table to get my Kindle signed and her fancy pen was dead, so I gave her my spare. She’s very approachable too. I had S. M. Stirling sign my physical audiobook The Sky People.

A rowdy panel with Steven Gould, Ursula Vernon, C. J. Cherryh, Pati Nagle, Jane Lindskold

There were several new-to-me authors this year. C. J. Cherryh participated on several panels and always gave thoughtful answers. My mother-in-law is a big fan of her work and I picked up one of Cherryh’s novels and had her sign it (it’s a surprise for my MIL so don’t tell her). Sherwood Smith is also new to me. I found it interesting that she started her writing career rather late in life but she seems to have dived in head first – good for her!

I haven’t read any of Weston Ochse‘s works but after listening to him talk on a few panels about how accurately portraying PTSD in horror and science fiction can have a real positive impact on readers, I am definitely intrigued by his works. I asked him to sign my Kindle too.

Ursula Vernon, C. J. Cherryh, and Sherwood Smith

An interesting costume based on a 1968 story

There were some excellent costumes this year but I wasn’t very good about capturing pics of them. There was this awesome Valkyrie that I saw during the Mass Autograph Session but couldn’t find afterwards. Probably for the best as I suspect that Valkyrie hunting is a dangerous hobby.

All together, it was very good to be back even if I couldn’t do as much as I wanted to. I really only managed to go to about half the events as I still need much rest for my continued recovering. I came back home thoroughly exhausted but very happy.

Interview: Paul B. Spence, author of The Madness Engine

Hello Dark Dabbers, please welcome SF writer Paul Spence to the blog today. We chat about heroes & villains, geeky stuff, books & movies, and plenty more. Enjoy!

If you could, what book/movie/TV series would you like to experience for the first time all over again and why?

Out of the Dark, by David Weber, because it was then that I knew I could do better.

What has been your worst or most difficult job? How does it compare to writing?

Worst or most difficult job? Most of them. Anything monotonous that keeps me from thinking? Worst Job? Ditch digger. Writing is more stressful, but more rewarding.

What book should be made into a game (card, PC, board, etc.) and why? Is there a specific character who you would want to play in this game?

Other than mine? Seriously, I’d love to play a Fallout-type game set in my universe(s). Other than mine, Skyrim done Dragonriders of Pern style.

Who are your non-writer influences?

Non-writer influences? What is this thing you speak of?

Which ancient or historical works have you not read and periodically kick yourself for not having made time for them yet?

Gilgamesh. I haven’t made time for it yet. I need to.

Who are some of your favorite book villains?

To be honest, I’m not fond of villains. As for villains I thought worked great, Eddorians would top the list. Maybe Cthulhu.

Who are your favorite hero duos from the pages?

Kip and Peewee from Have Space Suit — Will Travel, by Robert Heinlein.

What reboots (or retellings) of classics have you enjoyed?

The one that comes to mind is the movie Forbidden Planet, by William Shakespeare — er, The Tempest, yeah.

Is there a book to movie/TV adaptation that you found excellent? Is there a PC game to book adaptation that worked for you?

I thought the later Hunger Games movies were good. I usually don’t watch adaptations too often. Don’t even ask my opinion on The Hobbit movies. I don’t read books derived from games.

If you could sit down and have dinner with 5 dead authors, who would you invite to the table? What would they order?

Off the top of my head: Roger Zelazny, Robert Heinlein, Andre Norton, Anne McCaffrey, and E.E. “Doc” Smith. I haven’t got a clue what they’d order, but I imagine alcohol would be involved.

Care to share an awkward fangirl/fanboy moment, either one where someone was gushing over your work…..or one where you were gushing over another author’s work?

Can’t think of any offhand. I’m pretty comfortable in my skin. Maybe when I shook hands with Neil Armstrong as a kid and realized I was already too tall to be an astronaut.

Cover art can be so important for a book, making or breaking sales. What cover art has caught your eye, that you found stood above other books?

I like cover art that conveys something from the book. The original cover for John Steakley’s novel Armor really nailed it.

What is a recurring or the most memorable geeky argument or debate you have taken part in?

Too many to count. I’m a scientist, dammit! We geek out all the time! That said, I do have recurring arguments about Classic Star Trek vs Next Gen. Next Gen sucked and has no rewatch benefits. Classic Trek was real science fiction and still relevant. Anyone who thinks differently can feel free to try and debate me.

What is the first book you remember reading on your own?

The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey. I have dyslexia, so I started reading later than most. I’ve made it since then.

You have to run an obstacle course. Who do you invite along? Will there be a tasty libation involved?

Invite someone to go through an obstacle course? How bizarre. I’d challenge anyone who thought Next Gen was better than Classic Trek. How about that? Libations? No. Not till after I kick their asses. Then they can buy me Guinness.

Finally, what upcoming events would you like to share with the readers?

My third novel, The Madness Engine (#3 The Awakening series), is scheduled for release on the 22^nd of May. I will also most likely be at Bubonicon in Albuquerque again this year.

