No Sleep Til (At) Dragon Con!

photo courtesy of Jason Cordova

Less than a week until I leave for Dragon Con and the excitement is real. If I list out all the things I'm shrieking in joy over, we'll be here all day, so I will be semi brief. In no particular order, because it is all full-on joy:

1) The people. SO many of my favorite folks are going to be there, old friends, new friends, fellow nerds, adopted family, ALL the fun!

2) The joy. Do you see that picture at the top of the blog? Those are bookmarks! Of Beyond Enemies -- my book! Baen has swag for my book, and we get to hand some out at Dragon Con, and I am making noises only my dogs can hear. (you can preorder some swag - I mean, the whole dang book! - yourself right on through here. Choose the book provider of your choice!)

3.) The food. I have told you before, Meehan's truffle mac and cheese w/buffalo chicken is my JAM and I can't wait to have it in my face again. There are also many plans for many fun foods, at least half of which should come true.

4.) The panels. OMG my schedule is so much fun and the only #regert I have is that I will miss out on going to so many other ones because time is not cooperative in doing ALL THE THINGS and AT ALL THE TIMES. Dang it.

Ok, ok, lemme show it to you - keep in mind, it's all tentative because pulling together the schedules of a behemoth like Dragon Con takes several miracles and sixteen acts of grace, so anything can change at any moment. Allllso it may be of interest to note I'll have some books for sale at Sidestreet Book Market in the dealer hall (3201 & 3203), all weekend long, whenever the dealer hall is open, even if I, myself, am not currently conscious!

THE PANELS

Thursday: (aka: I get to co-emcee a costume contest at Dragon Con!!!!!)

8:30 pm: Page to Stage Costume Contest Description: Love, Literature, Comics, Manga, Costumes and Cosplay? This one of a kind event combines all of them. The Open and Inviational Divisions well be showing you the power of creativity and loves of characters. Panelists: Terry Maggert, John G. Hartness, Freddy Clements, Tamsin L. Silver, Barr Foxx, Pamela Cole, Travis Scott Merrill, Emily Ann Schmidt, William Joseph Roberts, Marisa Wolf, Mera Rose Location: Regency VI-VII Hyatt (Length: 2 Hours)

Friday: (aka the day I get to do a little bit of everything!)

11:30 am: Superheroes that didn't fly Description: With the popularity of superheroes we've been offered up many variations, some caught our attention, The Boys and Umbrella Academy, and some failed, Gifted, The Imperfects, Jupiter's Legacy. What makes a good hero series, no matter from where, and what doesn't? Panelists: Marisa Wolf, Anthony Liggins, Daviorr Snipes, Hanako M Ricks(M), Stuart Grosse Location: M301 Marriott (Length: 1 Hour) 2:30 pm: Music of the Spheres: Using Music in SF Description: A lot of authors use playlists when they write. Music seems to help the creative process. Our panelists discuss using music both as writing aids and as parts of the story itself. Panelists: Keith R.A. DeCandido, Gray Rinehart, Darin Kennedy, Marisa Wolf, Bobby Nash, Casey Moores Location: Embassy AB Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour) 5:30 pm: A Memory of Light: Ten Years Later Description: A Memory of Light was released in 2013. With the new season releasing this weekend, it's time to revisit the finale of the Wheel of Time series. Panelists: Jennifer Liang(M), Shane McInnis, Billy Todd, Marisa Wolf Location: Crystal Ballroom Hilton (Length: 1 Hour) 8:30 pm: The Expanse: As long as we're living and breathing, there's more we can do Description: Beloved and still being shared, The Expanse series lives on, in a series of graphic novels and a new video game. A look back over the iconic series, and a look forward to how it's being supported and shared still. Panelists: Morgan A McLaughlin McFarland, Marisa Wolf, Michael Pea, Krys Keller, Kelley Harkins(M) Location: M302-M303 Marriott (Length: 1 Hour) 11:30 pm: Sinful Sci-Fi: An Improv Comedy After Dark Special Description: What goes perfect with Dragon Con? Sex! We'll get a sexy sci-fi title suggestion from the audience and then create a fun, innuendo-filled tale right on the spot, working in plenty of audience contributions along the way. It's the most fun you'll have at Dragon Con with your clothes on! Panelists: Jeff Burns, Marisa Wolf, Kacey Ezell, Griffin Barber Location: Grand East Hilton (Length: 1 Hour) Saturday: (aka the day I get to hang out on 5 different awesome tracks)

