Guest of Honor: Alan Dean Foster

(AlanDeanFoster.com) (Wikipedia) Alan Dean Foster is one of the best-selling science fiction authors of all time. Look in your bookcase right now and you probably have several of his books just waiting to be read again. Alan's writing career began in 1968 with the publication of a short story in August Derleth's "The Arkham Collector" magazine. In 1972 his first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, was published by Ballantine. Since then Alan Dean Foster has published more than 100 books, mostly under his own name. These include hard science-fiction, fantasy, horror, detective, western, historical, and contemporary fiction as well as the novel versions of many films, including Star Wars (as "George Lucas"), the first three Alien films, and Alien Nation. A native of New York, Alan grew up in Los Angeles and now lives in Prescott, Arizona, with his Texas-born wife, JoAnn. His next book, the Pip & Flinx adventure Trouble Magnet, is due out from Del Rey in November.

Music Guest of Honor: Heather Alexander

(The Heatherlands) (Wikipedia) Heather was born in the San Francisco Bay Area but raised with the customs of the Isles and began her formal education in music at the age of six. By age nine, she was teaching herself to play the violin. She later began composing songs on guitar, and honed her skills with several years of private study in music, voice and drama. In 1985, she found her niche in Celtic music by playing fiddle for the Irish and Scottish dancers at California's largest Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Since that time, her original music has been heavily influenced by the traditions of her roots. In 1994, Heather produced her first solo CD, Wanderlust, a collection of original music based on traditional Celtic themes. Heather has released five subsequent albums, and each one has been equally successful. In 2001, she debuted her band, Uffington Horse, performing a synthesis of Celtic Folk and World Rock. Heather's next album, Arms of the Sea, will make its debut this Fall.

Fen Guest of Honor: Judith Ward

(FenCon's Judith Ward tribute page) Judith Ward orbited fandom from the early days of Asimov, Clarke, Hubbard and Campbell before the first fan convention in San Antonio, Texas. Born on the Fourth of July in 1934, Judith spent the first seven years of her life traveling on carnivals with her parents, who told her the fireworks were just for her. Known as the con-suite goddess of the Dallas Fantasy Faires from the late 1980s and early 1990, her official title was "Admiral Lord God Ma'am Sir!" Judith was one of the founding members of Texas fandom and an active member of FACT and ALAMO in San Antonio.

We hoped to welcome Judith back to Dallas as she celebrated her thirty-odd years in fandom as our Fen Guest of Honor. Judith died of heart failure on Monday, July 3rd, in San Antonio. Judith is still our Fen Guest of Honor, nobody in the world could possibly replace her. We will use the convention weekend to honor her memory.

Artist Guest of Honor: Darrell K. Sweet

(official Darrell Sweet website) (Wikipedia) Darrell K. Sweet is an outstanding artist whose work has graced the covers of fantasy and science fiction novels for over 30 years. This New Jersey native was Hugo-nominated as Best Professional Artist in 1983. Darrell's painted covers include books by Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Lawrence Watt-Evans, and perhaps most famously Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series. We're honored to be the first Dallas appearance by this legendary artist.

Toastmaster: Jim Butcher

(Jim-Butcher.com) (Wikipedia) Jim Butcher, best known as the author of the "Dresden Files" series of supernatural detective novels (soon to be a series on Sci-Fi Channel!), is a martial arts enthusiast with fifteen years of experience in various styles including Ryukyu Kempo, Tae Kwan Do, Gojo Shorei Ryu, and a sprinkling of Kung Fu. He is a skilled rider and has worked as a summer camp horse wrangler and performed in front of large audiences in both drill riding and stunt riding exhibitions. Jim enjoys fencing, singing, bad science fiction movies and live-action gaming. His most recent novel, Proven Guilty in the "Dresden Files" series, was released in May, 2006, by Roc. He lives in Missouri with his wife, son, and a vicious guard dog.