The Remnant (#1 The Awakening series)

Lt. Commander Hrothgar Tebrey is assigned as a military attaché to an archaeological expedition as light duty to recover from the disaster of his previous mission. But things quickly begin to go wrong on Cedeforthy. Someone, or something, is manipulating events to sabotage the expedition.

When the science team becomes marooned on the planet by the tides of war, the sinister force reveals itself, and Tebrey must fight against a seemingly unstoppable enemy to save not just himself, the expedition, and the woman he loves, but his very soul.

Some things are worth dying for; it is the things worth living for that matter.

The Fallen (#2 The Awakening series)

Lt. Commander Hrothgar Tebrey has returned to duty in Special Operations, but it is becoming harder for him to fight in the name of a government he no longer feels is just – one that orders purges against its own citizens.

Meanwhile, dissention is growing within the ranks of the Earth Federation Fleet. Ships continue to go missing, and the military needs someone to blame. A war with the Sentient Concord seems inevitable.

But if the Earth Federation destroys the Sentient Concord, who will fight the true enemy? For the Sentient Concord is the only government that knows the truth about the hellish Theta entities…

…Entities that want Tebrey dead, and are willing murder entire worlds to make it happen.

The Madness Engine (#3 The Awakening series)

The war between the Sentient Concord and the Earth Federation grinds on, but dark forces are moving behind the scenes, forces intent on unleashing terror on a scale never seen before, a terror that has already spread beyond Commander Hrothgar Tebrey’s universe.

On an alternate Earth, acid rains fall smoking from the steely skies, and feral things that were once human skitter through the ruins. Tebrey’s father Daeren Drake searches for clues about the enemy and finds more than he bargained for.

Meanwhile, Lt. Commander Tonya Harris and Ghost stumble upon an engine, a weapon that must never be used, but already has been… by the enemy.

Loyalties will be tested, dark pasts revealed, and the enemy will strike a blow at the heart of the Concord from which it may never recover.

Places to Stalk Paul B. Spence

Additional Interview over at North of Andover

Prepping for the 2014 Santa Fe Renaissance Fair

Weaving away for the 2014 Santa Fe Renaissance Fair.

So I have this really big show coming up in just a few days. It is the Santa Fe Renaissance Fair. Last year over 8,000 people attended, so this will probably be the highest attended event this year that I participate in as a vendor. My weavings were juried in and it is my first year doing the event at all.

I am terribly excited! I literally start glowing every time I talk about this event. I also start talking really fast and go on and on. For those not interested in all this silliness, I ignore the fact that their eyes glaze over. There’s going to be all sorts of art vendors and food vendors. But then there will also be singing, dancing, fools of all sorts, equestrian jousting, falconry, and live steel combat. Yep. Fools of all kinds.

My man is also terribly excited about this event and has offered to help work the booth all weekend. I think this is so he can go watch the live steel combat more than once and sample all the food vendors over two days instead of just half of Sunday (just before take down). I’ll also be sharing a booth with my man’s brother, who does jewelry.

Now my man use to do the SCA thing (those folks who like to dress in Medieval clothing and reenact all the good parts) way back in highschool. So did his brother. Recently, my man and I joined our local SCA group. This is a whole new experience for me and kind of a home coming for my man. Anyway, lots of the SCA crowd will be at this event. I expect bardic singing at both the men in my booth, and at least one of them will gladly sing back. My man went to Battlemoor at the beginning of the month (5 days of singing and fighting in the woods) and brought back booty which included a pattern to make my own corset. Terribly cool! I just wish I had had time to do so before this event. But I will have time before the next Ren Fair.

Now for the bonus of the day! I have admired the work of three artists from afar and these three are going to be at the Fair as vendors. Not only that, they are on either side of me! OK, there is a bakery booth squeezed in there. But, basically, I am within easy shouting distance of these talented ladies. And I will try ever so hard not to go all fangirl on them.

The Wolf Sisters, Sandra SanTara and Goldie Grandjean, have had their work at Bubonicon, which is where I first admired their work. At Bubonicon, we can’t take any photos, so I will try to do their work justice via my words. Wolves and coyotes feature heavily in their work, and much of it has a Native American flair. The pieces that moved me in particular were of a more adult nature, showing wolves or coyotes with human attributes. I am really looking forward to showing my man their artwork. It stirs something visceral in me with the direct beauty. And yes, some of the pieces are arousing too. The combination of fantasy, nature, and allure is a potent, heady mix for me.

My Kickstarter packet full of Carla Morrow goodies. And Heldig kitty.

Then there is also Carla Morrow of DragonLady Art. I came across her work just a few months ago via Kickstarter. Her project was a 15 month calendar full of original dragon art. So I pitched in and a few months later got this incredible goodie bag that included the 2015 calendar, bookmark, postcards, a pencil drawing, and a fridge magnet. The artwork is stunning. I love the flow of the body lines of the dragons, making them sinuous and lithe. I keep returning to each scene, noticing something new each time.

So, yeah, there we have all my fangirl geekiness. Hopefully now that I have it all typed out, I won’t go all weird on them when I meet them.

