Lee and Miller PhilCon Schedule

Below is our PhilCon schedule, insofar as it is currently known.  Last minute changes are possible, and should be expected.  If you’re attending the convention, always check your pocket program for the Correct Information. Please note that, though the panels are listed as “1 hour” in con time that means “50 minutes.”

Hope to see you there!

Lee and Miller PhilCon Schedule

SATURDAY, November 22

8:30 AM In the hotel restaurant  (this item will NOT appear in the pocket program)
Friends of Liad Breakfast
Join the Friends of Liad for breakfast. This is best likened to a family breakfast, where FoL catch up with each other and with Sharon and Steve. Each family member is responsible for placing and paying for their own order.

11:00 AM Consuite (1 hour)
Teddy Bear Tea, All Invited!
Hosts: Lord Black Cat, Toebear, Ur Sid, companions to Steve Miller and Sharon Lee
Many fans travel to conventions with their stuffed companions, companions who are usually cruelly left alone in the room while the fans go to panels and parties. The Teddy Bear Tea is a chance for the plushies to socialize with other travel minions – and for their human companions to socialize with other plushie fans. And eat cookies. Especially eat cookies. Please join us!

NOON in Executive Suite 623 (1 hour)
READING – STEVE MILLER

NOON in Plaza II (Two) (1 hour)
WOULD YOU BELIEVE?
Panelists: Sharon Lee (mod), Diane Weinstein, Peter Prellwitz, Meredith Schwartz
What do we mean by believablity in a fantasy or science fiction story? To what extent do stories require our belief? Do characters have to believe the story they are in?

1:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Three (1 hour)
BELIEVABLE RELATIONSHIPS IN SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY
Panelists: Gregory Frost (mod), Rob Balder, Meredith Schwartz, Anastasia Klimchynskaya, Gail Z. Martin, Sharon Lee
How do you write relationships that don’t just replay modern contemporary interactions and standards in fantastic settings?

3:00 PM in Plaza V (Five) (1 hour)
DOES SCIENCE FICTION NEED TO LIGHTEN UP?
Panelists: Alex Shvartsman (mod), Brian Thomas, Berakha Lana Guggenheim, Steve Miller, Robert C Roman, Lee Gilliland
Has the genre become too serious and pretentious in recent years? Do too many writers feel they are philosophers and teachers?

4:00 PM in Grand Ballroom A (1 hour)
SHARON LEE AND STEVE MILLER – PRINCIPAL SPEECH

5:00 PM in Autograph Table (1 hour)
AUTOGRAPHS – SHARON LEE AND STEVE MILLER

SUNDAY, November 23

10:00 AM in Plaza V (Five) (1 hour)
SEPARATING THE AUTHOR FROM THE WORK
Panelists: Muriel Hykes (mod), Sharon Lee, Peter Prellwitz, Oz Drummond
Many authors of great works have been lees than great human beings. Some have had racist, anti-semitic or extremist views. Should this color our perception of their work?

NOON in Plaza II (Two) (1 hour)
CREATING BELIEVABLE ALIENS
Panelists: Steve Miller (mod), Jack McDevitt, Tom Purdom, Lawrence M. Schoen, James L. Cambias
How does a writer create convincing extraterrestrial characters who are not just humans with funny make-up, but are clearly the product of a different environment and evolutionary history? How do you show an alien that can think as well as a man, but differently?

2:00 PM in Executive Suite 623 (1 hour)
READING – SHARON LEE

 

In which Winter arrives and the tank is dry

This morning, we arose from our rosy bower to an outside temperature of 16F/-9C and an inside temperature of 61F/16C.  We turned the thermostat up to 69F/21C, Steve started breakfast; I fed Mozart his breakfast; we sat down to eat; finished up; had a second cup of coffee and. . . it was still sorta cool in the house.

Steve looked at the thermostat, which was set on 69F but still reporting the whole-house temp of 61F.  It then dawned on both of us that we hadn’t heard the furnace actually come on, so Steve went downstairs to see if we had a malfunction.  The good news?  The furnace appears in good working order, as far as we can tell without it actually, yanno, coming on.  And the reason it hasn’t come on is?

We’re out of oil.

Completely out of oil.

I’m trying to remember if this has ever happened to us before.  Certainly, it hasn’t happened in the 24-or-so years we’ve been in this house, thanks to the wonders of automatic delivery.

