An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham (Book #3 of The Long Price Quartet)
Introduction
An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham is the third book in the Long Price Quartet. The cities of Khaiem are protected by the magic of the beings called the andat. Their Empire and their magic have receded, so the non-magical Empire of Galt plots to overthrow them. Otah is the Khai Machi, the ruler of the city of Machi, one of the cities of Khaiem The best Galt general learns how to take away their andat. Will Otah win an autumn war against the Galts, or will they destroy him and all the cities of Khaiem?
Summary – Background
The cities of the Khaiem are connected by the use of sentient magical creatures called the andat. Each city has one andat controlled by a person called a poet who binds them with a series of words. They name andat by the special task they can perform. Seedless, the andat of the city Saraykeht can magically pick seeds from cotton functioning just like a magical cotton gin. The andat of the city of Machi called Stone-Made-Soft can help with the mining of ores. The andat also protect the cities by having the power to destroy enemies of the Khaiem. No one has defeated the cities since they obtained their andats. The Old Empire before them used the andat but was destroyed, serving as a warning to them of what could go wrong.
Summary – Characters
The Empire of Galt wants to defeat the Khaiem. Balasar Gice is their best general. He searched the ruins of the Old Empire to find the secret to release the andat. He wants to destroy the Khaiem, not just defeat them.
Maati Vaupathai is a scholar, an appentice poet who missed his chance to control the andat called Seedless. The Dai-kvo rules the poets and tells Maati to go see what is going on at the city of Machi and report back to him.
Otah Machi is the sixth son of the Khai Machi. He became the ruler of the city of Machi after his father died. He was appenticed to the poets, where he met Maati, and later Otah was exiled as a laborer. Maati is his old friend but they have a complicated relationship.
Cehmai holds the binding on the andat name Stone-Made-Soft. He wasn’t the originator of the binding, but he holds it now. He considers Maati a mentor.
Liat Chokavi is the former lover of Maati. Liat and Maati are separated but have told everyone that her son Nayiit is his. Nayiit is actuallty Otah’s older son and that makes the succession difficult because only one son can inherit and any others must die or become poets.
Kiyan is Otah’s wife and the mother of their daughter Eiah and their son Danat. Danat is Otah’s heir but he is sickly.
Sinja Ajutani is a mercanary captain from Machi. He is the former lover of Kiyan. He serves as a double agent by hiring his company to the Galtish general Balasar Gice and reporting back to Otah about his movements.
Recommendation
An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham is a great third book in this fantasy series. The fantasy elements in the series are subtle, focusing more on the political and business sphere. The plot is faster than the first two novels and there is more action due to the Galtish general’s purpose driving the plot. There is an Asian/formal feel through the characters use of poses and their choice of honorifics. Otah is the protagonist in this novel. The ending worked well. It was surprising, but inevitable, to set up the concluding novel.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham
In A Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham, The Khai Machi is dying, and his sons must fight to the death to follow him. They exiled his youngest son Otah and presumed him dead. Otah wants to remain hidden but he enters their conflict. If he doesn’t win, the Galts will sack his city.
In A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham, the poet-magician Heshai must keep control of the magical creature Seedless, or the Summer Cities will fall to the Empire of Galt.
This is the link to my review of Persepolis Rising by James S.A. Corey. (Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck write together as James S. A. Corey in this Science Fiction series called The Expanse.)
In June 2025, I presented the short story named Erebus to the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop on a Zoom call.
I made five posts on my Goodreads account in June 2025.
In the past, I sent the stories, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, and Grognard to magazines.
The seven Flash Fiction Stories I sent out in 2020 and 2021 were Space-Dog Confession, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, Wormhole Generator, Runs with Scissors, and Principled Rogue.
Magazine submissions for 2021 were 4 unique stories submitted 4 times, with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections. No submissions for 2022. None for 2023. None for 2024.
Events from June 2025.
No events in June.
Writing Goals for July 2025.
