MileHiCon 49: Full Schedule

2:00pm MDT

When Movie Versions Go Wrong

Can a movie diverge vastly from the book and still be good on its own merits? Are there times alterations improve the material or are necessary for a successful switch in mediums?

Moderators

Matthew S. Rotundo

Matt is an award-winning writer of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Read more about him at his website: www.matthewsrotundo.com

Participants

Amalie Howard grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 22 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has... Read More →

Carrie Vaughn

Carrie Vaughn is the bestselling author of a series of novels about a werewolf named Kitty who hosts a talk radio advice show. The most recent and final in the series, Kitty Saves the World, came out August 2015. Low Midnight, a novel in the Kitty universe focused on Cormac Bennett... Read More →

Christie Hartman

C.A. Hartman Fiction

A former scientist gone rogue, Christie Hartman writes sci-fi with real science and badass female protagonists.

Thomas A. Fowler

Marketing Director, Spine Press & Post

Thomas A. Fowler is the author of nerdy things. With several short stories published, he also helps authors market themselves as the Marketing Director at Spine Press + Post. He loves to entertain people through his YouTube videos and writing.

Friday October 27, 2017 2:00pm - 2:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

3:00pm MDT

Finer Points of Editing

What steps can you take to improve your own editing? When do you really need outside help? To what extent can an author really self-edit effectively?

Moderators

Nick Mamatas

Nick Mamatas is the author of several novels including The Last Weekend, I Am Providence, and the forthcoming Hexen Sabbath. His short fiction has appeared in Best American Mystery Stories, and he is also an award-winning anthologist, most recently with Mixed Up, a hybrid cocktail... Read More →

Participants

Carol Hightshoe

Mario Acevedo

Mario Acevedo is the author of the bestselling Felix Gomez detective-vampire series, which includes Rescue From Planet Pleasure from WordFire Press. His short fiction has appeared in Nightmares Unhinged and CyberWorld from Hex Publishers. Mario lives and writes in Denver, CO.

Matthew S. Rotundo

Matt is an award-winning writer of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Read more about him at his website: www.matthewsrotundo.com

Oz Drummond

Oz Drummond writes linked short stories in science fiction and fantasy universes. She has been in Analog and reprinted in Russian by IF. She's also the Comptroller for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).

Friday October 27, 2017 3:00pm - 3:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

4:00pm MDT

Rebuilding Your Career After Tragedy

How do you not let life’s tragedies (death, divorce, health challenges) destroy a career? How can you rise from the ashes?

Moderators

Emily Godhand

LitRPG author and professional formatter, admin assist, and world bible architect. Nurse. Loves kittens.

Participants

Christopher Barili

Author

Dana Bell

Author, Editor. Poet. Fanfiction writer.

Owned by two cats, Taj and Esther, Dana Bell is a Colorado writer who features cats often setting their tales in her native state or other places. She's edited several anthologies including one where a story won an award. Her hobbies include doll houses, flower arranging, various... Read More →

David Boop

Author

David Boop is a bestselling Denver-based speculative fiction author. He’s also an award-winning essayist, and screenwriter. His novel, the sci-fi/noir She Murdered Me with Science, will return to print in 2016 from WordFire Press. David has had over fifty short stories published... Read More →

Van Aaron Hughes

Van Aaron Hughes is the author of "The Long View," in the March-April 2013 issue of F&SF, "The Body Pirate" in a forthcoming issue of F&SF, and "The Dualist," which was a winner in the Writers of the Future Contest and published in Writers of the Future Vol. 27. His fiction has... Read More →

Friday October 27, 2017 4:00pm - 4:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

5:00pm MDT

Plotting: A Means to an End

Taglines, queries, synopsis, outlines and other ways of plotting. Why and how?