Thinking back, now, I’m not remembering a delivery in. . .a couple months.  Which is what I’ll settle with Dead River Company on Monday (oh, joy!  a phone call.), since they’ve certainly been remembering to bill us every month.  For today, we called the Emergency Number, which isn’t easy to find, and have now spoken with Gary the Emergency Delivery Guy, who will be over “directly” to fill us up.

In other news, I have in my inbox this morning not one, not two, but THREE reminders from Various Organizations relating the joyous news that the open renewal period for ACA coverage starts today!  Which is lovely for them.  I?  Have no idea how we’re going to figure out next year’s health coverage, without having any idea what the final income figure for 2014 is.  We only have to cover Steve through July, when he transfers over to Medicare.  I suppose I can go without, if necessary, and pay the fine, though I really don’t like to tempt fate quite that much. . .

Well.

Now to put all that behind me and get the heck to work.

Everybody stay warm.  And healthy.

Never mind the ship, me boys, there’s none of us here can save her

It snowed last night — about two inches of snow so wet that it was sliding off of the branches and the cars under its own weight.  I had a little stair-shoveling to do, but nothing too strenuous before I went into town.

Gym was unexpectedly crowded.  A bunch of the ladies who had come in earlier than I managed organized an expedition to Universal Bread after they were done working, this being Friday, which meant multigrain loaves!  I’m thinking they get points for the extra walk, ’round the corner, but I’m not sure how the bread factors into all that.  I managed to resist walking the walk, myself, this time, but only because I  knew we had a good loaf of black bread at home.

Speaking of gym, I don’t usually read the propaganda on the walls.  I know that we, as a community, support several local charities and an orphanage somewhere in Africa.  Today, there was a new letter on the wall — apparently, we sponsor a particular child in this orphanage, a little girl named Faith, who was born in 2009.  I read her bio, because — words! — and learned that she had early lost her parents due to civil unrest, and so was taken up by her grandmother, who was poorly herself.  Grandma, finding that her health prevented her from proper child care, gave Faith to the orphanage, where she excels at reading, and likes to sing.  So far, so good.  Then there were three little boxes.  One gave Faith’s birthday and place of birth.  The other gave personal data — height, weight, etc.  And the third gave her “state of salvation.”

And in that box were these words:  “Not saved.  Please pray that she will accept Christ into her life.”

Which. . .was not good.  In fact, the sheer, freaking arrogance of that kind of. . .took my breath.

I mean — she’s FIVE.  She hasn’t even reached the Age of Discretion, as we used to call it in Roman Catholicism.  You get a free pass as an “innocent” until you’re seven at least; for the hard stuff, you get longer still to come up to speed.

*deep breath*

At least Faith is getting three meals a day in a safe environment, and she’s being taught to read.  Those are good things, right?

And I’ll remember her in the evening candle, and pray for her to grow up into a strong and strong-minded woman who will protect and nurture those who come into her care.

Today’s blog post title comes to you from Steeleye Span:  Let Her Go Down

Comments are closed on this post.

* * *

Progress on Alliance of Equals
29,055/100,000 OR 29% COMPLETE

 “Galaxy Nowhere,” she said.  “It’s where Cassie Vitale thinks dead pilots go to — and come back from.”

In which I am mighty

So!  The old, un-updating Chrome has been excised from my hard-drive. Everything else seems to be functioning as it ought.  I am, therefore, Officially Mighty, though what I mostly feel is exhausted.  Not that the operation itself was all that difficult, once undertaken, but the adrenaline rush was draining.

In other news, the other day I realized that all of the silly little mock-turtlenecks which are a staple of what I’m pleased to call “my wardrobe” have gotten. . .rather frayed.  And that there was a convention in my very near future.  So I went over to JC Penney online to see if they have amended their ways since the Old Boss got himself fired.  I had hopes that this was the case because I had, a couple of months ago, successfully purchased from them an pair of Saint John’s Bay Jeans in TALL, just like in Olden Times.

To my great joy, it happened that Penney had restocked the mock-necks in size Tall, and I bought three of them — red, grey, and blue-and-white stripe, because I like blue-and-white stripes, even if I am over 60 and no longer of a shape for stripes.  So I’m told.  I also bought — because I could! — a men’s long-sleeve t-shirt with a tiger on it, because I also like tigers.  Why nobody thinks to put tigers on women’s clothing is one of the Mysteries of the Universe.  They’d sell, like, a zillion of everything, if they did.

