Friday, February 17, 2012

Random Appearance: Farpoint 2012

I wanted to drop a reminder that I'll be at Farpoint this Saturday, February 18th, for most of the day. I'll be part of the Writer's Workshop at 1pm, as well as the Supernatural in Science Fiction panel at 3pm. I will most likely wander the lobby for a few hours before and after, so if you're there and see me, say hello!

If you don't see me, I am probably busy stalking Kristen Bauer, aka "True Blood's" Pam, who is a guest this weekend. *grin*

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Suvudu Wants YOU!

Okay, maybe they don't want you, exactly, but they want your art.

The Suvudu Cage Match is a yearly feature in which fictional characters go head to head in a March Madness-style bracket. This year, Evangeline Stone is one of the characters competing (full list here). It's kind of exciting, even though I shudder to think who poor Evy will be pitted against. So when everything starts March 5, Evy's going to need your support!

But that's not the best part. The best part is that Suvudu is calling on SF/F artists to create artwork featuring the characters participating in the cage match. It will also give any selected arists a chance to have their work featured on Suvudu during the cage match!

If anyone out there ever had an urge to create some Evy-centric art (or art featuring any of the other characters participating), now's a great time to put pen/pencil/pastels to paper! Check out the link above for entry details.

And have fun!

Monday, February 13, 2012

Reread in 2012

I've been having a bit of a reading crisis this year. In 2011 I read a crap-ton of books--over one hundred. This year, I've read one and a half. Yeah, forty-three days into the new year and I've read one and a half books. Half might not even be accurate; I think I put it down at about a third.

I can put part of the blame on the weather. Winter depresses me, and I don't want to do anything except plop on the couch and be a potato. Cracking open a book feels like too much work; television viewing requires a lot less brain power than reading. Another part of the blame can go to the overwhelming tower that is my To Be Read pile. And it doesn't help that more great books are coming out ALL THE TIME. I can't make any real progress, and I can't seem to choose between them, so I let that intimidate me into just not reading anything.

Yes, bad Kelly.

The other day, I skimmed a review of a book I'd read and loved, and it made me want to read that book again. So I picked up my Nook with the intention of just glancing through a few good scenes, and two hours later I'd reread a good quarter of the book. Oops.

It made me think about the books I've loved and would like to read again. There's something wonderfully comforting about rereading a book--revisiting those characters, reliving their adventures and love and losses. Because of my To Be Read pile, rereads always seemed out of the question. I had too many new books to read, so I couldn't waste time reading something again.

Why, though? Why not? Books gave me a love of reading from a very early age. Certain books made me want to be a writer, so why not go back to those wonderful memories and read a few books again?

So I have decided something: I'm going to allow myself to reread some favorites this year. First I'll finish the two books I have in progress (one new read, one reread). Then I'll reread a few books I love and haven't read in a while, starting with this one:

Photobucket

What books have you read more than once? Are there any books you reread on a regular basis? Anything you want to reread, but don't have the time?