- This week’s episode of LansingNext: 012 “Of Moose and Mentor.”

- This week’s special episode of the Magic of Eyri Podcast, “Adapting a Novel to a Podcast.” This was a panel talk I did at Penguicon last weekend (which I still need to write about, sigh). Joining me on the panel is the super-talented Mary Robinette Kowal.

- Oh, and that podcast made it on BoingBoing. Woo hoo!

- I threw together a story for Examiner about where to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

- And lastly, this week’s development stories for Capital Gains. One. Two. Three. Four.

Have a fun weekend.

I’ll do a more in-depth post this week (sometime over the next few days), because i am exhausted.

Some quick hits–

-I recorded a couple of the panels I was on: “Humor in Sci-Fi/Fantasy” with Jim C. Hines and Brian Briggs, and “Adapting Your Novel to a Podcast” with Mary Robinette Kowal.

-I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting for awhile with author and all-around-awesome-person Cherie Priest. Thankfully, I was able to get a copy of her steampunk novel, Boneshaker in the Dealer’s Room (which has been on my “to-read” since it was released) and have her sign it before I left.

-I bought my new favorite tshirt (from David Willis at shortpacked.com).

what a weekend!

Here’s a tentative run down of the panels I’ll be on, as like any convention, my schedule is subject to change. Penguicon is Apr. 30th thru May 2nd.

We Made It to the Oscars!
2009 had an unprecedented number of sci-fi films nominated for Academy Awards. Does this mean sci-fi is going mainstream?

Saturday 11AM
Daniel J. Hogan (m), Doselle Young, Catherine Shaffer

I’m looking forward to this one and it looks like I’m the moderator. It should be a fun chat and hopefully all in good fun. I like that they are listing moderators ahead of time. Since I’m modding this one, I had better come up with some questions or notes ahead of time.

Humor in Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Science Fiction is about Serious Things. Fantasy is about Causes and Quests. Wait, you mean they can be funny too? Puns, jokes, and running gags abound on this panel that pokes fun at works that take themselves a tad too seriously.

Saturday 2PM
Daniel J. Hogan, Jim C. Hines, Brian Briggs (m)

Jim, Brian and I were on this same panel last year and it was a hoot. I’m very much looking forward to this one as well. I think this would be the third time Jim and I have been on a panel focusing on humor in sci-fi and fantasy.

Publicity 101
You have a book coming out and a shoestring to promote it on. What’s an author to do?
Saturday 5PM
Daniel J. Hogan, Cherie Priest, Patrick Rothfuss (m), Brian Briggs

I certainly know a lot about this. The Internet and social media has made it easy and affordable to market yourself and your work.

Adapting a Novel to a Podcast
With our constantly-on-the-go culture, why not make your work even more available (and safe!) for our commuter-based society! Two veterans of aural performance help you get started.
Sunday 9AM
Mary Robinette Kowal, Daniel J. Hogan

I like that I’m described as a veteran of aural performance. That made my day right there. But, I guess with over 20 podcast episodes under my belt, that is an honest description. Heck, how many dozens of character voices have I done? Too many. But I love it. I was on a few panels with Mary last year and I’m looking forward to chatting with her again.

I’m only on four panels this time around (unless something changes) but that’s fine by me. I tend to over do it at some conventions and it’ll be nice to have time to relax (and I don’t have to worry about rushing down there on Friday either). Plus, I’ll have a girlfriend in tow and it wouldn’t be much fun for her if I was on panels all day and night.

I’ve scaled way back on how I do conventions vs. one and especially two years ago. I’m not even bringing any books this time. It is just isn’t cost effective any more and I feel I’m better off burning a bunch of podcast CDs and giving those out. I typically get a few online sales after any convention I’m a guest at, so I’m hoping that trend continues. I’ll confess that I’m always a bit nervous about being on panels with well-known writers and I kind of feel out of place at times, but typically everyone is very friendly and my worries are for not.

I really enjoy conventions. They are a great recharge to the creative batteries and I get to meet folks who have bought my book and/or listen to the podcast in person. Nothing in the world tops a stranger stopping you in a hotel lobby and saying how much they loved your book. Nothing.

Listenotron! ::  Downloaderize!

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In podcast news, I was looking over the download stats yesterday and I saw that so far this month, the first episode of the podcast (A Shameless Summer) already has over 150 downloads.

