Balticon is one of my favorite Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions. It is held on Memorial Day weekend an comprises of four days of fantasic programing. I’m loaded up on programing this year. Here is where you can find me.
When Muses Collide (Sat 10:00 AM) Balancing your WIPs when you have more than one kind of creativity. How do you decide what you want to do? A. L. Kaplan moderator, Heidi Hooper, Sarah Pinsker, Eric Hardenbrook, Ariel Burgess
Am I a Real Writer Now? (Sat 1:00 PM) At what point does a writer become a real writer? How does a person go from having a novel or a few stories to being a real Writer? What can people with a few things written do to make this a career? Early career writers talk about what they have done. Joshua Bilmes moderator, Jack Campbell, A. L. Kaplan, Elektra Hammond, Bjorn E. Hasseler
Limits on YA (Sat 5:30 PM) There is often a problem with defining YA and it often boils down to whatever the publisher declares is YA. But are there limits to YA? Is there anything that cannot be included in YA or whose presence makes the book not YA? Dr. Jim Thorne, Michael A. Ventrella, A. L. Kaplan, Michael M Jones
I’ll also be working as a judge’s clerk for the Masquerade Saturday night.
Autographs (Sun 11:30 PM) A.L. Kaplan, Leah Cypress
Is SF/Fantasy Mere Escapism? (Sun 1:00 PM) Many critics dismiss SF/Fantasy as unrealistic and escapist. Is this true? Is there SF that rises above escapism? Or is entertaining the reader/viewer enough? Carl Cipra moderator, Ken Schrader, A. L. Kaplan, Walt Boyes
Readings (Sun 4:00 PM) A. L. Kaplan, D. H. Aire
Out of Control Characters (Sun 5:30 PM) Some authors tightly control their characters, requiring them to follow an outline. But other authors say there are things their characters won’t do. What do authors do when their characters go off script? Do you try to regain control (and how?) or go where the characters take you? Jennifer R. Povey moderator, Alan Smale, “Amy” A. L. Kaplan, Scott Edelman
When I’m not busy on a panel or volunteering, You can find me wandering the halls with Fifi or helping out at the Maryland Writers’ Association table.
May 26-29, 2023
Renaissance Harborplace Hotel
202 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
Hope to see you there.
Sometimes a blessing can be a curse.
Young Maya bears the mark of the moon goddess, a sign that would doom her to be sacrificed in her village where the death god is revered. Forced to dye her golden eyes dark, Maya lives in constant fear of discovery. To save her family and the village’s future, she must find the courage to stand up to the high priest before he can bring the death god into this world.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
I had fun chatting with Josh and the gang at 
I remember reading an early draft of chapter three. My critique group was confused and it was easy to see why. There were three floors and a bunch of stairs that made up a store, a tavern, and rooms. Once I sketched out exactly what Gareth’s house/store/tavern looked like, it was easier to describe the path Tatiana and Fifi took to the common room.
Fifi and I made the rounds, from the Baltimore book Festival in Maryland, readings in Annapolis, MD, signings in Florida, Pennsylvania, and San Antonio, Texas. 
“With Star Touched, Kaplan had me reeled in right from the start. I was able to place myself right in her story as if watching like a fly on the wall. The characters came alive with true raw emotion which left me wanting more. I don’t see this as a young adult book at all. My feeling is that any age group could relate and enjoy this story. It has something for everyone, but I most enjoyed the plain decent humanity of her main character. She has definitely opened the story for a sequel which I will be waiting for patiently.” – Irene L. Henderson
“I really enjoyed everything about this book. It was engaging, entertaining and exactly what I needed. It pulled me in from the first page…I didn’t want to put it down.