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ConGregate 2014 has ended
Thank you to all who attended. 

Several of the panels are marked with either (AP) or (ET).  ET or Experts Talk panels are traditional panels.  AP or Audience Participation are panels where we encourage the audience to participate.

The Gaming Schedule and gaming registration can be found on the JustUs Productions OGRe System.   Gaming will be held in the Bethabara, Corpening and Moravian rooms.

Additional information: Reg Hours, ConSuite, and Bounty Hunt.

Thank you and Enjoy the con!
 
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Friday, July 11
 

3:00pm EDT

Alternate History (ET)
Harry Turtledove and Eric Flint are often suggested as masters of the Alternate History Genre…but does the genre encompass more than just how wars are affected? Do works such as Naomi Novik's dragons in the Napoleonic Wars and DB Jackson's magic in the Revolutionary War also qualify as alternate history? What makes a fantasy or SF or even steampunk story alternate history vs “just" a fantasy, SF or steampunk story? What are some other books that might also fit the "alternate history" theme but aren't usually considered?
Moderators
avatar for Diana Bastine

Diana Bastine

Diana Bastine is an author and editor living in North Carolina. She has written novels, short stories, poetry and blog articles – some of which have even been published.              Diana is also a Reiki Master and a Crystal Energy Therapist, as well as an ordained... Read More →

Guests
avatar for David B. Coe

David B. Coe

David B. Coe, who also writes as D.B. Jackson, is the award-winning author of fifteen novels and the occasional short story.  His newest book, A PLUNDER OF SOULS (Tor Books), written as D.B. Jackson, is the third volume of the Thieftaker Chronicles, a historical urban fantasy set... Read More →
avatar for Faith Hunter

Faith Hunter

NY Times best-selling author, Faith Hunter, was born in Louisiana and raised all over the south. She writes the Skinwalker series, featuring Jane Yellowrock: Skinwalker, Blood Cross, Mercy Blade and Raven Cursed, with Death’s Rival due in Oct. 2012. Her Rogue Mage novels, a dark... Read More →
avatar for Misty Massey

Misty Massey

Misty Massey is the author of Mad Kestrel (Tor Books), a rollicking fantasy adventure of magic on the high seas, and the upcoming ebook Kestrel's Voyages. Misty is one of the featured writers on Magical Words (www.magicalwords.net). When she’s not writing, she studies Middle... Read More →
avatar for Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen retired from the Navy following twenty-one years as a nuclear-trained submariner, just in time for his children to outgrow the funny stories he always made up for them at bedtime, when he was in port.  So, he started writing those stories down and inflicting them upon strangers... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Hearn C/D Main Programming
  Panels

3:00pm EDT

An Alien for Your World, A World for Your Alien (ET)
What does your planet have to be like to evolve and sustain the alien your story needs?  Or: What kind of alien would your fictional world tend to evolve and sustain? A discussion of basic concepts of both planet and alien design and key interrelationships between them.
Moderators
avatar for Paula S. Jordan

Paula S. Jordan

Paula S. Jordan is the author of “Vooorh,” a novelette appearing in the recently released July/August issue of Analog.  Both that story and her previous Analog entry, “Two Look At Two” (April 2011), are adaptations from her present-day alien-contact novel-in-progress.  Her... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Glenda C. Finkelstein

Glenda C. Finkelstein

Glenda has a wide and varied career as a writer having published song lyrics, human-interest articles, poems, short stories, novels, and screenplays.  Her interest in writing was not just a happenstance having a great-grandfather who was a wonderful poet, and aunts and uncles who... Read More →
avatar for James Maxey

James Maxey

James Maxey is the author seven fantasy novels (Bitterwood, Dragonforge, Dragonseed, Dawn of Dragons, Greatshadow, Hush, and Witchbreaker) and two superhero novels (Nobody Gets the Girl and Burn Baby Burn). His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and... Read More →
avatar for Tedd Roberts

Tedd Roberts

Tedd Roberts is one of many aliases of the mysterious "Dr. Rob," a neuroscience researcher whose interest in public education and brain awareness has led him to write science fact and fiction with the goal of accurate, yet enjoyable brain science. While his professional research... Read More →
avatar for Cathe Smith

Cathe Smith

Cathe Smith has always been interested in insects. As an entomology undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she worked as a crop scout in an integrated pest management lab that worked with potatoes, cabbage, and mint. That experience led her to pick up a second Bachelor... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

3:00pm EDT

Learn About Sched.org
ConGregate is using the mobile platform of Sched.org as the way to display the programming and guests for the convention.

This panel will introduce you to the website and how to use it. 
Friday July 11, 2014 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

3:00pm EDT

Science Fiction / Fantasy on TV (AP)
From Syfy to the CW, from Walking Dead to Agents of Shield to The Librarians, this open forum will give you the chance to talk about your favorite SF/F TV show.
Moderators
avatar for Jennifer McCollom

Jennifer McCollom

Special Media Arts Guest
Professional make-up artist, Jennifer McCollom got her start in Theatre through both high school and college. She graduated from UNCG with a BA in Theatre and a minor in Physics. Her first professional film was Taking Liberty filmed in Winston-Salem, NC. Then it was on to local favorites... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Tony Finkelstein

Tony Finkelstein

Tony is a man of many talents with a wide and varied background in music and theatre.  In his teenage years he was one of the top rated drummers in the Tampa Bay area and opened for such legendary acts as Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and went on summer tour with The Rascals.  Although... Read More →
avatar for Angela Pritchett

Angela Pritchett

Angela Pritchett is a costumer, actress, makeup artist and writer originally from Charlottesville, VA but currently residing in Asheboro, NC. She has won countless costuming awards and has judged at numerous conventions along the east coast. She has appeared in and has done makeup... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Piedmont Workshops/Readings
  Panels

4:00pm EDT

Learning to Navigate BoardGameGeek.com
The purpose of this workshop is to introduce people to the BoardGameGeek.com website, provide an orientation of key features, and highlight several of its more powerful tools.
Friday July 11, 2014 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

4:00pm EDT

Multi tasking - Multiple WIPS (Works in Progress) (ET)
How do you keep yourself straight when you have more than one series or more than one Work-In-Progress happening at the same time? How do you balance writing a novel, with writing short stories, or non-fiction articles? How do you come back to a work or series after an absence?
Moderators
avatar for Tally Johnson

Tally Johnson

Born and raised in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Tally is a graduate of Spartanburg Methodist College and Wofford College with degrees in history. He attended graduate school in history at Winthrop, but did not complete thesis.  He has written several articles on both local... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Alexandra Christian

Alexandra Christian

Alexandra Christian is an author of mostly paranormal erotic romance and horror.  In case you don't know what that means, she writes about not-so-nice girls getting it on with out-of- this- world heroes.  Vampires, werewolves, selkies, angels and demons-- and that's just recently!  A... Read More →
avatar for Travis Surber

Travis Surber

Travis Surber is a self-taught artist/writer who got his start in the independent comic Midnight Ink in 2004. After several years of "exposure"(work without pay) he started the webcomic Hainted Holler in 2009. Since then he has managed to self-publish 2 collections of his strips... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Hearn C/D Main Programming
  Panels

4:00pm EDT

The How-to's of Podcasting (ET)
You've heard of podcasting but exactly what is it? How do you decide what to talk about it? And what technology do you need to make it work?
Moderators
avatar for Stuart Jaffe

Stuart Jaffe

Stuart Jaffe is the author of The Max Porter Paranormal-Mysteries, The Malja Chronicles, the Gillian Boone novels, The Bluesman pulp adventures, Real Magic, and After The Crash, as well as the short story collection, 10 Bits of My Brain. Numerous other short stories have appeared... Read More →

Guests
RO

Rhonda Oglesby

Game on Girl is a weekly podcast hosted by Rhonda Oglesby and Regina McMenomy, Ph.D. They interview gamers and discuss games, gaming, and game culture and their representations in mainstream media. They are also interested in how this fairly new online culture is... Read More →
avatar for Rich

Rich

Fan Guest
To say that I enjoy podcasting and new media would be a gross understatement. My credits include mentions in high school and collegiate papers, newspapers, Podcasting for Dummies, and Advanced Podcasting Tricks. I have been called an innovator, having created the first fandom podcast... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

5:00pm EDT

ConGoing 101 (AP)
An introduction to the Wonderful World of Cons. Are you nervous about what to expect? Confused as to what GoH or Con Ops means. Have no fear...we will help you with answers to all your questions regarding conventions and give you the tools you need to have a great weekend, including reviewing the 6-2-1 rule!
Moderators
avatar for Michael D. Pederson

Michael D. Pederson

Way back in 2004, Mike (along with Tee Morris and Tony Ruggiero) came up with the crazy idea of hosting a convention in Richmond, VA. He’s been chairing RavenCon ever since. In addition to running RavenCon, Mike Pederson is also the publisher/editor/graphic designer responsible... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Tally Johnson

Tally Johnson

Born and raised in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Tally is a graduate of Spartanburg Methodist College and Wofford College with degrees in history. He attended graduate school in history at Winthrop, but did not complete thesis.  He has written several articles on both local... Read More →
RK

Regina Kirby

Regina Kirby is the winner of the 2013 Rebel Award, a lifetime achievement award for contributions to Southern Fandom’. She also is the recipient of the 2005 Georgia Fandom Award.Regina serves as the Senior Director of Programming for Dragon Con. She is known for running Hospitality... Read More →
avatar for Toni Weisskopf

Toni Weisskopf

Special Literary Guest
Toni Weisskopf Reinhardt is the publisher of Baen Books. Under the name T.K.F. Weisskopf she is the co-editor, with Greg Cox, of two SF anthologies for Baen: Tomorrow Sucks and Tomorrow Bites, about vampires and werewolves respectively, recently reprinted in an omnibus volume. With Josepha Sherman, she compiled and annotated the defin... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 5:00pm - 5:50pm EDT
Hearn C/D Main Programming
  Panels

5:00pm EDT

Junior Ghost Busters (ET)
Join the Ghostbusters as they introduce kids and teens to hunting ghosts and the paranormal.

(This panel is appropriate for kids from 6-18)
Moderators
avatar for Cheralyn Lambeth

Cheralyn Lambeth

Cheralyn Lambeth likes to refer to herself as a "fan who went pro," crediting her work in the film/TV/entertainment industry to her early love of Star Wars. After a brief stint in the Air Force Reserve, she went on to study drama and Radio/Television/Motion Pictures at the University... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Chuck Carte

Chuck Carte

Chuck Carte, gifted bird trainer and long-time friend of Doc Geressy, joined the Carolina Ghostbusters in June of 2010.  Chuck is a screen-writer, director, author, and teacher, and his often child-like wonderment makes him truly the heart of the Carolina Ghostbusters. Chuck attended... Read More →
avatar for Doc Geressy

Doc Geressy

M. Doc Geressy is a professionally-trained broadcaster, expert costumer, enthusiastic movie car motorhead, actor, artist, designer, and paranormal investigator, and actual doctor.Doc's broadcasting career spans over 20 years, working in Charlotte radio and with nationally syndicated... Read More →
avatar for Mikki Stith

Mikki Stith

Mikki first formally met the Carolina Ghostbusters when she booked them for Jaxcon 2011, a convention she ran in Jacksonville, NC.  Jaxcon was a one time event, but Mikki is quick to say, “Getting the Carolina Ghostbusters was the best decision I ever made for that con.”  Since... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 5:00pm - 5:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

5:00pm EDT

What's Your Gamer Type? (AP)
What is Your Gamer Type? is a presentation and interactive discussion of the Gamer Types formed by the host of the podcast, (Dr. Regina McMenomy), from her research on identity and gaming.

