Prominent Catholic Writers to Speak at Catholic Writers Conference in Chicago Area

Maybe Chicago doesn't suck quite as bad as one might think. The Catholic Writers Conference is going to be there this year. July, in fact.

However, while it's not mentioned, there's going to be one more person there.

Me.  I'm going to be on an action/adventure panel with Ann Margaret Lewis, John Desjarlais and Gene Wolfe. 

See, they have no taste at all.



Prominent Catholic Writers to Speak at Catholic Writers Conference in Chicago Area

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., June 2, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Several prominent Catholic writers will speak at the sixth annual Catholic Writers' Conference LIVE taking place July 30-August 1, 2014, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center and Hotel in Schaumburg, IL. Sponsored by the Catholic Writer's Guild and the Catholic Marketing Network (CMN), and held in conjunction with CMN's annual retailer trade show, the Catholic Writers Conference LIVE provides Catholic writers with a prime opportunity to meet and share their faith with editors, publishers, fellow writers, and bookstore owners from across the globe. The theme of this year's conference is "Perseverance."



Speakers at this year's conference include authors Lisa Hendey (BOOK OF SAINTS FOR CATHOLIC MOMS), award-winning science fiction/fantasy author Gene Wolfe (THE NEW BOOK OF THE SUN), Inspirational Speaker Lizzie Velasquez, Gary Zimak (FROM FEAR TO FAITH), Claudia Volkman (Editor, Servant Books), Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle (EWTN, CATHOLIC PRAYER BOOK FOR MOTHERS), Ellen Gable Hrkach (STEALING JENNY), author Declan Finn (A PIUS MAN: A HOLY THRILLER) and many others.



The conference will give authors an opportunity to meet personally with publishing professionals and pitch their writing projects. Some participating publishers are Ignatius Press, Ave Maria Press, and Servant Books. In addition, attendees have the opportunity to sign up for fiction critique workshop with award-wining short fiction writer Arthur Powers, a non-fiction critique group with Nancy Cook Ward and attend a writing workshop with novelist John Desjarlais. Information for these events can be found on the conference website.



The Catholic Writers Guild, a religious non-profit organization affiliated with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, sponsors this conference in July, an online conference in March, and a writers' retreat in October to further its mission of promoting Catholic literature. "With members all over North America, these events bring our diverse membership together for fellowship and networking to promote our mission of creating a rebirth of Catholic arts and letters," says CWG President and award-winning novelist Ellen Gable Hrkach.

Registration costs $80 for CWG members, $85 for non-members and $45 for students. There's also a discounted combined membership. To register or for more information, go to www.catholicwritersconference.com.

The contact information for this event is Ann Lewis, at 317-755-2693.

E3 2014 Day 1, part 2

Yeah, you didn't think that yesterday's post was EVERYTHING at E3 that looked cool, did you?



No such luck.



First, a few things.  One, there's a new Call of Duty game that I commented on over at The American Journal.  Then there's the Year of Being the Villain, as well as another look at yet another postmortem Tom Clancy property (I swear, his postmortem career is almost as bad as Ludlum's. Maybe worse.)



Oh, and Halo is back.



And then there's this. I want this game. I want it now.... and I'm still playing the first one. Dang it.







Then there's a book-inspired video game that makes me want to read the books and  play the game.









And there's another Assassin's Creed game, if you care.

E3 2014, Day 1

I hate E3. It makes me want to buy systems and games I probably can't afford. Damn them.



Far Cry 4 looks like a lot of fun. In fact, I'm going to link to the two videos and the commentary I have over at American Journal.  Enjoy.



There's also a look at the new Battlefield, Cops and Robbers. That's not the title, but it should be, darn it.



As for the games here, first....



Because he's BATMAN.







Bayonetta 2 ...... I loved the first one. It was just plain FUN.









Uncharted 4







Oh, and.... oooo, shiny.







E3 Meets its Destiny.







This was just hilarious. Zombies go into self parody.

Updates, and E3

So, you're wondering....



John, Declan, whatever alias you're using this week, what the hell has been going on with you? You don't really deliver on blogs, and you're mostly just slapping together a post filled with links to other things you're doing. What the hell?  What happened to A Pius Stand? What happened to that thing with the vampires? What's going on?



Well, a few things. A Pius Stand should be done by July. Yes. July.  The beta readers are going through it now, including the lovely Ann Margaret Lewis. Yes, a real, honest-to-God author is reading my stuff. I've already gotten one good review from a beta reader.  The comment, well...

"durn you. now i had to go and buy the 1st two. Liked it that much."

And he did, I saw the sale numbers.



So, that's good.



Right now, Honor At Stake, "that vampire novel" is with the publisher. Haven't heard back from them ... well, that's not true. I've heard back from the owner of the company, and I've heard from the art department. I got the impression my book was a few down in the stack. I have time ... and I'm already working on the sequels. All three of them.



While I'm doing that, I'm working on the sequel to Codename: Winterborn, and I'm waiting for my coauthor to do something.



By the way, E3 is out, and I'm covering it for American Journal. Enjoy.

Music, Lists, Arrow, and Agents of SHIELD

I've been doing a lot of writing lately, though not here.  I've got Codename: Unsub to work on (the sequel to Codename: Winterborn), A Pius Stand to finish when the beta readers get back, and I'm working on Murphy's Law of Vampires, while I'm waiting for Damnation to get back to me on Honor At Stakes.



To start with, there is the list of Arrow vs. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  And, damn, there were a lot of reasons.



There is also what we're not going to miss from the Star Wars expanded universe, courtesy of The Mouse.



You can check out any of my articles on The American Journal, if you feel like looking at me being cranky with the news, politics, politicians, life, that sort of thing, as I do my impersonation of a right-wing fringe lunatic.... or maybe just a lunatic.



If that's not enough, I've got a fun bit of music for you today.



Now, pardon me, I have to keep working. I hear that DC did something else stupid over the weekend that I have to rant and rage against.