Special Guest: Lawrence Watt-Evans

(The Misenchanted Page) (Wikipedia) Lawrence Watt-Evans is the author of more than thirty novels, over one hundred short stories, over one hundred and fifty published articles, and a few comic books, as well as the editor of one published anthology. Most of his writing has been in the fields of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and comic books. Lawrence has been a full-time writer and editor for more than twenty-five years. He was Nebula-nominated and Hugo-winning for his short story, "Why I Left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers." A native of Massachusetts, Lawrence now lives outside Washington, DC, where he is part owner of a chain of comic book shops. His next novel, The Wizard Lord, was released in March 2006. FenCon III is thrilled to welcome Lawrence as our Special Guest and to announce that he will be conducting our 2006 Writers Workshop.

C.T. Adams:

(CieCatRunPubs.com) Cie is the co-author of several paranormal romance and historical novels with fellow Hill Country resident Cathy Clamp. These include the EVVY award winning Road to Riches: The Great Railroad Race to Aspen, Hunter's Moon (winner of five national book awards), Moon's Web, as well as three novels for Tor Paranormal Romance including Touch of Evil released in March (and now a USA Today bestseller!), Captive Moon released in August, and Howling Moon due out in December. Cie lives in Brady, Texas, with her son and an undetermined number of cats.

David Lee Anderson:

(DavidLeeAnderson.com - Robot City) David is an acclaimed science fiction and fantasy illustrator. He's done work for Tor Books, Baen Books, Yard Dog Press, and many other publishers. A former president of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists, David has been teaching illustration in the Oklahoma City area for fifteen years. His work adorns the covers of many SF novels, including the latest from fellow FenCon guest Dusty Rainbolt.

C. Dean Andersson:

(CDeanAndersson.com) Dean is an internationally-published author with his horror, vampire, and heroic fantasy novels available in many languages. You might know him for I Am Dracula or the Bloodsong trilogy or even his short fiction. Under the pen name "Asa Drake" he has also co-authored several books with fellow FenCon guest Jane Archer. In addition to his published fiction, Dean has worked as a professional musician, robotics programmer, graphic designer, and technical writer.

Lou Antonelli:

(Sentinel Science Fiction) Lou is a writer who has had 22 stories published since he started writing science fiction in August 2002. A journalist by profession, he was until recently the editor of a community newspaper in East Texas. Lou earned four honorable mentions in The Year's Best Science Fiction, 22nd annual collection (2005) and one honorable mention in 2004. "A Rocket for the Republic" was Lou's first SFWA-level sale. It also was the last story Gardner Dozois accepted for Asimov's before retiring as editor. Lou has had stories published in RevolutionSF, Bewildering Stories, Surprising Stories, Continuum Science Fiction, Astounding Tales, AlienSkin, Ultraverse, Beyond Centauri, and Andromeda Spaceways In-flight Magazine. This will be his first FenCon as a guest.

Jane Archer:

(Her Website) Jane is a prolific author with over 25 novels to her credit. Her first novel was a best-seller with over 500,000 copies sold. Her suspense, fantasy, and genre-bending romance novels are in print around the world. Jane has co-authored several works with fellow FenCon guest C. Dean Andersson under the name "Nina Romberg" as well as her own. Her latest book is the non-fiction The First Fire: Stories from the Cherokee, Kickapoo, Kiowa, and Tigua released in 2005 by Taylor Trade Publishing.

Bedlam Bards:

(BedlamBards.com) The Bedlam Bards are a duo that specializes in vigorous performances of traditional music at festivals and conventions around the country. Their members include Hawke on guitar, bodhran, bones, pennywhistle, and voice; and Cedric on fiddle, mandola, and voice. Together, they have released three albums: Take Out the Trash, Furious Fancies, and On the Drift. On the Drift, their most recent album, features songs about "Firefly" and "Serenity."

Paul Black:

(PaulBlackBooks.com) Paul is an award-winning writer whose first novel, The Tels, won a Writer's Digest Book of the Year award for genre fiction. A native of Illinois, he now lives and works in Dallas. When Paul isn't writing or running his design firm he's indulging his newfound passion for tennis. His second novel, Soulware, was a finalist for book of the year in science fiction from "Foreword" magazine.

