FenCon IX - Guests and Program Participants - CJ Cherryh - Donato Giancola - John Anealio - Terea Patterson - Dr. David Hanson - Peter David

FenCon Tower

A Fan-Operated Science Fiction and Fantasy Literary and Filk Convention in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area

FenCon IX Guests and Program Participants

Guest of Honor: C.J. Cherryh

(C.J. Cherryh's World) (Wikipedia) C.J. Cherryh writes science fiction and fantasy. She has written more than 60 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels Downbelow Station (1981) and Cyteen (1988), both set in her Alliance-Union universe. She travels, figure skates, takes photos, and sometimes she does art. She has an asteroid, 77185 Cherryh, named after her. She's been most of the way around the world. She used to teach and trained in linguistics and archaeology. Cherryh, with writers Jane Fancher and Lynn Abbey, runs an e-book operation, Closed Circle Publications, besides her regular writing schedule with New York publishing. She lives in the Pacific Northwest of the USA where she shares a house with Jane Fancher, and their two cats, whose predecessors had about 100,000 miles of travel on them. The new kittehs will be learning the ropes this trip.

Music Guest of Honor: John Anealio

(JohnAnealio.com) With little more than an alternate-tuned acoustic guitar and a dog-eared copy of The Hobbit, songwriter John Anealio composes and performs geeky anthems for writers, librarians, lovers of science fiction, Best Buy customers, and robots. His music sounds like John Mayer, Weezer, and James Taylor playing Dungeons and Dragons together on their iPhones.

Artist Guest of Honor: Donato Giancola

(Donato Art) (Wikipedia) Donato Giancola is a multi-award winning fantasy illustrator and painter. A member of the Society of Illustrators and ASFA, Donato’s peer honors include three Hugo and nineteen Chesley Awards, and Gold and Silver Medals from Spectrum: The Best of Contemporary Fantastic Art among others. Since graduating summa cum laude in painting from Syracuse University in 1992, his inspiring paintings have graced the covers of over three hundred novels. Clients range from major publishers in New York to concept design firms on the West Coast; notables include The United Nations, LucasFilm, National Geographic, CNN, DC Comics, DAW Books, Tor Books, the Scifi Channel, Random House, Milton-Bradley, and Hasbro. Donato recognizes the significant cultural role played by fantasy art and makes personal efforts to contribute to the expansion and appreciation of the genre that extend beyond the commercial commissions of his clients; to that end he serves as an instructor at the School of Visual Arts and lectures extensively at conventions, tournaments and universities worldwide.

Fan Guest of Honor: Teresa Patterson

Teresa Patterson co-authored the World of Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time with Robert Jordan and The World of Shannara with Terry Brooks. She has also written various fantasy stories, non-fiction articles, and ghost-written a military adventure. Her collaboration No Quarter, written with the late Robert Asprin and Eric Del Carlo, is a murder mystery set in the streets of New Orleans' infamous French Quarter. In 2004 she was awarded the Chesley Award by the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists for service to artists. She currently lives in Texas with an ever-changing family of cats and raccoons.

Toastmaster: Peter A. David

(PeterDavid.net) (Wikipedia) Peter David is a prolific author whose career, and continued popularity, spans nearly two decades. He has worked in every conceivable media: television, film, books (fiction, non-fiction and audio), short stories, and comic books, and acquired followings in all of them. In the literary field, Peter has had over fifty novels published, including numerous appearances on the New York Times Bestsellers List. His novels include Sir Apropos of Nothing and the sequel The Woad to Wuin, Knight Life, Howling Mad, and the Psi-Man adventure series. He is the co-creator and author of the bestselling Star Trek: New Frontier series and has also written such Trek novels as Q-Squared, I, Q (with John deLancie), and Imzadi. Peter’s comic book resume includes an award-winning twelve-year run on The Incredible Hulk, plus work on Supergirl, Young Justice, Aquaman, Spider-Man 2099, X-Factor, Star Trek, Sachs & Violens, and many others. Peter is the co-creator, with Bill Mumy, of the science fiction series Space Cases, and he has written several scripts for Babylon 5 and the sequel series, Crusade. He lives in New York with his wife, Kathleen, and his children.

