conventions | Michael A. Ventrella

My Lunacon 2016 schedule

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Michael A. Ventrella

Robert Sawyer is the one on the right

I will be at Lunacon this weekend, one of the oldest science fiction conventions in the country. The Guest of Honor is Robert Sawyer, and I’m anxious to meet him in person having interviewed him here on the blog and talked to him on Facebook many times.

My schedule is very full (like I like it) and I’m honored that they have asked me to be the host of the Masquerade competition. Should be fun!

Promoting Your Book (Friday 6 pm): What works when promoting a book? Do book-signings really help a new author? Are bookmarks and/or postcards effective at garnering attention? What internet presence works or is a time-waster/PITA. Does a blog help or hurt an author? Does an author have to have a website? How do you find good reviewers? What tactics do NOT work? What methods might work for an established author that wouldn’t work for a beginner? Can you do it all yourself? With Frederick Doot, C.E. Lawrence, and Paul Levinson.

The Eye of Argon (Friday 11 pm): The worst fantasy story gets a reading and the audience is invited to join in and see how far they can get before they crack up laughing. With Daniel Kimmel and Ian Randal Strock

Promoting Yourself in a Positive Way (Saturday 1 pm): Self-Promotion is an important part of building a career. Done poorly, it can do more harm than good. We will discuss items of self promotion to include book signings, postcards, bookmarks, a blog, website etc.. Do they help or hurt? With Daniel Kimmel and David Walton

Censorship v. Free Speech (Saturday 2 pm): The arguments, the petitions, the points of view. With Marilyn Brahen, Gordon Van Gelder, and Kate Paulk

The Biggest Mistakes New Writers Make (Saturday 5 pm): From poor openings to uninteresting characters to cliched plots, this panel will discuss the most common storytelling mistakes seen from new authors. This will also discuss promotional and business mistakes. With Gary Frank, Gordon Van Gelder, Larry Hodges, Robert J. Sawyer, and Hildy Silverman

The Masquerade (Saturday 7 pm): Come and cheer on the best of the costumes as they march across the stage for your entertainment. (I’m the host!)

Filed under: writing | Tagged: conventions, Lunacon | Leave a comment »

My Albacon 2016 Schedule

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Michael A. Ventrella

What a crazy two weeks. Last weekend we were down in Roanoke for Mysticon and this weekend, we’re off to Albany for Albacon. Albacon is special because my wife Heidi Hooper is the Artist Guest of Honor! albacon16 flyer v3-page-001

Albacon is also special because on Friday, they start very early and have what is basically a writer’s conference. It’s like a convention and a conference all in one. I am hosting some of these sessions, and I look forward to meeting some new writers there.

Here’s my schedule:

The Biggest Mistakes Made by Beginning Authors (Friday 9 am): We’ll discuss not only writing mistakes but also promotional mistakes: How writers have screwed themselves over and killed their chances of making it in the publishing world doing easily preventable things! With Llalania Ghose, Jim Rudnick, and David Weber

Tooting Your Own Horn with Social Media (Friday 2 pm): Self-promotion is an important part of building a career. Poorly executed, it can do more harm than good. Our panelists will discuss what works and doesn’t work. With Debi Chowdhury, Kate Laity, and Keith Willis

Ice Cream Social (Friday 8 pm): What better way to meet the Guests of Honor and other participants than in a big party, complete with ice cream and all the fixings?

The Greatest Animated Films of All Time (Friday 10 pm): A debate over the list of best animated feature films. Will our panel agree or will the discussion break out in fisticuffs? With Susan Hanniford Crowley, J.A. Fludd, Herb Kauderer, and Dawn McKechnie

Reading (Saturday 3:30 pm): I’ll be reading from “Bloodsuckers” and, depending on time, perhaps a bit of a preview of some upcoming works.