That’s over 150 people starting my podcast. Over 150 new listeners. Man, that is great.  Will all of them stick around after that first episode? I dunno, but at least they gave me a chance. That reminds me, I need to start advertising online again and soon.

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Speaking of promotion, I decided that I will be going to Penguion 2010 in April.  I contacted them yesterday and hopefully I’ll be on panels like I have been for the past two years. I had a blast last year, as I always do, and I certainly know more about podcasting this time around than last year (I think I had maybe three episodes or so up at that point).

Copywhat? Copyrights! Open Source Licensing in Literature – we chat about copyright issues, especially when it comes to Internet.

Show notes and Listen :: Download

Selling Your Soul – Marketing Your Work on a Limited Budget – we chat about marketing your own stuff while trying not to break the bank (features Jim C. Hines and David Crampton)

Show notes and Listen :: Download

Guerrilla Marketing — The Art of Self-Promotion – along the same lines of the panel above, but touches on other marketing ideas (features Michael “FREON” Andaluz).  I found this one via some sort of MP3 grabber site (and was alerted by Google), so I have the audio hosted on my site, as I can’t find an entry for it on any of Rick’s websites.

Download

(all audio recordings are © 2009 Rick Jackson)

Give these a listen and enjoy!  I love being on panels and talking about these subjects.  I’ve certainly learned plenty about promotion over the past few years.

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I had the pleasure of being a guest at the science fiction and fantasy fan convention, ConClave once again this weekend.  I had a great time like always,  running into  Jim C. Hines, who was there promoting his latest release, Mermaid’s Madness, and the always entertaining M. Keaton.

It is fun to reconnect with writer friends and to make new ones at these conventions.  I was a part of nine events, including the Writer’s Workshop (I read and critiqued stories), panel discussions (ranging from zombies to werewolves to comic books) and I was even a contestant in a Last Man Standing Sci-Fi/Fantasy Trivia Contest–and I came in 2nd place.

My prize for coming in second is that my name will be used for the name of the president of the CDC in an upcoming zombie novel (The Ravening) by Stewart Sternberg. Stewart said that there will be a quote at the start of a chapter, which will be attributed to said CDC president, so something along these lines perhaps, to give you an idea:

“I see no reason to panic. As long as none of them bite you, you’ll be just fine.  Oh, and wash your hands.  Seriously, people.”

- Daniel Hogan, President of the CDC.

I’m excited to see what Stewart comes up with–he’s threatening to make it something that will cause an angry mob to show up at my door. Hey, I can use the publicity.  The novel will be available in stores and obviously I’ll do a post once that happens.  The grand prize winner will be made into a character that gets ripped apart by zombies.  Lucky.  Amusingly, I lost my shot at first place by not knowing the name of Barbara’s brother in the original Night of the Living Dead (Johnny).

#

Speaking of Mr. Sternberg, we were on a panel about werewolves at ConClave, which I recorded for this week’s podcast.  Check it out. I’m glad I recorded it, because between late nights at work this week and getting ready for the con, I didn’t have the next episode of the Magic of Eyri finished. Hooray for filler. Give the panel a listen, it is a fun time. Jon David, Rick Moore, Charles Zaglanis and William Jones join us as well.

Days Until Halloween: 30

I decided the heck with it and ordered the non-firing Colt Single Action Army replica, the leather gun belt/holster and the brass dummy rounds for my Man with No Name costume.

After a lot of searching online, I found a site where I got everything for about $130 (including shipping). Pricey I know, but one of my recent freelance articles more than pays for that (which is the whole reason I write the freelance stuff to begin with–to pay for goofy things like this). Plus, I was part of a focus group for the Lansing State Journal on Monday night, earning me a bounty of $25 for an hour of my time.

When I realized I could use the gun/holster for future costumes (I already have several ideas), I decided it would be a good investment. If anything, it will make for a good show piece at home, how’s that for a conversation starter?

The first website I was found had what I wanted for a few dollars cheaper (sequel pun not intended), but when I went to their shopping cart I kept getting warnings from my browser that their security certificate was expired and/or unreliable. I sent the website an email in regards to this, but I ended up finding a different website to go through and pulled the trigger on the deal (pun intended). I’m glad I did–it is looking like I might get my gear as early as tomorrow, which we be great because I could wear some of it to ConClave next weekend.

Only at a fandom hotel convention can you get away with wearing a gun belt all day. I may wait and wear it only when moderating panels or giving critiques for the Writer’s Workshop. We’ll see.

