Wednesday Magic District
My first regular Magic District post is up: I Put on My Robe and Wizard Hat.
With Magic District up and running, I suspect I’ll be blogging here a little less frequently. (Not that I’m a crazed posting machine to begin with, but you get the idea.) I will, however, still be posting here. It may just get a little sillier. Especially now that I’ve discovered it’s possible to have polls on WordPress.
Back from New York
Wow, that’s a lot of people.
I don’t just mean New York, although the sensory overload there is pretty overwhelming. But the crush of people at NY Comic Con was astounding and, for someone whose first reaction to a crowd is to find the nearest clear corner and stay there, a little daunting. As a result, I didn’t see as much of the con as I ought to, nor did I take nearly enough pictures.
Despite my first reaction to the crowds, I had a great time. I got to meet a number of wonderful people I’d only known through email or by name, joined friends for dinner and made new acquaintances, had some of the best hot chocolate ever (with a big fluffy marshmallow in the middle), and, strangely, got more sleep than I had in a week. I’m pretty sure that last is not the usual reaction to Comic Con. And I think I have to go back to New York at some point. Even the little that I’ve seen is enough to draw me back.
To top it off, I now have a Wonder Woman crown. How can the world not be more awesome with that?
Big Idea post
And again with the kind authors letting me take up blog space: I’ve got a Big Idea piece up at the Whatever, where I go on about Celtic myth, changing stories, and finding old friends in research. Thanks again to John Scalzi for giving me space to talk!
Guest blog!
One of the cooler things that’s happened since Spiral Hunt was picked up has been the contact with other awesome authors. Marjorie M. Liu, author of The Iron Hunt (which is fantastic, by the way), has been kind enough to give me a spot on her blog to talk about cities, urban fantasy, and why the urban setting is one of the most potent ones for fantasy writers. Go and take a look, and thanks again to Marjorie for the guest spot!
NY Comic Con and Boskone
I’ll be at New York Comic Con this weekend, appearing on one panel: “Kick-Ass Female Authors and Killer Heroines,” Sunday, 1:45-2:45.
Eos and Avon Books have a question for you — Why are vampires, werewolves, fairies, angels, demons, and denizens of the otherworld so damned sexy? USA Today notes, “The hottest bad boys in contemporary fiction are cold-blooded vampires. Not since Anne Rice’s bestselling series about Lestat have so many readers thirsted for novels about blood drinkers who are sexy as well as scary.” The authors making names for themselves writing these dark daydreams have opinions on the category-killer appeal of their books and why readers are turned on by kick-ass female protagonists who are just as strong and in-control as their He-Man mates. Panelists include Kim Harrison (White Witch, Black Curse), Jeaniene Frost (At Grave’s End), Vicki Pettersson (City of Souls), Jocelynn Drake (Dayhunter), and Margaret Ronald (Spiral Hunt). The event is moderated by Michael Spradlin (The Youngest Templar).
The panel sounds great, but I have to admit that half the reason I’m going is my inner fangirl. Every time I check the NY Comic Con page, there’s something new for me to goggle over. I know that I’ll probably have no time to see half of what looks interesting, but I still keep checking to see what’s up on the site.
I’ve only been to one other comic convention. (Book and scifi conventions are another matter; Arisia, Boskone, Readercon, WisCon, and I’m hoping to make it to this year’s Worldcon.) That was over ten years ago, in my home town, and the entire convention could fit in a gymnasium. Somehow I suspect this will be a very different experience.
And speaking of other conventions, the weekend after that (February 13-15), I’ll be at Boskone. I won’t be appearing on any programming, but I’ll be attending and, with luck, helping out with the Viable Paradise brunch. Tasty baked goods and a writers’ workshop. What more could you ask for?
Margaret Ronald 