The Eye of Argon (Saturday 11 pm): The worst science fiction story ever written gets a reading by our brave panel as they compete to go the longest without tripping over a misspelled word or laughing uncontrollably. Audience members are also encouraged to take a chance. Can you keep a straight face, especially when the panel begins acting out the story? With James Cambias, Andre Lieven, Ryk Spoor, and Ian Randal Strock

Making Politics Work in Fiction (Sunday 11 am): Real world political narratives are filled with cultural revolutions, passionate speeches about social change, war, and intricate Machievellian plots. How can you portray them convincingly in your story? From noble houses in fantasy worlds to galaxy-spanning empires in SF, how do you make them believable and engaging without burying your reader in the intricacies of your setting’s political theory? With Ian Randal Strock and David Weber

Filed under: writing | Tagged: Albacon, conventions, Heidi Hooper, writing advice | Leave a comment »

My Mysticon 2016 Schedule

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Michael A. Ventrella

I’ll be a guest at Mysticon this weekend in Roanoke, with Guest of Honor George R.R. Martin. (My wife, award-winning artist Heidi Hooper, is also a guest and will be one of the judges for the masquerade competition.)

I figured if I posted a picture of me, it wouldn’t get as much attention

Mysticon is a fun little convention which is completely sold out this year for some reason. But if you’re there, here’s where you can find me!

Anthology Don’ts (Friday 3:00): There are always rules for submitting in anthologies: length, subject matter, etc. Our panelists discuss the common errors they see (or have been guilty of) in anthology submissions. With Alexandra Christian, Tera Fulbright, and
John G. Hartness

Opening Ceremonies (Friday 4:00): Welcoming and introduction of guests

Fantasy Worldbuilding (Friday 5:00): Whether it’s creating entire new worlds or integrating your story into everyday life, fantasy writers can find inspiration in the smallest things that can lead to a whole new world of mystery and magic. How they do it, how they choose, how they are inspired, what fans love or hate, etc. With R.S. Belcher, Ashley Chappell, Alexandra Christian, Anthony St. Clair, and Richard C. White

First Contact Improv (Friday 9:00): The panel consists of a moderator and 3-4 panelists, preferably writers, and preferably with a good sense of humor. The panelists are charged with designing a human-alien First Contact scenario on the fly. The twist is that the moderator has over 100 improv prompts on cards that are drawn by the panelists and audience members. With Jim Beall, Steven Hancock, Emmy Jackson, Peter Prellwitz, Todd Roberts and Abigail Wallace.

The Eye of Argon (Friday 11:30): The worst science fiction story ever written gets a reading by our brave panel as they compete to go the longest without tripping over a misspelled word or laughing uncontrollably. Audience members are also encouraged to take a chance. Can you keep a straight face, especially when the panel begins acting out the story? With Gail Z. Martin, Michael Pederson, Peter Prellwitz, and Gray Rinehart

Match Game (Saturday 10:00): An annual MystiCon tradition – relive the glories of classic game shows, now with a Sci-Fi/Fantasy twist. Contestants from our audience will match wits with our guests. With Billy Flynn, Tally Johnson, Ben Mirabelli, Rich Sigfrit, John Watts, and Nicole Zoltack

How Much Worldbuilding Does an RPG Need? (Saturday 7:00): A game setting can be no more than a dungeon and a tavern-or an entire world with landforms, languages, plants and animals, and a history stretching over millennia. How much world-building do you do? How much does a game need? Is there a sweet spot for world-building, or do different games have different needs? With Bob Flack, Steve Long, John Watts, and Richard C. White

Building Your Brand (Sunday 9:00): Done properly, self-promotion is an important part of building a career. Poorly executed, self-promotion can do more harm than good. Our panelists will discuss what works and doesn’t work along with these common questions: Do book-signings really help a small author? Are bookmarks and/or postcards effective at garnering attention? Does a blog help or hurt an author? Does an author have to have a website? With Alexandra Christian, Pamela K Kinney, and Jim Lavene

No More Evil Priests in Red (Sunday 10:00): Understanding faith in a secular world. It’s easy to depict organized religion as evil, led by greedy rapist scumbags and followed only by the drones and sheeple, but this trope hasn’t been cutting edge for the past forty years. In setting up evil priestly straw men for our postmodern heroes to blow away, authors too often overlook why brilliant people like Boethius could walk smiling to execution, St. Francis could try to protect the animals everyone else wanted to eat, or Hildegard von Bingen could write awe-inspiring music and plays. Let’s talk about books that depict the complexities of religious faith in interesting, insightful ways. With Tony Daniel, Gail Martin, Peter Prellwitz, Gary Rinehart, and Abigail Wallace

