Shore Leave 41 Saturday Summary

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When we last left our hero (and heroine), they had just turned in for the night after a busy day at Shore Leave 41...

We woke up on Saturday morning still fairly tired from the preparation leading up to Shore Leave and the previous day's marathon. We knew it wouldn't get any better; we rarely get much rest during this convention. It's non-stop from early morning until late at night.

The first order of the day was breakfast. They seem to have scaled back a bit from the last two years, but the Cinnamon Tree Restaurant (inside the hotel) still did a good job. You have to work hard to get away from their breakfast buffet and still be hungry. And you have to take in a good meal to start the day because you may not get a chance to stop for lunch.

After breakfast we made a quick trip back to the room to pick up what we would need for the day. I grabbed more books for the giveaway. Most of these would be set out, but I stuffed a couple of Beth Rhodes' books in my bag to go with the sign I was carrying offering a free book of hers if anyone asked. As it turned out, I didn't get asked, but maybe Beth got some free publicity.

Remember that foreshadowing I'd mentioned? Alex Mallari was still trying to get to the convention. Nobody seemed to know when he would get there. As he was the first speaker of the day, his arrival (or late arrival) would affect the previously well-planned convention photo-op and speaking schedule. Which would snowball into the panels I planned to attend. And there was more to come.

Anyway, before the photo-ops and talks started, I headed off to a couple of writing panels. I'll have more details on these later.. The first was The Worth of Workshops and Writing Classes. I got a good lead for courses recommended by the panelists in this one. From the program:

Panelists who have attended writing workshops and/or classes discuss what they got out of the experience, what they wish they would have known going in, and the impact it had on their writing practice and/or career.
Panelists: Kelli Fitzpatrick, Jim Johnson, Derek Attico, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Lorraine Anderson, Laura Ware

The second was Beta Readers—How to Choose Them and What to Expect. From the program:

Feedback is helpful to almost every writer. But are you getting the notes that actually help you improve your WIP? Your craft? This panel discusses how to vet beta readers and set up a process so you get the most out of the experience.
Panelists: Joshua Palmatier, Lorraine Anderson, Peter David

No matter the subject, one of the most important things to take from these panels is that even successful authors have problems and difficulties to overcome—you are not the only one.

I left the last panel slightly early to get to my photo-op with Nichelle Nichols. Unfortunately, there was a delay, so our group was left waiting. If I'd known, I would have stayed until the end of the discussion on beta readers. Marie and her friend decided to get whatever autographs they could until the talks started. Since the autograph area is in the same place (generally) as the photo-op line, that seemed to be the best option.

Anson Mount (Captain Pike - Star Trek Discovery)
interacting with a fan (Marie) in the autograph area

Now, I'm not a big one on getting autographs from or photos with actors and actresses because, quite frankly, I don't know most of them. I don't watch TV except when I'm at someone else's house (as I don't own one myself), I don't stream shows on the Internet (don't have time), and I seldom go to movies. I did, however, want to get a picture with Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek's Uhura. It seems a few other people did, too.

The line to get a photo with Nichelle Nichols (Uhura)

Because Nichelle's photo-op was now running late (and no one seemed to be sure when it would take place), we had to keep checking with staff as to when the line would form. Eventually the call came and, even though we had been monitoring the situation, we somehow ended up at the back of the line. Well, nearly. Author Mary Fan got in line right behind me. Even though Mary is a Shore Leave panelist she didn't get any special treatment from the photo-op staff. We made jokes about staying near the doors so we could catch a bit of cool air from inside the building as we waited (see photo above showing where we were waiting). Once things started moving, the line slowly snaked around until we were in the photo area. That all took a while. Time was not on my side...

I had wanted to attend one of the art workshops (Draw Your Own Shuttle (Sat, 2-3 pm) by Robbie DubBryan), but due to changes in the photo-op schedule, I couldn't. Missing the photo-op would mean throwing away a good bit of money, so the photo-op was what I did. I wasn't sure how much time we would need, and it turned out I would have had to miss a lot of the workshop, so I it was the right choice.

After the photos, we went to pick up our pictures for autographs plus a quick trip back to the room for a short break and to get more books for the giveaways. I could hardly set them down before folks were taking them away. I think we stopped in the Café for a quick bite to eat. It's all a blur now... Then it was back to the autograph line.

As you may know, Nichelle is in rather frail health. Yet when she saw the line of people waiting for her autograph, she refused to be taken away to rest (she physically stopped anyone from moving her wheelchair). She was supposed to break for lunch and to rest. Nichelle was having none of it. Her fans were there and she refused to disappoint them. She stayed, signing picture after picture, until everyone who was waiting had their picture autographed. Only then did she take a break. Later on, she came back and signed more! Tough lady!