Special Guest: Karl Schroeder

(KarlSchroeder.com/) (Wikipedia) Karl Schroeder is one of Canada's most popular science fiction and fantasy authors. He divides his time between writing fiction and analyzing, conducting workshops, and speaking on the future impact of science and technology on society. As the author of nine novels he has been translated into French, German, Spanish, Russian, and Japanese. In addition to his more traditional fiction, he pioneered a new mode of writing that blends fiction and rigorous futures research—his influential short novels Crisis in Zefra (2005) and Crisis in Urlia (2011) are innovative 'scenario fictions' commissioned by the Canadian army as study and research tools. While doing all of this he is also working to complete a Master's degree in Strategic Foresight and Innovation at OCAD University in Toronto.

Science Guest of Honor: Dr. David Hanson

(Hanson Robotics) (Wikipedia) David Hanson holds a BFA in film from the Rhode Island School of Design, and worked as a professional sculptor for 2 years, with pieces in Atlantis Resort, Universal Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering prior to transitioning into Disney’s Technical Development area, where he led several robotic and materials projects. Hanson received a Ph.D. in Aesthetic Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas, with a focus Interactive Arts and Engineering, merging cognitive science research, engineering, and artistry in the humanlike conversation robots that formed the basis for founding Hanson Robotics. Hanson founded Hanson Robotics in late 2003 to bring robots to life, literally. Since then the Hanson Robotics team of visionaries introduced a renowned series of the world’s most lifelike intelligent robots, enlivened by Hanson’s breakthrough technologies including Frubber™ skin material, and Character Engine cognition software.

Confirmed Program Participants for 2012:

Paul Black:

(Paul Black Books) (Wikipedia) Paul Black is an award-winning author whose first novel, The Tels, won Writer’s Digest’s 2005 Book of the Year for Genre Fiction, along with being a finalist in the Independent Publisher’s Book Awards and The Eric Hoffer Book of the Year Award. His other books (Soulware and Nexus Point) were also finalists in the IP Book Awards, along with winning ForeWord’s Book of the Year Award for science fiction. His fourth book, The Presence, won the Independent Publisher's Book Award for Science Fiction, along with Forward Magazines Book of the Year. His new book, The Samsara Effect will be out in stores summer of 2012. Paul is creative director and principle of Paul Black Design, a strategic design and branding firm located in Dallas, Texas.

Karen Bogen:

K.B. Bogen has a head for technology, a knack for humor, and a taste for the macabre. A native Texan, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Engineering from UT Arlington, as well as several health and nutrition certifications. Her favorite form of communication is humor, preferring to make people laugh rather than cry, though she is not above causing the occasional shiver in her audience. A full-time wife and mother, part-time copyeditor and writer, Karen is “jacq of all trades.” She plays domestic when she has to, knits compulsively, and reads forensic anthropology textbooks for fun.

Maggie Bonham:

(ShadowHelm.net) M.H. (Maggie) Bonham is an award-winning author of 31 books including Lachlei, The King’s Champion, Serpent Singer and Other Stories, Prophecy of Swords, Runestone of Teiwas and editor of the WolfSongs I Anthology. Her work has appeared in Tales of the Talisman, WolfSongs I, Four Bubbas of the Apocalypse, Sonic Fiction, Houston We’ve Got Bubbas, The Best of the Bubbas of the Apocalypse, Flush Fiction, Small Bites, among others.)

James Burk:

James K. Burk's latest novel, THE TWELVE, was a critical success. Probably only slightly less known is the fact that he was once a Sunday gunman, paid $10.00 and amusement park tickets to rob banks, get shot, and fall off buildings. He's a proud member of the Feral Chihuahuas, the Yard Dog Press gang.

Rachel Caine:

(RachelCaine.com) (Wikipedia) Rachel Caine is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Morganville Vampires series (Glass Houses, The Dead Girls’ Dance, Midnight Alley, Feast of Fools, Lord of Misrule, Carpe Corpus, Fade Out, Kiss of Death, Ghost Town). She is also the author of the bestselling Weather Warden series (Ill Wind, Heat Stroke, Chill Factor, Windfall, Firestorm, Thin Air, Gale Force, Cape Storm, Total Eclipse), as well as the Outcast Season series, set in the universe of the Weather Warden novels (Undone, Unknown). She’s written more than 30 novels to date, with 8 coming out in 2010 and 2011.

