Sci-Fi/Fantasy Cons

I'm a huge fan of sci-fi/fantasy conventions. One of the best places to check out any conventions that are coming is Science Fiction Conventions. It's a pretty good list of what's going on throughout the country and makes it easier to find a convention near you. These conventions are regional conventions, which means they're probably smaller with perhaps 2000 attendees at most, give or take. I haven't attended them all, so I really don't know.

The last one I attended as DragonCon and it was incredible. I made some great friends and contacts there, friendships I even have to this day. Not only that, but I've followed the careers of people I normally wouldn't.The only drawback is that it's big and can be overwhelming at times. But if you can stand hanging out with 30,000 like-minded geeks, then you'll be in heaven.

Another convention is the unbelievable ComicCon. San Diego or New York makes no difference. Your face will be stuck in awestruckness with the number of stars from both TV, Movies, books, gaming, manga, etc. that are there. Now granted I think both of these started off as comic book conventions, but they've grown to become a staple in the sci-fi fantasy community.Let's face it. I'd have to be a NY Times Bestselling author to get a spoke at a guest at either of these two conventions. So stock up on my books! Yeah, that was a shameless plug. ;)

Some other conventions that I've heard of that are good for readers, though I can't swear to that. The few I'd talked to people about, they're more author-centric than reader-centric. Now, I like to hang out with my fellow authors as much as the next person, but I'd prefer to invest the majority of my time in readers. So, it might be a while before you see me at a convention. Anyway, here's a list of reader conventions...

Book Expo America (BEA) - This is a book trade show that's a staple in the publishing world.
IndieReCon - It's all about indie publishers and self-published authors. This is one I'd LOVE to attend as a guest someday.
RT Booklovers Convention - This is sponsored by Romantic Times, but from my understanding, it's not just about romance books. It's about multiple genres, including sci-fi.

One thing to keep in mind is that these things can be very expensive. So, if you plan to go to one, make sure you plan to spend at least $1500, if not more when you consider the registration fees, hotels, food, travel expenses, etc. That's not the case with IndieReCon, since it's all online. So that one gets my highest props.

I'm Here I'm Here

Thank goodness for a snow day in NC. I can finally catch up on some stuff that I've been working on.

So what exactly have I been working on? Nothing much, unfortunately. My non-writer life has caught up and forced me to take a hiatus for a little bit. Just a few personal issues I need to work through--nothing serious. Tedious, but not bad. And before you say anything, they have nothing to do with inaction on my part. More like a case of when it rains it pours.

Anyway, the hiatus has given me a chance to think more about Space 51 and I realized I had a major problem that I need to work through. Writer's block on top of that doesn't help. I find the best way to get rid of writer's block is to start editing from the beginning of the story so I can work through the rough spots.

One thing is certain. I want this thing released within the next two or three months. Sooner, if I have my way about it.

In the mean time, I've gotten some more great reviews for Section 51 and couldn't be happier. I especially like the title of the most recent review from Mike D. who writes "If X-Files and Supernatural had a Child". Two of my all-time favorite shows; I couldn't be more flattered. :-)

Son of a B****

Overall, I have some really good reviews out there for the Project Solstice series. Readers have been really digging into the books, and overall, enjoying what they've read so far. I can't tell you how thrilled I am to see the wonderful things being said.

However...there have been a few reviews that concern me. There's a lot or profanity in my books, which isn't typical of what comes off my tongue and more than what I hear in everyday life. What can I say? I write with my emotions on high, so I can experience as much through my characters' eyes as possible, but at the same time, my filter gets chucked to the curb. As one of my reviewers pointed out, the profanity is unnecessary. My goal is to reach as wide an audience as possible, including young adults. Not put everyone off.

So for this, I sorry. I've already addressed the issue in each book on each platform. It'll take some platforms a little longer (i.e. iTunes) to make the change than others (i.e. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo). That's one fantastic thing about ebooks. You can change them and readers will be able to access the changes without any problems.

Now, that's not so say I deleted all of the swearing because there were some instances in which they were necessary, given the situation. However, I was able to cut about 90% of the "filler" words in each book. That's a lot.

So going forward anyone who has any concerns about the profanity, it's been taken care of.