Friskbiskit

Still Life with Swag

I was too busy yakking at GRL to take any pictures, so I thought I'd post a shot of some of the cool swag I picked up.

 

 

The "Certificate of Bravery" is from the Rattlesnake Museum, but they give it to you before you even see any snakes so I don't think it really carrie's much weight, even in snake museum circles. Nevertheless, a "Certificate of Bravery" is a "Certificate of Bravery" and I'm not about to turn one down when it's offered.

GayRomLit Report

In a word, AMAZING.

But, allow me to gush a bit anyway.

I had quite a bit of anxiety leading up to this convention, actually.

I've been a part of the m/m community since 2008, and I've made a lot of friends online, but I still didn't know what I was going to find when I met my comminity in real life for the first time. I mean, what if it turned out to be something other than what thought it was? What if it was cliquey and I got left on the outside? What if I met someone I really liked and they turned out to be an asshole?

None of that happened.

What I found was the most welcoming, fun group of people I've ever met in my life. People were even more interesting and kind than they'd seemed online. And it didn't matter where I was or who I was with, because I was always with friends. As Damon said, "This is real." 

Something else, too. I've never been around that many people all of whom like what I like. There was no need to explain. And I found myself being more outgoing than I usually am at cons, because there was nothing I had to filter out or set aside.

I made so many wonderful new friends, got to know existing friends better, and learned so many valuable things from authors and readers alike. I can't wait until next year, (and I'm wishing we had more than one gathering a year.)

A few highlights that, for all their glory, still do not do justice to the weekend:

• The cute stripper grinding on me at the Gentleman's Juke Joint. Hellooo Cowboy! 

• Talking craft and marketing with the ineffable Tara Lain.

• Hanging with Belinda McBride and Lynn Lorenz in their palatial digs.

• Singing Tom Jones at kareoke.

• Dancing with Brenda.

• Watching the Native American dance performance with Michelle.

• The hilarious mayhem that was the Loose Id Piñata. (We need a bigger stick next time.)

• Katie's theories of the booksigning setup.

• Sharing pet pictures in the limo to Old Town.

• Having bad coffee drinks with Treva Harte and Chrsty Lockhart.

• Readers, readers, readers!

 

 

 

 

GayRomLit 2012

I'm having the time of my life at the Gay Romantic Literature con. More to come...

World Fantasy Convention, Columbus, OH, Oct. 28-31

WFC is right around the corner, and I can't wait. Looks like Steve and I will be getting in late Thursday evening, after the con has already started, which can't be helped, because he has class. On Friday, I have a reading at 4:30 pm. I'm excited. I imagine I'll be reading from one or both of the other projects.

This WFC marks a major milestone for me. One of my books will be in the freebie bags! So will a postcard for its sequel, which comes out just a few days after the con. Woo hoo! I can remember going to WFC and eating my heart out with envy for the authors who had books in the freebie bags. Now, I will be the source of someone else's soul-devouring jealousy. Ah, life's little rewards. :)

Actually, the whole promo thing still feels awkward to me, despite the fact that I've been doing it since the Nature of Smoke came out in 1996. I was just out the other day talking to some book store owners and I always get nervous, even though I generally wind up having a good time.

The best part about WFC is seeing all my friends. There are going to be a ton of fun people at this con. SHU peeps will be out in full force and Whiskerbisketry is already afoot, not to mention the fact that Tim Powers, Kathe Koja, Kay Kenyon, and a whole raft of other great authors will be there as well. On top of everything else, my nephew and his wife live in Columbus and she's expecting their second baby right around that time. So I get to see them too and potentially my new grandniece/nephew. How much fun can one woman stand, I ask you?

 

Just Back from Wiscon

It's been a long day in the car. Rained most of the way. But I'm home safe and I just got the publication files for Amaranth & Ash. It'll be released sometime around midnight tonight. Just a little over an hour away. So exciting! I'm tempted to stay up to see it go live, but I'm bushed.

I had an awesome time at Wiscon, by the way. You know, I've begun to reevaluate science fiction conventions as business tools. I wasn't sure they were really all that relevant to the bulk of what I'm writing these days. But this Wiscon was the must businessy convention I've had in a long time. I gave away all of my Amaranth & Ash postcards (time to order more!), and so many business cards I wound up having to hand out the various cards for my various pseuds willy nilly. I've got just one card left.

