Local Author Fair Come to our Boozy Local Author Fair and meet an amazing group of local authors! This is an opportunity to learn about incredible new books directly from the authors themselves. That means you can get them signed, personalized, and ask any questions you may have! All while enjoying great food and drinks from Cushwa & Rad Pies Taproom…

The Carroll County Book Festival is this Saturday, September 19, 2026 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Free Admission, All Ages Book lovers from Carroll County and beyond are invited to this special event celebrating literacy, stories, and community. This event is free for all ages. Please note: some events will require tickets or advance registration. Featuring 100+ national bestselling and indie authors…

Come to the Carroll Book Festival Saturday, September 19, 2026 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Free Admission, All Ages Book lovers from Carroll County and beyond are invited to this special event celebrating literacy, stories, and community. This event is free for all ages. Please note: some events will require tickets or advance registration. Featuring 100+ national bestselling and indie authors…

Thinking of getting a new t-shirt, sticker, or mug? Now's your chance. Redbubble Is having a 40% off sale. Click Here To Visit My Redbubble Shop I have lots of fun designs to choose from.

The 84th World Science Fiction Convention is in LA on August 27-31, 2026 Here is where you can find me.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Preamble to the Declaration of Independence Abraham Lincoln called the Declaration of Independence “a rebuke and a stumbling-block to tyranny and oppression.” A full transcript of the document can be found in the National Archives website.

Come see me at Second Edition Books on Saturday, June 13th from 11:00 – 2:00 Say hello and pick up a book or two. There are some great lunch places nearby. Second Edition Books 6490 Dobbin RD Columbia, MD 21045 Second Edition Books is between Sushi King (one of my favorite restaurants) and the Columbia MVA.

What is The Trevor Project? The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. Focused on suicide prevention efforts for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, they offer a toll-free telephone number where confidential assistance is provided by trained counselors. This valuable organization is a vital lifeline for at risk youths and has saved many lives since its inception.

I will be at Second Edition Books on June 13th from 11:00 – 2:00 Come say hello and pick up a book or two. Second Edition Books 6490 Dobbin RD Columbia, MD 21045 Second Edition Books is betwe…

It's the last day of the convention, but not the end of the fun! Mon 11:30 AM The Structured Pantser            What if I'm neither a pantser nor a plotter, but something in-between? What if I want to focus my discovery writing without tying myself to an outline? What if I want more discovery writing without ruining a perfectly good outline? Like most things in writing, there is no one answer.

Sun 10:00 AM Memories of Balticons Past                          Description No sh*t, there I was... This really happened at Balticon.... And nobody was arrested. Let's listen to some fans and pros talk about past Balticons. A. L. Kaplan  mod                                      Tom Schaad                                                           Thomas The Red                                        Eva Whitley                                                      Brick Barrientos                                                                      Sun 4:00 Autographs                                                                               Autograph session with Rigel Ailur, A. L. Kaplan, and Nate Whiting. Rigel Ailur                                                                                                                          A. L. Kaplan                                                                                                                  Nate Whiting Balticon Link

Sat 10:00 AM Writing Novels - the Long Haul            Writing a novel can be a marathon. It can take years - whether from life changes or plot and character problems. Our panelists will discuss staying motivated during the process, and the new perspectives that arise over time. Alan Smale  mod                                                     Maeghan Jo Kimball            Patrick                                                                A. L. Kaplan                Sally Wiener Grotta                               

Fri 5:30 PM Food in Fiction                             From the feasts in Song of Ice and Fire to the elaborate cuisines in Steven Brust's works, food is often featured in fiction, sometimes even central to the plot. Descriptions of meals and meal creation can drive a lot of storytelling. What fictional foods would you like to eat? How do some writers describe food in ways that leave readers hungry for more?

I'm thrilled to announce that I will, once again, be a panelist at Balticon, the amazing Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention held on Memorial Day weekend. This year is their 60th anniversary and there are some special events planned. Here is where you can find me: Friday, May 22 Food in Fiction - 5:30 PM From the feasts in Song of Ice and Fire to the elaborate cuisines in Steven Brust's works, food is often featured in fiction, sometimes even central to the plot.

Have you recently received an email invitation to be a featured guest at a book festival or conference event? Or to be interviewed on a radio show or podcast? Literary agents, publishers, and major pr...

Strong Women - Strange Worlds

It's time for Spring cleaning! My website is getting and update, but don't worry, I'm not going anywhere.

