Devastated to hear about the loss of prolific writer Peter David. He was one of my inspirations for pursuing the craft and a fixture at Farpoint and Shore Leave SF conventions for decades.
At Farpoint 2019, I had the honor of co-hosting with Peter a screening of the Harlan Ellison documentary Dreams with Sharp Teeth after Harlan passed the previous year.
Peter often referred to himself simply as a “writer of stuff,” but that stuff encompassed decades of novels, short stories, comic books, and media tie-in work that included an award-winning 12-year run writing Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk comic book, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor. Peter was also known for his many Star Trek novels, especially his New Frontier series.
His original novels include the Knight Life trilogy, The Camelot Papers,Pulling Up Stakes, Year of the Black Rainbow, Election Day, Tigerheart, Sir Apropos of Nothing, The Woad to Wuin, and many more.
I took my beatings in 2024, from being hobbled by severe arthritis in my knee to my mother’s sudden death in June to a home repair imbroglio that is now in litigation for who-knows-how-long. This was one of the most chaotic years of my life, filled with stress, grief, anxiety, and depression.
Despite all of that, I had plenty of reasons to be grateful. So many, in fact, that I filled my gratitude box (pictured below) with slips of paper on which is written all of the exceptional things that happened to me throughout the year. On New Year’s Eve, which is tomorrow as I write this, I’ll open the box and review each slip as a reminder of those wonderful people, places, and moments that sustained me in 2024 even through the darkest days. I’d like to take a few moments to list some of them here.
Testing the Prisoner(second edition) continued to win awards this year, picking up seven more including the spring BookFest competition, an International Impact Award, two PennCraft awards, the Pennsylvania Press Club, National Federation of Press Women, and the Independent Author Network.
By Your Side (second edition) was released in July amid the aforementioned chaos and while I could not give it the promotional attention is deserved, it went on to win three awards in the fall BookFest competition and has been submitted to three other awards. Results to be announced next year.
After a two-year dry spell, my short story efforts also rebounded with the publication of “A Thorne in Time” in Ruth and Ann’s Guide to Time Travel – Volume I by Celestial Echo Press. The book was released in August with a successful book launch at the Philadelphia Science Fiction Convention (Philcon) in November.
In early June, I was stunned when Black Cat Weekly—an online SF, fantasy, and mystery magazine edited by the amazing John Betancourt—accepted my science fiction adventure tale “In the Span of a Heartbeat” which will be published sometime in the first quarter of 2025. Watch this space!
In October, I spent a beautiful five days in Ligonier, Pennsylvania at the Mindful Writers Retreat, an event I attend almost every year. It’s a chance for me to focus on writing without the distractions of life and to connect with a community of writers in the western PA area that I otherwise only chat with on social media. More, the Ligonier Camp and Conference center is nestled in the Laurel Highlands region of the Allegheny Mountains, which is resplendent during autumn and perfect for walking through the woods and along the trails.
In November, my science fiction story “Isaac Geary’s Instant Utopia” was accepted by Oddity Prodigy Productions for their upcoming science fiction anthology, Bright Mirror, slated for a March 2025 release.
This month, my ghost story “Give Them Peace” was accepted by the Greater Lehigh Writers Group for publication in our 2025 anthology Writing a Wrong, also due out in March. Per tradition, the book will launch at the Write Stuff writers conference.
And to cap off the year, I submitted a story to Flame Tree Press yesterday for their Robots Past & Futureanthology to be released in August 2025. The deadline is January 1, 2025. I learned about the open call on December 3rd and managed to conjure up a story by Christmas Day. My critique partners were kind enough to turn around their comments within three days.
Although I had to cancel my summer vacation and my appearance at Shore Leave when my mother died, I managed to attend Farpoint in February, the Write Stuff writers conference in March, and the Lehigh Valley Comic Con in August and again in December. As always, they were wonderful experiences and I’ll back again on the con scene again next year, including Shore Leave.
So while life knocked me down this year, it couldn’t keep me down. I’m still moving forward with gratitude, hope, and a determination to thrive in 2025. I wish you much peace, joy, and success in the new year.
Neither snow nor rain nor multiple traffic jams could keep me away from Philcon 87 (November 22-24, 2024). I took a half day from work on Friday and despite a treacherous drive, arrived at the Hilton Doubletree in Cherry Hill, NJ in reasonable time.
Since I had no panels on Friday, I took the opportunity to wander around the hotel, chat with friends, and peruse the dealer room. As always, it was wonderful to see my friends Jacob Jones-Goldstein and Nicholas Leamy from Delaware small press Oddity Prodigy Productions.
A few days before the con, Jake accepted my story “Isaac Geary’s Instant Utopia” for their upcoming science fiction anthology, Bright Mirror, a collection of utopian science fiction.