This is just my second Ren Fair ever and I can use advice in general. So toss out quick easy hairdos, simple tent decorations, proper etiquette (is there such a thing if you’re carrying around a turkey leg?), and anything else that comes to mind!

Bubonicon 2014: Sunday

On Sunday, the panels and author readings didn’t get started until 10AM, but the Con Suite was open at 8AM. They had donuts, and not just any donuts, but donuts with bacon. Yep, you read that right. You could have a chocolate frosted donut that also had a strip of crispy bacon in it. (I think I heard one of the Con volunteers say the donuts came from Rebel Donut shop). I almost snagged one, but I feared that I wouldn’t like it and then who would I share it with? If my man was at the Con with me, I would just grab one for him, eat half of it, and then tell him how good the second half was. Instead, I stuck with the cheese, crackers, bagels, chips, bottled water, and a regular donut. The Con Suite also had a sizable spread of fruits, but there was a lot of chopped melon, and unfortunately, I am very allergic to melon.

I went to David Lee Summer‘s reading first thing. He read the first chapter from his latest book, Lightning Wolves, which is a steampunky desert Southwest alternative historical fiction that is quite fun and inventive. Then he read an interlude from his vampire novel, Dragon’s Fall. This book appeals to me because of the historical fiction aspect and his reading of the interlude only peaked my curiosity. And I asked my moonlight question. Growing up, I never really paid attention to vampires. But then vampires became a little more popular in the 1980s with The Lost Boys, and then with Interview with a Vampire. And that is when I started to wonder why most vampires weren’t reactive to moonlight, since it is simply reflected sunlight. Summers had a great answer for this in that it really depends on how the author has set up their vampires – is there a scientific basis for this existence (virus, blood defect, etc.) or are they magic based? From there, you can build logical reasons to how vampires do or don’t react to moonlight.

Steven Gould & Walter Jon Williams at Bubonicon 2014

Then it was off to the Co-Guests of Honor Presentation. Steven Gould was the Toastmaster, with Walter Jon Williams helping out. They started off with some trivia questions concerning lizards mating in space aimed at the audience and then moved on to quizzing the co-guests of honor, Cherie Priest and John Hemry. Once the silliness was concluded, important matters were discussed, like the Chad Mitchell Trio song featuring Lizzie Borden. Yeah, that little girl from the nursery rhyme who gave her parents 40 whacks was indeed a real historical person. Priest’s soon-to-be-out book, Maplecroft, features Lizzie fighting Cthulu monsters. Damn! That’s some creepy nursery rhyme turned mysteriously cool yet still creepy all at the same time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wlO-J0v9ZY

John Hemry was asked to talk about retiring from his navy career to become a writer and stay-at-home father. He spoke openly of his three children, all who are somewhere on the autism spectrum and each requiring some amount of special care. I have to admit that this little bit of a reveal on his personal life is why I want to give his books a try. The military SF genre is filled with books written by military/ex-military men and, to me, much of it is interchangeable, lacking distinction from author to author. But since Hemry has been a househusband and a father to challenged children, I expect he has more insight into the human condition than most writers in the military SF genre. With my fingers crossed, I will be plunging into some of his books soon.

John Maddox Roberts on the Secret History/Alternate History panel, Bubonicon 2014

The first panel of the day for me was The Weird Weird West: SF with Six-Guns, moderated by John Maddox Roberts. He was joined by Craig Butler, Josh Gentry of SnackReads, David Lee Summers, and Walter Jon Williams. This was a fun, fun panel that was part history lesson and part romp through all the weird westerns out there, in print and on screen. Sitting down to enjoy this panel, I instantly thought of Westworld. The discussion started with a bit of history about the Wild West (and how short lived that actually was) to the paranormal side of the Wild West (think ghost stories and native folk lore) and then to the various cultures that have homaged the Wild West – Spaghetti westerns, Samurai 7, and more. For your traipsing through the Weird West, check these out: Joe Landsdale, Jane Lindskold, Emma Bull, Ambrose Bierce, Red Harvest, The Good, the Bad, and the Weird, The Haunted Mesa, and Science Fiction Trails magazine.

Cherie Priest & John Hemry (AKA Jack Campbell), Bubonicon 2014

After taking a break to check out the Bubonicon auction, I ended up enjoying the panel Cthulu Lives! Lovecraft’s Old Ones in Today’s Fiction. Moderator Cherie Priest was joined by Yvonne Coats, John J. Miller, Harry Morris, and John Maddox Roberts. The panel spent a lot of time on their love for H. P. Lovecraft and his influence on today’s writers and the entertainment world in general. From the bookish world, check out Caitlin Carrigan, Fritz Leiber, Molly Tanzer, Livia Llewellyn. From the big screen and TV, check out True Detective, Cast a Deadly Spell, Pacific Rim. Then folks got a little serious and discussed the darker side to Lovecraft: his racism and sexism. Miller and Priest had the most to say, and seemed to have studied not only Lovecraft’s works but also his personal life. Morris also pitched in here and there with anecdotes. Priest pointed out that you don’t find hate without fear, and Lovecraft had a great hate of women. Miller pointed out that Lovecraft came from a highly dysfunctional home. It was a very interesting discussion and I think Lovecraft’s biography would be a worthy read. Then Priest told her story of her large framed Lovecraftian poster above her bed, and the squirrel falling down behind the wall late at night as Cherie sat up reading.

