February newsletter: Monica Byrne, Zine Machine, Oak City Comics Show, Wake County Library's "Let's Talk Sci-Fi" series, James Maxey named Piedmont Laureate, Read Across Durham, new books, news, and more

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February newsletter: Monica Byrne, Zine Machine, Oak City Comics Show, Wake County Library's "Let's Talk Sci-Fi" series, James Maxey named Piedmont Laureate, Read Across Durham, new books, news, and more

Posted on 2015-02-17 at 6:20 by montsamu

Vol 5 No 2. February 16, 2015: Well, the month is half over and the ice storm is here, so no time like the present to finally get the February newsletter out, right? I’ve got some news, upcoming events, and the monthly avalanche of new books to tell you about, so let’s get started.

NEWS

First, while there is still a lot of seasoning left in this year's award season, NC authors have already been on the receiving end of a long and lengthening list of nods. The 2014 Locus Recommended Reading List includes Monica Byrne's The Girl in the Road in its First Novel list, as well Lewis Shiner's novella "The Black Sun" and novelettes from both Dale Bailey ("The End of the End of Everything", easily one of my favorite short reads of the year) and Nathan Ballingrud ("Skullpocket"), not to mention bullspec.com columnist Paul Kincaid for his non-fiction collection Call and Response. Speaking of Byrne, The Girl in the Road is also on the shortlist for the Kitschies Award's Golden Tentacle award for best debut; meanwhile Bailey has another short story, "Sleep Paralysis", on the Bram Stoker Awards Preliminary Ballot which also lists Boone author Scott Nicholson's young adult novel Intentional Haunting. And! The audiobook of Charlotte author A.J. Hartley's novel (with David Hewson) Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is an Audie Award nominee for best Original Work.

 Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel | [A. J. Hartley, David Hewson] The End of the End of Everything DALE BAILEY illustration by VICTO NGAI (Tor.com)

This year’s Manly Wade Wellman Award last month announced the opening of its nominations period, which continues through Monday, May 18. The nominating “jury” is comprised of the entire combined memberships of illogiCon, ConCarolinas, ConTemporal, and ConGregate; to register to place a nominating ballot, please submit a voter registration form; ballots have already gone out to all voters already registered. Last year’s inaugural award was in the news in late 2014 and early 2015, with articles in The Chapel Hill News, The Durham News, and The News & Observer.

We here in the greater Triangle area also have a newly announced Piedmont Laureate, this year for Speculative Fiction: Hillsborough author James Maxey. I’m looking forward to what Maxey does with this fantastic platform this year, as he’ll be tapped for a series of blog posts and appearances throughout the region, throughout the year. (Speaking of Maxey, he has also just unveiled new print and ebook editions of his Dragon Apocalypse series.)

Nathan Ballingrud and Monica Byrne were both named visiting writer for Shared Worlds, Wofford College’s teen summer writing camp in Spartanburg, South Carolina, joining David Anthony Durham, Gavin J. Grant, Will Hindmarch, Jeremy L. C. Jones, Kelly Link, Catherynne M. Valente, Ann VanderMeer, and Jeff VanderMeer. Registration for interested 8th through 12th graders is open for the camp, which runs July 19 to August 1.

There’s a new zine in town! “Middle Planet is a zine dedicated to imaginative art and fiction. Specifically, we’re interested in stories and comics and essays that cross boundaries between genres to create something unexpected.” Edited by locals Eric Gregory and Julia Gootzeit, Middle Planet plans a hybrid online/ebook/print approach, and is open for submissions.

Carolina Book Beat’s “focus on speculative fiction series” now has a podcast feed! Which is live on iTunes, Feedburner.com, or directly via RSS. New episodes online since the last newsletter include a 2015 Speculative Fiction Preview and an interview with Princeless comic writer Jeremy Whitley.

EVENTS

While the full event listings below do go on (and on, I think I got a bit carried away adding fiction readings this spring) here are some upcoming highlights:

February 17 (Tuesday) 19 (Thursday) 7 pm — Downtown Durham’s Letters Bookshop hosts Durham playwright and author Monica Byrne for the release of the paperback edition of her 2014 debut The Girl in the Road, a near-future speculation fiction novel published by Crown Books. Per the Facebook event, Byrne will read from both The Girl in the Road and “Novel #2”, “whose title I’ll announce at the event.” Additionally, singer-songwriter Skylar Gudasz will perform songs inspired by the book. UPDATE: This event has been postponed from Tuesday to Thursday due to local road conditions.