Margaret H. Bonham:

(ShadowHelm.net) Maggie is an award-winning author of 18 books, including Prophecy of Swords published by Yard Dog Press and A Dog's Wisdom published by Howell Book House, both in 2005. Her sf/f short stories have appeared in "Tales of the Talisman" and the anthologies Four Bubbas of the Apocalypse, Small Bites, ShadowSwords 2, and ShadowSwords 5. In her spare time, Maggie enjoys racing sled dogs, climbing mountains, and is a brownbelt in Shotokan karate.

Peter Bradley:

(Ravenchilde Illustrations) Peter is an artist. His resume might focus on his work as a designer, a printer, a teacher, and a web designer but it's his twenty-plus years as a freelance illustrator that brings him to FenCon. A resident of Oklahoma, Peter is tech-savvy and CAD-certified. His current projects include being the artist for the castles and crusades role playing game TrollLord.com and Gary Gygax's Castle Zagyg.

Brobdingnagian Bards:

(TheBards.net) The Brobdingnagian Bards (pronounced brAHb'ding-näg-EE-en) hail from Austin, Texas. They take traditional Irish and Scottish folk songs and mix it up with Lord of the Rings music to create a unique brand of Celtic Filk. Andrew McKee and Marc Gunn met on campus at the University of Texas where they learned that real men wear kilts. Issuing their first CD in 1999, Marked By Great Size, the Bards have released eight albums including their number one (at CDBaby) hit Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales in 2005. Ask them about the "taste test."

Rachel Caine:

(RachelCaine.com) Rachel is the author of the wildly popular "Weather Warden" series whose fifth installment, Firestorm, will be in bookstores everywhere just in time for FenCon III. Her next novel, Glass Houses, and an anthology edited by fellow FenCon guest P.N. Elrod and featuring stories by Rachel Caine, Jim Butcher and many more, My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, are both due out the week after FenCon III but many phone calls to publishers have been placed. Rachel has been writing and publishing short stories and novels since 1991. A former professional musician, she considers herself a movie buff and a TV addict. We consider Rachel a friend of the convention.

Cathy Clamp:

(CieCatRunPubs.com) Cathy left a career as a certified paralegal in Denver to begin writing full time. Since then, she has published several short stories, dozens of articles, and a number of paranormal romance and historical novels with fellow FenCon guest C.T. Adams. These include the EVVY award winning Road to Riches: The Great Railroad Race to Aspen, Hunter's Moon, Moon's Web, a short mystery in the anthology Secrets: Fact or Fiction?, as well as three novels for Tor Paranormal Romance including Touch of Evil released in March (a USA Today Top 150 bestseller), Captive Moon released in August, and Howling Moon due out in December. Cathy lives in the Texas hill country with her husband, two dogs, three cats, and 24 Boer goats.

Cat Conrad:

(ArtistsInResidence.com) Cat is an award-winning artist, a past member of both the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists and the International Association of Astronomical Artists, and a resident of Texas. Cat's work has been published on the covers of several books and both the program and schedule guides for FenCon in 2004. Signed limited-edition prints of this amazing cover are available online in our FenConvenience Store with all proceeds donated to the Salvation Army's disaster relief fund.

Linda Donahue:

() Linda, a self-described Air Force brat, grew up traveling. Her background includes a degree in computer science, with an electrical engineering minor, and a degree in Russian studies along with a Masters in earth science education. She has a commercial instrument pilot's certification as well as a SCUBA certification. When she's not writing, she teaches tai chi and belly dance. You can find Linda's stories in anthologies including The International House of Bubbas, Flush Fiction, and The Four Redheads of the Apocalypse. More stories will be available soon in Bash Down the Door and Slice Open the Bad Guy, Vermin, Blood and Devotion, and Houston, We've Got Bubbas, plus a Yard Dog Press chapbook of her very own, a historical fantasy dealing with Captain Morgan's raid on Panama City.