The website I contacted eventually responded, saying they were in the process of overhauling their site and said I could just pay with Paypal and directed me to their new URL. But the new site had next to nothing on it. I ended up paying a little bit more by using the site I did (maybe $10, if that) but the peace of mind is priceless.

I opted for the Cavalry model over the Peacemaker (the website’s names, as both are technically Peacemakers)–the only difference is the barrel length. The Cavalry has a 6 and 1/4 inch barrel, while the Peacemaker has a 4 inch barrel (start with the Freudian jokes). The shorter barrel was the favorite for trick shots and quick draws in the films and wild west shows (and was more popular with civilians), but since I’m not getting into any quick draw contests, I wanted the gun that had a better ‘look.’

Honestly, when I think of a Single Action Army, I visualize the longer barreled versions, because they had a more distinct look. Eastwood’s SAA in Fistful of Dollars had a barrel length of just under six inches.

I’ll take pictures of the gear once I get everything. I’m excited. I even watched Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More last night as research/inspiration.

My next big task is finding cowboy boots and a hat that is at least somewhat similar to Clint’s. Luckily, I saw that the local TSC store sells spurs at an affordable price. I was on the fence about wearing real spurs at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it would be a cool addition (especially the sound of me walking around with them on).

The local costume shop has plastic spurs, but again, I want stuff that’ll last. I’m sick of spending money on cheap props that break easily (as I’m sure these plastic spurs would).

Boots could be an issue, as a I don’t want to spend a lot on them, but if I can find a pair of real boots for under $40, I might get those. I will hit up the Goodwill and the like first however–you never know what you’ll find there. Eastwood’s boots in Fistful aren’t anything fancy (which I’m thankful for), they are more or less basic cowboy work boots. Again, if I do additional Western themed costumes, buying a pair of boots would be a good investment (as would the spurs).

Stay tuned, I will keep blogging as I put the rest of this costume together and will have photos. I’ll probably do another Flickr set like I did for my Ghostbuster costume.

Part 1 :: Part 2

Guess who? HINT: Not the Iron Giant

I only took my backpack with me for this trip, as I required just one change of clothes and even then just the basics (tshirt/underwear), so I had to watch how much I bought. This did keep me from buying a few things I didn’t really need (ex: a Scud the Disposable Assassin action figure) but also prevented me from getting a couple items I would have really adored (a killer print by the artist of Cursed Pirate Girl). But my rule was:  if it didn’t fit in the backpack, I didn’t buy it. Crushable items, such as prints and posters, were out of the question.

Yes, I could have bought a tube to keep prints and posters safe, but I was afraid of having to check it on the Mega Bus and something happening to it.

Cobra Commander: looking better here than in the live action movie.
My time at the con on Sunday was somewhat abbreviated, as I had to catch the train downtown around 3 PM–but I made the most of the day. Not only did I get my Frank Cho sketch, but I also picked up a Doug TenNapal graphic novel, Flink, for only $5. That ended up being my only purchase of the day, due to me leaving soon and wanting to make sure I had money for food on the way home and for any possible emergencies. There were a few tshirts I eyed, including a Han Shot First shirt I spotted in Artist Alley, but most were too expensive–one of the big tshirt sellers sold theirs for $20.25 each, or two for $35. Yikes.

If you shopped around, you could certainly find better deals, but there were few shirts I spotted that screamed for me to own them (interesting post script, the Monday after the con I bought a $10 Iron Maiden tshirt at JC Penny’s back home using the money I didn’t spend at the con).

Eventually, my time to depart arrived. I called my comrades in geek arms and informed them of my impending departure. They joined me outside and we said our goodbyes. Two of our group I have known since middle-school, another since college and the last, my oldest friend, since first grade. I was happy I decided to trek out to Chicago to see my friends once again (scattered to Washington D.C., Milwaukee, New York and Chicago in the years following college).

The con for me was not about buying comic books, or even being within inches of the likes of Ray Park (Darth Maul), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) or Billy Dee Williams (Lando).  That was when I was younger, but things have changed. Now, going to the con is about seeing some of my oldest friends one more time. As we  march towards our thirties, I wonder how many more times I’ll see these gents, or even have the means and/or desire to go to a comic book convention (and after last year’s fiasco, I nearly swore off going to a Chicago con ever again).

Ironically, I have heard rumors that this con could be the last Chicago Comic Con–at least in its current form (and time of the year).

