K R Smith: Shore Leave

Showing posts with label Shore Leave. Show all posts

Friday, February 13, 2026

January 2026 Update

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Just in case you were wondering what I've been up to so far this year, this post will fill you in!

A graphic of a piece of paper, an inkwell, and a quill pen..

Submissions:

I still haven't heard anything back about the dieselpunk story I submitted, but the editors of the anthology say their reading period will begin soon. I'm guessing mid-February at the earliest.

And I still have a few other short stories sitting around just waiting to be submitted. I may have found a spot for another one of my stories. It's a horror story titled Closure. The submission window doesn't close for a while, so I have time to check things out.

Other Writing:

I continue to work on my sci-fi story, The Dark Scent of Rain. Someday I may actually finish it.

Shore Leave:

I attended the January Shore Leave meeting via Zoom. It went a bit better Zoom-wise than before, but I didn't gather a whole lot of new info. They are still working towards their 501(c)(7) tax designation (a type of nonprofit entity recognized under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code as a tax-exempt social or recreational club) and have made some progress. And, as previously reported, they did not announce any new celebrity guests during the meeting but did make an announcement a few days later. The new celebrities are Laurette Spang and Herbert Jefferson Jr. of Battlestar Galactica fame and Marta Kristen of Lost in Space.

Not long after that, they announced Julie Caitlin Brown of Babylon 5 and Star Trek (TNG & DS9) plus Oded Fehr of The Mummy and Star Trek: Discovery. As it stands now, these are the announced celebrity guests.

This is an image from the shore Leave web site showing the scheduled celebrity guests for 2026.

Also, voice actor Bonnie Gordon is scheduled to appear. She's been at Shore Leave before and has always been popular. She does comedy, singing, and Q&A sessions about voice acting.

Thirty-six author guests have also been announced. You can see them here: 2026 Author Guests. No writing panels have been announced and probably won't be for a while.

Patreon:

Apart from this monthly update, I posted two other updates:

As you can see, I'm quite adept at making up magnificently descriptive titles for my posts.

I also have been keeping my new 2026 One-Stop Story Shopping post updated with all my Medium posts. I keep hoping to do more here, but I never seem to come up with a good idea for Patreon.

Medium:

I've been doing a bit of an experiment with Medium this month. I've posted something every day. Yes, that's 31 posts. Haiku, Poetry, Micro/Flash/Short Fiction, and an article or two, I believe. Doing so hasn't been as difficult as I first thought, though I'm not sure I can continue with that pace forever. It did boost my views, reads, followers, subscribers, reader interaction, and financial returns considerably. I've reached the highest numbers ever for reads and views, increased the number of followers and subscribers substantially (8 and 3), and had one of my best earnings months ever. Of the posts for January, the ones that did the best were the haiku and micro/flash fiction. The longer pieces didn't have as much traction with the readers. A sign of the times, perhaps?

And, as stated, I managed to earn a little from Medium! Best of all, it wasn't just pennies! I was in the "folding money" range for January. It still isn't a lot, but at least it feels like I've accomplished something. Having Medium place real money in my account, however, is still a ways off.

Here's the graph of views and reads:

Here are my January Medium posts:

January 2026

Haiku: Sycamore Skies
Poetry: The Path Not Taken
Haiku: Silent Stream
Haiku: A Cold Day
Poetry: Seven
Haiku: Still Life
Fiction: A Word With Death
Haiku: Water Wings
Flash Fiction: Every Story Has Two Sides
Haiku: Secrets of The Moon
Micro Fiction: Runaway
Haiku: Dancing Flame
Fiction: Package Deal
Haiku: Whispers
Haiku: City Rain
Haiku: Stone Cold Beauty
Micro Fiction: Meeting of Minds
Flash Fiction: A Story About Stories
Flash Fiction: Leveraged Buyout
Haiku: Toys in The Attic
Haiku: Space Flight Test
Fiction: Glowing Terms
Poetry: Up the Lazy Lemur
Micro: A Guest For Dinner
Flash: When One Door Closes
Poetry: Misty Moonlight
Article: Advice No One Will Follow
Haiku: Cherry Blossoms
Haiku: Birdseed
Article: I Like Old Engines
Poetry: The First Sunrise

Well, that's all for now!

