Wednesday, November 18, 2015

My reading and panel schedule for #PhilCon2015


Next stop Cherry Hill, NJ! If you're going to PhilCon on Nov. 20-22, you'll probably run into me at some point. Please do say hello. Here's my schedule of appearances:

Friday, Nov. 20

5:00 pm
Plaza III (1 hour)
THAT'S NOT A STORY; WHAT IS IT? (2125)

    [Panelists: Diane Weinstein (mod), Darrell Schweitzer, Anne E.
    Johnson, Bernie Mojzes]

    Rachel Swirsky's Nebula-winning and Hugo-nominated “If You Were a
    Dinosaur, My Love” caused considerable controversy because some
    people thought it wasn't a story. What do we mean by a “story”
    anyway


8:00 pm
Plaza V (1 hour)
EXPLORING THE YA LANDSCAPE (2159)

    [Panelists: Christine Norris (mod), Anne E. Johnson, Aaron
    Rosenberg, Jack Hillman, Ty Drago]

    Far more than just dystopian dictatorships and magical boarding
    schools, young adult literature has a lot to offer. Let's take a
    look at some of the less-visible categories in the field


Saturday, Nov. 21

1:00 pm
Room TBA
Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading

2:00 pm
Executive Suite 623 (1 hour)
YA READINGS WITH ANNE E. JOHNSON AND ROBERT C. ROMAN [FAMILY FRIENDLY]
(2080)

    [Panelists: Anne E. Johnson (mod), Robert C Roman]

    Join author Anne E. Johnson as she reads from her new collection of
    short stories, "Things From Other Worlds," and Robert C. Roman with
    a reading from his novel, the space opera "Blank."
 

5:00 pm
Plaza IV (1 hour)
GETTING THEM WHILE THEY ARE YOUNG (2135)

    [Panelists: Jim Stratton (mod), D.H. Aire, Christine Norris, Anne E.
    Johnson, Dina Leacock, Gary Feldbaum]

    Creating SF&F aimed at kids and teens presents a different set of
    problems from writing for adults. The majority of science fiction is
    serious and brainy, and much of it is quite complex. Children
    respond better to simpler ideas presented with a sense of fun, while
    teens are easily bored, overcome by hormones, and desperate to fit
    in with their peers. This panel explores tricks to writing SF&F that
    appeals to kids and teens, as well as analyzing outstanding examples
    of books, films, and TV shows that draw in younger generations


Sunday, Nov. 22

2:00 pm
Plaza V (1 hour)
WHY WRITE HORROR FOR CHILDREN? [FAMILY FRIENDLY] (2225)

    [Panelists: Diane Weinstein (mod), Anne E. Johnson, Barbara A.
    Barnett]

    A panel discussing the value of scary stories and how reading about
    fighting monsters can prepare young minds for facing conflicts in
    the real world

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Launch Day for #midgrade #ebook #fairy story single THE CLAY WAR


I've been working on this fun middle-grade fairy story, and I decided to release it on its own, just to
see what happens.

THE CLAY WAR is sort of a twist on the concept of urban fantasy. One minute, a girl named Shelly is replanting her father's flowers on her fire escape at home in Detroit. The next minute, she's in a strange land, with two rival fairy battalions charging toward her, wings buzzing and weapons raised.

You can buy THE CLAY WAR at all the major ebook vendors, including

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iBooks

Kobo

I hope you enjoy it.

And don't forget: the ebook version of my collection of 15 kids' stories, THINGS FROM OTHER WORLDS, is on sale for 99 cents for all of November. Now that's an otherworldy deal!

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Want great #scifi and #fantasy for cheap? Check out #99centNovember


Happy Fall! You know what's falling besides leaves? The price of some great speculative fiction during a special promotion called #99centNovember.

It's Cyber Monday all month long! 

Such an honor that all the e-book formats of Things From Other Worlds are part of this celebration. I'm in very distinguished company, including Milo James Fowler, Daniel AusemaJames Garcia Jr., Simon KewinMichelle Ann KingTB MarkinsonTyrean MartinsonRhonda Parrish, and Loni Townsend.

Get all the juicy details here.