There was a lot of interest in ebooks at Wiscon this year. I had a panel called The Uses and Abuses of the Ebook at 8:30 am on Sat., in a room tucked a the far end of a hallway. I was certain no one would come. We had a full room, and the audience, even at that hour, was alert and engaged. It was a great panel. So was the fanfic panel I was on at 10:30 pm on Sunday, also off the beaten path and also full. The topic was fanfiction and its relationship with the authors of the original works. Great discussion, and I made some nifty new friends in fandom.

Also exciting were the number of web comic creators I met. After the idea being dead in the water for a couple of years, I have a glimmer of hope for writing graphic novel scripts again.

It wasn't all business, though. I reconnected with a lot of old friends, and made some great new ones too. I took a field trip to Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin, and as usual, had some excellent meals. All in all, this was probably the best Wiscon I've ever had, and that's saying a lot.

Project Status

It's a busy time right now, with work ongoing on the other project, and edits pouring in from Loose Id in a steady stream. I guess this is what happens when you write a bunch of stuff and it all gets accepted. Cool.

So, Monday I turned in the proofs for Amaranth & Ash. I'm pretty sure that means I'm done with it now, for good. What it is now is what the reader will get. I'm still very happy with this project. I think it may be my favorite book I've published so far.

Now I have first edits on Hero, which is really Hero, Stay, and Scars, the first three David & Seth stories. Loose Id is reprinting them as a single volume, a prequel to Rust Belt, if you will. I haven't opened the file yet (can you tell I'm stalling?) but I have no doubt that V has done her usual excruciating thorough job and I will have my hands full getting the edits done within the week, which I need to do, so she can torture me a second time before I hit the road at the end of May for my annual sojourn to Madison for Wiscon.

Win BishieCon Swag!

The fabulous Boylove_addict and Librarian of The Phade forum, my roommates at BishieCon, are holding a contest for a bag of goodies they picked up at the convention.

Swag includes hot bookmarks from Jet Mykles, a 20% discount code for Dreamspinner Press, and a free copy of Katrina Strauss' BLUE RUIN 4: NEED YOU TONIGHT. That's a nice package, don't you think?

Here's Boylove_addicts lj post on the contest, and here's the direct link to the contest itself. Contest runs through Monday, Nov. 30 at 10 pm EST.  That's tomorrow night, so don't delay!

My BishieCon Buds

Here's Katie (aka Librarian) and Brenda (aka Boyloveaddict) of the Phade, and BishieCon's Author Guest of Honor Katrina Strauss, being very good sports.  You guys really made the con for me.  Big Hugs!

BishieCon: More Cosplayers!

BishieCon Dealer's Hall

This is Ariel Tachne of Dreamspinner Press. Rhianne Aile, Connie Bailey, and  Nicki Bennet were also in attendance:

And this is Kelly Lewis who does chair massage at convnetions and has a studio in Kansas City called Allure Sense Datum:

More BishieCon: Cosplayers

Live From BishieCon, it's Friday Night

On the Road to BishieCon

Hey, I'm here at BishieCon, comfortably ensconced in my room with my roomies Aurora and Librarian from The Phade, and it's time to upload today's video footage of the convention, and the journey to it.

I've never been to St. Louis before, so I was very excited about seeing the arch:

BishieCon Here I Come

So it's official!  I am attending BishieCon, the midwest's first yaoi convention, it St. Louis this weened.  I'm so excited about getting to hang out with author guest of honor Katrina Strauss and my pals Aurora Alexander and Librarian from The Phade.  Not to mention artists Studio Kosen and a whole lot of enthusiastic yaoi fans.  It's going to be great.

Thanks to Katrina, I'll be on a panel about writing a steamy sex scene and one on querying publishers. I also have a table where I'll be signing promo and taking applications for contributors to Friskbiskit. And of course I'll be attending the bishie auction, natch. Here's the website for the convention if you want more details on the kinds of hijinks we'll be getting up to. 

Hey, if you're planning on attending, let me know in a comment, and if you live in the St. Louis area, come on by!

Bishie Con

Hey, the midwest has a yaoi convention!  It's called Bishie Con and it's taking place Nov. 20-22 in St. Louis, MO. Guests of honor include Studio Kosen, Amelie Belcher and Katrina Strauss.  Sounds like a party!