Welcome to my LiveJournal. I'm a science fiction writer with a growing collection of published short stories, and my collection Unwelcome Bodies is currently available from Apex Publications. It includes, among other stories, "Captive Girl," which was a 2007 Nebula finalist and which made the 2007 Gaylactic Spectrum Awards short list. I started this journal to have a place to talk about writing and the writing life, although you'll probably notice various digressions into belly dance and politics.

Please note that anonymous comments that aren't signed will be deleted.

I'm heading out for night one of Readercon -- http://www.readercon.org -- where I'll be reading "Ghosts of New York" at 8:30.

I just got my Readercon schedule. My only item is my reading. Which is at 8:30 on Thursday night. Yes, Thursday, when there's a whopping two hours of programming. Hell, I've never even bothered going to con on Thursday night before. But I guess my continued inability to make a big sale makes it make sense to stuff me in such an unappealing time slot.

So, is anyone going to be there on Thursday night? I want to know if there's any point in me even showing up for my reading.

*sigh* Hopefully, Broad Universe will let me read with them on Sunday, even though I technically have a reading slot of my own.

ETA: Actually, it turns out Readercon does have me scheduled to read with Broad Universe. When I searched the program grid for my name, all I saw was the solo reading, but the schedule email they sent me had that listed *below* the .sig line. In my defense, I'm not used to emails having information below the .sig so I stopped reading when I got to that part and didn't notice that I could keep scrolling.

I just realized that the two shows I want to try to dance in at the end of August are the same weekend as the Broad Universe Mary Shelley Birthday Party events that I promised to help out with.

*sobbing*

So I'll do the Saturday workshop/show, and the Sunday Broad Universe events, and feel rotten about what I'm skipping both days.

I don't seem to have posted about this here. Or if I did, I tagged it badly and can't find it:

http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=FALMOUTH

June 17th, 7:00 PM - 8:45 PM

Meet 4 Boston area Science Fiction authors who will discuss their recent works.

Michael Burstein (I REMEMBER THE FUTURE) and Jennifer Pelland (UNWELCOME BODIES) will talk about their new short story collections.

Jeffrey A. Carver (SUNBORN) and Walter H. Hunt (A SONG IN STONE) both have new novels to discuss.

To save a seat, call 508-457-2555, ext. 6 or email: info@falmouthpubliclibrary.org
This program is offered to the public FREE of charge through the generous support of the Falmouth Public Library Trustees.

Location: Hermann Foundation Meeting Room

The Falmouth Public Library is at 300 Main Street, Falmouth, MA.

I believe this is a Q&A rather than readings, and I will have a few copies of Unwelcome Bodies for sale.

Or, I finally got some.

It's day 3 of WisCon, and I've been wandering around exhausted right from the start thanks to that midnight showing of Terminator the night/morning before I flew out here. That's handy, because the belly dance party is tonight.

So, the short version of the con so far...

Thursday: Hanging around, talking with friends, not actually heading out to the movies because we were all too tired. But a fruitful trip to a hot tub filled with tattooed folks brought me face to face with an artist who said he would love to take a crack at the tattoo I've been having no luck finding a designer for.

Friday: Busy, busy, busy. The writing workshop was in the morning, and I had three great folks in it with me. Ideas were enjoyed, discussions were had, stories were saved, then lunch was eaten. Then it was off to The Gathering to sling books, which is always tiring. As soon as that was over, I had to moderate "Writing in the Recession," which I was afraid would go poorly because I'm not good at moderating thinking panels, but thankfully, once I ran out of questions, the audience had all sorts of good questions and comments. So the panel was saved! At this point, my scheduled activities for the day were over, so there was dinner, and there was lying around and talking, and there was a little partying on the sixth floor, and then there was fitful hotel room sleep.