I had a bit of a misadventure upon reaching downtown Chicago on Sunday afternoon. The ride on the blue line went well enough, but when I reached the stop for the Mega Bus, I looked at the clock on my phone. The time hadn’t switched to Chicago time right away when I arrived on Saturday (as my old phone would do), so thinking I was still on Michigan time, I thought I had an extra hour to kill.

Turns out, I did not.

Figuring I had time to kill, I walked away from the bus stop and ventured over to the Amtrack Station, looking for a place to get an ice cream to help beat the 98 degree heat. I entered the station and looked up at the old analogue clock on the wall.

“Oh, that can’t be right,” I said aloud after figuring out that my time was incorrect. I called my mom and asked her what time it was in Michigan.

“What time is it there right now?”
“Quarter to six, why?”
“That means it is quarter to five here–I gotta run!”

Dangit. I didn’t have an extra hour: I had been at the stop on time. I ran to the bus stop, making it with seconds to spare. That was the last bus to Ann Arbor, and it would have been a long walk home.

The ride home was not as smooth as the ride to Chicago, but that was not the fault of the Mega Bus people–there was a bunch of construction on 94 in Michigan (no surprise), which added about an hour to our ride home. By the time I drove back to Lansing, it was nearly 1 AM. Ugh.

I survived yet another Comic Con. I saw some old friends, including one I hadn’t seen in four years. I had a great time. All in all, not a bad way to spend a weekend.

Part 1 can be read here

Optimus Claus wants to hear what’s on your Wookie Life Day wish list..just don’t ask for the Matrix of Leadership.

I try to avoid paying cover price for anything at a con, at least in regards to paperback collections of old issues (because you can always get those for less than cover price on Amazon.  I will pay cover price at my local comic book store, however).  The nearest I came to paying cover price was buying vol. 3 of Planetary for 20% off.  Obviously, I paid full price for the Mouse Guard hardcover–but I bought that from David Petersen himself.  As someone who also sells copies of his own book, I have no problem doing that. I regret not buying the second Mouse Guard book, however. Oh well.

I also paid full price for issue #1 of Cursed Pirate Girl, but again I bought that from the artist over in Artist Alley (where I also picked up a great collection of pin-up sketches from another Michigan artist, Katie Cook).

Honestly, one of my favorite finds at the con was something I got for free–a sketch from Liberty Meadows creator/artist Frank Cho.

In typical fan boy fashion, I blanked when I was next in line and couldn’t remember the name of the character (Truman the duck) I wanted drawn. So, I said “Uh, can you draw your duck character from Liberty Meadows?”

Oy.

To further add to my embarrassment, my notebook had a bunch of debris in it, which spilled out on Frank’s table. UGH. I found out later it was the tea leaves from a tea bag that had torn open in my backpack. Stay classy, Dan.

I debated getting an autograph from the fourth Ghostbuster, Ernie Hudson. I decided against it, as Winston isn’t my fav Ghostbuster. Nothing against Ernie Hudson and he does have one of my favorite lines in the film (“Since I have joined these guys, I have seen s— that would turn you WHITE!”). He certainly seemed to be enjoying himself, which is always great to see.

this guy put my Ghostbuster costume to shame.

A few folks from the Battlestar Galactica reboot were on hand, including Edward James Olmos (Admiral Adama).

Eddie “Admiral Adama” Olmos answers some questions. Or ponders your destruction. I’d say it is 50/50.

Michael “Uncle Mike” Hogan was around too, and I briefly thought of talking to him and saying “Hey, remember when we met back in May at Motor City Con?” — only because he got a kick out of the fact I had the same name as his brother (Daniel Hogan…we’re a dime a dozen, seriously).

I made more than a few trips by the SuicideGirls booth and also thought of getting my picture taken with them…but I chickened out. There was never a shortage of guys around the booth, heh. As a fan of pin-up art (especially art cira and post WWII)/photography, I find what they do interesting–featuring women with piercings, tattoos and the like.

Which brings me to something else I noticed–there were a considerable amount of women attending this con.  Families too (saw a toddler in a Chewbacca costume, which was great).

Dark Phoenix knows what you are thinking, so you had better stop.

I tell you, these aren’t the guy heavy conventions I went to in my early teens, things are way more diverse today (or I’m just more aware of it, which is possible). And I think that’s great, and I don’t just mean the cute geek girls (which I’m a fan of), seeing families sharing their love of something like Star Wars or X-Men just warms my heart. I saw a few families in costume and it made my day.

