ravencon

Upcoming conventions

~ ianrandalstrock ~ Leave a comment

Planning out the next few weeks, I suddenly have several conventions on my schedule that weren’t there a few days ago.

Next weekend, I’ll be at LICH—the Long Island Convention of Horror, in Hauppauge, New York. I’m trying to decide if I want to commute (to save hotel costs) or see if I have a friend out that way who’s looking for a house guest for Friday and/or Saturday night.

The following weekend (March 7–9), I’ll be staying at my sister’s house while attending NorthEast ComicCon in Boxborough, Massachusetts.

At both of those, I’ll be in the dealers’ room all weekend, no programming appearances. But, as always, I’m happy to talk at the table.

And, the latest news, I’ll have a table at this year’s Ravencon, in Richmond, Virginia, April 25–27. For this one, I’ve got a hotel room reserved, but all they had left are rooms with one king bed. If anyone has a two-bed room and is looking for a roommate to cut the costs, I, too, am interested.

Beyond those speculative fiction cons, I’m also planning to be at Connecticut & Western Massachusetts Mensa’s mini-RG in Bethel, Connecticut, the weekend of March 21–23. I’ve got a roommate to split the room Friday night, but will have an extra bed Saturday night, if anyone is looking for space.

I’m also planning to attend New Hampshire Mensa’s RG April 4–6. I’ve got a hotel reservation there, but I’m not sure if the other bed is already spoken for.

Those are the pro con (professional convention) announcements for the moment.

Monroe, Tyler, and Ravencon

~ ianrandalstrock ~ Leave a comment

You may have noticed I’ve been kind of quiet for the last week or so. I’m on the road, currently in South Carolina, and having a wonderful time. A full report and photos will probably appear here sometime after I return home. But for the nonce, on Thursday I’ll be driving up to Richmond, Virginia, for Ravencon. I’ll probably arrive in the early evening, if anyone is around and looking for a dinner companion.

Early Friday morning, I’ll leave the hotel for Hollywood Cemetery, to visit the graves of Presidents Monroe and Tyler, and possibly several of the other famous folk there. The cemetery opens at 8am, and my plan is to be there at or shortly after that time. If you’re interested in joining me, let me know before I leave the hotel (or meet me at the cemetery: 412 South Cherry Street in Richmond). I expect to be back at the hotel by 11am, so I can unload the car and get set up in the dealers’ room. After that, it’ll be a standard weekend science fiction convention for me: tethered to the table while the dealers’ room is open, and on several panels, if you’re looking for me.

I’m scheduled for:

Friday, 6pm, Brunswick: “The Business of Independent Publishing,” with John G. Hartness and Gareth B. Johnson

Saturday, 11am, Brunswick: “Business Planning for Writers,” with James P. Nettles and Bud Sparhawk

Saturday, 7pm, Dinwiddie: “Space Opera: Does It Still Have a Place in Present-Day Literature?,” with Michael D’Ambrosio and Kathryn Sullivan

Sunday, 11am, Henry: “How to Work with an Editor/The Writer-Editor Relationship,” with R.S. Belcher, Samantha Heuwagen, and Chris A. Jackson

I hope to see many of you there!

Going to Virginia, hoping to not sleep in my car

~ ianrandalstrock ~ Leave a comment
Looking at my upcoming trip to Virginia, and yeah, I know, I waited way too long to do this.
I’ll be attending Ravencon in Glen Allen, Virginia, the weekend of the 29th. I’ve got the dealer table, I’m on programming, I’m all set… except that I don’t have a place to sleep. The convention hotel has been sold out for several weeks (I keep checking) and the overflow hotel, likewise, has been sold out for at least a month. So now I’m doing the serious find-a-place-to-stay stuff. Priceline is offering me a 2.5-star hotel somewhere in the Glen Allen area for $79 a night, though of course I’d be much happier in the convention hotel, if anyone is looking for a roommate. On the other hand, if anyone else is in the same situation as me, I’m willing to split that room once I reserve it.
Also, I’m planning to get into town Thursday, the 28th, kind of late, so that early Friday morning, before setting up at the convention, I can go to the Hollywood Cemetery to visit Presidents Monroe and Tyler (and possibly Jefferson Davis), if anyone wants to join me.