In the panel, Rhonda briefly explains the gamer types.  The audience takes a Gamer Type Quiz, and then everyone will watch video clips and discuss gamer type interactions and characteristics. 
Moderators
RO

Rhonda Oglesby

Game on Girl is a weekly podcast hosted by Rhonda Oglesby and Regina McMenomy, Ph.D. They interview gamers and discuss games, gaming, and game culture and their representations in mainstream media. They are also interested in how this fairly new online culture is... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 5:00pm - 5:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

6:00pm EDT

Cues from Shakespeare: Fantasy and Thriller Writer (ET)
What can present day writers of genre fiction learn from history's most successful writer? This presentation by international best selling author, AJ Hartley, explores some of the techniques Shakespeare used to please his audience, make a fortune, and produce some
of the most enduring literature of all time.
Guests
AH

A.J. Hartley

A.J. Hartley is the international bestselling author of a dozen novels including the mystery/thrillers The Mask of Atreus, On the Fifth Day, What Time Devours and Tears of the Jaguar and the young adult fantasy adventures Act of Will and Will Power... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 6:00pm - 6:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

6:00pm EDT

Lt. Uhura: Diversity Began w/ Star Trek (ET)
Starting with a diverse cast and including American television's first black/white interracial kiss, Star Trek has been a pioneer in diversity.
Moderators
avatar for Randy Richards

Randy Richards

Dungeons & Dragons / Fantasy Author, Spellbinder Games
Randy Richards originally hails from Chalmette, Louisiana, the actual location of the "Battle of New Orleans". He currently lives in the South, where he runs a photography business and writes professionally.Randy Richards has been playing Dungeons & Dragons since the late 70s, but... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr is a writer and professional fan of science fiction and fantasy. Her novel Wynde won the Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror ebook in the 2014 Independent Publisher Awards. Wynde is an epic tale of a young woman’s personal struggle to stay true to... Read More →
avatar for Marcia Colette

Marcia Colette

Bestselling author Marcia Colette didn’t discover her love for reading until her late teens when she started reading John Saul and progressed to works by Bentley Little, Stephen King and Laurell K. Hamilton. Her reading tastes convinced her to write paranormals where curses cause... Read More →
avatar for Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz is the author of several published novels and scores of other titles under various pen names. Her science fiction works have been named as finalist in the 2006 Fresh Voices in Science Fiction (Zephyr Unfolding), EPPIE Finalist in Science Fiction (Browne Candidate... Read More →
avatar for Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove is a KC-130 pilot in the United States Marine Corps. Her bestselling first novel, War of the Seasons, Book One: The Human, was published in June 2011 and her next novel, War of the Seasons, Book Two: The Half-blood, was released in June 2012. She’s also had several... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 6:00pm - 6:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

6:00pm EDT

Raising the Next Generation (AP)
Join our panelists for an interactive discussion on the challenges of raising children in a geek family. What are the games (RPGs, board games or card games) for a family game night? What about books and movies? What do you do if your kids don’t share your geeky interests? Share your own experiences from the “front lines” and get advice for creating a geek-friendly house.
Moderators
DM

Drew Meyer

Drew Meyer is a Librarian and Science Educator who moonlights as a Podcaster and Game Designer. He's currently the product consultant for Scaldcrow Games and has contributed to several of their recent releases. He's been the co-host of Gallifrey Pirate Rad... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Angela Pritchett

Angela Pritchett

Angela Pritchett is a costumer, actress, makeup artist and writer originally from Charlottesville, VA but currently residing in Asheboro, NC. She has won countless costuming awards and has judged at numerous conventions along the east coast. She has appeared in and has done makeup... Read More →
CW

Charles White

Charles White has been involved with gaming ever since a high school friend brought a copy of the expert set of Dungeons and Dragons to school one day. Thirty years later, Charles still games on a regular basis and runs a game on occasion. Definitely not the typical gamer, Charles... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 6:00pm - 6:50pm EDT
Hearn C/D Main Programming
  Panels

7:00pm EDT

Almost Human (ET)
AI's have been a staple in SF for years. The character Data faced a trial to determine his humanity. Dorian was built with a synthetic soul. When does an AI move from robot to human? What qualities do they need to transcend the robot?
Moderators
avatar for James Maxey

James Maxey

James Maxey is the author seven fantasy novels (Bitterwood, Dragonforge, Dragonseed, Dawn of Dragons, Greatshadow, Hush, and Witchbreaker) and two superhero novels (Nobody Gets the Girl and Burn Baby Burn). His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen retired from the Navy following twenty-one years as a nuclear-trained submariner, just in time for his children to outgrow the funny stories he always made up for them at bedtime, when he was in port.  So, he started writing those stories down and inflicting them upon strangers... Read More →
avatar for Darcy Wold

Darcy Wold

Darcy Wold was raised in the realm of science fiction conventions, and has never, to her knowledge, been mistaken for normal (a fact of which she is rather proud). She paints and draws vibrant abstracts and fantasy 'scapes, and has a growing smattering of clinical knowledge from her... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 7:00pm - 7:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

7:00pm EDT

Learning to Write for your Editor (ET)
Every editor has certain aspects of writing that bug them more than others. For some it might be dialogue tags, for others, adverbs. What are some common "tics" editors have and how do you address them?
Moderators
avatar for Tally Johnson

Tally Johnson

Born and raised in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Tally is a graduate of Spartanburg Methodist College and Wofford College with degrees in history. He attended graduate school in history at Winthrop, but did not complete thesis.  He has written several articles on both local... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Alexandra Christian

Alexandra Christian

Alexandra Christian is an author of mostly paranormal erotic romance and horror.  In case you don't know what that means, she writes about not-so-nice girls getting it on with out-of- this- world heroes.  Vampires, werewolves, selkies, angels and demons-- and that's just recently!  A... Read More →
avatar for Sharon Stogner

Sharon Stogner

Owner, Devil in the Details Editing Services
Sharon is the co-creator of the I Smell Sheep website (www.ismellsheep.com). A quirky multi-media review site of Speculative Fiction that also provides author/actor guest posts, interviews, convention coverage and other WTF-ery. She is also a freelance fiction editor (www.devilin... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 7:00pm - 7:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

8:00pm EDT

Writing the "Other" (ET)
How do authors portray minorities, differently abled, and gender roles in their stories? Science Fiction and Fantasy have come a long way and have often been at the forefront of these issues. What else needs to be done? How does someone write the "Other" - transgendered, Person of Color, without coming across as stereotyping or insulting if they aren't "Other?"
Moderators
avatar for Edmund Schubert

Edmund Schubert

Edmund Schubert is the author of about 40 short stories, about half of which can be found in the collection, The Trouble with Eating Clouds and one novel, Dreaming Creek. He's held a variety of editorial positions, currently serving as editor of Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic... Read More →

Guests
avatar for John Hartness

John Hartness

John G. Hartness is a teller of tales, righter of wrongs and some call him the Pompetus of Love. Okay, maybe he’s an urban fantasy and horror author from Charlotte, NC with a background in theatre and a love for fried pickles and loud music. John is the author of The Black Knight... Read More →
avatar for Debra Killeen

Debra Killeen

Debra Killeen is the author of the award-winning fantasy series, “The Myrridian Cycle.” All of the books in the series, An Unlikely Duke, A Prince in Need, Legacy of the Archbishop, Priestess Awakening and Kingdom have won awards at ReaderViews, and Legacy of the Archbishop... Read More →
avatar for Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz is the author of several published novels and scores of other titles under various pen names. Her science fiction works have been named as finalist in the 2006 Fresh Voices in Science Fiction (Zephyr Unfolding), EPPIE Finalist in Science Fiction (Browne Candidate... Read More →
avatar for Stephen Mark Rainey

Stephen Mark Rainey

Stephen Mark Rainey is author of the novels Balak, The Lebo Coven, Dark Shadows: Dreams Of The Dark (with Elizabeth Massie), Blue Devil Island, The Nightmare Frontier, and The Monarchs; five short story collections; over 100 published works of short fiction; and several Dark Shadows... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 8:00pm - 8:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

8:00pm EDT

Nerdiquette 101 (ET)
This panel/workshop covers geek dating dos and don'ts, such as why talking to a woman's chest, even if it's on display, is bad form, how to appreciate someone's costume/appearance in a respectful way, how to graciously ask for a date (and more importantly, graciously take "NO" for an answer), when NO means YES (hint: never), and how to not cross that thin line that separates geeking out about your hobbies from being a conversation-hog and a creeper. 
Moderators
avatar for Danny Birt

Danny Birt

Award-winning author Danny Birt was born about three decades ago in Washington State to Irish and Californian parents, and has since lived in Idaho, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Hawaii, Virginia, and North Carolina. He attended high school at New Mexico... Read More →
avatar for Laura Haywood-Cory

Laura Haywood-Cory

Laura Haywood-Cory has been some flavor of editor or proofreader since her first job after college, which was proofreading yellow page listings for a phone book company. She's been involved in science fiction fandom since the mid-1980s. She has managed two sf conventions, co-founded... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Doc Geressy

Doc Geressy

M. Doc Geressy is a professionally-trained broadcaster, expert costumer, enthusiastic movie car motorhead, actor, artist, designer, and paranormal investigator, and actual doctor.Doc's broadcasting career spans over 20 years, working in Charlotte radio and with nationally syndicated... Read More →
avatar for Cheralyn Lambeth

Cheralyn Lambeth

Cheralyn Lambeth likes to refer to herself as a "fan who went pro," crediting her work in the film/TV/entertainment industry to her early love of Star Wars. After a brief stint in the Air Force Reserve, she went on to study drama and Radio/Television/Motion Pictures at the University... Read More →
avatar for Allegra Liana

Allegra Liana

Allegra Liana (sometimes known as "The Chainmail Chick") is a geek-of-all-trades who got her start in the con scene working with award winning fantasy artist Alan Welch. From these humble, chainmail bikini'd beginnings, she has become a costumer, artist, and model (with an ever expanding... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 8:00pm - 9:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

9:00pm EDT

Magic's Price (ET)
Can magical systems make or break a story? How do magic users tap mystical powers, and since there are no free lunches what is the price? What authors create the most interesting magical systems? What do authors do when the magic user becomes too powerful?
Moderators
avatar for Steven S. Long

Steven S. Long

Steven S. Long’s been involved in the gaming industry for twenty years, during which time he’s written, co-written, edited, or developed nearly 200 books. He got his start as a freelancer for Hero Games, for whom he wrote several books in the mid-Nineties. He soon branched out... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Debra Killeen

Debra Killeen

Debra Killeen is the author of the award-winning fantasy series, “The Myrridian Cycle.” All of the books in the series, An Unlikely Duke, A Prince in Need, Legacy of the Archbishop, Priestess Awakening and Kingdom have won awards at ReaderViews, and Legacy of the Archbishop... Read More →
avatar for Edmund Schubert

