I met Leanna Renee Hieber at Dragon*Con 2011 and was impressed with her snappy Victorian costumes and enthusiasm for all things Gothic. Leanna returned this year and shared news of her myriad literary and acting adventures and accomplishments.

[Editor's note: Andrew P. Mayer's comments, although timely sent, were delayed in the email ether. We've added them in this updated article.]

The Book has come a long way from ancient carvings in clay and papyrus scrolls. The current eBook trend mirrors the launch in 1939 of affordable paperback books, which transformed publishing and our relationship with reading. Almost a century later, can the Book survive competition for our attention (and our money) from film, television, Internet, and other media?  Here’s what Dragon*Con authors predict about what may change and what will endure as the Book evolves into the Future Book.

Firefly and Serenity fans know Sean Maher as Dr. Simon Tam, the most devoted brother and best-dressed surgeon in hundreds of worlds. Next week, Maher will premiere his performance of Don John in Joss Whedon’s adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. Grinning and freshly caffeinated for his second Dragon*Con, Maher sat down with the Daily Dragon to chat about siblings, Shakespeare, storytelling, and the con experience.

Mira Furlan was an acclaimed actress in her native Croatia, winning the equivalent of an Oscar, before emigrating to the United States in the early ‘90s. She is best known to American audiences, however, as Ambassador Delenn from Babylon 5 and Danielle Rousseau from LOST. She took a few minutes Saturday morning to talk with the Daily Dragon.

Dragon*Cons celebrity guests don’t always have time to sit down and eat in a restaurant or stand in line for a snack.  Some would be unable to have a meal or even a cup of coffee without interruptions.  For these guests, the Green Room provides a quiet place to have a meal or a snack.  The Green Room Director, Edward DeGruy, talked with the Daily Dragon.

Daily Dragon (DD): What led you to start running the Green Room?

Edward DeGruy (ED): I …

Best known for her roles as Beth Kittridge in TekWar and Dr. Elizabeth Weir in Stargate: Atlantis, Torri Higginson has been a prolific guest star on several TV shows and is currently helping on a film script about themes of obsession and inspiration. She took a few minutes after signing in the Walk of Fame to speak with the Daily Dragon.

Bestselling author Brandon Winn Sanderson, master of brilliant world building, stunning plot twists, and innovative magic systems, has returned to Dragon*Con this year. Five years ago, he was chosen to complete the late Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time. Fans the world over are eagerly awaiting the last installment, A Memory of Light, which Sanderson finished writing just a few weeks ago. He has proven himself a rising star in …

Atlanta author Jana Oliver writes an award-winning young adult fantasy set in an alternate Atlanta and featuring the Atlanta Demon Trappers Guild. A Dragon*Con regular, Oliver sat down with The Daily Dragon to discuss her books.

Fresh from the August 20 Hugo Awards Ceremony, Chicks Dig Time Lords contributors K. Tempest Bradford and Mary Robinette Kowal were still glowing in the reflected light of that hallowed shining rocketship when they sat down with the Daily Dragon to chat about their lives with the Doctor. Chicks, an anthology of loving essays from female fans of Doctor Who (plus two interviews with former companions and a “Torchwood Babiez” comic!), won the 2011 Hugo Award for Best Related …

Janet Cadsawan’s work embraces both art and literature.  Her Exhibit Hall booth delighted fans at 2011 Dragon*Con with designs inspired by the work of paranormal, urban fantasy authors.  After 9-11 left her without work, Janet decided to write the novel she always wanted to write.  Her choice of protagonist, a jewelry designer, made her realize that her mother’s love of jewelry had left its mark on her.  Janet began her new career by first working for a local jewelry store …