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I recently returned from Bazyliszek 2026 in Warsaw, Poland, and the entire experience was truly amazing.
Bazyliszek was incredibly warm and inviting, and everyone I met was so lovely. They had two innovations I would love to see other conventions do.
One: Instead of having the dealer hall in a basement, they took over the parking lot for the venue and had an outdoor festival. Anyone could browse the vendor area, without having to buy a ticket, and in fact, the entire convention was free.
Two: The gamers were also not subjected to a lightless room without oxygen for days. The gamers played RPGs with friends outside, getting fresh air. This helped give the convention such a joyful atmosphere.
As far as Warsaw, itself, I had this mental image from media of a gray city, but I was immediately struck, upon arriving, by how green it was. I learned that it is the greenest capital city in Europe, which is a reminder that media and reality are frequently not aligned. Also, the food was amazing.
My favorite surprise was seeing how many Polish fans Elsie has. Here are a few photos from my trip.
The maker of the beautiful portrait of Elsie can be found here.
MRK’s Mundane Moments
Here’s a quick snapshot of what I’m…
- Crafting: Mint Leaf top in silk and linen
- Reading: Palaces of the Crow by Ray Naylor
- Writing: “The small telltale lights scattered around the room painted the night a silver blue-green.“
- Watching: Hacks
- Enjoying: Visiting Warsaw, Poland
Noteworthy News
There are two crowdfunding campaigns coming up where I’m looking forward to narrating the audiobooks, should the campaigns be successful. The best thing you can do to support these campaigns right now is to click the links below and enter your email address to indicate you’re interested in knowing more when the campaigns launch this fall.
- The Sapphics Strike Back, the short story anthology sequel to Lesbians in Space
- Undeniable, a paranormal thriller by Jes Honard and Marie Parks
It occurs to me that I don’t talk about my audiobook narration projects as much as I discuss my writing or Elsie’s shenanigans.
Here are some books I’ve narrated in the last couple of years:
- Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
- The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee
- A Divided Duty by Seanan McGuire
- Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir (I also provided English translation from Icelandic)
- Structuring Life to Support Creativity by Sandra Tayler
- Apprehension by Mary Robinette Kowal (comes with Red Star Hustle by Sam J. Miller, as does the physical/digital book)
- Unrelenting, by Jes Honard and Marie Parks
Upcoming Events
I have a few book signings, festivals, and other opportunities for connection coming up. I’d love to see you at one (or more!)
THIS MONTH:
- Every Sunday, 11 AM ET: Make Me Write session for Patreon subscribers at that tier
- July 27 at 8 PM ET (Virtual): I’m teaching my “Building a Story from Research” class to my Patreon members at the Live-streaming Classes tier and above.
- July 28 at 8 PM ET (Virtual): Ask me anything at my virtual Q&A for Patreon members at the Q&A tier and above.
- July 30-August 2 in Indianapolis, IN: Author panelist and instructor at the Gen Con Writers Symposium
FUTURE:
- August 20 in Pittsburgh, PA: I’ll be reading from the new Tales from a Space Bar anthology including my own contribution.
- August 21 in Pittsburgh, PA: I’ll give a reading at Riverstone Books (Squirrel Hill location).
- August 27-31 in Anaheim, CA: I’m on a number of panels and other activities at LAcon V.
- September 3-11 in Seattle, WA: I’m an instructor on the final (for now) Writing Excuses Cruise. Join the other hosts of the podcast and me as we sail to Alaska.
- September 12 in Seattle, WA: I’m delighted to be discussing Post-Dystopia Space Exploration: A Deep Dives Conversation with Dr. Sian Proctor, moderated by K. Wilson (The Astro Stud), hosted by Clarion West.
- October 15 in Aspen, CO: I’m joining the Aspen Writers Network meeting to discuss sci-fi and fantasy.
- October 21-24 in Surrey, BC: Find me at the Surrey International Writers Conference, where I’ll be a panelist and instructor.
- February 4-6, 2027 in Colorado Springs, CO: I’m an instructor at the Superstars Conference. Register before September 30 to save $100
- April 30 – May 3, 2027 in Albuquerque, NM: I’m an instructor (along with Sarah Gailey and Premee Mohamed) at Sandia Starforgers Workshop and Retreat for sci-fi, fantasy, horror, alt history, and other speculative fiction writers.
What I’m Reading and Loving
The first book in this universe is called Ancillary Justice and it’s amazing. I found Radiant Star really compelling in ways that I was not expecting from a book that has such a present omniscient narrator. I think because, even though it’s on a different world, with a very different society at the end of the day, people are still people. And so it winds up being an interesting social commentary while also being this grand epic on another world.
Want to see me read this book to Elsie? Click here.
Featured Patreon Event
Live-streaming Class: “Building a Story from Research”
Monday, July 27 at 8 PM ET
Everyone has read an interesting newspaper article or learned a random factoid and wondered how to turn it into a piece of fiction, similar to Toni Morrison’s Beloved. In this workshop, we get a hands-on lesson on how to find the story in that research.
I offer a 7-day free trial for new Patreon members.
Elsie’s Corner
Did you see Elsie now has a merch store? Here is the link, and new merch will be releasing periodically.
After I returned from Warsaw, Elsie wanted to share some OPINIONS.
She used several methods of communication, including body language and buttons.
She also appreciated the gifts from her fans in Poland.
Want to start your own communication journey with your animal?
Click this link and use the code “elsiewant” for 12% off FluentPet buttons.
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