A Tasting Menu of Speculative Fiction Delights. 8 minute bites from 6 authors May 1, 2026 at noon EDT Free Event on Zoom Register Here Now Featuring: Elly Bangs, Lauren Beukes, E.D.E. Bell,A Y Chao, A.L. Kaplan, and Anne E.G. Nydam #SWSWQR

I will once again be attending RavenCon this year. April 24-26, 2026 Virginia Crossings Tapestry Collection by Hilton 1000 Virginia Center Parkway Glen Allen, Virginia 23059 Here is where you can find me. Friday - 6:00 PM - Jefferson Building - Dinwiddie - Using Food In Your Writing Friday - 9:00 PM - Jefferson Building - King William - One of the Craziest Shows the Sci-Fi Channel Gave Us: Welcome to Farscape…

Join me and Elly Bangs, Lauren Beukes, E.D.E. Bell,A Y Chao, and Anne E.G. Nydam at this live reading of speculative fiction stories by women and nonbinary authors. May 1, 2026 at noon EDT! Free Event on Zoom Register Here Now #SWSWQR

I am doing a world building workshop at the Maryland Writers' Association Montgomery Chapter Saturday, April 11 at 10:30 AM. Visit the MWA website to register and get the Zoom link. Not a member? No problem. Meetings are open to the public.

Norwescon Here is where you can find me today Autograph Session 10:00am - 11:00am @ Grand 2 T. Kingfisher, Geneva Bowers, Summer Ash, Bradley Englert / Orbit Books, Dutch Bihary ContoursFx, A. L. Kaplan, Alexander James Adams, Amanda Cherry, Andie Penn Romine, Andrea Weilgart, Brenda Cooper, Brianna Malotke, Carol Berg, Curtis C. Chen, Daniel H. Wilson, Daphne Singingtree, Dean Wells, Diana Ma, Dr.

Norwescon April 2-5, 2026 Here is where you can find me today at Norwescon: Teen & Tween: Help Teens Rule the World 4:00pm - 5:00pm @ Cascade 5 Create your own kingdom or planet in this workshop. Learn from panelists about the basics of a society and how to make a protagonist that is ready to run it. Then, put pencil to paper and create your own world to rule.

I'll be at Norwescon this year! April 2-5, 2026 Here is my Schedule Friday Teen & Tween: Help Teens Rule the World 4:00pm - 5:00pm @ Cascade 5 Northwest Speculative Reading: Norwescon 2026 8:00pm - 10:00pm @ Cascade 9 Saturday  Autograph Session 10:00am - 11:00am @ Grand 2 YA is for Everyone? 12:00pm - 1:00pm @ Cascade 6 Prop Design & Materials…

SFWA EVENTS welcome to the SPRING constellation series:A WEEKEND OF mg/ya eXCELLENCE join us for professional development this march 21-22- ALL event links below - - INTRODUCTION TO CONSTELLATION - JO...

I'll be part of the SFWA Virtual Constellation Series On March 21, 2026 Registration is free. Tracey Baptiste, Gabrielle Byrne, Michelle Knudsen, and I will be reading Saturday, March 21, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm Eastern Time. Click here to register.

**We have the power and are claiming it together. No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.** Show up for No Kings Day in Howard County! Join IndivisibleHoCoMD, Columbia Democratic Club, Ellicott City & West...

**We have the power and are claiming it together. No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.** Show up for No Kings Day in Howard County! Join IndivisibleHoCoMD, Columbia Democratic Club, Ellicott City & West...

YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen

It's Hot Off The Press 151 - and you'll need something to keep you warm with the winter storm coming for many of us! Try some of the sci-fi mystery adventure from Gini Koch, Layla Dorine's spicy new romance, or some #dragon fun with the kids from A. L. Kaplan! Go stack up those TBR piles!

My Newsletter went out earlier this week. Did you get it? Here is a link in case you missed it:  You can sign up here so you don't miss another one. Sign up to receive my newsletter.

One of my non-writing goals for 2025 was to work through my “to be read list.” There are still many books in that pile, but I did read 36 of them. Here are the ones I finished in the order they were read . You may notice some repeated authors. Everything Changes: An Anthology of Climate fiction – Angie Dell…

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man of peace. A man of integrity. In light of recent events, its even more important to remember Dr. King's contribution to our country. "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"