Black and White (Sunday 11:00): Not TVs, but the role of absolutes in literature, movies, and life. Jedi/Sith, good/bad, often SFF is dedicated to these simplistic views. Is it a reflection of our society or has our society come to reflect our literature. What about the reality of Grey? (Politics and Religion Warning) With William Lawhorn and Brian Sunderlin

Filed under: writing | Tagged: conventions, George R.R. Martin, Mysticon | Leave a comment »

My 2016 Farpoint Schedule

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Michael A. Ventrella

I’ve been invited to be a guest author at Farpoint, a convention in Baltimore, which will be held in a little over a week (February 12 – 14). I’ve never attended before, but it looks like fun! fapoint

The main writing guest is none other than David Gerrold, and I’m looking forward to meeting him in person after interviewing him and being friends with him on Facebook for years.

They have a wonderful online schedule you can browse!

Here’s my schedule (always subject to change):

Autographs (Saturday 3:00 PM)

Readings: I’ll be reading from my work along with Kim Headlee and Keith DeCandido (Saturday 5:00 PM)

Struggles with Building an Audience & Fan Base: Advice for the starting author. With Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Kim Headlee, and Jay Smith. (Saturday 9:00 PM)

Advice for New Writers: There are so many mistakes new authors make! With Mike McPhail and T.J. O’Connor. (Sunday Noon)

Filed under: writing | Tagged: conventions, Farpoint convention | 1 Comment »

My 2015 Philcon Schedule

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Michael A. Ventrella

I’m looking forward to the Philcon science fiction convention the weekend of November 20th. It’s Philadelphia’s oldest literary convention. It’s in New Jersey. (Look, it was cheaper, okay?)

The Guest of Honor is author Wen Spencer, and other guests include Danielle Ackley-McPhail,Keith R.A. DeCandido, Gregory Frost, Gail Z. Martin, Jon McGoran, Mike McPhail, Bernie Mojzes, Christine Norris, Peter Prellwitz, Lawrence M. Schoen, Alex Shvartsman, Hildy Silverman, Alyce Wilson, and many more people that I have yet to interview on this blog!

You can see why I always enjoy Philcon — I get to see so many of my friends again.

I’m also looking forward to interviewing American Atheist President David Silverman concerning his new book.

Here’s where you can find me:

The Eye of Argon (Friday 11 pm): The worst science fiction story ever written gets a reading by our brave panel as they compete to go the longest without tripping over a misspelled word or laughing uncontrollably. Audience members are also encouraged to take a chance. Can you keep a straight face, especially when the panel begins acting out the story? With Gail Martin, Peter Prellwitz, and Robert Zygala

The Dreaded Infodump (Saturday noon): SF requires special techniques of exposition. How do you get across backgrounds and ideas without boring your readers? With D.L. Carter, Vikki Ciaffone, Gregory Frost, Jon McGoran, and Jim Stratton

Writing Morally Ambiguous Characters (Saturday 1:00 pm): How do we make them sympathetic to the reader? Do they need to be sympathetic to engage your audience? How far can you push the limit before you create a psychopath? Or shouldn’t we create psychopaths? With Ken Altabef, Siobhan Carroll, Russ Colchamiro, Bernie Mojzes, and Meredith Schwartz

Writing in Shared Universes (Saturday 4:00 pm): How do you handle building story arcs and developing characters when you’re not solely in charge of a world? What changes when you’re working with others at a professional level? With Keith R.A. DeCandido, Catt Kingsgrave, Dina Leacock, Mike McPhail, and T. Patrick Snyder

“Fighting God” Launch Party (Saturday 5:00 pm): The release party for American Atheist President David Silverman’s book “Fighting God”! David will be interviewed by Michael A. Ventrella and will discuss the place of atheism in America. Are atheists at a war with religion? What can be done to protect the rights of those who do not believe? Come and join in the celebration of the new book. With David Silverman

Reconciling Faith and Fantasy Writing (Sunday 10:00 am): What difficulties do you encounter writing a world whose system of belief does not match your own? How do you avoid unintentionally investing your stories with a message you don’t mean to? Is it possible to fully enjoy works that contain elements your scripture deems as anathema? With D.H. Aire, Phil Giunta, Gail Z. Martin, Christie Meierz, and Steve Wilson