In July 2025, I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com, including my Writing Progress Report for July 2025.
I plan to work on a story for the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop on a Zoom call in July 2025.
Eventually, I plan to work on the third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. I plan to split Chapter 1 into two chapters and add a scene to the new Chapter 1.
Submit the stories Space-Dog Confession, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, LARP Film noir, Sleeping Sickness, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, and Caliburnus to other short fiction magazines.
Polish and send the stories White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short fiction magazines.
In July 2025, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account.
Planned Events for July 2025.
The next conference I plan to attend is the Confluence Conference, held near Pittsburgh, PA, from July 25, 2025, to July 27, 2025. They will have the conference at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel in Coraopolis, PA. I attended the Confluence in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, (2021 was cancelled due to COVID), 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The Waste Lands by Stephen King, book #3 of The Dark Tower series.
Introduction
In The Waste Lands by Stephen King book #3 of the Dark Tower series, Roland and his group search for the way to the Dark Tower. They find a beam that travels through the ancient city of Lud pointing toward the Dark Tower. They must fight the degenerate citizens of Lud and find a sentient monorail train to take them farther. Will Roland and his gunslingers continue their path to the Dark Tower, or will they fail before they even get started?
Summary
The Gunslinger, book #1 of the Dark Tower Series, establishes the constants for the series. Roland is the gunslinger travels a desert looking for the Man in Black who did terrible things to him in the past that he does not remember. This world was damaged by a nuclear event and, in Roland’s words, hasn’t moved on yet. He meets Jake Chambers, a young boy.
The Drawing of the Three, book #2 of the Dark Tower Series continues Roland’s search for the Dark Tower. Roland finds himself on the shore of the Western Sea. He finds a portal to New York City in 1987 where he retrieves Eddie Dean, a heroin addict. The second portal brings Odetta Holmes from 1964 New York City. The third portal goes to New York City in 1977 where Jack Chambers was from. This sets up the third novel.
The Waste Lands, book #3 of the Dark Tower series has Roland teaching Eddie Dean and Susannah Dean (an alternate personality of Odetta Holmes) to become gunslingers. They go into the woods east of the beach and find a portal and a Guardian. Roland remembers that there are twelve guardians arranged in a circle. Each set of two guardians have a beam between each other. Where the six beams intersect, they can find the Dark Tower. They follow the beam to the ancient city of Lud which is an alternate version of New York City. Roland knows he needs Jake Chambers to complete their group and continue their journey to the Dark Tower.
Recommendation
The Waste Lands by Stephen King was an interesting book. There was some action and movement. In the first two novels the reader doesn’t know how Roland will find the Dark Tower. This novel gives us a plan. They must follow the beam to the center and find the Dark Tower, The Man in Black, and answers.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Waste Lands by Stephen King, book #3 of The Dark Tower series.
In Thinner by Stephen King, Billy accidentally kills an old gypsy woman. Her father curses him to lose weight until he dies. Can Billy reverse the curse, or will he wither and die?
In The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub twelve-year-old Jack Sawyer’s mother is dying. The only way for him to save her is to find the mythical Talisman which is in a parallel world called the Territories. He must pass many challenges to obtain his goal. Will Jack find the Talisman in time to save his mother from death?
It is by Stephen King and has seven kids who face horror. As adults, they face It again. Will the Losers Club defeat the hidden evil in the Derry sewers, or will they perish?
Drawing of the Three by Stephen King, book #2 of The Dark Tower series, features Roland, Eddie Dean, and Odetta Holmes. Roland gets one step closer to reaching the Dark Tower.
The Gunslinger by Stephen King, book #1 of The Dark Tower series, seemed to set up for a climax that never happened. What is there is a trippy and metaphysical non-ending.
