Category Archives: Appearances

Readercon and Gen Con

Appearances, Convention reports, Front Page News, , , , , ,

I’ll be attending a couple of conventions this summer, and recently received my schedules for both. So if you’re coming to science fiction convention Readercon in Burlingon, MA in mid-July or gaming convention Gen Con in Indianapolis, IN in mid-August, you can meet me at one of following events.

As an special added bonus, I’ve included my husband Steve Kelner’s Gen Con events, too. (Unfortunately he’s not on any panels at Readercon this year. Not sure why–his previous events there went really well.)

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Readercon
Burlington, MA
July 10 to 13, 2014

Friday, July 11 @ 7 PM
Panel: Emotion, Archives, Interactive Fiction, and Linked Data
Leah Bobet (leader), Toni L.P. “Leigh Perry” Kelner, Sarah Smith, Walt Williams.
In a 2013 blog post, archivist Mx A. Matienzo drew a line between the “linked data” of interactive fiction (IF) and the connections within an archive of materials and works. Matienzo suggested creating a hybrid of the two that would bolster the emotional impact of fiction with links to relevant factual information—or, from the other side, that would bolster the intellectual weight of nonfiction with more nebulous but equally important information about feelings, thoughts, and experiences.How else can archivists, authors, and others collaborate on hybrid storytelling that brings these disparate components together?

Friday, July 11 @ 8 PM
Autographing

Friday, July 11 @ 10:30 PM
Meet the Pros(e)
Each writer at the party has selected a short, pithy quotation from his or her own work and is armed with a sheet of 30 printed labels, the quote replicated on each. As attendees mingle and meet each pro, they obtain one of his or her labels, collecting them on the wax paper provided. Atheists, agnostics, and the lazy can leave them in the order they acquire them, resulting in one of at least nine billion Random Prose Poems. Those who believe in the reversal of entropy can rearrange them to make a Statement. Wearing labels as apparel is also popular. The total number of possibilities (linguistic and sartorial) is thought to exceed the number of theobromine molecules in a large Trader Joe’s dark chocolate bar multiplied by the number of picoseconds cumulatively spent by the Readercon committee on this convention since its inception.

Saturday, July 12 @ 12:30 PM
Reading
I’ll be reading from The Skeleton Takes a Bow by my alter ego Leigh Perry. (I’ll also have buttons with a keen skeletal design by my daughter.)

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Gen Con Writer’s Symposium
Indianapolis, IN
August 14 to 17, 2014

Thursday, Aug. 14 @ 11 AM
Writer’s Craft Panel: Mysteries
Elizabeth Vaughn (Moderator), Toni L.P. Kelner, William Alexander, Aaron Rosenberg, Carrie Harris
Look at ways to add mysteries to your stories in a way that hooks the reader without confusing them or giving too much away!

Thursday, Aug. 14 @ 5 PM
Business of Writing Panel: Creating Anthologies
John Helfers (moderator), Kerrie Hughes, Toni L.P. Kelner, Jaym Gates, Gabrielle Harbowy
How do editors create an anthology? How do they figure out who contributes to one? How are they marketed? Our panel walks you through the process from concept generation to finished book.

Friday, Aug. 15 @ 11 AM
Business of Writing Panel: Care and Feeding of Your Editor/Author
Kerrie Hughes (moderator), Gabrielle Harbowy, Toni L.P. Kelner, Aaron Rosenberg, David B. Coe
Experienced authors and editors show how to establish a good author/editor relationship and offer tips for getting the most from your partnership.

Friday, Aug. 15 @ 2 PM
Writer’s Craft Panel: Writing Amazing Short Stories
John Helfers (moderator), Toni L.P. Kelner, James Lowder, Jason Sanford, Catherine Shaffer
Learn what makes a great short story great, what types of stories work in short form, and tips for crafting amazing short stories of your own.

Friday, Aug. 15 @ 7 PM
Business of Writing Panel: Breaking Into a New Genre
Kelly Swails (moderator), Toni L.P. Kelner, Aaron Rosenberg, Bill Willingham
Learn how to break into a new genre when you’ve been writing in another genre for years. Our panelists have first-hand experience doing this, and they’ll share their tips and tricks.

Saturday, August 16 @ 11 AM
Writer’s Life Panel: Staying Energized
Elizabeth Vaughan (moderator), Stephen P. Kelner, Thomas M. Reid, Dave Wolverton, Catherine Shaffer
Learn how to maintain your momentum and energy over the long haul of a career in writing. Our panel of experienced authors is joined by Dr. Stephen P. Kelner, author of Motivate Your Writing!

