Quiet Keystrokes and Midnight Ramblings

Suzanne Hagelin is a Pacific Northwest indie author who I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with at several book festivals and conventions over the years. In typical "let's add to the TBR pile" style, I picked up the first book of her trilogy, Body Suit , and then sat on it for months. Possibly a year. Perhaps longer. Then, in a reading slump, I finally opened it up. Do you ever have those times where you smack yourself in the forehead and say, "Self, why did you put this off for so long?" That's exactly how I felt while reading Body Suit . Suzanne and I have discussed our love of the Portal video games in the past, and the A.I. cataloging human behavior and offering assistance (when it finds it convenient) is reminiscent of GLaDOS and Wheatley in the Portal games. Snarky, contemplative, and sometimes dependable enough to love. Sil, the main character in Body Suit  finds herself shipped off to the first settlement on Mars, forced to...

There comes a time in every writer's life when it's time to walk away from the computer and head out into the world for some inspiration!  For me, that time is now and in 24 hours I will be on my way to experiencing the fantasy, fun and intrigue that Dragon*Con has to offer! Heading out to conventions, especially those that surround the literary world, will hopefully give me a chance to meet other writers and see what is happening in the world of fantasy/sci-fi/fanfic.  It sure does help to know that not only are there other writers out there writing fiction, but that some of them are actually a success at it!  I intend to leave Atlanta on Monday enlightened, encouraged, and bursting with new ideas and concepts. If you aren't familiar with Dragon*Con I encourage you to check out their website at www.dragoncon.org and check out the immense width and breadth that this convention has to offer writers, painters, musicians and people who aren't creative but wh...