Anyway, I have an update podcast coming. Should be up today or tomorrow. It will let you know what’s been going on, where I’m at and where I’m going. And I think you are going to like where I”m going.

For a taste of the cast: there are great podcasts to be put up, there’s work happening with Guardians, and there is a very cool new project I’m working on that will help you if you get like me when I’m stuck on a particular writing issue.

Thanks for all your patience. Don’t be afraid to let me know if you read AND listen to the podcast. It will help me know if updating you occasionally in written form does any good.

Oh…and since February is the month of love….I love and appreciate all of you who come here! Thank you for the support, the kicks in the butt, and the interests we share!

1) First, I’m sorry I’m behind on getting up a new episode. Things have been crazy around here with family, writing, voice acting, and getting Specficdb.com going. I appreicate your patience. Tomorrow I’ll be putting up a new one. I think you’ll like it.

2)I want to remind you all that I created Specficdb.com to promote speculative fiction authors and writers. This includes anyone who is in print, has a story in e-form (on the web in any form like on a blog or a podcast). Just go over to www.specficdb.com and create an account then hit submit. It’s free.

I’m also looking for people who would like to help. I need people to help spread the word, to contact specific genre authors, and other fun stuff. This will be getting big and great things are around the cornor so I encourage you to participate in any way that you can.

3) I’d like to ask you to vote for my podcast for the Podcast awards! Just go over to www.podcastawards.com Feel free to boost my ego and let me know in the comments which category you voted me for. I love knowing that kind of thing.

4) I may be trying to hit Philcon on Saturday. If you are going let me know. I’d love to say hello.

Many great things are coming….so keep your eyes on the site and your ears tuned to the pod!

Kimi

As promised I am including a link to Seth Harwood’s “Young Janius” which you can get right here!! I hear it’s awesome – me and my writing schedule don’t allow for such fun things like reading!

Also if you haven’t heard I’ve created a place for people who LOVE speculative fiction (this is the wiki link definition) to find their favorite authors and works they might not know about as well as new authors called The Speculative Fiction Database or Specficdb.com for short! So if you are craving fiction go take a look. We’re adding new people everyday. You don’t even have to be IN PRINT….podcasts and epub count! It’s only 1$ to list yourself if you are an author (with a spot in the listing for your stories and books and other goodies to you) – so just go do it already!

If you’d like to be put on the mailing list newsletter (your email will be kept confidential and not sold) sign up here!

This is going to be a list of things I’m going to tape and things I’m going to be at. If you are at the Con this is where I’ll be and what I’ll be taping. Come see me in my panels or find me and say hello!

Friday:

10am
(taping)
Getting Started as a Writer
How to organize yourself, your thoughts and get rolling.
Henderson, Holzner, Ivey, Pinto (M)

(going)
Characters Readers will LOVE
How do you write characters that will live forever in the hearts and minds of your readers?
Freedman, Johnson (M), Schwabach, Mead, S Miller

11am
(hoping to tape)
Pitching your Project to an Agent or Editor
Finding a hook, being direct and selling your pitch
Hartwell, Holzner, R Miller (M)

(going)
Finding Time to Write
Few writers have the luxury of working at it full time; how do they successfully carve out writing time and maintain their discipline?
Crowley, Jamison, Pinto, Roman (M)

12noon
(taping)
Paranormal Romance: the Hottest Genre
All about the genre that selling like hotcakes and what makes it a success
Crowley, Darvill, Price (M), Valerie

(going)
Plotting your Narrative
Get to the heart of your story: the narrative line. How do you build it, how do you keep conflict occurring and bring satisfaction at the end?
Ivey, Nayman, Pinto (M), Schwabach

2pm
(taping)
Collaboration: Heaven or Hell?
Collaboration can mean a project that never would have lived but it takes skill to juggle schedules and working styles
Miller, Prellwitz, Price (M), Roman