P. N. Elrod:

(VampWriter.com) Pat is one of the top writers of vampire fiction in the world. Her Jack Fleming and Jonathan Barrett novels have been published around the planet in several languages. A new homeowner, Pat's interests are wide-ranging and there's a better than fair chance you'll see her on our wildly popular "Obligatory Stargate Panel" at FenCon. Her 11th Jack Fleming novel, Song in the Dark, was released in September 2005. Pat edited the anthology My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding featuring stories by fellow FenCon guests Rachel Caine, Jim Butcher, and many more which is due out the week after FenCon III.

Rhonda Eudaly:

(RhondaEudaly.com) Rhonda is the author of several published short stories, has inked music review columns for regional publications, has penned technical manuals, advertising copy, and contributed essays to anthologies. Bottom line--she's a writer. A graduate of TCU, Rhonda collects pens, swords, smiley faces, and "things alien." A true friend of the convention, we're looking forward to seeing Rhonda's famous shoes again this year.

Leslie Fish:

Leslie Fish is a pioneer of filk music, winner of ten Pegasus Awards, and perhaps the most famous filker in the world. She's also a writer and her most recent novel, The Sword of Knowledge, a collaboration with C.J. Cherryh, Mercedes Lackey, and Nancy Asire, was released by Baen Books in January 2005. Leslie loves cats, thriller movies, horseback riding, and science fiction. A native of New Jersey, Leslie plays guitar, autoharp, hand-drum, and says she can "fake it" on electric bass. A 1995 is inductee into the Filk Hall of Fame, Leslie is the winner (along with her co-author Mercedes Lackey) of two 2005 Pegasus Awards for songwriting. We're thrilled beyond reason to welcome Leslie back to Dallas for her second FenCon in a row!

Melanie Miller Fletcher:

(Hoosier Red's Joint - new url!) Melanie says she's been writing pretty much all of her life, starting with her childhood fixations on dinosaurs and Greek/Roman gods. Now that she's all grown up, this self-described expatriate Chicagoan is a SFWA member published in three countries with two novels and a bunch of stories to her credit.

Brad W. Foster:

(JabberwockyGraphix.com) Brad W. Foster, international jetsetter and ex-secret agent, sometimes dabbles in pen and ink. These "strange little pictures on paper" have led him to 16 Hugo nominations and to win the Hugo for Best Fan Artist an astounding five times! Brad's work has been published in over 2000 publications ranging from Amazing Stories to Highlights for Children and in computer instruction books, a children's picture book, an oversized coloring album, advertising posters, role-playing games, and much more. He and his lovely wife Cindy travel around the country to various conventions, festivals, and cat shows.

Christopher Fulbright:

(ChristopherFulbright.com) Christopher is the author of numerous tales of science fiction, fantasy, and horror that have appeared in a number of small press magazines and literary venues since 1988. A former journalist, Christopher is currently a technical writer for an internet technology company in Dallas. His hobbies include playing the guitar, watching movies, reading, and camping. Upcoming works include a horror novella collaboration with Angeline Hawkes, Then Comes the Child, from Carnifex Press and a short story collection, When It Rains and Other Wreckage, coming from Grafika Press, both expected to in early 2007.

Generic Radio Workshop:

(Generic Radio Workshop) The Generic Radio Workshop has been around longer than the Golden Age of Radio lasted -- a little over twenty years. They started with the Texas Broadcast Museum (later the National Museum of Communications) and have performed at festivals, conventions, and yes, on the radio. They use as much vintage equipment as they can lay their hands on for that "old time radio" look and feel. Plus, many of their sound effects devices are hand-built, following period designs. While they have made a few concessions to modern technology, at the core they follow the practices of radio's Golden Age.

Paula Goodlett:

(Jim Baen's Universe) Paula is the assistant editor of Jim Baen's Universe. This Oklahoma resident also serves in that capacity for the Grantville Gazette, an online and print magazine dedicated to Eric Flint's "1632" universe.