The Uses of Time Travel (Sunday 1:00 pm): Why do you want to travel into the past or future? Knowledge? Loot? Talking yourself out of bad decisions? Setting up the best prank ever? If given the opportunity would you, or wouldn’t you? With John Ashmead, Michael L. Brachman, JJ Brannon, Lawrence Kramer, and Lawrence M. Schoen

Filed under: writing | Tagged: conventions, Philcon, Philcon schedule | Leave a comment »

My Capclave 2015 schedule

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Michael A. Ventrella

Capclave is a fine little literary SF convention held near Washington DC, which this year will be on the October 9th weekend. Come and join us and meet some of your (and my) favorite authors, including but not limited to Gordon Van Gelder, Alistair Reynolds, James Morrow, Alex Shvartsman, Lawrence Schoen, Catherine Asaro, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Allen Wold, Walter Hunt, and many more (including me!)

Here are some pictures I took from from the convention in 2013 and 2014.

Here’s my current schedule (subject to change):

Friday 10:00 pm: Improv Story-Telling (Ends at: 10:55 pm) Salon A
Panelists: Charles E. Gannon, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Hildy Silverman, Michael A. Ventrella
The audience names three things for the writer to include in an improv story and a cliffhanger to turn it over to the next author (who in turn gets three more things named to include.)

Friday 11:00 pm: Why Do Good People Do Bad Things? (Ends at: 11:55 pm) Bethesda
Panelists: Alan Loewen, C.S. MacCath, James Morrow, Michael A. Ventrella
What are the motivations for having otherwise-heroic people do villainous things in fiction? How can an author strike a balance between making an evildoer’s actions believable and somewhat sympathetic without turning them into an antihero?

Saturday 2:00 pm: The Epic Blockbuster (Ends at: 2:55 pm) Bethesda
Panelists: Sarah Avery, Alma Katsu, Dina Leacock, Michael A. Ventrella
In the 1950s and 60s, 200 page novels were common (and told a complete story). Today my bookshelf is groaning under Weeks (800 pages) and Sanderson (1000), and these doorstoppers are only part of a series. What changed? Do readers prefer long books and longer series? Are authors using these longer page counts to tell a deeper story with multiple points of view and better characterization? Or is much of this padding and a lack of editing? What books are worth the extra page count?

Saturday 6:00 pm: Building Your Audience (Ends at: 6:55 pm) Bethesda
Panelists: Kate Baker, Scott Edelman, Will McIntosh, Michael A. Ventrella
Now that you finished your book and found a publisher, how do you get people to read it? What promotional devices work and what turns potential readers off? And, after you’ve published three or four books, what can you do to expand your readership and get readers of your newest book to look at your older ones?

Saturday 11:00 pm: The Eye of Argon (Ends at: 11:55 pm) Bethesda
Panelists: Charles E. Gannon, Michael A. Ventrella
A dramatic reading, with audience participation, of one of the most notorious fantasy works ever.

Sunday 2:00 pm: Climate Change in SF (Ends at: 2:55 pm) Frederick
Panelists: James Morrow, Gordon Van Gelder, Michael A. Ventrella
What is the best approach to discussing climate change in SF? What does the modern attitude towards whether this is really science say about SF writing that features human action changing the natural environment?

Filed under: writing | Tagged: Capclave, conventions | Leave a comment »

The Eye of Argon!

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Michael A. Ventrella

Back in 1970, a teenager named Jim Theis wrote his own “Conan the Barbarian” style story for his friends: The Eye of Argon. It was mimeographed with little illustrations and it was terrible. But hey, come on, he was a kid.

Over the years, that story was circulated around the science fiction community and became a fun thing to do at conventions, where the panel (and participants from the audience) try to read the story exactly as written, misspellings and all, without cracking up laughing.

Over the past few years, at various east coast conventions, I started organizing the reading but added something new: Once a participant made a mistake, they were required to get up and act out the story for the audience as the other panel members read. I have a group of great writers who have regularly joined with me that make it fun, including Gail Z. Martin, Keith DeCandido, Peter Prellwitz, KT Pinto, and others. Sometimes I am able to con the Guest of Honor to join in, such as in the clips below where noted author Peter David experienced the craziness. (Apparently this has not gone unnoticed, as I just realized that the wikipedia entry has been updated to add this.)