February 20 (Friday) 3 pm to 10 pm — The Durham Armory hosts the first-ever Zine Machine Printed Matter Festival: “North Carolina’s first-ever zine fest, is coming February 20, 2015. Zine Machine is calling all zine makers, comic artists, indy book writers, and assorted do-it-yourself printed matter makers to join us in our occupation of the old city armory for a festival of autonomous, alternative printed media.”

March 1 (Sunday) 10 am to 5 pm — Oak City Comics Show at the Hilton North Raleigh: “Come join us for the first of our twice a year Comic-Toy-CosPlay Show. Admission only $5.00! Kids 10 and under Free. The First 200 people in full costume… FREE. More details will be hitting you soon!” Guests include (among others) Tommy Lee Edwards (Turf, Vandroid, The Book of Eli, Star Wars), Dale Mettam (Inspector Gadget, Johnny Test), and Jeremy Whitley (Princeless, My Little Pony) and vendors include (among others) Ultimate Comics and Chapel Hill Comics.

March 2 (Monday) 9 am to 12 pm — Read Across Durham volunteer event in Durham County 3rd grade classrooms: “I need your help as we begin recruiting volunteers for our Read Across Durham event scheduled for March 2. Please share the link with as many folks as possible. We need volunteer readers for every third grade classroom. The details are included in the link.” (Karlene Fyffe Phillips, Manager of Family Literacy and Community Services for Durham County Library)

The Wake County Library Let’s Talk Sci-Fi series returns this March: “Science Fiction & Fantasy authors discuss classic, iconic authors of the genres, including their body of work and influence. Take part in the discussion, share your thoughts and ask questions of the authors. Registration requested.” Events include:

NEW BOOKS AND AUDIOBOOKS

Knight-napped! (Dragonbreath, #10) The Mussorgsky Riddle Raising Hell - A Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter Novella First Frost (Waverley Family #2) Southern Gothic (Max Porter, #4) The Dragon Conspiracy (SPI Files, #2) Bound by Flames (Night Prince, #3) A Cold Legacy (The Madman's Daughter, #3) After: Red Scare (After, #5) Stones: The Afterlife Series VI  Hauling Ash Brigands (A Jonmarc Vahanian Adventure Book 15) Wind Raker (The Order of the Air, #4) The Military Dimension: Mark II | [David Drake] Black Ships | [Jo Graham] Point of Knives: A Novella of Astreiant, Book 1.5 | [Melissa Scott] Southern Charm: Max Porter Mysteries, Book 2 | [Stuart Jaffe] The Chosen | [John G. Hartness] Hard Day's Knight: Black Knight Chronicles, Book 1 | [John G. Hartness]

Whew! Are you keeping up? I know I am falling well, well short. Still, we read what we can, right? In addition to the upcoming books on the calendar below, Nathan Ballingrud’s novella The Visible Filth is due out from This Is Horror sometime very soon, and it has already picked up some fantastic reviews.

BULLSPEC.COM

Speaking of keeping up, since the January newsletter, we've had a lot -- a lot -- of new content at bullspec.com, including: I hope you're enjoying these features, and if so, stay tuned!

-Sam

UPCOMING EVENTS, FEBRUARY 2015

NEW: 16 (Mon) 7 pm — Flyleaf hosts Samuel Barrantes discusses his novel Slim and the Beast. “Sergeant Chandler Dykes is obsessed with two misfits: Slim, a former cadet and disillusioned Iraq veteran with a brutal neck scar, and his best friend, The Beast, a college basketball star with a proclivity for cooking. As Slim and The Beast sidle up to a bar to take shelter from a hurricane, they strike up a conversation with the bartender, and learn that Sgt. Dykes has been haunting the place, raving about opossums, bathtub whiskey, and his estranged cadet, Slim. As the three men swap tales in hopes of understanding Dykes’ obsession, they are forced to confront their own troubled pasts.” (Fiction.)