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie, Book #1 of The Devils Series
Introduction
In The Devils by Joe Abercrombie, the adolescent girl Pope assigns the task of installing Alex the long-lost heir to the Empire of Troy to the Throne in this alternate history fantasy. Alex was an orphaned thief in the Holy City of the Pope until Alex’s Uncle Michael discovers her. The Pope sends a group of her vilest criminals nicknamed the Devils to help Alex gain the Throne and unite the Western and Eastern Churches to face the threat of the elves together. Will The Devils overcome their despicable nature to help Alex in her quest, or will they fail?
Summary
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie is an alternate history fantasy. Two important events change the history of Europe. In the novel Troy defeats the Greeks and Carthage defeats the Romans which makes Troy and the Holy City the two most powerful cities in the Mediterranean. Magic exists in this story. Magicians and magical beasts are real. The elves have taken the Far East and have tried to take Troy many times but have failed so far. The Savior was a woman, the daughter of God. The Church of the savior is split with the Pope leading the Western Church and the Patriarch leading the Eastern Church. Crusades were waged against the elves and the Churches fear another elf attack. The Pope wants her group of Devils to deliver Alex to Troy so Alex can take the Throne and unite the two Churches to defeat the elves.
The Devils are presented in groups of two.
Vigga, the werewolf from Norway, and Brother Diaz, the reluctant monk. One is faithless and one is faithful, but they are attracted to each other like magnets.
Balthazar Sham Ivam Draxi, the necromancer, and Baptiste, the jack of all trades pirate. Both are fighting a mutual attraction and hatred for each other.
Jakob of Thorn, the ancient crusader cursed to never die, and Baron Rikard, the undead vampire cursed to requiring the blood of others. Both are searching for the end.
Sunny, the elf, and Alex the thief, the heir to the throne of Troy. Both outsiders and attracted to each other.
Recommendation
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie is a fun bloody humorous quest. Every Devil has an inner turmoil to conquer, and they are greater together than apart. Every Devil has their own point of view sections, so the reader sees their unique circumstances. The end of this novel sets up the next adventure of the Devils. I’m looking forward to reading the next two volumes of this proposed trilogy.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Devils by Joe Abercrombie, Book #1 of The Devils Series.
This is the link to my Book Review of Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie, an anthology. Will the protagonists in these thirteen fantasy action stories prevail or fail in their efforts?
This is the link to my Book Review of the Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie, Age of Madness Series Book #3. They defeated the rebellion, but all is not well in the Union. Will the wisdom of crowds start a revolution and bring down the Union once and for all?
On May 28, we went to the AC/DC concert at Huntington Field in Cleveland, Ohio. Everyone was wearing light-up devil horns in honor of Angus Young. Great concert.
Writing Progress from May 2025.
I wrote four blog posts for my website, garydavidgillen.com. Including my writing progress report for May 2025, which I linked below.
In May 2025, I presented the short story named The Case of the Reluctant Pawnbroker to the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop on a Zoom call.
I made five posts on my Goodreads account in May 2025.
In the past, I sent the stories, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, and Grognard to magazines.
The seven Flash Fiction Stories I sent out in 2020 and 2021 were Space-Dog Confession, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, Wormhole Generator, Runs with Scissors, and Principled Rogue.
Magazine submissions for 2021 were 4 unique stories submitted 4 times, with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections. No submissions for 2022. None for 2023. None for 2024.
Events from May 2025.
No events in May.
Writing Goals for June 2025.
In June 2025, I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com, including my Writing Progress Report for June 2025.
I plan to work on a story for the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop on a Zoom call in June 2025.
Eventually, I plan to work on the third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. I plan to split Chapter 1 into two chapters and add a scene to the new Chapter 1.
Submit the stories Space-Dog Confession, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, LARP Film noir, Sleeping Sickness, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, and Caliburnus to other short fiction magazines.
Polish and send the stories White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short fiction magazines.
In June 2025, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account.
Planned Events for June 2025.
The next conference I plan to attend is the Confluence Conference, held near Pittsburgh, PA, from July 25, 2025, to July 27, 2025. They will have the conference at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel in Coraopolis, PA. I attended the Confluence in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, (2021 was cancelled due to COVID), 2022, 2023, and 2024.