Edmund Schubert

Edmund Schubert is the author of about 40 short stories, about half of which can be found in the collection, The Trouble with Eating Clouds and one novel, Dreaming Creek. He's held a variety of editorial positions, currently serving as editor of Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic... Read More →
avatar for Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen retired from the Navy following twenty-one years as a nuclear-trained submariner, just in time for his children to outgrow the funny stories he always made up for them at bedtime, when he was in port.  So, he started writing those stories down and inflicting them upon strangers... Read More →
avatar for Travis Surber

Travis Surber

Travis Surber is a self-taught artist/writer who got his start in the independent comic Midnight Ink in 2004. After several years of "exposure"(work without pay) he started the webcomic Hainted Holler in 2009. Since then he has managed to self-publish 2 collections of his strips... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 9:00pm - 9:50pm EDT
Piedmont Workshops/Readings
  Panels

9:00pm EDT

Resemblence to Real People is Intentional (ET)
What you should and shouldn't do when incorporating real people into your fiction. What about Tuckerizations (authors using a real person's name as a character in the book)? Does it differ by genre? 
Are there legal concerns? Are the rules different for living/dead people? How far can you take them?
Moderators
avatar for Allen Wold

Allen Wold

Allen Wold was born in south-western Michigan, where he began writing teeny little stories when he discovered an old portable typewriter in his back closet. He finished high school in Tucson, Arizona, and graduated fron Pomona College, in Claremont, California, where he later met... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Marcia Colette

Marcia Colette

Bestselling author Marcia Colette didn’t discover her love for reading until her late teens when she started reading John Saul and progressed to works by Bentley Little, Stephen King and Laurell K. Hamilton. Her reading tastes convinced her to write paranormals where curses cause... Read More →
avatar for Larry Correia

Larry Correia

Writer Guest of Honor
Larry Correia is the New York Times bestselling novelist who originally self-published in 2008. His novel, Monster Hunter International, reached the Entertainment Weekly bestseller list and he received a publishing contract with Baen Books. Monster Hunter International was re-released... Read More →
avatar for Tally Johnson

Tally Johnson

Born and raised in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Tally is a graduate of Spartanburg Methodist College and Wofford College with degrees in history. He attended graduate school in history at Winthrop, but did not complete thesis.  He has written several articles on both local... Read More →
avatar for Tedd Roberts

Tedd Roberts

Tedd Roberts is one of many aliases of the mysterious "Dr. Rob," a neuroscience researcher whose interest in public education and brain awareness has led him to write science fact and fiction with the goal of accurate, yet enjoyable brain science. While his professional research... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 9:00pm - 9:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

10:00pm EDT

Geek Girls and Unicorns (ET)
"Because, like unicorns, (geek girls) are not supposed to exist."
Even with the visible presence of geek girls like Ashley Eckstein, Clare Grant and Felicia Day, 
there are parts of fandom that still believe that "geek girls" don't exist or are "fake." Why is this and what can be done to change the image?
Moderators
RO

Rhonda Oglesby

Game on Girl is a weekly podcast hosted by Rhonda Oglesby and Regina McMenomy, Ph.D. They interview gamers and discuss games, gaming, and game culture and their representations in mainstream media. They are also interested in how this fairly new online culture is... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr is a writer and professional fan of science fiction and fantasy. Her novel Wynde won the Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror ebook in the 2014 Independent Publisher Awards. Wynde is an epic tale of a young woman’s personal struggle to stay true to... Read More →
avatar for Laura Haywood-Cory

Laura Haywood-Cory

Laura Haywood-Cory has been some flavor of editor or proofreader since her first job after college, which was proofreading yellow page listings for a phone book company. She's been involved in science fiction fandom since the mid-1980s. She has managed two sf conventions, co-founded... Read More →
avatar for Allegra Liana

Allegra Liana

Allegra Liana (sometimes known as "The Chainmail Chick") is a geek-of-all-trades who got her start in the con scene working with award winning fantasy artist Alan Welch. From these humble, chainmail bikini'd beginnings, she has become a costumer, artist, and model (with an ever expanding... Read More →
avatar for Randy Richards

Randy Richards

Dungeons & Dragons / Fantasy Author, Spellbinder Games
Randy Richards originally hails from Chalmette, Louisiana, the actual location of the "Battle of New Orleans". He currently lives in the South, where he runs a photography business and writes professionally.Randy Richards has been playing Dungeons & Dragons since the late 70s, but... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 10:00pm - 10:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

10:00pm EDT

Harvesting Space for a Greener Earthquake (ET)
How space technology can help solve our energy and environmental problems (and why space advocates and environmentalists should be working together).

Presentation by Les Johnson. 
Moderators
avatar for Les Johnson

Les Johnson

NASA
Les Johnson is a scientist, an author, and the Senior Technical Advisor for NASA’s Advanced Concepts Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.   He is a author of science fiction (Going Interstellar anthology, Back to the Moon novel, and with co-Author... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 10:00pm - 10:50pm EDT
Piedmont Workshops/Readings
  Panels

10:00pm EDT

What are "YOU" reading? (AP)
This is a basic roundtable. Bring your current favorite book and tell us why you like and why someone else should pick it up?
Moderators
avatar for John Hartness

John Hartness

John G. Hartness is a teller of tales, righter of wrongs and some call him the Pompetus of Love. Okay, maybe he’s an urban fantasy and horror author from Charlotte, NC with a background in theatre and a love for fried pickles and loud music. John is the author of The Black Knight... Read More →

Friday July 11, 2014 10:00pm - 10:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels
 
Saturday, July 12
 

9:00am EDT

Epic Fantasy (ET)
From Doorstop to Icon: Why is there a love/hate relationship with Epic Fantasy? What makes a story "epic" fantasy? Is it the length? The world building? The number of character POV's? Our panelists discuss all these questions and more.
Moderators
avatar for Danny Birt

Danny Birt

Award-winning author Danny Birt was born about three decades ago in Washington State to Irish and Californian parents, and has since lived in Idaho, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Hawaii, Virginia, and North Carolina. He attended high school at New Mexico... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr is a writer and professional fan of science fiction and fantasy. Her novel Wynde won the Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror ebook in the 2014 Independent Publisher Awards. Wynde is an epic tale of a young woman’s personal struggle to stay true to... Read More →
avatar for David B. Coe

David B. Coe

David B. Coe, who also writes as D.B. Jackson, is the award-winning author of fifteen novels and the occasional short story.  His newest book, A PLUNDER OF SOULS (Tor Books), written as D.B. Jackson, is the third volume of the Thieftaker Chronicles, a historical urban fantasy set... Read More →
avatar for Debra Killeen

Debra Killeen

Debra Killeen is the author of the award-winning fantasy series, “The Myrridian Cycle.” All of the books in the series, An Unlikely Duke, A Prince in Need, Legacy of the Archbishop, Priestess Awakening and Kingdom have won awards at ReaderViews, and Legacy of the Archbishop... Read More →
avatar for Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in the The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga and the upcoming Reign of Ash (Orbit Books, April 2014), plus the upcoming Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy (Solaris Books, July 2014). Other books include The Chronicles of The Necromancer series... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Hearn C/D Main Programming
  Panels

9:00am EDT

Forever Young (ET)
With a decade or more age difference between many writers and the YA protagonists they write about, we look at tips for writing younger characters that still feel real to the reader.
Moderators
avatar for Davey Beauchamp

Davey Beauchamp

Davey Beauchamp (daveybeauchamp.com) is the creator of the Writers for Relief anthology series, the Agency 32 series, the award nominated Amazing Pulp Adventures Radio Show; podcast (pulpadventures.net) along with Podcasting's Rich Sigfrit, and Gallifrey Pirate Radio a podcast... Read More →

Guests
AH

A.J. Hartley

A.J. Hartley is the international bestselling author of a dozen novels including the mystery/thrillers The Mask of Atreus, On the Fifth Day, What Time Devours and Tears of the Jaguar and the young adult fantasy adventures Act of Will and Will Power... Read More →
avatar for Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove is a KC-130 pilot in the United States Marine Corps. Her bestselling first novel, War of the Seasons, Book One: The Human, was published in June 2011 and her next novel, War of the Seasons, Book Two: The Half-blood, was released in June 2012. She’s also had several... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

9:00am EDT

Kickstarting Your Project (ET)
Kickstarting is a new way to raise funds for your project. From gaming books to movies to anthologies and novels, kickstarting provides a unique solution to raising money. But…what does that mean for your project? What are some of the pitfalls and areas of concern of kickstarter? How do you determine if it’s the right choice for your project?
Moderators
avatar for Ron Garner

Ron Garner

Ron Garner is the CEO of Silence in the Library Publishing, a small press specializing science fiction and fantasy and dedicated to changing the relationship between publishers, authors, and readers. He  grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, but spent thirteen years of his life moving... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Maggie Allen

Maggie Allen

Maggie Allen recently started writing short fiction, but for her day job at NASA she has years of experience writing and podcasting about various non-fiction topics in astronomy and astrophysics.  Maggie has had short stories published in A Hero By Any Other Name, the Time Traveled... Read More →
avatar for Larry Correia

Larry Correia

Writer Guest of Honor
Larry Correia is the New York Times bestselling novelist who originally self-published in 2008. His novel, Monster Hunter International, reached the Entertainment Weekly bestseller list and he received a publishing contract with Baen Books. Monster Hunter International was re-released... Read More →
avatar for Steven S. Long

Steven S. Long

Steven S. Long’s been involved in the gaming industry for twenty years, during which time he’s written, co-written, edited, or developed nearly 200 books. He got his start as a freelancer for Hero Games, for whom he wrote several books in the mid-Nineties. He soon branched out... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

10:00am EDT

Building the Big Bad Radioactive Bug (AP)
Have you ever wanted to create something to stomp the tar out of a large metropolitan city?

Now’s your chance!

