Ad Astra 2013

As always, I had a fantastic time at this year's Ad Astra convention. Saw good friends, sold some books, did some panels and spent some money on stuff I really didn't need but kinda wanted. And yet, I came away from this con with a heavy heart, and did not book a table for next year.

Why not? Let me put it this way: if there was one word I could use to sum up the whole experience for me, however, it would be bittersweet. I had nothing new to sell, after all, and I had nothing on its way to publication to promote. It felt... like I was yesterday's news, making one last desperate attempt to get noticed before fading into irrelevancy.

Whoa. Got kinda dramatic there. That happens when I'm in one of my moods, a topic that will become even more relevant as this post continues.

Anyway, the con. I went down Friday evening to get registered, find my table, and attend a panel on ebook publishing that featured my good friend Sarah Water Raven (author of Detective Dochherty and the Demon's Tears). It was fun and insightful, but left me no wiser on how to boost sales on Closets(anyone? Pretty pleeze?).

Saturday was busy, with my first panel at 10 in the morning. My friend Monica Kuebler (of Burningeffigy Press, publisher of Section K) came early to run my table while I was away. The Changing Face of the Paranormal in YA featured myself, Kelley Armstrong, and moderator extraordinaire Amanda Sun. We covered a lot of YA paranormal ground, agreed that vampires have been done to undeath, and offered predictions on what the future of the genre might bring (hint - Angels!). I left feeling full of beans, metaphorically speaking, and thought I'd done a good job.

I didn't have quite the same feeling coming out of my 3 PM panel, Demons, Werewolves and Necromancers. My fellow panelists were Jim Butcher, Andrew Pyper and Douglas Smith, three guys who really knew their stuff. I choked on a couple of questions, but managed to hold most of my own as the panel went on. Don't get me wrong, those guys are terrific and did not try to intimidate me in any way, shape or form. I just felt a little out of my depth, like a little kid surrounded by the grown-ups. Of course, the image of the big kid is not something I've ever tried to resist (quite the opposite, in fact).

That night, a large group gathered in one of the Consuites to watch that night's episode of Doctor Who. It was a lot of fun watching a favourite show in the company of so many fans. Space was very limited, however, so there was a lot of shuffling about on the floor to acquire a decent line of sight.

On Sunday I had another 10 AM panel, followed by another at 12. Monica could only come for Saturday, but my fellow vendors were more than happy to watch my table while I was out and about. My first panel was Bullying-TNG with Kari Maaren and Sgt. Pat Poitevin. We discussed the issue of bullying in broad and specific terms, identifying weaknesses in so-called 'zero tolerance' policies and exploring a variety of solutions. Sgt. Poitevin (husband of Sins of the Son author Linda Poitevin)is an RCMP officer who specializes in anti-bullying in schools, and he offered a lot of useful insight.

My final panel was Fandom Mental Health Forum, with Adrienne Everitt, Kate Daley and Brenda Shaw (told you my moods would be relevant again!). All of us were in agreement that the panel time of one hour wasn't nearly enough. We all had a lot to say, and things got very emotional. Naturally I managed to get a plug for The Cupid War in there, but I was reminded of how important it is for me to write even more about mood disorders.

One thing about the con in general that needs to be said: the Timmies Girls were lifesavers! Three young ladies came around three times a day asking vendors if they wanted anything from Tim Hortons. Without their heroic efforts, many of us would have faced near-certain decaffeination.

The con was a good one for me; I sold more books than I thought I would, made some new friends, had lunch with some old ones, and did as much as I could with the time I had. Even so, I missed several panels, readings and parties that I otherwise would have loved to have attended. Some friends I caught only a glimpse of, and I'll have to wait for the next con to get another chance to see them. I'm not sure when that will be for me. I hope to attend Can Con in September, but time (and money) will tell. I still won't have anything new, nor an answer to the question of when will my next book come out. One thing is for certain, though - I am definitely not done with the fandom community. I guess I just really want to prove my worth. I know I don't have to, but that's where I'm at right now.

And, table or not, I will be back at Ad Astra next year.

Ad Astra... All Of A Sudden!

Ad Astra, one of my favourite conventions, begins tomorrow. And I only found out yesterday.

Well, that's not entirely true. I am, after all, signed up for a table and four panels. I'd just lost track of time, and before I knew it here it is!

Lucky my wife Violet reminded me yesterday - I'd have hated to have found out Sunday evening!

Below are my panels and times. I will be selling copies of my novels (and probably a few toys) at my table the rest of the weekend. Hope to see lots of you there!