Anyhow, when the dust had settled (and I had talked myself out of buying two tiger t-shirts), the bill came to $59 (plus tax — free shipping on all orders over $50, so yay!  Again, I am Mighty).

The shirts came today.  And they still had the tags on them.

The tiger t-shirt retailed at $40(!).  Each of the mock-necks was marked at $22.  In total, $106 in merchandise.

I saved $47.

I am not only Mighty, I am a Shopping Goddess.

And!  Though I was expecting the shirts to arrive today via UPS, I was not at all expecting the arrival of the 2015 Moon Phase Calendar, so that was a pleasant little surprise on the day.

And now. . .the cat fountain has been cleaned, the house has been vacuumed.  Steve is taking on the task of making dinner which will, I’m told, Involve Tomatoes.

Time to get to work, I guess.

 

You can take all the tea in China; put it in a big brown bag for me

Today was a definite improvement over yesterday.

I have deleted GoogleTalk from my desktop, leaving Hangouts in sole possession of the field.  While I don’t necessarily think this is an improvement, at least I only get one message every time Steve sends a chat.

Also, when I went into town to gym this morning, I looked at my phone, and?

Chrome was installed, and it was working properly!

Fist pump!

I have not yet excised the non-updating, cephalopod version of Chrome on my desktop.  Perhaps I never shall. That’s probably safest.

In other news, I formatted our GOH speech, entered the changes we made last night during our first read-through, and did some writing.

I should probably do some more writing, but I’m beat.  Among the adventures of the day being an early — and noisy — visit from our lawn-guy, who took away the remains of the cedar tree, and sucked up all the leaves from the front lawn.  I believe I shall retire early to my couch and try again tomorrow.  This seems the course of reason, if not precisely valor.  Tomorrow’s work requires All New Words to be written, whereas today’s work was editing a chapter that had been excised from Dragon in Exile — just patting it into the shape of the new book, really.

And that?  Is all I got.

G’night.

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Mr. Van Morrison:  Tupelo Honey

* * *

Progress on Alliance of Equals
27,664/100,000 OR 27.66% COMPLETE

 “One naturally wishes one’s heir to accumulate accolades, but ‘least willing student in the history of the dance’ is not quite in the line of one’s fondest hopes.”

In which Monday happens on Tuesday

So, today kind of sucked, in the arena of tech.  The tech definitely won this round, but, if I’m not to be made looney by certain of the Unintended Consequences of today’s defeat, I’m going to have to go in again.

Possibly not until tomorrow.  Or the next day.

The thing seemed simple enough.  Google has been nagging me for months to stop using Google Talk, which I happen to like very much, and get with Hangouts.  I’d been resisting because Talk still worked and Steve and I use it to chat back and forth while we’re at work — him in his office, and me in mine.  Saves a lot of shouting back and forth, and doesn’t interrupt the flow of writing.

But!  We were wanting to practice our speech for PhilCon and Steve thought it would work out fine to do it via Hangouts video, so he asked me to install Hangouts.

Remember this:  The Goal was to install Hangouts.

Now, asyouknowbob, Hangouts is an add-on to Chrome.  Which I use as a backup browser, since I prefer Firefox for daily running around the net.

Well, it turns out that the Chrome on my machine was very old (33.0.Something), it would not accept the Hangouts add-on, and not only that, it wouldn’t update itself.  Also?  I couldn’t delete it from the control panel.  After much banging my head against the wall, which included removing Chrome from my tablet and my phone, in case there was a sync tether or something holding Chrome to the desktop, I just gave up and downloaded a new version of Chrome (version 38.Whatever) to the desktop, shoved 33.0.Something into a closet, and opened the new Chrome, which seems to work (knock wood) fine.  Then, I reinstalled Chrome on my tablet and phone.

Correction.

I reinstalled Chrome on my tablet.  The phone will accept the download and installation, but all Chrome does when invoked is send out little error messages — Unfortunately Chrome has stopped — every six seconds FOREVER, and is completely unusable.  So.  No Chrome on the phone.  Which is a shame, because I really did use it on the phone.

Oh, well.  I guess I’ll have to hope that Firefox for Android has its act together.

At least, I have Hangouts now, right?

Right.

Except that I can’t seem to uninstall Google Talk.  Which means that every time Steve sends me a chat message, I get TWO — one in Talk and one in Hangouts, a situation guaranteed to drive me ’round the twist in very short order.