Nichelle Nichols (Uhura - Star Trek TOS)
signing autographs at Shore Leave 41

Because the schedule for some events had changed, we had to rethink the talks we could attend. And which we would miss. And what panels would be missed. And we had to re-evaluate as to when we could go back for autographs since some the people who would have been available were now speaking. Remember that foreshadowing? So many events overlap that you have to make choices, and when the schedule changes, it can really mess things up...

And so it did. Because of the talks starting up, attending any more panels for the rest of the day (of the ones I wanted to go to) was out of the question. And I would have to wait until later to check back with the art show. I had also planned to go back to the room to get more books to give away, but that would have to wait until the evening, or Sunday if any were left. But we made the best of it.

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Starting at 3:00 pm, Lexa Doig and Michael Shanks gave their talk. Although they were briefly in Smallville, but they are better known as Dr. Carolyn Lam and Dr. Daniel Jackson from Stargate SG-1. Lexa is the more animated of the two, while Michael often keeps a deadpan expression while answering questions or listening to Lexa's responses. But there was a good bit of playful husband-wife banter which had the audience laughing. They were asked who was the smartest of the two. Lexa said Michael is the smart one and the one to go to for homework problems. I'll have to take her word for it, but Lexa has a quick wit and is a good speaker.

Here are few pictures from their talk. Sorry about the poor quality, but it is always difficult to get good pictures in the hall due to the lighting and distance.

Lexa Doig (Dr. Carolyn Lam) and Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson)

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Lexa Doig (Dr. Carolyn Lam)

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Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson)

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Between 4 & 5 pm, the other Smallville cast members attending gathered in the Hunt Valley ballroom to give their talk and Q&A session. They answered questions from the audience and told stories about the making of Smallville. By the way, John Glover really is a bit crazy, but in a good way!

Here are pictures from the talk with John Glover (Lionel Luther, Lex Luthor's father), Erica Durance (Lois Lane), Laura Vandervoort (Kara), and Aaron Ashmore (Jimmy Olsen). Again, sorry about them being a bit grainy. The lighting isn't the best in the hall and I was quite far away.

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John Glover (Lionel Luther) and Erica Durance (Lois Lane)

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Laura Vandervoort (Kara) and Aaron Ashmore (Jimmy Olsen)

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Laura Vandervoort (Kara)

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Aaron Ashmore (Jimmy Olsen)

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Erica Durance (Lois Lane)

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John Glover (Lionel Luther)

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With the talks over, we dropped by the art show room to see if any more bids had come in. To our surprise, Marie had sold a few more pieces of jewelry and I had a second bid on my little On Edge painting. And my dragon illustration for the charity auction had sold at the 'quick sale price' which was $10 over the minimum bid. The quick sale price is like the 'Buy it now' price on eBay. I honestly didn't think it was anything special. I put it together a short time before Shore Leave just so I would have something to offer up for the Loretta Shaneybrook charity auction. And yet it was the piece that got the most attention. I'll have to do more dragons for next year... And maybe cats. They tell me cats are big at the Shore Leave art show. Don't know why. Not that I'm going all commercial, mind you. I'll still have my spacescapes.

Okay, maybe I'll do a space-cat.

That's all for now, but I hope to have some videos available with the Smallville cast for the next post!

Here's a link back to the first Shore Leave 41 post in case you'd like to read what lead into this post.

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© 2019 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Shore Leave 41 Friday Summary

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I know it's unusual to start a series of posts on a subject with a summary, but in this case I felt it is justified. Or maybe it's a prequel. Perhaps you'll understand once I'm done...

You always hope the events like this will proceed in an orderly manner, and despite the best efforts of the Shore Leave staff, I should have noticed the foreshadowing the convention muses were tossing my way when they started posting the guest list. We had been hopeful as Shore Leave posted event schedule before the opening. That's a big help and I'd never seen that for previous conventions. But, back to the guest list...

First, they listed John Glover as a guest. Then they said he couldn't make the convention due to scheduling conflicts. Then he was back on as a guest. I figured I'd just wait to see who showed up.

And it was time for the trip to begin!

As Marie and I both had items for the art show (and also being accompanied by a friend attending the show), the vehicles (yes, multiple vehicles) were packed with more stuff than usual. That also meant unpacking more stuff than usual. I arrived first, checked into the hotel, picked up my badge, then started dragging our junk to the art show room.

The Fates were already toying with me as not a single luggage dolly was in sight. From previous conventions, I know they have a number of them, but I only saw one the entire time I was there. And somebody else had nabbed it. This meant multiple trips from a distant parking location in the heat. So I grabbed as much as I could and headed for the art show.

Having arrived right after opening (9:00 am), I was surprised that much of the art show space had already been claimed. The manager wanted me to hang my art first, then get to Marie's jewelry. Check-in took longer than expected as other participants had a large number of items to register. I only had four pieces to hang, so I ended up waiting for a while before they checked in my items. Then another trip back to the car for the first part of Marie's jewelry.