This might be a generation shift thing–Gen X’ers (and my fellow Gen Y’ers) are  having families, and they grew up with a lot of the Star Wars/comic book stuff being so commonplace (merchandising especially) in the ’70s and ’80s, so they are sharing their interests with their kids. I’m not saying Baby Boomers didn’t do that as well (my dad is the reason I got into Monty Python and Star Trek), but I think fandom (and geekdom) has become more mainstream, and therefore more acceptable, as of late.

Next: Chicago Comic Con, Part 3: The Long Walk Home.

Chicago Comic Con, Part 1: – Fun With Mass Transit

I attended the Chicago Comic-Con this past Saturday and Sunday (would have went on Friday, but I had a prior commitment to be a guest at a teen writing workshop at my local library–which was a blast).

Bebop and Rocksteady search the Con for ‘Toytles’ to stomp.

This convention had been previously known as Wizard World, so named because of its connection with the comic book price guide/mag, Wizard.  Well, it appears that things are not all well in the kingdom of Wizard.  Both DC and Marvel pulled out of this convention, along with other publishers such as Dark Horse, leaving a huge void that couldn’t be filled, no matter how many Jake Buseys  or Todd Bridges were on hand (sadly, Gary Coleman was a no-show, another disappointment).

A friend summed the event up perfectly as “a glorified Motor City Comic Con” (our yearly comic con here in Michigan that has gone down hill, according to regular attendees).  Sure, there were neato guests and plenty of dealers, but the fun thing about cons for me is seeing the big companies there.

I may not read a lot of Marvel and DC titles as of late (I’ve been buying a lot of Dark Horse), but their presence (along with Dark Horse, Image and others) was what always separated the Chicago convention from Motor City Comic Con for me–the sense of scale.  I recalled in years past at Wizard World that there were more companies around, and not just the big comic labels.

Anyway, I digress.

I awoke at 5 AM on Saturday and prepped for my trek to Ann Arbor to pick up the Mega Bus at the  U of M Park and Ride lot.  Driving on the freeway just before 6 AM was interesting.  Thankfully, I avoided any construction (aside from a short detour in downtown Ann Arbor) and made it to the Park and Ride with time to spare.  The only bummer was that it started raining while I waited by the bus stop, causing some water to leak into my backpack–which made my change of clothes, podcast CD sleeves and such soggy.

The Mega Bus trip was actually rather painless, a far cry from the fiasco of my bus/train trip to the convention a year ago. We even arrived in downtown Chicago 45 minutes ahead of schedule.

I walked the block (give or take) to the nearest Blue Line train station and read a book during the 40 minute (give or take) train ride to the convention center).

I Checked in with my online ticket and was given a very annoying wristband.  They had done away with the badges of years past, and expected people to wear a stupid paper wrist band for the duration of the con (for as long as four days in some cases).

I’m sure this was to prevent people from sharing badges. I like the badges though, they make fun keepsakes, and mine came in handy years ago when I met Jason Mewes and had him sign the back.  When you have arms as hairy as mine, any kind of self-adhesive strip around your wrist is going to be painful.

I quickly noticed the absence of DC and Marvel upon entering.  Usually, they have large booths right at the entrance.  Instead, they crammed most of the guest celebs near the front, which created several log jams upon entering.

This year I wasn’t battling some kind of plague, so I enjoyed walking around the large convention center. I also started putting out podcast CDs in the freebie areas–this one thing I like about this con, they don’t care who puts out free stuff, unlike Motor City Comic Con, where you had to be a registered guest to put out freebies in the common areas.  I only brought 30 something CDs, which I quickly regretted after putting out the last of my CDs by mid-afternoon on the first day.

I also saturated the cafeteria areas with my podcast promo cards.

I didn’t buy all that much this year, I think I only spent around $100 over two days–and that included food, snacks, coffees and other necessities (ex: a six pack of Old Style). My most expensive purchase was a hardcover copy of the first Mouse Guard collection ($25), but I bought it in person from its writer/artist, Michigan-native David Petersen (whom I met a few months ago at the first Ink & Stein ‘drink and draw’ event in Ypsilani).  He also signed it and drew an amazing little sketch.

David Petersen, writer/artist of Mouse Guard, signs and sketches my copy of the first collection.