So, I’ll have to go back in.  But, like I say, not today.

Today, in addition to Warring with Technology, I finished an essay, and finished up the last few hundred words on Chapter Seven.  In a moment, I’ll be leaving y’all to your own devices so I can do the dishes and then Steve and I will practice our speech the Old Fashioned Way.

I do hope that all of you have had a. . .less fraught Tuesday.

* * *

Progress on Alliance of Equals
23,458/100,000 OR 23.46% Complete

 “. . .and anyone who thinks that Master Trader yos’Galan will permit error or sloth from his heir, his apprentice, or anyone who is under his hand, must. . .must not know him very well!”

Sunday evening adverts, with commentary

1.  Have you ordered your signed and/or personalized copy of Carousel Seas from Uncle Hugo yet?  No?  Time’s running short.  No, I really mean that time’s running short, if you want your pre-ordered signed copy of Carousel Seas personalized.  That deadline is November 15, 2014 — which is next Saturday.  So you need to do this now.

Here’s how you can order.

1A.  Uncle Hugo will also be offering signed copies of Dragon in Exile.  More on that as we get closer to June.

2.  Steve Miller and Sharon Lee will be Principal Speakers at PhilCon, November 21 – 23. We will not only be giving a speech — which is a thing I do but rarely, so you know you want to hear this one — but we will — rather, our traveling companions will be hosting a Teddy Bear Tea* on Saturday, November 22 at 11 a.m.  Coffee, tea, cookies will be served, so bring your favorite stuffed animal to share an hour of refinement, relaxation and camaraderie.

3.  If you so desire, you may order a limited edition print of the cover of Dragon in Exile from the artist, David Mattingly, by writing to him at davidATdavidmattinglyDOTcom.  In case you missed it, here’s the front panel of the Dragon in Exile cover:

-- art by David Mattingly
— art by David Mattingly

* * *

As advertised elsewhere, Steve and I took each other to see Big Hero Six for our anniversary.  We both liked it a lot.  Steve is thinking he might like to see Interstellar; despite the presence of Michael Caine, I’m not so sure.   (“Look, professor!  A black hole!”  I mean — c’mon, guys.)  I definitely want to see Into the Woods, though.

. . .and I think that’s all the news that’s fit to print.

* * *

Progress on Alliance of Equals
23,048/100,000 OR 23% complete

 He flung a hand up and toward the screen, fingers sketching disdain.

This is the enemy that Korval cannot defeat.”

“Nor can we,” she observed, drily.

He sniffed.

“Nor have we.  Yet.”

Books read in 2014

41.  Paragon Walk, Anne Perry
40.  Spellcast, Barbara Ashford
39.  A Night in the Lonesome October, Roger Zelazny, (re-re-re-&c-read aloud w/Steve)
38. The Third Circle, Amanda Quick
37.  Agatha Heterodyne and the Sleeping City, Phil and Kaja Foglio
36.  Good Omens, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
35.   Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!, Richard P. Feynman (as told to Ralph Leighton)
34.   A Brother’s Price, Wen Spencer (e)
33.   Spiral Path, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel (e)
32.   Earthly Delights, Kerry Greenwood (e)
31.   Night Broken, Patricia Briggs (e)
30.  Just My Type, Simon Garfield
29.  Bones of Faerie, Janni Lee Simner
28.  Dancer of the Sixth, Michelle Shirey Crean
27.  Tryst, Elswyth Thane (re-re-re-re-re-&c-read)
26.  The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
25.  The King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner
24.  The Queen of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner
23.  The Thief, Megan Whalen Turner
22.  Cuckoo’s Egg, C.J. Cherryh (re-re-re-&c-read)
21.  The Windflower, Laura London (Tom and Sharon Curtis) (re-read)
20.  Sparrow Hill Road, Seanan McGuire (e)
19.  Demon’s Lexicon, Sarah Rees Brennan
18.  Refining Felicity, Marion Chesney
17.  Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury (re-read aloud w/Steve)
16. The Vanished Priestess, Meredith Blevins
15.  Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny (re-read aloud w/Steve)
14.  Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein
13.  Ghost Point, James A. Hetley, manuscript (read aloud w/Steve)
12.  Peacemaker, C.J. Cherryh (read aloud w/Steve)
11.  The Red Hot Empress, Meredith Blevins
10.  Hogfather, Terry Pratchett
9.  Black Widow: The Name of the Rose, Marjorie Liu, Daniel Acuna
8.  Agent of Change, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e)
7.  The Emperor’s Agent, Jo Graham (e)
6.  Eternity and a Day, Aline Hunter (e)
5.  Kindred Rites, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel (e)
4.  Billy the Kid, the Endless Ride, Michael Wallis
3.  The Steerswoman, Rosemary Kirstein (e)
2.  Uncovered, Jordan Matter
1.  Dancers Among Us, Jordan Matter

Send me a postcard, drop me a line

Yesterday was the 34th anniversary of our “legal” marriage.  Steve and I have now been married more than half of my lifetime and for more than half of his.