(going)
Get Your Story Off the Ground
You’ve got a great idea but you don’t know where to begin; how do you nail down all those wild thoughts and build a story?
Jamison (M), Mead, Pinto, Schwabach

3pm
(in as moderator – taping)
Social Media & Promotion
How to use the myriad frequencies of social media to promote your work without allowing it to suck up all your time
Alexandre (M), Holzner, Laity, Roman, Ventrella

(taping)
Romance that Thrills
What makes a romance live forever? How can you give your readers the ride of their life and an ending that satisfies?
Crowley, Ivey (M), Johnson

4pm
(In – taping)
Promotion on a Low Budget
What are the secrets to promotion that doesn’t break the bank, but gets your name out there where it matters.
Alexandre, Price (M), Johnson, Kempe, Westfield

(taping)
Fan Fiction: Stepping Stone?
More and more writers are making the leap from fan fiction to pro status: can fanfic be a writing workshop for you?
Ivey, Jamison, Prellwitz, Sawicki (M), Spoor

6pm
(in as moderator – taping)
Not a Vampire:
Horror Beyond Bloodsuckers
Forget vamps: we have zombies! Not to mention ghosts, Lovecraftian eldritch horrors, shape-shifters and more.
Alexandre (M), Henderson, Holzner, Kessler, Mason, Sawicki, Schwabach

(taping)
Out of the Word Processor and Into the Bookstore
You’ve sold your manuscript and signed the contract. What happens to your book now? Learn all the steps of a book’s journey from author’s
submission to readers’ hands, as hardcover, paperback and ebook
editions. It’s a long road with more twists and turns than you might think, especially in the digital age.
Arthen (M), R Miller, Strock

7pm

(taping)
Paranormal Investigation:
Field work and research
Albany Paranormal Research Society

(going)
How to Feed the Writer’s Mind
What does it take to keep the creative mind well fed? How do you replenish the well of creativity? Are there sure fire ways to avoid the dreaded block?
Mead, Pinto, Redick, Schwabach, Steele (M)

(taping)
Mixing Humor with Your SF:
Nayman

9pm

(attending)
FANTASY BALL

Saturday

11am

(in- taping)
Paranormal Romance v. Urban Fantasy
Is there a difference? As paranormals get grittier and fantasy explores romance, are the lines blurred?
Alexandre, D’Arc, Darvill, DeCaprio, Price(M)
12noon

(taping)
Hard SF v Soft
It’s difficult to avoid making the title suggestive but the real question is how much the distinction still means.
Cramer, Frederick, Freedman, Nayman, Steele (M), Strock

(going)
Vampires: Sparkling or Bloody?
Vampires: rotting corpses who feed on human vitality or dreamy sparkly beautiful mopey demi-gods? Discuss.
Arthen, Crowley, Darvill, Kessler (M), Pinto, Westfield

1pm
2pm

(taping)
eBooks and eReaders
Ebooks are outselling hardcovers: the future is here! What’re the best ereaders–and can you sign them somehow?
D’Arc, Kempe, S Miller, Roman, (M) Westfield

Doctor Who
(taping) _may go to
A lively discussion of the long-term series whether you think the latest doctor is dreamy — or a punk kid who can’t hold a candle to Tom Baker
Lieven, Rothman, Schwabach (M), Spoor, Thomas

3pm

(in- taping)
Social Media & the Writer
Social media has brought the reader and the writer closer together than ever: what are the pros and cons of this, and how best to use it?
Alexandre, Miller, Nayman, Pinto (M), Strock, Valerie

(might tape)
The Making of Coyote: R&D and Writing
Our guests of honor break down the process of creation
GoHs Allen Steele & Ron Miller

4pm

(taping – might go)
Bringing History to Life
From steampunk to alt history, the past is more present than ever: how do you make it believable without using *all* of your research?
Holzner (M), Jamison, Mead, McCullough, Park, Schwabach