Continuing my tour of the dealer room, I stopped to chat with longtime friends Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Mike McPhail, and Keith DeCandido. However, I was disappointed to find a few dealers missing, including one gentleman who carries a large inventory of vintage paperbacks. Nevertheless, there were plenty of other classic treasures awaiting me including a dealer who is renown for selling mint condition hardbacks, many of which are first editions and autographed by the author.
On this occasion, he was selling many titles at 50% off. I was able to score a limited edition, signed copy of Harlan Ellison’s Spider Kiss in hardback for $40 and hardback copies of Ellison’s Angry Candy and The Collected Works of C.J. Cherryh for $17 each.
In the hotel lobby, I caught up with editor and publisher, Ann Stolinsky of Celestial Echo Press (an imprint of Gemini Wordsmiths). Earlier in the year, Ann accepted my story “A Thorne in Time” for their time travel anthology, Ruth and Ann’s Guide to Time Travel. The book was scheduled to be launched at 6PM on Saturday night in the con suite at Philcon.
But Ann and I had arranged to meet on Friday so I could pick up my dozen author copies and since neither of us had dinner plans, we ate together at the hotel restaurant.
After that, I retreated to my room for a few hours to rest until the Meet the Pros party at 9PM. This is a social event that takes place in the side hallway outside of the art show. It’s the best opportunity to catch up with friends. It was a joy to chat with Bram Stoker-nominated writer Carol Gyzander and fellow Lehigh Valley writer Christopher D. Ochs. As the evening progressed, I found myself sitting with friends (and Shore Leave volunteers) Anne Hande and co-con chair Inge Heyer along with a new friend I’d met over Facebook, Rebecca Marcus. Rebecca has been in SF fandom for a long time, but we somehow managed to miss one another until now. Events like this, where old friends reunite and new friends are made, are one of the main reasons I attend cons.
Phil with Rebecca Marcus. Photo credit: Anne Hande
Saturday morning started with a 10AM panel, “Music and the Writing Process,” moderated by David Simms. Fellow panelists included Keith DeCandido, Susan Shwartz, and Wayland Smith. We only had an audience of three, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying a lively chat about the music we listen to while writing, which artists inspire us, and who we’d like to create the soundtracks to our stories.
At noon, I joined Randee Dawn and Michael Ventrella to read excerpts from our books to a full house. I chose a scene from my second paranormal mystery novel, By Your Side. The audience was engaged with every reading and we had a lively discussion afterward. I’d known Michael for several years, but this was my first time meeting Randee. We’ve since become Facebook friends. Special thanks to Michael Ventrella for taking my picture at the reading (below).
At 1PM, it was my turn at the autograph table downstairs beside the Shore Leave team. The author autograph sessions are usually slow so I spent the time chatting with Inge, Anne, and Anne’s hubby, Rick. Always a grand time!
Photo credit: Elie Boyer Avedissian
I was then free for the next four hours until the launch for Ruth and Ann’s Guide to Time Travel at 6PM. So, of course, I bought more books in the dealer room then went back to my room and crashed for a bit.
I arrived at the con suite a few minutes early to join Ann Stolinsky and about a dozen of my fellow contributors to Ruth and Ann’s Guide to Time Travel. Over the course of the next hour and a half, the Volume I authors, myself included, signed about twenty copies before reading four-minute excerpts from their stories. In addition to the writers I already knew, such as Carol Gyzander, Ef Deal, Gary Zenker, and Joanne McLaughlin, it was nice to finally meet Teel James Glenn and Jon McGoran (who I’d only known from social media) as well as Ken Altabef, Stephen W. Chappell, David C. Strickler, Gordon Linzner, and James Ryan.
Readings were followed by finger food and cake (which for me also became finger food). Much gratitude to Ann Stolinsky for organizing one of the best book launches I ever experienced.
My evening wasn’t over yet. It was time for me to moderate a panel! At 9AM, I joined David Simms, Carol Gyzander, Eric Avedissian, and Amy Grech for “I’ll Write Any Horror Story, but I Won’t Write That!” where we discussed what tropes and subgenres in horror we enjoyed writing, what we didn’t, and which writers inspired us. Audience engagement was enthusiastic and we actually ran ten minutes overtime!
Photo credit: Elie Boyer Avedissian
After that, it was time to go back to my room and crash (actually, I watched Die Hard II on TNT before going to sleep).
Sunday morning saw me packing up, loading the car, and hanging out with the Shore Leave folks for a few hours until my 1PM panel, “What’s Happened to the Traditional Ghost Story?” moderated by Melanie Moyer and starring Ty Drago, Nghi Vo, James L. Cambias, and myself. As with all of my panels this weekend, my last one of the con did not fail to produce a lively discussion among the panelists and the audience about what makes a good ghost story, what ruins a good ghost story, and other related topics.