I attended the SF conference, Cleveland Concoction, at 600 North Aurora Road, Aurora, Ohio, at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 17 to 19, 2023. I attended Cleveland Concoction in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, and 2025. (2020, 2021, and 2022 were canceled due to COVID-19).I attended the opening ceremony, seven panels, three concerts, one performance, the state of the convention meeting, and the closing ceremonies.
Marie Vibbert read “Things from our kitchen junk drawer that could save this spaceship.” It was first published in Daily Science Fiction, but is also on her website linked below.
They held the panel in the Hayes C & D Room with 7 attendees.
Saturday, March 18 at 3:30 PM
A Concert by The Harp Twins
This was the second of three concerts they performed this weekend.
They played nine selections.
A song by the Proclaimers
The Twins and the Troll (an original Harp Twins song)
Highway to Hell by AC/DC
Death Vault (an original Harp Twins song)
Fear of the Dark by Iron Maiden
Viking Song featuring the Volk Twins (drummers)
Nordic Solstice
The Game of Thrones Theme
Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones
They held the concert in the Pegasus Room with 110 attendees. (A Full House)
Saturday, March 18 at 7 PM
Quitting Your Day Job, a panel with J. D. Blackrose, Joelle Presby, Olivia Berrier, and Linda Robertson Reinhardt.
They talked about their background leading to writing for a living.
You have some power in knowing your followers by putting out newsletters, but not on Facebook and Twitter.
Remember that anything that works today will not work in the future, it changes constantly.
Word of mouth is the best advertisement ever.
Doing conventions generates 90 % of her sales.
They held the panel in Hayes A Room with 7 attendees.
Sunday, March 19 at 11 AM
A Concert by The Harp Twins
This was the third of three concerts they performed this weekend.
The first five songs were audience choice songs. The song in brackets is the one not chosen.
They played nine selections.
1. Dr, Who Theme [Theme of Fairy Tale]
2. Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac [House of the Rising sun by The Animals]
Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics [Sweet Child of Mine by Guns ‘n Roses]
Secret of the Sirens [Wolf Lullaby]
Dream On by Aerosmith [Clocks by Coldplay]
Viking Song featuring the Volk Twins (drummers)
Legend of the Shaders (an original Harp Twins song)
The Game of Thrones Theme
Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones
They held the concert in the Pegasus Room with 65 attendees.
Sunday, March 19 at 1 PM
The State of the Convention
Almost every convention head was there for the talk.
Many open volunteer positions.
There were about 250 people who attended the con this year.
They held the discussion in the Pegasus Room with 12 attendees.
Sunday, March 19 at 2 PM
Closing Ceremonies
Eric Hogg, the con chair, Stan Paulson from Security, and the person from Ops did a post-con talk.
They said they were working on planning for next year, with dates coming soon.
The Cosplay Guests of Honor and the Harp Twins were in the first row watching the talk.
The bottom line is that Concoction has risen from the dead following three years with no con due to COVID complications.
Looking forward to next year.
They held the ceremonies in the Hayes C&D room with 37 attendees.
Recommendation – Conclusion
Conference Recap Cleveland Concoction 2023
Cleveland Concoction 2023 was wonderful. The Bertram Conference center is nice. My stars of the con were the Harp Twins. I watched each of their three concerts at the con and each performance was great. It was interesting to see that the first half of each performance was different, and the second half was the same. My other highlights were the Confused Greenies performance and State of the Con panel. I attended the con in 2024 and 2025, and I plan on attending next year.
Links
I attended the SF conference, Cleveland Concoction, at 600 North Aurora Road, Aurora, Ohio, at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 7 to 9, 2025. I attended 11 activities. My star of the con was Marie Vibbert. The con returns in March 2026.
