My intention early on was to rise from a nap and recap my time this past weekend at MileHiCon 42. I rose from the nap and started a novella instead. All things in good time.

This year marked my third visit to Denver for this venerable sci-fi/fantasy convention; however, it was my first MileHiCon—and my first con ever—without a vendor’s table in the dealer room providing an anchor. My duties as a guest were more punctuated and less burdensome than a vendor’s. I gave a reading of my story, “Death on the Toilet,” on Friday night, scheduled opposite the opening ceremony. Fortunately, a few souls chose to come listen, and the audience, though small, was appreciative. Following the reading came the “Meet and Greet,” a reception at which all the con guests were plied with rich food while they mingled with con members. The big kick there was being asked for my autograph.

Saturday afternoon, I sat on the “Invented Languages” panel moderated by Paolo Bacigalupi, my qualification being that I have invented a language. As I’ve come to expect on this topic, the room was packed. Several people said very nice things to me afterward about my contribution to this discussion, and a couple folks told me that as a whole this panel was their favorite of the convention. A bit later Saturday I met James R. Strickland, author of a couple of very fine cyberpunk novels, for coffee and a genial conversation about the state of publishing and the quest for readership.

My Sunday panel was “Woulda Coulda Shoulda,” a discussion of alternate histories and alternate universes in speculative fiction. This panel was also well attended, if less well moderated. Afterward a couple of people went out of their way to thank me for my comments. Subjects broached begged for further discussion, but I rushed from the panel to my autograph session. There was, of course, no reason to hurry. Before my hour was up, I did sign a few autographs, but I kept no one waiting.

As with all sci-fi/fantasy conventions, at any given moment a percentage of the members attending are in costume. My oddest encounter of the event came when a young woman dressed as a warrior elf approached and asked if I was supposed to be Bill Clinton. Hard to say which of us blushed more when I cleared my throat and said, “No.”

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Robert Stikmanz at Blood of the Bean II, 10/16/010. Photo by Thomas Fang.

As I prepared to read my story, “Death on the Toilet,” this past Saturday evening at Blood of the Bean II, it was migrating into the larger world with the release that very day of The Sorcerer’s Scrolls #47. The version featured in the magazine is not the same as the one I read—time constraints required that I cut 600 words, mainly modifiers and digressions—but the printed story includes everything the audience heard, plus a tiny bit of additional context.

The Sorcerer’s Scrolls has a reputation primarily as a gaming publication, and this remains a central focus; however, new editor and publisher Jeremiah Griffin has begun to expand the publication’s ambit to feature more short fiction and original art. To my great good fortune, Mr. Griffin likes my stuff. Each issue of the magazine is available as both print and electronic publications. Get your copy of “Death on the Toilet” by visiting the TSS website, and ordering your preferred format.

Note to authors and artists: The Sorcerer’s Scrolls has issued a call for submissions of short fiction and original art. See the website for more information.

If you would rather kick back and experience my story as audio, and you happen to be in Denver this coming weekend, come catch my reading at MileHiCon 42, at 7:00 p.m. local time, this Friday, October 22. I’ll read a selection from the new, just released edition of Entranscing, in addition to “Death on the Toilet.” Copies of the Blue Moose Press editions of Prelude to a Change of Mind and Entranscing will be sold by Who Else Books, in the dealer room. Tuck that information away so you’ll know where to get copies for my booksigning session on Sunday afternoon. Between reading on Friday and signing on Sunday, I am also scheduled for two panels, one on invented language and one discussing the cases of authors who are also artists and artists who are also authors. This will be my third visit to MileHiCon, although my first without a table in the dealers room as an anchor.

A quick update on The Hidden Lands of Nod: I’ve come to the unfortunate conclusion that a new edition of Sleeper Awakes will have to wait for early 2011. Sufficient time to do justice to the processes of revising and editing the book does not remain in this year. However, there is time enough to bring out a new edition of Nod’s Way and—possibly, just possibly—a first glossary of the Dvarsh language. My attention turns now to those things and to a new novella commissioned by The Sorcerer’s Scrolls. Work enough for the moment, I think.

