May Writing Update

Due to unexpected events affecting my blogging schedule, I didn't post anything for Mid-Month Mysteries this month. I think I'm going to change the format for June so I can talk more about books/authors I'm familiar with.

I managed to finish my solarpunk story in time to submit it to a contest, and I also wrote a flash fiction fantasy story that I'm submitting to whatever markets I can find. Hopefully I won't be distracted anymore from revising Restaurants and Revenge or writing stories for The Season Between collection (stories set after Summon the Seasons.) I also hope that once we get our new dishwasher next week, it'll free up more time in the evenings to write. There's so many things I have to do every weeknight that I typically wind up with less than an hour to write and even less time to figure out what I'm doing. 

WisCon is this weekend, along with my son's birthday on Memorial Day. I still have to sign up for the virtual con, but since we're still not sure what we're doing, I've held off. Depending on what we do, I may not have much time for the online con.

Do you have any writing updates you'd like to share? Feel free to comment below.

Patricia A. McKillip: 1948-2022

 It's always a little startling when you're mindlessly scrolling through Facebook and stumble on shocking news. That happened to me yesterday when I found out Patricia A. McKillip, one of my favorite authors, passed away last Friday. She was 74. 

I think the first McKillip book I read was The Sorceress and the Cygnet. I was drawn in by her wondrous prose, which raised every work of hers to the mythopoetic realm. The Cygnet duology remains one of my favorite works of hers, but I also particularly like The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. I met her at WisCon several years ago and have her autograph.You can see it, along with other books of hers, pictured below. 

Many authors can write fantasy, but there are few who can consistently infuse their work with a sense of wonder like McKillip did. She will be missed.

WisCon Woes

Those of you who've been following my blog for a long time know I love attending WisCon, the feminist science fiction/fantasy convention held every Memorial Day weekend in Madison, WisCon. Unfortunately, like many other things, the convention has run into issues during the pandemic. I attended virtually in 2020, but I don't think I did last year. This year, the convention will be held both virtually and in-person. However, two of the guests of honor won't be able to appear (I'm particularly disappointed that Zen Cho won't be able to attend, since I enjoy her work), and the convention has had difficulties filling its hotel room block and selling virtual memberships. 

There is some good news in that the con has raised nearly $67,000 for expenses (read more about the details on their blog). Hopefully they'll continue to raise money leading up to the convention. I haven't registered yet this year because I'm not sure yet if my son will be attending Scholastic Bowl Nationals that weekend. His birthday falls on Memorial Day this year, so any celebrations he wants to hold will take priority. If we can't make it up to Madison that weekend, I'll probably get a virtual membership. (If you're interested in a virtual membership, you can register here.) Hopefully this convention will be around for a long time to come.

Getting Together with Writers

I'm currently reading a cozy mystery series that features a writer's retreat. The main character is an author who hosts week-long writer's retreats in her Victorian house each month. I have to admit the premise sounds idyllic, particularly when you include all the treats the main character's best friend bakes for the retreat (though I imagine the writers gain a lot of weight over the week!). I also like the idea of being able to hang out with other writers and talk about craft. 

I've attended a couple of cons virtually over the last couple of years, but it's been a while since I've hung out with other writers. That's part of the reason I plan to join Sisters in Crime this year. I'm still pretty new to the cozy mystery genre and would like to learn more about it, and networking with other authors would also be helpful. I'm not sure yet if I'll be able to attend either WisCon or ChiCon this year, though I do particularly miss WisCon. (Some of the friends I used to see there every year no longer attend, so some of the vibe is gone for me. I also don't feel the writing panels have so much to offer me any more, though there are plenty of other interesting panels there every year.) I should also check to see if there are any regular writer chats on Discord or Zoom that I could join.

I've never actually gone on a writer's retreat; sometimes, it's difficult enough just finding the time/motivation to leave the house and write at the library or coffee shop. Perhaps once my son is a little more independent (he'll be old enough to get his driver's license next year), I'll be able to go somewhere for a weekend. Even if I get a hotel or B&B for the weekend, the change of scenery might be helpful. I'd be disappointed in myself if I wasn't able to be productive on a retreat, though I suppose it would depend on how much preparation I did ahead of time. It probably would helpful to schedule a balance between writing and doing other things.

