We’re sixteen days away from MAGFest 2018.

Time sure does fly.

This year, MAGFest returns to National Harbor for an event that transcends description: part music festival, part convention, part fan experience, part industry meet-and-greet, and part…family reunion.  MAGFest remains the cornerstone of my year, professionally and personally.  In 2002, after publishing my first book – Crossworld – I netted an invitation to a tiny start-up convention called the Mid-Atlantic Gaming Festival.  It was my first convention.

In 2018, I will return to MAGFest to promote my newest books: RocKaiju and Proton.

RocKaiju remains an eagerly anticipated title, the tale of a young girl who has to save the world with only her wits and the power of rock ‘n roll.  And a giant monster.  An adventure tale, it was slated for release last year but regrettably some rather tragic and unforeseen publishing hiccups took it out of rotation.  This year, copies a-plenty will be available.

Proton is the newest tale, the story of a cosplayer who finds herself with superpowers.  Sadly, she learns the struggles of life just don’t disappear once you can fly.  Proton is currently available for pre-order as an ebook and will be available Saturday of MAGFest (January 6^th).  Print copies…look, I’m not going to lie.  After the nightmare that was RocKaiju, I can’t say for 100% certainty that I will have print copies available.  I am moving heaven and earth to make that happen, and I am confident.  But I’m also a writer, so clearly my judgment is not beyond reproach.

In addition to these two novels, I will be bringing copies of my first short-story anthology.  A collection of the short stories published at this very site in 2017, it will gather them all together in one handy book.  AND!  And it includes three new stories not seen or published before, including a RocKaiju short story.  Like Proton, it is available now for pre-order, it will be available Saturday of MAGFest, and I’m doing everything within my power to make sure I have print copies available.

Outside of books, I have several panels at MAGFest this year.  In Bad Video Game movies, I will be advocating for more respect for films such as Super Mario Brothers, Mortal Kombat, and Doom.  In Bad Voice Acting, I will be working with veteran voice actor David Autovino as we take a look at some classic examples of voice acting to decide what can cause often skilled and competent actors to turn in poor performances.  And, of course, I will be presenting the new and improved Top Ten Episodes of Transformers, where I showcase the best episodes in the long-running franchise (now through Transformers Cybertron).

MAGFest is a wonderful experience and for it, I cannot speaking highly enough.  If you are a fan of independent music, independent art, video games, or merely fun, it is a celebration not to be missed.