Claire Eddy & Connie Willis on the She's My Tardis panel, Bubonicon 2014 — Claire Eddy & Connie Willis on the She’s My Tardis panel, Bubonicon 2014

By this point I was fading fast and thinking about that 2 hour drive home. But there was one last panel, She’s My TARDIS, Except She’s a Woman, moderated by John Hemry. He was joined by Connie Willis, M. T. Reiten, David Lee Summers, and Claire Eddy. This started off as a discussion of ships or even planets that became a personality within the story, such as Firefly‘s Serenity, the ship from Farscape, even the planet Arrakis from Frank Herbert’s Dune. Willis recommended the movie Dark Star. And then someone asked the question of why ships are usually referred to as female, which lead to a deeper discussion of animism and the female psyche. Needless to say, the men kept digging themselves into a hole and it was terribly fun to watch. Indeed, I spent much of this last hour of the con laughing out loud (with everyone else, so it was the good kind of laughing out loud).

And there you have it folks. I’ll try to do one more post about the autographing session, the auction, the costume contest, and the art room. I didn’t get to explore the gaming room nor the vendors this year. And there was a late night charity auction Friday night. Really, I should just replicate myself for this event so that I can enjoy everything. Next year’s Bubonicon will be later in August, instead of the first weekend, so I only have a whole year to wait.

Bubonicon 2014: Friday

Walter Jon Williams, T. Jackson King, and Laura Mixon

It’s the start of my yearly holiday, Bubonicon, the scifi convention of Albuquerque, NM. I packed appropriately with books and a fun t-shirt for authors to sign at the big signing party on Saturday. I’m staying at the hotel where the convention is held, which makes it mighty convenient to pop in and out of panels and readings, zipping up to my room here and there for apples and sanity breaks.

This year, the 4pm panel kicked off the convention with local authors. It’s All SF: Sci-Fi & Southwestern Fiction, moderated by Walter Jon Williams, hosted a great discussion on how the desert southwest has been used as location in SFF. Williams was joined by fellow NM authors David Lee Summers, Jeffe Kennedy, T. Jackson King, and Laura Mixon (AKA M. J. Locke).

This panel ranged from the ecological and geographical diversity of the Southwest, to the cultural diversity of region. Of course, this went on to discuss frontier adventures in general and how what we learn from this region can be used to build frontier locations on fictional worlds. Two of the panelists have ties to the Roswell incident, which I found quite amusing. There was a nice discussion of the O.K. Corral and how modern movies make that the climax of the story, when in reality the O.K. Corral event was the beginning of Tombstone violence that went on for several months. Add in side notes about a Santa Fe version of the phantom of the opera and Japanese chili farmers, and you have a pretty amusing panel.

David Lee Summers, Jeffe Kennedy, & Walter Jon Williams

But then Walter Jon Williams had to bring up the (sadly) failed camel corp and the Ottoman trainer, Hadji Ali (AKA Hi Jolly), who was brought over with the camels to train US military personnel in camel riding. Apparently there is a monument to this man in Lake Havasu, AZ which is a pyramid with a camel at the pinnacle. Then Laura Mixon asked if anyone knew the song. No one volunteered, so she sang part of it for us, which was really quite awesome. Check out this LINK for the lyrics.

So, there we have scifi, history lesson, and musical entertainment all within the first panel of the Con.

Then I was off to tea, with two authors (David Lee Summers and Melinda Moore). We met at a nearby Starbucks, which is perfect for me as I love the scent of coffee but greatly prefer slurping down tea. We had a great chat, mostly about books, of course. And Melinda let me be a little book geek and have her sign my kindle.

Then back to Con in time for Steampunk 101: Queen Victoria Doesn’t Own It. This panel was hosted by ABQ Steampunk Society, and they were all dressed up. It was pretty cool to variety in their costumes (which I didn’t do a good job of photographing). Of course, plenty of steampunk literature was discussed – Scott Westerfeld, Cherie Priest, Jules Verne, K. W. Jeter, David Lee Summers, and plenty of others. Alternate history writers were pulled into the discussion (Harry Turtledove, Eric Flint). The aesthetics of steampunk were also discussed especially in relation to steampunk societies that have popped up around the world in places where there isn’t necessarily a body of literature int he native tongue to draw upon.

Then I was off to the dealer room to pick up a book I have been meaning to since the last Bubonicon – A Kepler’s Dozen. 99% of the time, I love living on the farm. But I do sometimes really miss being near a bookstore.

So, what do I have loaded on my kindle? Lightning Wolves by David Lee Summers. What audiobook do I have loaded on my laptop? The Coldest War by Ian Tregillis. I have so been looking forward to this event for months now and this kickoff doesn’t disappoint.