Monday, December 22, 2025

Mid-December 2025 Update

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First, a bit of news:

The Shore Leave convention have listed a few new celebrity guests for next year's convention. They have announced Laurette Spang and Herbert Jefferson Jr. of Battlestar Galactica fame and also Marta Kristen of Lost in Space. I've attached the latest flyer with more info for those interested. Other than the author list, there isn't any info yet on writing panels. That won't be available for a while.

Still haven't decided on whether to attend the Farpoint convention yet. They have author and screenwriter David Gerrold listed as attending, but he has a GoFundMe for health problems (why does it seem so many writers have health problems?) so I'm wondering if he'll actually be there.

And I've posted a few things on Medium!

Last updated: December 22, 2025

December 2025

Article: Help for Writers There are places you can go for assistance
Article: The Season of Giving — and Taking I don’t think charities understand the giving part
Haiku: Snow Crow We have an understanding between us
Haiku: Plates I’ve been everywhere, man.
Haiku: Winter Moon If you see raccoons with marshmallows, let me know…
Poetry: School Daze Hazy dreams of distant days

November 2025

Haiku: Thankful There are still special places in the world
Poem: Moontree Sometimes things don’t go as hoped
Haiku: Dancing Sycamore Wooden movements?
Article: I’m Throwing in The Towel Dry humor?
Haiku: Sprinkles! A seasonal treat?
Haiku: November Sky Illusion or allusion?
Past Perfect: Eleanor’s Travels A postcard from 1936

As far as I know, author Michael Wombat is still hanging in there, but there is no good news to be had. About a month ago, he posted this on Bluesky:

Some of you know this already, but I see no reason to keep it a secret. My oncologist told me on Friday that they had done all they can, the cancer is still growing, and that I have months, maybe weeks, left to live. I have no idea what's to come, but I'll be on here as long as I can.

You can cheer him up a little by putting in an order for his latest book (a collaboration with Miranda Kate, Lisa Shambrook, and Victoria Pearson ) titled Agents of Secrets and Lies (The Summer Realm Book 1).

A book cover with a grey and red parrot flying high over snow-covered mountains.

With those four writers, it's bound to be good.

That's about all for now!

Monday, June 9, 2025

Yes, I'm Still Here

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I know I haven't been blogging on Blogger much this year (or last), but I'm still here and have actually written a few things!

And where do you find my writing? The best places are at these sites:

Medium (Lots of haiku and such...)

Patreon ( I could use a few more followers on Patreon, for sure, so try and join me there, if you can!)

It is also the time of year when the Shore Leave sci-fi convention is ramping up. I will be there again this year, and I will be giving out a few books. Some have my stories in them, some will not. But it's a free book! Or two! I'll probably put a few posts on Patreon about it, but I won't commit to every day like I usually do. I'm getting older, you know!

I do have a favor to ask, however. If you want to support a writer who is trying to make a living at writing, please subscribe to Terri Deno's Patreon site. If you can afford a paying level, that would be great. But even a follow where you can read about her writing exploits would help. She really needs support! Thanks in advance!

As always, let me know if there is something/anything you'd like to see on my blog here—or elsewhere! I'm open to suggestions, so please be suggestive. But keep it PG-rated.

Photo credits:

The photo used at the top of this post is by bruce mars on Unsplash. It is the same photo I've used for some time for my Patreon site progress updates. It works.

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

May 2024 Update

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The weather is getting warmer, and that's not all that's heating up! Yes, I know it's already a bit further into June than I'd like and I should have already posted this, so here's what happened in May...

A recent photo of Hidden Pond in Virginia. The pond has overhanging trees. It is mostly covered iin dickweed, a small aquatic plant.

