Jean Marie Ward

Last August, Jim Levin of the York Emporium bookstore and curiosity shop announced a writing competition. The only criteria were the story had to be under five thousand words and it needed to carry the title "Yesterday I Will". Inspired by a preview of Weird Tales' first One-Minute Weird Tale, I wrote a 69-word story that I thought was pretty funny. Fortunately, the judges agreed. The story made it to the final anthology, which I finally got to hold in my hot little hands at Balticon. No reviews so far, and it's only available through Fortress Publishing, Amazon and The York Emporium, but if you like new voices and edgy science fiction, this is the anthology for you.

And then there's my story... ;-)

• 00:10 @MelSchroeder Sending feel better wishes too! #

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I’m going back on con time this weekend. From Friday to Monday, May 22-25, you’ll find me at Balticon, Baltimore’s premier science fiction and fantasy con, held over the Memorial Day Weekend at the Hunt Valley Marriott. I hope you’ll check it out. And if you’re looking for me in particular, here’s where you’ll find me:

Friday, 6 p.m.
Humor in Science Fiction and Fantasy - Panelists will help you see the humor you may have missed in the work of Charles Stross and others. They will also look at the history of humor in the genres from Feghoots to the present. Panelists: Tom Doyle, Grig Larson, James Daniel Ross and Jean Marie Ward.

Saturday, 3 p.m.
Television Science Fiction and Fantasy – Admit it, you love it. But it makes you feel so guilty in the morning. Panelists: Dale Arnold, Brenda Clough, Thomas Horman, Elaine Stiles and Jean Marie Ward.

Saturday, 7 p.m.
Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading – Six of Balticon’s featured women writers bring you into their worlds with six-minute readings from their newest fiction. (I plan to read my latest, “Lord Bai’s Discovery of Bacon”. The editor who asked for it will be in the audience. Be afraid. Be very afraid.) Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Roxanne Bland, Kelly A. Harmon, Gail Z. Martin, Jean Marie Ward and Trisha J. Woolridge.

Sunday, 4 p.m.
Reading as Exploration - Tell us about books you have explored recently or those you remember from the past. Panelists: David Glenn Anderson, Robert R. Chase, Darrell Schweitzer, Jean Marie Ward and Martin Morse Wooster.

That's whoops as in "cheers", not the kind you say when you drop something.  lordruthven , the chair of the DragonCon Dark Fantasy track, has posted his preliminary guest list, and look who's on it:

Michelle Belanger
Doug Bradley
Elizabeth Donald
John Everson
Allan Gilbreath
Christopher Golden
Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Charlaine Harris
Raven Hart
Mark Henry
Stacia Kane
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Jackie Kessler
Caitlin Kittredge
Alethea Kontis
Rosemary Laurey
J.F. Lewis
Jonathan Maberry
Marianne Mancusi
Richelle Mead
Mike Mignola
Scott Nicholson
Cherie Priest
Kat Richardson
Stephen H. Segal
Jeanne Stein
Jean Marie Ward
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Can you tell I'm grinning from ear to ear?  :D
Cheers and happy dances,

New story, set in ancient Mongolia, about a girl picked by a lottery to appease a dragon, needs beta readers.  It's about 10,000 words long, and not my usual style.  It's got a lot of emotionally scary stuff, but on the bright side, the structure's a lot better than "Siren Bridge" and I don't need the comments for at least a month.  Any takers?  Thanks in advance.  Cheers, Jean Marie

My 2009 conference season starts off with a bang this Friday at Richmond’s RavenCon. If you’re in the neighborhood of the Crowne Plaza West, drop by and say hello--and hang around for the festivities. Mary Shelley’s going to be making a return engagement, and this time I think I can get the hair right. As for the rest, I think they’re going to get their money’s worth...