17 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Gabrielle Zevin discusses her novel The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. (Fiction.) UPDATE: Cancelled due to local road conditions.

NEW: 19 (Thursday) 7 pm — Downtown Durham’s Letters Bookshop hosts Durham playwright and author Monica Byrne for the release of the paperback edition of her 2014 debut The Girl in the Road, a near-future speculation fiction novel published by Crown Books. Per the Facebook event, Byrne will read from both The Girl in the Road and “Novel #2”, “whose title I’ll announce at the event.” Additionally, singer-songwriter Skylar Gudasz will perform songs inspired by the book. UPDATE: This event was postponed from Tuesday to Thursday due to local road conditions.

NEW: 20 (Friday) 3 pm to 10 pm — The Durham Armory hosts the first-ever Zine Machine Printed Matter Festival: “North Carolina’s first-ever zine fest, is coming February 20, 2015. Zine Machine is calling all zine makers, comic artists, indy book writers, and assorted do-it-yourself printed matter makers to join us in our occupation of the old city armory for a festival of autonomous, alternative printed media.”

NEW: 20-22 (Friday to Sunday) — The Carolina Theatre of Durham hosts the 16th annual Nevermore Film Festival: “Dedicated to screening brand new horror features and shorts from around the world, as well as some fan favorites. Many of these films will never receive a theatrical release in the United States. Classic suspense movies, hyper-violent Hong Kong cinema and everything in between are included. NEVERMORE is an exciting three-day feast of the macabre!”

NEW: 21 (Saturday) 2 pm — McIntyre’s Books hosts Vicki Delany, Erika Chase, & Donis Casey – Molly Weston’s Magical Mystery Tour. (Fiction.)

NEW: 23 (Monday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Shannon Hale - ‘Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters’. (Kids.)

24 — Local author book release day for Tony Daniel’s Star Trek: The Original Series: Savage Trade.

24 — Regional author book release day for anthology The Big Bad II edited by John G. Hartness and Emily Lavin Leverett (Dark Oak Press) with stories by NC authors Gail Z. Martin, Jay Requard, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Misty Massey, Stuart Jaffe, Edmund R. Schubert, and more.

NEW: 24 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Tim Dorsey - ‘Shark Skin Suite: A Novel’. (Fiction.)

NEW: 26 (Thu) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Phil Klay - ‘Redeployment’ for the paperback release of his National Book Award winner. (Fiction.)

NEW: 27 (Fri) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Heather Webb - ‘Rodin’s Lover’. (Historical fiction.)

27 to (March) 1 (Friday to Sunday) — MystiCon in Roanoke, VA with author guest of honor Alan Dean Foster, at the Holiday Inn Tanglewood. More info: http://mysticon-va.com/

NEW: 28 (Sat) 2 pm — McIntyre’s Books hosts Jonathan Odell – Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League. (Historical fiction.)

NEW-NEW: 28 (Saturday) 11 am to 4 pm — Ultimate Comics hosts a Chris Giarrusso signing along with a Spider-Gwen #1 release party/photo-op.

TBD — Regional author book release day for The Visible Filth by Nathan Ballingrud (This Is Horror, February/March 2015).

MARCH 2015

1 (Sunday) 10 am to 5 pm — Oak City Comics Show at the Hilton North Raleigh: “Come join us for the first of our twice a year Comic-Toy-CosPlay Show. Admission only $5.00! Kids 10 and under Free. The First 200 people in full costume… FREE. More details will be hitting you soon!” Guests include (among others) Tommy Lee Edwards (Turf, Vandroid, The Book of Eli, Star Wars), Dale Mettam (Inspector Gadget, Johnny Test), and Jeremy Whitley (Princeless, My Little Pony) and vendors include (among others) Ultimate Comics and Chapel Hill Comics. UPDATE: Also appearing from 12 pm to 2 pm is comics writer (and professional wrestler) Mick Foley (WWE Superstars) who will also have a one-man show at Goodnight’s at 7:30 pm.)

NEW: 1 (Sunday) 3 pm — Wake County’s Eva Perry Regional Library hosts a Let’s Talk Sci-Fi event with David Drake and Mark Van Name for a discussion of Robert Heinlein.

