My ALBACON schedule!

Friday: 11AM: "Punching up your endings" 2PM: "Plotter VS Pantser" 3PM: Marketing your work 6PM: Has Disney Ruined Star Wars? 8PM: Ice Cream Social 9PM: Improv Storytelling Saturday: 11AM: Kathleen and I both do autographing! 12:30PM: Reading from Kathleen's and my Fall of Veils novel _French Roast Apocalypse_ and maybe teasing _Jamaica Blue Magic_ 1PM - 4PM : I run "On-Site for the Apocalypse", an RPG (D20 Modern) set in the world of _Princess Holy Aura_. Maximum 6 players. 3PM: Kathleen will be in the Essential SF Films [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 19

We learned a bit more about why the Blackwells are hated... in this chapter, we get to meet another one... -----   Chapter 19. New York City, 1980 “Congratulations, Dyl, you passed your second history exam,” Tina said, leaning against the Muffin House display case. “There actually is a brain in that head of yours.” She smiled and tapped her temple with a thin finger. In her other hand, she held out the purple-dittoed test sheet. A red-ink "85%" was circled at the top. On the table behind her was a stack of books and a binder. For [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 18

Another trip back in time, and we see some other characters when they were younger... and learn just how nasty Mr. Blackwell was.... -----     Chapter 18. New York City, 1980 Anna's Muffin Shop was a small shop, with a large display case filled with many different kinds of muffins ranging from corn to chocolate as well as cupcakes and cookies. The walls were painted pink as a background for black silhouette figures that danced across the wall, figures with finger-wave hair and zoot suits. Apparently the shop had started [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 17

Dylan's finally waking up to find out that even a Revenant can get badly hurt... ----   Chapter 17. New York City, 2010 When Dylan finally came to from the almost-endless dream, it took a while to understand where he was, what had happened. The only thing he knew for sure was that he'd been wrapped like a mummy – bandaged broken arm, skull fracture, chest wrapped for multiple broken ribs, and serious repair work to put his guts back where they belonged. He spent most of his time unconscious — if you could call that [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 16

Dylan was flashing back... -----   Chapter 16.New York City, 1980 The first week was uneventful. Both Anna and Douglas mercilessly drowned him in academics. During the evening he helped at the Muffin House, and they were also in the process of integrating the other members of his therapy group into Anna's halfway house. Between socializing with friends, work, and studies, he barely had time to think about hunting down Keith. His life, despite the odd circumstances, had become strangely mundane. Save for the fact he, at eighteen, [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 15

Dylan had gotten REALLY hurt... -----   Chapter 15. New York City, 2010/1980 Dylan wasn’t sure how long he fed; he wasn’t even sure when he came back to himself. The only thing Dylan was sure of was Liam’s mind, guiding his feeding. The Celtic vampire was different than others he had fed from. Liam’s blood had a distinct flavor, but Dylan couldn't quite figure out how to describe it. It was… finer than the others he consumed. Jason’s was similar, but diluted, and both Douglas and Daniel smelled like Jason, so Dylan suspected [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 14

We had a different point of view at the beginning; it's time to start finding out what happened to him... -----   Chapter 14. Dublin, Ireland, 2010 Pitch darkness, tempered only with the whirl and thunder of sea against shore. Cool salty air kissed his cheeks. He wasn’t sure where he was as he came to himself, only that he was floating in dark, and arms held him tight as he was gently carried. His head ached when he moved it, and there was an emptiness inside of him he couldn’t explain. Fingers touched his head as the hold on him [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 13

Dylan and Angie had been rescued in just the nick of time... -----   Chapter 13. New York City, 2010 "What the hell was that?" At least, that was what Dylan tried to say. But the sounds were barely recognizable as words, accompanied by a splutter of thick crimson-black blood. Dylan struggled to pull himself to his hands and knees, but his body refused to listen. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Angelus rolling the kid to his lap, and Jason quickly running over to them. The unknown boy’s chest and belly were slashed and he [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 12

Dylan and Angelus were on the hunt...   Chapter 12. New York City, 2010 It didn’t take long for the two of them to reach Iphigene’s Walk, a paved walkway that cut though the east end of the lush thickets. It was a beautiful, secluded path that led deep into thirty-seven acres of thick foliage. Using the path, they could, eventually, divert to one of the other trails if necessary. "This could take forever." Angelus said as they trudged down the walkway. "Could be," Dylan said. "Like they say about fishing, there's a reason [ Continue reading... ]

French Roast Apocalypse: Chapter 11

Back in the present, Dylan's got a hunt to prepare for... -----   Chapter 11. New York City, 2010 It was easy to lose himself in the past. Too easy. Dylan rubbed his eyes and refocused on the pan he was buttering. Back then, he'd felt responsible for Keith and was willing to give up his humanity for what the vampire did to Bridget and Jackson. It was a struggle for Anna to redirect him. He was stubborn, like many of his own clients these days. Anna never did approve of his hunting. It was always a bone of contention between them. [ Continue reading... ]