How often do you get together with other writers? Do you do so in person or online? If you've attended a writer's retreat, was it helpful? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

IWSG: A Beta Partner of Your Dreams

We made it to September and another post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Learn more about them on their website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed.

Our hosts this month are PJ Colando, J Lenni Dorner, Deniz Bevan, Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, and Lousie-Fundy Blue.

 Here's our question for today: If you could choose one author, living or dead, to be your beta partner, who would it be and why?

I would have to pick my favorite author, Patricia A. McKillip. McKillip is a master of evoking a sense of wonder and magic. She excels at description (something I always feel I need to improve in my work), and she's so creative she has multiple stand-alone works. I would learn a lot more from her than she would from me.

I had the honor of meeting Patricia McKillip at WisCon several years ago (It must have been 2004, when she was a Guest of Honor), so I'll share my autograph from that event, even though it's not personalized.

Which author would you pick as a beta partner? Feel free to share your answer in the comments.

 

 

An Online WisCon

The con must go on. This weekend, instead of heading up to Madison, Wisconsin, I sat in front of my computer to watch panels and presentations on YouTube and chat with others via Discord.

The virtual format allowed me to attend events that I don't normally have a chance to watch, such as the Thursday night reading by the guest of honor and the speeches on Sunday night. On the other hand, there were only a few hours of programming instead of the normal all-day affair, and the choices were much more limited. I wound up watching more readings and academic presentations than I normally do at WisCon. For the first time, I even watched the "Not Another *#?! Race Panel," which is a staple at WisCon. This is a panel where people of color discuss anything other than race. Normally I would pick a more focused panel dealing with something I wanted to learn about, but I enjoyed this panel more than I expected. I learned about an awesome Filipino bakery in Chicago, and the discussions about bad Star Wars parents and how the Harry Potter characters would handle quarantine were funny. Would I attend the panel next time I'm at WisCon? It would depend on what else is scheduled at the same time.

I have to admit an online Dealers Room and Art Show don't have the same draw, and even though there were a lot of subject-specific channels on the Discord, I didn't feel like I had anything to add to the conversations. I missed attending Farmers Market Saturday morning, listening to readings at Michelangelo's Coffee House, and shopping at the Soap Opera. When you've been going to a particular event for so long you expect to run into a past self in the elevator, any change feels strange. Hopefully next year the con will go on in person. But if for some reason I can't attend, being able to watch at least part of WisCon online would keep the connection alive.

Indies Together and WisCon Schedule

Best-selling indie author Susan Kaye Quinn has started a Facebook group to help other indie authors. It's called Indies Together. It's a private group, but she's encouraging other people to join. Susan is sharing her marketing knowledge with indies and offers a couple of different "recipes" depending if you're exclusive to Amazon or have your work available in multiple markets. I've read through her advice, and it makes sense, though it does take multiple books in series, time, and some seed money to make it work. If you're looking for a group with supportive members, I recommend it.

It's hard to believe WisCon will be this weekend. Today is the last day to register here. Standard price is only $10, but there are other tiers available. I won't be able to participate much on Friday since I have to work, but I should be able to do more Saturday through Monday. I'll report back next week how it went.

Virtual Conventions

If you're missing your favorite convention, there are online ones to compensate. Here are a few that I know of:

Quarencon2020: This is a new convention that's supposed to run from April 24th-April 28th. There's not a lot of information on the website yet, but there will be panels, workshops, contents, and vendors (I've applied to be one of the vendors.) I think it will be free.

WisCon: This one has gone virtual as well. As usual, it will be held Memorial Day weekend. It sounds like there will be a small fee to attend, but registration hasn't opened yet. I haven't attended for a couple of years, so I'm looking forward to participating. While I'll miss seeing my Madison friends and going around my beloved city, it might be easier to focus on the online con if there are fewer real-life things competing with it.