Saturday: I was the token clueless white girl on the Bellydance and Colonialism panel at 8:30 in the morning. I was humbled, and I learned a lot, and thankfully, by that point, I was too damned tired to be defensive, so I believe I passed the "Getting It Wrong Gracefully" test just out of sheer exhaustion. I then hit the portion of my day where I couldn't walk through the halls without falling into conversations. Then was the Journeyman Writer's Meeting over lunch, then some time at the Broad Universe table, then I hit a panel that wasn't as interesting as I wanted it to be, so I came up with several short story ideas, then it was off to my group reading, where only three people left the room when I gave the warning that I would be reading a 9/11 ghost story about the jumpers, and if that was a trigger for anyone, they might want to go. I have to say, you come to understand the power of words when you can get people to leave the room before you even start talking.

Dinner, then the Tiptree auction, where I reprised my trouble-making ways from a previous Tiptree auction by running to the stage, waving a dollar bill over my head, with my partner in crime xochiquetzl by my side with a bill of her own. We couldn't help ourselves. Geoff Ryman had stripped off his shirt, put on a new one, and was doing a catwalk walk. And he seemed very pleased to have us stuff the dollars in his waistband. And he seemed similarly pleased when a mob of people came up after us to do the same. And then when a lovely woman whose name I forget modeled a dress and unbuttoned it to show off her cleavage, she didn't seem to mind when I ran up to stuff a dollar in her cleavage either. I drew the line at putting money in Sharon November's shirt. I like my hand, and want to keep it. Then it was off to the bar with asim to plan the belly dance party and shoot the shit, then I dragged my ass up to six to hit a few parties so as not to be lame, then bed.

Where I got some honest to god, actual sleep.

Right, time for Sunday's activities!

If you're in the central Massachusetts area, join local members of Broad Universe for a night of speculative fiction. Dystopia! Vampires! Monsters that Aren't! Unwelcome Bodies! Heroes you Don't Want To Be! Bad-A$$ Faeries!

Authors Elaine Isaak, Jennifer Pelland, Morven Westfield, Trish Wooldridge, Justine Graykin, and Phoebe Wray will read selections from their fiction.

Friday, May 8, 2009
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Jeannie's Book Emporium
299 West Main Street, #4
Northborough, MA 01532

I believe we'll be doing two sessions of readings, so don't feel like you need to stay for all three hours if you want to hear all of us read.

My schedule hasn't changed in about a week, so I suspect it's actually final:

Fri 9:00AM - 12:00PM: Writers' Workshop

I'm a short story workshop pro again this year.

Fri 1:00 - 3:45PM: Galley Ho!
"The Return of the ARC! Galley proofs and advanced readers' copies of SF & F, genre fiction, science fact, feminism, and more. A benefit for WisCon."

I feel that as the Galley Ho, I should have some sort of slutty pirate costume, but I'm not sure how well that would go over at WisCon.

Fri 4:00 - 5:15PM: Writing in the Recession
"Most publishing houses have cut back on buying manuscripts during the recession. It's very likely that several small presses (both book and magazine) will fold before things get better. As the market gets more selective and more conservative, what do writers need to do to weather this financial storm?"

I'm moderating this one, because I'd really like the other panelists to give me advice!

Sat 8:30 - 9:45AM: "Belly Dance": The Intersection of Feminism and Colonialism participant
"Belly Dance--Raqs Sharqi in the Middle East--is far more than an art form. It's a reflection of two culture's interactions with each other, for good and ill. From Victorian Racism and Sexism influences in the original culture(s), to flipping that influence into success both "over there" and here in the West, the past haunts it even unto its reinvention in the Tribal Styles. Is the Feminist strength of Belly Dance balanced by the massive Cultural Appropriation issues that it carries? Should Caucasians be "carrying" another culture's art to the degree that they do? Did Badi'a and the rest of the creators of Raqs Sharqi "cargo cult" pieces of Western Culture in its creation? How do these issues reflect upon Western culture's fascination with "The Orient?""

