Hey awesome,

I'm not quite a fully functional human adult post-Dragon Con, but I'm getting there. It was an amaaaazing time, and totally worth an...almost two week recovery time.

Whew.

Even sharing the highlights would make this unreasonably long, so the highlights: I co-emceed the incredible Page to Stage Costume Contest with Terry Maggert and William Joseph Roberts, and celebrated the heck out of deeply talented cosplayers. I did not manage to get any pictures of us, but the contest is on DCTV and the Facebook page features some of the amazingness.

The rest of the weekend lived up to that strong start. I moderated a panel on Discworld that ended in song and an amazing photoshoot with all the Discworld cosplayers. I hung out with the coolest panelists on the Apocalypse Rising, American SF & Fantasy Media, High Fantasy, Sci Fi Lit, and Digital Media tracks. We filled a ballroom! Had several at-capacity panels! People asked incredible questions (or made incredible godzilla noises!) I spent some money in the dealer hall and art show! Sold books! Signed books! Ate all the food! I got to do an interview with the Daily Dragon, which...friend, I still have a printed Daily Dragon from my very first Dragon Con, tucked away in storage. My nerdy heart is so full.

It was an amaaaazing time. Huge shout out to the volunteers and track directors that make everything run so flawlessly because seriously, I wouldn't have survived otherwise. I didn't get to see nearly enough of my favorite people, and time went by waaaay too fast, but I'm already looking forward to next year.

Is there a Dragon Con in your future? I'd love to see you there! If something smaller but very much awesome is more your speed, I'll be a guest at MarsCon in Virginia Beach this coming January and I can't waaaaait to see my friends again.

In writing news - there's writing news! How do you feel about spooky season?

The fabulous Nick Steverson and I have been hard at work on a horror anthology, chock full of talented authors getting spooky (or gory. or creepy. or haunting-y. Depending on which story...), and that'll be coming your way Friday, October 13. In just a few weeks, in fact...stay tuuuuuuned (she says ghostily).

If you're looking for a book right now, I got you! Kevin Ikenberry, who couldn't tell a bad story if he tried, has the latest Guardian Covenant book - Volunteer Fury - ready for you!

Guardians Up! For Lewa!

The enormous aliens known as Gimfa attacked the planet Lewa, and the Guardians thought they took them down. But instead, the aliens established a beachhead on the colony world and are readying a larger army to eliminate humanity once and for all. First Earth and now Lewa… unless the Guardians can stop them.

More of the advanced Guardians are in development and may be ready to stand alongside Vortex Stingray and the others as the Galactic Alliance joins humanity’s effort to clear Lewa of the Gimfa. And more aid may be coming, if they can get the portal system operational. But as Duncan Black readies the site, President Maria Rodriguez and her government find themselves facing a Gimfa uprising at multiple locations across the planet.

Stretched thin, human defenses struggle to repel the threat, and even the untested crew of the newest Guardian, Volunteer Fury, is thrown into the fray, alongside surprising new allies and trusted old friends.

If Zaniah Mott can’t lead the Guardian Corps to victory, then—like Earth—Lewa will be lost!

Then this week (tonight, Thursday September 21 at 8pm est) you can head over to Inside CKP and catch up with D.T. Reed's latest release, which will be out tomorrow!

D.T. Read, author of "The Seventh Shaman" series, is launching a new series called "The Sergey Chronicles" with Ganwold's Child. She and the host, Jeremy Comeaux, will be taking questions from the audience, performing a live read from the book, and of course there will be a giveaway!

For a little extra TBR-goodness, here are some excellent free reads to check out:

https://books.bookfunnel.com/fallintofantasysept2023/8kj2gihp4d

https://books.bookfunnel.com/bookspry-freebies-scifi/evdxhn0lln

And now that words make sense again...I should get back to work.

Til next time,

Marisa