onyxhawke

Those who were at Lunacon will be unsurprised that the Good is by far the longest section.


The good:
I arrived just before seven pm Thursday, having not eaten since mid day, I was merely famished. Dave & Barb Freer were in the lobby ready to start eating anyone who stopped moving, or was wearing an attractive cologne not having had a chance to eat since very early in the day. Eric Flint was there, as well as the Hoyt Collective. Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon arrived not to long after I did. We finally departed a bit after nine when it became noticeable that the Freer's and I were possibly not joking about which people would taste best with teriyaki and which with mango and papaya slices. ( Read more... )

Next Con:
Ravencon!

Sightings and hug-bys:
Mary Robinette Kowal, Ian Randal Strock, Joshua Palimatier, Lawrence Schoen, Bob Eggleton, Kate Paulk, Jeff Warner, Gail Martin and of course all the Guests.

Oh, and Mercedes Lackey reccomended http://moonedit.com/

More later.

Finally! I saw the preview I wasn't allowed to share, and now, there is this cover final and one for all to look at. I tried to get a larger image into the post, but apparently Picsa, myself, and LiveJournal aren't a good mix.

Here's the Picsa link. And I'm sure you've all preordered already so I won't point out that large preorders make editors happy, and being happy makes them much more pliable when I twist their arms for additional books and better terms.

Well Con goers it is nearly that time again! Lunacon is almost here with a Guest of Honor who not only hasn't been in the USA in five years, is looking forward to his first stint as Guest of Honor. Dave Freer who has over a dozen books on the shelf ranging from epic fantasy to space opera to urban fantasy will be touching down in time to meet the people he writes for. Larry Dixon will be Artist Guest of Honor, the Special Guest will be Mercedes Lackey and Eric Flint will be Toastmaster.


Don't forget: Lunacon March 20-22, the greatest con this side of the moon.
davefreer 

This is what he said about it in his conference on Baen's Bar;

Tasmarin is a place of dragons. a plane cut off from all others worlds where dragons can be dragons, and humans can be dinner. It's a place of islands, forests, mountains and wild oceans, filled with magical denizens. Fionn -- the black dragon -- calmly tells anyone who will listen that he's going to destroy the place. Of course he's a joker, a troublemaker and a dragon of no fixed abode. No one ever believes him.

He's dead serious.

Others strive to refresh the magics that built this place. To do so they need the combined magics of all the intelligent species, to renew the ancient balance and compact. There is just one problem. They need a human mage, and dragons systematically eliminated those centuries ago. Their augury has revealed that there is one, and they seek her desperately. Unfortunately, she's fallen in with Fionn, who really doesn't want them to succeed. He has his own reasons and designs.

The part he hadn't worked out is that she will affect his plans too.  Chaos, roguery, theft, heroism, kidnapping, love, trouble and war follow. And chaos. Did I mention chaos?

If one were wanting to know when it will be available... Toni's Table in Baen's Bar would be the place to ask since I haven't been told yet. Dave can be found on his LJ davefreer on facebook, and of course on the
Bar in "Dr Monkey".

John Scalzi, he of the internet Mecca the Whatever blog has posted about Dave Freer's latest book. He mentions that it is an idea book, and much like his Old Mans War it has real character development, and real live plot. Go see what other people have to say.

The following people owe me sleep and should make reparations quickly.


First up is the delightful Carrie Vaughn. I got to meet her in the lobby of one of the three hundred hotels attendees of Denvetion were spread across. I'm possibly the last person on the planet to read Kitty And the Midnight Hour, but if I'm not, and you're among those who hasn't go do so. The characters are very real, the plot is solid and the story is very internally consistent. I was hesitant to pick this one up because well, the werewolf is named Kitty. I'm glad i did finally read it, but i had no intention of reading it all in one night.

Jocelyn Drake writes the other type of fanged fiend of the night, and does so with a few variations that make her vampires distinct. NightWalker follows a vampire who is called upon to confront enemies she thought were dead, by an unlikely enemy of her enemies who is not her friend. After that it gets complicated.

Bill Fawcett's collection of major military blunders How to Lose a Battle is a great read and the type of history i wish people would send me. It covers battlefield blunders including those in the Punic Wars, the Napoleonic wars, and World War Two. One of the highlights is a day by day dissection of Gettysburg. It is not intended to be a bone deep guide to any of the battles it covers, but it is a great place to get a look at how to realistically screw up your characters lives.


Don't forget that Dave Freer's Pyramid Power and Slowtrain are both on the shelves, and that most stores will order at not extra charge if you ask.

Jenna Waterford's The Accidental Mime is up for you reading pleasure. Click here. In she same issue of the ezine is an interview with this moderately well known lady "Robin Hobb".

Enjoy.

While this is probably old news to everyone other than me, Pyr in their wisdom has decided to add the sensational James Enge to their blog. So when you aren't worshiping his words at his LJ, or Black Gate, or Flashing Swords you can join him and some moderately well know folks blogging at the Pyr blog.

Yesterday's  Shmoozing 101 panel was fun. Unfortunately Ginjer Buchanan wasn't with us, but thanks to Mary Robinette Kowal and John Sclazi, it was a fantastic panel. I like panels that don't suffer from dead air and panic as people realize they will have to actually talk instead of just sit at the table and hope someone will buy somethign in the dealers room or art room with their name on it.

Schmoozing 101 was a lot of fun, I'd never met John Scalzi before even if I've commented on his blog a couple times, Mary i met and got a ride to the con hotel from the overflow at WFC Austin and have run into a couple times since. The two of them did a lot of the work and I chimed in to the person who said "don't be stupid." I don't think i actually said it in those words, but I'm sure the sentiment got across.

I did get to meet a couple of my readers, and someone who submitted something to me during the Winter Workout and was willing to speak to me anyway.

For those who hadn't noticed, there is a full page ad for Lunacon in the program book right next to the one featuring Lois Bujolds new series. There is also a full page color ad that features both Slow Train and Pyramid Power, both of which are available for pre-order.


Today i have two events.

one is an eleven thirty panel The Agent Behind the Curtain in room 506, and the other is immediately after at 1pm a signing in Hall D. After that i can go back to being invisible and maybe go to lunch. Please stop by the signing even if just to say hello, feel free to pitch your book to me.

For those who know them: Silverdrake, and Mike, The Hoyt Collective Family, Kate Paulk, Greg D, Cynthia Gonslaves, and a few others are here.

Oh yeah, for anyone at the con who hasn't discovered it there's free Wi-Fi on the 16h street mall, its the "Downtown DenverWiFI" network, I'm able to sign into it sitting in the lobby of the Sheraton Plaza.

Cheers,