Moderators

Aaron Michael Ritchey

Aaron Michael Ritchey is the author of forty-three novels under various pen names. He’s been an Amazon All-Star, and the first book in The Juniper Wars series was a Dragon Award Finalist. His first two big press books, The Cunning Man and The Jupiter Knife, co-written with DJ Butler... Read More →

Guests of Honor

Eric Flint

Eric Flint's writing career began with the science fiction novel Mother of Demons. With David Drake, he has collaborated on the six-volume Belisarius series, as well as a novel entitled The Tyrant. His alternate history novel 1632 was published in 2000, and has led to a long-running... Read More →

Participants

James Van Pelt

His fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Asimov's, Realms of Fantasy, and Weird Tales. His non-fiction work has appeared in Tangent magazine. In 1999 James was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Several... Read More →

Molly Tanzer

Steve Rasnic Tem

A Colorado native, Steve Rasnic Tem is, according to Joe R. Lansdale, “a school of writing unto himself.” Steve is a past winner of the World Fantasy, British Fantasy, and Bram Stoker Awards (incl. 2014’s Blood Kin for novel). His short fiction work is legendary, with over 450... Read More →

Friday October 27, 2017 5:00pm - 5:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

6:00pm MDT

Self-Worth and Self-Publishing

Is the stigma of self-publishing dead? Our panelists will debate that and touch on the many ways self-worth and self-publishing can be tied together.

Moderators

Aaron Michael Ritchey

Participants

James Hunter

Author, Editor and Publisher, Shadow Alley Press

James Hunter is a full-time Inkslinger and the bestselling author of Vigil Bound, Rogue Dungeon, Shadowcroft Academy, and the LitRPG epic Viridian Gate Online! In addition to writing, James also runs Shadow Alley Press, a publishing company that specializes in LitRRP, Gamelit, and... Read More →

Stephanie Reisner

Stephanie Reisner makes her living as a full-time writer/publisher and is published both traditionally and independently, but with focus on her successful indie career. With four pen names, she has over 40 published novels in various genres to her credit and even more novellas and... Read More →

Sue Duff

Veronica Roland

Veronica R. Calisto (she/her) is a massage therapist, an alto, a writer of speculative fiction, and a big nerd. One of those rare Colorado natives, she has a degree in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and is a two-time American Idol reject. Veronica is best described as... Read More →

Friday October 27, 2017 6:00pm - 6:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

9:00pm MDT

Creatures of A Different Night

New twists on old monsters—what’s out there beyond vampires, werewolves, and zombies.

Moderators

Travis Heermann

Author Alley

Participants

Alistair Kimble

Amalie Howard

Sam Knight

Author/Publisher, Knight Writing Press

Sam Knight is publisher of Knight Writing Press and author of six children’s books, five short story collections, three novels, and over 75 short stories, including three co-authored with Kevin J. Anderson. A Colorado native, Sam spent ten years in California’s wine country before... Read More →

Vivian Caethe

Author

When not fighting crime, Ms. Caethe also writes and edits. The author of multiple short stories and novellas, her work has appeared in various magazines and anthologies. She lives with her husband in Colorado. Check her latest novel out on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/VivianCaethe... Read More →

Friday October 27, 2017 9:00pm - 9:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

10:00am MDT

Animal Attraction

Bond animals, FAMs, psychic rapport, talking to animals and animal-like alien species. Wolves, dragons, cats, dogs, and horses are popular, but somehow never sloths…

Moderators

Richard Friesen

Author, Richard Friesen

Richard Friesen's first novel, The Tower of Dreams, came out in January. Book II in the Dreaming King Saga, Oathbound Sisters should be out by mid-summer. Richard has been writing for years and has a few published short stories, such as the one in Once Upon a Galaxy, edited by Wil... Read More →

Guests of Honor

Jane Lindskold

Mentored by her friend, Roger Zelazny, she started publishing stories in 1992, and she published her first novel, Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls in December, 1994. In her Athanor series, she writes about the creatures of legend — shape-shifters, satyrs, merfolk, and unicorns... Read More →

Participants

A.M. Burns

Writer, Out In Colorado Writers

A.M. Burns lives in the Colorado Rockies with his partner, several dogs, cats, horses, and birds. When he’s not writing, he’s often fixing fences, splitting wood, hiking in the mountains, or flying his hawks. He’s enjoyed writing since he was in high school, but it wasn’t... Read More →

Rob S. Rice

Ambassador from the Past

Rob S. Rice has long had a fascination with the histories of war, technology, and always the sea. He has delivered papers before the American Philological Association, lectured at Annapolis and has taught subjects from Mythology to Roman History. Before all THAT, he won the 1st... Read More →

