Last in my month-long Whirlwind Weekends was Hypericon...Nashville's own local SF convention. And you know what? It was the perfect ending.

Good friends, good food, low-key fun -- well-attended panels that I was on most of (thanks to the long arm of Deborah LeBlanc...who can say no to that woman?) and an overwhelming sense of family that a lonely girl like me was just in the mood for.

I was surrounded at all times by some member of my Dark-Hunter family (Mama Sherri, Pam & Kim--great to meet you!--Lisa and Destiny and April...and I can tell them apart), my Smyna Library family (Al and Mel, thanks for making me look popular at my signing...you rock), my Shocklines family (Troy, you rock for doubling my reading attendance with your good-looking brood...and thank you Thomas and John and Philip for all your great feedback on a certain secret story! And Maurice...who makes all of us look good), my Ingram family (Janet & Mike I couldn't live without you), my Codex family (yes, Geoffrey, that's YOU), my HWA family (Scott and Deb, ghost hunters extraordinaire!), my Apex family (Jason & Mari & Judi & Alex), and my Hypericon family (Eddie, my forever con buddy, Fred & Darryl & Chip (I'll be your 2008 Diva!) & Stephania & Melissa & Brian & Jamie & Michael & Paul (Aridani Studios and the cutest boys in the world) & Glen Cook & Mary Buckner (panel saver) and....

...and the 300 other folks I didn't mention.

If it feels like everybody at this con knows each other...it's because after three years, we kind of do. That's the thing. There may only be 350 people in attendance, but for that 350 people it's a weekend we couldn't live without. SO much so that during the closing ceremonies, it was announced that enough money had been donated by generous congoers to fund Hypericon 4.

And that was before all the room party winners gave all their money back.

It's all about family, folks...a family I couldn't be prouder to be a part of.

Ever the world traveler, I ventured into the Australian Outback for this month's interview with New York Times bestselling author Sean Williams. Find out what a cool place Australia is, how fascinating twins can be, and whether or not writing a book is harder than becoming someone's other half. Read the interview here.

Holy molito -- can you believe it's June already?

For those who aren't already planning on it, Sherrilyn Kenyon and I will both be appearing at Hypericon, June 15-17th in Nashville TN. We'll be doing the "Hour with Sherrilyn Kenyon" like we do at Dragon*Con, only in a much more intimate setting. If you want to chat with the Author Goddess, or find out more about the The Dark-Hunter Companion, this is your chance! For more info, visit the Official Hypericon Page.

I'll also be reading AlphaOops!: The Day Z Went First at Hypericon, for Saturday morning breakfast. If you can't attend that performance, try and catch these:


Smyrna Public Library
June 12th, 10:00am
Smyrna, TN



MGL Public Library
June 20th, 10:00am
Murfreesboro, TN


See you there!