Fall Deathmarch (a.k.a. tour)

Excuse me, meme. We prefer the term “geeks.”

Semantics aside (and I’m always up for semantics!) I’m off to sunny Atlanta for Dragoncon! It’s great to be returning after many years away – I think my last DC was 2015? 

My reading is at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Hyatt Marietta, and I hope you’ll come. I’ll be giving out a free chapbook to all attendees and will have books for sale. Likewise at my signing, which is at 2:30 p.m. Friday (with Timothy Zahn!) in Westin Overlook and I will sign (almost) anything you put in front of me.

Travelogue will post on Patreon as usual, along with any fun costume pics I get. I’m really looking forward to the annual crazy, and hope my poor bod is up to the abuse. 

Beyond that, the Fall Deathmarch is batshit this year. 

The weekend following Dragoncon, I’m signing at the Martin (Tenn.) Public Library before my 30th (!!) high school reunion.

Sept. 11 I’m speaking to the Plethora of Pens group at the Glen Carbon Library. Topic, er, to be determined.

On Sept. 23 it’s the Spine Book Fair in St. Louis! Note to self: we need a new festival tent…

Then it’s off to Las Vegas for the SPJ National Conference Sept. 28-Oct. 1, where I am a presenter (on freelance journalism) and doing a book signing. No, none of my books have jack to do with journalism unless you count the Dana Franks character in Nocturne Infernum, but they said that doesn’t matter…

Yes, that conflicts with Archon, so I will not be there (sadface) but Jim, Sela Carsen, Nikki Lanahan and Mary Koppenhofer will run the Literary Underworld in my absence. This is the first Archon I will miss since 2007, and I only missed that one because my dad was getting married. (Technically, a family unity ceremony.) While LitUnd will be there in force, we won’t be holding the Traveling Bar. So expect us back with both barrels in 2024!

After that:

• The Melting Pot in Granite City, Ill. on Oct. 7

• Writers of the Riverbend in Alton, Ill. on Oct. 14

• RWA/St. Louis Writers Guild conference at the St. Louis Central Library on Oct. 21 (speaking and signing)

• ContraKC in Kansas City on Nov. 10-12 (full LitUnd booth and traveling bar.)

THEN I UNPACK AND SLEEP. 

Every fall I say, “Why do I do this to myself?” But seeing all of you makes up for the exhaustion and nonsense. If you’re in the vicinity of any of these events, I hope you’ll stop by and say hello. It’ll be good to see you again.