The rest of my purchases were mainly trade paperbacks of comic book back issues.  Since I’m more of a comic reader than collector these days, I opt for the cheap paperback collections over the separate back issues.  You can find booths a-plenty to score cheap trades.  Most will be half-off the cover price and another favorite stop sold all of their trades for $5.  Probably my best trade purchase was a large Judge Dredd collection that I got for only $7.  It didn’t have a US dollar price, only a UK price (13). I saw the next volume in the series at another booth on sale for $24 (US). Go me.

Stay tuned for Chicago Comic Con, Part 2-Obligatory Wrath of Con Joke

Last year, I took the train with my then girlfriend, L –we picked up a bus in East Lansing (at the train station, I think) and then took that bus to the train station in…uh, Kalamazoo I think. The bus trip was bad enough, with people having to stand in the aisle the whole way. The high point of this was one of the people standing was a very obviously hung over gentleman, who appeared to be on the verge of vomiting at a moment’s notice (I offered him my seat but he declined, saying that standing was better for him).

On top of this, I caught a cold the night before and was terrible shape for traveling. I spent the layover time at the next stop in a near-comatose state. The train ride wasn’t any better, as L and I couldn’t find seats together. And there was the whole riding backwards on the train thing, which did not sit well with me at all (I was sitting in the opposite direction the train was going).

Upon hitting Chicago, I was in even worse shape, allowing me to make a terrible first impression on L’s friend we met after dinner and would be staying with (the plan being, I go to the comicon with my friends and L spend the day doing what she wanted, both of us meeting up afterwards). This was Thursday night.

Friday morning, after a fantastic evening of night sweats and fever, I pulled myself out of bed and managed to make it to the nearest CTA train station–how, I don’t know. The con was fun, but when you have a fever and feel like you’re going to pass out at any moment, spending hours walking around a large convention center loses its appeal rather quickly.

I linked up with my friends, whom have moved out of Michigan in recent years, and did my best to enjoy the con. The plan was to grab dinner together that evening, attend a reading/Q&A by Warren Ellis (one of my favorite comic book writers) and hang out afterwards.

Well, that didn’t happen. I survived the afternoon at the con–barely. I almost left at one point, but since neither L nor her friend were home, I didn’t really have a choice. I had to forgo the traditional White Castle dinner in favor of something a little more pleasing to my weakened state (Subway, I think, so barely). I think I made it about 30 minutes through Warren Ellis’ reading before I hit rock bottom.

A couple of panicked phone calls later, I was on my way back to L’s friend’s house and so were L and said friend (forcing the two of them to leave a party or something). I was promptly pumped full of cold meds and put to bed.

Saturday started out great—and quickly got worse. I felt better at first, but after L and I trekked downtown to see the museums and such (Saturday was spend time with the girlfriend day), I was hardly able to stand. Needless to say, our museum outing was short lived. But here’s the best part:

L’s friend worked for the Obama campaign. And after we got back to L’s friend’s place (we had a spare key), she called us and invited us to the Taste of Chicago festival downtown, where Stevie Wonder was the guest. This would have meant getting back on the train to downtown, and standing outside in a 100 degree (give or take) sunny weather around thousands of people. L and I passed, opting to recover (she was exhausted as well, having spent the previous day downtown with friends).

The next day, we find out that had we gone, L’s friend could have gotten us into a private show put on by Stevie Wonder for Barrack and Michelle Obama.

Yes, that’s right. L and I could have met the now President and First Lady. And part of me thinks that if I had just taken some DayQuil, I might have been up for going.

(for the record, L’s friend had no idea–or at least gave us no prior indication–that this would happen, if she had said there would have been even a maybe chance, I would have cowboy’d up and went–and in some bizarre alternative reality, passed my plague on to the then presidential candidate, which would somehow cause him to lose the election. But, I digress).

That Sunday, the last day of Wizard World, I survived the outing but didn’t stay the whole day–and couldn’t because L and I had to catch the train back to Michigan. Catching our train was another bit of fun, as we had a hard time figuring out where to go inside Union Station. Yes, we almost boarded the wrong train.

So here I am, a little over a year later, and I’m toying with heading back.

I’m thinking of taking the Mega Bus time, which is faster than the train and way cheaper. And since I’m going solo this time (L broke up with me back in January), I figured why not? The Mega Bus gets my mom’s seal of approval and because of Chicago’s great mass transit system, all I have to do is hop on the Blue Line train after the bus drops me off at Union Station in downtown Chicago (seriously, their mass transit system rules–get with it Michigan) and I’ll be at the convention center around lunch time.  The ease of the mass transit system was something I really enjoyed last year.