WorldCon (CoNZealand) will occur online between July 29th through August 2nd. The supporting price is about $46. I'm not sure if I'll register for this one yet, but guests include Mercedes Lackey. I was a big fan of her work when I first started reading fantasy, so it might be interesting to attend her panels. Obviously it won't be as thrilling as meeting her in person, but it's much cheaper and easier than flying to New Zealand, even under normal conditions.

Are you aware of other online conventions? If so, feel free to share them in the comments.

IWSG: A Coffeehouse of One's Own

If September hath thirty days, then save the first Wednesday for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Check out their website or Facebook page for more information.

Thanks to Gwen Gardner, Doreen McGettigan, Tyrean Martison, Chemist Ken, and Cathrina Constantine for co-hosting this month. The question we're supposed to discuss is If you could pick one place in the world to sit and write your next story, where would it be and why?

Since I'm focused on my current project (working title is Dryad in Doubt, the second book in an urban fantasy trilogy, about 27,500 words long as I write this post), I'm going to use this story for my answer. The heroine of this series is a dryad who lives at the top of Bascom Hill on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus (see picture below for Victoria's tree):

My first thought was to write either on the steps of Bascom Hall (the building in the picture) for inspiration or to write in Memorial Union on campus to be on location. The first floor of the union can be noisy, however, and the steps would be uncomfortable. So I'm going to go with  my favorite coffee house in Madison: Michelangelo's Coffee House.  Although the address is on State Street, they have a back room and back entrance very close to the Concourse Hotel, where WisCon is held. (Yes, I miss not having gone the last couple of years. Maybe next year or 2021.) I've attended readings at Michelangelo's. They not only carry a good selection of tea but also have good vegetarian meals and desserts. I could find a quiet corner to write in and keep myself fortified during the process. When I need a break, I can wander around Madison and scout out scene locations. A shame I don't live in Madison. Anyone want to contribute to a GoFundMe so I can live in Madison until I finish this series? That might make school drop-off and pickup a little inconvenient, so I guess I'll have to write at home and at work (on my lunch hour) instead.

Where do you like to write? Do you have an ideal writing location? Feel free to share it in the comments.

Conventions and the Indie Writer

Normally I would be posting my WisCon schedule this time of May, but for multiple reasons, I'm not attending this year. (I could theoretically get a one-day pass for Sunday at the door, but there's only one panel that afternoon I'd want to attend, and I'd miss the Guest of Honor speeches anyway.) I'll miss seeing my friends and visiting the Farmer's Market Saturday morning, but I admit it is nice saving money on the hotel and not juggling convention plans along with a birthday party for my son.

When I first started attending WisCon twenty years ago, I wanted to break into professional publishing. I was super excited about meeting not just authors, but agents and editors. I participated in writing workshops and learned "money flows to the author." I participated in panels and Broad Universe readings to get my name out there. How useful are these activities to an indie author? Well, I feel improving my writing craft is a lifelong journey, but these days I work on it mostly by reading books on writing and working on different projects. It's always nice meeting other authors, and I may want to hire another editor at some point for developmental or copy editing, but I'm no longer interested in acquiring an agent (or letting one acquire me). I've never sold enough books at WisCon to justify the expenses, and there are local comic cons and literary festivals I can participate in for little or no cost.

WisCon's emphasis on intersectional feminism makes it unique, and I love the excuse to return to my favorite city in the springtime. Hopefully next year I'll be able to attend. (At least there won't be any Star Wars movies opening Memorial Day weekend.) In the meantime, I have a comic con at my local library to prepare for in September.

Do you go to conventions? If so, do you find them helpful for writers? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Friends' Book Releases

A couple of friends I wanted to meet at WisCon have new books available. I had wanted to see if they were interested in writing guests posts for this blog, and now that my son is almost done with school, maybe I'll have time to contact them. In the meantime, I thought I'd share the blurbs and Amazon links.

