ConFABulous Schedule

 In which I will be game-mastering for the very first time!!!

FRIDAY

6: 00 pm 

The Queering of Good Omens. The second season of Good Omens had an explosion of canonically queer characters and couples. There were lesbians, nonbinary demons, and queer side characters galore. Yet our mains, Crowley and Aziraphale, couldn't seem to get it together, despite "the kiss." As we prepare for the Second Coming, let's talk about the good and the bad of the second season. 

 Lyda Morehouse, Naomi Kritzer, Don Kaiser

9:45 pm 

 Lesbian Space Opera: A Reading and Q&A by Lyda Morehouse. 

Lyda Morehouse has signed a deal for a new lesbian space opera trilogy. Come and join her for a reading and discussion about the forthcoming first novel in the trilogy.


SATURDAY

1:45 pm 

Yaoi and Yuri, the 2023 Edition. 

This panel is becoming a staple of ConFABulous, so it's time to move beyond 101 definitions of this manga genre. What's new (or new to you) and fun this year? There may be some discussion of manhwa and manhua (as well as anime and dongha,) but we're sticking with 2-D for this conversation. 

Lyda Morehouse, Jason Tucker


7:00 

Dance in the Neon-Pixelated Dark: A Thirsty Sword Lesbians Cyberpunk Homebrew. 

A rogue artificial intelligence that has escaped its corporate masters into the dark and rain-spattered streets of Neo-Toyko’s Akihabara’s “Electric Town.” A sleek, sexy agent of MegaCorp offers the thirsty lesbians gathered at the Potable Pussy Coffee Shop a hard-to-resist bounty to return this rebellious robot. Will they accept? If so, will they be able to find this runaway android before the machine-hating Luddite Cult gets their hands on it? Thirsty Sword Lesbians RPG. Simple rules will be taught. Up to 7 players.
GM: Lyda Morehouse


SUNDAY

3:30 pm 

Writing for RPGs. 

What are some best practices when designing adventures or sourcebooks for tabletop RPGs, either for publication or for your own gaming group? Discussion topics may include sources of inspiration, research and preparation, game balance, and having fun! 

James Satter, John Everett Till, Lyda Morehouse

5:00 pm 

Why Do Queer Women Write so Much M/M? 

This phenomenon has been true since the first Spock/Kirk slash was penned in the late 1960s. But this fan fiction trend has been mainstreamed lately with books like Everina Maxwell's Winter's Orbit, T. Kingfisher's Paladin's Hope, and an entire romance m/m genre (https://www.goodreads.com/genres/m-m-romance). Why aren't these queer and straight ladies writing F/F? Where are the male, gay authors? What are some concerns about this trend--are we being mainstreamed right into heteronormativity?

Lyda Morehouse, Naomi Kritzer, Lauren Crabtree

New Anthology!

 I have a short story, "Go Ask A.L.I.C.E." in the Reinvented Detective: Welcome to Tomorrow anthology, which you can pre-order right now!  Somehow I missed the cover art reveal, but I am INSANELY chuffed to discover my name listed among the featured authors. This may, in fact, be a first ever for me. Normally I'm listed among the "...and more."

Anyway, it will make a lovely holiday present! Go get yours now!

Big News! Many books forthcoming...

 I bet most of you have figured that I've dropped off the face of the earth. Turns out that I have been busily working on a science fiction book (under my given name Lyda Morehouse.) I just sold it and two more books in that trilogy to Cheryl Morgan at Wizard's Tower Press. 

https://wizardstowerpress.com/media/wizards-tower-acquires-earths-shadow-trilogy-from-lyda-morehouse/

Also, since I suspect that most readers here are more interested in my Tate Hallaway persona, GOOD NEWS FOR YOU AS WELL.  As part of the trilogy package, I have also agreed to write Alex Connor #3! (currently titled Infernal Affairs.) 

Guest on B Cube's Sunday Morning

I was a guest along with Lambda award-winner, Deborah J. Ross, on this very special Pride Month episodes. I had great fun--although my microphone decided to play hooky near the end of the broadcast, alas.  We did, at least, have a great conversation up until that moment.

Kickstarter is LIVE

 The Kickstarter for the Dragon Shelter Anthology is now live!!

This is the Kickstarter that I mentioned in an earlier post. The story I wrote for this is a lot of fun and very personal. I wrote it based on my time as a library circulation staff and the ending makes me cry happy tears (and hopefully will for you, too.) Teaser: there is an emotional support DRAGON involved!

At any rate, if you are so inclined, please consider tossing a bit of funding in its direction. Every little bit will help! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wolfinmybeard/a-day-at-the-dragon-shelter

Kickstarter News Coming...

