Hurricane Who 2013

You need to meet my little brother.

... not sure... which one?

Saying he's little is ironic. Although I'm the older sister, he somehow grew as tall as a tree (at least, from my height), but I assure you, he's the baby of the family. Now that I've thoroughly embarrassed him, I'll tell you how it is he became a special guest at this year's Hurricane Who convention.

Hurricane Who is a Doctor Who convention in Orlando known for drawing in passionate fans and engaging speakers; the convention's small size makes for a cozy atmosphere with plenty of Tardis blues and Dalek reds on parade. This was a new experience for me because I'm used to going to large conventions with stadium-sized vendor spaces, endless panels, and very long lines for overpriced food, so the slow, yet charming energy of Hurricane Who grew on me the longer I was there.

Bill's projects in card form

My brother is an amateur voice actor, though it's hard to call him an amateur when he worked on so many projects. You'll find a list of his projects on his website, here. Bill voices mostly cartoon characters, whether it's playing a beloved character in a fandub or embarking on an original project. Sometimes it surprises me that he fell into voice acting - not because he can't do it (I grew up being entertained by his uncanny ability to mimic my favorite cartoon characters), but because I can't stand the sound of my own recorded voice, haha. I'll stick with the written word, thank you.

I went to one of the panels that Bill was on all about voice acting. So, despite my dear sweet brother's lack of Doctor Who knowledge (he's still stuck on Martha's season...), the audience was eager to pick his brain about voice acting. With him was Ashlee Webster, another budding voice actress who focuses on voicing for audio books and radio dramas. Also, there was a dalek. She had good questions.

Growing up, if you wanted to be a voice actor, you were told that you had to live in one of the major cities, line up outside for auditions, and cross your fingers that you, out of hundreds of applicants, would get your coveted role. But with all this new technology, becoming a voice actor isn't reserved for only those who live in a convenient location. As Bill said, you need to invest in a good mike, some fabric to sound-proof your office, and start perusing a handful of websites and forums where writers / animators / directors are looking for voice actors. Granted, they are usually tech-genius high schoolers and college kids, but it's a good way to start.

Paul and Bill, up to no good

Later on, Bill appeared again with Ghost Hunter's International star, Paul Bradford. I mean, you know, before he got into voice acting, my brother was a ghost hunter. But that's a story for another day (oh boy). So Bill and Paul shared a table during the convention and they told ghost hunting stories during their panel (or rather, Paul shared the stories. Bill just provided witty quips, since he wasn't part of GHI). 

I also attended a panel called "It's the Coat." I scratched my head over that title when I read the schedule, but it makes sense. After all, Doctor Who has some of the best coats in television history.

The entire panel was a celebration of costuming in Doctor Who, starting with the panelists calling up every Doctor cosplayer to the front of the room. I was disappointed that the topic of bow ties never came up in conversation, but it was fascinating to hear about monster makeup from the classic episodes and a theory about how the Doctor's coat pockets must be linked with the Tardis (and are, therefore, endless).

No, that guy isn't David Tennant

Cosplayers 

How could I even dream of writing about this convention without sharing some fantastic cosplayers and sights? Strangely enough, while there were a lot of doctors, I think I've seen more of them at a typical convention. However, I saw many Amy Ponds (her clothing is pretty easy), River Songs, a few impressive weeping angels, and a lot of little kids who had great costumes. Paul Bradford, a big Whovian, even donned his Ood costume - and ran into a little boy who had also dressed up as an ood. 

Paul Bradford (left) with little Ben Ben Defrin and Paul Defrin

The funny thing is, as soon as the boy took off his mask, he got scared of Paul and started backing away with a nervous smile on his face. So cute. 

Vincent Van Gogh, a little Cyberman, and a plastic, remote-controlled Dalek

If you haven't seen the episode of Doctor Who with Vincent Van Gogh, you should do that right now.

...

Okay. You're back, right? 

Well, the guy who dressed up as Van Gogh had not only looked the part, but also had Van Gogh's character down pat. He came to our table spewing a rambling monologue about "hearing colors," which had us almost in tears, remembering how the particular episode ends. But you know all about that, right? Because you just watched the episode.

There was a little Cyberman, pictured in the middle. I don't know how he lasted so long in that costume, but it was brilliant. The last photo isn't cosplay (after all, the lady dressed as a dalek is already pictured at my brother's panel). However, this remote-controlled dalek was the most popular item of the day. And each time someone bought one, it was immediately opened and used. I had to watch where I was stepping in case I bumped into one of the daleks.

