Tag Archives: Itty Bitty Writing Space

Publication and Convention Announcement

By lytspeed Posted in Conventions, Fiction, Music, Reading, Writing Leave a reply

It’s been a busy summer, and it keeps getting busier. Today, I’m happy to announce that Itty Bitty Writing Space, the anthology of flash fiction containing my story “Jalopy Racer”, is available for purchase on Amazon! I should be receiving my contributor’s copies soon, and three copies are on their way to libraries as part of the Kickstarter early backer perk. The link to purchase a copy is at left.

If you happen to pick up a copy of IBWS, please consider writing a short Amazon or Goodreads review. It really helps us authors with product visibility on the Amazon website!

My other announcement is that I’ll once again be participating in Myths and Legends Con on August 9-11, 2019, as a panelist, writer, and musician. This may very well be the final MALCon, so please try to make it!

The location for MALCon has changed this year. It will be held at the Radisson Denver-Aurora, located near the intersection of I-225 and Parker Road, 3155 South Vaughn Way, Aurora, CO 80014.

My panelist schedule is preliminary and subject to change, so please check this link for any last minute changes. Without further adieu, here’s my schedule:

Friday, 8/9/2019
Fri, 5:30 PM-6:20 PM, Musical performance by Stace Johnson (Arapahoe Room)
Fri, 9:00 PM-9:50 PM, So Charming, Not Creepy (Golden)

Saturday, 8/10/2019
Sat, 12:00 PM-12:50 PM, Intro to Filk (Pikes Peak A)
Sat, 2:00 PM-2:50 PM, Verse in the ‘Verse: Poetry and the Firefly Universe (Golden)
Sat, 3:00 PM-3:50 PM, Author Autograph Mega-Session (Arapahoe Room)
Sat, 5:00 PM-5:50 PM, Geek Songwriting (Pikes Peak A)
Sat, 7:00 PM-7:50 PM, Storytelling via Songwriting (Golden)
Sat, 8:00 PM-10:50 PM, Open Filking (Pikes Peak A)

Sunday, 8/11/2019
Sun, 10:00 AM-10:50 AM, Polyamory and Non-monogamy in Science Fiction and Fantasy (Evergreen)
Sun, 12:00 PM-12:50 PM, Author Readings – Ritchey, Berger, Johnson (Mt Evans)
Sun, 2:00 PM-2:50 PM, MALCon Farewell Session (Golden)

Announcements Galore!

By lytspeed Posted in Conventions, Geek, Music, Reading, Writing Leave a reply

Convention season is starting, and I have a couple of announcements for May.

First, I’ll be wearing both my writer and musician hats at the Aurora Mini-Con 2 on Saturday, May 18, 2019. I’ll be on the Authors Unbound panel with my friend Greg Hyde and two other writers at 12:30 PM, then kicking off the musical portion of the con at 2 PM, opening for Tonks and the Aurors! The convention is free and family-friendly, so bring the kids. Here’s a Facebook event link for your calendars.

Then, a couple of weeks later, I’ll be braving the crowds at Denver Pop Culture Con again (formerly Denver Comic Con.) I’m on the “I Sing and I Know Things” panel with Losing Lara (Wizard Rocker extraordinaire) and members of Sunnydale High (a Buffy the Vampire Slayer themed geek punk band.) We’ll be answering questions and playing music at 3:00 PM on Friday, May 31, 2019 in the Coast City room. Here’s a Facebook event link for that, too.

Finally, the Itty Bitty Writing Space flash fiction anthology containing my story “Jalopy Racer” is progressing quite well, and the books should be going out sometime in June. I’ll post a cover image at left as soon as I get one, and I’ll add an Amazon link for those who missed out on the Kickstarter when the book becomes available for post-Kickstarter purchase. I’m really looking forward to reading the 99 other stories in the book!

A Few Words About “Jalopy Racer”

By lytspeed Posted in Family, Fiction, Writing Leave a reply

I mentioned last week that I had sold my story called “Jalopy Racer” to the Itty Bitty Writing Space anthology, which is currently rocking its Kickstarter campaign. At the time of this writing, it is 355% funded, with 17 days to go. During the first 48 hours of the Kickstarter, backers earmarked 256 copies of the book to go to libraries during a special promotion! Jason Brick, the Publisher/Editor, has done a good job of providing perks for backers, and I’m excited that the more the Kickstarter earns, the more perks they will receive. The most recent addition to the perks is that every backer will get a copy of the inaugural issue of Flash Fiction Aficionado magazine when it comes out! (Also, the more the project funds, the more the story authors get paid for their work, and that’s a good thing!) If you have already backed the anthology, thank you! If not, please consider supporting it. Who knows what Jason will come up with to reward you?

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A Good News Post

By lytspeed Posted in Conventions, Family, Fiction, Music, Writing Leave a reply

I’m really excited to announce two pieces of news. First, I received an informal acceptance notice from Itty Bitty Writing Space, an upcoming Kickstarter anthology of flash fiction edited by Jason Brick. The Kickstarter opens on January 29th, and this is Jason’s third Kickstarter flash anthology. Both of his prior anthologies funded successfully, so I’m optimistic that my story “Jalopy Racer” has found a good home.

“Jalopy Racer” is one of those stories that just needed to come out. It doesn’t really have a genre, unless you count it as adventure fiction, I guess. It’s inspired by my dad’s tales of being a stock car racer in southern New Mexico in the 1950s, and it basically told itself. I’m glad it has found a home in IBWS. I find it interesting that two of my last three fiction sales (“Chesterfield Gray” and “Jalopy Racer”) were inspired by family members, and neither are science fiction, my first love in writing. I guess that just goes to show that the words decide on their own what path they will take.

The other piece of news is music-related, and I’ve been bouncing off the walls waiting to share it. Thanks to the efforts of my friend Wulf Moon, I will be performing music at the Superstars writing seminar in Colorado Springs on Game Night next month! This is a private event, and only people who are Superstars participants will be able to attend, but if it goes well, there’s a chance it may become a regular event in the future. Moon and I plan to perform some songs together and I’ll do some solo performing, in a sort of filk/folk mix. I’ll bring lyric sheets for those who want to sing along, too. My thanks to Moon and Chris Mandeville for making this happen!