I'm fascinated to see how the conversation in this one goes. My interests lie mainly in the issues around appropriation in tribal style belly dance, which is the style I mostly do. I've read wildly different opinions on the decorative use of bindi, for instance, with some Indians saying it's just a fashion statement, and others vehemently insisting that it's appropriation for a non-Hindi to wear one.

Sat 4:00 - 5:15PM: Taboo II: Electric Bugaloo
Reading with Vylar Kaftan, Ted A Kosmatka, Jennifer Pelland, Rachel Virginia Swirsky.

Last year, we had inter-caste fucking, necrophiliac bestiality, and scatology. With any luck, we'll top that this year. Actually, my taboo this year is genuinely sensitive, and I plan to warn folks about it before I start reading. If you're curious what it is, drop me a private message.

Sunday Night: Belly Dance Party

I'm co-hosting this with asim, and yes, I'll be in costume. If I feel emboldened enough, I may even publicly humiliate myself by dancing.

Mon 11:30AM - 12:45PM: The SignOut

I'm not quite sure why I'm doing it this year, since this will be the second WisCon for my book, but maybe one or two people will be kind and stop by for an autograph.

I decided to send "A Brother By Moonlight" out to Glimmer Train after all. I believe this is the only second time in my career that I've paid a contest fee. What the hey. I can write it off on my taxes.

I've received an invitation from a library in Falmouth to come down to talk about my book along with several other authors on their science fiction author night. It's a 90 minute drive each way, which is pretty daunting, especially since it's on a Wednesday night, which means I'm leaving from work, and getting home just in time to go to bed. Additionally, they said they wanted me to talk about my "novel" Unwelcome Bodies. So I've written to check if it's okay that it's a short story collection instead of a novel, and to see if anyone else was driving down from Boston so I could see if they wanted to carpool. We shall see what their answers to those questions are.

If you're in the central Massachusetts area, join local members of Broad Universe for a night of speculative fiction. Dystopia! Vampires! Monsters that Aren't! Unwelcome Bodies! Heroes you Don't Want To Be! Bad-A$$ Faeries!

Authors Elaine Isaak, Jennifer Pelland, Morven Westfield, Trish Wooldridge, Justine Graykin, and Phoebe Wray will read selections from their fiction.

Friday, May 8, 2009
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Jeannie's Book Emporium
299 West Main Street, #4
Northborough, MA 01532

Friday morning: The Writers' Respite

Friday noon to 5:00: The Gathering (I'm the Galley Ho again)

Friday night: I'm pretty sure that's when the bellydance party is that I'm ostensibly co-hosting. (I say "ostensibly" because I'm not sure how useful a co-host I can be.)

Saturday 8:30 AM: Why Writers Need Physical Hobbies (I'm the moderator -- this could be painful the morning after hosting a party, but since I suggested the panel, I'd rather not be removed from it.)

Saturday 4:00: Taboo II reading group. (I'll be reading from "Ghosts of New York".)

Sunday 8:30 AM: Writing in the Recession (I'm the moderator, and kind of wish I weren't, but I'll use it as an opportunity to ask a lot of questions of the panelists that I want to have answered, since I don't have any answers myself.)

Sunday 11:30: The Sign-Out (I suspect there'll be very few people who'll want anything signed, since my book was out at last year's con, and anyone who cares will have had it signed then.)

I'd been planning on waiting until they emailed me my final schedule before announcing anything, but since they've posted this online, I suspect it's final enough to publicize:

Friday 9:30pm Independence:
Reading

Saturday 11am Galleria Discus:
Move Your Butt

Writers shouldn't neglect their bodies. How do you force physical activity into your otherwise sedentary working and writing life, despite the fact that it will eat up your free time?

Saturday 1pm Carlton:
The Appeal of Audio

There was a time when radio shows were one of the chief ways many got their fixes of entertainment. And then there was television. And cheaper books. However, more and more people are (re-)discovering the advantages and enjoyment of hearing the written word. How is this playing out? What enhances the fans' audio enjoyment? What directions is audio entertainment taking?