Bubonicon 2013: The Afterglow

First, here are a bunch of pictures of my signed goodies from the Bubonicon 2013 mass autographing session Saturday afternoon. I brought more books than I could carry in one backpack, and more than I could get signed in the 80 minutes allotted for it. I also went around with my kindle having the back signed. Some of the signatures on it are from Bubonicon 2012 and it came with one signature (David. B. Coe). We were allowed 3 items for the author to sign and then we could get back in line to have more signed. Since I had so many authors I wanted to stalk, I limited myself to no more than 3 items per author.

George R. R. Martin by far had the longest line. In fact, by the time I decided I was done (5 minutes left of the session), he still had somewhere between 20-30 people in line. So I spent my time stalking all sorts of other authors. Of course I had books for David Lee Summers to sign. Mario Acevedo, whose book The Nymphos of Rocky Flats I recently finished, was sitting next to Summers, so I couldn’t resist having him sign my kindle (devilish smiley face). I recently finished The Dragon’s Path by Daniel Abraham and had a paper copy for him to sign. However, I listened to Leviathan Wakes (by Daniel Abraham & Ty Franck under the pen name James S. A. Corey), so I asked the two if they wouldn’t mind signing my kindle – and luckily I had a few permanent markers on me. Then I headed over to the Tim Powers line to get a few books signed for a fellow blogger and tripped over Joan Saberhagen on the way. Well, I just happen to have this anthology, Golden Reflections, she helped put together, so I asked her to give it a signing since I blundered into her. She was so nice. In fact, everyone I tracked down to sign this anthology went into smiles and commented on how much fun they had with it.

The only one I have read in this batch is The Outlander. Looking forward to diving into the rest.

The Tim Powers line was shorter than I expected. In fact, Brent Weeks and Diana Gabaldon had longer lines, but Powers didn’t seem to mind. I told him my blogger friend threatened to beat me bloody with his books if I don’t give them a try and he seemed appreciative of the comment. Then I bobbled around to a few more – John Maddox Roberts, Walter Jon Williams, and Connie Willis. I got to tell her how much my man and I enjoyed the audio version of Blackout. I can’t wait to read the 2nd book, All Clear. Willis created one giganto novel and the publisher split it in two, so you really need to give both a read to get the full story.

Then I got in line for Brent Weeks. His wife and baby were right up there at the big table with him. The line had gone down quite a bit so he was chatting with folks as they came up to the table. I had my Night Angel trilogy that my man’s sister (thanks D.!) gave us a few years ago. Weeks was very cool. He let me babble on about how my man and I enjoyed his trilogy so much, we basically read it at the same time, having two sets of bookmarks and one staying up later than the other to get a chance at the book in use. My man won that little race, finishing the trilogy half a book ahead of me. Then over to Diana Galbaldon‘s table. By that time, the room was pretty darn warm and I and many others were beginning to wilt. I thanked her for doing this as I can only imagine that it might not be the most favorite part of a convention for the authors. I had found an old ARC of The Outlander and rescued it just for this con and was very happy to get it signed.

Finally, I swung by Sam Sykes‘s table. My man loved his first novel, Tome of the Undergates, and I picked up the next two in the series for him. Interesting factoid I didn’t know before the con: Sykes is the son of Diana Gabaldon. Sykes signed my kindle as the books were already signed, and he offered me two signed book plates! Hooray – keep putting out novels Mr. Sykes so we can use the book plates appropriately. Hmm… which brings up ideas of how to use them inappropriately. Anyhoo, I then asked Jane Lindskold (Firekeeper Saga) for a signature on the anthology. While I am not familiar with her work, I look forward to reading her story in Golden Reflections. Last on the list, but not least, was S. M. Stirling. My man really enjoyed his Island in the Sea of Time trilogy and we have both wanted to give The Change series a go. After all that, I was beat.

Mario Acevedo, Betsy James, Gabi Stevens, & Connie Willis

Now, on to Sunday, in which the festivities started at 10 and ended (for me anyway) at 4ish. Of course, I started off with a panel, Warehouse 2013: Odd Objects in Fiction. Gabi Stevens moderated and Mario Acevedo, Betsy James, and Connie Willis joined in. In this panel, they started off discussing objects that propel a story forward, such as the One Ring in Tolkien. The discussion then turned to metaphorical objects, such as searching for the truth. It was actually pretty good info for any aspiring authors because the dos and don’ts of how to use such objects in fiction were also touched upon.

Diana Rowland playing Toastmistress to Guests of Honor Tim Powers & Brent Weeks.