Shore Leave will be here soon. I have to get the giveaway books together—although I'm not exactly certain how things will work out with the new venue. They say they are having an art show, but the details of where in the hotel have yet to be announced. I'll stop by, but I won't be selling this year. Maybe next time. There is also a last minute guest addition: J G Hertzler. I'm not familiar with him, but I'm sure many others are. Here's a bit from the Shore Leave site:

In theatre, Mr. Hertzler appeared opposite Academy Award winning actress, Holly Hunter in a new Irish play, By the Bog of Cats at San Jose Rep. Earlier, on Broadway, he appeared opposite Irene Pappas in The Bacchae, directed by Michael Cacoyannis. He has appeared with the Oscar winning actor, Roddy MacDowall in the 1996 National Tour of Dial M for Murder.

Perhaps his best-known work for television is his General Martok on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Other television credits include, Seinfeld, Roswell, Six Feet Under, Touched by an Angel, Charmed, Dr. Quinn, Diagnosis Murder, Quantum Leap, The Highlander, Brisco County Jr., Lois and Clark, General Hospital and One Life to Live, and over 50 episodes on the New Zorro series, filmed in Spain. J. G. was featured with Jennifer Beals and Christopher Walken in the film, Prophecy 2. In the film Pirates of Silicon Valley he appeared as Ridley Scott. He has also appeared with Al Pacino in the Barry Levinson/Norman Jewison classic film, ...And Justice for All.

Currently J. G. is voicing the Drookmani Captain and General Martok on Star Trek: Lower Decks. Last Fall, his radical memoir, Confessions of A Klingon Linebacker, was released in several formats. Signed hard copies will be available at a ridiculous cost! He also co-authored the Star Trek duology The Left Hand of Destiny (2003) with Jeffrey Lang. A fourth book is rumored to be planned for spring of 2025. Stay tuned.

I've also posted my latest writing activities on my Patreon site. You can read about them there. I've also posted my short horror story Neersville on Patreon, It is for paid subscribers only.

In other news, Terri Deno has 9 episodes out now for her new Kindle Vella story called Making a Thief.

Miranda Kate's new book Blood River (Tricky's Tales Book 3) should be out on Kindle by the time this is posted. Might be giving out a three-book Tricky trilogy at Shore Leave just in case you were interested!

Mary Rajotte has her story The Call of the Carrion Crows in the reprint anthology Shadowed Realms. It is available on preorder now for Kindle.

And I'm working on another short horror story I hope to submit later this year. Think trains.

That's all for now!

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Shore Leave Update—Sort Of

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UPDATE October 12, 2023:

The Monster Mania Convention, which also uses the Delta Hotel Hunt Valley, has made arrangements to use the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor as its site for their 2024 convention. While the main halls are large enough for Shore Leave, I'm not sure it would have enough smaller "break-out" room for all of the panels that Shore Leave has. The hotel rooms are also more expensive. Again, if I find out anything, I'll pass it on!

There is a slight update to the Shore Leave / Farpoint hotel situation. No, they haven't found a suitable location. They are having a joint farewell party at the hotel on October 28, 2023. This is from the Shore Leave Facebook page:

Event by Shore Leave, Farpoint Convention and Don L Ramsey
Delta Hotels Baltimore Hunt Valley
Public Anyone on or off Facebook

Join the gang from Shore Leave and Farpoint for a final sendoff at the Delta by Marriott Hunt Valley Inn!

Here is the current schedule...and I believe there will be cake!
All activities will be in the Tack room...though I think most of us will also be found in the bar.

10:00 - The Bob and Howie Show - Authors Robert Greenberger and Howard Weinstein greet us one last time from 245 Shawan Road.

11:00 - Founders Remember (Cathy Dougherty, Regina DeSimone, Melissa James, Marilyn Mann, Denise Masters, Martha Sayre, Chris Schildt, Weston Scrimger, Renee Wilson; Moderator: Steve Wilson) Members of the committees of Shore Leave and Farpoint who were there in the beginning recall our 43 years at the Hunt Valley Inn.

2:00 - Weird and Wonderful Memories - (Moderators: Diane Baron and Susan Olesen, with special guest T.A. Chafin) Escalator roulette, Klingon raids, and how did that Studebaker get here? Our panelists and audience members recall their favorite bits of wackiness in the halls of HVI.

