LepreCon 42

LepreCon Science Fiction Convention is Arizona’s Annual Sci-Fi & Fantasy Convention with an art emphasis. “Life, the Universe & Everything” is the theme for LepreCon 42 to be held June 23 – 26th, 2016 at the Park Terrace Suites in Phoenix, Arizona. The guests of honor include Jennie Breeden, creator of the webcomic The Devil’s Panties and D.C. Fontana, who wrote for Star Trek, Babylon 5, and Bonanza. For more information about the convention visit the LepreCon Website. Below, is where you can find me at the convention.

Thursday, June 23

9:00-10:00pm. What Is Steampunk? Suite C. Steampunk is often referred to as the “greatest era that never was.” Our panel discussion will open the door to what Steampunk is for those new to the genre. On the panel with me are Ben Woerner and Johnna Buttrick.

Friday, June 24

1:30-2:00pm. Autographing. Suite E. You’ll find me happy to sign your wares. I’ll have a selection of my books available to purchase.

5:00-6:00pm. Future of Steampunk Literature. Suite E. A brief look at the history of Steampunk literature and where the future might lead us. On the panel with me is Scott Wilke.

Saturday, June 25

11:00am-Noon. Responding to Reviews. Suite C. Learn how creators can best respond to the good, bad, and funny reviews they receive online. On the panel with me are Ben Woerner, Elizabeth Leggett, KellyAnn Bonnell, Shanna Germain, and Jennie Breeden.

Sunday, June 26

9:30-10:30am. Surveying the Universe. Suite E. Kitt Peak’s mission is evolving. A new large spectrographic instrument is being deployed on the Mayall 4-meter and a new Doppler Spectrometer is being deployed on the WIYN 3.5-meter. What are these instruments and what do we expect to learn? What’s different about this science than the astronomy that’s been done at Kitt Peak in previous years.

Noon-1:00 pm. Steampunk Before It Was Steampunk. Suite C. A discussion of film, TV and books that had steampunk elements before the term “steampunk” was coined. On the panel with me are Michael Flanders and Hal Astell.

In addition to these events, there’s a masquerade, a terrific art show, demos and gaming. If you’re in Phoenix, Arizona this coming weekend, I hope you’ll come in out of the heat and join us at LepreCon!

Phoenix Comicon 2013

I’d like to start this week’s post with a big welcome to all the people who discovered the Scarlet Order Vampire Journal during the Hot Summer Nights Blog Hop! I will also be joining the Christmas in July Blog Hop that runs from July 19-22. I have a special giveaway package all picked out for that event, so be sure to stay tuned.

On Memorial Day Weekend, I was honored to be one of the guest authors at Arizona’s Phoenix Comicon. The event was held in the Phoenix Convention Center and I spoke on several panels about writing and science. It was also the debut event for the print editions of two of my books: Dragon’s Fall: Rise of the Scarlet Order and A Kepler’s Dozen: Thirteen Stories About Worlds that Really Exist

Dragon’s Fall was a popular choice for people looking for a thrilling, adult vampire tale. A Kepler’s Dozen was popular with science fiction fans and people who wanted to know about planets discovered around other stars by NASA’s Kepler Space Mission.

Not only do I write about vampires, I’m a fan of vampires too. As such, I was especially pleased to meet Rebecca Hicks, the creator of the Little Vampires webcomic. The link will take you to the comic Rebecca drew from a suggestion I gave her just before the convention.

I also had the chance to meet Amanda Tapping, creator and star of the series Sanctuary, which reveals that Nikola Tesla was, in fact, a vampire!

Near the end of the convention, we received the order to evacuate the convention center. I gather smoke was seen in one of the meeting rooms and the fire alarm was pulled. I have to give a big shoutout to the convention center staff and the convention attendees for the orderly evacuation of the facility. It was handled professionally and well. Once everyone was allowed back in, we stayed open an hour and a half later to make up for the half hour we lost. It made for a long day, but I was glad to meet a few more people.

As with any big convention, I saw a lot of friends, made some new friends, but managed to miss some friends who were there. I look forward to seeing some of the last group at another event down the road.

Of course, you don’t have to wait for an event to check out my books. You can see the complete set along with places you can buy at: http://www.davidleesummers.com/books.html

LepreCon 39

LepreCon 39 will be held in Mesa, Arizona at the Mariott on 200 North Centennial Way from May 9-12, 2013. The guest of honor are writer Jack McDevitt, artist Raymond Swanland, artist Jeff Perryman, and musician Nancy Freeman. There are lots of great panels and events. Be sure to check out the Leprecon website to get all the details!

I will be on several great panels:

Friday, May 10

• 3-4:30pm – Self-promotion & Marketing for Today’s Books – Ballroom B
  How much self-promotion is worth it, what works now, and when is it a career in itself? Panelists: PJ Hultstrand, Zachary Jernigan, Tina Williams, David Lee Summers, Bob Nelson (moderator).

• 6-7:30pm – Writing vs Editing in the Internet Age – Ballroom A
  The Internet Age has allowed writers to get their works out faster, but at what cost? Why everyone needs a good editor and why you should NEVER edit your own work? The price of getting work into public too quickly. How can the reader spot shoddy editing? Panelists: David Lee Summers (moderator), Leigh Strother-Vien, T.L. Smith, Francis Hamit.

Saturday, May 11

• 10-11am – ReAnimation: Science Farce or Science Fact – Ballroom A
  On the heels of The Walking Dead and all the other movies, comic books, and stories, what is the reality of zombies. We will discuss the fantasy of zombies and the science reality of what is really possible. Why aren’t there any rules to the creation of zombies, like there had been for other monsters, such as vampires and werewolves? Why are we fixated on these monsters? Panelists: Daniel Kings (aka Commodore Max) Moderator, Ernest Hogan, David Lee Summers, Vaughn L. Treude.

• 11a-noon – Independent Publishing Update 2013 – Ballroom A
  What’s new on the horizon for the Indie authors and publishers? There is so much changing that it’s hard to keep up with the technology used to support the pros and entertain the masses. Panelists: Bob Nelson (moderator), PJ Hultstrand, Greg Lundberg, David B. Riley, David Lee Summers.

• Noon-1pm – Introduction to Poetry Slams & Short Flash Fiction – Cabana
  What are they Poetry Slams and Flash Fiction? Why they are poetry slams popular with the younger generation? An introduction to the poetry slam groups in Arizona. Also a look at the concise world of Flash Fiction. Why short fiction is working now and how authors can make it work for them? Panelists: Bob Nelson (moderator), Sharon Skinner, Gary B. Phillips, T.L. Smith, David Lee Summers.

• 3-4pm – Autographing Session in Dealers’ Room

• 10-11pm – Dressing your vampire for his first kill – Ballroom B
  Would you dress him/her in a cape or a bib? If a bib, then full length or lobster-style? And should you supply the toothbrush or put one in his/her pocket for afterwards? Panelists: David Lee Summers (moderator), Zachary Jernigan, Gary B. Phillips, JoAnn Senger.

Sunday

• 11:30a-12:30p – Discovering New Worlds with David Lee Summers – Canyon Room
  A presentation on how planets are discovered around other stars and what’s known about them.

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Don’t forget, if you’re on Goodreads, be sure to sign up for the Dragon’s Fall: Rise of the Scarlet Order giveaway. One lucky person will get a signed copy of the novel. The giveaway is at: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/50183-dragon-s-fall-rise-of-the-scarlet-order

If you can’t wait for the giveaway to end, you can always drop over to Amazon for the Kindle Edition or Barnes and Noble for the Nook Edition. Of course I’ll have copies with me at Leprecon!