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Eating Authors: Randy Henderson

No Comments » Written on August 8th, 2016 by
Categories: Plugs
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Randy Henderson

If you’re reading this on Monday morning (i.e., soon after it posts), please know that I have somehow managed to haul myself out of bed, visions of the glorious past four days at GenCon still dancing in my head, and dragged myself to the DayJobâ„¢ to toil away at vast amounts of data. Do Not Try This At Home.

Instead, I recommend you continue reading here, and meet this week’s EATING AUTHORS guest, Randy Henderson. Sorry, that’s about the best segue I can manage after completing three conventions in three weeks.

So what can I tell you about Randy? Well, he’s quirky. A self-described “milkshake connoisseur,” — seriously, what does that even mean? And what about malt? Huh, Randy, huh? — he took home the big prize from the Writers’ of the Future in 2014, and has since made a name for himself writing the Familia Arcana, a series of dark, funny, urban fantasy novels about Finn Gramaraye, a nice enough guy who gets framed for crimes of necromancy, and we’re off and running. The third book, Smells Like Finn Spirit isn’t due out until next March, but do go ahead and get started with the first two now, if you haven’t already discovered these books.

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My Updated Schedule for MidAmeriCon II

No Comments » Written on August 3rd, 2016 by
Categories: News
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It seems only appropriate that as I head out for a different convention this morning that I update what I’m doing — where and when — during the Worldcon. Here we go:

Wednesday, August 17th:
3:00 – 4:00 (KCCC 2207) Pacing the Novel
How do you intensify a scene, bringing the reader deep into the narrative, and still keep the novel moving? Learn how the three basic types of text (exposition, dialog, and description) affect the pace of your work so you can suspend time or send the story rocketing onward. Panelists share techniques and approaches to balancing intensity and movement in order to draw readers into your characters, allow them to experience key moments in your book, and get them excited about what happens next.
with Melinda Snodgrass (M), Elizabeth Bear, Brooke Johnson, and L. E. Modesitt Jr.

Thursday, August 18th:
9:00 – 5:00 (Marriott 1) SFWA Board Meeting
A long day during which Hamilton‘s “The Room Where It Happens” will be running through my mind nonstop. Maybe.
with Cat Rambo (M), Bud Sparhawk, M.C.A. Hogarth, Susan Forest, Kate Baker, Sarah Pinsker, Matthew Johnson, and Jennifer Brozek

Friday, August 19th:
9:00 – 10:30 (TBA) Codex Breakfast
The annual Worldcon gathering of Codexii and breakfast foods.
with J.W. Alden, Rebecca Birch, Ginny Campen, Tom Carpenter, Beth Cato, J. Kathleen Cheney, Liz Colter, Tina Connolly, Austin DeMarco, SB Divya, Nora Fleischer, Sarah Grey, Amanda Helms, Gary D Henderson, Randy Henderson, Jennifer Hicks, Larry Hodges, Sharon Joss, Anna Kashina, Benjamin C. Kinney, Gary Kloster, William Ledbetter, Fonda Lee, Terra LeMay, Stephanie Loree, Brian K. Lowe, Ronya F. McCool, Rob McMonigal, Mel Melcer, Allison Mulder, Nina Niskanen, Aimee Ogden, Sunil Patel, Laura Pearlman, Sarah Pinsker, Jenny Rae Rappaport, Matt Rotundo, Erica Satifka, Catherine Schaff-Stump, Rebecca Schwarz, Elizabeth Shack, David Steffen, Jeff Stehman, Julie Steinbacher, Andrea G Stewart, Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, K.M. Szpara, Beth Tanner, Erin A. Tidwell, David VonAllmen, Tinatsu Wallace, Fran Wilde, Jay Wolf, Caroline M. Yoachim, and some of their guests (holy crap, that’s a lot of pancakes!)