Financially, I can make it work ($28 round trip on the Mega Bus is great) — and since I’m going there to promote the Magic of Eyri Podcast (give out cards/CDs) and myself, I can write off some of the expenses.

But I’ll have to watch my spending at the con itself (I think only having one bag to carry everything for the weekend in will help with that).

And honestly, I want a redo because last year was so horrible. I’m hoping that whatever is in my system at the moment (some kind of Black Lung/Bronchitis thing), will be under control by then (I’m on a new run of antibiotics so, I’m sure I’ll be fine).

But this time I’m going loaded for bear: bringing cold stuff just in case.

For me though, going to the con isn’t really about buying comics (or promoting myself)–it is to see my friends and to spend a fun weekend around like-minded people. As I’m getting older, I’m realizing I probably won’t have too many more chances like this down the road to have a carefree weekend with old friends (but I hope I’m very, very wrong).

As my dad likes to say, life is about ‘nuggets’ — little events or moments that may seem insignificant in the big picture, but make life all the more interesting.

Speaking of — both Gary Coleman AND Todd Bridges of Diff’rent Strokes are guests this year. How can I NOT go?

And remember–I’ll be giving out free CDs with (at least) the first three episodes of the podcast. Haven’t decided yet if the CD will be data or audio (.MP3s or not).

Click below to see my finalized schedule.

May 1, 2009 6:00 pm Sci-Fi/Fantasy – The Perception Sarah Hoyt, Daniel Hogan, Jeff DeLuzio, Sarah Monette What is the general perception of genre writing? Pros and cons of Genre writing vs. traditional fiction.

May 2, 2009 11:00 am Can I Be Your Friend? Bringing Authors and Readers Together John Scalzi, Jim C. Hines, Wil Wheaton, Mary Robinette Kowal, Daniel Hogan, Dr. Philip Kaldon Facebook, LiveJournal, WordPress, MySpace, Twitter, website, etc. — SF/F/H authors are encouraged to engage in self-promotion on the web. Some, like John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton make it look easy. But where’s the line on privacy and personal details for the authors? And what about fans bent on making the transition to troll or stalker? No one said this was going to be easy.

May 2, 2009 12:00 pm Self-Publishing – How to Not Get Totally Screwed David Crampton, Wil Wheaton, Daniel Hogan, Rick Jackson, Alex Heberling, Megan Rose Gedris, Michael Marcus, Sarah Zettel Vanity presses are popping up left and right, and a writer/comic artist no longer needs to beg and plead with a publisher to get their work out there. So how to you get your book ready for print? What printers give you the best bang for your buck? How do you get people to notice it? These questions and more addressed.

May 2, 2009 3:00 pm To See a Universe in a Grain of Sand Sarah Hoyt, Dan Hoyt, Elizabeth Bear, Daniel Hogan,Sarah Monette, Sarah Zettel Worldbuilding. How to create your universe.

May 2, 2009 4:00 pm What’s So Funny?! David Crampton, John Scalzi, Jim C. Hines, Dan Hoyt, Daniel Hogan, Brian Briggs Humor in Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Does it work? Why or why not?

May 2, 2009 5:00 pm Copywhat? Copyrights! Open Source Licensing in Literature Elizabeth Bear, Daniel Hogan, Eric Raymond, Rick Jackson What they are, how they work and things to bear in mind when submitting to traditional publishers and e-publishers. Also – what happens to the rights on my e-blog if I want to publish somewhere else?

May 3, 2009 8:00 am National Novel Writing Month David Crampton, Jim C. Hines, Mary Robinette Kowal, Daniel Hogan Every November hordes of would-be writers as well as established pros unite to attempt to produce 50,000 words in one month. Good idea or waste of time? Does it help or hurt writing? What about the pressures of deadlines in general? Does slow and steady win the race, or does the pressure cooker of trying to produce so many words in the last hour really work?

May 3, 2009 9:00 am Book Signing Catherynne M. Valente, John Scalzi, Jim C. Hines, Wil Wheaton, Sarah Hoyt, Dan Hoyt, Elizabeth Bear, Daniel Hogan, Brian Briggs Come meet some of our great authors and get your book signed. There may or may not even be readings done by some of them – how well can you beg?