David Gray and Mary Gearhart Gray:

(Book Tree) David grew up with radio programs of the early 1950s like Space Patrol and the early TV space programs: Tom Corbett, Space Cadet and Captain Video. The vision of the '50s had no limit, and that was why it was magical. When space became mundane, part of the magic went out of it. After all these years, there is a place inside David where it is still 1955, and space beckons with the promise of high adventure. Mary Gearhart-Gray has always loved science fiction in all forms. Along with her husband, David Gray, she proudly presents David’s radio-style plays at cons across the country. David writes the "Buzz Blaster" series of neo-50's radio plays. Mary, along with the help of a cast of tens or so, drawn from con-goers, produces them.

Angeline Hawkes:

(AngelineHawkes.com) Angeline Hawkes, the author formerly known as Angeline Hawkes-Craig, resides in Texas and is a member of HWA. Angeline's horror collection The Commandments was released in July 2006. A tale from her barbarian series is soon to be featured as an Amazon Short. Her work appears in over 27 anthologies and numerous collections, novels and collaborations. Next up is Then Comes the Child, an extreme horror novella in collaboration with with her husband (and fellow FenCon III guest) Christopher Fulbright, coming soon from Carnifex Press.

Teddy Harvia:

(Teddy Harvia's official site) Teddy is a four-time winner of the Hugo for Best Fan Artist. A native of Oklahoma, he grew up in the Dallas area and he lives here today. While Teddy fills his days as a technical writer his art has filled the pages of hundreds of publications. We're happy Teddy was able to make FenCon III part of his busy schedule.

Charlee Jacob:

(Charlee Jacob bibliography) Charlee, the recent winner of two Bram Stoker Awards, is becoming a major name in the "extreme horror" genre with hundreds of short stories (over 200!) and poems (almost 600!) in print. A native of Texas, she has four novels in print, including Vestal from Delirium Books released in July 2005.

Julia Blackshear Kosatka:

(Doin' Time in Higher Ed) Julia is a writer with several short stories and a beautiful daughter to her credit. She works at the University of Houston and lives in the Houston, Texas, area. Like so many FenCon guests, she has a story in the Yard Dog Press Four Bubbas of the Apocalypse anthology. It took a Category Five hurricane for Julia to miss FenCon II last year so we all hope for her safe return at FenCon III.

Deborah LeBlanc:

(DeborahLeBlanc.com) Deborah is a writer and a native of Lafayette, Louisiana. She says her earliest aspiration in life was to read every book in the town library. After working for an oil company and a transportation company Deborah started a couple of her own, including a management consultation for funeral service. She's also a licensed death scene investigator and ghost hunts with various paranormal investigation teams as a hobby. Deborah is the president of the Writers' Guild of Acadiana, mentor coordinator for the Horror Writers Association, and an active member of both Mystery Writers of America and the International Thriller Writers' Association.

William Ledbetter:

(WilliamLedbetter.com) William lives near Dallas with his wife, the one kid who has still not left the nest, and way too many animals. He writes mostly science fiction and his short stories have appeared in Continuum Science Fiction, Quantum Muse, Distant Worlds, International House of Bubbas, Sci-Fi Dimensions among others. William is also having fun dipping his toe into the publishing river as associate publisher at Dark Energy Speculative Fiction.

Joy Marie Ledet:

First last and always, Joy is an artist and an award winning one. Recently, Joy became inspired to create art that does more than sit on a shelf. She is excited about creating art that is dynamic, art that interacts with the owner. So Joy is now working in wearable art. Joy is sculpting Silver Clay, designing jewelry, and creating new 2D designs for altered clothing. During the con, Joy will be giving a Silver Clay demonstration. The item worked on will later be offered in the Art Show. Come by and watch her work in this new, "hot" medium.