David O. Englestad recently published his first book, A Call of Moonhart. I've read it and found it an interesting take on the clash of cultures. Here's the description:

Anacarra: A land of two deities that used to be one and two cultures separated by more than cliff walls and forests. The Uplanders live in concert with their goddess, fed by Her bounty and protected by the harsh terrain. The lowlanders live by following the plow and the lonely god. They've been divided for millennia -- the cultures and the gods -- and those divisions are getting more dangerous.

For Rhia it isn't even a nightmare, because nightmares fade in the light of day. But the horrific images of wanton killing and destruction stay in Rhia's every thought long after waking. That's how a calling from the goddess works and, as much as she wants to deny it, despite everyone in Moonhart eknos held some part of the same goddess-sent dream, Rhia is the one, the only one, called by the goddess. She tried to protest: she isn't special, she isn't an elder, or one of the wise. She's simply a hunter but that would have to be enough. She is called to leave all that she knows -- the safety of the eknos, her huntmate, the familiar forests and meadows -- to travel the length of the uplands of Anacarra to warn the other eknos that sinister forces threaten their peaceful way of life, forces that had already murdered and abducted uplanders without warning or provocation. Rhia must rouse the clans, spread the word, and if at all possible, rescue her mother before it is too late.

Dughal has but one dream. It was the same dream his father had, and his father before him: to lead the best troupe of players traveling the realm! Dughal holds onto as much as he can of the old ways, the traditions that hold players in high esteem. His troupe boasts the best singer, the best wordsmith who both writes new plays and crafts the old ones anew, and they even have one of the last remaining Player's wagons. Dughal thought his dream a simple one and simply achieved, but that was before they encountered those called His Own. Ascetics rarely have use for players but Dughal learns that these do, and he isn't going to like the use they put his players to. Threatened with the loss of all he holds dear, Dughal has to choose, but will any choice keep them safe?

 Catherine Lundoff recently re-released Silver Moon: A Wolves of Wolf Point Novel. It's about a group of women who become werewolves as they approach menopause. I enjoyed it when I first read it and plant to re-read it. (Let's just say menopause is much more relevant to me these days.) Here's the blurb:

Becca Thornton, divorced, middle-aged and trying to embrace a quiet life, discovers that there are still plenty of surprises to be had when her menopause kicks in with bonus lycanthropy. And she’s not the only one. The seemingly peaceful and dull town of Wolf’s Point has its own all-female werewolf pack and Becca has just become its newest member. But it’s not all protecting Wolf’s Point, midnight meetings at the Women’s Club and monthly runs through the woods. There are werewolf hunters in town and now they've got Becca and the Wolf’s Point Pack in their sights.

As if that wasn’t enough, Becca’s cute lesbian werewolf neighbor, Erin, is starting to haunt her dreams as well as her doorstep. What’s a newbie werewolf to do, between the hot flashes and the unexpected physical transformations? Can Becca overcome her fears and help the werewolves defeat their greatest enemy?

I hope you check out one or both books! 

WisCon Wrapup

This has been one of the quieter cons for me. Some of the friends we used to meet every year no longer come to WisCon, and I didn’t connect with others that I expected to run into. (I suppose that’s what happens when you leave it to chance instead of planning something ahead of time.) I didn’t even go to any of the evening events. That’s mostly due to a combination of spending time with my family or Madison friends and not having the energy to mingle—or even bother to go to the writing salon when I could write in my room instead.

Another unusual thing about this con is that I wasn’t able to sell books. Broad Universe recently changed their rules to require members have a state sales permit to sell books and work at the table. Due to tax issues, I had cancelled my Wisconsin seller’s permit before the rules were published, so I can no longer sell books at WisCon. Only two Broads were able to sell books this year, so that was a big burden for them managing the table without more help. I set up and took down the table, but technically I’m not allowed to handle the iPad we use to track sales. Therefore, I’ve resigned from my role as events coordinator for Broad Universe. I’ve done it for several years, and honestly, it’s nice having one less responsibility in my life.

