Hypericon/DeepSouthCon Update

I guess the first thing to say is that it was not quite as large a con as I'd expected, especially for a DSC. It was maybe a third to half the size of MidSouthCon or Chattacon, and that being a DSC. Nashville fandom has evidently shrunk since I was last involved in it. Having said that, they are enthusiastic in their fandom, and they put on a good con.

I stayed offsite this year, and I think next year if they want me back, I may get a room in the hotel. There was a TON of road construction occurring all around the area on the interstates and that was just a pain in the nether regions. Especially at 12:30am on a Saturday morning when the interstate suddenly turns into a one-lane parking lot and you've had one drink 3 hours before, followed by several bottles of water, and didn't make a restroom break before hitting the road. NOT fun. My half-hour commute to the folks' house turned into an hour and fifteen minutes. O_o

I made some good connections:

I met H. David Blalock, who is organizing a southeastern writers' booksigning tour, and wants me involved. He even bought me a drink, which was very nice of him. I spent some time explaining the world of e-books to him, and he was excited to discover that as a writer much of the process of creating an e-book is transparent to him.

I am not sure what city the bid was from because they went by their organization's acronym name (note, guys, let us KNOW where you're FROM!), but I got the attention of a WorldCon bid group, and they had me sign their banner right alongside people like David Weber, Timothy Zahn, and Mike Resnick. I think they were interested in having me if they win the bid.

Dallas got the DSC 2011 bid, and they seemed interested in a rocket scientist/writer as a guest, too.

I talked to people in charge of programming for DragonCon in Atlanta, and with the NASFiC 2010 Raleigh bid. Both of them talked to me straight about getting in there and getting attention. I was told I'm a "triple threat": 1) a writer, 2) a rocket scientist, 3) a woman. And intelligent, literate, and well-spoken, to boot. So I am a potential guest at both cons.

I talked with several media arts types about the possibility of creating what appears to be the next big thing in book promos: book trailers. Just like movie trailers, but for books. Gonna see what hubby Darrell can do first, then I have a friend who's dying to get into the business and is a pretty good short filmmaker.

My old friend (and husband Darrell's older friend) Bob Embler, who runs the famous (or infamous, as the case may be! ;-) OutsideCon invited me to come this year (September) and be their Author GoH. It involves camping of one sort or another though, and while I have camped (in the Oregon Cascade Range near Bend - no bugs) Darrell isn't into it at all. So I'm not sure yet what's gonna happen there.

I had fans tracking me down at the con. There was also a writeup in one of the Nashville papers, in which the writer indicated that my panels were among the ones he was most looking forward to. My panels (2, plus a booksigning, but no book reading though I'd requested one) were well attended, with the one I helmed alone filling the room. One guy actually swiped one of my book posters at the end of the con and requested I sign it, which I did. It was only going to get thrown away anyway.

In general it was a successful con, I'd say. I'm happy with it, anyway. :-)

Burnout Reviewed by Yvonne Mason, Author of Silent Scream

Yvonne Mason, acclaimed author of Silent Scream, Brilliant Insanity, and many more, read Burnout and LOVED it!


"Stephanie Osborn’s Burnout is out of this world. She takes Sci-Fi and the real space program to an entirely new level.

"A shuttle has burnout during re-entry; all aboard are lost. But are they really? The autopsies don't match the burnt bodies, people are disappearing who have had anything to do with the shuttle, the body count keeps getting higher by the hour.

"Crash Murphy is running against the clock to find out why – every road he travels comes to a dead end or a dead body. Even those he loves seem to disappear. The question is, why is this happening and who is behind it and will he find the answers before he also becomes worm dirt?

"Stephanie Osborn uses her background and her skills to make this the most believable Sci-Fi I have ever read. She is right up there with Jules Verne with her Sci-Fi and Fiction.

"Definitely a five star read."

~Yvonne Mason, author of Silent Scream and Brilliant Insanity

My latest reader review

Burnout has been getting a lot of good response from readers. Here is one of the latest.

Generally speaking I am a poet… I love to read but because of my lack of time with work, family and other obligations reading books is rare… However, Stephanie Osborn’s Burnout had me hanging on the edge of my seat. It became more of a task to put it down then to pick it up. I found myself immersed in the story line as if I myself were on the mission. Stephanie provided not only an entertaining story but a real thrill ride for the senses… I recommend you buy a copy and partake in this adventure… So worth the few bucks I spent…

~Shannon Morrow

These are some plants that were brought to my attention by a fellow fan of the online comic, Vexxarr. They remind her of a particular character in the comic, one Sploorfix. She says:

These plants are seedlings I had about given up on when suddenly they popped up. Really fast growers when they do come up, developing so quickly that the seed casing is still clinging to the first leaf set--that's why they so remind me of Sploorfix, they look like waving eyestalks!

They're *possibly* datura, or angel trumpet (though around here they're usually referred to as locoweed). They make the most incredible enormous flowers, usually in the second year they're growing. I've got one full sized plant in its 3rd year; I expect great things from it this season! :) By the way, the seeds were harvested from my former residence, so they are now *nine years old* yet are still viable. That's kind of the way with desert plants.

Contented day

School is out. No more frantic students prepping for finals, no more crazy hours and Algebra 2 then Chemistry then Trigonometry then AP Chem then Physics, then... shifting mental gears faster than any race car driver. I like doing it, but I need the break. I can kick back now. Nowhere I have to be today. Just where I want to be.

It's quiet for a change. Rainshowers move by occasionally, with the enchanting sound of rain pattering on the roof. I'm researching some science for Extraction Point!, the first in a series I'm co-authoring with my mentor, Travis "Doc" Taylor. My 3 year old cat, Elrond Half-Siamese, cuddles against my side, rests his chin on the corner of the laptop, and watches me type.

Book sales are doing reasonably well, and I have several appearances of various sorts lined up next week.

I am content. Life is good.