Saturday 10 am Ellsemere West - Changing Face of the
Paranormal in YA Fiction
Amanda Sun (m), Kelley Armstrong, Timothy Carter
Characters of diversity, worlds built on non-western mythologies, and stories influenced by anime, manga and gaming culture are combining to create a new face of Young Adult Fiction. This panel explores the face of fantasy and the paranormal in YA and how it is changing. How does it differ from the fantasy books we grew up with? You’ll have to join the conversation to find out.

Saturday 3 pm Ellsemere East - Demons, Werewolves, and
Necromancers
Douglas Smith (m), Jim Butcher, Timothy Carter, Andrew Pyper
There are new trends forming in the paranormal genre. Traditionally ‘evil’ characters are turned into heroes. Paranormal fiction is expanding and so is the demographic of people who read it. How do you keep these new ideas from becoming cliché? What works and what doesn’t? Attend this panel to plumb the depths – and shallows – of the unknowable.

Sunday 10 am Arctic - Bullying- TNG
Kari Maaren (m), Timothy Carter, Sgt. Pat Poitevin
As SF and fantasy nerds, we were probably bullied as kids. With the advent of cyber-bullying, how do we begin bully-proofing our own nerdy kids? Not to mention the more subtle bullying we’ve become subject to as adults. In this panel, conceive and discuss effective strategies for dealing with the Biff Tannens of this brave, new world.

Sunday 12 pm Berczy B - Fandom Mental Health Forum
adrienne everitt (m), Timothy Carter, Kate Daley
Fans come together to discuss their struggles with mental illness and how the deal with it, both within Fandom and in real life. We will provide resources for getting help, as well as some worksheets to take away. This panel focuses on creating a safe environment for people to share successes and failures in dealing with mental illness. This panel is a non-professional peer support initiative and is not intended to replace professional/medical advice.

SFContario Weekend Part II

And now for Sunday, the second half of my SFContario experience. Although it wasn't really half the experience - I had only two events, compared to the five I did the day before. Nevertheless, it was a very full and rewarding day!

My first event was the Writing in the Digital Age panel in Ballroom BC, with fellow panelists James Bambury, Lynna Merrill, and my new best friend Sarah Water Raven (seen here stuffing a pen up her nose).

The panel started at 10 in the AM, which is a problem to anyone who understands the Sunday schedule of the TTC. Basically, the trains don't start running until 9:00 AM, with very little service before that (including my local bus!). From the time the first bus of the day picked me up, I had about 45 minutes to get to the panel on time! And somewhere in there, I had to squeeze in another cup of tea, too! Once more I was extremely grateful for that Tim Hortons inside Finch Station.

I got to the Ramada Plaza Hotel in decent time (read: not too late), but I still had to find Ballroom BC. See, the rooms in that hotel were tricky to find without a strong sense of irony. After all, the Gardenview had no view of a garden, the Courtyard wasn't anywhere near an actual courtyard, and the Solarium had no sun. The name Ballroom BC suggests a very large dancing room with a stone-age theme, so I knew I to look for a small room with lots of tech lying around. And that's pretty much what I found!

The panel itself was insightful and fun. I got a chance to gripe about how I had to learn Internet marketing by trial and error, and the others spoke about what had worked for them. I learned some good tips about ebook publishing, for which I am grateful to my co-panelists.

Afterward, I visited the con-suite with Sarah the pen-sniffer and her minion, Keli. It really is terrific for authors and other panelists to have a place to go and relax with a snack and a drink in-between our scheduled bits of programming. Having had a table at most other cons, I would often return to said table instead of taking advantage of the con-suitey goodness on offer. My lack of a table this time meant I sold fewer books, but I had the chance to unwind in the company of some awesome people. And Keli the minion bought a copy of Section K from me, so it was awesomeness all around (thank you, Keli!).

My last bit of official programming was a book signing, located in the Hallway. Which hallway was the Hallway? That's what I had to find out with all speed. Luckily I received directions, and was delighted to discover that the Hallway was, in fact, a hallway! No irony in that designation at all. I shared a table with Violette Malan and two other authors whose names I really should have written down (sorry, guys!). The Hallway was empty, with nobody for us to sign books for. It looked to be a very dull and depressing hour...

...but then my friend Rebecca Lovatt arrived with brownie cookies and chocolate chip & cookie dough muffins! And there was much rejoicing. Nom, nom, nom!!! Words cannot describe how awesome Rebecca's baked goods are, so I won't waste any trying. No books were sold or signed, but boy were we well-fed! Nom, nom, I say again, nom!

The signing ended, the muffins were woofed, and one last bit of business for me remained. My friend and fellow author Ira Nayman (Alternate Reality Ain't What It Used To Be) had requested a copy of my first published novel, Attack of the Intergalactic Soul Hunters. Who was I to day no? He is probably the last person on Earth to have purchased a copy... at least until I sell it to another publisher!

