Appearances

I’m findable at online readings, conventions, and open mics and available for more at the drop of a … microphone. Scroll down a bit if you’re hunting for this month’s open mics!

Most of this content will soon move to the blog as discussion of the whole topic of showing up for things! I’ve done a lot of appearances in 2022, but too busy to document outside the newsletter, so join the newsletter, already. This page is ‘under construction’ and will soon re-emerge in a more compact, accessible format, now that I have too many ‘hey look!’ moments to document here.

This weekend, I’m fully booked on the virtual side of Octocon, the Irish national SFF convention. I’ve attended for the past three years, and it’s gotten to be when I pop into a zoom room, I actually recognize half the people there. More on this coming soon!

In December 2021, I was extremely active behind the scenes at DisConIII, the World Science Fiction Convention, as a virtual volunteer. I hosted two kaffeeklatsches (which meant I got to hang out with C.L. Polk and Mary Soon Lee), zoom-managed a publishing workshop by Paper Angel Press’s managing editor, and managed three livestream panels on science-oriented topics plus one on story structures, and hosted both a reading session with two Japanese science-fiction authors (Yashima Yugen and Iori Kunsano) and a livestream on the Seiun Awards (the Japanese Nebulas) featuring authors, editors, and critics from the Japanese SFF community. These events were recorded in order for members to view them later, using their convention access, so there was an extra layer of responsibiity for us volunteers, to make sure panels went properly! Oh, the good old days, when your mistakes would be forgotten after the last panel of the convention!

My most recent live appearance was at the Strong Women/Strange Worlds Holiday Extravaganza on December 12th, which included a slew of activities in the week leading up to it. We had fun with readings, improv sessions, and a wacky version of the Dating Game. Videos should be up in a little bit, and I’ll add a link for that, then.

On Black Friday 2021, I joined Fairy Princess Lolly for her special holiday event, with a reading from “Parrish Blue.” My reading starts at about 53:45, but why not enjoy all the stories?

Octocon has posted videos of most of their panels on Twitch and will transition them to YouTube later. Check it out: we all had a grand time, and so can you! Be inspired by the optimism and forward thinking, as well as the good humor of the participants. Thank you, Octocon, for letting me play!

Below the open mic connection here, you’ll find video links (where available) and chat about my most recent appearances.

In August, I was part of a wonderful reading program hosted by Strong Women, Strange Worlds, featuring science fiction, fantasy, and horror from women and non-binary authors. They meet twice a month, the show’s online, and there are opportunities to chat with the authors and enter giveaways! The programs will eventually be on YouTube, but for now, you click the image below to find the schedule and register for the next gathering.

Engage with these wonderful storytellers on Twitter: @_TerriBruce, @janecesther, @MGarnet_Author, @BespokeChaos, @AlmaAlexander, @teffeau. (Also, please follow me, too, @CometaryTales). You’ll find Kathryn Sullivan on the FB. And Anne Nydam? If you click the image, you will also be on her webpage!

This past summer, I took part in a special event celebrating the California Writers Club-SF Peninsula Branch and their partnership with the San Mateo County Fair. The club hosts a literary competition every year (except, alas, 2020), under the auspices of the California State Fair system. Anyone can participate, judging is blind, and excerpts of winning entries are displayed at the Fair. As part of the celebration, the club hosted an online reading from event participants. I read from my short story, “Coke Machine.” (Secret news: the story will be appearing from an unnamed publisher in early 2022!) You don’t need a time machine to enjoy the poetry, memoir, and storytelling of that afternoon–it’s available for all, online. If you want to jump right to the sci-fi, leap to the one-hour mark, to catch Doug Baird’s UFO story, right before my spaceship-engineer-in-deep-trouble story.

Another fun read was chatting with the inimitable Fairy Princess Lolly, the public face of Fae Productions, which in normal times produces fantastic in-person festival events. During Covid times, FPL expanded her online presence, including adding an Author Reads program. It was super-fun! I read from my published book and from the one I’m querying— Lidian’s Promise—and we talked and talked about writing ideas, characters, all the good stuff. Plus, we had TWO giveaways!

Remember to like and subscribe!

I’m a regular participant at BayCon, our San Francisco Bay Area science fiction/fantasy convention. Usually, I get to take part in the science-y panels, because … I know stuff, I guess.

The BayCon crew launched a series of mini-cons to make up for having to cancel the convention last year and this year. The most-recent one had a technical track, so I had the opportunity to take part in a panel that I’d proposed for BayCon 2020! G. David Nordley and I discussed Who Is Going to Own Space?

With so many countries and private entities jumping into space activities, the topic has returned as to who has rights in space, what the constraints are, and where we may be falling behind in forming (and enforcing) international agreements. My launching point was how Elon Musk’s project to put up thousands satellites essentially gives him ownership of those orbits. We’re at 1:45 in the recording of the event. It’s a Zoom recording, so you need the passcode: v&L@oar7 and then the link.