Heliosphere | Michael A. Ventrella

My 2018 Heliosphere schedule

Posted on March 1, 2018 by Michael A. Ventrella

Heliosphere is a fairly new convention just outside of New York city. The second one will be held on the weekend of March 9th, and guests include Charles Gannon, Eric Flint, Tom Kidd, Cecilia Tan, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Lori Perkins, Mike McPhail, my wife Heidi Hooper (who was artist guest of honor last year!) and many more. Baker Street 2

My latest book Baker Street Irregulars: The Game is Afoot! will be promoted there. We’ll be having a raffle for prizes and although the book has not yet been released, the publisher has allowed us to sell Advance Review Copies (ARCs) for a discounted price. You can also meet some of the writers who have stories in the book, including Keith DeCandido, Hildy Silverman, R. Rozakis, Gordon Linzner, and Derek Beebe. Autographs are free!

Here’s my schedule:

Solicited Advice: Editors Share Their Thoughts (Friday 5 pm): Get inside the editors minds and see why they accept and reject certain work. With Bjorn Haessler, Mike McPhail, Alex Shvartsman, and Ian Randal Strock.

Hogwarts House Party (Welcome to Heliosphere) (Friday 8 pm): A grand opening ceremony where all the major guests are introduced. I’m the emcee! We’ll also be placing the Sorting Hat on our guests and con attendees to see which Hogwarts House they’ll end up in.

Books ‘n’ Brew (Saturday 11:30 am): A time where you can sit down with some of your favorite authors over tea or coffee and just talk. With Laura Antoniou, Russ Colchamiro, and Hildy Silverman.

Ka Pow! the Art of the Fight Sequence (Saturday 4 pm): How to integrate action scenes into your story without them taking over. With Keith R.A. DeCandido, Charles Gannon, and Mike McPhail.

Readings (Saturday 5:30): Authors read from their recent works. With Laura Antoniou, Carol Gyzander, and Hildy Silverman.

Raffle (Saturday 10 pm): We’ll read off the raffle winners for the Baker Street Irregulars prizes!

Through the Ages With Sherlock Holmes (Sunday 2 pm): A not so elementary discussion of Sherlock and how he’s changed through the years. With Elizabeth Crowens, Teel James Glenn, and Mercy Van Vlack.

Murder Your Darlings (Sunday 3:30 pm): Gerorge RR Martin has taken the art of killing off fan favorites to new heights. Others have tried to copy his style with…. mixed results. What makes this work for some stories and just plain suck for others? With Griff Barber, Eric Flint, Charles Gannon, and Hildy Silverman.

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My Heliosphere 2017 schedule

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Michael A. Ventrella

Heliosphere is a brand new convention I will be attending next weekend (March 10th) and is very special because it will be hosting the book release party for my latest: Baker Street Irregulars! baker-street

The Guest of Honor at the convention is David Gerrold, who has a story in this new anthology, so this is the perfect place for our release party. Also in attendance will be other contributors to the book, including Keith R.A. DeCandido, Ryk Spoor, Hildy Silverman, and Austin Farmer!

Heliosphere will be held in Tarrytown, New York, just outside of the city. (Also I have to brag a bit: My wife Heidi Hooper is the “Special Guest” artist!)

Here’s my schedule:

Reading (Friday 3:30): I’ll be reading from my work, along with Anthony Balilovsky, Keith DeCandido, Alex Shvartsman, and Grant Carrington.

Books and Brews (Saturday 10:00) Come join me for coffee (no brews at 10 am, unless you want to) and we can talk about anything you want!

Capturing and Changing History in Speculative Fiction (Saturday noon): History is always subjective. Or at least written by the winners. How do you keep it close enough to recognize but different enough to be exciting? Listen to discussions among Pros and Fans. With Charles Gannon and Roberta Rogow.

Baker Street Irregulars book launch party (Saturday 1:30): A celebration for my new book, with prizes!

Elementary, My Dear Watson (Saturday 4:30): Why is Sherlock Holmes still so popular? People are flocking to recent comic releases, films, and plays. Panelists will discuss why Sherlock is still such a popular figure in contemporary culture. With guests Carol Bugge, Elizabeth Crowens, Keith DeCandido, and Marvin Kaye.

Autographing (Sunday 11:15): I’ll be sharing autographing space with David Gerrold and David Harten Watson.

The Biggest Mistakes Made by Beginning Writers (Sunday 2:00): My solo presentation for new writers.