After that, it was time to go. I said goodbye to all of my friends but did not leave without buying one last book. This time, it was The Best of Michael Swanwick, Volume II. Michael is a forty-year luminary of the science fiction world with multiple awards for his amazing work and a regular guest at Philcon.
As it happens, Michael and his wife Marianne Porter also host a Philcon after party at their house a few blocks from my childhood home in Philadelphia. I attended for the first time in 2022 where I also met another legendary writer for the first time, Samuel “Chip” Delaney.
This year, Michael graciously signed my book with a delightful inscription.
In addition to myself, Randee Dawn, Ken Altabef, Alex Shvartsman, Sally Grotta, Anna Kashina, Tom Doyle, Barbara Purdom, Ian Strock, Chris Edwards (who took this wonderful picture below of Michael and Chip) and several other Philcon guests were in attendance.
Masters of Fantasy and SF: Michael Swanwick (L) and Samuel “Chip” Delaney (R). Photo credit: Chris Edwards
All told, this was by far my best Philcon yet and I look forward to next year!
While haunted by visions of her brother’s suicide, psychic-medium Miranda Lorensen is called to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to investigate a series of bizarre deaths—some of which are also suicides. Miranda and her team of paranormal investigators soon find themselves confronted by a vengeful spirit awakened thirty-three years after a bloody family tragedy. Miranda realizes that only she can stop the entity before it claims its final victims, but will her obsession for saving lives redeem her for the brother she failed?
I’m pleased to announce that the second edition of my paranormal mystery novel, By Your Side, is now up for preorder in ebook format for $2.99 from all the major resellers including Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords.
This edition has been re-edited and given a new cover by comic book artist Scott Barnett.
Purchase:
The official release date is July 22, 2024. The book will be launched a few days later at Shore Leave 44SFconvention in Lancaster, PA.
On Saturday, October 28th, a few hundred longtime attendees of Farpoint and Shore Leave SF conventions descended on the Marriott Delta in Hunt Valley, MD to bid the hotel goodbye. After 40+ years of hosting genre conventions, the hotel will close on October 31. According to the rumor mill, the building will be demolished and replaced by a Tesla dealership or condos or both.
My wife and I spent part of the day wandering the hotel and taking final pictures all while a dog show was in progress. Adorable pooches everywhere, which added an element of fun to an otherwise bittersweet occasion.
It was wonderful to spend time with so many old friends including Sharon VanBlarcom, Steve and Renee Wilson, June Swords, Daniel Patrick Corcoran, Cindy Shockey, Bob Greenberger, Royce Essig, Sashi German, Susanna Reilly, Rhonda Greene, Diane Baron, Blair Learn, Paul Balze, Lance and Cindy Woods, Inge Heyer, Jay and Pam Smith, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Mike McPhail, Ann Hande, Susan Staneslow Olesen, and more. Apologies if I’m forgetting anyone.
While at the farewell party, Farpoint announced their new home at the Hilton Doubletree in Pikesville, MD. Shore Leave will make a similar announcement in the coming weeks.
As one of the east coast’s longest-running science fiction conventions, Shore Leave celebrated its 43rd year on July 7-9, 2023. Technically, it should have been their 45th, but blame COVID for botching the numbering. Either way, I’m proud to say that I’ve been around for the past 29 of those.
Celebrity guests included Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Robert Picardo, Robert Duncan McNeill, Penny Johnson Jerald, Alaina Huffman, Peter Macon, Aaron Douglas, Grace Park, and Bonnie Gordon.
Like the eye of a storm, Shore Leave 43 was graced with a day and a half of fair weather between Mother Nature’s attempts to drown us on Friday and Sunday.
My wife and I arrived on Friday afternoon with ample time to check into our room, collect our registration materials, and grab a quick dinner before my first panel—a lively discussion about the new Quantum Leap TV series. The panel included fellow writers Mary Fan, Rigel Ailur, Lorraine Anderson, and Joshua Palmatier. Panelists and audience members alike compared the original series with the new one, touched on some inconsistencies within each (and between the two), and expressed our hopes and predictions for the next season.
Shore Leave 43 Program Book and Badges
After that, my wife and I caught up with several friends in the hotel lobby before getting ready for Shore Leave’s traditional two-hour Friday night book fair, Meet the Pros, at 10PM. As usual, it was a bustling event. I sold four copies of the new hot-off-the-press crime noir anthology, Hard-Boiled and Loaded with Sin, one of which went to writer Dayton Ward, famous for Star Trek novels and other media tie-in work. A few readers had purchased books in advance and brought them to me to deface with my autograph.
