Amy L. Herring (Louise Herring-Jones) writes speculative fiction, with a preference for historical fantasy and alternate mystery. Her stories, appearing in fourteen anthologies, include “The Poulterer’s Tale” in God Bless Us, Every One—Christmas Carols beyond Dickens (Voodoo Rumors Media). Amy coordinates the HSV Writers’ group in Huntsville, AL. Visit her online at http://www.louiseherring-jones.com.
The 2005 Miss Klingon Empire Pageant began with a bagpipe memorial to James Doohan (“Scotty,” Star Trek, 1920–2005) that left the capacity crowd in an unusually emotional and receptive mood that carried through the entire event. Although the pageant featured nine consistently snarling and passionately combative lovelies, audience reaction ranged quixotically from reverent silence to patriotic cheering to rhythmic swaying… Read more →
Ann Crispin offered self-editing and marketing tips at her Advanced Writers’ Workshop at Dragon*Con 2005. The author of twenty-two novels, including seven New York Times bestsellers and Storms of Destiny, the first novel in a new fantasy trilogy published by EOS, Crispin annually shares her insights on writing and publishing with new and veteran writers at Dragon*Con. This year, Ann… Read more →
On a sidetrack of my own, I traveled briefly to Seatac with Dragon*Con fans Meg and George. I may have been on the yellow brick road to the Emerald City of Seattle, but Meg had no doubts about her mission to Atlanta. “It’s our chance to catch up with friends we haven’t seen,” Meg explained. The 2002 Miss Klingon had… Read more →
Star Trek movie veteran Robin Curtis (Saavik), Connor Trinneer ( “Trip” Tucker, Enterprise), and Max Grodénchik (Rom, Deep Six Nine) joined Next Generation stars Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi) and LeVar Burton (Geordi LaForge) on Saturday evening to charm a standing-room crowd of fans for Trek Trak’s “Star Trek Celebrity Cavalcade.” The panel fielded tough questions about their knowledge of Star… Read more →
Tales of biting cows threatened to turn otherwise tame writers feral during a Writers’ Track research panel on Sunday afternoon. What could have been a deadly dull panel on research dos and don’ts became an amusing showcase of research disasters. Among the research mistakes described by panelists were pregnant mules and a bizarre magical village perched atop an active volcano…. Read more →
Sexually explicit expression is under attack, warned a Dragon*Con Electronic Frontiers Forums (“EFF”) panel Friday night. What can happen if you don’t copy records which prove the age of everyone baring all, etc., etc., in your webcam streaming video? You can go to jail. For a long time. And this doesn’t involve passing go or collecting $200 in Monopoly bucks…. Read more →
Star Trek: The Next Generation star LeVar Burton inspired fans gathered in the Centennial ballroom Monday. Burton spoke highly of the inclusive continuum fostered by Star Trek founder Gene Roddenberry in adding people of color and with disabilities to the cast. Burton, who portrayed the visually impaired Geordi LaForge, continues to work toward advances similar to the visor worn by… Read more →
Best-selling author Ann C. Crispin’s Dragon*Con workshops have generated two successful online writers’ groups and published stories and novels by at least six of Crispin’s students, Crispin told her Advanced Writers’ Workshop students Sunday. The workshop had a full roster of 18 students and featured self-editing and marketing/promotion this year. The first online writers’ support and critique group started as… Read more →
