Thoughts from Worldcon and More

I was recently at Discon3, Worldcon, in Washington, D.C. It’s been at least five years since I was last at this con. At that point, it was Chicon, in Chicago. When I arrived, I saw a friend, another author, who writes both books and graphic novels and his eyes went wide and shared, “I’ve made you a character in my graphic novel!”

Now, I have to admit that was a first. He then shows me on his laptop the page featuring the character I inspired, a wise owl, who’s always interested in how he might be related. I asked him if that was a one time, well, cameo. I’m apparently a recurring character always asking the same question…

I admit, I like making connection with people. Another one for the plus column came out of my sharing with another friend that they should apply for a scholarship to conference that’s coming up in February. The deadline was only a few days away and it was announced while I was at Discon3 that they won one of the available scholarships.

The first night of the convention, I went to the hotel restaurant for dinner. I hadn’t planned to meet up with anyone and was delighted to be included in a group of seven, who had a table that sat eight. The person who encouraged me to join them is an author I’ve met at previous cons, who was with his wife and his publisher among those they’d arranged to have dinner with. I’d met the publisher and heard him on panels for years. It’s moments like these that I’ll never forget

At the con, I moderated two panels — the one on E-book publishing was particularly good and I learned a thing or two. Though the con was in-person, the Pandemic affected how it operated. The typical (Pre-Covid 19). consuite and the Green Room were lightly attended and stocked with less items than I remember. But it was the far fewer people at the con that I missed most.

On the giveaway front through the holidays, Dragon’s Curse, a prequel to Highmage’s Plight, and Last Knight, prequel to Knight of the Broken Table, appear in Fantasy & Science Fiction Giveaway.

Knight of the Broken Table, Bigfoot is Not Your Friend, and Nowhere to Go But Mars are available in Sci-Fi Reign, a promo for books in Kindle Select.

Grounding a Mockingbird, a related story to Lessers Not Losers, and Apocalypse Knot, prequel to Bigfoot is Not Your Friend are available in Holiday Sci-Fi Giveaway.

Happy Holidays,

D.H.