Friday

5 p.m.: Twice-Told Tales
Some of the most popular adult and young adult fantasy in today’s market are retellings of classic fairy tales and myths. What’s the allure? How do writers find something new to say about the stories we all know?
Panelists: Marcia Collette, Edmund Schubert (moderator), Jean Marie Ward, John C. Wright

7 p.m.: Writing 411: (Not Necessarily) The Usual Suspects (90-minute literary workshop)
Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Jack Bauer, Reno—chances are the thing you like best and remember longest about your favorite stories are the characters. This session will discuss the importance of characters in the creation of plot.
Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Jean Marie Ward, Allen Wold (moderator), John C. Wright

10 p.m.: Urban Fantasy 101
Werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters—these used to be classic “horror” elements. What defines Urban Fantasy and how does it differ from classic horror?
Panelists: Danny Birt, Marcia Colette, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Hildy Silverman, Jean Marie Ward (moderator)

Saturday

3 p.m.: Dead Authors Society
Four authors channel the spirits of their favorite dead authors for the duration. Talk to William Morris, David Gemmel, Louie L’Amour and Mary Shelley live…sort of.Panelists: Lyn Gardner, Laurel Anne Hill, Peter Prellwitz, Tony Ruggiero (moderator), Jean Marie Ward

6 p.m.: Books on TV
Several new series are popping up on TV based on popular novels--TrueBlood and Legend of the Seeker, for example. How closely do these TV shows follow their inspiration and will book fans follow them to television?
Panelists: James Fulbright, Jean Marie Ward

10 p.m.: Love at First Bite
What is it about vampires? From TrueBlood to Twilight, vampires seem to be taking over. What makes them fun to read and watch? Oh… and do they deserve “human rights” or are they “monsters”?
Panelists: Paul Bibeau, Marcia Collette, Tony Ruggiero (moderator), Jean Marie Ward

Sunday

Noon: Does Blood Smell?
A panel about some of the more “icky” aspects of writing and research.
Panelists: Laurel Anne Hill, Gail Martin, Tony Ruggiero (moderator), Maggie Stiefvater, Jean Marie Ward

My trip to Calgary last fall for the World Fantasy Con coincided with a photo shoot for a Lifetime Nora Roberts movie.  The question was, which one?  None of the titles listed on her web site took place in Baltimore (which is where a production assistant said the movie was set), much less Calgary. Turns out the movie was High Noon. The book takes place in Savannah, but hey, this is Hollywood--or at least its Canadian equivalent.

It's incredibly cool to see streets I walked, bars I drank in and places I visited on my TV. The scene before the 10:20 p.m. commercial break was set in the storefront shown in the picture (which was dressed as photo studio). But the biggest giggle so far has been the hero's bar. It's called Swifty's in the script, but behind the bar you can see the real name emblazoned on the mirror: James Joyce. Ah, the memories...  Right, cymreiges ?

I said goodbye to a good friend today.
After 19 years, four administrations and three moves, the Waldenbooks at Landmark Mall is closing its doors at 9 p.m. tonight.  A lot of my personal history--good and bad--goes with them.
This was the store where I hid nearly every day in the weeks following Teri's death.  That wonderful new book smell always reminds me that the world is endlessly new and full of possibilities.  It was something I desperately needed then.
The Landmark Waldenbooks hosted the first book signing for With Nine You Get Vanyr.  The staff was thrilled when they heard one of my stories was to share book space with one by Bob Asprin.  They ooh-ed and ah-ed when I showed them the flats of the proposals circulated at last year's Frankfurt Book Fair, and they looked forward to the publication of Fantasy Art Templates, the book resulting from one of those proposals.  I'd hoped to hold Fantasy Art Templates' "friends and family" signing there too.  But that's not going to happen.
I trust everyone will land on their feet.  Several members of the staff told me the bookstore wasn't their main job.  It just kept them in books and let them hang with crazy auth--er, interesting writers.  They'll all miss it, though.
My world will certainly be poorer for the loss.  I think the mall will be too.  The Waldenbooks was my anchor store.  I didn't go to Landmark for Macy's or Lord & Taylor.  I went for the bookstore.  Every other purchase followed from that.  I may be a little unusual in that respect, but I don't think I'm unique.
Oh, fudge!

Posted my latest blog at Beyond the Veil.  This time I tackle caffeine and ghosts. 
Hmm, caffeinated ghosts.  Now there's a story idea!
Cheers and grins,

My new home on the web is complete.  JeanMarieWard.com is now live.  The links work, including the Amazon gifs.  (Yes, I'm an affiliate.  Don't hate me.)  I still can't crosspost between blogs, but I can copy and paste for the time being.
I'll be leaving WardSmith.com up on the web--and on my LJ sidebar--as a tribute to qnotku.  But all the new stuff--including free reads, banners and videos (when I get good enough to make them)--will be posted at the new place.  Enjoy!