What do Lee Thomas, Joe McKinney, Rhodi Hawk, Hank Schwaeble, Gabrielle Faust, Nate Southard, D. B. Grady, Ethan Nahté, Stina Leicht, Skyler White, Denise Broussard and Frank Summers have in common with me? We are all authors reading for Blood of the Bean II. This assembly of some of the best fantasists from Texas and beyond takes place this Saturday, October 16, at Kick Butt Coffee, 5775 Airport Blvd., here in Austin. The event runs from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with a musical interlude by Dear Lioness at 7:00 p.m. Come out to discover how I shoehorn a twenty-two minute story into a fifteen minute reading slot. Admission is free. Titles by the authors—including mine— will be on sale.

It give me great pleasure to report that Blue Moose Press has released Entranscing, the second book of The Hidden Lands of Nod, newly revised in trade paper. Roughly five thousand words longer than before, this second edition has been augmented as well as polished. The first edition of this tale worked, no question about it, but it was always a raw version of a story. This new publication gave me an opportunity to unfold, explicate, smooth out and burnish in a way for which there was simply no room in the schedule when the original edition was being prepared for press. I’ve done it this time around, and I’m pleased with the results.

Second, revised edition of Entranscing, from Blue Moose Press

Plaudits and praise go to Blue Moose Press principals Christine and Ethan Rose for making this volume possible. Roses, wherever you are on the road promoting Rowan of the Wood and your other novels, thanks.  My hat is also off to Amanda Kimmerly, for superlative editorial assistance. She and her passion for all things grammatical and punctuative contributed immensely to the result. (Although, truth be known, I chose to ignore her suggestions about 5% of the time. I can almost guarantee that any suspicious or boneheaded lapse tripping the innocent reader is a construction retained out of my cussed stubbornness.)

This trade paperback version is available now from your favorite bookseller, whether online or brick-and-mortar. Or, get it directly from yours truly, the author, using the “BUY NOW” button in the left column of this very website. I shall sign, with flourish and pleasure, each copy purchased through this website.

For those among you preferring e-books to hard copy, the basic file that will upload to Smashwords is even now in preparation. If you do not yet know about Smashwords, take a moment to explore the offerings. As a matter of fact, you can acquire the e-book of my first novel, Prelude to a Change of Mind, by going to its Smashwords page. An entire division of strange, small folk are chasing around Stikmanz Intergalactic HQ, wrangling format and hammering default fonts into shape. My expectation is that the Smashwords selections will go live this weekend. A separate, specially formatted Kindle edition will be available on Amazon.com from sometime in November.

Before I forget, I am on the program as one of the readers for Blood of the Bean II, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., October 16, at Kick Butt Coffee (5775 Airport Blvd., Austin TX). This is the second of what looks to be an annual horror-themed program created by Gabrielle Faust to feature regional authors. I’m not a horror writer, but my short story, “Death on the Toilet,” does feature the Grim Reaper as a character. The story will appear in issue 46 of The Sorcerer’s Scrolls later this fall, which means you can scoop the press by coming for caffeine and an earful on the 16th. I’ll also have copies of Prelude to a Change of Mind and Entranscing on hand to sell and sign. Leaving me aside, the event will showcase an impressive roster of authors, including Ethan Nahté, Stina Leicht, D. B. Grady, Rhodi Hawk, Lee Thomas, Gabrielle Faust herself, and others. It would be wonderful to see you there.

After technical difficulties and sundry adventures, it does appear that the first copies of the new, Blue Moose Press edition of Entranscing, the second book of The Hidden Lands of Nod, are on the truck heading toward Austin. I am confident enough in this fact that I have replaced the “buy now” button for the first edition with one for the new. Yes, my dears, orders are even now being taken.

E-readers, do not despair. The crack team of e-book preparers maintained here at HQ is up to elbows in work on the upload for Smashwords. Look forward to a Kindle release on Amazon in coming weeks, as well.