Julia S. Mandala:

Julia S. Mandala is a reformed lawyer. Her chapbooks, Dracula's Lawyer and The Four Redheads of the Apocalypse (with fellow FenCon guests Linda Donahue, Rhonda Eudaly and Dusty Rainbolt) are available from Yard Dog Press. Other stories have appeared in International House of Bubbas and Flush Fiction from Yard Dog Press, The Mammoth Book of Comic Fantasy II, MZB's Fantasy Magazine and Adventures of Sword & Sorcery. She is an avid scuba diver and underwater photographer and performs middle eastern dance.

Lee Martindale:

(HarpHaven.net) Lee writes short stories, poems, songs, and all sorts of fun stuff. She once told a reporter that asked Lee to describe herself in ten words, "Poet, songsmith, teller of tales, lover, student, teacher, warrior...Bard." Her latest stories appear in the anthologies Sword and Sorceress XXI from DAW and Turn the Other Chick, fifth in Baen's "Chicks in Chainmail" series.

A. Lee Martinez:

(ALeeMartinez.com) A. Lee is the author of dozens of novels, most of which have yet to see the light of day, among them Gil's All Fright Diner (both published and a 2006 Alex Award winner), In the Company of Ogres (on its way), and The Devil Likes to Eat Chicken (mostly just a series of angry scribbles on tissue paper at this point). In addition to writing, he enjoys origami, juggling, time travel, and the ability to be cynical and cheerful simultaneously. He does not enjoy writing bios of himself (webmaster note: but he wrote most of this one!), but he does very much like faking pretentious author photos that render him unrecognizable.

T.D. McKinney:

(TDMcKinney.com) T.D. is a writer who specializes in horror and paranormal crime novels with "the occasional foray into romance." She has five works currently in print and says she will probably have 2 to 3 more by the start of FenCon III. Married and living in the DFW area, Theresa is a finalist for a 2006 EPPIE Award for her current novel My Secret Yankee. Her interests include collecting swords, vampires, the internet, science fiction, and all things Japanese.

Margaret Middleton:

(A Page Of My Own by Margaret Middleton) Margaret has spent the last nineteen years or so working for the Arkansas Highway Department and the last seven-plus years designing "mazes" (aka construction zones). If you've ever been stuck in Arkansas traffic, have a chat with Margaret. Oh, and she's been a filker for nearly thirty years and a convention-going SF fan for just a wee bit longer than that. In fact, Margaret is a 1997 inductee into the Filk Hall of Fame. We're happy to have her back at our convention in 2006.

John Moore:

(Books by John Moore) John is a Houston resident, an engineer, and a popular fantasy author. His stories have appeared in such publications as New Destinies, Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine, Realms of Fantasy, Fantastic Stories, and many more. John's novels Heroics for Beginners and The Unhandsome Prince, both from Ace, are also now available in several other languages. His latest, Bad Prince Charlie, was released by Ace in April 2006.

James O'Barr:

(JamesOBarr.net) James is the creator of "The Crow" and a legendary comic book icon who, according to his official fan website, "changed the face of the Goth subculture and brought it, bleeding, screaming and kicking, into the comic mainstream." This Detroit native is a former Marine and a self-taught artist who credits the work of Will Eisner and his contemporaries for his cinematic style. We're thrilled to welcome James to FenCon III.

October Country:

(OctoberCountry.net) October Country is Casey Sledge and Shaddow Walter. Back by popular demand once again, this Celtic-influenced band plays original music and titles from the folk, Celtic, and pop genres.

Gloria Oliver:

(gloriaoliver.com) Gloria has published a number of short stories, including "The Bubbas of Troy County" in the Four Bubbas of the Apocalypse anthology, and the Japanese fantasy novel In Service of Samurai. This novel was a 2004 "Eppie" finalist for Electronically Published Fantasy Novel of the Year. A native of Puerto Rico, Gloria currently resides in Texas. Her latest novel is the fantasy mystery The Vassal of El, a 2005 Eppie nominee, from Zumaya Publications. Her upcoming novels include Cross-eyed Dragon Troubles from Hard Shell Word Factory, due out this summer, and Willing Sacrifice, due out in 2007 from Zumaya Publications.