I left that day feeling grand. SFContario had been good to me, and I definitely plan to return next year.

SFContario Weekend

Another good time was had by me at SFContario. Or, rather, I had another good time at SFContario! Much better. Always avoid passive voice if you can.

But I was far from passive at last weekend's convention, ever so conveniently located(for me, anyway) in the heart of downtown Toronto. I turned up bright and early on Saturday morning at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, ready to do my half-hour reading, three panels and Kaffeeklatsch(which I still can't pronounce). My reading at 11 was poorly attended, but two wonderful people did turn up midway through to hear me read from The Cupid War. Suzanne Church came in for the next reading, and she was just terrific. She read a story in which Death orders breakfast at a diner before going to Niagara Falls. All three of us were hooked, hanging on her every word. Then she ended her reading without finishing the story, which can only be seen as an intolerable act of cruelty. >:( Shame on you, Suzanne Church, for writing such a compelling story!

I went from the readings straight into my first panel, Urban Fantasy. Joining me were fellow authors Violette Malan, Michael Mattheson, Shirley Meier. Turns out I was the moderator! That's not something you want to find out at the last minute! I'm happy to report that I rose to the occasion; I thought up some decent questions to ask my fellow panelists, and kept things running smoothly.

The Kaffeeklatsch was a non-event. I hung out in the room with my good friend Mike Bryant for half an hour, then we left to go have lunch. I had the blandest bowl of beef and barley soup I have ever eaten; not gross, just kinda ho-hum. Glad I brought my own sandwich.

At 4 o'clock it was time for revenge. And guilt. Scheduled to appear with me on the Vengeance and Guilt as Motivation panel were Herb Kauderer, Michael Mattheson, Gareth McGorman, Tony Pi, Caitlin Sweet. And yet, I seem to remember only four people on that panel, including me. I can't say exactly who was missing... I should've taken names at the door! Anyhoo, the panel went well...ish. I got a little muddled while trying to make a point about heroic behaviour vs. vengeance. Overall, though, it was okay. Not feeling vengeful. Maybe a little guilty.

My final bit of programming for Saturday was SF and Gender, with Kathryn Allan, Shirley Meier and Sarah Water Raven. I was a tiny bit late, having left the con to grab a burger and do some writing. Ten minutes can only stretch so far! I spoke once again about James Alan Gardner's Commitment Hour. And that's about all the speaking I was able to get in! It felt a bit like the others were hogging the conversation, but that's only because they were so very enthusiastic about the subjectmatter. The panel covered a lot of ground, and managed to be completely different from the similar panel I did at Can*Con (except for me talking about Commitment Hour, which is a fabulous book).

Sarah Water Raven had come to promote her new novel, Detective Docherty and the Demon's Tears, and SFContario was her first con! She and I hit it off, and I wasted no time making fun of her main character's last name. Y'know, Docherty. Doche-rty? Douche-bag? Well, I thought it was funny...

I think I'll stop here for now, and make a new post for Sunday. Until then!

SFContario Schedule

Next weekend I will be attending SFContario at the Ramada Plaza Hotel on 300 Jarvis St. It won't be that far of a walk from College Subway Station; for once, I'll be attending a con that is really, really easy to get to by TTC!

I have no programming on the Friday, but Saturday looks to be quite busy. Here is my schedule in brief:

Reading - Saturday 11:00 AM Gardenview

Urban Fantasy: Fairies Around Every Corner (Timothy Carter, Violette Malan, Michael Mattheson, Shirley Meier) Saturday 12:00 PM, Solarium

Kaffeeklatsch – Saturday 2:00 PM Room 207

Guilt and Vengeance as a Motivation in Fiction (Timothy Carter, Herb Kauderer, Michael Mattheson, Gareth McGorman, Tony Pi, Caitlin Sweet) Saturday 4:00 PM, Courtyard

SF and Gender (Kathryn Allan, Timothy Carter, Shirley Meier, Lynna Merrill) Saturday 6:00 PM, Solarium

Writing in the digital age (James Bambury, Timothy Carter, Lynna Merrill) Sunday 10:00 AM, Ballroom BC

I also have a book signing session on Sunday at Noon.

Just what is an Kaffeeklatsch? I had to ask about that.

Apparently it is some sort of round table discussion between myself and approximately 20 people on... anything. I suppose I'll talk about my areas of expertise: writing, blogging, conventions, Transformers, Doctor Who, being unemployed, freaky religious stuff, mental health, and tea.

This will be my last con of 2012 (or ever, depending on what happens on December 21st!), so I plan to have as much fun as possible. It will be a long stretch before my next one, Ad Astra 2013.