I attended the SF conference called Cleveland Concoction at 600 North Aurora Road Aurora, Ohio at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 8 to 10, 2024. I attended the opening ceremony, eight panels, two author showcases, and the closing ceremony. This year’s theme was the Neverending dungeon. My star of the con was Becca Lynn Mathis. The con returns from March 7 to March 9, 2025.
I attended the SF conference Cleveland Concoction 2019, at 600 North Aurora Road, Aurora, Ohio, at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 1 to 3, 2019. I attended the opening ceremony, four panels, and the closing ceremony. This is a link to my conference recap. I also volunteered in the Programming Department for four hours and in the ConSuite for four hours.
I attended the SF conference Cleveland Concoction at 600 North Aurora Road Aurora, Ohio at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 9, 2018, to March 11, 2018. The 2019 convention was from March 1 to 3, 2019 and I realized as I was writing a recap for that conference, I had not posted a recap for the 2018 conference. This is a recap for the conference from last year. I attended the opening ceremony, five panels, two author showcases, a performance, and the closing ceremony. I also volunteered in the ConSuite for eight hours.
This is my recap for the SF conference Cleveland Concoction from 2017. They held it from March 10, 2017, to March 12, 2017. I attended nine activities and volunteered in the ConSuite for twelve hours.
Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi is a reimagining of the novel Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper. Scalzi updates the story to contemporary sensibilities. Jack Holloway discovers a new species he calls Fuzzies. If they are determined to be sentient, then he and Zara Corp lose the right to exploit the planet. Will Jack choose to get filthy rich or protect the new species?
Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi is the fourth book in the Old Man’s War series. This novel tells the events from the previous story, The Last Colony, from the point of view of Zoe Boutin Perry.
Last Colony by John Scalzi is the third book in the Old Man’s War series. John Perry and his family colonized a new planet. Can he protect the colony, or will the colony perish leading to the extermination of humanity?
Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi is the second book in the Old Man’s War series. Jared Dirac is a clone with another man’s memories. He must save humanity from three allied alien races determined to destroy humanity.
A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold, Book #12 of the Vorkosigan saga.
Introduction
A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold is the twelfth novel of the Vorkosigan saga. Miles returns to Barrayar before the royal wedding of Gregor. Miles is caught up in the political situation in capital. He is also trying to help his brother out of a tricky situation. He is also pursuing a relationship with Lady Ekaterin and fending off others interested in courting her. Can Miles juggle his conflicting objectives in Barrayar or will he fail in his Civil Campaign?
Summary
A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold has four different main viewpoints.
Miles faces political upheaval in Barrayar and attempts maintaining a relationship with Lady Ekaterina before he can reveal his intentions to court her. Miles returned home after his last adventure in Komarr. Lady Ekaterin Vorssoison and her son have come to Barrayar. She had helped him in Komarr, he wants to pursue a romantic relationship with her, but she is in her mourning year after her husband’s death, though that doesn’t stop all the eligible bachelors attempting to court her. He’s also pulled in other directions by his brother Mark and his cousin Ivan.
Lady Ekaterin wants the best for her son and herself. She stays with her uncle and Aunt as she tries to recover from her husband’s sudden death. Miles helps her and she is attracted to him but doesn’t know if the feeling is mutual. She is stressed by all the eligible bachelors in the capital attempting to court her even though she is in her mourning year.
Mark Vorkosigan, Miles’s brother, has returned from a year in Beta Colony. He has a secret relationship with Kareen Koudelka. They are not sure if her parents will approve of the relationship. He brought Enrique from Escobar because they are in a scheme together to monetize the butter bugs Enrique developed. Mark, Enrique, Kareen, and Kareen’s sister Martya are involved with the scheme.
Miles’s cousin Ivan Vorpatril gets involved with a succession issue in the council of the counts. He thinks about rekindling a relationship with a former lover but their more concerned with securing the countship. He is pressed because of a plot to injure the prospective count and must overcome his objections to succeed.