While the jewelry doesn't take up much space, the setup, with shelves, trays, and manikin heads, requires time. Then more waiting for them to check bid sheets, arrange the bid sheets, and other such things.

Finally the registration was finished. Or so I thought.

We had brought items to donate to the auction for Loretta Shaneybrook. Her surviving husband was having a difficult time due to medical and other bills which came as he was starting a new job. This is from the STAT website

We are saddened by the passing of our friend and long-time STAT club member, Loretta Shaneybrook. Loretta was a constant presence at Shore Leave, working behind the scenes for decades, and also at STAT club meetings as chair of the social committee, organizing holiday parties and the club’s annual picnic. If you ever volunteered at the convention, you likely remember Loretta as the lady on the scooter, bringing snacks and water to the people working at the event. She will be missed. She is survived by her husband, Randy Bruner. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he goes through this difficult time.

Loretta Shaneybrook passed away on Wednesday, June 12.

The items we donated were my dragon illustration, three mineral specimens, a pearl necklace, and a bracelet. Here are two of the mineral specimens donated, an amethyst from Uruguay and a Kundalini quartz (citrine, from the Congo). The other specimen was a large chunk of rose quartz.

These also required bid sheets with pricing and descriptions. By the time all was done, it was about noon. Marie and her friend were still on the way to the hotel, so went up to the room to change out of my sweaty shirt. I'm glad I brought extras.

It seemed like I was carrying a lot of heavy items in the heat this year,: the jewelry shelves, luggage, and the box of books to give away. I had nearly thirty books to pass out, and after carrying them a good ways from the car, I almost passed out myself. Here's a partial list of what I had (in order of last name of author):

Terri Deno - If It Was New York, Summer 2009, Seeing What Develops
Miranda Kate - Slipping Through
Lizzie Koch - Dreaming of a Happy Ever After
Angela Lynn - Of Lies and Zombies
Beth Rhodes - All of her Hawk Elite Security series (Beth donated them for me to give out - and sent a signed copy of her latest for me to read!)
Lisa Shambrook - A Symphony of Dragons, Beneath the Rainbow: Freya's Story (with the new cover!)
K. R. Smith - Tales From The Bully Box, Dead Men's Tales, Tales By The Tree*, Human 76*, Grimm & Grimmer Vol 3

I'm sure I missed a few. There were also 6-8 hardback mystery books that were my mother's. In most of the books I added a flyer with QR codes linking back to the author's Amazon page and a short description. Maybe a few folks will check them out.

* which includes stories by some of the authors previously listed

I had hoped to have copies of the Lonesome Train anthology with my latest story, Momma Knows Best, to give away. Unfortunately, they arrived while I was away at the convention.

But I'm early for next year!

At this point, the art show items had been set up and everybody's luggage had been moved to the rooms. It was mid-afternoon, so after a quick break for lunch, we stopped back at the room to make a rest stop and sort out what we needed to bring with us for the rest of the afternoon. I also took the first batch of books to set up a giveaway near the elevators.

As I was placing them out for display, a man came up and began looking through the books. After a brief sales pitch, he reluctantly replied, "If I bring home one more book my wife will kill me." He walked away, though very slowly. That was okay as others began to check out the offerings. It doesn't take long for them to disappear.

On the way downstairs, I stopped by the front desk to ask if they had any of the small portable refrigerators available for our room. They weren't sure they had any left, but they took down the room number and said if one was available they would send it up.

Soon thereafter, we went to check out the autograph row to see who was available to sign. We nosed around there until I left for the Effective Cover Design panel. More on that later.

I met back up with Marie and company after the panel and we headed down to the art show to see if any bids had some in. I had a bid listed on my tiny painting "On Edge" and Marie had sold a couple of bracelets. Not bad.

On Edge - 5x7 acrylic on canvas, framed

Marie and I went up to the room. When I walked in I noticed something different. Remember the refrigerator we had requested? Well, here's what we got:

Refrigerator?

Not exactly what I was expecting. Couldn't keep anything cold...

After resting up for a little bit, we went to listen to the guest speakers. Unfortunately, Alex Mallari's flight had been cancelled (not his fault), so he wasn't there. The staff announced he would be there the next day. That was part of the foreshadowing, by the way. This event would have implications later on...

Marie decided to wait for John Glover to speak while I went to check out the filk concert.

I was curious about the filk concerts. In all the years I had attended Shore Leave I had not attended a concert, sometimes because of schedule overlaps and sometimes because the sessions are scheduled in the evenings I was just too tired. Think of it as open mic night with the songs having a sci-fi or fantasy based theme. This theme can be tenuous at times. So can the idea of having the songs be based on a folk-music style. Or music in general. I'll leave it at that. Singing along is encouraged. Knowing the words appears to be optional. Author Roberta Rogow did perform a couple of good songs.