Our panelists will work with the audience to design a big, bad radioactive bug, capable of doing just that. The basic attributes of the creature will be recorded and passed along to our next panel:
Killing the Big, Bad, Radioactive Bug.
Moderators
avatar for John Hartness

John Hartness

John G. Hartness is a teller of tales, righter of wrongs and some call him the Pompetus of Love. Okay, maybe he’s an urban fantasy and horror author from Charlotte, NC with a background in theatre and a love for fried pickles and loud music. John is the author of The Black Knight... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Steven S. Long

Steven S. Long

Steven S. Long’s been involved in the gaming industry for twenty years, during which time he’s written, co-written, edited, or developed nearly 200 books. He got his start as a freelancer for Hero Games, for whom he wrote several books in the mid-Nineties. He soon branched out... Read More →
avatar for Tedd Roberts

Tedd Roberts

Tedd Roberts is one of many aliases of the mysterious "Dr. Rob," a neuroscience researcher whose interest in public education and brain awareness has led him to write science fact and fiction with the goal of accurate, yet enjoyable brain science. While his professional research... Read More →
avatar for Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen retired from the Navy following twenty-one years as a nuclear-trained submariner, just in time for his children to outgrow the funny stories he always made up for them at bedtime, when he was in port.  So, he started writing those stories down and inflicting them upon strangers... Read More →
avatar for Cathe Smith

Cathe Smith

Cathe Smith has always been interested in insects. As an entomology undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she worked as a crop scout in an integrated pest management lab that worked with potatoes, cabbage, and mint. That experience led her to pick up a second Bachelor... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Hearn C/D Main Programming
  Panels

10:00am EDT

Dr. Who Through a Woman's Eyes (ET)
All the Doctors have been male…yet most of his companions have been female. Our group of panelists discuss how the series is seen through the eyes of its women fans.
Moderators
avatar for Angela Pritchett

Angela Pritchett

Angela Pritchett is a costumer, actress, makeup artist and writer originally from Charlottesville, VA but currently residing in Asheboro, NC. She has won countless costuming awards and has judged at numerous conventions along the east coast. She has appeared in and has done makeup... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Allegra Liana

Allegra Liana

Allegra Liana (sometimes known as "The Chainmail Chick") is a geek-of-all-trades who got her start in the con scene working with award winning fantasy artist Alan Welch. From these humble, chainmail bikini'd beginnings, she has become a costumer, artist, and model (with an ever expanding... Read More →
avatar for Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in the The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga and the upcoming Reign of Ash (Orbit Books, April 2014), plus the upcoming Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy (Solaris Books, July 2014). Other books include The Chronicles of The Necromancer series... Read More →
avatar for Jennifer McCollom

Jennifer McCollom

Special Media Arts Guest
Professional make-up artist, Jennifer McCollom got her start in Theatre through both high school and college. She graduated from UNCG with a BA in Theatre and a minor in Physics. Her first professional film was Taking Liberty filmed in Winston-Salem, NC. Then it was on to local favorites... Read More →
avatar for Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove is a KC-130 pilot in the United States Marine Corps. Her bestselling first novel, War of the Seasons, Book One: The Human, was published in June 2011 and her next novel, War of the Seasons, Book Two: The Half-blood, was released in June 2012. She’s also had several... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

10:00am EDT

The Writing Life (ET)
How do they make it work? From full-time writers to part time writers, there are always challenges balancing writing and the rest of the world.
Moderators
avatar for Alexandra Christian

Alexandra Christian

Alexandra Christian is an author of mostly paranormal erotic romance and horror.  In case you don't know what that means, she writes about not-so-nice girls getting it on with out-of- this- world heroes.  Vampires, werewolves, selkies, angels and demons-- and that's just recently!  A... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Marcia Colette

Marcia Colette

Bestselling author Marcia Colette didn’t discover her love for reading until her late teens when she started reading John Saul and progressed to works by Bentley Little, Stephen King and Laurell K. Hamilton. Her reading tastes convinced her to write paranormals where curses cause... Read More →
avatar for Glenda C. Finkelstein

Glenda C. Finkelstein

Glenda has a wide and varied career as a writer having published song lyrics, human-interest articles, poems, short stories, novels, and screenplays.  Her interest in writing was not just a happenstance having a great-grandfather who was a wonderful poet, and aunts and uncles who... Read More →
avatar for Faith Hunter

Faith Hunter

NY Times best-selling author, Faith Hunter, was born in Louisiana and raised all over the south. She writes the Skinwalker series, featuring Jane Yellowrock: Skinwalker, Blood Cross, Mercy Blade and Raven Cursed, with Death’s Rival due in Oct. 2012. Her Rogue Mage novels, a dark... Read More →
avatar for Les Johnson

Les Johnson

NASA
Les Johnson is a scientist, an author, and the Senior Technical Advisor for NASA’s Advanced Concepts Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.   He is a author of science fiction (Going Interstellar anthology, Back to the Moon novel, and with co-Author... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

11:00am EDT

Art & Gaming (ET)
Gaming Books and Artwork have been intertwined since the first edition of D&D. How does the artwork add to the feel of the game design? How does the artist try to capture the game in his/her art?
Moderators
avatar for Steven S. Long

Steven S. Long

Steven S. Long’s been involved in the gaming industry for twenty years, during which time he’s written, co-written, edited, or developed nearly 200 books. He got his start as a freelancer for Hero Games, for whom he wrote several books in the mid-Nineties. He soon branched out... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Mark Poole

Mark Poole

Artist Guest of Honor
Mark Poole is one of the original twenty-five Magic: The Gathering artists. Mark's work is often hard to pick out due to a variance in style, but he typically features balanced palettes and often incorporates Japanese themes and elements. His works; however, grace numerous iconic... Read More →
avatar for Travis Surber

Travis Surber

Travis Surber is a self-taught artist/writer who got his start in the independent comic Midnight Ink in 2004. After several years of "exposure"(work without pay) he started the webcomic Hainted Holler in 2009. Since then he has managed to self-publish 2 collections of his strips... Read More →
avatar for Darcy Wold

Darcy Wold

Darcy Wold was raised in the realm of science fiction conventions, and has never, to her knowledge, been mistaken for normal (a fact of which she is rather proud). She paints and draws vibrant abstracts and fantasy 'scapes, and has a growing smattering of clinical knowledge from her... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

11:00am EDT

Killing the Big Bad Radioactive Bug (ET)
Our panelists will be handed the basic attributes of the Big, Bad, Radioactive Bug that was created by the previous panel.  They will have no idea what the bug will be, or what it can do, but they will be tasked with finding a way to kill the bug. One caveat, they must limit collateral damage as it rampages through a large metropolitan city… so they can’t just “nuke it from orbit.”
Moderators
avatar for John Hartness

John Hartness

John G. Hartness is a teller of tales, righter of wrongs and some call him the Pompetus of Love. Okay, maybe he’s an urban fantasy and horror author from Charlotte, NC with a background in theatre and a love for fried pickles and loud music. John is the author of The Black Knight... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Ron Garner

Ron Garner

Ron Garner is the CEO of Silence in the Library Publishing, a small press specializing science fiction and fantasy and dedicated to changing the relationship between publishers, authors, and readers. He  grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, but spent thirteen years of his life moving... Read More →
avatar for Tom Hutchens

Tom Hutchens

Tom Hutchens is a Star Wars costume designer, and founder of the Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club.  Born in Winston-Salem North Carolina, Tom spent a great deal of his childhood dressing himself up as Star Wars and GI Joe characters.   At the age of 18, Tom decided to become a real-life... Read More →
avatar for Stuart Jaffe

Stuart Jaffe

Stuart Jaffe is the author of The Max Porter Paranormal-Mysteries, The Malja Chronicles, the Gillian Boone novels, The Bluesman pulp adventures, Real Magic, and After The Crash, as well as the short story collection, 10 Bits of My Brain. Numerous other short stories have appeared... Read More →
avatar for Misty Massey

Misty Massey

Misty Massey is the author of Mad Kestrel (Tor Books), a rollicking fantasy adventure of magic on the high seas, and the upcoming ebook Kestrel's Voyages. Misty is one of the featured writers on Magical Words (www.magicalwords.net). When she’s not writing, she studies Middle... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Hearn C/D Main Programming
  Panels

12:00pm EDT

Geeks Get Fit (ET)
There are a lot of stereotypes about the unhealthy geek. Our panelists talk about finding time to exercise, the benefits of exercise, and ways to incorporate "geeking out" with your fitness passions.
Moderators
avatar for Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove is a KC-130 pilot in the United States Marine Corps. Her bestselling first novel, War of the Seasons, Book One: The Human, was published in June 2011 and her next novel, War of the Seasons, Book Two: The Half-blood, was released in June 2012. She’s also had several... Read More →

Guests
VF

Virginia Fulbright

Virginia Fulbright got her start attending conventions as a built-in babysitter.  After being dragged to a number of cons, she started costuming and hasn't looked back since.  She enjoys stories of Urban, Romantic Fantasy and young adult stories.In her day life, Virginia is a certified... Read More →
avatar for Laura Haywood-Cory

Laura Haywood-Cory

Laura Haywood-Cory has been some flavor of editor or proofreader since her first job after college, which was proofreading yellow page listings for a phone book company. She's been involved in science fiction fandom since the mid-1980s. She has managed two sf conventions, co-founded... Read More →
avatar for James Maxey

James Maxey

James Maxey is the author seven fantasy novels (Bitterwood, Dragonforge, Dragonseed, Dawn of Dragons, Greatshadow, Hush, and Witchbreaker) and two superhero novels (Nobody Gets the Girl and Burn Baby Burn). His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and... Read More →
avatar for Matthew Penick

Matthew Penick

Matthew Penick is a professional costumer, fitness enthusiast, and the owner of Ribbons and Rivets. Matthew first got started in costuming as a broke college student who taught himself leather working and made his first suit of armor out of scraps and remnants from the local Tandy... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

12:00pm EDT

How I Got My Start in Fandom (AP)
Fans talk about what got them into fandom. Was it a con? A Costume? A book? A TV Show? A movie? Why do we do dedicate time and money to our passions?
Moderators
avatar for Randy Richards

Randy Richards

Dungeons & Dragons / Fantasy Author, Spellbinder Games
Randy Richards originally hails from Chalmette, Louisiana, the actual location of the "Battle of New Orleans". He currently lives in the South, where he runs a photography business and writes professionally.Randy Richards has been playing Dungeons & Dragons since the late 70s, but... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Tom Hutchens

Tom Hutchens

Tom Hutchens is a Star Wars costume designer, and founder of the Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club.  Born in Winston-Salem North Carolina, Tom spent a great deal of his childhood dressing himself up as Star Wars and GI Joe characters.   At the age of 18, Tom decided to become a real-life... Read More →
avatar for Paula S. Jordan

Paula S. Jordan

Paula S. Jordan is the author of “Vooorh,” a novelette appearing in the recently released July/August issue of Analog.  Both that story and her previous Analog entry, “Two Look At Two” (April 2011), are adaptations from her present-day alien-contact novel-in-progress.  Her... Read More →
RK

Regina Kirby

Regina Kirby is the winner of the 2013 Rebel Award, a lifetime achievement award for contributions to Southern Fandom’. She also is the recipient of the 2005 Georgia Fandom Award.Regina serves as the Senior Director of Programming for Dragon Con. She is known for running Hospitality... Read More →
avatar for Mikki Stith

Mikki Stith

Mikki first formally met the Carolina Ghostbusters when she booked them for Jaxcon 2011, a convention she ran in Jacksonville, NC.  Jaxcon was a one time event, but Mikki is quick to say, “Getting the Carolina Ghostbusters was the best decision I ever made for that con.”  Since... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

12:00pm EDT

Urban Fantasy: Future of the Genre
From Laurell K Hamilton to Jim Butcher, Urban Fantasy has made its own niche in the broader genre of Fantasy. What defines Urban Fantasy? Can Urban Fantasy have sub genres and alternative settings? Where is this genre going in the future and what challenges does it face against new comers like dystopian fantasy and steampunk?
Moderators
avatar for Faith Hunter

Faith Hunter

NY Times best-selling author, Faith Hunter, was born in Louisiana and raised all over the south. She writes the Skinwalker series, featuring Jane Yellowrock: Skinwalker, Blood Cross, Mercy Blade and Raven Cursed, with Death’s Rival due in Oct. 2012. Her Rogue Mage novels, a dark... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Marcia Colette

Marcia Colette

Bestselling author Marcia Colette didn’t discover her love for reading until her late teens when she started reading John Saul and progressed to works by Bentley Little, Stephen King and Laurell K. Hamilton. Her reading tastes convinced her to write paranormals where curses cause... Read More →
avatar for Larry Correia