Didn’t see that coming.

So, anyway, yesterday, we did not celebrate, beyond a few extra “Thank yous,” but today we’re pulling out All! The! Stops!  and going into town to catch the Very First Showing of Hero Number Six (hey is that the theme from “The Pink Panther” in the scene with the cop?)!

But the festivities don’t stop there!  After the movie — the 2D matinee — we will Dine Out.  The jury’s still out on Where Exactly we will dine out, but there are several fine eating establishments in town to choose from.

And after that?

Hey, I don’t tell you guys everything.

All of this to say that I’ll be electron-free today.

Y’all have fun.

Today’s title comes to you from The Beatles:  When I’m Sixty-Four

* * *

Progress on Alliance of Equals
20,456/100,000 OR 20.46% Complete

“In the meantime, I wonder, Pilot, if you will answer some questions for me.”

“Do my best,” he said, like his stomach hadn’t kind of cramped up, hearing that. “Understand that I don’t know the answers to all the questions.”

“Oh, yes, I do understand that,” she said. “Before we begin, let me request that you not lie to me. If you do not wish to answer a question, simply refrain from doing so.”

In which the people have spoken

. . .and that’s that.

Yesterday, after having ourselves Spoken early at the polls, we decided to make a day of it, since a day doing Something was better than a day spent obsessively checking the news.  We therefore had breakfast at Governor’s before hitting the interstate and heading south, the mp3 player jacked into Kineo’s sound system so we didn’t have to listen to any more political ads.

I have learned that Kineo the Wonder Subaru will pop a discreet warning light when I have 75 miles left on my current tank of gas, which is good to know.  The range for the  tank is about 500 miles.  Which is not only good to know, but downright amazing.

Once we were actually in the South, we did some scoping out of the Sanford-Springvale-Rochester NH megaplex, had a nice, light lunch at Green Tea and come home by way of Wells and Kennebunkport.  I tried to get a photo of the seals on the rocky island off of Wells Beach, but — no luck.

For congoing folk:  Remember that Lee and Miller will be Principal Speakers at PhilCon.   We will not only be giving a speech — which is a thing I do but rarely, so you know you want to hear this one — but we will — rather, our traveling companions will be hosting a Teddy Bear Tea* on Saturday, November 22 at 11 a.m.  Coffee, tea, cookies will be served, so bring your favorite stuffed animal to share an hour of refinement, relaxation and camaraderie.

Even if you don’t like tea, or plushies, do plan on coming to PhilCon.  Artist GOH this year is Bob Eggleton; Special Guest is Kyle Cassidy.  In addition, dozens of other writers, and artists will be present.  There will be readings! panels! a dealers room full of all kinds of Amazing Stuff! and an art show to die for.

Really, you can’t miss this.

In Dragon in Exile news, there had been two requests.

One for a blurb/synopsis of the book.  Here’s that link (thanks to Chris Meadows for finding it).

Two for information about the availability of limited edition prints of the Dragon in Exile cover.  I wrote to Mr. Mattingly and he says that there will be prints available when he’s through with the final painting (Dragon in Exile will have a wrap-around cover, and he needs to finish up what will become the back panel).  When complete, the prints will be 13×19, formatted horizontally.  He estimates that he’ll be done with the final in two weeks.  If you’d like a print, you can write directly to David Mattingly at:  davidATdavidmattinglyDOTcom.

. . .and I think that’s all the news that’s fit to print.

______________

*Not limited to Teddy Bears, all plushy friends are welcome.  Among the attendees of the Teddy Bear Tea at PenguiCon was a pink plush triangle wearing sunglasses.

* * *

Progress on Alliance of Equals
16,310/100,000 OR 16.31% Complete

 Now, on Liad, they would say: There are fifty High Houses.

Now, on Liad, they would say: A Dragon does not change its nature.