Bruce Coville, Michael McAfee, Jennifer Pelland, Joe Siclari (m), Adam Stemple

Saturday 4pm Lewis:
Books of Love

Today is Valentine's Day. Would you rather get chocolate, flowers, or (hint hint) the latest NESFA Press book? (If Loverlips doesn't "get" your favorite, is the relationship over?) More generally, what genre works should one bestow, with hope and trembling, on a new or prospective sweetheart? Must the content or themes of these stories be explicitly romantic? In fact, is there a future for romantic love.....and, if so, what is it?

Darlene Marshall (m), Nina Harper, Paul Park, Jennifer Pelland, Wen Spencer

Saturday 8:30pm Harbor 3:
Cast of Characters

Improvisational performances (and you can try out too!) by characters in search of roles in an epic fantasy.....a hilarious introduction to Saturday Night (live!) at Boskone this year.

Bruce Coville, Dan Keohane, Michael McAfee, Jennifer Pelland, Josepha Sherman, Jane Yolen

Sunday 10am Harbor 3:
Cool Britannia: Why We Love British TV SF

Dr. Who. Primeval. Torchwood. Etc. Just what is it about (modern?) British SF on TV?

Patricia Bray, Yvonne Carts-Powell (m), Vince Docherty, Jim Mann, Jennifer Pelland

It's possible this could change, but here's how it currently looks:

Broad Universe Reading
BU Suite (Regency Club)
Fri 8:00 PM Duration: 01:30
[Note: We each get nine minutes, and I'll probably be reading from Unwelcome Bodies.]

Torchwood - Cutting Edge or Jumping the Shark?
Crispus Attucks
Sat 2:00 PM Duration: 01:00

Reading - Jennifer Pelland
BU Suite (Regency Club)
Sat 6:30 PM Duration: 00:30
[I'll be reading a brand-new story at this one]

The Book Didn't Change, But I Did
William Dawes A
Sat 8:00 PM Duration: 01:00

The Nature of Gender: Past, Present and Future William
Dawes A
Sun 3:00 PM Duration: 01:00

Science Fiction About "Touchy" Subjects
William Dawes A
Sun 8:00 PM Duration: 01:00

Body Modification: From Past to Future Paul
Revere B
Sun 9:00 PM Duration: 01:00

The Perils of Looking Up From the Keyboard
William Dawes A
Mon 10:00 AM Duration: 01:00

I will not be at this panel:

Dexter and the Nature of Evil
William Dawes A
Sun 7:00 PM Duration: 01:00

I asked to be dropped from it, and they told me they'd done so, but it's still showing up on my schedule. So if I'm listed as being on it in the program book, don't look for me there.

I got to the con this morning bright and early so I could enjoy the Viable Paradise brunch in the con suite before going to Beth Bernobich's reading. And the brunch was lovely. I got to hang out and chat with several VPers, as well as Doyle and Macdonald. There is no badness in that. Beth's reading was quite lovely, and then it was off to the dealer's room to see if the Broad Universe table needed any more copies of Unwelcome Bodies, which gratifyingly, they did. Then it was off to Doyle and Macdonald's reading, which was entertaining, as usual.

Then I had half an hour to kill before my reading, so I toodled around and saw the flyer racks being taken down. I looked to see how many UB bookmarks and Tattooed Lady postcards were left. And there were three Tattooed Lady postcards...but they'd been ripped into four pieces and left in a stack at the base of the racks. Um, WTF? I'm not quite sure how to interpret that, and I'm not sure I want the culprit to clarify. I mean, I can't even chalk it up to a Helix protest, since it looked like the image that was at the top of the stack was that of the other postcard model and not me.