Larry Correia

Writer Guest of Honor
Larry Correia is the New York Times bestselling novelist who originally self-published in 2008. His novel, Monster Hunter International, reached the Entertainment Weekly bestseller list and he received a publishing contract with Baen Books. Monster Hunter International was re-released... Read More →
avatar for Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz is the author of several published novels and scores of other titles under various pen names. Her science fiction works have been named as finalist in the 2006 Fresh Voices in Science Fiction (Zephyr Unfolding), EPPIE Finalist in Science Fiction (Browne Candidate... Read More →
avatar for Sharon Stogner

Sharon Stogner

Owner, Devil in the Details Editing Services
Sharon is the co-creator of the I Smell Sheep website (www.ismellsheep.com). A quirky multi-media review site of Speculative Fiction that also provides author/actor guest posts, interviews, convention coverage and other WTF-ery. She is also a freelance fiction editor (www.devilin... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Hearn C/D Main Programming
  Panels

1:00pm EDT

Every Villain is a Hero (ET)
Tom Hiddleston has described Loki from Marvel’s The Avengers as "An antagonist as opposed to a villain, but only because every villain is a hero in his own mind." So what makes a good villain? Are the best villains "pure evil" or the ones that you have sympathy for?
Moderators
avatar for Edmund Schubert

Edmund Schubert

Edmund Schubert is the author of about 40 short stories, about half of which can be found in the collection, The Trouble with Eating Clouds and one novel, Dreaming Creek. He's held a variety of editorial positions, currently serving as editor of Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Alexandra Christian

Alexandra Christian

Alexandra Christian is an author of mostly paranormal erotic romance and horror.  In case you don't know what that means, she writes about not-so-nice girls getting it on with out-of- this- world heroes.  Vampires, werewolves, selkies, angels and demons-- and that's just recently!  A... Read More →
AH

A.J. Hartley

A.J. Hartley is the international bestselling author of a dozen novels including the mystery/thrillers The Mask of Atreus, On the Fifth Day, What Time Devours and Tears of the Jaguar and the young adult fantasy adventures Act of Will and Will Power... Read More →
avatar for Emily Lavin Leverett

Emily Lavin Leverett

Emily Lavin Leverett is an author and editor of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but she got her professional start in publishing editing erotica. She is also an English professor and a medievalist. She's edited the Big Bad: an Anthology of Evil and the forthcoming Big Bad... Read More →
avatar for Tony Ruggiero

Tony Ruggiero

Tony Ruggiero is best known for his dark fantasy thrillers about vampires being used by the US military. Ground breaking and fast paced, the novels are a characteristic mixture of the vampire lore and the clandestine secrets of the military. The concept led to a series of books: Operation... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

1:00pm EDT

Gone Too Soon (AP)
Every so often a good show comes along and then is cancelled…Firefly is, of course, the most common example of this but what other shows did you enjoy that were cancelled early?
Moderators
avatar for Randy Richards

Randy Richards

Dungeons & Dragons / Fantasy Author, Spellbinder Games
Randy Richards originally hails from Chalmette, Louisiana, the actual location of the "Battle of New Orleans". He currently lives in the South, where he runs a photography business and writes professionally.Randy Richards has been playing Dungeons & Dragons since the late 70s, but... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Tony Finkelstein

Tony Finkelstein

Tony is a man of many talents with a wide and varied background in music and theatre.  In his teenage years he was one of the top rated drummers in the Tampa Bay area and opened for such legendary acts as Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and went on summer tour with The Rascals.  Although... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

2:00pm EDT

Ask the Military (AP)
This will be a two part panel. The first half will have our speakers talking about things in military SF or similar genres that would not work in the real military. The second half would give the audience a chance to ask questions of the panelists directly. (We hope to have representatives from multiple divisions of the armed forces.)
Moderators
avatar for Ron Garner

Ron Garner

Ron Garner is the CEO of Silence in the Library Publishing, a small press specializing science fiction and fantasy and dedicated to changing the relationship between publishers, authors, and readers. He  grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, but spent thirteen years of his life moving... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Tom Hutchens

Tom Hutchens

Tom Hutchens is a Star Wars costume designer, and founder of the Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club.  Born in Winston-Salem North Carolina, Tom spent a great deal of his childhood dressing himself up as Star Wars and GI Joe characters.   At the age of 18, Tom decided to become a real-life... Read More →
avatar for Gray Rinehart

Gray Rinehart

Gray Rinehart is the "Slushmaster General" for Baen Books. His fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction & Fact, Asimov's Science Fiction, Redstone Science Fiction, and elsewhere. Gray retired from the US Air Force after a rather odd career in which he fought rocket propellant... Read More →
avatar for Tony Ruggiero

Tony Ruggiero

Tony Ruggiero is best known for his dark fantasy thrillers about vampires being used by the US military. Ground breaking and fast paced, the novels are a characteristic mixture of the vampire lore and the clandestine secrets of the military. The concept led to a series of books: Operation... Read More →
avatar for Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen retired from the Navy following twenty-one years as a nuclear-trained submariner, just in time for his children to outgrow the funny stories he always made up for them at bedtime, when he was in port.  So, he started writing those stories down and inflicting them upon strangers... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

2:00pm EDT

The Myth of Strong Women (ET)
Aaron Allston once wrote that he felt "... that most female characters, when used as protagonists and depicted in a well-rounded fashion, constitute strong women. Of course, a strong woman can be badly depicted, at which point she’s no longer a protagonist. She’s little more than a water heater with a woman’s name." So how do you write a strong woman as something other than a man with a woman's name? What are some examples of strong women?
Moderators
avatar for Edmund Schubert

Edmund Schubert

Edmund Schubert is the author of about 40 short stories, about half of which can be found in the collection, The Trouble with Eating Clouds and one novel, Dreaming Creek. He's held a variety of editorial positions, currently serving as editor of Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr is a writer and professional fan of science fiction and fantasy. Her novel Wynde won the Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror ebook in the 2014 Independent Publisher Awards. Wynde is an epic tale of a young woman’s personal struggle to stay true to... Read More →
avatar for Emily Lavin Leverett

Emily Lavin Leverett

Emily Lavin Leverett is an author and editor of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but she got her professional start in publishing editing erotica. She is also an English professor and a medievalist. She's edited the Big Bad: an Anthology of Evil and the forthcoming Big Bad... Read More →
RO

Rhonda Oglesby

Game on Girl is a weekly podcast hosted by Rhonda Oglesby and Regina McMenomy, Ph.D. They interview gamers and discuss games, gaming, and game culture and their representations in mainstream media. They are also interested in how this fairly new online culture is... Read More →
avatar for Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove is a KC-130 pilot in the United States Marine Corps. Her bestselling first novel, War of the Seasons, Book One: The Human, was published in June 2011 and her next novel, War of the Seasons, Book Two: The Half-blood, was released in June 2012. She’s also had several... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

3:00pm EDT

Costuming 201 (ET)
More than costuming 101, this panel is designed to talk about the "next steps" in costuming. Make-up, props. How do accessories make or break a costume? How do you take your costume to the next level?
Moderators
avatar for Doc Geressy

Doc Geressy

M. Doc Geressy is a professionally-trained broadcaster, expert costumer, enthusiastic movie car motorhead, actor, artist, designer, and paranormal investigator, and actual doctor.Doc's broadcasting career spans over 20 years, working in Charlotte radio and with nationally syndicated... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Tom Hutchens

Tom Hutchens

Tom Hutchens is a Star Wars costume designer, and founder of the Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club.  Born in Winston-Salem North Carolina, Tom spent a great deal of his childhood dressing himself up as Star Wars and GI Joe characters.   At the age of 18, Tom decided to become a real-life... Read More →
avatar for Todd Lacey 

Todd Lacey 

Todd’s history in theatre and film go back to the early 70’s when he first appeared as ‘Pinocchio’ in the summer stock theatre with the Edison Players. His credits in film include The Three Amigos, The Last of the Mohicans, Gettysburg  and The Abyss just to name a few. Todd... Read More →
avatar for Cheralyn Lambeth

Cheralyn Lambeth

Cheralyn Lambeth likes to refer to herself as a "fan who went pro," crediting her work in the film/TV/entertainment industry to her early love of Star Wars. After a brief stint in the Air Force Reserve, she went on to study drama and Radio/Television/Motion Pictures at the University... Read More →
avatar for Matthew Penick

Matthew Penick

Matthew Penick is a professional costumer, fitness enthusiast, and the owner of Ribbons and Rivets. Matthew first got started in costuming as a broke college student who taught himself leather working and made his first suit of armor out of scraps and remnants from the local Tandy... Read More →
avatar for Angela Pritchett

Angela Pritchett

Angela Pritchett is a costumer, actress, makeup artist and writer originally from Charlottesville, VA but currently residing in Asheboro, NC. She has won countless costuming awards and has judged at numerous conventions along the east coast. She has appeared in and has done makeup... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

4:00pm EDT

10 Years of NuWho (ET)
We just finished celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who but next year it is time to celebrate 10 years since the re-launch of Doctor Who. Join our panelists as we look back on the past 9 years as we move into a decade of NuWHO. We will discuss the highs and lows. What we think has worked and hasn’t worked. Along with what we hope the BBC might do to celebrate 10 years since the re-launch that has become a worldwide phenomenon.  As always we want to hear what you have to say about Doctor 9, 10, 11 & the coming of no. 12
Moderators
avatar for Davey Beauchamp

Davey Beauchamp

Davey Beauchamp (daveybeauchamp.com) is the creator of the Writers for Relief anthology series, the Agency 32 series, the award nominated Amazing Pulp Adventures Radio Show; podcast (pulpadventures.net) along with Podcasting's Rich Sigfrit, and Gallifrey Pirate Radio a podcast... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Chuck Carte

Chuck Carte

Chuck Carte, gifted bird trainer and long-time friend of Doc Geressy, joined the Carolina Ghostbusters in June of 2010.  Chuck is a screen-writer, director, author, and teacher, and his often child-like wonderment makes him truly the heart of the Carolina Ghostbusters. Chuck attended... Read More →
DM

Drew Meyer

Drew Meyer is a Librarian and Science Educator who moonlights as a Podcaster and Game Designer. He's currently the product consultant for Scaldcrow Games and has contributed to several of their recent releases. He's been the co-host of Gallifrey Pirate Rad... Read More →
avatar for Rich

Rich

Fan Guest
To say that I enjoy podcasting and new media would be a gross understatement. My credits include mentions in high school and collegiate papers, newspapers, Podcasting for Dummies, and Advanced Podcasting Tricks. I have been called an innovator, having created the first fandom podcast... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

5:00pm EDT

NASA Panel (ET)
What is NASA now? Where is it going? Three of our guests either work, or have worked, for NASA in a variety of areas. We let them tell you about what they know, how things have changed and then answer any questions you have.
Moderators
avatar for Tedd Roberts

Tedd Roberts

Tedd Roberts is one of many aliases of the mysterious "Dr. Rob," a neuroscience researcher whose interest in public education and brain awareness has led him to write science fact and fiction with the goal of accurate, yet enjoyable brain science. While his professional research... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Maggie Allen

Maggie Allen

Maggie Allen recently started writing short fiction, but for her day job at NASA she has years of experience writing and podcasting about various non-fiction topics in astronomy and astrophysics.  Maggie has had short stories published in A Hero By Any Other Name, the Time Traveled... Read More →
avatar for Les Johnson

Les Johnson

NASA
Les Johnson is a scientist, an author, and the Senior Technical Advisor for NASA’s Advanced Concepts Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.   He is a author of science fiction (Going Interstellar anthology, Back to the Moon novel, and with co-Author... Read More →
avatar for Paula S. Jordan