Robin Owens

Robin D. Owens credits the telepathic cat with attitude in selling her first futuristic/fantasy romance, HeartMate, published in December 2001. Since then the RITA® Award Winning novelist has written 13 books in the Celta series, including the latest, Heart Fire (November 2014... Read More →

Saturday October 28, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming, Guests of Honor

11:00am MDT

Blind Submission: The Live Slush Panel

Wonder what makes an editor stop reading a submission … or keep reading? Come hear a live slush panel as our panel of editors consider submitted manuscripts

Moderators

Angie Hodapp

Director of Literary Development, Nelson Literary Agency

Angie Hodapp is the Director of Literary Development at Nelson Literary Agency. She holds a BA in English and secondary education from the University of Northern Colorado and an MA in English and communication development from Colorado State University. A graduate of the Publishing... Read More →

Guests of Honor

Jason Heller

Jason Heller is a journalist, editor, and author whose books include: Strange Stars (forthcoming from Melville House); the alt-history novel Taft 2012 (Quirk); the Goosebumps tie-in Slappy’s Revenge (Scholastic); the Pirates of the Caribbean tie-in The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook... Read More →

Participants

Carol Hightshoe

Dana Bell

Author, Editor. Poet. Fanfiction writer.

Elin Wyn

Cat herder, word wrangler and short on sleep.

Sarena Ulibarri

Sarena Ulibarri attended the Clarion Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers' Workshop at UCSD, the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction Novel Workshop at KU, and earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her fiction has appeared in Lightspeed... Read More →

Tim Anderson

Saturday October 28, 2017 11:00am - 11:50am MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming, Guests of Honor

12:00pm MDT

Teaching & Writer’s Workshops

Getting a masters in creative writing, Clarion, ongoing writers workshops, NaNoWriMo, books and blogs on the writing process—what really works, and for who? Is there any way to tell before you spend the time and money?

Moderators

Cynthia Felice

Participants

James Van Pelt

Paolo Bacigalupi

Sarena Ulibarri

Steve Rasnic Tem

Saturday October 28, 2017 12:00pm - 12:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

1:00pm MDT

Urban Fantasy is Dead: Long Live Paranormal Romance

Despite the supposed death knell for certain sub/genres, they seem to keep going—maybe with a new label or a different twist. Are any really on the terminal list? Any truly new ones waiting in the wings?

Moderators

Emily Godhand

LitRPG author and professional formatter, admin assist, and world bible architect. Nurse. Loves kittens.

Participants

Gary Piserchio

Gary Piserchio, a native of Denver, writes both short- and long-form genre fiction. He's had three short stories published in the past year including (with his writing partner) one of ten stories that made it into the 2016 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthology. His other fiction... Read More →

James Hunter

Author, Editor and Publisher, Shadow Alley Press

Karen Stollznow

Stephanie Reisner

Saturday October 28, 2017 1:00pm - 1:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

2:00pm MDT

DASFA Turkey Readoff

An almost unbelievable yet hysterical MileHiCon tradition returns! Our courageous panelists have scoured bookstores, thrift stores, the Net, and the dark recesses of publishing to find their treasures.

Moderators

Tim Simpson

Participants

Arlen Feldman

Arlen Feldman is a software engineer, and co-founder of Cherwell Software, one of the leading service desk products in the world. Now semi-retired, he is also a technical adviser, computer book author, maker, costumer, and a semi-professional dilettante.

Craig Chrissinger

Craig W. Chrissinger has reported on the Williamson Lectureship for Locus Magazine for a third time, and has started writing book reviews again for the Albuquerque Journal. He earned a journalism degree in 1984, and is happy to put it to use. In the past 25 years, he’s written for... Read More →

Curtis Craddock

Deranged Lunatic, Author

Science Fiction/Fantasy Writer, Teacher, Gamer, Ubergeek.

Jessica Coyle

Jessica L. Coyle has attended conventions since she was a tween, and has participated in several costume contests. She earned her Master’s in Museum Education from The George Washington University, and currently works at the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History. She serves as Bubonicon’s... Read More →

Tim Anderson

Saturday October 28, 2017 2:00pm - 2:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

3:00pm MDT

Building Bitter Worlds: Believable Dystopias

There’s more to dystopia than gray palettes and scrappy teens—how do you build a believable world that your audience can accept and relate to?