I have thought about participating in filk. I don't think I could do any worse (and probably not any better), although that would be a matter of opinion. It's best to have sense of humor if you're either a singer or in the audience.

Anyway, I sneaked out between acts and caught the final minutes of John Glover's talk. The last part of his session was taken over by a young audience member. I may have a video of that for later posting. I will certainly have more pictures!

John Glover at Shore Leave 41

After that came Luna-C's quickie version of all the Harry Potter books done in a 45 minute period. There were some good moments, but you have to be up on all the Harry Potter details to get some of the jokes. I'm not.

Luna-C's Harry Potter play
with Dumbledore and Harry in the background

It was after 11:00 pm when Luna-C finished. We took a walk through the Meet The Pros area, then called it a night.

I'll have more details (and pictures) later! And keep that foreshadowing in mind...

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© 2019 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Shore Leave 40 - Saturday

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Saturday is always the busy day at a Shore Leave convention. There are too many panels and talks to attend every one you'd like, especially when they are scheduled at the same time. There are difficult decisions to make! Plus, I was helping some friends with taking pictures and getting autographs, so that came into play, too.

The first stop is always the restaurant where the Cinnamon Tree cooks up a nice buffet with made-to-order omelets, eggs, and waffles. Notice that was an "and" and not an "or." I did try to keep the calories under control, however. That being said, everyone eats a good-sized breakfast because there is never time for lunch—too much is going on. And dinner is usually late. After fueling up, we dove right into the action.

During the middle of the day the actor/actress guests were either talking, posing in the photo area for pictures with the fans, or signing autographs. Some in my party were getting multiple pictures taken with the actors/actresses, so I was left holding the bag ( or bags ) while they were busy. I also helped hold the autographed pictures while the signatures dried. They move the lines quickly there, so there are usually multiple photos in everyone's hands who are waving them in the air until the ink has set. Even though it doesn't take long, you still have to let them dry before putting them into their protective sleeves. The whole process can be quite awkward. I did get a picture with William Shatner, and his autograph, plus an additional one ( with an image from one of his Twilight Zone shows ) for a relative.

I didn't get to any of the writing panels on Saturday. The ones I could have attended were panels I'd been to 2 or 3 times over the years, often with the same panel members. A couple of others conflicted with scheduled talks, autograph lines, or photograph sessions. That's the way it is at these conventions; there are too many activities to get to all the ones you want to attend. Still, you do get to talk with writers all day long and at just about any time. With some authors, if you ask them about their book you have a hard time getting them to stop! They will discuss what is popular and what isn't doing as well, and most important, what might be coming up next. And there is always the opportunity to make or refresh connections with authors, some of whom are small press publishers. There isn't much free or wasted time at Shore Leave!

After getting the pictures and autographs, we caught part of the talks by Shawn Ashmore and Ming-Na Wen. I know the photographs from Shore Leave are not the best, but when the guests are on stage they always shine these yellow lights on them and this really messes with the images, especially from my little camera.

Ming-Na Wen at Shore Leave 40

Shawn Ashmore at Shore Leave 40

Around 4:00 pm, the second William Shatner talk / Q & A session started. Mr. Shatner does have some interesting responses to the questions people ask, but he seldom gets directly to the answer. "It will all be clear in a minute," he says, much to the amusement of the audience. Eventually he does get to the point, but it always took more than a minute. I had heard he was often a bit gruff, but he was very warm and engaging whenever I saw him.

William Shatner at Shore Leave 40

About 7:00 pm I stopped by the room where the art auction was supposed to take place and found it was already over. Not many pieces went to auction ( none of mine where in the auction ), so it hadn't lasted long. It was at this time I discovered my painting ( Alien Dawn #1 ) had a bid but had not been picked up by the purchaser. That was when I became concerned they might not come back! I did spend time talking to the art show staff and got a lot of pointers on what to do for next year. They also discussed some of the changes coming to the art show rules to prevent items being offered for sale that might violate copyrights.

After this, we stopped by the pub ( The Paddock Bar, which is within the hotel ) for a light meal and refreshments, talked about what we'd seen during the day, and planned Sunday's activities.

As the others in our group decided to turn in for the night, Marie and I headed outside to where the stargazing activities were set up. There were several telescopes, and for once, clear skies. This is the first time in the last three (four?) years the weather has cooperated. We got to see Venus and Saturn, and yes, Saturn's rings were clearly visible! No UFOs or aliens, though. Not even a shuttlecraft.

That was all we could do for Saturday—it was time for bed!

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© 2018 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Shore Leave 40 - Friday Part II

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Note: This post was updated July 19, 2018 to correct a typo.