She and her husband, fantasy artist R. Cat Conrad, live in Fort Worth, Texas with their iguanas, Popeye and Darwin.

Lillian Stewart Carl:

(LillianStewartCarl.com) My most recent novel is The Mortsafe, number six in the Fairbairn/Cameron cross-genre series. That is, a series that's mostly mystery/thriller but also has ghosts/paranormal and even light touches of romance. You could call it literary ADHD if you like, but me, I'd call it book-knitting---knit character here, purl setting there, cable in history, add bobbles of sex and violence.

That is not a knitting needle I'm waving in my photo. It's Anduril, Flame of the West, provided by the tour guide at Mt. Potts Station in New Zealand, site of Edoras. I could make some metaphor about pens being more effective than swords, but then, that depends on whether you're trying to write something or win the throne of Gondor, right?

J. Kathleen Cheney:

(JKathleenCheney.com) J. Kathleen Cheney has been a teacher, a retail buyer, and a grocery jack-of-all-trades, among other things...none of which prepared her to work with camels. She spent a week in the Outback dealing with (and smelling like) camels, and has decided she prefers horses. She's a member of both SFWA and RWA, which should give some hint about her writing. Her short fiction has covered all the bases--fantasy, science fiction, horror, and paranormal romance--and has appeared in such venues as Fantasy Magazine, Writers of the Future, Jim Baen's Universe, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Who knows? Someday perhaps there will even be steampunk.

R. Cat Conrad:

(ArtistsInResidence.com) Cat arrives from Arlington – that’s Texas, not the national cemetery, although his puns can be deadly and have reportedly jeopardized his allotted nine lives. His background includes a degree in fine arts from the University of Science and Arts in Oklahoma. From there, Cat learned just how far an art degree would take him ... across town and into a 10-year stint with an UnFortunate 500 company ... as an industrial chemist.

Prolonged exposure to hazardous materials did little to improve Cat’s humor, but it did convince him that he wasn’t making a better living through chemistry. In 1991 he moved on to greener pastures – in preference to becoming a permanent part of the "underground" movement!

Currently, in addition to being an award-winning painter and cunning linguist, Cat is making broad strokes as a popular speaker and auctioneer, and continues to gain prominence as a fan entertainer. He has been a featured auctioneer at almost a hundred conventions throughout the Southwest, including the famed five and a half hour marathon auction of WorldCon 51.

Scott Cupp:

(Scott A. Cupp) Scott A. Cupp is a short story writer from San Antonio. His work frequently features (choose two or more) - the West, talking animals, horror, horny toads, cows, fantasy elements, magic, mystery, and weirdness. He co-edited CROSS PLAINS UNIVERSE in 2006 with his good friend Joe R. Lansdale. He is married and currently has three cats and too many books, comics and movies.

Rhonda Eudaly:

(RhondaEudaly.com) Rhonda Eudaly lives in Arlington, Texas where she's worked in offices, banking, radio, and education to support her writing. She's married with dogs and a rapidly growing rubber duck collection. She likes to spend time with friends and family, movies, and reading. Her two passions are writing and music.

Rhonda has fiction and non-fiction stories published in anthologies, magazines, and websites. Check out her website - RhondaEudaly.com - for her latest publications and downloads.

Randy Farran:

Randy Farran was born in Kansas, but was abandoned in the wild as a small child and raised by the local fauna. He might have gone down in history like Mowgli or Tarzan had the local fauna been wolves or apes, but the aforementioned wilderness was Turkey Mountain, Tulsa, where the local fauna is raccoons. This explains his tendencies to dig through trash cans and wash his food before eating it. In his late teens, he discovered SF fandom, where such behaviors hardly raise an eyebrow, and has been deeply involved (read; mired) in it ever since. He currently resides in Tulsa with his wife Barbara and two cartoon dogs and has resigned himself to the fact that he will likely go down in history as "that guy who wrote THE DRAGON SONG and drew a lot of penguins", but he figures that it could be worse; history might forget about the penguins.