Moderators

J.L. Forrest

Participants

Angie Hodapp

Director of Literary Development, Nelson Literary Agency

Eytan Kollin

Jenna Lincoln

I'd love to talk about my books! I write YA and adult Science Fiction. The first two books in my trilogy are out: 1. The Protector Project 2. The People's Champion And I have a novella in an SFR anthology that just came out this month! Anthology is called Cosmic Cabaret and... Read More →

Paolo Bacigalupi

Saturday October 28, 2017 3:00pm - 3:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

4:00pm MDT

The Best SF/F/H Plot Twists of All Time

From An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge to The Sixth Sense, in books, movies, short stories and comics, what are some of the most memorable plot twists in the field?

Moderators

Lou J Berger

Lou J Berger writes mostly science fiction and fantasy, but is working on a literary novel set in 1978 North Carolina and centers around a young boy who lost his mother.He's a member of SFWA and has been professionally published in Galaxy's Edge Magazine, as well as in a variety of... Read More →

Participants

Connie Willis

Rebecca Lickiss

Rebecca Lickiss, a passionate reader, began telling stories at an early age. She finally decided to write them down for publication, since it was better than cleaning house again. Her day job is teaching physics at the Air Force Academy, which explains why she doesn't write hard... Read More →

Van Aaron Hughes

Warren Hammond

Warren Hammond is known for his gritty, futuristic KOP series, of which the third book, KOP Killer, won the 2012 Colorado Book Award for best mystery. Warren's latest novel, Tides of Maritinia, ws released in December 2014. His first book independent of the KOP series, Tides is a... Read More →

Saturday October 28, 2017 4:00pm - 4:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

5:00pm MDT

An Hour with Jane Lindskold

Stop in for some quality time with author Guest of Honor Jane Lindskold … could be a reading, Q&A, or something unexpected.

Guests of Honor

Jane Lindskold

Saturday October 28, 2017 5:00pm - 5:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming, Guests of Honor

6:00pm MDT

Iron Hack

Our fearless contestants will be given four ingredients from the audience - a person/occupation, a thing, a place and a time period and then must write a piece of Flash Fiction. The results will be read and winner decided by audience acclaim.

Moderators

Stace Johnson

Owner, Lytspeed Creative

I'm a writer and musician from the Denver metro area, but I make my living in IT. So far, I've published more than 100 short pieces across non-fiction, fiction, and poetry, a number I was astonished to realize last year. When I'm not doing something involving a computer keyboard... Read More →

Guests of Honor

Jane Lindskold

Participants

Christopher Barili

Author

Gregory Hyde

Gregory R. Hyde is a member of the Northern Colorado Writers Workshop (NCWW). An Advanced Translations Engineer for a 9-11 telecom company by trade (after a long career as a mental health professional), he's been a finalist in the Writers of the Future contest and has seven honorable... Read More →

Nathan M. Beauchamp

Acquisitions Editor, Centrifuge Press

Nathan serves as acquisitions editor for Centrifuge Press, an independent publisher of speculative fiction. He co-authored the award-winning YA science fiction series Universe Eventual under the pseudonym N.J. Tanger, including the novels Chimera, Helios, Ceres, and Ascension. His... Read More →

Saturday October 28, 2017 6:00pm - 6:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

7:00pm MDT

Who’s the Real Monster?

Werewolves or war criminals, vampires or human sociopaths? It can be difficult to decipher who the real monster is.

Moderators

Amity Green

Participants

Amalie Howard

Catherine Spader

Founder/owner, Quillstone Press

Catherine Spader is the award-winning author of the dark fantasy Wulfhedinn series. Her first novel, Feast of the Raven, won a first place EVVY book award from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. Her second novel in the series, Return of the Wulfhedinn, was released in... Read More →

James Hunter

Author, Editor and Publisher, Shadow Alley Press

Paolo Bacigalupi

Saturday October 28, 2017 7:00pm - 7:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

8:00pm MDT

For the (Conditional) Love of Lovecraft

Why is Lovecraft so popular now? What insights do we gain when we read and tell Lovecraftian stories from a modern perspective?