 Anyway, here’s the day-by-day breakdown:

I left right after dropping Alex off at school on Friday and arrived mid-morning in Madison. I set up the Broad Universe table with the help of another member before checking in. After a quick lunch, I attended a panel on socialism, then joined the Fiber Circle (crafting with textiles) before watching the table for a while. Once my family arrived Friday evening, we went out to dinner and then to Barnes and Noble. I discovered a new subgenre: gaslamp, fantasy set in the 19th century. The Season Avatars series has Victorian-era technology but is in a secondary world, so I added “Gaslamp fantasy” to the description to see if that will help readers find the books.

I was on a panel at 8:30 on Saturday, so my traditional trip to the Farmer’s Market was very short. The panel was about Star Wars and resistance. It was well-attended for an early panel, and the audience liked it. After that, I attended another panel on everyday forms of resistance, but it wasn’t as practical as I expected. The first afternoon panel was the Broad Universe rapid-fire reading. Six of us read for about eight minutes each, then we talked briefly about the organization. A few of us read again, so I ended up reading from both Fifth Season and Lyon’s Legacy. Following that, I attended a panel on “firing” the traditional white male SF canon. I skipped the last afternoon panel so we could meet local friends for dinner and walk around Madison for a while. When we returned to the hotel, we visited the pool.

Sunday I attended panels on lazy writing and oppression, living with climate change, and breaking down masculine stereotypes. I was also on a panel about feminist science fiction for beginners. It was a relative large panel, so I didn’t have to say much. At the end of the day, I took down the Broad Universe table before my family and I went out to dinner.

After a Monday brunch with one of the Wisconsin troopers, we said goodbye to Madison and made our way home.

WisCon Schedule

If it's late May, that means it's almost time for WisCon, my favorite convention in my favorite city. I'll be arriving Friday during the day so I can help set up the Broad Universe table. (I'm not running it this year, but since I'm event coordinator for the organization, I keep the table supplies between conventions. It's easier to bring them to the convention myself instead of shipping them to the table manager.) Here's a list of the panels and readings I'll be participating in this year:

Saturday, 8:30-9:45--Rebel Scum: Finding Hope In Resistance: Feeling glum about the current political climate? Join us for an hour of discussion about two of the key themes of Star Wars: "hope" and "rebellion. What can we take to heart from our favorite characters from the films and related novels, particularly the Rogue One movie? We'll talk about outright rebellion, uncivil obedience, and how you too can participate in making the galaxy a better place for all sentients (clones included!). 

Saturday, 1:00-2:15--Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading: I plan to read from Fifth Season.

Sunday, 2:30-3:45: Are you new to feminist SF and feeling overwhelmed? Do you wish there were a starter or beginners panel? A panel that talked about people you should know in this field and works that have changed this field. If you're trying to research all the names and little bites of important history that panelists talked about, bring your questions here!

Of course, I'll be attending other panels, browsing the Farmer's Market, catching up with Madison and WisCon friends, taking a turn at the Broad Universe table, and in general being very busy. Expect a full report next Wednesday.

WisCon Recap

It's Sunday afternoon as I write this. There's still quite a few events left in the convention, but I think by this point my participation will be limited, as I'm drained by this point. Here's a summary of the weekend from my perspective.

After dropping my son off at school on Friday, I drove straight up to Madison, picked up my badge, and set up the Broad Universe table. After lunch and a visit to one of my favorite stores on State Street (The Soap Opera), other Broad Universe members and I opened the table. We had a few snafus at first but were able to get them resolved. Once we were good to go, I hurried off to the "The Fandom Awakens" panel. It was very well attended for a panel at the start of the convention; I'd say we had at least fifty people in the audience. The other panelists were engaging, and it went well. I tended the table until my family arrived and the Dealers' Room closed. We went to a local Chinese place Alex likes and had dessert at the Red Elephant. I snuck into the opening ceremony briefly, but after that I went swimming with my family. We had a lot of fun playing with a beach ball someone had left behind.