 In the next week, expect some news about a Kickstarter for a shared-world anthology that I will be part of edited by Steven Brust and Chris ‘Fox’ Wallace.  Among the contributors are not only myself, but also Jane Yolen, Adam Stemple, and Emma Bull.

Just to whet your whet your appetite, here's a hint as to what it will all be about..

---

You probably remember where you were when you heard the dragons had returned. No doubt, unless you were one of the first to see one, you thought it was a hoax, and I'm sure it took you a while to be convinced. And you have certainly seen how it has changed things--destroying some businesses, creating others, but in one way or another, having an effect on almost everyone.

For us, here at the shelter, it's seasonal. Every Christmas, parents see a cute little hatchling and think what a wonderful present it would be. And, in many cases, they're right. But too many don't even bother looking up even the most basic information about whatever breed they've settled on, and there are too many unscrupulous breeders who don't bother telling them to. Many of these well-intentioned dragon owners somehow miss the two most important facts about a dragonling – It will grow, sometimes very large, and it may not choose you.

That's why, every spring, things start to really pick up here at the City of Lakes Dragon Shelter.

---

I really had a great time writing the story for this anthology. I got inspired, in part, by my work at the Ramsey County public library... and, of course, drag queen story hour.  

If you get a chance to support it when I have more details, please do!

Minicon 2023

My schedule for this year's Minicon (in Saint Louis Park, MN): http://mnstf.org/minicon56/

FRIDAY

8:30 PM

Gender & AI (Park 2)

Androids and AI in science fiction disrupt the idea of a gender binary: what purpose is there for an Android and/or AI to have gender? Could an Android/AI be trans, gender-fluid, and/or non-binary? How will that affect how we as a society see gender as a construct?

Justin Grays, Naomi Kritzer, Lyda Morehouse, Ian Young

SATURDAY

1:00 PM

Humor in genre fiction (Orchard)

A serious discussion of funny F/SF and horror.

Eleanor Arnason, Mike Aurelius, F. J. Bergman, Lyda Morehouse, Douglas Van Dyke Jr

2:30 PM

LGBTQ+ Representation in SF/F (Orchard)

Queer characters are showing up in both YA and adult F/SF. Where can you find queer characters? Are their authors getting it right? Which books/shows are the best? And, maybe, assuming that such representation merely a good start, what is the next step?

Justin Grays, David Lenander, Catherine Lundoff, Lyda Morehouse, David Paschal-Zimbel

SUNDAY

10:00 AM

The Power of Play (Park 1)

The concept of play includes many ideas such as stress relief, a path to creativity, connection with others (and our younger selves), and more. Science fiction and fantasy fans enjoy playing around mentally, after all. Silly hats, clothes, footwear, and toys are encouraged for panel members and attendees.

Jeanne Mealy, Lyda Morehouse, Laramie Sasseville, Crystal Therese

Fun New Patreon Perks

 So, you may not know that I have a Patreon. I do, but it is under my given name, Lyda Morehouse, under which I write science fiction. 

https://www.patreon.com/lydamorehouse

I've recently revamped (PARDON THE PUN) it hoping to lure in a few more fans of my paranormal work. 

If you subscribe at the $1/mo level, you can can stay caught up on all the lovely things I have been up to, including (but limited to!) the fact that I am in the midst of writing a short story for a dragon anthology. (If  you sign up at the $5/mo level, I will be sharing a bit of that once it's finished, just as a teaser.)

But, in specific, of interest to people here, I am adding some new things to my higher tiers. At the $5/mo level, I'm going to be starting a  weekly, Monday morning Tarot journal blog. This is 100% exclusive and in it, I'll be sharing pictures of my spread and my thoughts on what the card(s) mean generally, but also personally. If you're at all interested in the witchy aspects of my life, this is where you can find that kind of stuff. 

If you're willing to pay a bit more, I'm hoping to make my $10/mo tier attractive to people who tuned in to this blog in the old days when I wrote a lot about writing and how writing works. At this level, I'll be posting a blog about my writing advice, how-tos--basically stuff I've distilled from years of teaching at the Loft--once a month. This might also come with videos or podcasts, I'm not sure yet. I'm trying to make this new stuff all relatively easy for me to add into my life so that you'll be sure to get what you're paying for.

Also, you know, it's okay if this is not of interest to you. I put it out here just in case you are! I know you love and support my work, whether or not you can contribute to my Patreon.

Thanks!

Video of the Podcast

 If you would much rather see my smiling face while I record the Podcast that I posted a few days ago, here is the YouTube link:

Guest Appearance on Written Well Podcast

 

I was a guest on my friend Adam's podcast, Written Well.  Feel free to check it out: https://open.spotify.com/episode/53Er1jeTXgXaVEN3bNzQK3