[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Con Pics, Cover Reveal & Links

First, I've got a cover reveal for Darby Karchut's The Hound at the Gate. 

Cover by Lisa Amowitz

Autumn: the season of endings. And beginnings.

Especially for one young apprentice.

At the annual Festival of the Hunt, thirteen-year-old apprentice goblin hunter Finn MacCullen and his master, Gideon Lir, join other Tuatha De Danaan to honor their people’s heritage. But Finn soon realizes that there are some who denounce his right to attend due to his half-human bloodline.

As he struggles to keep his place by his master’s side, he finds himself embroiled in a decades-old grudge between Gideon and another Knight, bewildered (and beguiled) by a female apprentice with a temper as explosive as his own, and battling a pack of goblins determined to wipe out the entire camp in a surprise attack.

It’s going to take some fancy knife work, the help of a female Knight with a lethal bow, and one old pick up truck to defeat the goblins and prove to his people that Finn’s blood runs true-blue Tuatha De Danaan.

You can find more at:

Darby Karchut's website

GoodReads

Facebook

Spencer Hill Middle Grade

Darby is a Colorado Springs author. My kids and I are reading her book Finn Finnegan together right now.

Now, for [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, here are a few pics I snapped at the Denver Comic Con. How about a little game? For the cars, name that movie or TV show!

Car #1

Car #2

Car #3

Car #4

Car #5

There was also a giant Lego Batman walking around:

And Gollum:

Now for some links! I've happened across these and have in no way checked them out other than for details. Always do your due diligence before submitting to a contest or publication. 

Accepting Submissions:

Christopher Bloodworth has a call out for short stories for the Boothworld Industries anthology. All stories should begin with a global corporation engaged in nefarious activities. Pays $20 and an e-book copy. Submissions close July 1.

The Literary Hatchet is taking submissions for thrice a year publication. They seek dark fiction. Fiction short stories, essays, interviews, art, etc. Payment is between $1 and $15, depending upon the type of submission. Current deadline July 1.

The Daily Nightmare is seeking submissions for their anthology 13 Quick Shivers. 100 word prose poems based on images they've provided. Payment is $10 and an e-book copy. Deadline July 1.

Cleis Press is seeking short stories for their anthology The Princess's Bride: Lesbian Fairy Tale Erotica. 3000-6000 words. Pays $50-$100. Deadline July 1.

The July submission theme for Penumbra is Lewis Carroll. Pays $.05/word. Deadline July 1. 3500 words or less.

The Exile Book of New Canadian Noir is an anthology of Canadian noir in all its stripes. Deadline July 2. Must be Canadian. 1000-8000 words. Pays $.05/word.

Contest:

Lit Reactor is holding a crime writing challenge in collaboration with Thug Lit. Crime fiction, any kind. 3000-5000 words. Deadline July 1. First prize is publication in Thug Lit and Thug Lit standard payment.

Spark is holding a contest with the theme You Are Here. They want introspection, epiphany, and self-reflection. No entry fee. Deadline July 1. Grand prize is $500, publication, and more.

African Poetry Book Fund and Prairie Schooner are holding the Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry. This is for books written by African residents, African Nationals, or people with African parentage who live anywhere in the world. Deadline July 1. Prize is $5000.

Wielding Power Publishing is holding an essay contest answering the question "Is it wrong to boycott a business because of an executive's personal political views?" Deadline July 6. Prize is $1000.

Blog Stuff: 

The fellas from A Beer for the Shower are giving away a Mystery Box of Awesomeness. They have a Rafflecopter giveaway for entry.

Anything of interest to you above? Anything to share? Did you guess the cars? How do you like Darby's cover? Any submission news?

May you find your Muse.

Denver Comic Con

First, Happy Father's Day (Belated) to all you dads out there!

We happened across passes to the Denver Comic Con, so we got to go on Sunday for Father's Day. Alright, we didn't happen on them laying on a path out in the woods or anything, but a friend couldn't go for the third day and had a full weekend pass, so we got to use his family's passes. Yay!

I've never been to a comic con before, so this was another new experience. We took the Littles with us, and we didn't go into any panels. We just wandered around to see what a con was all about. I am also entirely unwilling to spend money to get an autograph or photo with someone, so we gazed from afar at Bruce Campbell (his line was INSANE), Lou Ferrigno, Edward James Olmos, Michael Rooker, etc. A bunch of Next Generation and other Star Trek cast members were there, but their spots were abandoned, so I'm thinking there was a Star Trek panel going on somewhere at the same time. So the Hubster didn't get to see any ST folks.

I tried to find James O'Barr's table (creator of The Crow comic, among others.) We never found it, though. I don't read comics, but I'm a Crow fan, so had hoped to get a comic. Even better if I'd gotten it signed. Ah well.

There were some great costumes, and it was interesting to see. There were way too many people there for me, and this was the final day, so I'm thinking it was probably much crazier the day before. I was tempted by a Cheshire Cat painting, but knew it wouldn't be affordable (it was part of such a cool series of paintings, though!)

I didn't get many pictures. Just some of various famous car replicas they had, which I'll try to post on Wednesday. I tried to get a pic of Adam West over people's heads, but it just looks like a guy with white hair far away on a stage (I only took my wide angle lens, not any zoom lenses, so was out of luck). 

It's pretty expensive to go to a comic con. Not sure I'd ever pay to go there, but I'm glad I got to experience it. Mile Hi Con, the one I go to in October each year, really does seem to be a little bit of a mid-point between a full blown writer's conference and a comic con. I think I'll stick to that one. Much cheaper and writer-geared. I wouldn't complain if Bruce Campbell showed up, though. 

Have you been to a comic con? Are you a comics fan? Walking Dead? Star Trek? Bruce Campbell?

May you find your Muse.