Other Stuff

Bill was nice enough to lend me a corner of his table, so I rolled out my Pocket Forest gear. Selling an e-book is a difficult feat when you can't literally hand a copy to a potential reader. So. I made handouts in the hopes that if anyone was interesting in reading Pocket Forest, they had only to hang on to the paper. And it's pretty. It was a fun experiment, but I feel like it would have gone better if I included something on the handout about how I think that Rose Tyler is epic or something. Because it's true.

I also decided to dress up for Hurricane Who - kind of hard to resist when Hot Topic came out with such a cool collection of costumes for Halloween. The Tardis dress I settled on was comfortable and fun to wear and I certainly wasn't the only girl at the convention wearing one.

The entire weekend was packed with Doctor Who-induced adventure. I'm still fairly new to the fandom, having started with the ninth doctor with no classics under my belt, but I feel like watching Doctor Who has been a writing-changing experience for me. I learned so much about character development, plot twists, logic that's not so logical, and making readers laugh and cry and laugh again. As a writer, this show has a lot to teach. I'm proud to say I love Doctor Who. 

So on I trek, catching up with Season 7, Part 2, and wondering what Moffat and the crew have in store for future seasons. Oh, and wearing my Tardis dress out beyond the borders of the convention, haha.

... like Jellyrolls.

Pocket Forest’s E-Book Release!

When I think of the new edition, I compare it to the highly unlikely scenario where, after receiving your baby at the hospital, a nurse chases you down to say, “Ma’am, wait! You actually delivered twins!”

Then she hands you another wrinkly little baby that looks nothing like the previous one, yet they both share the same piercing scream.

It has to be like that.

Deathless Press had published my chapbook, Pocket Forest, back in August. The first edition sold out within 12 hours. The second and third editions are, as of last week, officially sold. Sometimes people email me photos of their copies, which always makes me a little teary-eyed. It’s like I’m looking at babies.

Babies... have mustaches, right? Thanks for the photos, Allison and Cara!

Having my first published book sell out, no matter how small, is a great accomplishment. But logically, it also means that no more copies are coming. If you had been hoping to snag one, I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… unless you spot someone walking down the street with a copy of Pocket Forest and steal it from them.

So how did this whole e-book thing start? Supplies to create more copies of my book were dwindling and Deathless Press had to start making Fall 2013’s lineup. Time to move on… except for the fact that readers were still asking for it. Deathless Press and I kicked around some ideas about what to do next. We talked about publishing an e-book and the plan began to solidify. I looked forward to updates from DP and just about swooned when I saw the e-book cover.

Yet plans change sometimes.

Publishing the e-book wasn't going to mesh with DP’s vision of the press. I understood that. So we shook hands and the reigns got turned over to me.

I decided to publish Pocket Forest with Amazon. My inner perfectionist came out while wrestling with the formatting. There was always another typo I missed (I’m the queen of typos. My kingdom is vast.); getting the spacing just right, when it came to chapter titles, was a bit tricky too.

Don’t get me started on the Online Previewer. It lets you see how your e-book will look on various platforms, including iPads and iPhones. Very, very cool… until, if you’re like me, you spend a good few hours reading each version in a last-ditch hunt for final edits.

But really, the entire process is easy. After I submitted the e-book for approval last evening, I went to sleep… and woke up at midnight with an urge to see if my book was online.

And guys. It was.

That’s Sonic speed, right there.

It’s going to take Google a little longer before the link comes up in a search, so you can find the e-book edition by typing in the title and author into the Amazon search bar or simply click on one of the numerous, clearly-marked links on my blog:

One last thing: Don’t forget to leave a review for Pocket Forest once you’ve read it. You can post it on Amazon and/or Goodreads. And please be honest. I can take it!

Something like that, I suspect.

Regular readers of my blog may be getting a tad tired of all the Pocket Forest news, so I promise to entertain you with other topics this month (and next month. Yes).

Unless you want me to talk more about PF. In which case, feel free to ask me a question in the comment section or email me.

Otherwise, I’ll be catching you up to speed on:

•  how it feels to be stuck in revision hell (fun times)        
• my NaNoWriMo plans and current writing project
• that Boardwalk post I mentioned in the previous post.

Happy Reading!

Disney's Food and Wine Festival 2013

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN! Covering Disney's Food and Wine Festival is becoming one of the most fun and intensive traditions I have on this blog. Saying I look forward to this event every year is an understatement. I love trying new foods from other countries. I am a foodie at heart, despite not cooking much myself. So I love running around from booth to booth, trying new dishes and skulking around the Festival Center to spy on chef demonstrations. 

In past years, I've seen Robert Irvine and dozed in top-secret lounges, but I always try to trump myself. So here we go. 

