Scarlet Letters

First of all, let me give kudos to the Hypericon staff. Darrell LuAllen, Fred and Stephania Grimm, Chip Allen and all the folks who run Hypericon make it the great show that it is. I imagine they're all still sleeping. Folks, if you haven't experienced the fun that is Hypericon, put it on your list for next year. I've remarked to several people now that it's damned rare to find a con with no assholes. No egotistical guests lording over their minions. No drunken stupidity (well, a minimum of it). A serious lack of Drahmah. So often the juxtaposition of fandom personalities, sleep deprivation and the seesaw of caffeine and alcohol leads to mindless stupidity and some drunken idiot ends up weeping on the ledge. Not at Hypericon. Fred pointed out that last year, their security staff consisted of one guy with a big stick, and they had fewer problems than cons with a staff of twenty. This year, the guy and the big stick were joined by a handful of teenagers, all helpful and p...

I've been watching "Look, Up In The Sky," a two-hour documentary on Superman as a cultural icon, for several days now. I'm watching it in short increments with my son. We don't watch a lot of television - no, really, I watch most of it after he goes to bed. But his favorite television show is SMALLVILLE, one of his favorite movies is SUPERMAN, and he is utterly beside himself about the new SUPERMAN movie. I predict by the time the hype is over, he'll be after me to redecorate his room from its current Mickey Mouse theme to reflect the Man of Steel. And after all, there are few icons so appropriate. Superman has gone through his ups and downs (notably George Reeves' suicide and the debacle that was SUPERMAN IV), but has remained remarkably whole and untouched by the seventy-odd years he's been flying about our popular culture. When Christopher Reeve stood before us and declared he was there to fight for truth, justice and the American way, only Lois lau...

I'm happy to announce that TANDEM is now available for purchase on the Ellora's Cave web site! http://www.ellorascave.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=1-4199-0636-4 Jericho Trail was too dangerous to hike alone—those were park rules. That's how Chris and Reed ended up hiking together - two strangers. Chris went to the woods to be alone, to think and find peace in a time of trouble. Reed went to the woods for a good time. But he had no idea the trail would be so difficult — or that he would share it with such an intoxicating woman. Separated from the world, the dangers of the trail are nothing compared to the dance between two lost souls, forced together by circumstance but drawn together by the fire burning their blood. TANDEM is part of the Fun In the Sun series of erotic novellas released all month from Ellora's Cave. It is an ebook, and costs only $2.99. C'mon, it's gonna fund my appearance at Dragoncon. You wanna see me at Dragoncon, don't you? Go! Buy! And as a...

And this one's going to be a little different. I'd like to introduce the Sleepwalkers writing group, of which I am proud to be a member. And for the first time ever, we'll all be in ONE PLACE. Yup, the chat party on June 13 (yes, that's Tuesday the Thirteenth; Friday was unavailable) will put all five of us in the Wilderness Chat Room for you to meet and greet. I'm sure it will be dignified, intellectual and respectful, with a minimum of snark. Surely.

WHAT: Sleepwalkers Chat Party
WHEN: 8-10 p.m. EST June 13
WHERE: Wilderness Chat Room (see instructions below

JEFF STRAND (www.jeffstrand.com) is the author of the upcoming thriller PRESSURE, which has gotten such terrific reviews that the rest of us are salivating to read it. He's already cut a name for himself writing horror comedies such as GRAVEROBBERS WANTED, NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY; HOW TO RESCUE A DEAD PRINCESS; and SINGLE WHITE PSYCHOPATH SEEKS SAME, as well as others. Jeff is the king of titles, I tell ...

This coming weekend is Relay for Life. That means yes, I'm in my annual panic. I have a team full of Episcopalians to direct, which resembles herding cats in no small amount. In the meantime, you have three more days to donate. All funds go to the American Cancer Society for research and support services for cancer patients. Today I wrote my check to purchase two luminaries in honor of two friends currently facing cancer. One is in her third bout with the disease... and she's exactly one year older than I am. There is literally no one untouched by this disease. There's a Paypal button on my web site at the link below. All donations are tax-deductible. If you prefer not to go through my web site for whatever reason, Paypal your donation (marked as such) to elizabethdonald at yahoo dot com. And just to sweeten the pot, anyone who donates gets his or her name entered into a drawing for a free book. Keep the faith. http://www.elizabethdonald.com/shop.html

Rock Us All Down (Torquere Press) by my dear friend Angelia Sparrow! Once Upon a Time... Rapunzel and Medusa fell in love. $1.99. What a deal! http://www.torquerepress.com/cart/cart.php?m=product_list&c=624 Official Blurb: Once upon a time, Medusa and Rapunzel fell in love. That's the premise of this legendary tale. Fusing the Rapunzel and Medusa legends, author Angel takes what could be a really bad hair day and makes it an erotic lesbian myth. Medusa is a priestess. Rapunzel is a witch. They come together and apart while the world changes around them, living the lives of those cursed, and blessed, by the Gods. Can they find the balance they need to keep their love alive? "A Night In Electric Squidland" (Lone Star Stories) by the brilliant Sarah Monette!! http://literary.erictmarin.com/current.htm And it's FREE. " Sleeping Beauty, Indeed" (Torquere Press), an anthology including "Undertow," a story by the terrific Meredith Schwartz! $5.95 at h...