If you want to try to read the Eye of Argon, here’s a link. But I think you’ll have a lot more fun watching the clips below:

Thanks to Sean Korsgaard for the video

Filed under: writing | Tagged: conventions, Gail Z. Martin, Keith DeCandido, KT Pinto, Mysticon, Peter David, Peter David reads the Eye of Argon, Peter Prellwitz, The Eye of Argon | Leave a comment »

My 2015 Mysticon Schedule

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Michael A. Ventrella

On the weekend of February 27 – March 1, I will be a programming guest at Mysticon in Roanoke, Virginia. We went last year and had a blast and I’m happy to have been invited back.

The special guest this year is Sean Maher (from “Firefly”) but I’m more interested in meeting Peter David, whose books I’ve always enjoyed. (My interview with him from a few years ago is here!) Also in attendance will be many of my friends, including some I have interviewed here on this blog: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Gail Z. Martin, Mike McPhail, KT Pinto, Peter Prellwitz, Leona Wisoker, and Allen Wold.

And if you’re a fan of my Fortannis anthologies, you’ll find some of those authors as well (namely Davey Beauchamp, Danny Birt and Tera Fulbright, as well a few who will be in the forthcoming collection A BARD DAY’S KNIGHT — Angela Pritchett and the aforementioned KT Pinto).

Anyway, if you’re there, be sure to say hi! I’ll be on a bunch of panels and my artist wife Heidi Hooper will be judging the Masquerade competition and hosting some art panels as well.

Here is my current schedule:

The Top Animated Films of All Time (Friday 3 pm): A debate over the list of best animated films. Will our panel agree or will the discussion break out in fisticuffs? With Billy Flynn, Stuart Jaffee, Darin Kennedy, Genesis Moss

Fantasy World Building (Friday 6 pm): Whether it’s creating entire new worlds or integrating your story into everyday life, fantasy writers can find inspiration in the smallest things that can lead to a whole new world of mystery and magic. How they do it, how they choose, how they are inspired, what fans love or hate, etc. With R.S. Belcher, Liz Long, Gail Z. Martin

Author Reading (Friday 7 pm): Michael A. Ventrella’s humorous adventures are full of twists and turns. Come hear excerpts from his latest “Bloodsuckers: A Vampire Runs for President” and maybe his story about the Marx Brothers in Hell, depending on time.

All Dressed Up and Ready to LARP (Friday 8 pm): This panel is to give interested parties or parents an idea of what is involved in LARPing. With Owen Anderson, Jestin Jeffers, Robert Sohl

The Eye of Argon (Friday 10 pm): The worst science fiction story ever written gets a reading by our brave panel as they compete to go the longest without tripping over a misspelled word or laughing uncontrollably. Audience members are also encouraged to take a chance. Can you keep a straight face, especially when the panel begins acting out the story? With Peter David (maybe!), Gail Z. Martin, KT Pinto, Peter Prellwitz, Leona Wisoker

Tooting Your Own Horn With Social Media (Saturday 11 am): Done properly, self-promotion is an important part of building a career. Poorly executed, self-promotion can do more harm than good. Our panelists will discuss what works and doesn’t work along with these common questions: Do book-signings really help a small author? Are bookmarks and/or postcards effective at garnering attention? Does a blog help or hurt an author? Does an author have to have a website? With Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Chris Kennedy, Liz Long, Steve Long

What Makes an Animated Film? (Sunday 11 am): With CGI in almost every film, the distinction between live-action and animated film is changing. Is “Guardians of the Galaxy” an animated film given that two of its main characters were animated? What about the Star Wars prequels? Does capture-motion count? The panel will discuss various animation styles and try to determine how one can judge what exactly is an animated film these days. With Emily Mottesheard, Christine Parker

Making Politics Work in Fiction (Sunday noon): Real world political narratives are filled with cultural revolutions, passionate speeches about social change, war, and intricate, Machievellian plots. How can you portray them convincingly in your story? From noble houses in fantasy worlds to galaxy-spanning empires in SF, how do you make them believable and engaging without burying your reader in the intricacies of your setting’s political theory? With Stuart Jaffee, Tally Johnson, Thomas Monaghan, Gary Rinehart

Filed under: writing | Tagged: conventions, Mysticon, Mysticon 2015 schedule | 1 Comment »

My Ravencon 2014 schedule

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Michael A. Ventrella

On the weekend of April 25th, I’ll be a guest at Ravencon, a small but fun convention in Richmond, Virginia. The Guest of Honor this year is Elizabeth Bear. There’s also a costume competition and my artist wife Heidi Hooper is a judge. It’s always a lot of fun to visit my hometown, even if I hardly get to see any of it since I’m in a hotel all weekend.