1:00 – 2:00 (Autographing Space) Autographing
I will be signing all the things (yes, I said it, all of them!).
with Jeanette Epps, Alex Jablokow, Lyda Morehouse, and Mary A. Turzillo

4:00 – 5:00 (Literary Beer Space) Literary Beer
Sign up and come by and we will talk about stuff like language and death and why I don’t drink beer.
with Karl Schroeder (who will presumably be at another table talking about other stuff)

Saturday, August 20th:
8:30 – 9:30 (Marriott Lobby) Stroll with the Stars: Farm to Table
Before the city temperatures rise and the humidity takes over join us for a stroll of the The City Market where you can buy fresh fruit, vegetables and baked goods at KC Tradition.
with Eva Elasigue, Esther Friesner, Jennie Goloboy, Mary Robinette Kowal, Geoffrey A. Landis, Perrianne Lurie, Jeff Orth (M), Cat Rambo, Julia Rios, Tex Thompson, Mary A. Turzillo, and Carol Wolf

11:00 – 1:00 (KCCC 2205) SFWA Business Meeting
All members of SFWA are encouraged to attend to hear the latest updates from the board about what SFWA has been doing and what plans are in place for the next year.
with Kate Baker, Jennifer Brozek, M.C.A. Hogarth, Matthew Johnson, Sarah Pinsker, Cat Rambo, Susan Forest, and Bud Sparhawk

3:00 – 4:00 (KCCC 2210) Ask a Scientist
Do you have a pressing question about the earth’s warming, worm holes, advances in communication technology, cloning? A panel of scientists in varied areas of expertise are here to answer your scientific queries. Answers will be timed out at five minutes each, so don’t ask for a detailed explanation of General Relativity! Please keep questions brief and specific.
with Rachael Acks, Bill Higgins (M), Claire McCague, and Geoffrey A. Landis

5:30 – 6:00 (KCCC 2203) Reading
To absolutely no one’s surprise, I will read a bit from Barsk.

Sunday, August 21st:
8:30 – 9:30 (Marriott Lobby) Stroll with the Stars: The Hugo Hangover
As we recuperate from the pageantry of the Hugo Awards join authors, artists, editors, fans and scientists as we look for the perfect hangover cure.
with David Brin, Eva Elasigue, Gay Haldeman, Joe Haldeman, Perrianne Lurie, Jeff Orth (M), Cat Rambo, Michelle Sagara, Alan Stewart, Tex Thompson, and Carol Wolf

10:00 – 12:00 (KCCC Lester Young B) Writers Workshop 4B
with Kelly Robson and three writer/student/victims

In addition, you’ll find me attending other authors’ readings, popping in at the Hadley Rille Books anniversary celebration, and hanging out in the bar and the SFWA suite.

Eating Authors: Todd J. Mccaffrey

No Comments » Written on August 1st, 2016 by
Categories: Plugs
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Todd J. Mccaffrey

If you’re reading this at or soon after the time it posts on Monday morning, then I’ve likely somehow staggered into the office at the DayJob after a phenomenal but exhausting weekend as one of the GOHs at Confluence in Pittsburgh, PA. Which, of necessity, involved a long car trip to carry me back the roughly 300 miles from the west end of the state to the east, before I could sleep in my own bed last night. This is not a complaint. As I’ve remarked many times before, I think my life is pretty blessed. Rather, it’s an acknowledgment that time is laughing at most of us, and especially so at me, as in two days I leave for my third convention in three weeks.

Meantime though, let’s talk about EATING AUTHORS (you know the first words up there on the top of the page) and more specifically this week’s guest, Todd J. Mccaffrey. It’s a pretty safe bet that you’re familiar with the family name. It’s hard to imagine anyone involved in speculative fiction today who hasn’t read Pern. Todd, quite understandably picked up a lot of his writing skill from working with his mother, and soon was both collaborating on Pern novels, as well as penning a few on his own, and carrying on the family business. He also written a wide range of shorter works. And just this past May branched out with a powerful new novel, City of Angels, an edgy science thriller that asks some very human questions about what it means to be an A.I.

Todd may have started with dragons and thread, but he’s clearly going his own direction with a distinct and powerful voice.

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My Tentative GenCon Writers’ Symposium 2016 Schedule

No Comments » Written on July 27th, 2016 by
Categories: News
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GenCon Writers' Symposium

Huh. Oh well, I thought this had posted to the blog a couple weeks ago, but apparently not. Soo…

And now for something completely different, in a calendar year that has had me bouncing around the country to an unprecedented number of conventions and bookstore signings — and beginning about two weeks before I head off to Kansas City for the Worldcon — I’m going to Indianapolis to take part in the GenCon Writers’ Symposium 2016.

And not just me, but dozens of brilliant authors (as well as some agents and editors) too. And, oh yeah, I think there’s a big gaming convention going on around us at the same time.