Paula S. Jordan

Paula S. Jordan is the author of “Vooorh,” a novelette appearing in the recently released July/August issue of Analog.  Both that story and her previous Analog entry, “Two Look At Two” (April 2011), are adaptations from her present-day alien-contact novel-in-progress.  Her... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 5:00pm - 5:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

7:00pm EDT

Self Publishing: Pros & Cons (ET)
Authors sometime face the challenge of deciding between self-publishing and traditional publishing.  What are some of the benefits of going at it yourself? What challenges do you face? How do you determine if it is the right choice for you? How do you assemble a good team and why do you need them?
Moderators
avatar for Stuart Jaffe

Stuart Jaffe

Stuart Jaffe is the author of The Max Porter Paranormal-Mysteries, The Malja Chronicles, the Gillian Boone novels, The Bluesman pulp adventures, Real Magic, and After The Crash, as well as the short story collection, 10 Bits of My Brain. Numerous other short stories have appeared... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Marcia Colette

Marcia Colette

Bestselling author Marcia Colette didn’t discover her love for reading until her late teens when she started reading John Saul and progressed to works by Bentley Little, Stephen King and Laurell K. Hamilton. Her reading tastes convinced her to write paranormals where curses cause... Read More →
avatar for Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz is the author of several published novels and scores of other titles under various pen names. Her science fiction works have been named as finalist in the 2006 Fresh Voices in Science Fiction (Zephyr Unfolding), EPPIE Finalist in Science Fiction (Browne Candidate... Read More →
avatar for James Maxey

James Maxey

James Maxey is the author seven fantasy novels (Bitterwood, Dragonforge, Dragonseed, Dawn of Dragons, Greatshadow, Hush, and Witchbreaker) and two superhero novels (Nobody Gets the Girl and Burn Baby Burn). His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and... Read More →
avatar for Sharon Stogner

Sharon Stogner

Owner, Devil in the Details Editing Services
Sharon is the co-creator of the I Smell Sheep website (www.ismellsheep.com). A quirky multi-media review site of Speculative Fiction that also provides author/actor guest posts, interviews, convention coverage and other WTF-ery. She is also a freelance fiction editor (www.devilin... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 7:00pm - 7:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

8:00pm EDT

Beyond the Evil Goddess/God - Religion in SF (ET)
Our panelists talk about religion in SF. How do you balance the fantasy with reality? How do you make it feel like a valid and deep part of the world?
Moderators
avatar for Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in the The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga and the upcoming Reign of Ash (Orbit Books, April 2014), plus the upcoming Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy (Solaris Books, July 2014). Other books include The Chronicles of The Necromancer series... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Glenda C. Finkelstein

Glenda C. Finkelstein

Glenda has a wide and varied career as a writer having published song lyrics, human-interest articles, poems, short stories, novels, and screenplays.  Her interest in writing was not just a happenstance having a great-grandfather who was a wonderful poet, and aunts and uncles who... Read More →
avatar for Debra Killeen

Debra Killeen

Debra Killeen is the author of the award-winning fantasy series, “The Myrridian Cycle.” All of the books in the series, An Unlikely Duke, A Prince in Need, Legacy of the Archbishop, Priestess Awakening and Kingdom have won awards at ReaderViews, and Legacy of the Archbishop... Read More →
avatar for James Maxey

James Maxey

James Maxey is the author seven fantasy novels (Bitterwood, Dragonforge, Dragonseed, Dawn of Dragons, Greatshadow, Hush, and Witchbreaker) and two superhero novels (Nobody Gets the Girl and Burn Baby Burn). His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and... Read More →
avatar for Gray Rinehart

Gray Rinehart

Gray Rinehart is the "Slushmaster General" for Baen Books. His fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction & Fact, Asimov's Science Fiction, Redstone Science Fiction, and elsewhere. Gray retired from the US Air Force after a rather odd career in which he fought rocket propellant... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 8:00pm - 8:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

8:00pm EDT

Quick Write (AP)
Come watch as six authors try to create an improv story given the most ridiculous scenarios.
Moderators
avatar for Tony Ruggiero

Tony Ruggiero

Tony Ruggiero is best known for his dark fantasy thrillers about vampires being used by the US military. Ground breaking and fast paced, the novels are a characteristic mixture of the vampire lore and the clandestine secrets of the military. The concept led to a series of books: Operation... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Davey Beauchamp

Davey Beauchamp

Davey Beauchamp (daveybeauchamp.com) is the creator of the Writers for Relief anthology series, the Agency 32 series, the award nominated Amazing Pulp Adventures Radio Show; podcast (pulpadventures.net) along with Podcasting's Rich Sigfrit, and Gallifrey Pirate Radio a podcast... Read More →
avatar for Alexandra Christian

Alexandra Christian

Alexandra Christian is an author of mostly paranormal erotic romance and horror.  In case you don't know what that means, she writes about not-so-nice girls getting it on with out-of- this- world heroes.  Vampires, werewolves, selkies, angels and demons-- and that's just recently!  A... Read More →
avatar for Marcia Colette

Marcia Colette

Bestselling author Marcia Colette didn’t discover her love for reading until her late teens when she started reading John Saul and progressed to works by Bentley Little, Stephen King and Laurell K. Hamilton. Her reading tastes convinced her to write paranormals where curses cause... Read More →
avatar for Emily Lavin Leverett

Emily Lavin Leverett

Emily Lavin Leverett is an author and editor of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but she got her professional start in publishing editing erotica. She is also an English professor and a medievalist. She's edited the Big Bad: an Anthology of Evil and the forthcoming Big Bad... Read More →
avatar for Tedd Roberts

Tedd Roberts

Tedd Roberts is one of many aliases of the mysterious "Dr. Rob," a neuroscience researcher whose interest in public education and brain awareness has led him to write science fact and fiction with the goal of accurate, yet enjoyable brain science. While his professional research... Read More →
avatar for Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen retired from the Navy following twenty-one years as a nuclear-trained submariner, just in time for his children to outgrow the funny stories he always made up for them at bedtime, when he was in port.  So, he started writing those stories down and inflicting them upon strangers... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 8:00pm - 8:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

9:00pm EDT

What's New in Podcasting? (ET)
Podcasts are a unique way to reach an audience. What's new in the podcasting world? What geeky podcasts are out there and why should we listen to them?   
Moderators
RO

Rhonda Oglesby

Game on Girl is a weekly podcast hosted by Rhonda Oglesby and Regina McMenomy, Ph.D. They interview gamers and discuss games, gaming, and game culture and their representations in mainstream media. They are also interested in how this fairly new online culture is... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr is a writer and professional fan of science fiction and fantasy. Her novel Wynde won the Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror ebook in the 2014 Independent Publisher Awards. Wynde is an epic tale of a young woman’s personal struggle to stay true to... Read More →
avatar for Chuck Carte

Chuck Carte

Chuck Carte, gifted bird trainer and long-time friend of Doc Geressy, joined the Carolina Ghostbusters in June of 2010.  Chuck is a screen-writer, director, author, and teacher, and his often child-like wonderment makes him truly the heart of the Carolina Ghostbusters. Chuck attended... Read More →
avatar for Doc Geressy

Doc Geressy

M. Doc Geressy is a professionally-trained broadcaster, expert costumer, enthusiastic movie car motorhead, actor, artist, designer, and paranormal investigator, and actual doctor.Doc's broadcasting career spans over 20 years, working in Charlotte radio and with nationally syndicated... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 9:00pm - 9:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

10:00pm EDT

Paranormal : Truth or Fiction (ET)
Our paranormal guests address the challenges of working in a field where most don't believe. What is it about the paranormal that draws them to seek out haunted mansions and other dark places?
Moderators
avatar for Tally Johnson

Tally Johnson

Born and raised in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Tally is a graduate of Spartanburg Methodist College and Wofford College with degrees in history. He attended graduate school in history at Winthrop, but did not complete thesis.  He has written several articles on both local... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Chuck Carte

Chuck Carte

Chuck Carte, gifted bird trainer and long-time friend of Doc Geressy, joined the Carolina Ghostbusters in June of 2010.  Chuck is a screen-writer, director, author, and teacher, and his often child-like wonderment makes him truly the heart of the Carolina Ghostbusters. Chuck attended... Read More →
avatar for Cheralyn Lambeth

Cheralyn Lambeth

Cheralyn Lambeth likes to refer to herself as a "fan who went pro," crediting her work in the film/TV/entertainment industry to her early love of Star Wars. After a brief stint in the Air Force Reserve, she went on to study drama and Radio/Television/Motion Pictures at the University... Read More →
avatar for Randy Richards

Randy Richards

Dungeons & Dragons / Fantasy Author, Spellbinder Games
Randy Richards originally hails from Chalmette, Louisiana, the actual location of the "Battle of New Orleans". He currently lives in the South, where he runs a photography business and writes professionally.Randy Richards has been playing Dungeons & Dragons since the late 70s, but... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 10:00pm - 10:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

10:00pm EDT

Will Star Wars Become the Next Marvel? (ET
With the news that Disney will create not two, as originally reported, but three spin off movies for Star Wars, it’s looking a lot like they plan to capitalize on Star Wars, much like they have with The Avengers franchise.  Our panelists will discuss what types of stories they would like to see, and which characters they think should be highlighted.
Moderators
avatar for Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr is a writer and professional fan of science fiction and fantasy. Her novel Wynde won the Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror ebook in the 2014 Independent Publisher Awards. Wynde is an epic tale of a young woman’s personal struggle to stay true to... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Tony Finkelstein

Tony Finkelstein

Tony is a man of many talents with a wide and varied background in music and theatre.  In his teenage years he was one of the top rated drummers in the Tampa Bay area and opened for such legendary acts as Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and went on summer tour with The Rascals.  Although... Read More →
avatar for Tom Hutchens

Tom Hutchens

Tom Hutchens is a Star Wars costume designer, and founder of the Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club.  Born in Winston-Salem North Carolina, Tom spent a great deal of his childhood dressing himself up as Star Wars and GI Joe characters.   At the age of 18, Tom decided to become a real-life... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 10:00pm - 10:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

10:30pm EDT

And so there I was… (AP)
Panelists & Audience members take turns telling us all the implausible/bizarre/youthful folly things they’ve done or seen happen.  
Guests
avatar for Ron Garner

Ron Garner

Ron Garner is the CEO of Silence in the Library Publishing, a small press specializing science fiction and fantasy and dedicated to changing the relationship between publishers, authors, and readers. He  grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, but spent thirteen years of his life moving... Read More →
avatar for Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove is a KC-130 pilot in the United States Marine Corps. Her bestselling first novel, War of the Seasons, Book One: The Human, was published in June 2011 and her next novel, War of the Seasons, Book Two: The Half-blood, was released in June 2012. She’s also had several... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 10:30pm - 11:20pm EDT
Piedmont Workshops/Readings
  Panels

11:00pm EDT

I’m Friends with the Monster Under my Bed (ET)
Panelists will talk about the scary tales which monsters star in. How is the monster is written, and are today's monster tales far from those made up and told around a campfire by the village storyteller in the past. Are today's monsters becoming tame from all the stories about them, or are they getting more frightening?
Moderators
avatar for Stephen Mark Rainey