5pm

(taping)
Are Publishers Still Necessary?
Electronic media makes it possible to get your work directly to readers: is this always a good thing?
Henderson, Prellwitz, R Miller, Sawicki, Spoor, Valerie (M), Ventrella

(going – may tape)
Reading:
Kessler

6pm

(taping)
Healthy Living for Readers & Writers
Be honest: we spend a lot of our time sitting and reading or writing. Can we be a little more healthy?
Dumas (M), S Miller, Valerie

(in – taping)
Turning Fiction into Audio Form Workshop
Learn how to record your fiction to share with the world from one who knows the ropes
Alexandre

7pm
(taping)
The Mainstreaming of Genre Fiction:
Does it Help Us?
Some of the most successful mainstream writers are looting the spec fic tropes: is this raising our respectability?
D’Arc, Ivey, Mason (M), Redick, Schwabach, Strock

(going -taping)
Connecting with Readers Workshop
What does it take to reach readers? How do you cultivate a relationship with your fans?
Arthen, Price (M)

8pm

(going -taping)
Steampunk: Gathering Steam & Going Mainstream
It’s a fashion, it’s a genre, it’s an art exhibit at Oxford University: why is steampunk so hot?
Darvill, Marlowe, Park, Price (M)

11pm

(in – taping if allowed)
Steamy Romance Reading
The stories don’t have to be scorching, but it helps! This is a 18+ event. Attendees will have the chance to win some swag thanks to Authors After Dark.
Alexandre, Arthen, Crowley, D’Arc, Darvill, Jamison, Kempe, Lynne, Marlowe, Price, Westfield

Sunday:

12noon

(going -taping)
Sex & Gender in Spec Fic
Why are male characters still the default for so many writers? Does “strong female character” just mean she kicks ass? And what about sexuality other than F/M?
D’Arc, Holzner (M), Kessler, Price, Schwabach

That person is @caro_lane who won the book “Vicious Circle” by Linda  Robertson (@authorlinda)  and a surprise piece of swag obtained from Authors After Dark Convention.

CONGRATS!!!!

Caro – please send me your mailing address to kimi@talechasing.com so I can send this off to you. I hope to get it out to you this week but no later then next as I am going to Albacon this coming weekend.

——-

As a side note….I’m super busy with a piece of fiction I need to write for Albacon that I’ll be reading!! The story will also go up (in audio form) here and over at Guardiansnovel.com as it’s a story for the series!!! Please remember the site needs some fixin up. I’m also trying to get ready for the convention and I’m working on a special project to promote authors of #specfic (which encompasses everything from urban fantasy to paranormal romance to steampunk and on and on). Talechasing will be a part of this site so I’m not just starting some new random project. *grins* I want to help promote all of you writers/authors and this will definitely help.

Anyway the reason I mention this is because it means I don’t have an episode to go up. Oh I have episodes that can go up but none put together. So…when I get the story written, I’m packed, and I’ve done a few other things for the #specfic secret project – I will set up a TaleChasing podcast to go up on Friday Oct 8. Thanks for the patience.

I’d love to know what you think of it. Leave comments there or here and let me know.

P.S. I will be posting all the places you can come and see me at Albacon coming up in another blog post.

Now the goodies!

There is a CONTEST:

To win an urban fantasy book and a piece of swag from the AADCon 2010 all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. I will announce the winner in next week’s podcast. You MUST leave a way to get in touch with you, twitter, facebook, email…SOMETHING or you loose if your name is chosen.

I’ll also be doing a post/quick audio update to tell you where you can find me at Authors After Dark and at Albacon. I would love for you to come and say hi if you are attending either event.

I’ll also be coming back with recordings of the panels.

So…stay patient a little while longer. It’s coming.

P.S. Is anyone having issues pulling down episodes?

I also spoke over at The Dead Robot’s Society, a great podcast on writing. I spoke with the guys about voice acting.

Enjoy!