Michael Ashleigh Finn:

(Live Journal) (Twitter) (Coyote Reviews)
Michael Ashleigh Finn is a short story author trying his hand at novel writing. In addition, he's a freelance thematic consultant, currently working for Dynamite Entertainment on the Hugo-nominated Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files. He is also a moderator for jimbutcheronline.com, and was chief editor for the Backspace and CHUDStories internet anthologies. He also took first and third place in FenCon's first short story contest, being told afterward that "We had to make up new rules because of you." He's oddly proud of that fact.

Melanie Miller Fletcher:

(Melanie Fletcher) (RANDOM REALITIES) (Don't Quit Your Day Job Podcast)
Melanie Fletcher has been called many things - weird, "Hey you!", a crazy cat lady, and Auntie Mel among them. But she’s proudest of the title her husband gave her - Renaissance Babe. An e-book collection of her published short stories, RANDOM REALITIES, is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, her Etsy store is doing gangbuster business in steampunk jewelry, plush dolls and other handicrafts, and her podcast "Don’t Quit Your Day Job" has just entered its fifth year. She figures she’ll sleep when she’s dead.

Dene Foye:

Dene Foye is part of the singing group Ghost of a Rose. He has been playing guitar and singing folk music since 1967, playing with several different groups over the years, performing everything from folk music to German Oktoberfest songs. Along the way he received a Bachelors in Music Education and taught music for a year.

For the past year and a half, he's been writing original songs in collaboration with Mel Tatum, most of which Ghost of a Rose performs.

Christopher Fulbright:

(Christopher Fulbright) Christopher Fulbright writes in dark rooms under the influence of forces beyond his control, usually in arm's reach of his friend Evan Williams. His latest releases include a novella THE BONE TREE from Bad Moon Books, and two books he wrote with his wife Angeline Hawkes—a novel, SCAVENGERS, from Elder Signs Press, and a novella, BLACK MERCY FALLS, from Delirium Books. He's had a bunch of short stories published, but doesn't exactly remember where. If you really care, it's probably on his website somewhere, http://www.christopherfulbright.com. He's a nice guy unless provoked, and likes to collect the bones of his enemies for trinkets to sell on eBay.

David Gray:

David L. Gray is the creator of the Buzz Blaster, Space Entrepreneur series of radio plays, which have been read and performed at Dallas-area and other science fiction conventions. He also writes science fiction short stories, mostly about warfare in the (not so near?) future Asteroid Belt and unsavory visitors from parallel universes. He is co-founder with his wife Mary Gearhart-Gray of the online Science Fiction/Fantasy publication 4StarStories, which publishes 4 Star stories four times a year. In his spare time he writes instruction manuals for robots that assemble airplanes in the Aerospace industry and feeds cats.

Beverly A. Hale:

(BevHale.com) While usually a writer, Bev has lately become obsessed with Steampunk and Gears--especially Gears. She creates Steampunk Accessories you can view on Facebook at Otherwhen Oddities, also on www.etsy.com at Otherwhen Oddities. Bev is currently working on a YA SF novel and a Gaslight Fantasy.

Candace "Candy" Havens:

(CandaceHavens.com) Bestselling author Candace Havens has written six novels for Berkley including, Charmed & Dangerous, Charmed & Ready, Charmed & Deadly, Like A Charm, The Demon King and I and Dragons Prefer Blondes. Her new venture is writing for the Blaze line of Harlequin. Those books include Take Me If You Dare, and the upcoming releases She Who Dares, Wins, Triple Dare Ranch and The Model Marine. Her books have received nominations for the RITA's, Holt Medallion and Write Touch Reader Awards. She is the author of the biography Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy and a contributor to several anthologies. She is also one of the nation's leading entertainment journalists and her columns can be read in more than 600 newspapers across the country. Candace also runs a free online writing workshop, and teaches comprehensive writing class. She does film reviews with the Dorsey Gang on The Big 96.3, and is the President of the Television Critics Association.

