Are You Going to Bent-con?

Bent-con 2013I booked my flight to Los Angeles, and I’ll be packing up early release copies of The Seventh Pleiade to head to Bent-con 2013.

This will be my first time at a ‘con’ of any type, and I’m incredibly excited. While cons are known for comics and superhero fanaticism, this LGBT event will also feature authors and film-makers in the varied genres of fantasy, sci-fi and romance. And I’m told there’s a pool party with real, live, actual Mermen. 🙂

If you will be passing through, please stop by Bold Strokes Books’ exhibition booth. I’ll be signing copies of The Seventh Pleiade and giving away swag.

 

Got my first advance!

Since this blog has become an on-line diary of sorts, I had to include this happening.

I came home from work tonight to a long-awaited discovery: my first advance from a publisher for my book! This was from Bold Strokes Books for the sale of The Seventh Pleiade.

Of course, I laid it out on the kitchen counter and took a photo of it with my iPhone for virtual scrapbooking. 🙂

photo (1)

I wouldn’t say this was more or less rewarding than any step along the way for me as a newish author. My first offer of publication was spectacular. Seeing my work in print for the first time was a damn proud moment. Getting nice praise from reviewers and readers made me feel ten feet tall.

The advance just registers to me in a different way. I’m not ready to quit my day job for sure, but it’s awfully sweet validation that I’ve entered the world of the professional author.

Bold Strokes Books Presents 6 Authors – Event Photos

Bold Strokes Books Author Line Up

Left to right: Authors Joel Gomez-Dossi, Jane Hoppen, Daniel W. Kelly, Jeremy Jordan King, Andrew J. Peters and Nora Olsen

There’s the whole crew of Bold Strokes Books authors who did readings yesterday at the Bureau of General Services – Queer Division.

I thought it was a really fun and successful event. We had readings that ran the gamut from sci fi/fantasy (Nora Olsen’s Swans and Klons and Jeremy Jordan Knight’s In Stone) to thriller (Joel Gomez-Dossi’s Deadly Cult) to contemporary (Jane Hoppen’s In Between).

I read one of my favorite scenes from my young adult fantasy The Seventh Pleiade.

My partner snapped the following photo from his iPhone. 🙂

Reading 6-9

 Many thanks to the great folks at the Bureau who hosted the event.

Bold Strokes Books Presents 7 Authors – This Sunday, June 9th!

Bold Strokes Books Presents 7 Authors - BGSQD Event

Just a reminder and a re-invitation: Bold Strokes Books is hosting a reading event featuring  a panel of its authors (including me!) at the fabulously-named Bureau of General Services – Queer Division, a queer bookstore and event space.

It’s this Sunday, June 9th 3:00 – 5:00PM

I’ll be reading an excerpt from The Seventh Pleiade.

Admission is free so come on out to hear from a range of LGBT fiction authors and maybe pick up one of our books. Address, directions to the event space can be found here.

Two Reading Events Coming Up in June!

I guess I have caught the reading bug. I recently signed up to participate in two events in June.

First, I’ll be reading part of my short story “The Trouble with Finklesteins” at the REZ Reading Series June 6th event, 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm, held at Odradeks Coffee House (82-60 Austin Street by the LIRR), right in my neighborhood of Kew Gardens. The REZ Reading Series is a monthly program sponsored by Sullivan Street Press. Their June event will feature local authors from the Queens-based Newtown Literary. I wrote “The Trouble with Finklesteins” a few years back when I was in a contemporary short fiction phase. No feline shapeshifters or ancient worlds, the story focuses on the strained relationship of two thirty-something women and the terrible secret one of them is hiding.

Then, I’m back again reading from The Seventh Pleiade at an exciting, new venue with an ultra-cool name: Bureau of General Services – Queer Division, on June 9th 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm. BGSQD in SoHo (Strange Loop Gallery, 27 Orchard St., New York, NY, 10002) is “a queer bookstore and event space” that hosts regular literary happenings. Their June 9th event features seven Bold Strokes Books authors representing a wide variety of fictional work. You can check out the event below:

Bold Strokes Books Authors Panel at BGSQD

Both events are free. Come out and see me!!