If you're participating in the Food and Wine Festival, you can pick up free Discovery Passports. The passports are incredibly useful and small enough to tuck in your pocket. You will find the menus from each country's booth, along with a spot for stamps. I've never collected the stamps in previous years (usually because of laziness and forgetfulness), I decided to go for it this time. 

And, that means that I cheated.

Although most of the booths are countries, others are kind of random with no geographical home (like the Cheese Booth, Refreshment Port, and Desserts & Champagne). I don't drink... not really, no, so I wouldn't actually buy anything from the booths focused on alcohol. And even though I try new foods, I don't have enough time or money to conquer the whole circuit in one year. So what I did was get on line at each booth and patiently waited to collect the stamps. Fair enough, right? The weird part was that I wasn't the only one doing this. Other people - grown adults - were racing between booths, passports flapping in their hands. It was invigorating to see, haha. 

The ultimate prize is getting the Stamp of Completion from the Festival Center. Hoo-rah. You don't even know how proud I was to show the passport at the front desk. And, ironically, the cast member working the desk didn't even check to see if I got them all. I guess I look like a trustworthy person. Here they are anyway:

Food I Ate: 

In a nutshell, I must say that everything I've eaten this year was fantastic. You'll notice that I had a lot more dessert; that's basically because it's October and still extremely hot. More hot than previous years. So the weather has made the festival less leisurely and more... like a lot of work. To stay hydrated, I stopped at water fountains and kept ordering dessert. The silk ice cream ribbon (kind of like Ninja Ice's ice cream) and lychee aerated water from the China Booth basically saved my hide during a very cloudless midday heat wave. Florida, man. 

Lobster and Seafood Fisherman's Pie

Ireland Booth

Potato & Leek Waffle with Braised Beef

Belgium Booth

Kielbasa & Potato Pierogi with Caramelized Onions & Sour Cream

Poland Booth

Vegetarian Haggis with Neeps and Tatties

Scotland Booth

*My Favorite*

Trick'n Chick'n Curry with Basmati Rice

Terra Booth (Vegan)

Chili Colorado with House-made Chips & Cashew Cheese

Terra Booth (Vegan)

Youki Tofu

Japan Booth

Mango-Flavored Silk Ice Cream Ribbon

China Booth

*My Favorite* 

Lychee Aerated Water

China Booth 

Pavlova 

Australia Booth

Frozen Smores 

Desserts & Champagne

Guylian Belgian Chocolate Seashell Truffles

Desserts & Champagne

*My Favorite*

Little German Village:

Sorry guys! I wasn't able to update this section this year because, even though I've been a few times, it's still early in the festival for the train village to be updated. So, to make up for it, I have pictures of the new chocolate sculptures from the Chocolate Experience: From Bean to the Bar!

Later in the month, I'm going to put together another post about the Boardwalk, including some adorable ducks taking over the swimming pool at the Dolphin and my spending the majority of the night listening to some awesome music at Jellyrolls, the dueling piano bar.

Deathless Press: Summer 2013 Review

Do you know what's more delicious than dipping your toes in the ocean or going parasailing? Indulging in Deathless Press's summer released chapbooks:

I've never considered myself an eloquent reviewer, but I want to make reviewing Deathless Press chapbooks a tradition. There are never, ever enough fairy tales in the world - and I've been enjoying the ones coming from this press.

Considering that my own chapbook POCKET FOREST was released in this bunch, I'm going to skip over it (of course) and focus on the other two chapbooks.


Catskin by Sylvia Linsteadt

CATSKIN is a retelling of a the same-named fairy tale, where a princess runs away from home disguised in a coat made of cat skins to avoid being married to her own father. This dark tale is a classic - but if you're not familiar with it, you may have read Donkeyskin, which is the most popular variant (at least, when it come to retellings).

Linsteadt breathes new life into her version of Catskin. The story opens with a girl named You (or Yew, as she prefers), living with her father in a lighthouse that demands time and care. When her father, heavy with drink, considers marrying his daughter, Yew runs away to escape him. Her travels take her into the woods where she meets the Mistress of Bobcats. The Mistress of Bobcats offers Yew a new identity and power, but not without payment.

The Mistress of Bobcats is a fascinating character: incredibly wise, yet untrustworthy. I enjoyed how well Linsteadt described the bobcat-who-is-also-a-woman, with shifting shadows and sharp teeth. When Yew becomes Catskin, she gains freedom from her father, and any other man who threatens her, but she also loses her humanity - which is perhaps a good thing, by the end of the tale. Maybe she becomes the best of herself. CATSKIN reminds me of "The Tiger's Bride" by Angela Carter: lush description, shifty characters, and an unforgettable ending.


