Swancon is coming (redux)!

Oh my God, can you believe that Swancon is coming in less than three weeks?

EDIT - wow, I got the dates wrong in the original post... I blame sleep deprivation...

After missing it entirely last year, which is only maybe the second or third time since my first visit in 1990, this year I plan to just go for two full days, the Friday and the Sunday, both times because I'm on panels. I also plan to turn up late Thursday night, but that's just for the panel I'm on then, nothing else.

The panels I'm officially on are:

( ...under the cut... )

And that's my Swancon plan for '07. One of these years I might even build up the strength to go to an entire one again, instead of wimping out like I generally do these days.

I have a vague little notion to do something special for the relaunch of Carnies, but I don't know if I'm going to have the time needed to prepare it. I might have to put aside my zombie story "Sleepwalkers" this week and knuckle down to it for the next three weeks. Let's just say that I have thirteen copies of Carnies I want to sell off, and I'd like to give away something extra with each one. Perhaps, say, an additional chapter. 'Nuff said. :) But please don't crucify me if I don't get it done in time, I'm only human!

Mentor as Anything...

Thanks to ashamel for the heads-up... the Australian Horror Writer's Association has announced that it's running a mentor program this year, to encourage newer writers to develop professionally with the help of some local industry luminaries. It's only available for members of the AHWA, and thus the details are behind the username-and-password section of their site, but the basic details are here:

http://www.australianhorror.com/news.php?news=117

The important thing is, of course, that I happen to be one of the mentors, as is ashamel, battersblog, kaaronwarren, catsparx, sjiraiyac, stephen_dedman, paulhaines and Rob Hood. In short, it's simply an amazing line-up of talent, and I feel both honoured and humbled to be slotted in amongst them. Not to mention rather unworthy!

So, if anyone wants to hassle me for three months this year, and pay for the privilege of doing so, please join the AHWA and put your hat in the ring. With the list of other mentors, I can't see there being much competition for my tutelage. ;)

EDIT - I've taken down the full details, as they're really only intended for AHWA members. But Horrorscope has put up a nicely intermediate-level announcement here:

http://ozhorrorscope.blogspot.com/2007/03/news-ahwa-mentor-program.html

Much more official. :)