Moderators

Nick Mamatas

Participants

Colin Heintze

DeAnna Knippling

Publisher, Wonderland Press

DeAnna Knippling is a professional freelance writer and editor, with around 40 books written for herself and her many ghostwriting clients and her multiple pen names, because life isn't complicated enough already. Under her own name, she writes gothic horror and fantasy, but she also... Read More →

James Van Pelt

Scott Tefoe

Saturday October 28, 2017 8:00pm - 8:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

10:00am MDT

Beliefs, Messages, & Themes in Fiction

How can it be done well instead of being preachy? When do those elements date a work, instead of making it universal?

Moderators

F. P. Dorchak

Paranormal Fiction Author, F. P. Dorchak

I write gritty, Twilight Zone-like fiction. Please check out my new book: Do The Dead Dream? An Anthology of the Weird and the Peculiar, which won the 2017 national Best Book Award for Fiction: Short Stories.My interests are many and varied. Just say "Hi!" and we'll take it from... Read More →

Guests of Honor

Eric Flint

Participants

Carol Hightshoe

Connie Willis

Eneasz Brodski

Sunday October 29, 2017 10:00am - 10:50am MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

11:00am MDT

GoH Remarks & Awards

Take advantage of this opportunity to hear from our Guests of Honor. As the subject of their remarks is left to their discretion (or lack thereof), you never know what you’re going to hear! Announcements will be announced and awards awarded.

Guests of Honor

Carrie Ann Baade

Born in Louisiana, Carrie Ann Baade received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago that included one year of study at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy, and her MFA in Painting from the University of Delaware. Her paintings combine remnants of Renaissance and... Read More →

Eric Flint

Jason Heller

Jane Lindskold

Sunday October 29, 2017 11:00am - 12:30pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

1:00pm MDT

Another Year in Science

Our science-loving panelists take a look back at twelve months of discoveries, breakthroughs, and disappointments.

Moderators

Daniel Dvorkin

Daniel Dvorkin, a joint production of David and Leonore Dvorkin Productions, has served as an Army infantryman and an Air Force medic. He recently completed his Ph.D. in bioinformatics, which was harder than anything the military threw at him including Desert Storm. His most recent... Read More →

Participants

Arlen Feldman

Michael Carroll

Michael Carroll has been an astronomical/science fiction artist and author for three decades. He has done work for NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and dozens of book and magazine publishers internationally. His art has appeared in several hundred magazines throughout the world... Read More →

Rebecca Lickiss

Sunday October 29, 2017 1:00pm - 1:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

2:00pm MDT

Writing Endings

Parting is such sweet sorrow, at least if you do right. Guest of Honor Jane Lindskold will walk you through the fine art of writing endings.

Guests of Honor

Jane Lindskold

Sunday October 29, 2017 2:00pm - 2:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming, Guests of Honor

3:00pm MDT

Ed Bryant Remembered

All are welcome to attend and share memories or listen. A memory book project will launch here, and friends will share word of other projects honoring Ed or collecting his work for publication.

Moderators

Stace Johnson

Owner, Lytspeed Creative

Participants

Cynthia Felice

Deena Larsen

Deena Larsen wrote the first interactive work published way back before the net. You can now play in Marble Springs, the wiki, and it is featured in the Electronic Literature Collection. (http://marblesprings.wikidot.com/). A pioneer in the new media/electronic lit field since before... Read More →

Gregory Hyde

John E. Stith

Author of MANHATTAN TRANSFER (Hugo Honorable Mention), REDSHIFT RENDEZVOUS (Nebula Nominee), "Naught for Hire," etc

Ronnie Seagren

Ronnie Seagren—when not writing—can be found photographing landscapes and flowers or leading moonrise hikes at Roxborough State Park. She's pleased that her novel, Seventh Daughter, has found a new home at Wolfsinger Publications, and she's working hard on the long-awaited sequel... Read More →

Sunday October 29, 2017 3:00pm - 3:50pm MDT
Mesa Verde B Ground Floor

Programming

5:00pm MDT

Closing Ceremonies

It’s the end of another MileHiCon! (Where *did* the weekend go?) Come bid farewell to our guests and hear how the con did this year.

Guests of Honor