NEW: 2 (Monday) 9 am to 12 pm — Read Across Durham volunteer event in Durham County 3rd grade classrooms: “I need your help as we begin recruiting volunteers for our Read Across Durham event scheduled for March 2. Please share the link with as many folks as possible. We need volunteer readers for every third grade classroom. The details are included in the link.” (Karlene Fyffe Phillips, Manager of Family Literacy and Community Services for Durham County Library)

NEW: 2 (Monday) 6:30 pm — The Orange County Public Library’s First Monday Classics series discusses Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

3 — Local author book release day for Into the Maelstrom (Citizen) by David Drake and John Lambshead (Baen, Mar 3, 2015) — book two after Into the Hinterlands.

3 — Local author book release day for Eddie & Sunny by Stacey Cochran (Kindle Press, March 3) — Cochran’s fiction novel which was selected in the Kindle Scout program.

NEW: 5 (Thu) 7 pm — Wake County’s Cameron Village Regional Library hosts a Let’s Talk Sci-Fi event with James Maxey and Jay Posey for a discussion of J.R.R. Tolkien.

NEW: 5 (Thu) 7 pm — The Regulator hosts Trace Ramsey, author of the Quitter zine. (Non-Fiction.)

NEW-NEW: 6-8 (Friday to Sunday) — Atomic Empire hosts AtomicCon III: “Three days of role-playing at Atomic Empire! This year we will have tables for Pathfinder, D&D 5th Edition, and Shadowrun. The con will comprise seven total sessions beginning at 1:00 on Friday afternoon. Players pay $5 per session or $20 for the entire weekend. Game Masters get a free weekend pass if they run at least three tables, and they do not pay for any session in which they run a game. GMs will receive Atomic Empire gift cards to thank them for their help!”

NEW: 8 (Sun) 2 pm — Wake County’s East Regional library hosts a Let’s Talk Sci-Fi event with Ariel Djanikian and Bill Greeves for a discussion of Ray Bradbury.

NEW: 9 (Mon) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Mary Doria Russell - ‘Epitaph: A Novel of the O.K. Corral’. (Fiction.)

NEW-NEW: 9 (Mon) 6:30 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Obert Skye reads from Witherwood Reform School. (Kids.)

NEW: 10 (Tue) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Jeremy Hawkins launches his debut novel The Last Days of Video. (Fiction.)

NEW: 10 (Tue) 7 pm — The Regulator hosts Durham native Gretchen Wing, “Headwinds”, the second in her YR/YA series about a 14-year-old girl who discovers that she has the power of flight.

NEW:  11 (Wed) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts David Joy discusses his novel Where All Light Tends to Go. (Fiction.)

NEW: 12 (Thu) 7 pm — Wake County’s West Regional Library hosts a Let’s Talk Sci-Fi event with Ariel Djanikian and Mur Lafferty for a discussion of Anne McCaffrey.

NEW: 12 (Thu) 7 pm — The Regulator hosts David Joy, “Where All Light Tends to Go”. (Fiction.)

13-15 (Friday to Sunday) — Wizard World Comic Con at the Raleigh Convention Center with featured media guests James Marsters. Sean Astin, and Lou Ferrigno, and special comics guests Michael Golden Rob Liefield, and Renee Witterstaetter. Note: William Shatner’s appearance canceled due to a conflict with his filming schedule.

14-15 (Saturday and Sunday) – The Raleigh Review’s Southern Recitations reading and workshop series presents Stories in Stanzas: Writing the Longer Narrative Poem with Joseph Bathanti.

NEW: 16 (Mon) 7 pm — Wake County’s North Regional Library hosts a Let’s Talk Sci-Fi event with Bill Greeves and James Maxey for a discussion of Edgar Allen Poe.

NEW-NEW: 17 (Tue) 7 pm — Book launch party for The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl by Leigh Statham (Month9Books, March 17) at 5th Avenue Coffee (1350 5th Ave #250) in Garner: “Help me celebrate the release of my debut YA Steampunk novel, The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl! Wear your best top hat and goggles and come prepared for good food, party favors and books!“

18 (Wed) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Jeremy Hawkins – ‘The Last Days of Video’. “We have to cheer when a bookseller gets a novel published.  Jeremy Hawkins, of our fellow independent Flyleaf in Chapel Hill,  brings us The Last Days of Video.  Check out his debut novel on Wednesday, March 18, at 7 pm.  “Funny, raucous, and deliciously irreverent” —Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.” (Fiction.)