I woke up early (5:00) on Saturday, but stayed in bed for another hour or so before swimming laps. We went out for breakfast and visited the Farmers' Market before I had to return to open the table and resolve yet another issue. At least I was able to grab lunch from the con suite before the Broad Universe reading. There were only a few people attending; I found out later that the door locked when we closed it, so some people who stopped by couldn't get in. I read from Chaos Season. It went well, but I did catch a duplicated word in the scene. I'll fix that in all formats as soon as I can. I did have time to stroll through the art show and attend a panel on Food Privilege, but after that I was back to tending the table until the end of the day. We met some local friends for dinner and went swimming again (this time with pool noodles) when we arrived at the hotel. By this point, I was tired and a stomach ache. I checked in on a couple of parties and the gaming room, but went back up to my room without doing much.

I still didn't feel great when I woke up on Sunday, but I was on a 8:30 panel, so I grabbed some oatmeal and headed out to the panel about the scarcity of female action figures and other toys. It went better than I expected. I was able to attend another a reading in a nearby coffeehouse and got to hear Naomi Kritizer read "Cat Pictures Please." I had lunch at the BU table again, but I did have time in the afternoon to attend a self-care panel, stop at the Strange Horizons tea party, and listen to what not to do with female characters (basically, female characters get criticized more heavily than a male with the identical traits). After this, I'll take down the table and go visit more local friends. (I did get more table backup than I expected, and I also sold more books than I normally do.) Still not sure yet if I'll be at the SignOut today. It's time to celebrate my son's birthday and visit my parents.

I hope you had a good weekend. Feel free to share what you did in the comments.

Science of the Week, 5/27/16

Here are some of the most interesting science news articles I read this week:

Your genes may help you with speed dating

Gut biome and immune system team to keep mind sharp

Blindness and visual impairment will double by 2050

Engineers take first step toward flexible, wearable, tricoder-like device

Exercise, future anticancer therapy?

Bacteria can survive impacts at incredible speeds

Have a good weekend, everyone! If I have time, I'll post some updates about WisCon on Monday

WisCon Schedule

It's hard to believe WisCon starts this week! This year, I'm running the Broad Universe table, so I'll be driving up Friday morning to get it set up. I expect to spend more time than usual working the table, but I'm also part of the following panels:

Friday (5/27), 2:30-3:45--The Fandom Awakens: Everything is Star Wars and nothing hurts! Let's talk about the importance of casting a woman and two men of color as the leading characters in this major movie franchise. Let's talk about how no one in the cast wants to gender BB-8. Let's talk about General Leia. Let's talk The Force Awakens until episode 8 comes out or we all run out of breath…
(I'm moderating this panel)

Saturday (5/28), 1:00-2:15--Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading (I'll be reading from Chaos Season)

Sunday (5/29), 8:30-9:45--Why Did We Have To Fight For Rey Star Wars Toys: First they left out Black Widow, then they left out Gamora, and then Disney launched their Star Wars: The Force Awakens toy line with nary a hint of Rey, one of the movie's leads. Disney and toymaker Hasbro responded to the outrage expressed in the #WheresRey hashtag with facile explanations and no real apologies, but did finally unveil some Rey action figures and other merchandise at ToyFair. Why did it have to go down this way? Why couldn't Disney have made Rey as prominent on all the merch from the start as they did Finn and Kylo Ren? Why do we still have to fight for women in the "boy toys" aisle and why is there still a divide between "boys" and "girls" toys at all?

Monday (5/30), 11:30-12:45--The SignOut 

Add in seeing local and WisCon friends and celebrating my son's 9th birthday on Monday, and I expect to be a trifle busy.


What are your Memorial Day weekend plans? Feel free to share them in the comments.

WisCon 39 WriteUp

It still doesn't seem like a Wednesday to me. How about you?

My first WisCon was in 1998. Since I missed 2007, I've been to seventeen WisCons. That's nearly two months of my life that I've spent going to this convention! Over the years, there have been a lot of changes to the convention, the city, and my writing career. That said, WisCon is still one of the highlights of my year.