Angeline Hawkes:

(Angeline Hawkes) Angeline Hawkes holds a B.A. in Composite English Language Arts. Angeline’s collection, The Commandments, was a Bram Stoker Award finalist. Christopher Fulbright and Angeline's novella, Black Mercy Falls, from Delirium Books and novel, Scavengers, from Elder Signs Press are due out this year. Bad Moon Books will publish Out of the Garden and Other Tales of the Barbarian Kabar of El Hazzar, a novel-length barbarian fantasy collection, in 2011, and horror collection, Inferno: Tales of Hell and Horror in 2012. Angeline has seen the publication of novels, novellas, collections, fiction in 40 anthologies, and over 100 short fiction publications.

Kevin Hosey:

(Kevin Hosey) Kevin Hosey is an author, editor and cartoonist. His short stories have appeared in several publications, including the "Star Trek Strange New Worlds" anthologies (Simon and Schuster). His story "Cure" (from the best-selling 2010 "Hint Fiction" anthology) is being filmed for the 2012 Vail Film Festival. It was also the subject of a sculpture created by artist Lawrence L'Horte. Not bad for a story that's only 25 words long.

Learn all the dirty details about Kevin at kevinhosey.net and cliffhangerbooks.com

Sarah A. Hoyt:

(Sarah Hoyt) (Blogspot) Sarah A. Hoyt has sold over seventeen novels in science fiction, fantasy, mystery and historical fiction. Her short stories have been published in Asimov's, Analog, Weird Tales, and several anthologies. When not writing, Sarah can be found herding cats or teen boys (not much difference there), discussing plots with her husband, Daniel M. Hoyt, or drawing. Her latest novels are Darkship Thieves (science fiction), No Will But His (historical) and, under Elise Hyatt, French Polished Murder (mystery.) To see more about Sarah, see her web site where you'll find free stuff under the blue plate special tab. She'd move to TX if it were not quite as lizardy.

Rocky Kelley:

(Rocky Kelley) (Ashen Gray) Rocky Kelley is an award winning artist whose works include fantasy, science fiction, pre-Raphaelite, surrealism, and more. Rocky received the Director’s Award at the 2006 World Fantasy Art Show. Kelley also creates works of dark fantasy under the pseudonym of “Ashen Gray” and he is the founder of the Dark Rose Alliance. Current projects include graphic novel illustrations and a new series of fantasy paintings. His works may be viewed at his web sites.

Julie Kenner (aka J.K. Beck):

(Angry Superheroes) Julie/J.K. has climbed the Great Wall of China, scuba dived to a shipwreck and slept in airports and train stations throughout Europe. Lately, her life is much more suburban. Check out her demon hunting soccer mom short story in Those Who Fight Monsters (as Julie Kenner) and her Shadow Keepers series (as J.K. Beck). You can find out what Julie's up to and link to both websites through her blog, Angry Superheroes.

William Ledbetter:

(WilliamLedbetter.com) William Ledbetter lives near Dallas with his family and too many animals. He's an unrepentant space geek, unrecoverable science fiction addict and drinks very few beers he can see through. And he gets paid to make crap up! His short stories have appeared in Jim Baen's Universe, Yard Dog Press and various other
publications. He's a recent 1st Place winner in the Writers of the Future contest for this year's second quarter, an editor at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly and runs the annual Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest for Baen Books and the National Space Society. For more fascinating information about William visit his website at the link above.

A. Lee Martinez:

(ALeeMartinez.com) (Wikipedia) A. Lee Martinez is best known for his sparkling wit, incredible good looks, and his ability to endlessly debate the Superman VS. Batman dilemma. (Correct answer: Tarzan) Also, he's written 7 fantasy novels and managed to get paid for it. If you would like to read random thoughts from him, you can go to his website, or check him out on Twitter or Facebook.
(Photo by Scott Edelman.)

Margaret Middleton:

Margaret is a quintessential Baby Boomer, a Valparaiso alumna, and a 24-year veteran of the Arkansas Highway Department. She and her husband Morris have one daughter, Sharon Amanda. Oh, and she's been a filker for more than thirty years and a convention-going SF fan for a wee bit longer than that. In fact, Margaret is a 1997 inductee into the Filk Hall of Fame.