NEW: 18 (Wed) 7 pm — The Regulator hosts Cat Warren, “What the Dog Knows”. (Non-Fiction.)

NEW-NEW: 19 (Thu) 7 pm — The Regulator presents non-fiction author Scott Ellsworth at Motorco Music Hall for The Secret Game: A Wartime Story of Courage, Change and Basketball’s Lost Triumph, which centers around a cross-segregation lines basketball game between teams from Duke and what is now NC Central.

NEW-NEW: 21 (Sat) 10 am to 2 pm — Durham County Library’s Main Library hosts the Second Annual Durham Storytelling Festival: “It will be a day full of laughter, excitement and the rich oral tradition of storytelling. Featured storytellers include Brian Sturm, Alan Hoal, Cynthia Raxter, Ron Jones, Louise Omoto Kessel and Willa Brigham. There will also be refreshments, crafts, a “tattoo parlor” and other fun activities for the whole family to enjoy! In the week leading up to the festival, there will also be storytelling events at other DCL locations.”

NEW-NEW: 23 (Mon) 7 pm — Carrboro’s Internationalist Books hosts comics authors “Ben Passmore, M. Chandelier, and Erin Wilson for night of semi-theatrical presentations of personal and radical comics. Through projected images, music, and monologues Ben, M, and Erin share stories about art theorist, arid post-apocalyptic wastelands, bad break-ups, worst okcupid dates, New Orleans, and institutionalized racism.” More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/794833507257959/

NEW: 24 (Tue) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Liza Wieland - ‘Land of Enchantment’. (Fiction.)

NEW: 25 (Wed) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Jamie Kornegay discusses Soil, his debut novel. (Fiction.)

NEW: 26 (Thu) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Jamie Kornegay - ‘Soil’. (Fiction.)

NEW: 28 (Sat) 2 pm — Wake County’s Southeast Regional Library hosts a Let’s Talk Sci-Fi event with John Kessel and Mur Lafferty for a discussion of Ursula K. Le Guin.

NEW-NEW

31 — Local author book release day for Gods of Chaos by Jen McConnel (Month9Books, March 31).

APRIL 2015

NEW: 2 (Thu) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Skip Horack discusses his new novel The Other Joseph. (Fiction.)

NEW-NEW: 2 (Thu) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Scott Ellsworth for The Secret Game: A Wartime Story of Courage, Change, and Basketball’s Lost Triumph. (Non-Fiction.)

NEW: 6 (Mon) 6:30 pm — The Orange County Public Library’s First Monday Classics series discusses Orwell’s 1984.

NEW: 6 (Mon) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Chris Grabenstein - ‘The Island of Dr. Libris’. (Kids.)

NEW-NEW: 6 (Mon) 8 pm — Amanda Palmer on tour at Fletcher Opera House in Raleigh. More info: http://www.dukeenergycenterraleigh.com/event/amada-palmer-6003

7 — Local author book release day for Dragon of the Stars  by Alex J. Cavanaugh (Dancing Lemur, April 7).

NEW: 7-9 (Tue-Thu) — East Coast Game Conference at the Raleigh Convention Center. “The East Coast Game Conference, the largest gathering of video game professionals on the East Coast, returns for its 7th year! The six tracks are: Design, Programming, Art, Narrative, Serious Games, and Audio. The Career Lounge will also be back for 2015.”

NEW: 8 (Wed) 7 pm — The Regulator hosts Liza Wieland, “Land of Enchantment”. (Fiction.)

9 (Thu) 7 pm — The Regulator Bookshop hosts Jeremy Hawkins, “The Last Days of Video”. (Fiction.)

NEW-NEW: 9 (Thu) 8 pm — Duke’s Sarah P. Duke Gardens hosts “Into the Woods” in the Gardens. “Join DUU Freewater Presentations for an enchanted night in the Duke Gardens to watch Disney’s “Into the Woods.” There will be FREE blankets and your favorite food trucks! Don’t miss out on this magical evening.”