I then stuck around for the hour and half Co-Guest of Honor Presentation. Diana Rowland played hostess to Tim Powers and Brent Weeks. This was a great discussion. I quite enjoyed Diana Rowland’s jokes and stories. She use to be a cop and use to work at a morgue. I know, you might be guessing things about me by my interest in such professions. At any rate, now I want to read her stuff. Library trip! All three shared publishing snafoos with the audience. Brent Weeks talked candidly, but kindly, about the narration to his first book and how reviewers found the narration (think surfer dude for the main character) to be not a good match for the book. Tim Powers, who has been a published author for many more years, talked about Canadian Harlequin’s failed SFF line of books and then his experiences with Lester Del Rey. I am constantly fascinated by all that goes on behind the scenes to simply get a book out there to the public. Then of course we talked movie versions of their books. Brent Weeks commented on how he would want a good match and to have a final product that he could be proud of. Tim Powers was at the other end of the spectrum, not minding at all if a book of his was turned into a musical with dancing hamsters. He commented that to him movies, or even audiobooks, were different beasts entirely than the source material, his books. The imagery of dancing hamsters doing a Tim Powers scene had many in the audience laughing. It was a great way to spend an hour and half.

Darynda Jones, Alan Beck, Caroline Spector, Debbie Lynn Smith, & Warren Spector.

Then I had a half hour to kill before going to a talk I didn’t want to miss, so I stuck around for the panel Reality Bites Back: Media/Game Shows Gone Wild. Caroline Spector moderated with Darynda Jones, artist Alan F. Beck, Debbie Lynn Smith, and her husband Warren Spector attending. This panel was about reality TV shows. We have a TV. It is hooked up to a blu-ray player and Netflix. I don’t watch a whole lot of TV preferring my audiobooks. So, I knew only a small fraction of the shows they were talking about (mostly the cooking ones). They made some interesting points about ‘scripting’ of such shows and just simply how human behavior changes if you add a camera and dangle money in exchange for outrageous behavior. I ducked out early to hit the 1PM talk.

Connie Willis giving her 55 minute talk.

Connie Willis was giving a solo presentation, Non-Formula Plotting. Again, this was geared towards writers and aspiring authors, but I enjoyed her novel Blackout so much, I figured listening to her chat for an hour would be a treat. She did not disappoint. She pointed out some basic plot frames that are used again and again, successfully. The man in a hole plot is usually a big draw. People love to see or read about a person digging themselves out of a hole – usually metaphorical. Even if you don’t care for the main character, you like to watch the struggle of the person trying to regain financial stability, power, life, etc. The other plot frame that I remember her talking about extensively was the try, fail, try, fail, try, succeed story line. She then went on to discuss how to modify these slightly, with either failing at the end, or succeeding in a way that made the whole mess worse. All in all, it was an entertaining and insightful hour.

Darynda Jones, Mario Acevedo, David Lee Summers, T. Jackson King, & Doug Beason

I was waiting around for the art auction to announce whose silent bids won, and that wasn’t scheduled to happen until 3PM. So, I popped into the second half of another panel, What If Humans Never Go Into Space Again? This one was moderated by David Lee Summers with Mario Acevedo, Doug Beason, Darynda Jones, and T. Jackson King joining him. I walked in at the point where they were discussing how the travel industry and thrill seekers will propel humans into space (at least a vacation station) if world governments do not. Several on the panel made the point that as the world becomes more and more crowded, more and more eyes will turn towards the stars. I kind of wish I had caught all of this panel, but with the hour & half co-guest of honor presentation off setting the two main tracks, it was hard to jump back and forth catching all of a presentation.

Once this was over, I still had a half hour to kill, so I went to the afternoon auction. We could hear all the fun they were having through the floating wall. I sat near the back, where I could see one of the doors to the art show room. It was interesting to see the variety of items that had been donated for the auction. If I am reading the pamphlet right, these items were either for personal benefit or donated to Bubonicon to raise funds for next year. Of course there were plenty of books, some art donated by show artists, movies, Star Wars ice cube tray, even some VHS movies. Most people paid with cash on the spot. I think the highest item I saw was $40 or $50. Once I saw a line starting to form for the art show, I headed out there.

We waited. We waited some more. It was past 3PM when they came out with a handwritten list of all the bidders (by number) who won something. However, they repeated again and again that it was a very rough list and to check inside. I waited some more. Finally, about 330, they started letting folks in, but only 2 at a time, to pick up their items and pay for them. I was only 8 or 10 people back, so I was finally done about 410, not having won anything in the art show. Still, I had a great time.

My Favorite Moments: The autograph session, the Ty Franck & Daniel Abraham talk, with writer workshop put on by Diana Gabaldon, the co-guest of honor presentation.

Who Will I Be Stalking: Well, there were several new-to-me authors that caught my eye such as Diana Rowland, T. Jackson King, Susan Krinard, Jane Lindskold, Tim Powers, and Sam Sykes.

Next year I would like to attend the costume contest for fun. I saw several Saturday afternoon and wish I had taken photos. I loved staying at the Marriott where the convention was held as I kept bumping into authors here and there. If I do the art show next year (meaning more than look), I think I will do the quick sale instead of bidding. I could have either been enjoying another panel, the dealers room, or on my way home instead of standing around for just over an hour to learn that I had not won anything. At any rate, the art show is always fascinating to look at.

Sigh…. only 51.5 more weeks until the next Bubonicon.

Bubonicon 2013 Friday

Bubonicon 2013 Saturday

Bubonicon 2013: The Meat

Here we have Suzy Charnas, Daniel Abraham, Josh Gentry, David Lee Summers, and Joan Saberhagen.