Stephen Pagel:

(Meisha Merlin) Stephen Pagel is the president and senior editor of Meisha Merlin Publishing. He worked for Barnes & Noble for ten years and served as their national science fiction, fantasy, and role playing buyer for the last three of those years. When he left B&N for the director of sales position at White Wolf Publishing, Locus Magazine called Stephen "the most powerful person in science fiction." Besides his sales experience, Stephen is co-editor of the anthology series Bending the Landscape: Fantasy with Nicloa Griffith for which they won the Lambda Literary Award for best SF/F work of 1997 and the World Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Anthology of 1997. In 1998, Overlook published Stephen and Nicola's next anthology, Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction. In June of 1998 Stephen left White Wolf to devote all his effort to running Meisha Merlin Publishing.

Teresa Patterson:

(ASFA website) Teresa is a longtime fan, a balloon sculptor, and the co-author of a number of guides to the works of some top authors. These include The World of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time co-authored with Robert Jordan and The World of Shanarra co-authored with Terry Brooks. She is the winner of a 2004 Chesley Award for her work for the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists above and beyond officer duties.

Andrew Probert:

(Probert Designs) (wikipedia) Andrew's artistic career spans almost thirty years, beginning as a designer for the original Battlestar Galactica. He was a major contributor on Star Trek: The Motion Picture, providing a look that was "beyond the scope of television thinking." Andrew went on to work projectssuch as Airwolf and Back to the Future. In 1987, he was hired as Senior Illustrator for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Andrew was to the first season of ST:TNG what Matt Jefferies was to the original Star Trek television series. He designed the Enterprise exterior, the Enterprise bridge, and nearly everything from the Romulan Warbird to the Ferengi. Probert went on to work as a Walt Disney Imagineer, a video game artist, and is now involved in producing paintings.

Dusty Rainbolt:

(dustycatwriter.com) Dusty writes science fiction, humor, paranormal mysteries, and cat product reviews. A Texas resident, she scuba dives and skydives for fun when not chasing after her herd of cats. An animal lover, Dusty's books include the informational Kittens for Dummies and the novel All the Marbles.

Ravenar:

(Ravenar) Ravenar is a staple of the FenCon Cabaret and they bring energy and spirit to any event with their choreographed bellydancing. Ravenar is really three lovely ladies: Linda Donahue, Julia Mandala, Kathy Turski. We just can't imagine having a FenCon without 'em. (Kathy's not in that picture. We're working on it.)

M. T. Reiten:

(MTReiten.com) Matt has published several short stories with more sold and awaiting publication. His latest is "Needle Child" in Writers of the Future, Volume XXI released last summer. A veteran of the United States Army, Matt is currently a doctoral candidate in electrical engineering at Oklahoma State University.

Selina Rosen:

(Selina's Personal Webpage) Selina is the outspoken publisher of Yard Dog Press and a fixture in southwest convention fandom. A writer since the age of 12, she now has several novels in print and is an internationally published short fiction writer. CJ Cherryh says "she writes really good, wise, funny and serious books." Selina's personal story is a fascinating one and we're happy to welcome her back for FenCon III.

Rie Sheridan:

(riewriter.com) She says she's been writing since she first picked up a crayon. Rie has published short stories online in half a dozen ezines and websites. Her poetry has appeared in print magazines such as Mythic Circle and Dreams of Decadence. Her most popular stories to date are the Adventures of Bruce and Roxanne, humorous horror shorts available as Dollar Downloads from Echelon Press. Rie lives in Texas with her new husband Newell and three cats, all spoiled rotten.

Libby Smith Singleton:

(Tandra.com) Libby is a regular writer for Hanthercraft Publications, with her stories featured in Dragonrock, on the Tandra CD, as well as the Tandra website. She is a small-press comics writer and a two-time winner of the Little Rock Free Press' Fiction Writing Contest. An administrative assistant for the State of Arkansas by day to support her writing habit, she is also frequently seen on Central Arkansas theater stages and is beginning to dabble in cross stitch and needlework design. Libby is an active member of the Little Rock Science Fiction Society when she isn't on stage. She's a "mean kitty momma" to three cats and an elderly terrier. If Libby ever has any free time, she plans to sell it on eBay.

Brad Sinor:

(Brad Sinor at Zette's World) Brad is a writer and a fan and a photographer. If you've seen photos of a convention in the midwest there's a good chance that Brad was behind the camera. Brad has published several books and short stories and has a chapbook released in late 2004, written with his wife Sue, from Yard Dog Press.

Susan P. Sinor:

(Susan P. Sinor at Yard Dog Press) Sue is a writer and a fan and a frequent collaborator with her husband, Brad. She and Brad co-authored a chapbook called Playing With Secrets released in late 2004 from Yard Dog Press. We're happy to see them both returning for FenCon III.

John Steakley:

(JohnSteakley.com) John is a talented writer and the author of Armor and Vampire$, only one of which has been made into a major motion picture starring James Woods. A native Texan, John started his career in science fiction with "The Bluenose Limit" in the March 1981 issue of Amazing. He is currently hard at work on a new novel rumored to be a sequel to Armor.

Kathryn Sullivan:

(KathrynSullivan.com) Kathryn writes young adult fantasy and science fiction. Her first book, The Crystal Throne, won the 2002 EPPIE for best Fantasy, and her second, Agents & Adepts, won the 2003 Dream Realm Award for Best Anthology. The sequel, Talking to Trees, was released in January 2006, also by Amber Quill Press. Her short stories have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. Kathryn lives in Winona, MN, where the river bluffs double as cliffsides on alien planets or the deep mysterious forests in a magical world. She is owned by two birds, a cockatoo and a jenday.

Shanna Swendson:

(ShannaSwendson.com) Shanna writes humorous contemporary fantasy. Her first novel Enchanted Inc. was published by Ballantine in 2005 and the second book in the series, Once Upon Stilettos, was released in May 2006 with two more to follow in 2007. Born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Shanna is a voracious reader and loves both watching television science fiction and discussing it on the internet. She's a member of both the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and the Romance Writers of America.

Richard D. Weber:

(Dark Protocols) Richard is a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer who now writes mysteries, thrillers, and conspiracy-laden novels such as Protocol 17 and Solomon's Code as well as 2004's Elvis and Me. Richard is a graduate of University of Wisconsin and a member of the Horror Writer's Association. He currently lives in the Dallas area.

Steven E. Wedel:

(StevenEWedel.com) Steve is an award-winning author with a knack for werewolf stories. A life-long Oklahoman, he holds a master's degree in liberal studies, creative writing emphasis, from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Central Oklahoma. Steve has worked as a machinist, newspaper reporter, corporate writer, public relations director and teacher, among other things. He has several books to his credit, including Shara, Darkscapes, Murdered by Human Wolves, and Call to the Hunt.

K.D. Wentworth:

(KDWentworth.com) Three-time Nebula Award nominee K.D. was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and toured the nation's high schools before graduating in upstate New York. Returning to Oklahoma to attend the University of Tulsa, she earned a B.A. in Liberal Arts and has had the sense to stay put ever since, although she dodges the occasional tornado. K.D. won the Writers of the Future competition in 1988 and has sold well over seventy short stories to leading genre magazines. With seven novels in print and a term as SFWA secretary behind her, K.D. attributes her success to having a very large dog and a wonderful husband, not necessarily in that order.

Glenn Yeffeth:

(BenBella Books) Glenn is the publisher of BenBella Books, a company he named for his children Benjamin and Isabella. A former corporate executive, Glenn says he formed BenBella "in a desperate attempt to avoid real work." In fact, he has grown BenBella into one of the premier publishers of new and classic science fiction and fantasy as well as "smart pop" non-fiction.