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Although there wasn't as many workgroups that dealt directly with writing this year, I did attend the Anthologies: Share the Love panel on Friday. There was a lot of joking going on as it was starting about how the panelists outnumbered the attendees. Eventually it did fill up until the number was almost equal, but interest seems to have faded from past conventions.

A few members of the anthology panel
waiting for attendees to arrive.

The panelist for this group were Greg Cox ( Moderator ), Phil Giunta, Jenifer Rosenberg, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Christopher L. Bennett, Joshua Palmatier, and Richard C. White. The discussion points for this panels were:

1. What attracts readers to short story collections? 
2. Do you prefer themed collections, single author collections, or a Whitman’s Sampler of stories? 
3. What draws authors to write for anthologies?

The discussion started with the moderator mentioning that conventional wisdom says that short story collections/anthologies don't sell. It was agreed that print versions don't sell as well as novel, and many larger publishing houses do not want to deal with them. It was mentioned that they do sell in electronic format, but are often not marketed ans anthologies or collections (subscriptions or similar formats are used). One reason anthologies don't sell is they do not have the power of a single author (with a strong reputation) to sell them. It was mentioned that small presses often do better with anthologies.

One problem with anthologies can be that several authors may write similar stories and that can make an anthology boring (or make the editors work harder). As some of the panelists had edited anthologies, there were a number of horror stories passed on about this scenario.

They asked writers who wish to write for anthologies to come up with a number of ideas and eliminate the most obvious and the most outlandish ideas to come up with a story that has the greatest chance for success.

When answering why anthologies (or collections) were popular, many said they could read a complete story each night or whenever they had a small amount of time. Others mentioned that if they didn't like a particular author or story they could skip past it and start a new story. Some just liked having a variety of stories on a theme. It was noted, however, many people prefer novels to short stories and will avoid anthologies, sometimes complaining to publishers that they did not understand that the book they purchased was an anthology. Some even demanded their money back (even though it was clearly marked on the cover as an anthology or collection).

Those who had edited anthologies said that the hardest part of putting together an anthology is picking the story order. The two best should go in the front and the back, but it isn't always easy to chose!

Finally, they asked why would someone write a short story or an anthology? Here were the answers provided:

1. The challenge of the writing prompt or theme (Can I write a story for this?)
2. To test an idea for a longer story
3. To have a place for an idea that won't support a long story
4. Nostalgia, even if it won't pay off economically
5. To expand the breadth and the writer's ideas/works
6. To challenge yourself as a writer (Can I write this idea as a short story?)

All in all, it was a good panel with many real-life experiences and tips passed on to the writers who did attend!

After the panel I made my way down to the Hunt Valley rooms to listen to the end of the Okudas talk about graphics. Michael and Denise Okuda did a lot of the graphics for Star Trek.

As I mentioned in the previous post, I attended the Meet the Pros party in the main hall. Lots of sci-fi authors gather to display and sell their books. Talked to Joshua Palmatier again - hoping to someday have a story in one of his anthologies.

Meet the Pros - authors selling their books

It was getting late, so we headed up to our rooms. On the way I glanced into the art show room and noticed that on of my pieces had sold. Of the three I brought, I figured "Hyacinths" would be a tough sell since it is hardly the right venue for flower art, but that's the one that went first. I hope whoever got it enjoys it!

You can see (watch the video!) more about my art (for sale) and the books I brought to give away HERE.

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© 2018 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Shore Leave 40 Books And Art

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Thumbnail of video on Patreon site
about Shore Leave 40 book giveaways

I'm going to be giving away a number of books at the Shore Leave 40 Sci-fi convention this year (July 6-8) that takes place in Hunt Valley, Maryland.

I'm also going to have a few pieces of art on display (and for sale) if all goes as planned.

You can read about it here on my PATREON site (free access). Click on the big picture on that site and you'll see a video of me talking about all the books I'll be giving out! Warning: I am not a professional actor. If you don't want to go there, just click HERE for the video. But then you won't see the thumbnail shots of the artwork I'll have in the show.

Best of all, come join in the fun at Shore Leave!

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© 2018 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Shore Leave 39 - Saturday

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Saturday July 8, 2016

Update: All the free books I put out evaporated. And I have a request for another copy of Human 76. I hope everyone enjoys them! 

The free books I put out at Shore Leave 39 - gone in a flash!

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First of all, I know I'm not getting these out on the same day as the events took place, but I really do need to get at least 5 hours of sleep. When you're at Shore Leave, the day starts at 7:00 am and often goes until midnight. And when it's over, you're still a little tired. Okay, a lot tired. But I'll try to post as much as I can (and hopefully better than last year) as soon as I can!

Now, back to the post...

Things really got going on Saturday. Lots of discussion panels, lots of talks by actors, and lots of authors pushing their books.

