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We just had a great time at ConCarolinas in Charlotte, NC!  The guest of honor was George R.R. Martin, and the place was packed. I want to get back in the habit of doing these recaps every time.   Top 5 experiences: I was a guest on "Seriously, Dan,"  a live broad-cast every Sat. from 6pm to 8pm, WYXC 1270 out of Cartersville, GA.  I was honored to be included by show host Dan Carroll (who you might also know from his role as Director of Media Relations for DragonCon, Monsterama, and various and sundry similar products).  He's a nice,...

My first fandom is horror literature.  I love tiki, art history, sci-fi, fantasy, movies, graphic design, and just about all other flights of fancy, but the place I started, if I really trace it back, is horror fiction. At Christmas one year I got a large leatherbound book of Robert Louis Stevenson stories and an unabridged collection of Edger Allen Poe stories.  Between "Treasure Island", the "Strange Case of Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde," "Pit and the Pendulum," and "The Black Cat" I fell in love with the outre and the macabre.[1] Thousands of books and a word processor later...

The drawing was held 12:01AM EST Friday Oct 25th using the list randomizer at http://www.random.org/lists/    The winner of our 2013 mask contest for a Cthulhu Lover's Gift Set is...   Hunter the First with his entry, "He demands a portion of my liver as a sacrifice." We also have a prize our first enthusiastic participant: Scott Nikola with his entry, "Go home Cthulhu, you're drunk!"        THANK YOU to all our contest participants!  Hope you all have a wonderful Halloween!       #C Heather L. "Cthulh-ette"     #D Claire M "The squid is family"   #EWill M....

Panels are fun, but they can be stressful for panelists, and the stress can come from some strange directions.  I wanted to run down some of the more common thoughts and observations I've had, on the off chance they are useful to someone about to be on their first convention panel.

1. So you're going to be on a panel…GREAT! They are fun! REMEMBER THAT! In any setting you can enjoy the atmosphere or you can BE part of the atmosphere.  If you've been asked to be on a panel (or Q&A session, or to speak) it means, first and foremost, the panel organizer (track director or whoever) trusts you to contribute positively to the panel/track/convention. Heady times, my friend!  
2. Either you are an authority on a subject, were directly involved, have a unique perspective, or are really entertaining in front of a crowd.  Or all of the above.  Let that be your armor against self-consciousness and doubt; the organizer trusts you.  Try and relax and remember that you are there in  front of the crowd to be you; to bring your knowledge and experience and personality to the panel.
3. Don't let the organizer down.  Here's a handy dandy sub-list that will help you out.