Stephen Mark Rainey

Stephen Mark Rainey is author of the novels Balak, The Lebo Coven, Dark Shadows: Dreams Of The Dark (with Elizabeth Massie), Blue Devil Island, The Nightmare Frontier, and The Monarchs; five short story collections; over 100 published works of short fiction; and several Dark Shadows... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in the The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga and the upcoming Reign of Ash (Orbit Books, April 2014), plus the upcoming Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy (Solaris Books, July 2014). Other books include The Chronicles of The Necromancer series... Read More →
avatar for Tony Ruggiero

Tony Ruggiero

Tony Ruggiero is best known for his dark fantasy thrillers about vampires being used by the US military. Ground breaking and fast paced, the novels are a characteristic mixture of the vampire lore and the clandestine secrets of the military. The concept led to a series of books: Operation... Read More →

Saturday July 12, 2014 11:00pm - 11:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels
 
Sunday, July 13
 

9:00am EDT

Interstellar Travel (ET)
More than 1000 exoplanets have been discovered, some of which may be similar to Earth. Many are now asking, “How do we get there?” Though the distances are vast, there are methods that may allow humanity to one day go to the stars – and they are within the known laws of physics. (No warp drive required!) Following a talk by Les Johnson on exoplanets research, we will explore methods that may one day allow humanity to become an interstellar species. 
Moderators
avatar for Les Johnson

Les Johnson

NASA
Les Johnson is a scientist, an author, and the Senior Technical Advisor for NASA’s Advanced Concepts Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.   He is a author of science fiction (Going Interstellar anthology, Back to the Moon novel, and with co-Author... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

9:00am EDT

Subverting the Trope (ET)
How do you go about finding a unique way to approach a common trope/theme/type of character. How do you write about vampires or alien invasions or zombies or a governess in a scary mansion and make it different from all the other stories with similar starting points?
Moderators
avatar for Tony Ruggiero

Tony Ruggiero

Tony Ruggiero is best known for his dark fantasy thrillers about vampires being used by the US military. Ground breaking and fast paced, the novels are a characteristic mixture of the vampire lore and the clandestine secrets of the military. The concept led to a series of books: Operation... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Larry Correia

Larry Correia

Writer Guest of Honor
Larry Correia is the New York Times bestselling novelist who originally self-published in 2008. His novel, Monster Hunter International, reached the Entertainment Weekly bestseller list and he received a publishing contract with Baen Books. Monster Hunter International was re-released... Read More →
avatar for Stuart Jaffe

Stuart Jaffe

Stuart Jaffe is the author of The Max Porter Paranormal-Mysteries, The Malja Chronicles, the Gillian Boone novels, The Bluesman pulp adventures, Real Magic, and After The Crash, as well as the short story collection, 10 Bits of My Brain. Numerous other short stories have appeared... Read More →
avatar for Paula S. Jordan

Paula S. Jordan

Paula S. Jordan is the author of “Vooorh,” a novelette appearing in the recently released July/August issue of Analog.  Both that story and her previous Analog entry, “Two Look At Two” (April 2011), are adaptations from her present-day alien-contact novel-in-progress.  Her... Read More →
RO

Rhonda Oglesby

Game on Girl is a weekly podcast hosted by Rhonda Oglesby and Regina McMenomy, Ph.D. They interview gamers and discuss games, gaming, and game culture and their representations in mainstream media. They are also interested in how this fairly new online culture is... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
Hearn C/D Main Programming
  Panels

10:00am EDT

Social Media/Marketing for Authors/Artists/others (ET)
Twitter. Facebook. Instagram. How does social media help an author market themselves and their work? How do you do it without going overboard or burning out?
Moderators
avatar for Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in the The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga and the upcoming Reign of Ash (Orbit Books, April 2014), plus the upcoming Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy (Solaris Books, July 2014). Other books include The Chronicles of The Necromancer series... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz is the author of several published novels and scores of other titles under various pen names. Her science fiction works have been named as finalist in the 2006 Fresh Voices in Science Fiction (Zephyr Unfolding), EPPIE Finalist in Science Fiction (Browne Candidate... Read More →
avatar for Jennifer McCollom

Jennifer McCollom

Special Media Arts Guest
Professional make-up artist, Jennifer McCollom got her start in Theatre through both high school and college. She graduated from UNCG with a BA in Theatre and a minor in Physics. Her first professional film was Taking Liberty filmed in Winston-Salem, NC. Then it was on to local favorites... Read More →
avatar for Randy Richards

Randy Richards

Dungeons & Dragons / Fantasy Author, Spellbinder Games
Randy Richards originally hails from Chalmette, Louisiana, the actual location of the "Battle of New Orleans". He currently lives in the South, where he runs a photography business and writes professionally.Randy Richards has been playing Dungeons & Dragons since the late 70s, but... Read More →
avatar for Sharon Stogner

Sharon Stogner

Owner, Devil in the Details Editing Services
Sharon is the co-creator of the I Smell Sheep website (www.ismellsheep.com). A quirky multi-media review site of Speculative Fiction that also provides author/actor guest posts, interviews, convention coverage and other WTF-ery. She is also a freelance fiction editor (www.devilin... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

10:00am EDT

The Rise of the Superhero (ET)
Superheroes rise in tough times. More than 70 years ago, the very first superheroes debuted in the dire times of the Great Depression and the early years of World War II. Their names became legend -- Superman, Batman, Captain America -- and they're still with us today. Why are superheroes in film/tv/comics gaining again in popularity?
Moderators
avatar for Edmund Schubert

Edmund Schubert

Edmund Schubert is the author of about 40 short stories, about half of which can be found in the collection, The Trouble with Eating Clouds and one novel, Dreaming Creek. He's held a variety of editorial positions, currently serving as editor of Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Tony Finkelstein

Tony Finkelstein

Tony is a man of many talents with a wide and varied background in music and theatre.  In his teenage years he was one of the top rated drummers in the Tampa Bay area and opened for such legendary acts as Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and went on summer tour with The Rascals.  Although... Read More →
avatar for Steven S. Long

Steven S. Long

Steven S. Long’s been involved in the gaming industry for twenty years, during which time he’s written, co-written, edited, or developed nearly 200 books. He got his start as a freelancer for Hero Games, for whom he wrote several books in the mid-Nineties. He soon branched out... Read More →
avatar for James Maxey

James Maxey

James Maxey is the author seven fantasy novels (Bitterwood, Dragonforge, Dragonseed, Dawn of Dragons, Greatshadow, Hush, and Witchbreaker) and two superhero novels (Nobody Gets the Girl and Burn Baby Burn). His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and... Read More →
DM

Drew Meyer

Drew Meyer is a Librarian and Science Educator who moonlights as a Podcaster and Game Designer. He's currently the product consultant for Scaldcrow Games and has contributed to several of their recent releases. He's been the co-host of Gallifrey Pirate Rad... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

11:00am EDT

Roar! Athena's Daughters (ET)
Silence in the Library's Kickstarter for Athena's Daughters (AD) funded at over 500%. AD was created entirely around the concept of providing a platform by which female authors, artists, graphic designers, and editors could showcase their incredible talents.

Join the publisher, authors and fans to discuss what made this successful and why so many were drawn to the project.
Moderators
avatar for Ron Garner

Ron Garner

Ron Garner is the CEO of Silence in the Library Publishing, a small press specializing science fiction and fantasy and dedicated to changing the relationship between publishers, authors, and readers. He  grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, but spent thirteen years of his life moving... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Maggie Allen

Maggie Allen

Maggie Allen recently started writing short fiction, but for her day job at NASA she has years of experience writing and podcasting about various non-fiction topics in astronomy and astrophysics.  Maggie has had short stories published in A Hero By Any Other Name, the Time Traveled... Read More →
avatar for Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr is a writer and professional fan of science fiction and fantasy. Her novel Wynde won the Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror ebook in the 2014 Independent Publisher Awards. Wynde is an epic tale of a young woman’s personal struggle to stay true to... Read More →
avatar for Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in the The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga and the upcoming Reign of Ash (Orbit Books, April 2014), plus the upcoming Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy (Solaris Books, July 2014). Other books include The Chronicles of The Necromancer series... Read More →
avatar for Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove

Janine K. Spendlove is a KC-130 pilot in the United States Marine Corps. Her bestselling first novel, War of the Seasons, Book One: The Human, was published in June 2011 and her next novel, War of the Seasons, Book Two: The Half-blood, was released in June 2012. She’s also had several... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Hearn C/D Main Programming
  Panels

11:00am EDT

Sports Geeks (AP)
Geeks dress up in costumes and no one blinks an eye. But wear a Panther's Jersey or a Braves cap to a con and people look at you funny. This open forum is a place for Sports fans who also happen to be Geeks to talk a little sports. How's your baseball team doing? After the draft, how does your football team look?
Moderators
avatar for James Fulbright

James Fulbright

ConChair/President, ConGregate
James Fulbright was introduced to AD&D by a friend in 1979. After joining his first gaming group, his friends convinced him to start attending conventions like StellarCon and Hexacon. It wasn’t long before attending cons led him to start helping out with those cons; which, in turn... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Laura Haywood-Cory

Laura Haywood-Cory

Laura Haywood-Cory has been some flavor of editor or proofreader since her first job after college, which was proofreading yellow page listings for a phone book company. She's been involved in science fiction fandom since the mid-1980s. She has managed two sf conventions, co-founded... Read More →
avatar for Cheralyn Lambeth

Cheralyn Lambeth

Cheralyn Lambeth likes to refer to herself as a "fan who went pro," crediting her work in the film/TV/entertainment industry to her early love of Star Wars. After a brief stint in the Air Force Reserve, she went on to study drama and Radio/Television/Motion Pictures at the University... Read More →
avatar for Edmund Schubert

Edmund Schubert

Edmund Schubert is the author of about 40 short stories, about half of which can be found in the collection, The Trouble with Eating Clouds and one novel, Dreaming Creek. He's held a variety of editorial positions, currently serving as editor of Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

12:00pm EDT

Business of Being an Artist (ET)
Many artists fear making money from their art means they have to compromise their artistic integrity, or “sell out”. But it doesn't have to be this way. This panel will talk about the things artists have learned in the real world from budgeting to making money doing what you love.
Moderators
avatar for Matthew Penick

Matthew Penick

Matthew Penick is a professional costumer, fitness enthusiast, and the owner of Ribbons and Rivets. Matthew first got started in costuming as a broke college student who taught himself leather working and made his first suit of armor out of scraps and remnants from the local Tandy... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Allegra Liana

Allegra Liana

Allegra Liana (sometimes known as "The Chainmail Chick") is a geek-of-all-trades who got her start in the con scene working with award winning fantasy artist Alan Welch. From these humble, chainmail bikini'd beginnings, she has become a costumer, artist, and model (with an ever expanding... Read More →
avatar for Jennifer McCollom

Jennifer McCollom

Special Media Arts Guest
Professional make-up artist, Jennifer McCollom got her start in Theatre through both high school and college. She graduated from UNCG with a BA in Theatre and a minor in Physics. Her first professional film was Taking Liberty filmed in Winston-Salem, NC. Then it was on to local favorites... Read More →
avatar for Mark Poole

Mark Poole

Artist Guest of Honor
Mark Poole is one of the original twenty-five Magic: The Gathering artists. Mark's work is often hard to pick out due to a variance in style, but he typically features balanced palettes and often incorporates Japanese themes and elements. His works; however, grace numerous iconic... Read More →
avatar for Scott Rorie