Anyway, here are the panels where you can find me (and more may be added):

Anthology Don’ts (Friday 4 pm): There are always rules for submitting in anthologies … length, subject matter, etc. Our panelists discuss the common errors they see (or have been guilty of) in anthology submissions. With John Betancourt, Jim Stratton, and Tera Fulbright.

Opening Ceremonies (Friday 7 pm): Guests are introduced to the audience!

Reading (Friday 9 pm): I’ll be reading excerpts from my books and short stories and talking with readers.

The Eye of Argon (Friday midnight): The worst science fiction story ever written gets a reading by our brave panel as they compete to go the longest without tripping over a misspelled word or laughing uncontrollably. Audience members are also encouraged to take a chance. Can you keep a straight face, especially when the panel begins acting out the story? With Philippa Ballantine, Gail Martin, and KT Pinto.

New Releases from Perseid Press (Saturday 11 am): Perseid Press publishes, among other things, the “Heroes in Hell” series. Come and visit Perseid authors and find out about their latest release “Dreamers in Hell.” With Rich Groller.

Young Adult Literature (Saturday 3 pm): What makes a Young Adult novel these days? Is it just the age of the protagonist or is there something else? What books should be considered Young Adult that are not, and which are that shouldn’t be? With Bill Blume, Betty Cross, and Lana Krumwiede.

Allen Wold’s Writing Workshop (Saturday 8 pm): Participants do a small writing exercise, which is then evaluated by the panel, discussing where they have done well and where they can improve. With KT Pinto, Allen Wold, and Darcy Wold.

The Greatest Animated Films of All Time (Saturday 11 pm): The panelists will debate what the greatest animated films are of all time in an attempt to come up with a Top Ten List. Weapons must be checked at the door. With Chris Impink and Patrick Vanner

Filed under: writing | Tagged: conventions, Ravencon | 1 Comment »

Interview with Philippa Ballantine

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Michael A. Ventrella

MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: I’m pleased to be interviewing author Philippa Ballantine today! New Zealand born fantasy writer and podcaster Philippa (Pip) Ballantine is the author of the “Books of the Order” and the “Shifted World” series. She is also the co-author with her husband Tee Morris of the “Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences” novels. Her awards include an Airship, a Parsec, the Steampunk Chronicle Reader’s Choice, and a Sir Julius Vogel. She currently resides in Manassas, Virginia with her husband, daughter, and a furry clowder of cats. Her web page is here and her twitter page is here!

Philippa, you have two new books coming out shortly. Let’s talk about HARBINGER first, which is the fourth in the “Book of the Order” series. Tell us about this.

PHILIPPA BALLANTINE: HARBINGER is the culmination of the previous three books, and I am actually rather sad to be leaving the world. Sorcha, Merrick and Raed have all been driven to literally the ends of the world. They discover that the Circle of Stars Order have plans to break the gap between the Otherside and the realm of humanity. Without their runes, Sorcha and her Deacons must take dangerous step to save their world, and all the time the Rossin, the great pard, is planning his own escape.

VENTRELLA: Then, a few weeks later, KINDRED AND WINGS, the second book in the “Shifted World” series is released. What is this series about?

BALLANTINE: The Shifted World series is all about chaos, and how people deal with it. In a world that cannot be trusted, with people warring amongst themselves, the endgame is coming quickly. The dragon Wahirangi and Finn the storyteller search for answers, while Talyn must decide her role in the world; destroyer or savior. Secrets will be revealed, time travelled through, and dragons will battle.

VENTRELLA: With your husband Tee Morris, you’ve also created the successful steampunk series “Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences”. How did that creative process begin?