Saturday, August 16 @ 12 PM
Writer’s Life Panel: Breaking Writer’s Block
Don Bingle (moderator), Erik Scott de Bie, Stephen P. Kelner, David B. Coe, Dave Wolverton
Learn what writer’s block is and why it happens. We’ll also explore how to break free of its grasp.

Saturday, Aug. 16 @ 2 PM
Writer’s Life Panel: Persistence and the Reality of Being a Writer
Elizabeth Vaughan (moderator), Kameron Hurley, Toni L.P. Kelner, David B. Coe, Stephen P. Kelner
In writing, persistence isn’t the destination, but the name of the road every author travels. Explore what it means to persist, what the end game is, and the hard realities of the writing life.

Saturday, Aug. 16 @ 3 PM
Writer’s Life: Seven Deadly Myths of Creativity
Stephen P. Kelner
Join motivational psychologist Dr. Stephen P. Kelner as he helps you to motivate your writing through his exploration of the seven deadly myths of creativity.

Saturday, August 16 @ 6 PM
Urban Fantasy Panel: Variations on Urban Fantasy
Elizabeth Vaughan (moderator), Maurice Broaddus, Toni L.P. Kelner, David B. Coe, Gabrielle Harbowy
Discover ways to tell urban fantasy stories that don’t involve southern vampires or urban wizards. Learn to break new ground while still writing tales that resonate with the urban fantasy audience.

Boskone Bound

Appearances, Convention reports

Though I usually haunt mystery conventions, I also enjoy science fiction conventions, and as a plus, my daughters are far more interested in SF cons. I don’t know if it’s the art show or the dealers’ room that gets them, but either way, SF cons are definitely family outings. This weekend the Kelners will be attending Boskone here in Boston, which is one of the longer-run SF cons–this is Number 48! As a special treat, the Special Guest this year is the ebullient Charlaine Harris!

Since the urban fantasy anthologies I co-edit with Charlaine are in the Boskone ballpark and since SF fans are often mystery fans, too, I’m going to be appearing on several panels and program items. I’ll be kaffeeklatsch-ing with Charlaine and on two panels with the entertainly erudite Dana Cameron. Plus I’ll be visiting with my editor and lots of other really fun people.

Here’s my full schedule:

Saturday, 1 PM
Monsters in the City: Exploring Urban Fantasy
Moderator: Alexander Jablokov
Dana Cameron, Suzy McKee Charnas, Toni L.P. Kelner, Margaret Ronald

Saturday, 2 PM
My Favorite Mysteries: What kind of crossover qualities make so many SF/F/H fans like a good mystery story?
Moderator: Paul Tremblay
Dana Cameron, John Douglas, Toni L.P. Kelner, Resa Nelson, Darrell Schweitzer

Saturday, 3 PM
The Divide Between Mysteries and Fantasy-Horror
Moderator: Toni L.P Kelner
Ellen Asher, Christopher Golden, Joe Hill, Paul Tremblay

Saturday, 5 PM
Kaffeeklatsch
Charlaine Harris, Toni L.P. Kelner

Sunday, 11 AM
Reading

Sunday, 2 PM
Autographing

Looking forward to seeing folks there, but I have to admit, I’m almost sorry Chris Golden will be there. As fast as he writes, he could have written another book with the time he’ll be spending at Boskone.

Festival of Mystery

Appearances, Convention reports

Last Monday was my first visit to the famous Festival of Mystery in Oakmont, PA, but it won’t be the last. What a great event!

Each year, the folks at Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont set up a virtual store at a hall in Oakmont, and invite a slew of mystery writers to entertain the crowd. And I do mean crowd! People lined up outside the door for hours to be among the first inside. Heck, there was even a crowd of authors–forty-two were there to sign and speak and schmooze. 

Now if that weren’t enough, there was a tea beforehand for the authors to meet local librarians, and a pizza party afterward for the authors to munch and relax.

The organization was nearly flawless, and store owners Mary Alice and Richard managed to make each and every one of us feel welcome. Plus there was a platoon of store employees and local Sisters in Crime members on hand to help out. It was just wonderful from start to finish.

It was particularly special for me for two reasons. One, because I had copies of Curse of the Kissing Cousins hot off the presses. And two, because I was sitting next to John Lamb, my daughter Maggie’s very favorite mystery author. Okay, maybe I’m her favorite, but it’s pretty darned close. 

Another treat was meeting fellow Berkley Prime Crime author Mary Ellen Hughes, who supplied these pictures of me and Mary Ellen herself, and then of me and Rosemary Harris with her latest book.

Mary Ellen

 

Rosemary

It was a lot of fun. If you’re anywhere near Oakmont, mark your calendar now for the Festival of Mystery. With any luck, I’ll be there waiting to meet you.