Michelle Muenzler:

(Michelle Muenzler) Michelle Muenzler's goal in life is to enable the bunny apocalypse and bury the earth with furry-soft goodness. When not working toward this goal, she builds blockades around her NetBook to protect it from her cats and bakes cookies. Lots of cookies. Her latest publication, "Ain't No Gods Crying Down Here", is in 10Flash Quarterly with nine other end-of-the-world bits of awesomeness. For more information on how you can help with the bunny apocalypse, visit Michelle at the link above.

Gloria Oliver:

(GloriaOliver.com) Expert party wallflower, Gloria Oliver can be a great asset during any multi language movie experience, able to translate some Spanish and Japanese when it's splattered without warning or subtitles at your screen. She also likes to dabble at movie reviews, which she posts on her blog every Friday.

A small press author, her latest work is a magical fantasy with a French flair entitled 'The Price of Mercy'. For sample chapters, free fiction, and more, please visit gloriaoliver.com

Juan M. Perez:

(juanmperez.com) The 2011-2012 Poet Laureate for the San Antonio Poets’ Association, Juan Manuel Perez is also the author of Another Menudo Sunday, O’ Dark Heaven: A Response To Suzette Haden Elgin’s Definition Of Horror (2009), WUI: Written Under The Influence Of Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. (2011), and six poetry chapbooks. His work recently appeared in What Fears Become, The Langdon Review, Rhysling Anthology, Horror Writers Association Newsletter, And Now The Nightmare Begins, Illumen, The Horror Zine, Star*Line, among others.

Alan J. Porter:

(Alan J. Porter) (Twitter) After a couple of years chronicling the world of talking cars Alan is now actively researching the various lives and stories of a certain spaceman who was created in 1929, but spends most of his time hanging out in the 25th Century. In the meantime he's written a couple of techy business books, and had fun seeing and reviewing various SF related movies and books, as well interviewing some legendary SF writers, for a selection of magazines and websites. And of course he is still slinging book proposals and comic book pitches at publishers in the vain hope that someone will actually like them.

K. Hutson Price:

(KHP at GooglePages) Born in Texas and educated on both coasts, K. Hutson Price did time as a government contractor, recruiter, used car salesmen, and currently flings information at prepubescent individuals as a 5th grade teacher in a local public school. Price is the LETS (Law Enforcement Teaching Students) liaison for the Mesquite Independent School District and a member of the Texas Defensive Shooters club. So far these facts remain mutually exclusive. Price's writing is influenced by Joss Whedon's every word, World of Warcraft, the insane things students pull at school, and almost anything that Yard Dog Press throws out there.

Darwin Prophet:

Darwin Prophet is a steampunk-themed musical artist out of the Austin, Texas, area. She describes herself as "a traveler and aural exhibitionist from Planet Mi, the third sphere following the Phantom in the Galaxy Solfege."

John Randall:

(Zyvex Labs)(John Randall)(Matricism) Dr. John Randall calls himself a "card-carrying nanotech nerd." With over 30 years in the business, we'd say he's earned his card. As President of Zyvex Labs, he has helped bring a number of nanotech products to market - including carbon nanotube enhanced composites and nanoprobing instruments. As a world-class nanofabricator, he's committed to realizing atomically precise manufacturing.

In addition to his many scientific and engineering accomplishments, John has a Third Degree Black Belt in Judo, he is an amateur Alto Saxophonist, wrote a play “Mary Mason and the case of the lying witness” produced by Dallas Children’s Theater, and developed in collaboration with Christian Seidler a robotic painting system for the production of pointillist paintings.

Rob Rogers:

(Blog) Rob Rogers is the author of Devil's Cape, a superhero thriller set in Louisiana. Devil's Cape was a Pop Matters pick, and was also named the HeroPress book of the year for 2008. His short story "The Adventure of the Pirates of Devil's Cape" is in the anthology The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Rob lives in Richardson, Texas, where he is working on his next novel.