Anyway, here’s where you can find me:

Thursday, August 4th
9:00 a.m. (Capital 1) Special Event: Symposium Opening Ceremonies
With Marc Tassin

10:00 a.m. (Chamber) Short Fiction: Plotting Short Stories
With Donald J. Bingle, Gabrielle Harbowy, John Helfers (M), and Sunil Patel

2:00 p.m. (Chamber) Short Fiction: Where to Start the Story
With Marie Brennan, Steve Drew (M), Cat Rambo, and Peter Tieryas

Friday, August 5th
9:00 a.m. (Chamber) Marketing: Social Media 101
With Gwenda Bond, Joshua Alan Doetsch, Steve Drew (M), Melanie R. Meadors

1:00 p.m. (Causus) Writing Novels: Story Arcs that Drive the Reader
With Matt Forbeck, John Helfers (M), Jody Lynn Nye, and Aaron Rosenberg

2:00 p.m. (Capital 1) Character Craft: Characters That Aren’t Reflections of You
With Rachel Dunne, Susan J. Morris (M), Carrie Patel, and Aaron Rosenberg

5:00 p.m. (Cabinet) Writer’s Craft: How to make your alien language alien

Saturday, August 6th
12:00 p.m. (Chamber) Writer’s Craft: Fun Story, Smart Message
With James Lowder, Christoper Rowe, Aaron Rosenberg, and Gregory A. Wilson (M)

5:00 p.m. (Congress II) Reading
With Sunil Patel

As always, all of the above can change, from topics to timing to the people listed. If I become aware of any major changes prior to the event, I’ll do my best to post a “final” schedule.

See you at GenCon!

Eating Authors: Mary E. Lowd

No Comments » Written on July 25th, 2016 by
Categories: Plugs
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Mary E. Lowd

As you know, Bob, my novel, Barsk, is anthropomorphic science fiction. And while I bristle when people attempt to describe it as “Babar in space,” the intention behind it is a fair one. It’s drawing on what they already know. After all, people have been reading about talking animals for a very long time. Somewhere along the line the animals started doing more previously human-only things (e.g., using tools, building cities, baking cakes, writing literary criticism), and this inevitable slide turned into what in today’s market constitutes “anthropomorphic” fiction.

This week’s EATING AUTHOR guest, Mary E. Lowd, is a popular writer and editor in a subgenre ghetto that gets very little attention from the daily reader of more traditional science fiction and fantasy. It’s arguably something of a niche market, and primarily served by a handful of very focused small presses. But for all that, it’s a thriving market and Mary’s done quite well there. She’s won the Ursa Major Award as well as two Cóyotl Awards for her own work, and has edited several of the best anthologies in the field. She also put otters in space long before I did.

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My Partial Schedule for MidAmeriCon II

No Comments » Written on July 18th, 2016 by
Categories: News
Tags: , ,

The Worldcon is about a month away and while they haven’t yet assigned all the supplemental bits of programming yet (i.e., Literary Beers, Readings, Kaffeeklatsches, Autographing, children’s program, workshops, or demonstrations), I can share my upcoming panels and a few other bits with you. And so I shall.

Wednesday, August 17th:
3:00 – 4:00 (Kansas City Convention Center) Pacing the Novel
How do you intensify a scene, bringing the reader deep into the narrative, and still keep the novel moving? Learn how the three basic types of text (exposition, dialog, and description) affect the pace of your work so you can suspend time or send the story rocketing onward. Panelists share techniques and approaches to balancing intensity and movement in order to draw readers into your characters, allow them to experience key moments in your book, and get them excited about what happens next.
with Melinda Snodgrass (M), Elizabeth Bear, Brooke Johnson, and L. E. Modesitt Jr.

Thursday, August 18th:
9:00 – 5:00 (Marriott 1) SFWA Board Meeting
with Cat Rambo (M), Bud Sparhawk, M.C.A. Hogarth, Susan Forest, Kate Baker, Sarah Pinsker, Matthew Johnson, and Jennifer Brozek

