Polaris & Beyond

It feels like forever since I've been here - my life suddenly got very busy and I've had very little time to sit down at a computer and blog.

First and foremost, I want to discuss Polaris, formerly known as Toronto Trek. This is another annual sci-fi convention for Toronto, and it happened July 6-8. I rented a table, spoke on six panels, and sold lots and lots of books. I created a bunch of fake religious tracts to promote Epoch and Section K, and they got a good laugh (though more than a few people thought they were real tracts and walked away quickly). I met and talked on panels with writers I respect and admire, including the wonderful Tanya Huff, who gave me a quote for Section K. All in all, a great weekend.

I owe lots of praise and thanks to my supportive wife, Violet, who came with me and managed the table while I was off doing my stuff. On the Saturday evening I had three panels in a row, meaning I had to leave her on her own for three hours. She managed, and even made some sales while I was gone.

It's great to have the perfect woman for you at an event like that. Not that I could keep her away - she loved the convention, and spent a lot more money than I did on sci fi stuff. She bought a remote-control K-9, the robot dog from Doctor Who. He rolls around our apartment making laser noises, saying "Affirmative, Master!" and frightening Karma, our kitten. I tried to limit my spending, but I did shell out for Cyber-Stompin' Bumblebee for Violet. Bumblebee is one of the Transformers, and my wife thinks he's really cute. She has a collection of Bumblebee action figures, and has every single version ever produced since 1984. When the Transformers movie came out, all of a sudden there were many more Bumblebees to buy. Cyber-Stompin' was one of them, and so Violet had to have it for her collection. She now has 18, but I think there are a few more out there somewhere.

Now that Polaris has been, come and gone, I'm back to a more or less regular life. I have a temp assignment that is going well, spelling an end to my four-month banishment from the workplace. I'm still writing The 25 Demons You Meet In Hell, but I've put Cupidity on hold for the time being. Plus, I've seen Transformers movie twice now, with more screenings soon to come! I'm a lot busier, but I'm having a great summer.