Saturday Panels

Grimm Retrospective
Let’s talk about the final season, what we wanted to see and didn’t, and what the future is for the Grimm universe.
Ann Harding (M), Annie White, John White

Serger Sewing Tutorial
A serger is an amazing, fancy machine which sews and finishes fabric edges in one easy, quick step. Find out the unique capabilities
of this useful device.
D. Jeannette Holloman (M), Ron Robinson, Ozma Ireton

Marvel Women Warriors: Ultimate Face-off!
Sixteen of the most acclaimed female hand-to-hand combatants in Marvel are squaring off for you to debate and choose who is the
greatest Marvel woman warrior!
Andrew Kelley (M), Beverly Stark, Charles Davidson

Wow, I Wrote That?
Writers often discover stories they penned years earlier but don’t remember writing. It’s as close as one comes to reading one’s own
work the way others do. What have our panelists learned from this experience?
Howard Weinstein (M), Heather E. Hutsell, Lorraine Anderson, Aaron Rosenberg, Peter David

Revision or Do-Over?
Sometimes when we revise our work, we toss out the good with the bad and replace it with more first-draft content. How does one make
revision into refinement rather than replacement?
Andrew Hiller (M), Greg Cox, Laura Ware, Kelli Fitzpatrick, TJ Perkins

Indy’s Back (in 2020)!
Is the return of Indiana Jones, to be played one more time by aging but sturdy Harrison Ford, a good idea — or a bad one?
Howard Weinstein (M), Russ Colchamiro, Kathleen David, Dave Galanter

40 Years of Star Wars Costumes
Star Wars changed everything, including how we look at sci-fi costumes. How has this influenced other sci-fi? How has this changed costume fandom? What does the future hold?
D. Jeannette Holloman (M), Sharon Landrum

Outlander: From Book Shelves to STARZ!
Loving this series and speculating about what might come next!
Annie Brugmans (M), Maggie Restivo, Betsy Childs

Your Writing or Your Life
Writers often experience conflicts between their writing and their family and job obligations. Can one use such conflicts productively?
How does one build a firewall between work and the rest of life?
Stephen Kozeniewski (M), Heather E. Hutsell, Lorraine Anderson, Laura Ware, Kathleen David

History for Fun and Profit
Lots of SF/F stories explicitly use historical models, whether it’s the Victorian Age for steampunk or Age of Sail for original Star Trek.
What pieces of the past are best for borrowing? How important is accuracy?
Jenifer Rosenberg (M), Christopher L. Bennett, Melissa Scott, Roberta Rogow, Richard C. White

Wonder Woman
Did the movie do the character justice? Was it everything you expected? What did you like about it and what would you have liked it
to have done differently?
Rigel Ailur (M), Keith R.A. DeCandido, Simantha Galanter, Hildy Silverman, Amy Imhoff, Susan Olesen

Crossplay Makeup Makeover
Too much style for one gender? Stephanie Kiss transforms a young man into a young woman. Learn how it’s done!
Stephanie Kiss (M) and others

Lucifer: The Devil’s in the Details
Have I ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight? If you’re a fan of the devil, let’s talk about what’s in store for heaven’s fallen favorite son.
Ann Harding (M), Annie White, John White

Does Fiction Go Too Easy on Evil?
In reality, evil is often boring, ugly, and stupid. But compelling villains in fiction are often stylish, intelligent, and competent. Is fiction
doing society a disservice by giving evil a good name?
David Mack (M), Jenifer Rosenberg, Mary Fan, Richard C. White, Glenn Hauman

What are the Starfleet Marines?
Join us to learn about this active branch of Starfleet!
David Sladky

The Future and Star Trek
Where do they intersect, and how has one affected the other?
Alex Cummins

RMN Special ButRain Ceremony
You are invited to attend a formal changing of the guard within the Royal Manticoran Navy.
Martin Lessem (M), James Friedline, Laura Lochen, Bill Lochen

Planet of the Apes
With a new movie opening, the franchise approaching its 50th anniversary, and new books and comics coming out, what is it about those damn, dirty apes that keeps us coming back? And what lies ahead?
Dayton Ward (M), Greg Cox, Robert Greenberger, Hildy Silverman, Kathleen David

Star Wars at 40: Wow, Do I Feel Old!
Exploring our history with Star Wars!
Michael Schilling (M), Michael Garman

Deanna Troi, I Feel You!
Lorenzo Heard (M), Randy Hall, Ann Harding

Defending the Light Side
In fiction, as in real life, upbeat and happy are often equated with silly fluff lacking substantial themes and intelligence. Or dismissed as childish. Those claims are often inaccurate, however.
Rigel Ailur (M), Christopher L. Bennett, Michael Critzer, Roberta Rogow, Andrew Hiller

So You Want to Be a Dealer?
How do you start? What do you need? How do you achieve success?
Brad Handley