My reading went fairly well, although it was the smallest audience I've ever had. Since the bulk of them had already read my collection (or at least read most of the stories in it), I read "Organ Nell," which is currently in circulation. Then I did a stint at the Broad Universe table until the dealer's room closed, and went to Victoria Janssen's reading, which was deliciously hot :P~~~~~

All told, I sold 13 paperback copies of Unwelcome Bodies this weekend: 3 at the Fair, and 10 at the con. Not too shabby!

Right, my dinner bloat has subsided enough that I think I should start rehearsing for Thursday. Eep!

I headed up to Readercon on Friday afternoon, making a pit stop at Patterson's Back Bay Dancewear on the way. Alas, they did not have quite what I wanted in stock, but they could order it, and it would arrive in three business days, which alas does not work for me, because in three business days, I'll be in Worcester for my dance class. So I'll look elsewhere early next week (maybe the place in Newton, maybe the place in Worcester, maybe Teddy's Shoes in Cambridge, although that's less likely), or wear my china flats on Thursday or something.

Then it was on to Readercon itself. I dumped a stack of books at the Broad Universe table and headed for my first panel (the writing groups one) where there were nearly as many people on the panel as in the audience. Then on to a stint at the Broad Universe table in the dealers room, then dinner, panelage, blah blah. I thought I might go home after my 7:00 panel (Waking up Sober Next to a Story Idea, in which I was the token baby writer among the panelists) because I was feeling rather out of sorts over the whole Helix thing. There are at least three writers at Readercon who are very much in the anti-Helix camp, and I found myself getting paranoid about how widely-spread the disdain was for multi-pubbed Helix authors. Plus, Andy had already left, which left me essentially alone. But I started running into people that I wanted to talk to, and then I had a few really enlightening conversations about the whole issue with a few other folks who are in my boat, as well as a few seasoned genre veterans who've been watching it from the outside, which was really, really helpful. And in the end, I ended up staying long enough to give away all my stickers at the Meet the Pros(e) party.

Today I spent a whopping two hours at the convention, then it was off to the Boston Fetish Fair Flea Market. The staff were extremely gracious towards me, treating me like a special guest, which was just lovely. My audience at the reading? Well, small. And I had about a dozen walk-outs over the course of the story. I think some were simply hoping for more sex, and others I think were bothered by the way the story wasn't 100% fetish-positive. And that's absolutely a fair cop. "Captive Girl" is a story about a woman who discovers she's a fetish for her lover, and has real struggles with it. It takes an uncomfortable look at the nature of consent. And I can see how someone who wanted an afternoon of fetish fun would be unhappy with that. Andy and I spent the hour after that looking at all the vendors, and it became clear to me that I was a tourist and not a participant. And you know what? That's cool. I'm glad to have been a tourist in that world for an afternoon, but it would be unfair to go back and be a tourist again. People don't go to the Fetish Flea to have Jane and John Vanilla gawk at them.

Of course, I did gawk at the ponies. OMG, they are the cutest BDSMers ever! Bondage gear...with prancing! And Maureen's pony had this incredible dignity about him. It really was something to behold. I think he might inspire a story some day.

After the ponies, Andy and I headed out for dinner, then came home. I'd originally planned to head to Teddy's Shoes on the way home, but I was just too damned tired. And while I'd love to go back to Readercon for the Kirk Poland competition at 10:00, I'm not sure I want to get my ass in the car alone (Andy's gaming) to make the drive when I'm this tired. I'd planned to spend my evening working out choreography for Thursday, but it's so freakin' hot, plus see above comment about being tired. But I have done some more dance name research. I'm still pondering Verity and Una/Oona, and have also tossed the following into the mix: Juniper (a play on Jennifer Juniper), Eris (although I fear that might be too pretentious), Morrigan (see previous comment), Nemesis (see previous comment), Zia, and a few others that I'm a little less thrilled with, but have scribbled in my notebook nonetheless.