Nina Romberg:

(Way of the Writer) (Jane Archer) Nina Romberg:
(aka Jane Archer) is the bestselling author of twenty internationally published books in several popular genres, including horror/urban fantasy novels Shadow Walkers and The Spirit Stalker. The First Fire: Stories of the Cherokee, Kickapoo, Kiowa, and Tigua and Texas Indian Myths and Legends are critically acclaimed Native American mythology and history books. Out of the West was optioned for a television movie. She also edits and ghostwrites for a national book publisher.

Saturday Only

Rie Sheridan Rose:

(riewriter.com) Rie is a weaver of many strands. She has written a little bit of everything. Currently, she is documenting the saga of "Getting Her House in Order" on the blog Here's the Clean... Her latest conventional forays are the CD "Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits" and a slice of advice in Zombie Writing!

Selina Rosen:

(Selina Rosen) (Castle Farms) (Yard Dog Press) Selina Rosen’s short fiction has appeared in several magazines and anthologies. Her novels include Queen of Denial, Recycled, the Chains of Freedom trilogy, Strange Robby, The Host trilogy, Fire & Ice, Hammer Town, Reruns, Sword Masters, Jabone’s Sword, Black Rage, and How I Spent the Apocalypse. Her first two "gonzo" mystery novels, Bad Lands and Bad City, both co-written with Laura J. Underwood, are now available.

As editor-in-chief of Yard Dog Press, she has edited several anthologies including the five award-winning Bubbas of the Apocalypse anthologies and two collections of "modern" fairy tales including the Stoker-nominated Stories That Won’t Make Your Parents Hurl.

If you haven’t already looked for her on FaceBook, why not?

Brad Sinor:

(Brad Sinor) (LiveJournal) Bradley H. Sinor has seen his short stories published in numerous science fiction, fantasy and horror anthologies such as The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Tales of the Shadowmen, The Grantville Gazette Ring of Fire 2 and 3. Three chapbooks of his short fiction have been released by Yard Dog Press, Dark and Stormy Nights, In the Shadows, and Playing With Secrets (along with stories by his wife Sue Sinor.) He has two collections of short stories Echoes From the Darkness (Arctic Wolf Press) and Where The Shadows Began, which was released in March by Merry Blacksmith Press. His non-fiction work has appeared in a variety of magazines and anthologies.

Sue Sinor:

Susan P. (Sue) Sinor has been involved in Tulsa's local conventions for over twenty years. She has also been involved in Tulsa's local community theatre for over twenty years. She's been keeping pretty busy. She is most known for writing for Yard Dog Press, with stories in the chapbook "Playing With Secrets" and anthologies International House Of Bubbas, Houston, We've Got Bubbas, and A Bubba In Time Saves None. Currently, she hopes to have sold another story (in collaboration with her husband) to Yard Dog Press and have finished a few other stories. Wish her luck. She's on Facebook, when she has time to read it.

Libby A. Smith:

(Tandra) Libby A. Smith (formerly Smith Singleton) first started attending conventions in 1982 as a 17-year-old intent on being a published writer. Her stories have appeared in Caliber Comic's Negative Burn and Dominique: Protect and Serve, Hanthercraft Publications' "Tandra" and "Dragonroc" universe comics and website, and Shanda Fantasy Art's Atomic Mouse. She is also a two-time winner of the Little Rock Free Press' Literary Contest. She also adapted The Rainbow Bridge story to poetry form for counted cross stitch designer Sue Hillis' design "The Story of the Rainbow Bridge." Besides writing, she is also a stage actor in the Little Rock area, including two times with The Weekend Theater productions of "The Rocky Horror Show." By day, she is an administrative assistant for the state of Arkansas. She lives in Little Rock with her three cats where she's a member of the Central Arkansas Speculative Fiction Writers Group

Caroline Spector:

(Caroline Spector) Caroline Spector has been an editor and writer in the science fiction, fantasy and gaming fields for the last twenty-five years. Most recently, Caroline has had stories in the Wild Cards collections, Inside Straight, Busted Flush, and Suicide Kings. Before joining the Wild Cards consortium, Caroline authored three published novels -- Scars, Little Treasures, and Worlds Without End -- editions of which have been published in several languages. Caroline has also written adventure modules and hint books (along with her husband, gaming legend Warren Spector). She also spent two years as Associate Editor at Amazing Magazine, plays bass and sings backup vocals with Bland Lemon Denton, and was a contributor to Steve Gould’s Eat Our Brains blog.