4:00 - Trivia Contest (Diane Baron)

8:00 - Marc Okrand - The creator of the Klingon language has a very long history with Baltimore, his convention home. Marc will talk about being a guest across five decades in Hunt Valley

Here's a map so you can see where the Tack Room is located (yellow circle on lobby level):

As you can see, it is not one of the larger rooms in the building. I suppose that's why most folks will be at the bar. Well, it's as good an excuse as any.

I'm not sure I'll make it there, but I'll try. After all, they say they'll have cake. Perhaps I can get the scoop on what's going on. If so, I'll pass it on to you.

You can read more about the hotel situation HERE.

Sunday, October 8, 2023

No Room At The Inn

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As of this post, there is no news on possible new sites for the Shore Leave sci-fi convention. Or the Farpoint convention. I do wish the folks responsible for both con websites would remove the dates and location as they are no longer valid and are misleading at best. I know the Shore Leave staff has never been all that quick with their website updates, but still...

Even the hotel website doesn't say they are closing. You can try and book a room past the end of October and all you get is a message saying no rooms are available. That must be some sort of marketing strategy to keep the place full until the very end, I suppose.

If I find out anything for either convention, I'll post it here.

In other news, I am now on Bluesky social. It hasn't wowed me so far. Nothing bad, but not exciting, either. It's new, so I'll hang around and see what happens.

I'm working on what may be the last episode of my serial story, The Dark Scent of Rain, that I'll post on Medium. I don't think Medium readers are looking for that sort of content. You can read more on that HERE.

And, yes, I need to finish my Shore Leave posts on Medium, though it may not matter. Nobody read the first two.

In keeping with the holiday season (Halloween), I went to see a play last night in the Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab at the Olney Theatre Center called Brothers Paranormal. Here's a synopsis:

It’s 2007 somewhere in the American Midwest, and Thai-American brothers Max and Visarut haven’t had a single case for their paranormal investigation business since they opened. Finally, a customer arrives, Delia, a Black woman who has relocated to the area after losing her home in Hurricane Katrina. She’s seen a female, perhaps Asian, maybe Thai-speaking ghost haunting her house for reasons unknown. Max, who doesn’t believe in ghosts, is most excited to sign her up for a deluxe investigation package. But when the brothers visit Delia and her husband Felix, strange things begin to happen. Prepare to be thrilled, chilled, and moved!

It's a good play (maybe a few plot holes that won't affect your enjoyment) with good acting, but it's rated PG-13, so you won't be as traumatized as when seeing The Exorcist for the first time. You can view the playbill HERE. Also, for a play on a small stage, the visual effects were done well.

That's all for the moment. I'll be back soon...

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

That's A Mighty Big Wrench

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I'm sure you've heard the idiom, "They've thrown a wrench in the works." Well, that's what has happened to Shore Leave 44...

If you're not familiar with the Shore Leave sci-fi convention, it is an annual affair that has taken place in Hunt Valley, Maryland for many years. There are artists, authors (and their books for sale), celebrity guests, and even scientists who provide entertainment and information to the hundreds of attendees. Over 1,400 people attended Shore Leave 43. I had already reserved my hotel rooms for next year's event.

Delta Hotels Hunt Valley - image from Hotels.com

Unfortunately, I've just heard that the Delta Hotels Baltimore Hunt Valley where the event is held is closing October 30th. There has been no information on what will be done with the property as of this posting. That leaves the STAT Club searching for a new location on relatively short notice. While hopes are high, there is no guarantee that Shore Leave will continue.

Even worse, they are not the only ones with a convention site problem. Farpoint uses the same location for their convention. They have even less time to find a new venue as their con starts in February. This is a posting on their website:

Farpoint lists October 31st as the closing date, but the WBAL (local news station) article lists October 30th. Either way, Shore Leave (and Farpoint) is in deep trouble. I can't say it's a complete surprise. I noticed a definite lack of maintenance during my last visit. Perhaps this has been in the cards for a while now.

At this point, I can't say if there will be a Shore Leave convention, or if there is, when and where it will be. They could do a "virtual" convention as they did during the heights of COVID, but that's just not the same. There are other venues within a reasonable distance, but they may be booked already. I couldn't even offer a guess as to what the cost differences might be.

So much changing and I haven't even finished my posts about the last Shore Leave convention! All I can say is, I'll keep you posted...

Monday, June 12, 2023

Travel Advisory For Shore Leave 43

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Just got an e-mail from the Shore Leave folks this morning. Due to the I-95 collapse in Philadelphia, they are warning folks about possible detours and traffic problems for those coming in from the northeast. I-95 is bad enough under normal circumstances, so take heed!

Shore Leave 43 Travel Advisory for anyone coming in from Philadelphia and points north

Sunday (6/11/2023) a portion of I-95 near Philadelphia collapsed due to a tanker truck that caught fire while parked underneath an underpass. This is reportedly near the Cottman Avenue exit. All lanes of I-95 are closed in both directions between Woodhaven Road (Exit 35) and Aramingo Avenue (Exit 26).

According to officials it will take months to get that fixed. If you are traveling to Shore Leave from Philadelphia and/or points north, please plan an alternate route such as the New Jersey Turnpike. Since everyone else will be doing the same, please plan on heavier traffic and delays. Please drive safely!

The Shore Leave Team

Shore Leave 43

www.Shore-Leave.com

Plan your trip accordingly!

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Update On Shore Leave 43

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There have been a few updates from the Shore Leave convention folks. You can check out the web site, but here's their latest news directly from them (received June 5) that summarizes it all! And, as always, I will be there with books to give away!

Dear Fellow Fans,

We would like to provide an update on Shore Leave 43, our guests, planned programming, and other topics of interest and importance.

When: 7-9 July 2023
Where: Delta Hotels Baltimore Hunt Valley, 245 Shawan Road, Hunt Valley, MD 21031
Web: www.shore-leave.com

Update: Our room block is Sold Out for Shore Leave 43. Please view our list of alternate hotels for a list of other accommodations in the area. (Our room block is sold out, not the convention.) To be placed on the Delta Hotels’ waiting list, please contact Delynn Powelson (waiting list only please).

The deadline for advance registration is June 19, 2023. At-the-door registration will be available at the convention at the following prices:

Weekend: $120
Active Military receives a $10 Discount (ID required)
Friday Only: $45
Saturday Only: $85 (includes Masquerade and Ten-Forward)
Saturday Evening Only: $25 - For admission to Masquerade (viewing attendance) and Ten Forward only. To participate in the Masquerade, you must have at least a full Saturday membership.
Sunday Only: $50
Teen (13-17): $60
Youth (5-12): $20
Supporting (non-attending) Membership: $10

On-site registration (as well as badge pickup for pre-registered members) is now upstairs in the hotel lobby. The hours are:
Fri from 10 AM to 7 PM
Sat from 8 AM to 5 PM
Sun from 9 AM to 1 PM

Guests

Actor Guests

Grace Park (Sat + Sun only), Aaron Douglas, Claudia Black (Sat + Sun only), Ben Browder (Sat + Sun only), Alaina Huffman, Peter Macon, Penny Johnson Jerald, Robert Picardo (Sat + Sun only), Robert Duncan McNeill, Bonnie Gordon.

Photo-Ops
All photo-ops will be done on Saturday. The following photo-ops are available:

Single Actor Photo-Ops Prices
Grace Park ($80)
Aaron Douglas ($60)
Claudia Black ($80)
Ben Browder ($80)
Penny Johnson Jerald ($70)
Peter Macon ($60)
Alaina Huffman ($70)
Robert Picardo ($60)
Robert Duncan McNeill ($60)

Combo Photo-Ops Prices
Voyager Combo Picardo/McNeill ($95)
Trek Combo Picardo/McNeill/Jerald ($135)
Farscape Combo Black/Browder ($135)
Stargate Combo Black/Browder/Huffman/Picardo ($205)
Orville Combo Jerald/Macon ($105)
Battlestar Combo Park/Douglas ($115)

(All prices are per print. Multiple people may appear in a single photo, however there will only be one print per photo-op ticket.)

Autographs
Claudia Black and Ben Browder will each sign one item for no additional charge during the Official Autograph Sessions on Saturday and Sunday. One Photo Ops photo may count as your free item. Additional items to be signed, in addition to photo op pictures, will be priced at the guest's listed autograph price. Please read the Autograph Policy on our website for full details on the official autograph sessions and autograph line.

All actors will be at their tables signing autographs during the weekend for a fee:
Grace Park ($50)
Aaron Douglas ($40)
Claudia Black ($50)
Ben Browder ($50)
Alaina Huffman ($40)
Penny Johnson Jerald ($50)
Peter Macon ($40)
Robert Picardo ($40)
Robert Duncan McNeill ($40)
Prices are subject to change at the guests’ discretion. Please note that autographs are not included in the price of photo op photos.

Author Guests

Chris Abbott, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Rigel Ailur, Lorraine Anderson, Derek Tyler Attico, Diane Baron, Christopher Bennett, Kirsten Beyer, Alan Chafin, John Coffren, Russ Colchamiro, Greg Cox, Keith DeCandido, Mary Fan, Kelli Fitzpatrick, Michael Jan Friedman, Phil Giunta, Rande Goodwin, Robert Greenberger, Amy Griswold, Glenn Hauman, Andrew Hiller, Amy Imhoff, David Mack, Mike McPhail, Christopher Ochs, Susan Olesen, Joshua Palmatier, Robb Pearlman, Scott Pearson, T.J. Perkins, Roberta Rogow, Aaron Rosenberg, Jenifer Rosenberg, Melissa Scott, Hildy Silverman, Amy Sisson, James Swallow, Dayton Ward, Laura Ware, Howard Weinstein, Richard White, Steve Wilson, and Sherri Woosley.

All author guests, including any science authors, will be at the Meet-the-Pros Party on Friday night from 10pm to midnight. Our bookseller is Larry Smith Bookseller (Sally Kobee, proprietor).

Science Guests

Wayne Bird, Kenneth Carpenter, Kelly Fast, Jerry Feldman, Joshua Handal, Thomas Holtz, Lindley Johnson, Stephen Lesnik, Adeena Mignogna, Timothy Miller, Ray Villard, Brent Warner, and C. Alex Young

Science programming will take place as always Friday evening 6-10pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 1pm.

Artist Guest

J.K. Woodward

Performing Guests

The Boogie Knights, The Chromatics, Luna-C, Bonnie Gordon, Charnock's Comedy Cabaret and Science & Magic with Willie Yee.

Vendors
We have a sold-out vendor room with a wide variety of goods. Many of our vendors are participating in programming, such as workshops and demonstrations. Please read the dealer and programming pages on our website for all the details.

Emporium
The Emporium table downstairs will have this year’s Shore Leave shirts and many other Shore Leave goodies for sale. They will also be selling Photo-ops tickets while supplies last.

Programming

We will have our usual full tracks of programming, the masquerade, the art show, the food drive, charity auction, a fan film track, science programming, children’s and teen programming tracks, workshops, and other special events. Please go to our volunteer page if you’d like to volunteer at the convention, the Lower Decks Crew would love for you to join them.

Free Workshops
Stargazing (Fri and Sat night), Sungazing, (Fri and Sat during the day), and many more to be announced. Check the website for details on these and other workshops.

Gaming

Gaming hours (5 pm-midnight Friday, 10AM-Midnight Sat, 10AM-4PM Sunday

Other Information

Our room block at the Hunt Valley Inn is sold out (just the room block, not the convention). Please view the list of alternate hotels on our website for other accommodations in the area.

Please be aware that due to hotel staffing shortages there will not be any shuttle services. There will also not be any room service, though orders can be placed for pickup. We will announce the availability of food services throughout the weekend on our website as soon as we know it.

Do you want to be part of the action? Join our parent organization, STAT Club of Maryland, and become part of the Shore Leave team. Check out statclub.org on the web, and email membership@statclub.org for information.

If you have any questions about the convention, please go to this page and follow the link(s) to the appropriate topic(s): https://www.shore-leave.com/contacts/

Keep checking our web site www.shore-leave.com for updates. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr! You can help spread the word by reblogging our posts and sharing them with your followers..

We hope to see you all in July!

Cheers,

Your Shore Leave 43 Convention Committee

www.shore-leave.com

P.S. Please be sure to avoid confusion and misunderstandings by checking out our COVID-19 and Service Animals and Pets policies. These and other important policies can be found on our website at https://www.shore-leave.com/info/policies/

Shore Leave 43

www.Shore-Leave.com

That's all for now!

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Shore Leave - It's All Over But the Recovery

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If you want to know how the Shore Leave convention went, I've posted four articles on Patreon. And there are pictures. All are free access, so anyone can read them.

The Shore Leave bunny logo

Here are the links to the articles:

Shore Leave 42 - The Prequel?

Shore Leave - Post 1 - We Have Arrived

Shore Leave - Post 2 - Saturday

Shore Leave - Post 3 - Sunday

If you have any problems with the links, just leave a comment and I'll check out what's wrong.

It was a busy three days and it took a day to get back to my abnormal normal. If you have any questions about the conference, just let me know!

Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Preparing To Take Shore Leave

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The annual Shore Leave sci-fi convention is rapidly approaching. It's going to be live this year and not a COVID-induced virtual convention. Thus begins the frantic preparations needed to collect what I need to pack—which will be done at the last minute, of course. Part of that packing will include the books I'll be giving away. I've done this in the past and the books seem to evaporate as soon as the 'free books' sign appears. It doesn't have to be sci-fi—everything from poetry to romance just disappears. Many things have changed since the last in-person Shore Leave, but I'll bet this won't!

Books I'll be giving away at Shore Leave this year.

This year, I will be giving away these books:

Owl Eyes Motel by Barbara Avon
If It Was New York, Summer 2009 by Terri Deno
Dead Lake by Miranda Kate
Death and Decorations - an anthology, contains my story A Home for Christmas
Lonesome Train - an anthology, contains my story Momma Knows Best
A Symphony of Dragons by Lisa Shambrook (signed copy!)
The Seren Stone by Lisa Shambrook
Rollie by Michael Wombat
Human 76 - a shared-world anthology, contains my story The Song of Aiden, plus stories by Lisa Shambrook and Michael Wombat, edited by Miranda Kate and Michael Wombat

Most of these are available on Amazon (which is where I got them - except for the signed copy of A Symphony of Dragons). Death and Decorations and Lonesome Train are only (and unfortunately) available from Lulu. But, if you are fast and lucky, you can snag a copy at Shore Leave!

There might be a couple of other books I'll add if I can find them. Seems like a few are missing. Maybe it's because I was hoping to have another book to offer with a story and poem of my own, but that didn't work out (as you can read here). And Terri Deno has been busy over on Kindle Vella, so no new paperback from Terri yet. Still, I think it's a nice mix.

I like to do these giveaways to help spread the word about these authors. I've either worked with them, learned something from them, or they've helped me out in some way. And as Shore Leave attracts attendees from all over the USA, these authors might get exposure to audiences they wouldn't normally attract.

As usual, the Shore Leave staff hasn't posted the programming schedule yet, so I won't know which writing panels I'll be attending until—well, I get there, most likely. I do know the filk session (sci-fi/fantasy/whatever folk singers) and the "meet-the-pros" party (author party) will overlap on Friday night. I'd like to attend both, so that will be a problem.

Also, I won't be doing the art show this year. It seems I should have had plenty of time to paint and draw, but I've been occupied with other things the last few years. I do have a lot of ideas and a few sketches done, so maybe by Shore Leave 43 I'll have something worth showing.

Another change, too. In the past, I've always had the laptop with me as I visit various talks and events. I have occasionally used it to post blog updates live. This year, I'm going to use my iPad to lighten the load. It shouldn't make a big difference, but I'll let you know how this works out.

Anyway...

That's the plan. I'll keep you posted!

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

It's Almost That Time Again

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Yes, it's nearly time for the annual Shore Leave Convention.

The much-delayed Shore Leave 42 convention will be held on July 15 - 17, 2022 at the Delta Hotels Baltimore, located at 245 Shawan Rd., Hunt Valley, MD 21031. For the last two of years, Shore Leave has been a virtual convention due to COVID. This year, it will be live. If you plan to attend, however, and especially if you are coming in from out-of-town, be sure to read their COVID policy before departing. It is subject to change.