Much to my surprise, I've discovered (not been told, but discovered) that I've been added to another panel. It's a nice surprise, mind you, but a surprise nonetheless. Also, I'm surprised to see that I both have a solo reading and have been put in the Broad Universe rapid-fire reading group. I think Broad Universe stuck me on the list by accident, because I told them I was trying for my own slot and they should offer theirs to someone else.

However, here's how my schedule currently looks:

Friday 3:00: Writers’ Groups and Writers: A Match Made in Heaven or Hell?
Alaya Dawn Johnson and Matthew Kressel (co-L) with Richard Chwedyk, F. Brett Cox, Michael J. Daley, Scott Edelman, Andrea Hairston, Kay Kenyon, Barbara Krasnoff, Resa Nelson, Jennifer Pelland, Luc Reid, Paul Tremblay, et al.
Discussion (60 min.). Writers groups: some writers swear by them, others swear at them. Many writers consider critiques from their writers’ group an invaluable part of the submission process. Others believe that writers’ groups tend to dilute individual style, tending toward “groupthink.” Our leaders are members of Altered Fluid, a Manhattan-based writer’s group that has met regularly since 2001.

Friday 7:00: Waking Up Sober Next to a Story Idea.
Paolo Bacigalupi, Jeffrey A. Carver (L), David Anthony Durham, Kay Kenyon, Barry B. Longyear, Jennifer Pelland.
Really, it seemed absolutely beautiful once upon a time. Now that you’ve had intimate knowledge of it (say, midway through the novel), you can see all the less-than-flattering sides. You may even wonder, What the hell was I thinking? How do you recover enthusiasm for the work? Now that you see the flaws, how do you begin the process of fixing them?

Saturday 11:00: Broad Universe Group Reading.
Inanna Arthen, Roxanne Bland, Justine Graykin, Elaine Isaak, Sarah Micklem, Jennifer Pelland, Sherry Thompson, Trisha J. Wooldridge, Phoebe Wray.
Readings by members of the international organization promoting science fiction, fantasy, and horror written by women. (60 min.)

Sunday noon: Jennifer Pelland reads from her collection Unwelcome Bodies (2008). (30 min.)

ETA: It was news to Broad Universe that I was on the reading too. So I'll just be emceeing. If there's leftover time at the end, I'll read something, but if not, I'll just plug my Sunday reading.

I've been invited to read "Captive Girl" at the Fetish Fair Fleamarket in Boston. It takes place on July 19th from noon to six, and I'll be reading at 1:00. Apparently, "Captive Girl" is their kind of kink! I suspect the weirdest thing for me will be being the vegetarian surrounded by all the people in leather. Circlet Press has agreed to sell copies of Unwelcome Bodies, although I'm not sure how many I'll be bringing, because I'll also be selling it at the Broad Universe table at Readercon that same weekend.

And before anyone asks, no, I'm not going to make an attempt to dress appropriately for the venue. That would be pandering. Plus, I don't own anything even remotely fetishy.

So, what did I do at WisCon besides come down with WisCholera? Among other things, I participated in a really cool reading. Vylar Kaftan (vylar_kaftan) was the evil mastermind that brought the four of us together, the other two being M.K. Hobson (mkhobson) and Rachel Swirsky (rachel_swirsky). We got a good crowd -- I'm guessing about 40 people -- many of whom I didn't know. I kicked things off by giving a quick introduction, then letting people know that there'd be a raffle at the end, and then I read from "Brushstrokes," which was probably the tamest piece in the bunch. Vylar followed with a deliciously scatalogical piece that will be appearing in the July issue of Helix that got a really great reaction from the crowd. Then it was on to Mary's hysterical piece from Polyphony 6 that really got the crowd roaring. Finally, Rachel gave us all a stern lecture on what it really meant to be taboo with her closing reading. Holy shit, she's a fearless writer and reader.

Thank you again, Vylar, for putting this together, and thanks also to Mary and Rachel for participating. All three of you kick ass.