Throw Down Your Hair and Then Yourself by A. A. Balaskovits

Rapunzel remains one of my top favorite fairy tales. There's something incredibly relatable to me about being trapped or limited in some way, no matter how much your "jailer" loves you. And then... there's always my favorite part, when Rapunzel's tears bring back the prince's sight (yes... I'm a sap. And proud!). However, Balaskovits's retelling, THROW DOWN YOUR HAIR AND THEN YOURSELF, is probably the most twisted and darkly shocking version I've read so far. And that's what made it so enjoyable, despite my penchant for the happier variants, haha.

Our Rapunzel narrator begins her tale telling us what her auntie has always told her: that she's a sharp thing. She's stuck in a tower, surrounded by soft things to combat her sharpness, until one day when a sweet-talking prince convinces her to leave her auntie and become a queen.

Life as a queen isn't easy, especially when her husband starts ordering the deaths of every citizen with a physical blemish. But as her auntie once said, our narrator is a sharp thing. And boy, does she ever strike back against her husband.

Even though this story started out as a Rapunzel retelling, I felt that by the end, I watched the narrator transform into the Evil Queen from Snow White. Did you ever see the movie Snow White and the Huntsman? Frankly, I dislike that movie, especially when people try to tell me that it was better than Mirror Mirror (weird, right? MM is totally better). BUT Charlize Theron played an amazing Evil Queen and her scary-wrathful beauty is quite like the narrator's transformation. Making, of course, a great ending to this chapbook.

So what are you waiting for? Go read these books! ;)

Crepes, Please. Arigatō: Ninja Ice's Desserts

I watched many cartoons as a kid, but one of them was certainly Sailor Moon. I remember getting home from school, plopping down on the couch, and ignoring my homework in order to watch Serena, Amy, and the other Sailor Scouts kick the Negaverse's butt. That was back when Toonami was a thing and finding manga in stores was impossible (so suck it up and convince your parents to order it on... Amazon.com. What's that?).

I also recall many an episode where the girls chowed down on desserts, including crepes. And man, did they ever look delicious.

The 'rents and I decided to use Labor Day as an excuse to go outside.... temporarily... in order to walk into the Westfield Brandon Mall (and yet I have sunburn. Hmm). While perusing the shops and grabbing lunch, I discovered Ninja Ice.

When I saw that Ninja Ice was selling legit Japanese Desserts, including crepes and kakigori, I had to rub my eyes to know I wasn't dreaming! After scrutinizing the menu, trying to narrow down our order to merely two things (which was hard, because every dessert looked intricate and fun to try), we ended up going with the Orchid Passion kakigori and the Matsuri (festival) crepe.

The Matsuri (festival) crepe was almost like having a meal! The crepe was nice and thick, slightly sweet, and folded snugly within the container. We watched the owner, Ric, make it step by step, and I couldn't help but admire how smoothly he handled crafting the crepe (as a queen of microwaving, I doubt I could ever make a successful crepe).

I chose green tea ice cream for the filling - a-mazing. Ric said that his green tea ice cream was made locally; it had a strong flavor, much tastier than any other green tea ice cream I've had in the past. The crepe also had a kind of vanilla custardy filling drizzled in (as you can see by the photo), along with mochi balls and strawberries. The combination of flavors was excellent!

The other item we ordered was the Orchid Passion kakigori. Sorry for the photo - we already tucked into it before I fumbled for my camera, haha. Image that it was a lot rounder, with many little Mochi balls (pounded sticky rice) around the outside.

Ninja Ice uses a shaved ice machine that hails straight from Japan, so you'll notice that the texture is a lot different. It almost looks like cotton candy.

The best part about this treat was the syrup flavor: as the name implies, it's a orchid vanilla cream syrup! Exciting, right? Sure beats the usual cherry or lime flavors. You know that I've been on a huge flower-flavored foods kick, so this discovery was very exciting, haha. Because the syrup is made with a dairy component, the syrup tastes milky and delicate. The mochi balls have a dull sweetness that complimented the syrup.

Eating at Ninja Ice was a great experience. I loved watching the desserts being made, as well as listening to Ric tell us about the different ingredients, machines, and methods that work together to create authentic and tasty Japanese desserts. I wish all the best to Ninja Ice - I hope they'll be sticking around for a long time!

I feel energized to continue working on my revisions and plotting out my next writing project (My lips are sealed, mwahaha). Good dessert will do that for you!

I think Tuxedo Mask would agree.