NEW-NEW: 9-19 (Thursday to following Sunday) — StreetSigns Center for Literature and Performance presents TROJAN BARBIE by Christine Evans, directed by Joseph Megel. “This time-bending, car-crash collision of the past and present, based on Euripides’ TROJAN WOMEN, challenges our notions of gender, war (both ancient and modern), and politics. Past and present violently collide as the dreams of women and their fierce hunger for life are played out in the larger context of war. Lyrical, funny, and tragic, this work is a collaboration among UNC’s Department of Communication Studies, Performance Studies, and StreetSigns featuring Equity, local, and student actors.”

NEW-NEW: 10 (Friday) 7 pm — The Cary Theater (122 E Chatham St) hosts Harry & the Potters. “The fairy-godfathers of Wizard Rock descend upon Cary to melt your faces with their awesome and open your hearts and minds with their high-energy, indi/punk inspired songs about the world’s most famous boy-wizard. Opening for the show is local nerd-wrock comedy act The Blibbering Humdingers.” Tickets are $15/adults, $10/ages 12-17, and $5/11 and younger.

14 — Local author book release day for A Rebel’s Stone by P.T. McHugh (Glass House, April 14).

NEW: 14 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts John Stephens - ‘The Black Reckoning’ — “One of the biggest children’s fantasy series around is The Books of Beginning. The trilogy, begun with The Emerald Atlas and continued with The Fire Chronicle, now concludes with The Black Reckoning. John Stephens shares the epic finale with us; for ages 9+. The New York Times calls the series ‘a new Narnia for the tween set’.” (Kids.)

NEW-NEW: 14 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Lydia Millet and Jenny Offill read from Mermaids in Paradise and Last Things.

NEW-NEW: 16 (Thursday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Col. Chris Hadfield - ‘An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth’. (Non-Fiction.)

21 — Local author book release day for Ursula Vernon’s Castle Hangnail, a new middle grade fantasy: “From the creator of Dragonbreath comes a tale of witches, minions, and one fantastic castle, just right for fans of Roald Dahl and Tom Angleberger. When Molly shows up on Castle Hangnail’s doorstep to fill the vacancy for a wicked witch, the castle’s minions are understandably dubious. After all, she is twelve years old, barely five feet tall, and quite polite.”

21 — Regional author book release day for War of Shadows by Gail Z. Martin (Orbit, April 21, 2015) — book 3 in the Ascendant Kingdoms saga which began with Ice Forged.

NEW-NEW: 21 (Tue) through May 2 — Durham’s The Carrack Modern Art hosts Honey Cult Creek Camp. “Honey Cult will transform the Carrack Modern Art into a two-week camp, featuring live performances and installations. Visitors to the opening reception will be greeted by counselors and may interact with characters from the Honey Cult video series. Come sit around the decorative fire pit, witness your neighbor dance with death, pet the wise cats, and discover the answers only Honey Cult knows.”

NEW-NEW: 22 (Wed) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Christopher Norment - ‘Relics of a Beautiful Sea’. (Non-Fiction.)

23 — Local author book release day for Going Through the Change by Samantha Bryant (Curiosity Quills Press, April 2015).

NEW-NEW: 23 (Thursday) 7 pm — Frequency Fundraiser at Motorco for Durham’s own “lesbian sci-fi” webseries. “Join the cast and crew to binge-watch Durham’s own lesbian sci-fi webseries. FREQUENCY, created by Piper Kessler and starring Meredith Sause (“Foodie”) and Lisa Gagnon (“Disengaged”) is in it’s third season and attracted over four million viewers, but the main star of the show is the Bull City! Come watch episodes, exclusive content, and mingle with the cast and crew for a night of multidimensional good times. We will have tax deductible fundraising status for some donations. Currently working out the details. Fundraising is to help with Season 4, of the series. $5 Suggested Donation.”

NEW-NEW: 23 (Thursday) 7:05 pm — The Durham Bulls hosts Game of Thrones Night “with special jerseys again and more fantasy fun” and a special mention of Durham author Mur Lafferty for her “#SansaBall” Twitter coverage.