LGBTQ+ in Media: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back!
Secret Disney stereotypes and the ships that never sailed.
C.E. Dorsett

Walking Dead: Barbed Wire on a Baseball Bat
The “walkers” faced their deadliest threat in Season 7. What did you think of this season, and what do you hope will happen during Season 8?
Randy Hall (M), Wayne Hall

Steven Universe
Discussion of the events of the most recent Steven Bomb.
Morgan Stallard

The Art of Secondary Characters
Supporting characters can fade into the background or steal a story. Our authors discuss how to know which is appropriate, and the craft to making such players come alive when the story needs them.
David Mack (M), Heather E. Hutsell, Richard C. White, Dave Galanter

Women in Science Fiction
Come join members of The Royal Manticoran Navy, The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, as we discuss and explore the
role and portrayal of women in the science fiction genre.
Christa Broley

Marvel Warriors: Ultimate Face-off
Sixteen of the most acclaimed hand-to-hand combatants in Marvel are squaring off for you to choose who is the greatest Marvel warrior!
Andrew Kelley (M), Beverly Stark, Charles Davidson

Back in My Day
Authors discuss how they got into fandom, and the transition from convention attendee to convention guest—with anecdotes about who
they’ve met and the experiences they’ve had along the way.
Lorraine Anderson (M), Jenifer Rosenberg, Roberta Rogow, Susan Olesen, Diane Lee Baron, Peter David

Bigfoot Lives Matter!
Do we have the right to either hunt for Bigfoot or kill one for research?
Dean Gleason

Supernatural: Hush Little Baby!
Lorenzo Heard (M), Annie White, John White, Andrew Kelley 

The Role of Science Fiction
Does science fiction have a responsibility to be a commentary on our times?
Derek Attico (M), Stephen Kozeniewski, Andrew Hiller, Amy Imhoff

Crazy 8 Press Presents
Six years ago at Shore Leave, a group of writers decided to write what they wanted and publish it themselves. What have they learned since? What’s coming next? And why must Glenn Hauman die?
Michael Jan Friedman (M), Robert Greenberger, Glenn Hauman, Aaron Rosenberg, Russ Colchamiro, Peter David

Dark Matter: Getting Odd and Getting Even
What would you like to see in this program’s third season?
Randy Hall (M), Wayne Hall, Lorenzo Heard

American Gods: OMFGs
Neil Gaiman’s beloved novel comes to premium cable.Whether you worship the Old Gods or the New, join us for a discussion of this fascinating show! (Warning: discussion of adult content.)
Andrew Kelley (M), Beverly Stark, John White, Annie White

Into the Badlands: So Good to Be Bad!
Into the Badlands just finished its second season with a burgeoning fan base in withdrawal a year away from what comes next!
Andrew Kelley (M), Beverly Stark

Big Bang Theory: Sheldon Proposes!?!
Do you think they’ll ever make it to the altar?
Wayne Hall (M), Lorenzo Heard

Women Don’t Write Genre Fiction! Wait, WHAT??
The numbers need to improve and the acknowledgement to increase, but why is that erroneous assertion so easily and commonly accepted? And is it worse in genre, or typical of all publishing except romance?
Rigel Ailur (M), Melissa Scott, Laura Ware, Mary Fan, Hildy Silverman, TJ Perkins

The Batman
What is it about this 78-year-old character that continues to be embraced by fans of all ages? Join us as we delve into the mythos and the man behind the cowl.
John Coffren (M), Robert Greenberger, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Derek Attico, Richard C. White, Mike Friedman

Firebringer Press Presents
Firebringer Press authors chat up their current books as well as upcoming releases. Debut author Diane Lee Baron will launch her novel, Gal Wonder, at Shore Leave. Time permitting, there may be readings.
Steven H. Wilson (M), Michael Critzer, Diane Lee Baron

Falling Out of Love with a Story
What do writers do if, halfway through writing a novel, they lose faith in it? How do writers recover enthusiasm for what they think is a flawed work? Trash it or fix it?
Mary Fan (M), Russ Colchamiro, Heather E. Hutsell, Aaron Rosenberg

Upcoming Star Trek Books
A preview of forthcoming Star Trek novels from Simon & Schuster, with some of their authors as well as other Trek-related titles due out this fall and into 2018.
Scott Pearson (M), David Mack, Christopher L. Bennett, Dayton Ward

Marvel/DC Warriors: Ultimate Face-off Finale!
Its time for the final votes to be cast, comrades! Time to decide the Ultimate Warrior! Choose your champions, and let the Ultimate Face-off Finale begin!
Andrew Kelley (M), Beverly Stark, Charles Davidson

I attended the three marked in red.