Saturday of Bubonicon 2013 was an all day event, with the con suite opening at 9am. I opted to have tea in my hotel while messing around on the computer. 10AM brought about the first panel of the day: Short Fiction in the Era of Digital Publishing. Josh Gentry of SnackReads moderated this panel of Daniel Abraham (The Dragon’s Path), Suzy Charnas (The Holdfast Chronicles), Joan Saberhagen (manages the literary estate of Fred Saberhagen), and David Lee Summers (Owl Dance). This was a fascinating talk about how publishing has changed since ebooks came about, but also about how digital publishing has changed in the last few years and continues to change. Of special interest to this panel, was the subject of short fiction: how to sell it, should you sell it?, what format to provide it in, etc. Everyone agreed that ebooks were a great way to put an author’s backlist out there, but perhaps not the best way to become known as a new author (for a variety of reasons).

Walter Jon Williams reading a short story from a forth coming anthology.

After that I bounced over to the 55 minutes with Walter Jon Williams. He was amazingly entertaining last year, doing the various voices for his characters in the short piece of fiction he read. I was hoping he would be just as charismatic again; he did not disappoint. His story, which will be published in a forthcoming anthology, was just a little longer than we had time for, but he paused in a good place. Of course this only added to my desire to pick up the anthology when it comes out. Let me just point out that I had a choice of listening to Brent Weeks for 55 minutes, or Walter Jon Williams. Sorry Brent, but I am sure you had plenty of fandom to glory in and my shy attention wouldn’t have added to it.

Back in the big main room, George R. R. Martin and Tim Powers had an hour long discussion about dark fantasy: Whatever Happened to Dark Fantasy. While I have read some of George Martin’s works going back to the Wild Cards days in my highschool days, I have not yet had the pleasure of reading Tim Powers’s works. Even with that bit of ignorance, the talk was fascinating. Both authors seemed to shy away from such categories as ‘dark fantasy’ or ‘horror fantasy’. I have to agree with them; having recently explored some H. P. Lovecraft works, ostensibly horror, I found them to be fantasy with some dark elements. Martin and Powers are discussed the differences between fantastical horror and psychological horror (where nothing magical is involved).

Bubonicon2013PowersMartin — Time Powers & George R. R. Martin

After all that sitting, I needed a walk, and what better place to walk than the art show. Lots of cutsy kitten & some magical or SF element art was on display. Some made me laugh out loud with the fun of it. Of course there was the requisite armed and nearly nude women that permeate the SFF world (some of which I appreciated, others I found improbable even with suspended disbelief). This year also had pottery and I loved that there were a variety of mugs named for Tolkien characters. While I bid on a few items in the silent auction, I failed to win any. Perhaps next year.

At the dealer room, I swung by Hadrosaur Productions and said hi to David Lee Summers. While we chatted, author Mario Acevedo happened by and stopped to chat. Of course I had to mention that I recently read his book, The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, and from there we were off on conspiracy theories involving aliens and such. The dealers room had several more sellers than last year, which was nice to see. I wandered, looking for a corset to amuse my man with. Alas, I only found a few and nothing that struck my fancy. Perhaps next year.

I sat in on David Lee Summers‘s 25 minute reading. He entertained us with a short bit from his novella Revolution of Air and Rust, which is a steampunk or alternate history set in early 1900s near the beginning of WWI. Having recently finished the Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld, I really enjoyed the short bit that Summers shared with us. I’ll be picking up my copy for reading in the winter (when I have much more time for eyeball reading versus audiobooks).

Diana Gabaldon & my shoulder (since I was making a stunned bunny face).

On a whim, I then attended a writing workshop hosted by Diana Gabaldon, How (And How Not) To Write Sex Scenes. I don’t write, other than bloggity stuff and government reports (which may or may not be fiction), but I had not attended anything with Diana Gabaldon yet and didn’t want to miss out. The room filled completely. While we had a few minutes before beginning, Diana Gabaldon invited folks to come up and take pictures with her. I couldn’t resist, but the lady I passed my camera off to looked at it dubiously and caught me making a distressed face that could be mistaken for gas. It was way cool of Gabaldon to make the offer to the room. This was one of the funnest hours of the entire con. We laughed often and loudly. The room was full of women and a few brave men. I read a few of her Outlander books way back in college and recently reread the first book, The Outlander, so I had a good idea of her sex scenes. She gave a lot of great advice that was highly entertaining to even those who don’t have an interest in writing.

Brent Weeks moderating a panel with Darynda Jones & Diana Gabaldon.

The last panel of the evening for me was Assassins & Serial Killers in Fantasy moderated by Brent Weeks (The Night Angel trilogy rocks!). Diana Gabaldon, Darynda Jones (Charley Davidson series), John Maddox Roberts (well known for his SPQR series), and Melinda Snodgrass (who has done script writing for Star Trek: The Next Generation & other TV series) joined him. Once again, this was another great panel. Brent Weeks, well known for his assassin trilogy, was the perfect moderator, keeping the questions coming as the panel explored the various differences between serial killers and assassins. John Maddox Roberts pointed out that the traditional assassin, the hashashin, were folks who were called upon once in their life to take out one person, and then they were expected to die in the back blast of vengeance. The panel also explored the dark, disturbing attraction to serial killers whether in fiction or in the media.

John Maddox Roberts waiting for the panel to get started.

After that was the mass autograph signing. I think I will do another post showing off the treasures I got signed as this post has grown a bit long. You can tell my enthusiasm though.

Melinda Snodgrass chatting as Brent Weeks looks on.

Bubonicon 2013: Great Start

Craig Butler, Joan Saberhagen, Ian Tregillis, Josh Gentry

Bubonicon is admittedly a very small SFF convention located in Albuquerque, NM. But this has it’s perks. While I was waiting to check into my room Friday, I was about 5 feet from George R. R. Martin, famous for his Wild Cards series and his series Song of Ice and Fire, as he chatted with friends and made lunch plans. A young man came up and asked for his photo and he was very cool about. Perhaps I should get out of my shy polite stalker mode and move to polite upfront fan?

One of the things I like so much about this small convention is how cool everyone is. It truly is a friendly atmosphere. I had 2 backpacks of books plus my clothes and a little icechest with fruit and yogurt. A guy from Final Sword Productions, one of the dealers selling fiction, RPGs, minatures, & other things, was very awesome to keep an eye on my stuff by the door while I parked the car. It’s stuff like that that truly makes the weekend incredible.

Upon checking into the con, I got my little swag bag with schedule and my little hospital grade wrist band. I missed the badges, but I understood that this was way cheaper and simpler for the staff. Still, the fact that it was completely shower safe didn’t quite make up for the fact that it was an irritating piece of plastic. Once checked in to the motel and the con, I had nearly 2 hours to kill until the first panel. I found the ice machine and explored the cable TV selections, neither of which we have at home on the farm. I was more impressed with the ice machine. Have commercials gotten incredibly shorter in the 10 years since we had satellite TV or is it just me?

Anyhoo, the first panel was moderated by Ian Tregillis (author of Bitter Seeds). Entitled Should I Be Paranoid: Who’s Looking At Me?, it was a ramble about government and big business info gathering and what they have done with it and what they could do with it. Tregillis was joined by Craig Butler (overseeing post-production on RotGut), Josh Gentry (Editorial Director of SnackReads), and Joan Saberhagen (manages the literary estate of Fred Saberhagen). As the first panel on a Friday afternoon, it was pretty well attended. Once the panel starting discussing some small town issuing hunting licenses for surveillance drones, things really livened up. Overall, it was an interesting discussion about how much information is already out there (think about those shopper reward cards at the grocery store), how much of that info is with big business, and how much is government, and how much we (as a society) really care. A fun panel with lots of tidbits that have been in the headlines recently (think Snowden).

Alan Beck, Susan Krinard, & Victor Milan

Up next for me was the panel Mutant Madness: Extraordinary Genes Run Wild, hosted by Victor Milan (who I know from his Wild Cards contribution). He was joined by artist Alan F. Beck, Susan Krinard (author of the Stone God series), S. M. Stirling (author of The Change series), and Walter Jon Williams (who I know from Hardwired – one of the best cyberpunk novels ever written). Of course with a panel title like that, the Wild Card series came up. There was much discussion about what scientists have been able to do in real life (glow in the dark mice anyone?) and then the various mechanisms in literature for coming up with mutants. Susan Krinard brought up her love of Wolverine from Xmen – she wants to be Wolverine. Hell, I want to be Wolverine.

Diana Rowland (author of the White Trash Zombies series) was the Toastmistress this year and the 30 minute opening ceremonies was basically the big room full of everyone, with all the guests sprinkled through the room. Rowland read off their names and some little tidbit about them and we all clapped, unless they weren’t present and then we made up some excuse for them (like they were at the bar). It was cute, fun, and more low key than I expected.

Ty Franck & Daniel Abraham - on the move! — Ty Franck & Daniel Abraham – on the move!

Lastly, I went to the 55 minutes with Daniel Abraham (author of The Dragon’s Path) and Ty Franck (who write epic SF under the name James S. A. Corey). They were incredibly funny. Part of this might be due to the near constant sleep deprivation Ty Franck lives under, but in any case they had the room laughing when they weren’t reading a section from a story submitted to a forthcoming anthology. Shortly before the session got started, authors Sam Sykes (author of Tome of the Undergates, one of my man’s favorite books) and Brent Weeks – Night Angel Trilogy rocks! – (along with his beautiful wife and tiny baby) popped into the room and sat 2 rows behind me. It was a small room. I was among greatness and yet still breathing. It was awesome. This session was over far too soon, and then I took this really crappy photo. On the other hand, it portrays just how animated the two were.

The talk by George R. R. Martin was completely full and I was beat from my day. I drove down from the farm (just over 2 hours) and I was up early since I live on said farm. Across the parking lot was Buca di Beppo and I ordered carry out Italian for dinner – which was a perfect way to tuck in for the evening.