Most of Friday was spent packing and taking care of last-minute details as I waited for school to let out. We picked Alex up and drove straight to Madison, arriving around 5:00. As I picked up badges and dropped off my books at the Broad Universe table, I saw friends of ours, then ran into another couple we knew as we headed out for dinner. We wound up having dinner and gelato with both couples and missed the opening ceremonies. I enjoyed the evening, but it was a little bittersweet in that one of the couples was moving out of state and had come to the convention to see us. I hope we get to visit either here or in New York, Dave and Judy! I did go to a panel (Overlapping Magestria--basically about science and religion) after we got back, but I was too tired for the parties.

Saturday morning we visited the farmer's market, then I attended an interesting panel on gender, sex, and science. For lunch, I joined three members of Broad Universe. The weather was gorgeous, and we spent a little more time at the farmer's market while we waited for our table. We returned to the hotel halfway through the first panel, so I skipped it and visited the dealer's room and the art show. Mid-afternoon was the Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading; I both moderated and read from Scattered Seasons.I spent an hour at the Broad Universe table before going out for Japanese with my family and "the boys."

Oscar and Little Penguin: SUSHI!
Stan: Sushi?
Rex: Who's she, and why are you suing her?

Saturday night was like Friday in that I skipped the main attraction of the evening (the Tiptree auction), attended another panel on science-compatible religion, and then went to bed. What a wild life I lead.

On Sunday, I attended a few more panels throughout the day, including ethical non-mongamy in fiction, what makes a character come alive, and illness tropes. I particularly found the last one useful.I worked a couple more hours at the Broad Universe table and helped back up all the supplies at the end of the day. (Since I'm the Readings/Events Coordinator for Broad Universe, I will be sending the supplies to other conventions.) We did actually get back from dinner in time for the Guest of Honor speeches, but instead I helped set up the Broad Universe party and stayed there until 11:40 or so. That's about as much as a sleep-deprived person like me can manage.

Monday morning we met some college friends for breakfast, then checked out of the hotel. I finished up some last-minute Broad Universe business before attending the SignOut. I did have a few familiar faces to keep me company and help with the display.

I didn't sell a lot of paper books during the convention, but I did notice a slight upswing in eBook sales. I also put on my publisher's hat and approached a couple of the indie bookstore representatives in the dealer's room about stocking my titles. (I'm setting up my books on IngramSpark in addition to CreateSpace, and IngramSpark offers better terms for booksellers.) We'll see if anything comes from that. I did actually buy three paper books from the dealers, as that seemed only fair.

This was also the first time Alex was old enough for kid's programming. He wasn't in it full-time, since he didn't want to do all of the activities. But the kid's track may make it possible for me to attend some of the local cons as well.

It was an intense weekend, but I got to see old friends and meet other people that I've only known online, visit my favorite city during the best part of the year, and immerse myself in books and SF for a while. I wish WisCon was longer, but it would be tough on my wallet.

Do you ever go to conventions? If so, which ones?

Science of the Week, 5/22/15

(This obviously wasn't supposed to be posted until Friday. I originally had it scheduled then, but the setting must have changed during editing. Apologies for that.)

Happy Memorial Day weekend to those of you who celebrate it! I'll be at WisCon in Madison, Wisconsin this weekend. I'll be reading from Scattered Seasons Saturday afternoon along with other members of Broad Universe in a rapid-fire reading, and I'll be participating in the Sign Out Monday morning. Along the way I'll help out at the Broad Universe table and party, see friends, and attend panels. There will be a more detailed report next week.

In the meantime, here are some of the most interest science news articles I read this week:

A proven approach to helping the ultra-poor

Translating thought to print with spider silk

How microbes acquire electricity in making methane

Personal microbiomes shown to contain unique "fingerprints"

Nano memory cell can mimic the brain's long-term memory

Photonic computing at the speed of light

SF Women A-Z Now Live!