Keith DeCandido at Meet the Pros.David Mack at Meet the Pros.Dayton Ward (standing in aisle at right, with yellow lanyard) at Meet the Pros Book Fair.Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle between Keith DeCandido (L) and David Mack (R).Derek Tyler Attico (foreground) and Mary Fan at Meet the Pros.Across the hall: Hildy Silverman and Bob Greenberger at Meet the Pros.
After the book fair, I spent another hour chatting with a few of the writers in the hotel lounge before calling it a night.
This was the first time Shore Leave scheduled me for a 9AM panel, but I was awake and alert on Saturday morning for Providing Actionable Writing Critiques. Fellow panelists included Joshua Palmatier, Amy Sisson, Laura Ware, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, and John Coffren. We covered a lot of ground including the value of critique groups, proper etiquette for providing and receiving a critique, different types of editing (developmental vs. line editing), evaluating an editor for your work, and what editors look for when selecting stories or novels.
Since my next panel wasn’t until noon, my wife and I watched a presentation about NASA’s planetary defense program known as DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test).Panelists included:
Lindley Johnson, NASA’s Planetary Defense Officer and Program Executive of the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO).
Kelly Fast, Near-Earth Object Observations Program Manager for NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office.
Timothy C. Miller, Chief Scientist of the Seeker and Information Processing Group at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab
The panel was moderated by Joshua A. Handal, Program Analyst for the Planetary Defense Coordination Office at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The goal of the DART mission was to launch a small craft at an asteroid in an attempt to alter its course. In November 2021, the craft was launched on a SpaceX rocket from Vandenburg Space Force Base in California and successfully impacted the asteroid Dimorphos in September 2022. The presentation included footage and images from the mission. It was a remarkable achievement!
At 11AM, I ambled to the room next door for What Makes a Good Detective? with panelists Christopher D. Abbott, Lorraine Anderson, Lauren Ware, T.J. Perkins, and Melissa Scott. Panelists and audience members alike offered their opinions on what traits a good detective should possess. Discussions ranged from earth-based sleuths—such as Holmes, Poirot, Columbo, Jessica Fletcher, and others—to detectives in science fiction and fantasy settings.
My final panel of the weekend was just a few doors down from the previous two and in a room that was adequately air-conditioned (unlike most of the rooms in what we call the “glass hallway”). I had the privilege of speaking about Pacing Your Fiction in an Attention-Short World along with Michael Jan Friedman, David Mack, Russ Colchamiro, John Coffren, and Christopher D. Abbott. The panel ended up focusing more on the topic of pacing and flow of story based on theme and genre than on writing for readers with shorter attention spans. Nevertheless, it was an edifying discussion.
For almost 30 years of attending conventions, one of the major attractions for me were the celebrity guests. I enjoyed their Q&A sessions and obtaining their autographs despite the often long lines. The appeal of this faded about three or four years ago, but to kill time before dinner, my wife and I sat in for Ben Browder and Claudia Black. Each had a microphone, but that didn’t prevent the audio from being muddled. Still, what I heard was entertaining as they discussed their work on Farscape and the final seasons of Stargate SG-1.
Claudia Black & Ben Browder at Shore Leave 43Claudia Black & Ben Browder at Shore Leave 43Claudia Black at Shore Leave 43Bob Greenberger (standing) chats with Sherri Cook Woosley and Andrew Hiller at the Authors Dinner.
At 5:30PM, my wife and I made our way to the McCormick Suite for the third annual Authors Dinner organized by Keith DeCandido and Wrenn Simms with food provided by the incomparable Andy Nelson’s BBQ on York Road. As always, it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends and fellow writers, some of whom only see each other once or twice a year.
Authors Dinner at Shore Leave 43
Afterwards, my wife and I spent time chatting with a few more friends before calling it a night.
With no panels on my schedule for Sunday, we packed up the car, checked out of our room, and attended a presentation on the Hubble Telescope. A Third of a Century Discoveries with Hubble was hosted by Kenneth G. Carpenter, Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Operations Project Scientist.
The presentation covered Hubble’s inception, an overview of its myriad discoveries in it’s first 30+ years of service, including new data from 2023. Dr. Carpenter also touched on the James Webb Space Telescope, comparing and combining images from both orbital observatories, and concluded with a brief look at the upcoming Roman Space Telescope to be launched in 2027.
On our way out, we made the goodbye rounds and in some cases, it was the first time we had a chance to see or chat at length with some of our friends who had been at Shore Leave all weekend. It happens. Cons are hectic.
Of course, no genre convention would be complete without a cadre of amazing cosplayers. I didn’t have time to take pics of all of them, but my friend Blair Learn caught a few that I missed. There were so many more than what you see below. You’ll just have to come to Shore Leave next year and see for yourself.
As always, the Shore Leave committee delivered a fantastic weekend and I look forward to #44!