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The day started with an over-indulgent breakfast, as usual. Once my group had stuffed as much into our bellies as was humanly possible (we don't do lunch at Shore Leave—there isn't time), we waddled out to the autograph line to see who was available and weren't disappointed. We were able to get a number of pictures signed before the day's activities commenced.

Michael Hogan at Shore Leave 39 signing autographs

I went to the panel titled Your Writing or Your Life and then it was time for my photo with Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi, from Star Trek) and Michael Dorn (Worf, from Star Trek). I'll have a scan of it posted here eventually.

Image from the Shore Leave web site of
Marina Sirtis and Michael Dorn

After getting the photo taken, I attended the Defending the Lighter Side (most of it) and The Art of Secondary Characters panels. I'll have more on the panels later. If I put it all here the blog posts may approach novella length.

After sitting in the same spot for almost two hours listening to the discussions, I was ready for a break. I went to the pick-up area near the Hunt Room to get my photo-op picture. Autographs will be done on Sunday if all goes as planned.

At 3:00 pm it was time for the Marina Sirtis and Michael Dorn talk held in the main convention rooms. Unfortunately, I was sitting too far back to get any good pictures. There were quite a number of interesting and amusing stories from both, though Michael Dorn is definitely the quieter of the two. Although these two were the guests I was most familiar with, I can't say I knew much about them. I certainly wasn't prepared for Marina's cockney accent.

An unfortunately blurry picture of Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis
Shore Leave 39

One young girl taking theatre in college asked if they had any tips on getting started in acting. Marina Sirtis told her to go to New York and get into actual stage acting. She said it is the best place to learn and get experience, and that could give her an edge as many actors and actresses have never set foot on a real stage.

Michael Dorn related stories about his interest in flying and his experiences with the military after being invited by many of the services to help them with publicity. His reward was often a flight in a jet fighter or with a team like the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds.

Finally, it was time for dinner. The food at the Hunt Valley Inn is still excellent and I ate way—or is it weigh—too much again this year. After dinner, we went back to our rooms to rest up a bit until the masquerade started. We ended up resting a little more than planned, but we did get to see the winners!

Some of the masquerade winners

The plastic orange things they're holding are their trophies. I guess it's nice they got something, but it wasn't much of a trophy... By the way, the Willie Wonka guy (second image) really looked like Gene Wilder. Some of the people won in multiple categories, so they were on stage more than once.

This young lady won the "Best in Show" for her steampunk librarian!

Best in show - Steampunk Librarian!

No, I didn't dress up. Just in case you were wondering...

Shore Leave on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShoreLeaveCon  ( @ShoreLeaveCon ‏ )

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© 2017 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Shore Leave 38 - Friday

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Just a reminder: It's okay to leave comments!

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Friday July 15, 2016

I arrived at Shore Leave 38 around 3:00 pm and checked into the hotel ( Hunt Valley Inn Wyndham Grand ). A few of the actor guests were already set up in the main hall. The book vendors and authors were starting to arrive. I went to the registration desk and got my badge, then unloaded the car. Unfortunately, I had to leave for a while to take care of some personal business. When I got back, it was time to head into the "Valley Room" where the show was already underway.

At 8:00 pm, I listened to the talk given by Barbara Bouchet and Michael Forest.

Barbara Bouchet and Michael Forest

Shore Leave is a mainly a Star Trek convention, and both of these actors appeared in episodes of Star Trek TOS. Michael was also in an episode of Star Trek Continues. Although Star Trek was a minor part of their careers, many people only know them from these roles. I'll have more on both actors in upcoming posts, including stories they relayed during their appearance and when I talked to them afterward.

After Barbara and Michael were finished, it was time for the comedy group Luna-C to do their skits.

The Luna-C players taking a bow

Once Luna-C was done, it was 11:00 pm. It had been a long day and it was time to turn in.

There will be much more about Shore Leave 38 to come!

In the meantime, check for my story, The Song of Aiden, in Human 76 - a post-apocalyptic, shared-world anthology!

Check #Human76 on Twitter for news!

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© 2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Shore Leave 38 - The Preparation

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Just a reminder: It's okay to leave comments!

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Shore Leave 38 is coming up this weekend. It's a month earlier this year. That leaves less time to work it into my schedule—which is unfortunately full.

Logo on Shore Leave polo shirt
(from http://www.shore-leave.com/emporium/)

I'm not as excited about the convention this year. Partly because the guest list doesn't hold a great deal of interest and partly because other events in my life are making it difficult to get into the proper mood.

The one thing that could be interesting is the 50th anniversary of Star Trek. There will be lots of fan-made movies and I can imagine many of the attendees will be decked out in their best costumes. There will be a showing of the Starship Farragut movie The Crossing along with many others, most of which I've never seen.

So, the plan will be to post to the blog from the convention with, perhaps, a few interesting pictures! Maybe I'll try to do a video this year. Until then, you can check this out:

I'll keep you posted!

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved