Category Archives: Announcements

Website Update: Several Short Stories Removed

As an FYI to my readers, I have removed several of my speculative fiction stories from my website. These include “Bow to Your Sensei,” “Baptized in Fire,” and several others. I did so because they’ve been published in my short story collection, The Worlds of Nathan Marchand. You can always read them there. I appreciate your readership and support. Thanks!

You can purchase and review The Worlds of Nathan Marchand on Amazon.

The cover that CreateSpace kept refusing to approve.

My Upcoming Book Signings and Conventions 2023

My book signings have been few and far between since the pandemic, but now I’m finally getting back into the swing of things! The next six months or so will be quite busy for me when it comes to conventions, and I’m looking forward to it. I’ll be back in my element (well, my other element). So, here’s a quick rundown of my upcoming appearances.

Local Author Fair – Eckhart Public Library in Auburn, IN
DATE: April 22, 2023.
TIME: 10am-2pm
LOCATION: Eckhart Public Library – Auburn, IN

I’ll be one of 15 local authors from northeast Indiana selling books at the Eckhart Public Library. I’ll also be part of the fiction writing panel (the other two are on nonfiction and poetry). The Brown House Foodmobile and Hoosier Mama food trucks will be there.

Learn more about the event on the library’s website.

Days of the Dead – All Monsters Attack 2: Chicago S.O.S.
DATE: May 7-9, 2023
TIME:          Friday: 5pm-10pm
                        Saturday: 11am-7pm
                        Sunday: 11am-4pm
LOCATION: Crowne Plaza Chicago Ohare Hotel & Conf Ctr. Rosemont, IL

I attended this upstart spin-off convention last fall as a con-goer, but this year I’ll be tabling there to promote Kaiju Ramen Magazine, a publication for which I edit and write. It’s a kaiju-focused con with a guest list that goes on for days. Check out the convention’s website for more details.

JAFAX
DATE: June 9-11, 2023
LOCATION: DeVos Place Convention Center – Grand Rapids, MI

My friend Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel is in the process of acquiring a table that he will share with me and our friends Tim and Becky Smith of the Redeemed Otaku podcast. This is an anime convention. I’ve never attended it before, so I don’t know what it’s like. Because we don’t have a table guaranteed, my attendance is uncertain, so stay tuned for more. Read more about the event on its website.

G-Fest XXVIII
DATE: July 14-16, 2023
LOCATION: Hyatt Regency O’Hare – Rosemont, IL

The biggest kaiju convention in North America returns to the Hyatt in Rosemont. I’ll be part of several panels on various subjects and attending many events. The details of the panels are still being worked out, so stay tuned! Learn more about the show at the G-FAN magazine website and the event’s new website.

Gen-Con 2023
DATE: Aug. 3-6, 2023
LOCATION: Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN

After taking a year off, I return to the “best four days in gaming” in Authors Avenue. I may also look into hosting some events. This is my flagship convention, and I can’t wait to see my Gen-Con friends again! Learn more about the event on its website.

The next few conventions are events I’m interested in attending or have been offered a spot by friends, but details are still being worked out. I’m including them so you know where I might be. Watch for updates!

-Ramencon (Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2023)
-Bangor Comic and Toy Con 2023 (Oct. 13-15)
-Fantasticon Fort Wayne 2023 (Oct. 28-29, 2023)

Like I said, I’m gonna be busy!

I look forward to seeing all of you! Bring your books to be signed or come to buy some!

My Upcoming Book Signings (as of 9-15-19)

I will be tabling at a small convention, and I have applied to table at another local author event. Both will be in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The first will be Fantasticon Fort Wayne, which is being held September 21-22, 2019. Eric Anderson, founder of Nerd Chapel and my co-author on the 42 books, will also be there, but we’re not tabling together. The con announced that they would be selling five heavily-discounted tables last week, so I jumped at the opportunity. I wasn’t sure I’d snag a table, but I got lucky (or was “blessed,” if you’re the religious type). I’ll be selling and signing my books (although Eric will be selling the 42, so get them from him) and promoting my upcoming podcast The Monster Island Film Vault, which is launching September 25.

According to the convention’s website,

Fantasticon is a mid-size show created for true comic book and pop culture collectors and fans. The fans that come to our shows are true collectors that are looking for those rare items for their personal collections. Most leave very satisfied as we pride ourselves on having great dealers and artists at our shows. If you collect it, you will find it at a Fantasticon Show.

Fantasticon is proud to have a presence in multiple cities throughout the mid-west. Currently we are in five different cities, in three different states including Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

We also, are very proud of the fact that our admission price is the lowest of any other comparable shows. And the cost for being an exhibitor or artist at the Fantasticon is far less than any comparable comic cons out there.

While I haven’t received a confirmation yet, I have applied to table to table at the annual Local Author Book Fair, which will be held November 30, 2019, from 10am-4pm at the main branch of the Allen County Public Library. Find out more info here on ACPL’s blog.

Be there or be square!

My Toho Screenwriter Panel was Accepted by G-Fest!

It’s been a while, hasn’t it, True Believers? I know I say this a lot, but please accept my apologies. I was hard at work finishing my first year as a graduate student. If you’ve been following me on social media, though, you know that I’ve picked up on writing Hope’s War and editing my novella for Children of the Wells. That and a secret project will be my primary works this summer. Stay tuned for more!

Speaking of summer….

A few months ago I wrote that I would be going to G-Fest XXVI but as a panelist and not a vendor. I’ll once again be part of “The Art of Kaiju Writing” panel and joining the panel discussion of the upcoming Godzilla: King of the Monsters. More importantly, though…

Promotional image for G-Fest XXVI. (Courtesy of www.G-Fan.com).

I’M HOSTING MY OWN PANEL!

I and my friend/fellow writer Danny DiManna of the Godzilla Novelization Project will be presenting on Toho screenwriters Shinichi Sekizawa and Takeshi Kimura, who wrote many of the studio’s tokusatsu films from the 1950s-1970s. (You probably heard me talking about them a lot on Kaijuvision Radio). The fandom talks a lot about directors, actors, and composers, and rightfully so, but almost never about screenwriters, which is a shame. Danny and I hope to fill in that gap.

Here’s the description of the panel you’ll see in the convention program:

Most of Toho’s classic tokusatsu films started with scripts penned by the Showa era creative team’s unsung heroes, Shinichi Sekizawa and Takeshi Kimura. Join Nathan Marchand (professional writer and co-creator of Kaijuvision Radio) and Daniel DiManna (creator/author of the Godzilla Novelization Project) as they explain how these polar opposite storytellers revolutionized the kaiju genre.

I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am about doing this. Danny is a tremendous writer and one of the most infectiously enthusiastic fans I’ve ever met, so it’ll be a great presentation. Be there or be square!

Here’s my panel schedule:

Friday 12pm (Kennedy Room): Sekizawa and Kimura: A Tale of Two Screenwriters
Saturday 3pm (Ballroom 1): Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Saturday 4pm (Kennedy Room): The Art of Kaiju Writing

Learn more about G-Fest here.

Cover Art Reveal – THE NEW 42: GOD TERRAFORMS ALL THINGS

The cover for the “sequel” (reboot?) to your favorite nerd/geek devotional! (Artwork by Ruth Pike-Miller).

Reboots. Reboots everywhere.

You spent 42 days finding the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything, and now Nerd Chapel founderEric Anderson and I are proud to unveil the amazing cover art by Ruth Pike-Miller for the next step in your journey: The New 42: God Terraforms All Things.

The one constant in the universe (besides the fact that everything freezes) is change. Good change, bad change, and everything in between. Even in our favorite nerd/geek franchises. DC Comics is (in)famous for hitting the cosmic reset button every few decades. The movie theatre is full of re-imaginings of nostalgic entertainment. Even video games aren’t immune to this. But now you may feel like God Himself hit that reset button on your life. Has it left you lost and confused? Take heart! God wants to give you a new direction. In these pages you will learn how to navigate change with the help of a scarred samurai, some heroic robots, and the world’s most famous kaiju, among many others.

Your next 42-day quest awaits!

The grand book release will be at Muskecon in Muskegon, Michigan, on March 23, 2019. Eric and I will be selling and signing copies. The book will then be available as a paperback and e-book on Amazon.

Be there or be square!

My Upcoming Appearances for 2019 (so far)

I haven’t blogged in several months. Wow. Grad school (and other things) ate up that much of my time. This shall be remedied!

I’m keeping it simple today, but this is something I’ve been meaning to mention for a while. I have several appearances scheduled for this spring and summer that I wanted to make sure you knew about, True Believers. Keep in mind, though: This list is subject to change. I could easily add (or subtract) more as the year progresses.

Regardless…

MuskeCon 3.0

A small and relatively new comic and toy convention held in Muskegon, Michigan. I’ll be tabling there next door to my friend/co-author Eric Anderson. It’ll be a big deal because we plan to unveil our second nerd/geek devotional, The New 42: God Terraforms All Things, at the show. (More details to follow). The show will be held March 23, 2019, from 10AM-6PM at the Holiday Inn Muskegon Harbor.

You can learn more about the show on its Facebook page.

G-Fest XXVI

I plan to make my third trip to America’s premiere Godzilla and kaiju convention, which will be held July-12-14, 2019, at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont, Illinois. I won’t be tabling there, but I’ll be part of several panels, and I’ve applied to host my own (again, more details to follow). I’ll have books with me to sell, though, in case anyone wants to buy some.

Learn more about the show on its website. (Early bird pricing ends February 28!)

Gen-Con 52

It wouldn’t be summer without a trip to Gen-Con! I make my eighth straight appearance to “the Four Best Days in Gaming” Aug. 1-4, 2019, at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis. I’ll be tabling in their Authors Avenue, selling and signing books, as usual, but I’ll be making the rounds to some events throughout the weekend, too. Hopefully, Eric Anderson and many of my other friends/writers will be joining me.

For more info, check out the show’s website.

Will you be at any of these shows? Which one(s)? Are you interested in hosting a book signing for me? Where?

Listen to Me on the Radio December 21!

If you’ve been following me on social media (and why not?), you heard that I’ve been invited to appear on a local radio show. In this case, it’s “SPEAK NOW with GENA” on WELT 95.7 RadioActive. I’ll be one of several local authors being interviewed on the segment “Jamming with Jazz” December 21, 2018. The show airs 4pm-6pm EST, but the interview will be around 5pm.

According to the show’s Facebook page,

My passion is embracing the narrative of VISION through fireside chats and sharing the narratives of LIVING WELLNESS.

And…

Providing a culture of globally sharing, connecting community globally.

While the details are being worked out, my understanding is we’ll be discussing things like the creative process and advice for other writers. It could go anywhere, though—it’s live!

As said on the station’s website,

WELT-LP is a non-commercial, listener-sponsored, member-controlled community radio station licensed by the FCC to broadcast within Allen County. From the studios at the downtown branch of the Allen County Public Library, WELT-LP’s volunteers and staff promote communication, education, entertainment, and understanding by providing quality programming and services to the Fort Wayne community. By providing a forum for both the discussion of public issues and the expansion of musical and cultural experiences, WELT-LP facilitates community expression by giving Allen County access to the airwaves for the purpose of sharing music, culture, news, and information.

Be sure to check out Gena’s YouTube channel and give the show a listen. She’ll be interviewing local authors the next three Fridays (December 7, 14, and 21).

 

My Next Book Signing: The ACPL Local Author Book Sale

(Yeah, an announcement blog hardly seems substantial, but I do need to start promoting this).

I’m happy to announce that for my next book signing, I’ll be returning to the Allen County Public Library for their Local Author Book Sale. This event is replacing the annual author fair they’ve been holding for the past several years. I’ll be joined by my friend/collaborator Nick Hayden, although I expect I’ll know a lot of the authors who will be present.

According to the ACPL’s event page,

Previously called the ACPL Author Fair, the Local Author Book Sale will take place on Saturday, December 15 from 12:00 to 4:00 pm in the Great Hall of the Main Library during ACPL’s Winter Book Sale.  Local authors will be selling their work and signing copies of their books.  Come and browse unique books by local authors!

This will be part of the library’s Winter Book Sale, which takes place December 13-15. You can buy thousands of books for no more than $1 each! All the proceeds from the Winter Book Sale “will be donated to the Friends of the Allen County Public Library to support programs and outreach in our communities,” says the website.

If you’re looking to buy books as Christmas gifts for the readers in your life, stop by! You can get signed copies from me!

So, once again, that’s December 15, 2018, from 12pm-4pm at the Allen County Public Library in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Be there or be square!

 

 

‘Bards Against Hunger’ Indiana Book Launch

(Yeah, an announcement blog hardly seems substantial, but I do need to start promoting this).

The cover of the anthology. (Great job making it my favorite color). 🙂

I’m excited to remind everyone that Bards Against Hunger: Indiana Edition will have a book launch party from 1pm-3pm November 17, 2018, at the Elwood Public Library. It features over 100 poems from over 40 authors—including yours truly—from across the state. The book will be available on Amazon for $15.

The contributing authors have all been invited to attend the party and read their work. I haven’t decided if I’ll be able to attend yet. Stay tuned for more updates. I admit I’m tempted because these are the first poems I’ve had published (aside from one that was in Pandora’s Box).

The proceeds from the book will be donated to the Homeless Advocacy Center of Anderson and Madison County, which is set to open soon. So, I highly recommend buying a copy to support this charity!

According to their official website,

Bards Against Hunger was founded in 2013 by the Bards Initiative, a poetry group on Long Island, NY that hosts many readings and publishes local anthologies. The leaders of this group came up with the idea to host a poetry reading that would gather food for the hungry around Thanksgiving time as a way for poets to give back to their local community. The poets of Long Island loved the idea and flocked to help organize, read at the event, and gather food.

The event was such a success that the group decided to make it an annual event–and keep the tradition strong and growing each year.

This should make one of my professors at university happy since he’s a poet himself.  🙂

If you’d like to have a copy, let me know so I can preorder one for you!