May 20, 2011

Texicon and ReaperCon

Two conventions this weekend for you gaming nuts! Texicon is in it’s second year and is for all lovers of board games, role-playing games, and miniatures. In addition to actual game play there will be seminars on how to get the most of your gaming time. Follow the link to see more info, and trust me, there is a lot!

 

ReaperCon is a convention held at the headquarters of Reaper Miniatures in Denton, Texas. They have a few gaming sessions and lots of painting seminars. If you are into miniatures, this is a good place to go. The staff are super cool and they show you how the miniatures are made. I’ve seen their name around since I started playing back in the day. Here’s the link and check out their new miniatures just for the con! (Just click the picture!)

Adventure Sophie Reapercon 2011 miniatures

May 18, 2011

Stan Lee, Leonard Nimoy and Carrie Fisher headline Dallas Comic Con

May 21st and 22nd are two big days that a lot of people are going to remember for a long time! Dallas Comic Con has come back to town and signing autographs are three huge names in comics, TV and movies!

stan_leeStan Lee will be manning a table to sign your favorite photos or memorabilia and I’m sure he’ll entertain with a favorite story or two. This is his first showing Dallas in over ten years!

leonard_nimoy-star_trek-1

 

 

Leonard Nimoy is questionable on his retirement, so this may be one of his final appearances. Aside from being cast in two J. J. Abrams projects, Star Trek (affiliate link) and Fringe (affiliate link), he will soon be heard as the voice of Sentinel Prime in the upcoming Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

 

ON THE LOT: Actress, author and screenwriter Carrie Fisher ("Star Wars," "Postcards from the Edge") serves as a judge on the new moviemaking competition series ON THE LOT premiering Tuesday, May 22 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2007 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Mike Yarish/FOXCarrie Fisher has a wonderful career so far with movies and a Broadway play based on her book, Wishful Drinking (affiliate link). I loved her siting in Kyle Newman’s Fanboys (affiliate link)  She does the voice of “Angela” on Family Guy (affiliate link) and has been on several shows across the networks.

 

The show will be at a different venue this year, so make sure you check out the map! The program guide is up on the site so that you can see the civic center map, also. Anyone got plans to go and if so, whose the main autograph that you’re looking for?

May 12, 2011

Lewisville Science Fiction Book Group and Dave Ramsey’s Stupid Tax

Cowboy Angels Paul McAuleyLouis Barber is the head of a small book club here in Lewisville that used my store for it’s meetings before we closed the doors about 6 weeks back. As much as I wanted to join the discussions, it never failed that I was either working or out of town or something else had plans for me. Well, I contacted Louis just the other day to find out about the next meeting and found that I was almost too late. I wanted to participate so bad that I decided that I was going to find the book and make a go of it come whatever.

Since I had some remaining Borders Bucks and a coupon and still had my Plus membership (thank you Borders management for not taking that away) I decided to head to the closest one and pick up a copy. Didn’t really think about how far away it was until I was half-way there. Doing the math, with a coupon, $5 in credit and an extra 10% off for the Plus card the $16 book only cost me $5 and change. But, the 40 mile round trip made up the difference in the 2 1/2 gallons of gas at $3.89 a gallon. I ended saving .75. If you’re familiar with Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover(affiliate link), you’ll know that he calls this a “stupid tax”. Kind of like driving 10 miles for gas that’s 3 pennies cheaper. By the way, my wife and I used Dave’s makeover to get rid of $43,000 in debt in 23 months. It can be done.

Anyway, I’ve got my book and learned my lesson. If you have read the book or are still working on it, come find us at the IHOP just off of I-35 and Round Grove on Friday night. So far Cowboy Angels by Paul McAuley(affiliate link) is pretty good. Turing Gates and military spies. Good stuff!

This month’s meeting of the Lewisville Science Fiction Book Group will now be held at the IHOP (International House of Pancakes) near the northwest corner of I35 and  E. Round Grove Road. The meeting will be on Friday 13th, 7:30 pm.  (Safest day of the year as all the crazies are hiding). This month’s book will be “Cowboy Angels” by Paul McAuley.

May 10, 2011

Jaye Wells and Nicole Peeler Book Tour! Oh, My!

Jaye Wells Tour Snark-La-TexFor fans of Jaye Wells’ Sabina Kayne series of books, you’ll be happy to know that she is doing a short tour of Texas and Louisiana signing copies of her latest book, Green-Eyed Demon (affiliate link). If your new to the name, she’s a local author and this is her third novel in the series. She and Nicole Peeler will be traveling together across the two states and dealing out snarkiness where needed on their Snark-La-Tex tour.

I have not had the chance to read any of her novels, but now that I have more time on my hands due to the store closing, I may try some of her short fiction. You can find more titles on her website. I did happen to meet her on two occasions. She was at FenCon a few years back and then later she happened to grace my counter at the local Borders where I worked.
Nicole Peeler and I have not met, either in person or in reading. She authors the Jane True series of novels with the first being Tempest Rising(affiliate link). I have seen these on the shelves and coming through my register, so I know there are fans out there. Again, she has samples on her site if you have never read her.
Jaye Wells and Nicole Peeler will stop first on the Snark-La-Tex Tour at the Borders in Allen, Texas on May 15th at 4:00 PM, so that gives you plenty of time to get out of church, get fed, change clothes, go meet these ladies and get back to church. Visit their sites to read the first chapters of their books, find out other tour dates, and read all the juicy gossip that they come across.
Have any of your read a Jaye Wells or Nicole Peeler novel and if so, how did you like it?
Jaye Wells’ Website
Nicole Peeler’s Website