NEW-NEW: 24 (Friday) 7 pm — The SFWA Southeast Reading Series presents a panel on science fiction and technology with authors Mark Van Name, Mur Lafferty, Richard Dansky, Jay Posey, Justin Achilli, and (via Skype) Tiffany Trent, moderated by M. David Blake, hosted by Duke University’s David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at The Edge, on the first floor of Duke University’s Bostock Library. Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided. [Facebook]

24-26 (Friday to Sunday) — RavenCon 10 in Richmond, VA with writer guest of honor Allen Steele and special guest Lawrence M. Schoen. At the DoubleTree by Hilton Richmond Midlothian. More info: http://www.ravencon.com/

NEW: 25 (Saturday) 2 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts the book release party for Samantha Bryant’s “menopausal superhero novel” Going Through the Change.

NEW-NEW: 25 (Saturday) 3 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts NYT besteller David Baldacci - ‘Memory Man’. (Thriller.)

NEW-NEW: 25-26 (Saturday and Sunday) — Chapel Hill’s Storybook Farm hosts The 4th Annual Festival of Legends: Spirit Animals. “The Festival of Legends is a celebration of the mythic arts and the magic of life itself. It is a playground for the imagination – for children as well as adults – and an escape from the mundane world. It is a journey to the romantic by-gone eras that never were, and an exploration of the fantastical realms that have always been. The natives are magicians and musicians, acrobats and comedians, artists and crafters, proud knights and fairytale creatures. Step into the Festival of Legends, and step into a place of wonder.”

MAY 2015

NEW: 2 (Saturday) — Free Comic Book Day at shops across the world!

NEW-NEW: 5 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Wherefore: Shakespeare in Raleigh - ‘Much Ado About Shakespeare’ a panel discussion on the Bard’s works.

NEW-NEW: 12 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Jeffery Deaver - ‘Solitude Creek’. (Thriller.)

NEW-NEW: 15-17 (Friday to Sunday) — Durham Central Park hosts Read Local Book Festival & Exhibitor Fair. “This weekend-long event takes place May 15-17, 2015 and will feature a kick-off Cookbook Rodeo, writing workshops, author dinners, a daytime exhibition in Durham Central Park, children’s activities, local celebrities reading outside their comfort zones, a lightning reading open mic event, and much more. Come celebrate reading local with us!” The Science Fiction and Fantasy Author Dinner is Saturday, May 16, at Basan in Downtown Durham. “All profits from ticket sales go to support the Durham Library Foundation.”

NEW-NEW: 18 (Monday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Mary Robinette Kowal & Marie Brennan - Historical Fantasy Reigns.

NEW-NEW: 22-24 (Friday to Sunday) — The Raleigh Convention Center hosts Animazement, “an all-volunteer, fan-run anime convention in Raleigh, North Carolina, celebrating popular Japanese visual culture in all of its forms.” A pre-con event is also set for Thursday, May 21.

NEW: 28 (Thursday, to June 6) — Raleigh Little Theatre presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Raleigh Rose Garden.

29-31 (Friday to Sunday) — ConCarolinas in Concord, NC with guests of honor John Scalzi, Matt Busch and Lin Zy, and Catherine Asaro, and master of ceremonies Rich Sigfrit. at the Embassy Suites Concord.

TBD — Regional author book release day for Founders by Stuart Jaffe (Silence in the Library Publishing, May 2015).

JUNE 2015

2 — Local author book release day for Clay and Susan Griffith’s The Shadow Revolution (Crown & Key, #1) from Del Rey.

26-28 (Friday to Sunday) — ConTemporal 2015 with guests Eric Flint and Walter Hunt for a special 1632 series theme this year: “ConTemporal is an experiential Steampunk convention being held June 26-28, 2015. No sooner had the idols been recovered then they were stolen by a mysterious figure! Meanwhile, Lt. Com. Julius Cosgrove is trapped in 1632, near the location of the Grantville temporal incursion caught between the cultists and the Germans fighting the Thirty Years’ War.”

30 — Local author book release day for The Undying Legion (Crown & Key, #2)  by Clay and Susan Griffith (Del Rey, June 30).