BALLANTINE: It actually began with a creative idea from Tee that was supposed to be set in current days. Then I wanted to experiment with a podcast for pay, so I suggested with do a prequel novel set in Victorian times. There was early interest from our agent in the series as novels, so the podcast idea morphed in that direction. It was a strange and delightfully circuitous path to publication!

VENTRELLA: How do you two split the writing on this? What’s your process? (Tee gave me his version a while ago when I interviewed him; I want to see how you saw the collaboration.)

BALLANTINE: We do a lot of brain storming of where we want to go, and sketch out a series of scenes. Tee does the Wellington scenes, I do Eliza’s, and we put our hands up for the other characters. Then once it is written, we swap and edit each other. We’ve got a pretty good grasp now, after three books, on how we do these things. It was tricky at first though!

VENTRELLA: The next Peculiar Occurrences book is scheduled to be out in the fall – that’s three in one year. You’ve been busy! How do you do it?

BALLANTINE: Lots and lots of marking calendars, and sharing them with Tee. I’ve also got better at prioritizing which projects come before others.

VENTRELLA: What is it about steampunk that interests you?

BALLANTINE: I love the creativity of the genre, and the heady mix of history. I’ve messed around with history before, but steampunk gives that freedom wings. Also the aesthetics are beautiful, and airships are just plain cool.

VENTRELLA: What makes your steampunk novels stand out among the others?

BALLANTINE: Tee and I have fun with our steampunk, but I think the real difference about our steampunk is the scope of the world view. We’ve not only done novels, but also short stories and podcasts, which have taken our readers and listeners all over the globe. Also, people seem to love our characters.

VENTRELLA: Why did you decide to move from New Zealand? (And given our politics here, do you regret the move?)

BALLANTINE: I moved from New Zealand to marry Tee, and I don’t regret it. One day we’ll probably move back to live, but right now with the writing I have the chance to go to New York to meet publishers, and the convention circuit in America provides a lot more opportunities to meet readers.

VENTRELLA: Speaking of conventions (where we’ve met numerous times), … do you find that is important for authors to do? What are the benefits of doing so?

BALLANTINE: I don’t know what the Return on Investment would be in monetary terms, but in terms of meeting fellow writers, and readers, it really can’t be measured. Writing is a solitary profession in most cases, and those kind of interactions are really needed. Tee and I have met readers who have cos-played our characters, people who have jumped up and down with delight (which I am still stunned about), and made innumerable contacts with other writers. There has to be a balance however, because you also have to write, but I would encourage new writers to try out at least a small local con.

VENTRELLA: What is it about science fiction and fantasy that attracts you?

BALLANTINE: The sheer scope of it. The speculative fiction genre imposes no limits on the imagination, and that is something that no other genre can offer. If you can imagine it, you can write it. From dragons to airships, from cyber-intelligences to minds of clockwork, all are possible.

VENTRELLA: The publishing industry is in tremendous flux right now. Editors and agents are so uncertain they are not taking risks on new authors, and small publishing houses are jumping in to fill the void. Given this, what sort of advice would you give an un-agented author with a manuscript? (Purely hypothetical, mind you …)

BALLANTINE: There are good agents out there. Laurie McLean of Foreword Literary is my agent, but also my partner in this business. I know that I wouldn’t have gotten where I am today without her assistance and guidance.

So I think if you can find an agent like her that wants to be a true partner, then you should go that route. However, if you cannot, then a small publishing house is a great way to start, you can learn so much about editing, marketing, and the process of putting a book together.

If that route doesn’t work, then I don’t think self-publishing is a bad idea at all. The only caveat I would add is make sure you produce the best professional product possible. Hire editors and cover artists. If you take short cuts, don’t expect to get results.

VENTRELLA: Do you think the SFWA and other organizations will eventually have to consider small publishing houses and self-publishing?

BALLANTINE: I was actually on a panel recently where I heard that it is not beyond the realms of possibility that SFWA might go that way. It’s just a matter of working out how they decide on membership levels. Like the publishing industry trade organizations need to be flexible and move with the changing landscape.

VENTRELLA: What book have you read recently that you loved?

BALLANTINE: I was lucky enough to get a chance to blurb A STUDY IN SILKS by Emma Jane Holloway. It’s not coming out until September this year, but is worth the wait!