Kathryn Sullivan:

(Kathryn Sullivan) Kathryn is the author of young adult fantasies The Crystal Throne, Agents & Adepts, and Talking to Trees. A children’s picture book, Michael & the Elf, will soon be reprinted by Guardian Angel Publishing. A Chick who has dug Time Lords for many years, she has an essay, "The Fanzine Factor", in the Hugo Award-winning Chicks Dig Time Lords. Kathryn lives in Winona, Minnesota, where the river bluffs double as cliffsides on alien planets or the deep mysterious forests in a magical world. Her fight scenes in her books are based on her SCA experience and any birdlike beings only slightly resemble her cockatoo owner. She is a proud member of EPIC and Broad Universe.

Frank Summers:

(Frank Summers) Frank writes horror, humor, science fiction and fantasy and has sold work to Yard Dog Press, Ticonderoga Publications, Pill Hill Press, Ink Oink Art Inc., and Permuted Press.

In his other life, he's an IT professional in the Dallas area. When he's not writing, he likes to spend time with his wife, grown daughters and dogs.

Frank's website: franksummers.com

Mel Tatum:

(Mel Tatum) Mel Tatum's big news this year is that a CD of her songs is scheduled for release in late summer 2012, and all proceeds from the CD will be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. The biggest news is the list of artists who are recording tracks for the album, which includes Jim and Susie Malcolm, Aoife Clancy, Robbie O'Connell, Tullamore, Dene Foye, Wild Mercy, and Three Weird Sisters. Watch the website (scheduled to go live in mid-March) for more information CathBenefitCD.org

Katherine Turski:

Kathy Turski writes the way she looks--short and funny. Several of her short and funny stories are published in the Yard Dog Press books Flush Fiction and A Bubba In Time Saves None, along with the upcoming chapbook, "It's the Great Bumpkin, Cletus Brown". Her short story, "Fairest Of The Mall" is also published in the New Fairy Tales anthology with Aurora Wolf Press.

Kathy lives in North Texas with her husband. By day she clerks for a local library, and in her spare time she loves old movies, baking, and coming up with weird story ideas--mainly fueled with caffeine and chocolate.

Steven E. Wedel:

(Steven E. Wedel) Steven E. Wedel was born two days before Anton LaVey founded the Church of Satan in America. Not that there's any connection. Best known for his Werewolf Saga, Wedel's most recent publication is a foray into the paranormal young adult world as the co-author of After Obsession.

Jaye Wells:

(Jaye Wells) After several years as an editor and freelance writer, Jaye Wells finally decided to leave the facts behind and make up her own reality. Her overactive imagination and life-long fascination with the arcane and freakish blended nicely with this new career path. Her most recent release is The Mage in Black, the second book in her popular Sabina Kane urban fantasy series (published by Orbit).

Mel. White:

(Twitter) (Facebook) Known to her kids as "Indiana Mom", Mel. has gone back to school to become "Dr. Indiana Mom." She still works on fossils for the Museum of Nature and Science, and is now a volunteer educator at Trinity River Audubon Center as well as a Texas Master Naturalist. She's also a proud member of the Yard Dog Press gang, with a story in A BUBBA IN TIME SAVES NONE.

Glenn Yeffeth:

(BenBella Books) (LinkedIn) Glenn Yeffeth is Publisher of BenBella Books. For fifteen years Glenn was a corporate strategist and marketer who ran companies in Chicago, London and Dallas. In 2001 Glenn formed BenBella Books (named after Glenn’s children Benjamin and Isabella) to combine his love for books with his passion for marketing. Glenn has an MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of Chicago and a BA in History from Oberlin College. His favorite book is The DaVinci Mole, a little-known work by the eminent philosopher Dr. Ian Browne. More about Glenn can be found on his LinkedIn profile. He can be reached at glenn@benbellabooks.com.

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