Amy Herring

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.

Blushing through “Nature is Kinkier than You”

Caution: Contains Adult Content. This article is written in [bracketed code] to avoid Bleeps! Biology experts Emily Finke, Tina Saey, and Emily Willingham expounded upon the myriad ways that “Nature is Still Kinkier than You” at a Science Track panel Saturday at 10PM on the track’s YouTube channel. Emily Finke also acted as impromptu moderator. The panel discussed mating rituals… Read more →

Exploring the Other Side in Urban Fantasy

Authors discussed an array of ghosts, spirits, apparitions, revenants, spectral residue, and other scary things that go bump in the night at “The Other Side: Ghosts and Spirits in UF” Saturday at 8 PM on the Urban Fantasy YouTube channel. Carol Malcolm moderated the mesmerizing panel discussion by A.J. Hartley, Leanna Renee Hieber, Walter H. Hunt, and Catherine Scully. Hartley… Read more →

The Bluest Eye with Puppets: Reconciliation and Art

African American Puppetry scholar Dr. Paulette Richards interviewed Professor Margaret L. Kemp for the panel “Rehearsing Truth and Reconciliation: Casting Puppets in The Bluest Eye,” Saturday at 4PM on the Puppetry Track Facebook page. Professor Kemp collaborated with Janni Younge to present a puppetry-enhanced play based on Lydia Diamond’s stage adaptation of Toni Morrison’s critically acclaimed (and first) novel. The… Read more →

Playing “Fact or Fiction: AHFT Edition”

Authors A. J. Hartley, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Michael Martinez, Tamsin Silver, Tony Ballard Smoot, and Jean Marie Ward tried to stump contestants, including me, in silentio, with plausible historical scenarios at Dragon Con’s Alternate & Historical Fiction Track (ALT) Saturday at 2:30PM on the ALT YouTube channel. Liz Wang Carpenter moderated and Alison Helfferich and Brett Gordan acted as additional… Read more →

Fae Myths Bowed but Not Broken in Urban Fantasy

A select panel of urban fantasy authors pondered traditions and fresh ideas in depicting the Fae in their work on Saturday at 10AM, Urban Fantasy YouTube. Moderated by Carol Malcolm, panelists Patricia Biggs, Jim Butcher, Cecilia Dominic, Lisa Manifold, and Bishop O’Connell discussed “Favors, Bargains and Glamours: The Fae in Urban Fantasy.” Although the authors agreed on certain legends concerning… Read more →

Mentoring with Mari Mancusi, A WRIT Opportunity

Mentoring with Mari Mancusi, A WRIT Opportunity

On Friday afternoon, I took advantage of Mentoring Sessions offered by the Writers Track to meet with author Mari Mancusi. Mancusi primarily writes middle grade and young adult books and transitioned from journalist to full-time author earlier in her career. She walked me through how she handled those changes, and how she could envision accommodating both a writing career and… Read more →

Dr. Kevin R. Grazier Twists Science into Writers’ Workshop

Dr. Kevin R. Grazier Twists Science into Writers’ Workshop

Scientist, film and TV science advisor, and author Dr. Kevin R. Grazier twisted science into writing with the skill of an expert mixologist at the final guest lecture presented at Jody Lynn Nye’s Writer’s Workshop Friday afternoon. Grazier’s Hollyweird books (Hollyweird Science: From Quantum Quirks to the Multiverse, which he wrote with Stephen Cass; he is working with a neuro-pharmacologist… Read more →

Writing in the Time of COVID Part 3: Leanna Renee Hieber

Writing in the Time of COVID Part 3: Leanna Renee Hieber

Writing at any time can be daunting, sometimes rewarding, sometimes eminently frustrating. But what about writing in a pandemic with all the accompanying social, economic, political, and weather distractions in addition to health concerns? The Daily Dragon asked authors participating in the first virtual Dragon Con how they faced and survived these particular challenges and kept on writing—or not. Daily… Read more →