UPDATE July 13, 2022

Well, more bad news! Rober Duncan McNeill had to cancel his appearance at Shore Leave due to COVID. They've been able to get John Billingsley who has played in Star Trek, Star Gate, The Orville, The X-Files, and more on short notice. There are no updates yet on the photo ops page or schedule yet, but that's where it stands as of this posting. I've copied the latest guest images from the Shore Leave website.

UPDATE July 7, 2022

I hate to bring more bad news, but that's what I've got. On the Shore Leave web site they've posted: We regret to announce The Chromatics have been forced to cancel their appearance at Shore Leave.

Normally, it would be enough to know a guest or guests won't be there, but the wording left me concerned. When I went to their web site, I found this: Shore Leave SF Con - APPEARANCE CANCELED due to illness and injury! That doesn't sound good. I have no other details at this time.

UPDATE July 5, 2022

More info on the Shore Leave guest list: We regret to announce that BarBara Luna has been forced to cancel her appearance at Shore Leave.

It appears her son (Brian Anthony Luna) passed away - no cause given.

UPDATE July, 2 2022:

Got this info from the Shore Leave folks: We regret to announce that due to professional commitments, Laz Alonzo has canceled his appearance at Shore Leave.

Also, I have an additional post on Shore Leave.

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As you can see, there are a good number of actor guests coming. I only know a few of them as I don't follow all (hardly any?) of the shows, but there should be someone you'll find interesting. They haven't given any specifics on how the photos will be taken for those wanting a picture with a star. Awesome Con had a mix with masks for some and plexiglass screens for others. You'll need to watch the site or contact them if you have questions that might affect your desire to attend. Here are the photo prices:

Single Actor Photo-Ops Prices

Brandon Routh $65
Aimee Garcia $55
Adam Baldwin $65
Summer Glau $65
Laz Alonso $55 (no longer available)
Gates McFadden $55
Jessie Usher $55
Robert Duncan McNeill $45
BarBara Luna $45 (no longer available)
Eddie McClintock $45

Combo Photo-Ops Prices

Arrow Duo (Routh/Glau) $110
Firefly Duo (Baldwin/Glau) $105

Trek Combo with Gates McFadden and Robert Duncan McNeill $80 (added July 6)

The Boys Duo (Alonso/Usher) $95 (no longer available)
Star Trek Trio (McFadden/McNeill/Luna) $105 (no longer available)

As always, there will be a lot of writers selling their wares! Here is the latest list of authors attending Shore Leave:

All author guests, including any science authors, will be at the Meet-the-Pros Party on Friday night from 10pm to midnight. I've put links to some of their "official" websites in the list, but I've never seen so many unsecure sites in my life (http instead of https), so some browsers may balk at bringing them up. Some sites haven't been updated in years. I guest website maintenance isn't a priority for authors.

There will be an art show this year, but I won't be selling. I didn't have time to add anything new and I'd like to have more than just a few pieces to hang for the trouble of setting it all up. "Next year, for sure," he said.

I will, however, be giving away books again! More on that in a later post.

I do wonder how COVID will affect things. This convention, and Awesome Con (now taking place in DC), seem to be doing okay (the Shore Leave hotel block was booked up long ago), I did notice in the Parsec newsletter that the Confluence convention in Pittsburg may not be doing as well...

(borrowed from a Facebook post by Randy Hoffman)
Confluence (July 29-31, 2022, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel, https://confluence-sff.org) is happening in less than two months and the music track is shaping up to be exceptionally good this year. However, both preregistrations and hotel reservations in our room block are lower than they have ever been this close to the event dates. PLEASE IMAGINE NASTY TRIPLE UNDERLINING HERE: Unless a lot more folks come to the con than we're currently on track to bring in, the convention organization will lose a lot of money and this year's Confluence will be the last.

Time will tell. Confluence is mainly for writers. They don't bring in the TV/movie celebrities, and that may be part of it. If I get an idea about this from the vendors or my own experience, I'll pass it on.

That's all for now. So, until next time...

Friday, February 13, 2026

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