Recommendation
Miles’s latest mission is his most difficult yet in A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold. He’s in love and wants to court the next Lady Vorkosigan, but everyone conspires against him, including her. I liked the novel’s mix of regency romance, butter bug shenanigans, and political intrigue. It was all interconnected and earns its happy ending.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold.
In Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold, death will not stop Miles Vorkosigan, but his boss Simon Illyan has an illness that might end Miles’s career. Can Miles figure out what happened to Illyan and what he should do about it before it’s too late?
In Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold, Dr. Ethan Urquhart must discover what happened to unusable ovarian samples. Will Ethan go off the planet, risk being corrupted, and solve the mystery of the unusable samples, or will he doom Athos by doing nothing?
In Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold, they send Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan to Cetaganda on a diplomatic mission. Miles becomes involved in a complex mystery. Will Miles foil the plot to destroy Cetaganda and save his home planet of Barrayar?
In The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold, they accused Miles Vorkosigan of treason. Will Miles play The Vor Game well enough to escape the treason charges made against him and secure the assignment he desires?
In Warriors Apprentice (Book #2 of the Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Miles Vorkosigan gets involved in another planet’s war. Can he escape the mischief he started?
In Barrayar (Book#7 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Lady Cordelia Vorkosigan faces an assassination and the birth of her son. Will she survive the regency and give birth to her son?
In Shards of Honor (Book#1 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Barrayaran Captain Aral Vorkosigan takes Betan Commander Cordelia Naismith as a prisoner. They take a hike in the jungle. What happens when they fall in love?
In Falling Free (Book #4 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, space engineer Leo Graf must decide between retiring or risking his life protecting his students. The novel is a fun, self-contained space opera romp.
I attended the SF conference called Cleveland ConCoction at 600 North Aurora Road Aurora, Ohio at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 7 to 9, 2025. I also attended Cleveland ConCoction in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, and 2024. (2020, 2021, and 2022 were canceled due to COVID-19).I attended the opening ceremony, seven panels, two author showcases, and the state of the convention meeting. This year’s tag line was Race Back to The Castle. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of the movie Back to the Future and the 40th anniversary of the Super Mario Brothers Nintendo platform game.
Mogchelle the emcee (she was also a cosplay guest, dressed as Beetlejuice at this ceremony) introduced the guests and staffers at the con. Marie Vibbert was the author guest of honor, Big Girl Little World was a cosplay guest (dressed as a shrunken head employee from Beetlejuice Beetlejiuce), the duo LoRTH were cosplay guests, and Eric Hogg was the Con Chair.
They held the ceremonies in the Pegasus Room with 20 attendees.
Friday, March 7 at 6 PM
Author Showcase with Barbara Doran, Becca Lynn Mathis, Megan R. Engelhardt, and Vik Walker
Each author read for 15 minutes. Vik Walker read from their paranormal romance. Barbara Doran read from her novel, The Book Hunter’s Apprentice. Becca Lynn Mathis read from her novel, Wound Shadows. Megan R. Englehardt read from her novel, The Way We Used to Walk.
They held the showcase in Hayes A Room with 7 attendees.
Friday, March 7 at 7 PM
Finish the Novel, a panel with Evan Dicken, Jahrod K. Anderson, Marie Vibbert, Charlie Oberndorf, and J. D. Blackrose.
Tips and tricks for productive, sustainable writing practices. Oberndorf said that the key to finishing a novel is to find the heart of your story to get to the ending. Blackrose said that you must find a way to write out of the issue you are stuck on. It’s important you have a writing habit. A novel is a marathon, not a sprint.
They held the panel in the Hayes A Room with 4 attendees.
Friday, March 7 at 8 PM
Paths to Publishing, a panel with Evan Dicken, Jahrod K. Anderson, Becca Lynn Mathis, David F. Balog, and J. D. Blackrose.
The modern landscape of publishing and cultivating an audience. Mathis used Wattpad to get her work out there. She also said to get on social media, Facebook and Instagram for the older crowd, and Tik Rok and Tumblr for the younger crowd. Mathis said that you need to remember that you need at least 25 Amazon reviews to get into the Amazon Algorithm.