Friday, August 19th:
9:00 – 10:30 (TBA) Codex Breakfast
The annual Worldcon gathering of Codexii and breakfast foods.
with J.W. Alden, Rebecca Birch, Ginny Campen, Tom Carpenter, Beth Cato, J. Kathleen Cheney, Liz Colter, Tina Connolly, Austin DeMarco, SB Divya, Nora Fleischer, Sarah Grey, Amanda Helms, Gary D Henderson, Randy Henderson, Jennifer Hicks, Larry Hodges, Sharon Joss, Anna Kashina, Benjamin C. Kinney, Gary Kloster, William Ledbetter, Fonda Lee, Terra LeMay, Stephanie Loree, Brian K. Lowe, Ronya F. McCool, Rob McMonigal, Mel Melcer, Allison Mulder, Nina Niskanen, Aimee Ogden, Sunil Patel, Laura Pearlman, Sarah Pinsker, Jenny Rae Rappaport, Matt Rotundo, Erica Satifka, Catherine Schaff-Stump, Rebecca Schwarz, Elizabeth Shack, David Steffen, Jeff Stehman, Julie Steinbacher, Andrea G Stewart, Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, K.M. Szpara, Beth Tanner, Erin A. Tidwell, David VonAllmen, Tinatsu Wallace, Fran Wilde, Jay Wolf, Caroline M. Yoachim, and some of their guests (holy crap, that’s a lot of pancakes!)

Saturday, August 20th:
11:00 – 1:00 (Kansas City Convention Center) SFWA Business Meeting
with more SFWA members than have been together in one room in KC for a long while

3:00 – 4:00 (Kansas City Convention Center) Ask a Scientist
Do you have a pressing question about the earth’s warming, worm holes, advances in communication technology, cloning? A panel of scientists in varied areas of expertise are here to answer your scientific queries. Answers will be timed out at five minutes each, so don’t ask for a detailed explanation of General Relativity! Please keep questions brief and specific.
with Rachael Acks, Bill Higgins (M), Dr. Claire McCague, and Dr. Geoffrey A. Landis

Sunday, August 21st:
10:00 – 12:00 (Lester Young B, KCCC) Writers Workshop 4B
with Kelly Robson and three writer/student/victims

In addition, I’m hoping for a reading, a signing, and maybe even a kaffeeklatsche. And if someone is organizing the daily Strolling with the Stars, expect to see me there at least twice. If the con gets around to sharing these details with me, I promise to pass them on to you.

In addition, I’ll probably be attending a lot of other authors’ readins, popping in at the Hadley Rille Books anniversary celebration, as well as hanging out in the bar and the SFWA suite, a lot.

Eating Authors: N. S. Dolkart

No Comments » Written on July 18th, 2016 by
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N. S. Dolkart

A couple days from now my life gets a bit crazy. I’ll be starting a period of time (let’s call it five weeks) in which I attend four conventions (the qep’a’ cha’maHwejDIch, Confluence, GenCon Writer’s Symposium, and after a week’s break, the WorldCon). Or to put it another way, I’m looking at 23 days away from home out of 35, and that’s a bit much for me.

But have no fear, EATING AUTHORS will still be here for you, bright and early each Monday. As proof of that, even though I’m frantically packing and preparing Klingon certification exams, here’s N. S. Dolkart, this week’s guest. His first novel, Silent Hall debuted just last month from Angry Robot. It’s a fantasy that begins with a plague, and goes on to include wizards, gods, and a dragon. Seriously, he had me ay plague. Better still, Noah (yes, that’s what the N stands for) is already at work on a sequel.

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Eating Authors: David D. Levine

No Comments » Written on July 11th, 2016 by
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David D. Levine

I generally attend several conventions a year, and as I’ve been doing this whole writer thing for a while now, I’ve had opportunity to meet a lot of authors. Some I see maybe once a year, on a panel or during a party. Some I manage to enjoy the occasional meal with here or there. And every now and then circumstances come along that involve an extended time with one or more writers. This week’s EATING AUTHORS guest and I took that to new levels last month, as we shared a condo for a week of intense critique and culinary exploration as part of the Rio Hondo writers’ retreat. But, while it was memorable for me, I don’t think that’s something that will be showing up on David D. Levine‘s wikipedia page. And besides, what happens in New Mexico stays in New Mexico, right?

More notably, David’s been shortlisted for the Campbell, Nebula, and Sturgeon Awards for his short fiction, and he’s taken home a Hugo. Ask most anyone, and they’ll tell you he’s an incredible short story writer. Which makes me all the more excited that his first novel, Arabella of Mars, comes out tomorrow from Tor Books. It reminded a great deal of those old Jack Vance planetary romances, updated to modern sensibilities, and then thrust backward into the world of steampunk. So, yeah, go get a copy, you’ll like it.

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