Scott Rorie

Scott Rorie is a free-lance artist from Cary, NC. Learning to draw at an early age, Scott won his first art show at 11 years old, when he won a school wide art show. After studying art all through high school, he attended Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC majoring... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

12:00pm EDT

World Building with Steven Long (AP)
Game Designer and Author Steven S. Long takes the audience through building a world.
Moderators
avatar for Steven S. Long

Steven S. Long

Steven S. Long’s been involved in the gaming industry for twenty years, during which time he’s written, co-written, edited, or developed nearly 200 books. He got his start as a freelancer for Hero Games, for whom he wrote several books in the mid-Nineties. He soon branched out... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 12:00pm - 12:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

1:00pm EDT

Fairies and Vampires and Other Mythological Creatures (ET)
Fantasy is replete with examples of Faries, Vampires and other creatures of myth. Where do the myths come from and how are they translated in fantasy? What are some examples of rarer mythological creatures that aren't seen as often?
Moderators
avatar for Diana Bastine

Diana Bastine

Diana Bastine is an author and editor living in North Carolina. She has written novels, short stories, poetry and blog articles – some of which have even been published.              Diana is also a Reiki Master and a Crystal Energy Therapist, as well as an ordained... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Alexandra Christian

Alexandra Christian

Alexandra Christian is an author of mostly paranormal erotic romance and horror.  In case you don't know what that means, she writes about not-so-nice girls getting it on with out-of- this- world heroes.  Vampires, werewolves, selkies, angels and demons-- and that's just recently!  A... Read More →
avatar for John Hartness

John Hartness

John G. Hartness is a teller of tales, righter of wrongs and some call him the Pompetus of Love. Okay, maybe he’s an urban fantasy and horror author from Charlotte, NC with a background in theatre and a love for fried pickles and loud music. John is the author of The Black Knight... Read More →
avatar for Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz is the author of several published novels and scores of other titles under various pen names. Her science fiction works have been named as finalist in the 2006 Fresh Voices in Science Fiction (Zephyr Unfolding), EPPIE Finalist in Science Fiction (Browne Candidate... Read More →
avatar for Emily Lavin Leverett

Emily Lavin Leverett

Emily Lavin Leverett is an author and editor of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but she got her professional start in publishing editing erotica. She is also an English professor and a medievalist. She's edited the Big Bad: an Anthology of Evil and the forthcoming Big Bad... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Hearn C/D Main Programming
  Panels

1:00pm EDT

Imperial March (ET)
Why are they always Galactic Empires? Why not republics, democracies and confederacies? Why do we assume that the future government is going to be some autocracy from the past? Is the Galactic Empire more romantic or just easier to write? 
Moderators
avatar for Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr

Tricia Barr is a writer and professional fan of science fiction and fantasy. Her novel Wynde won the Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror ebook in the 2014 Independent Publisher Awards. Wynde is an epic tale of a young woman’s personal struggle to stay true to... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Stuart Jaffe

Stuart Jaffe

Stuart Jaffe is the author of The Max Porter Paranormal-Mysteries, The Malja Chronicles, the Gillian Boone novels, The Bluesman pulp adventures, Real Magic, and After The Crash, as well as the short story collection, 10 Bits of My Brain. Numerous other short stories have appeared... Read More →
avatar for Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen J. Simmons

Stephen retired from the Navy following twenty-one years as a nuclear-trained submariner, just in time for his children to outgrow the funny stories he always made up for them at bedtime, when he was in port.  So, he started writing those stories down and inflicting them upon strangers... Read More →
avatar for Travis Surber

Travis Surber

Travis Surber is a self-taught artist/writer who got his start in the independent comic Midnight Ink in 2004. After several years of "exposure"(work without pay) he started the webcomic Hainted Holler in 2009. Since then he has managed to self-publish 2 collections of his strips... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

1:00pm EDT

Managing Your Finances as a Writer (ET)
So you got your first check for being published? What do you do with it? How do you account for it come tax season? What about expenses? Does going to cons count? Our panelists talk about how to manage the income and expenses related to being an author.
Moderators
avatar for Gray Rinehart

Gray Rinehart

Gray Rinehart is the "Slushmaster General" for Baen Books. His fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction & Fact, Asimov's Science Fiction, Redstone Science Fiction, and elsewhere. Gray retired from the US Air Force after a rather odd career in which he fought rocket propellant... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Glenda C. Finkelstein

Glenda C. Finkelstein

Glenda has a wide and varied career as a writer having published song lyrics, human-interest articles, poems, short stories, novels, and screenplays.  Her interest in writing was not just a happenstance having a great-grandfather who was a wonderful poet, and aunts and uncles who... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

2:00pm EDT

ConGregate: A New Venture (AP)
ConGregate is a still a baby in terms of conventions. Like every con, it will have it's traditions. What are some things you would like to see become tradition at ConGregate?
Sunday July 13, 2014 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Hearn C/D Main Programming
  Panels

2:00pm EDT

I hate Zombies but what if… (ET)
Zombies are incredibly popular in literature and media. But how would we react in the real world? What could cause a "true" zombie outbreak? How could we defend/inoculate ourselves from it?
Moderators
avatar for Tedd Roberts

Tedd Roberts

Tedd Roberts is one of many aliases of the mysterious "Dr. Rob," a neuroscience researcher whose interest in public education and brain awareness has led him to write science fact and fiction with the goal of accurate, yet enjoyable brain science. While his professional research... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Chuck Carte

Chuck Carte

Chuck Carte, gifted bird trainer and long-time friend of Doc Geressy, joined the Carolina Ghostbusters in June of 2010.  Chuck is a screen-writer, director, author, and teacher, and his often child-like wonderment makes him truly the heart of the Carolina Ghostbusters. Chuck attended... Read More →
avatar for Doc Geressy

Doc Geressy

M. Doc Geressy is a professionally-trained broadcaster, expert costumer, enthusiastic movie car motorhead, actor, artist, designer, and paranormal investigator, and actual doctor.Doc's broadcasting career spans over 20 years, working in Charlotte radio and with nationally syndicated... Read More →
avatar for Rich

Rich

Fan Guest
To say that I enjoy podcasting and new media would be a gross understatement. My credits include mentions in high school and collegiate papers, newspapers, Podcasting for Dummies, and Advanced Podcasting Tricks. I have been called an innovator, having created the first fandom podcast... Read More →
avatar for Cathe Smith

Cathe Smith

Cathe Smith has always been interested in insects. As an entomology undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she worked as a crop scout in an integrated pest management lab that worked with potatoes, cabbage, and mint. That experience led her to pick up a second Bachelor... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

2:00pm EDT

Mecha Samurai and Steampunk Camels (ET)
Is it still steampunk if it's not in London? Exploring non-British landscapes in steampunk worlds. Are there sub-genres? Diesel Punk, Gaslight, paranormal? Does it even have to be in the Victorian age?
Moderators
avatar for Misty Massey

Misty Massey

Misty Massey is the author of Mad Kestrel (Tor Books), a rollicking fantasy adventure of magic on the high seas, and the upcoming ebook Kestrel's Voyages. Misty is one of the featured writers on Magical Words (www.magicalwords.net). When she’s not writing, she studies Middle... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Stuart Jaffe

Stuart Jaffe

Stuart Jaffe is the author of The Max Porter Paranormal-Mysteries, The Malja Chronicles, the Gillian Boone novels, The Bluesman pulp adventures, Real Magic, and After The Crash, as well as the short story collection, 10 Bits of My Brain. Numerous other short stories have appeared... Read More →
avatar for Angela Pritchett

Angela Pritchett

Angela Pritchett is a costumer, actress, makeup artist and writer originally from Charlottesville, VA but currently residing in Asheboro, NC. She has won countless costuming awards and has judged at numerous conventions along the east coast. She has appeared in and has done makeup... Read More →
avatar for Travis Surber

Travis Surber

Travis Surber is a self-taught artist/writer who got his start in the independent comic Midnight Ink in 2004. After several years of "exposure"(work without pay) he started the webcomic Hainted Holler in 2009. Since then he has managed to self-publish 2 collections of his strips... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels

3:00pm EDT

Con In Review (AP)
The con is almost over. Take a few minutes before you leave and tell us…what worked? What didn't? We will also have a suggestion box in the room if you would like to leave ideas for guests or panel topics for future cons.
Moderators
avatar for James Fulbright

James Fulbright

ConChair/President, ConGregate
James Fulbright was introduced to AD&D by a friend in 1979. After joining his first gaming group, his friends convinced him to start attending conventions like StellarCon and Hexacon. It wasn’t long before attending cons led him to start helping out with those cons; which, in turn... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Hearn C/D Main Programming
  Panels

3:00pm EDT

Flash Topic (or It's late on Sunday…) (AP)
It's Sunday. It's late. Our remaining brave panelists will talk about whatever topics you (the audience) throw at them.
Moderators
avatar for Randy Richards

Randy Richards

Dungeons & Dragons / Fantasy Author, Spellbinder Games
Randy Richards originally hails from Chalmette, Louisiana, the actual location of the "Battle of New Orleans". He currently lives in the South, where he runs a photography business and writes professionally.Randy Richards has been playing Dungeons & Dragons since the late 70s, but... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Glenda C. Finkelstein

Glenda C. Finkelstein

Glenda has a wide and varied career as a writer having published song lyrics, human-interest articles, poems, short stories, novels, and screenplays.  Her interest in writing was not just a happenstance having a great-grandfather who was a wonderful poet, and aunts and uncles who... Read More →
avatar for Tony Finkelstein

Tony Finkelstein

Tony is a man of many talents with a wide and varied background in music and theatre.  In his teenage years he was one of the top rated drummers in the Tampa Bay area and opened for such legendary acts as Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and went on summer tour with The Rascals.  Although... Read More →
avatar for Sharon Stogner

Sharon Stogner

Owner, Devil in the Details Editing Services
Sharon is the co-creator of the I Smell Sheep website (www.ismellsheep.com). A quirky multi-media review site of Speculative Fiction that also provides author/actor guest posts, interviews, convention coverage and other WTF-ery. She is also a freelance fiction editor (www.devilin... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Winston Programming
  Panels

3:00pm EDT

Generations in Fandom: How do we connect (ET)
There is a lot of discussion right now about the differences within fandom. In modern work environments, we talk about the changes that Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennial’s must face when working together. How can con runners and fan groups reach out to the different generations and invite them to play?
Moderators
avatar for Toni Weisskopf

Toni Weisskopf

Special Literary Guest
Toni Weisskopf Reinhardt is the publisher of Baen Books. Under the name T.K.F. Weisskopf she is the co-editor, with Greg Cox, of two SF anthologies for Baen: Tomorrow Sucks and Tomorrow Bites, about vampires and werewolves respectively, recently reprinted in an omnibus volume. With Josepha Sherman, she compiled and annotated the defin... Read More →

Guests
avatar for Mikki Stith

Mikki Stith

Mikki first formally met the Carolina Ghostbusters when she booked them for Jaxcon 2011, a convention she ran in Jacksonville, NC.  Jaxcon was a one time event, but Mikki is quick to say, “Getting the Carolina Ghostbusters was the best decision I ever made for that con.”  Since... Read More →

Sunday July 13, 2014 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Salem Programming
  Panels
 
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