This will no doubt upset all those readers who want me to stay home and write, write, write, but it looks as though I will be taking to the road again in the fall.

If you’ve ever looked at the Knights page of my website, you’ll know about my passion for collecting 54mm toy knights and medieval miniatures. The “worldcon” for toy soldier collectors is the Old Toy Soldier Show, held every September at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Schaumberg, Illinois, outside of Chicago. I have had to miss the last couple of OTS shows, but I’m returning this year.

And then there’s Archon, the regional in St. Louis, which I’ve been attending since 1977. I have missed a couple of those in recent years as well, but once again I mean to return this year.

Usually the Old Toy Soldier Show and Archon are only one week apart, so I fly into Chicago, do the show, rent a car, make a leisurely drive down to St. Louis, and fly home from there. This year, however, the events are TWO weeks apart, so I had to determine whether I’d make two trips, or just linger in the midwest a little longer than usual.

I decided on the former, since it gives me the chance to visit a few other cities, and see some fannish friends that I don’t see often enough. So after Chicago, I am going to visit Indianapolis and Cincinnati (where I’ll catch the first day of the fabulous Tall Stacks steamboat festival, a fun event that never fails to awaken memories of FEVRE DREAM for me), and only then turn toward St. Louis.

And as it happens, this is just about the time that Starscape Books will be releasing its illustrated hardcover edition of THE ICE DRAGON, with the lovely Yvonne Gilbert artwork, so I am going to combine some business with my pleasure and do a few bookstore appearances as well. I will be signing at a Border’s in Chicago, at a Barnes & Noble in Indianapolis, at Joe Beth in Cincinnati, and at Border’s in St. Louis (must admit to having some trepidations about the last, given what happened the last time I signed at a bookstore in St. Louis while Archon was going on thirty miles away in Collinsville, Illinois, but maybe this time will turn out better). Details of times and places will be posted on my Appearances page.

If you missed me on my last swing on the midwest, here’s your chance.

Current Mood: null