JULY 2015

7 — Regional author book release day for Iron and Blood by Charlotte author Gail Z. Martin (Solaris, July 7, 2015) — “A Steampunk novel set in the fictional city of New Pittsburgh. New Pittsburgh in 1898, a crucible of invention and intrigue, the hub of American industry at the height of its steam-driven power. Born from the ashes of devastating fire, flood and earthquake, New Pittsburgh is ruled by the shadow government of The Oligarchy. In the abandoned mine tunnels beneath the city, supernatural creatures hide from the light, emerging to feed in the smoky city known as ‘hell with the lid off.‘“

10-12 (Friday to Sunday) — ConGregate 2: Scoundrels and Rogues in High Point, NC with guests of honor Timothy Zahn, Michael Stackpole, Albin Johnson, Scott Rorie, Faith Hunter, and Valentine Wolfe.

NEW: 19 to (August) 1 — Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC hosts the 8th annual Shared Worlds teen writing summer camp, with Nathan Ballingrud, Monica Byrne, David Anthony Durham, Gavin J. Grant, Will Hindmarch, Jeremy L. C. Jones, Kelly Link, Catherynne M. Valente, Ann VanderMeer, and Jeff VanderMeer.

24 to (August) 2 — Baen Writers Boot Camp, Wake Forest NC, 24 July - 2 August 2015.

28 — Local author book release day for The Conquering Dark (Crown & Key, #3)  by Clay and Susan Griffith (Del Rey, July 28).

AUGUST 2015

18 — Local author book release day for Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon (Dial, Aug 18) beginning a new children’s series.

SEPTEMBER 2015

1 — Local author book release day for The Geomancer: Vampire Empire: A Gareth and Adele Novel by Clay and Susan Griffith (Pyr, September 1) — “The uneasy stalemate between vampires and humans is over. Adele and Gareth are bringing order to a free Britain, but bloody murders in London raise the specter that Adele’s geomancy is failing and the vampires might return.”

NEW-NEW: 10 (Thursday) 8 pm — The Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) hosts The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses: “‘The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses’ concert series is back with a third installment: ‘Master Quest’. Audiences can expect to experience awesome new inclusions from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, and new music from the recently announced remake of fan favorite The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. A four-movement symphony, recounting the classic storylines from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and A Link to the Past. The performance will also highlight orchestral renditions of music from The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Performed by a 90-piece orchestra & choir with a giant screen.”

22 — Regional author book release day for Sound by Alexandra Duncan (Greenwillow Books, Sep 22) — a stand-alone companion novel to her 2014 debut Salvage.

OCTOBER 2015

2-4 (Friday to Sunday) DeepSouthCon 53 at CONtraflow V in New Orleans with guests of honor Robert J. Sawyer, Seanan McGuire, and Les Johnson.

6 — Local book release day for the David Drake tribute anthology Onward, Drake! edited by Mark Van Name, with stories by Drake, Van Name, Mur Lafferty, Tony Daniel, T.C. McCarthy, and more. (Baen, October 6)

NEW-NEW: 8 (Thursday) 7:30 pm — The Durham Performaning Arts Center (DPAC) hosts An Evening with Neil deGrasse Tyson: “Join us for an evening of engaging conversation on science, exploration, and the world as we know it with superstar scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Neil is an award-winning astrophysicist, author, regular guest on The Daily Show, host of FOX’s Cosmos, and host of his own radio show StarTalk. He has a new latenight TV show also called StarTalk, which premieres on National Geographic on April 20.”

8-11 (Thursday to Sunday) Bouchercon 2015 in Raleigh. Bouchercon is the annual World Mystery Convention, and this is the first Bouchercon ever (in its nearly 50-year history) to be held in the American South.

NEW-NEW: 30-(Nov) 1 (Friday to Sunday) — HonorCon 2015 at the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown.

NOVEMBER 2015

NEW: 27-29 (Friday to Sunday) — Chessiecon 2015 at the North Baltimore Plaza Hotel with guests of honor Seanan McGuire, Ursula Vernon, Heather Dale (with Ben Deschamps) and special Guests Tamora Pierce and Tom Smith.

TBD — Local author book release day for Air and Darkness by David Drake (Tor, November 2015) — the concluding book 4 in The Books of the Elements series.

FEBRUARY 2016

NEW-NEW: 26-28 (Friday to Sunday) — MystiCon 2016 in Roanoke, Virginia, with guest of honor George R.R. Martin.

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