May 3, 2009 12:00 pm Is Audio the New Print? Wil Wheaton, Steve Eley, Daniel Hogan, Rick Jackson, Rick Stringer There’s an explosion of audiobooks and podcasts out there. Is Audio supplanting print as the medium of choice?

May 3, 2009 1:00 pm Selling Your Soul – Marketing Your Work on a Limited Budget David Crampton, Jim C. Hines, Daniel Hogan, Rick Jackson Websites, freebies, conventions and business cards – plus anything else we can think of! Ways to help market and promote yourself and your product when you’re strapped for cash!

Since I don’t know the days and times yet, I’ll just list them in no particular order (from the penguicon event page):

Can I be your friend? Bringing authors and readers together.
Mary Robinette Kowal
Daniel Hogan
Jim C. Hines
Dr. Philip Kaldon

Facebook, LiveJournal, WordPress, MySpace, Twitter, website, etc. — SF/F/H authors are encouraged to engage in self-promotion on the web. Some, like John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton make it look easy. But where’s the line on privacy and personal details for the authors? And what about fans bent on making the transition to troll or stalker? No one said this was going to be easy.

Copywhat? Copyrights! Open Source Liscensing in Literature.
Eric Raymond
Daniel Hogan
Elizabeth Bear
Rick Jackson
David Crampton

What they are, how they work and things to bear in mind when submitting to traditional publishers and e-publishers. Also – what happens to the rights on my e-blog if I want to publish somewhere else?

Is Audio the New Print?
Rick Jackson
Daniel Hogan

There’s an explosion of audiobooks and podcasts out there. Is Audio supplanting print as the medium of choice?

National Novel Writing Month
Mary Robinette Kowal
Daniel Hogan
Jim C. Hines
David Crampton

Every November hordes of would-be writers as well as established pros unite to attempt to produce 50,000 words in one month. Good idea or waste of time? Does it help or hurt writing? What about the pressures of deadlines in general? Does slow and steady win the race, or does the pressure cooker of trying to produce so many words in the last hour really work?

Sci-Fi/Fantasy – The Perception
Jeff deLuzio
Daniel Hogan

What is the general perception of genre writing? Pro’s and Con’s of Genre writing vs. traditional fiction.

Selling Your Soul – Marketing your work on a limited budget.
Daniel Hogan
Jim C. Hines
Rick Jackson
David Crampton

Websites, freedbies, conventions and business cards – plus anything else we can think of! Ways to help market and promote yourself and your product when you’re strapped for cash!

To See a Universe in a Grain of Sand
Daniel Hogan
Elizabeth Bear
Sarah Zettel
Rick Jackson
David Crampton

Worldbuilding. How to create your universe.

What’s so funny?!
Daniel Hogan
Brian Briggs
Jim C. Hines
David Crampton

Humor in Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Does it work? Why or why not?

Self -Publishing – How to not get totally screwed.
Sarah Zettel
Rick Jackson
Daniel Hogan
Michael Marcus
David Crampton
Megan Rose Gedris
Alex Heberling

Vanity presses are popping up left and right, and a writer/comic artist no logner needs to beg and plead with a publisher to get their work out there. So how to you get your book ready for print? What printers give you the best bang for your buck? How do you get people to notice it? These questions and more addressed.

So, for the moment, I’m on NINE panels. That’s at least nine hours of programming. I actually asked them yesterday to take me off a panel (one about short stories), so originally I had ten hours. Oy. I can handle it tho. I like being on panels. Keep in mind that things could change since the times have not been figured out, that’s why I just signed up for whatever I wanted at first and told them to let me know about any conflicts and I’ll decide what to do at that point.

Looks like I’ll be on a few panels with good ol’ Jim C. Hines (we’ve been on several panels before and even had a signing together once. Check out his new novel, The Stepsister Scheme. I’m not finished with it yet, but I’m enjoying it so far.)

In podcast news, I’ve started working on mixing episode #2. I still haven’t decided when in April I’ll put the first episode yet, but I might wait until mid-April, so I can have something up before Penguicon. Hang in there, loyal listeners.

This is my second year at Penguicon and I am very much looking forward to it.  I had a blast last year, and this year I’ll be hard at work promoting the Magic of Eyri podcast. I will also have copies of the novel version of The Magic of Eyri for sale at my usual special convention price ($20). I don’t know yet if I’ll have a table or anything…I need to look into that, but if I’m on a lot of panels (which is looking like will happen) I wouldn’t be at a table for too long anyway.