ConNooga Wraps Up, and some Andy Deane video footage!

ConNooga wrapped up nicely, and yes, I do have a video link of the serenade I got from internationally known goth/rock maestro Andy Deane of Bella Morte (who is an amazing author too).

After a day full of panels, I got to join David Blalock, D.A. Adams, Roni Jonah, Jason Crowe, Justin Powell, and other friends at the Pizza Car...literally a train car that has been turned into a Pizzeria. The pizza is pretty good too. Definitely hit the spot as I usually forget to eat much during the day at conventions.

Later that night, I got to see the Bella Morte show at the theater on the convention site. Andy Deane is a fantastic front man, and the band puts on a very good show. Tight musicianship, great energy, all you want from a rock band. They played a new song from their next album, called Falling Star, which was excellent.

Sunday had a Swordbearer screening that apparently went well. We did not have a big crowd, as it was an 11am slot on a Sunday morning (a time when most people at Cons are not yet awake, lol) But the folks there did seem to like the film a lot. Allan Gilbreath joined me onstage to introduce the film. The screening and projection was very good, which certainly helps make the experience better.

It was a well-run Con and one that I definitely want to go back to. Got to see many good friends, meet some new ones, and have a few unusual adventures. Not much time to recover, as MystiCon in Roanoke VA looms this weekend! :)

Now, as far as the Andy Deane serenade of me...look for it at the 3:15 mark or so, onward...

A Book and a Movie!

Worked from early morning until the evening, and then it was time to get away and take a little break.

I headed down to Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington to see Michael Williams, who was making an appearance in support of his new novel Trajan's Arch, which was recently published by BlackWyrm out of Louisville. Joseph-Beth is an incredible venue, and it was really great to see Michael, his wife, and Dave Mattingly from BlackWyrm at the event. Michael gave a presentation, discussing tendencies in genre fiction and literary fiction in regards to character and plot (I.E. genre fiction, on the average, tends to develop plot better while leaving characters thin, while literary fiction sets up great characters, and often doesn't have them doing much). Following the presentation, Michael gave a reading from Trajan's Arch, which is a very different kind of book from much of the work that he is known for (which includes some Dragonlance novels).

Trajan's Arch, at Michael explains it, tilts in the direction of magical realism. Someone very near and dear to me purchased the book at the Kentucky Book Fair a couple of weeks ago, and read it, and really liked it, so at least I was able to pass on some very positive feedback to Michael. I picked up a copy at the book signing, and will be diving into it over the holidays. I will certainly do a review on the SSP blogsite when I am finished.

Following the signing I headed out with the Tuesday Crew, a group of friends that gather for a later evening movie every week (I try to join them as often as possible, as it helps keep me sane with the work level I'm managing right now!). This week's film was Faster, the new one with Dwayne Johnson. Thankfully, there were no tooth-fairy outfits, and we got to see Dwayne where I think he is incredible, in an action-heavy role. It has a decidedly darker edge, but there are some redemptive aspects. I think that among the action stars, Dwayne Johnson exhibits some of the best range in his acting. He is outstanding at conveying a mix of emotions, and really shines in Faster. I would love to see him get more roles like this, ones that mix his excellence as an action star with his range as an actor.

Faster is filled with good performances, and I walked away a very happy viewer at the end...Dwayne Johnson is BACK!

I also wanted to mention that there was a trailer for a medieval film with some strong traces of fantasy, called Season of the Witch, starring Nicholas Cage and Ron Perlman, that looks incredibly promising. Large crusader army was depicted, along with big battles, hints of the supernatural, and some really superb looking scenery and sets. Definitely inspired to see this one, which is a very nice bonus given that Voyage of the Dawn Treader looms in about a week! (Growing up, Voyage of the Dawn Treader was my favorite book in the Chronicles of Narnia)