It's Sunday, just before dinner, and so far, I've had a pretty good WisCon. Thursday, we saw the new Indiana Jones flick and had a great time. Friday, the writers' workshop I led went well. Only three of my five writers showed up -- one warned us in advance that she wouldn't be there on time, one got sick at the last minute. But my writers were great at both giving and taking critiques, and that's exactly what you need for a good workshop. The Gathering was fun, and I even managed to get away from the Galley Ho table long enough to get a massage and take a quick trip through the dealers room. Then, of course, parties, but not too late, because Saturday morning I had to moderate a panel at 8:30.

Thankfully, said panel ("Balancing Creativity and the Day Job") was well-attended despite the early hour. I had great panelists, and a great audience (my panelists were Catherine Lundoff, Caroline Stevermer, Jordan Castillo Price, and Vandana Singh). Then I did my State Street shopping crawl to buy jeans to replace the ones I badly stained with butter at Indiana Jones (thanks for the porous popcorn bags, Sundance Theater) and also found some lovely fringed scarves to wear as hip scarves. Over lunch, vylar_kaftan ran a great Journeyman writers discussion group that I hope becomes a WisCon staple, although I think I may now qualify for the Mid-Career Writers meeting. If I do, it's a close thing. I'll wait until next year to find out for sure. Then it was off to a great Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading, where the readers included lyda222 and kmankiller. Then I was on the Captain Jack's Big Gay Torchwood panel, which was alternately thought-provoking and fun (and sometimes both at the same time). I hit the Broad Universe table for two hours after that, then we went to the new tapas restaurant, enjoyed the Tiptree auction immensely, then it was party time again. I hit Haiku Earrings first, of course, then flitted up and down the halls from party to party until meeting up with deepforestowl and spending an hour and a half talking with her in the lobby in some extremely comfortable chairs.

Which brings us to this morning. I slept in, I ate breakfast in the hotel restaurant, I finally saw the art show, and then the news broke that there was a stomach bug going around the convention. Bleurgh. There's now hand sanitizer everywhere, food is being handled with gloves now at parties and in the con suite, and sick folks have been instructed to tell the convention staff if they're sick so they can try to trace the source and pattern of it. And on that note, my reading began. It kicked ass. Candy penis fun was had by all. And shortly after it was over, I discovered that the Broad Universe table had sold all 12 of the paperbacks that I'd brought with me (the hardback remained unloved, alas, as did the two Best of Apex 2006 chapbooks).

Ack! Must go meet people for dinner. I haven't been reading LJ at all this weekend, and I don't think I'm going to bother trying to catch up once I get home tomorrow night, but if something important's going on in your life that you announced on LJ and you want me to read it, please drop me a comment.

I can't imagine that I'll be posting again before I leave. My flight's at 1:30, so we leave for the airport at 11:00. I'm all packed except for my toothbrush and the Broad Universe book form, which I still need to print out. If you're going to the convention, you can find me at the following:

Thursday: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull :)

Friday: Writer's Workshop, The Gathering, Bellydancers of Fandom Meetup

Saturday: Balancing Creativity and the Day Job, Journeyman Writers' Meeting, Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading, Captain Jack's Big Gay Torchwood

Sunday: Taboo Reading (my reading group)

Monday: Powerful Protagonists or Fetish Fantasies, The SignOut

I will, of course, be at other stuff as well, but those are the events I know I'll be attending. Feel free to try to hook up with me over the weekend, but if I appear to be rushing to something like a madwoman, please don't take it personally if I don't stop to talk.

Isn't it lovely? It was designed by M.K. Hobson (mkhobson). Our reading, as you may have guessed, is called "Taboo," and along with Rachel Swirsky (rachel_swirsky) and Vylar Kaftan (vylar_kaftan), we'll be reading transgressive fiction and giving away gift bags and raffling off prizes. Look for posters and postcards all over the convention.