If you missed any of my posts during the A-Z Blogathon, now's your chance to catch up. I've compiled and reorganized my posts, added more authors, and formatted and re-formatted everything in triplicate. I had to do three separate versions--an eBook with a full set of links (including Amazon), an eBook without the Amazon links, and a paper copy without links. Trying to keep the text consistent among all of those versions was a big pain, and iBooks kept rejecting my book no matter how many links I removed. But all three versions are now live! Here are the links:

Amazon (US)

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Scribd

Inktera

Createspace

I just published it to Google last night, so I'll update when I have the link for that too.

I had to set the eBook price to $0.99 on Amazon, but everywhere else it's free. Please feel free to report the lower price. I figure the book will gain more visibility that way. Also, please keep your fingers crossed that I get the paper copies in time for WisCon next week. They should arrive the day before I leave.

ISWG: Too Many Projects!

Last month, my blogging time was taken up by the SF Women A-Z project and getting Scattered Seasons ready for release. But even though late April-late May is my favorite time of the year due to all of the flowers in bloom, I won't have much time to enjoy them. Here are the projects, both personal and writing-related, that will continue to keep me busy this month.

WisCon--I will be moderating the Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading Saturday afternoon, helping out (if needed) at the Broad Universe party Sunday night, and participating in the Sign Out Monday morning. I'll also be working at the Broad Universe table for at least one shift, maybe more if necessary. I've already ordered new bookmarks to give out and copies of Scattered Seasons to sell; I'll order more books once I get them updated. While I don't have to study up on a subject for a panel, I do need to prepare introductions for the Broad Universe readers and make sure flyers are available.

Alex's Birthday Party--My son's birthday is at the end of the month, the weekend after WisCon. This year he wants a laser tag party. I've already got that booked and the invitations sent out. Since it won't be at home, all I need to do is order a cake and prepare goodie bags.

Writing Projects--I'd really like to bring SF Women A-Z: A Reader's Guide to WisCon. Hopefully, there will be enough time to order both a paper proof and the actual copies before the convention; I may have to rush shipping.

Chaos Season is about 40,000 words, or about halfway through. I'd like to finish the first draft by the end of June, which is doable if I can average about 1,000 words a day. Of course, with my other projects, that may not always be possible.

Once I finish the draft of Chaos Season, I need to put it aside for a while and work on some short stories. There's "The Unnumbered World" from the Catalyst Chronicles series and featuring a minor character, Julia, as she and her father adapt to a new life; Young Seasons, a collection of four short stories about the Season Avatars from Scattered Seasons; and two other short stories I'd like to include in a fantasy short story collection at some point. And then when those are all done and Chaos Season finished, I still have more long-term projects, such as one more novel in the Catalyst Chronicles and two in the Season Avatars series, to complete. Guess I don't have to worry about running out of writing projects any time soon.

Now that Scattered Seasons is out, I need to update my website with buy links. I also need to start making better use of my mailing list. Hopefully I can convince a few more people to join it at Wiscon.

Another thing I want to do is set up an account with IngramSpark to distribute paper copies of my books. That will give me a better chance of actually getting them into bookstores. However, I think I need to assign the books new ISBNs since I got the original ones through CreateSpace. I need to set up the books with IngramSpark this month if I want to take advantage of a special. Fun, fun, fun...

Other--As I mentioned Monday, we want to turn the playroom into a Lego Star Wars display, but first we have to repaint and get shelves. Then I'd really like to hold a garage sale this summer to clean out all the old stuff in the basement. I don't know if we'll get raised garden beds this year, but I would like to get a few things planted. Plus, my husband and I also have to assemble Star Wars costumes if we want to join the 501st.

How will I ever cope with all this? Well, I do have a new bike, so I've been going for rides in the morning. I've only done it on weekends so far, but at least I do get to go out and enjoy the flowers briefly. I also took a couple days vacation to work on things and take some time with friends and family.

As far as juggling it all, it's a matter of setting priorities and realizing not everything will get done immediately or be done perfectly. But I'm a working mother, so I'm used to that.

Oh, and the costume I plan to use for the 501st is a Jawa. No one guessed it.