11:30 am: Transformers: More than meets the eye Description: Transformers have held on to the imagination, with more evolutions and world building than one might expect from a 'cartoon'. Transforming to live action by the infamous Michael Bay, there has been some mixed successes. We'll look back from Rise of the Beasts to the original 2007 film. Panelists: Ryan Guthrie, Jer Alford, Marisa Wolf, Henry Hanks, Stuart Grosse Time: Sat 11:30 am Location: M301 Marriott (Length: 1 Hour) 1:00 pm: Princess, Queen, Traitor, Lover: The Many Lives of Guinevere Description: Uncover the enigmatic Guinevere in Arthurian legend and delve into her complex persona and the profound impact of loyalty, love, and betrayal on the enduring myth of Camelot. Panelists: Brian D. Anderson, Constance G.J. Wagner, Marisa Wolf, Shane McInnis Location: L401-L403 Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

2:30 pm: Baen Road Show Hyatt International North (ballroom level): There are details, but I'm crashing this one to cheer on the Baen Fantasy Award Finalists and get real giddy about my book (!!!!) being talked about at Dragon Con, so we'll all get those details from the app/program!

4:00 pm: Fan Service: The good, the bad and the 'what were they thinking'? Description: It's a thing now, a call back to something we wax nostalgic over, or a touch back to an earlier version, or from the source material. As fans we eat it up, but what makes it work, and when is it just not done well, or clearly for the wrong reasons. What's your favorite example? Panelists: Marisa Wolf, Shannon Elliott, Tony Bowers, Morgan A McLaughlin McFarland, Stuart Grosse Location: M302-M303 Marriott (Length: 1 Hour) 5:30 pm: One True Pairing: Ship-tastic Shenanigans Description: Love is in the air! Join us for this super-interactive panel where we'll argue which characters would make the best romantic parings from all different fandoms. We'll use audience suggestions for characters and have you guys help us decide the best OTP! Panelists: Jeff Burns, Marisa Wolf, Marx Pyle, Melissa Olthoff Location: Crystal Ballroom Hilton (Length: 1 Hour) 8:30 pm: A Wizard's Staff Has a Knob at the End: 40 Years of Discworld Description: Delve into the enchanting world of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series as we celebrate four decades of wit, satire, and fantastical storytelling. Panelists: Marisa Wolf, Frank Morin, JM Paquette Location: L401-L403 Marriott (Length: 1 Hour) 10:00 pm: Thunderdome!: Aliens VS Zombies Description: The return of the popular classic, where a selection of random folks debate such age-old questions as... Who would win if Predator and Zombie Bill Murray fought to the death in a roller rink. Panelists: Jonathan Sarge(M), Jeff Burns, Marisa Wolf, Alison Sky Richards, Keith R.A. DeCandido Location: Kennesaw Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Sunday: (aka the day I probably have no voice but am still running on pure adrenaline, nerd joy, and the hope of signing books)

11:30 am: Distinguishing Dystopian Literature from Reality Description: Let's face it, the world is a mess. So how is it possible to come up with new stories in one of the most popular genres without making them sound and feel like commentary on the modern-day state of affairs? Our authors discuss effective ways to differentiate dystopian fiction from dystopian reality. Panelists: Daniel Schinhofen, Clay Gilbert, Frank Morin, Marisa Wolf, Steven Denham(M), J.D. Blackrose Location: Chastain F-G Westin (Length: 1 Hour) 1:00 pm: Signing Showcase Apocalypse Rising Track Panelists: J.D. Blackrose, Clay Gilbert, Marisa Wolf, Frank Morin, Daniel Schinhofen Location: Overlook Westin (Length: 1 Hour) 4:00 pm: Signing at the Missing Volume (1201 in the dealer hall)

7:00 pm: Stargirl Interrupted Description: Last year we met some of the wonderful cast, and there was hope, but a lot of fear, as the CW slashed shows right and left. We had good reason to worry as the final season left us with many unanswered questions and cliffhangers. What did you think and where do you think the story would have gone? Panelists: D.R. Perry, Darin Kennedy, Marisa Wolf, Kevin Eldridge, Jessica Combs Location: M301 Marriott (Length: 1 Hour) 8:30 pm: Use of the Military in SF Description: In some books, the military is seen as the heroes, riding to the rescue in times of need. In others, they are looked on as the villains, oppressing people and overall not very nice people. Do they have to be one or the other or can they be both? Panelists: Jonathan P. Brazee, David Afsharirad, Griffin Barber, Marisa Wolf, David Weber Location: Embassy AB Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

There's nothing on my planned schedule for Monday, which means you'll likely find me stalking my awesome friends or shoving food in my face, or, of course, both.

AAAAAAAAAA it's almost Dragon Con!!!! Which means I should probably go be productive and get some stories done before I forget to sleep for a week of con-fun and then collapse for a week of con-recovery...

Or go make a packing list. Details!