They held the panel in the Hayes A Room with 6 attendees.
Saturday, March 8 at 10 AM
Using Flashbacks/ Flash Forwards in Writing, a panel with Weston Kincade, Barbara Doran, David F. Balog, and J. D. Blackrose.
Is it a good idea? Make sure you don’t leave your reader in the wrong century. Blackrose said that it is important to keep your flashbacks short, so you don’t lose the narrative flow of your main story. Balog and Doran both said to start in mid-action and then flash back for your backstory.
They held the panel in the Hayes A Room with 7 attendees.
Saturday, March 8 at 12 PM
Building a Writing Habit, a panel with Cindy A. Mathews, J. D. Blackrose, Charlie Oberndorf, and Megan R. Engelhardt.
Step-by-step talking about finding the barriers keeping you from writing and how to overcome them. Oberndorf suggests writing early in the morning, deadlines help you focus and create a rhythm in your writing habit. Blackrose said that it helped her to have a part-time and flexible work schedule. Oberndorf said that stories are about things going wrong, start there.
They held the panel in the Presidential Board Room with 5 attendees.
Saturday, March 8 at 2 PM
No Hero Does It Alone, a panel with A. J. Mathews, Vik Walker, Weston Kincade, Alan Bailey, Sama Cleveland, and Cindy Mathews.
Writing standout sidekicks and side characters. Question: What are the equalities of a well written sidekick? Cindy Mathews said they are less informed but have a complementary talent for the hero. Walker said they can bring humor or serve as a mentor to the hero. Question: The uses of a sidekick. Cindy Mathews said that the sidekick can propel the plot forward. Question: Who is your Favorite Sidekick? A. J. Mathews, Samwell in Lord of the Rings, Cindy Mathews, Dr. Watson in the Sherlock Holmes series, and Kincade, Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series,
They held the panel in the Hayes A Roomwith 6 attendees.
Saturday, March 8 at 4 PM
Going From Short Story to Novel, a panel with Cindy Mathews, Marcus Cook, Marcus Calvert, and Megan R. Englehardt.
It’s not just about adding adjectives. Calvert said you can learn the craft to write-by-writing short stories. Mathews said a short story has a limited premise solving a smaller problem than a novel. The audience asked for a definition of a short story. The answer was under ten thousand words. Calvert said to aim for a three-thousand-word short story which takes about ten minutes to read.
They held the panel in the Hayes A Room with 10 attendees.
Saturday, March 8 at 5 PM
Plantsing vs Pottsing, a panel with A. J. Mathews, Evan Dicken, Jahrod K. Anderson, Tory Gates, and Clif Flynt.
Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants? Panelists discuss the pros and cons of careful plot outlines, bullet points, pitch, spreadsheets, and other ways to get from blank screen to a finished story. Flynt is a plotter and brought a ten-foot-long sheet of paper where he had written out the plotting of one of his novels. Mathews said that you need all your plot points before writing murder mysteries. Gates said he gets ideas first, then writes character sketches, then a synopsis/timeline, and only then does he write the narrative. Dicken said that he writes IP novels, so he must submit an outline before he can start writing. Anderson said he is a pantser by nature, so he feels that detailed outlining stifles his creativity.
They held the panel in the Hayes A Room with 16 attendees.
Sunday, March 9 from 10 AM
The State of the Convention
Wasn’t this a great weekend? No? Come tell us (gently) why and we’ll tell you what’s been going on with the Con. Seven members of the convention committee were present. They were former Con Chair Laura, Amy Schman from Programing, Eric Hogg the Con Chair and Hotel Liaison, Stan Paulson from Security, Sin from Operations, Ashley Berry from Publicity, and Casey Taylor from Gaming. Concoction is the second biggest event at the Bertram this year, the first is Twinsfest in Twinsburg. They plan to develop an anime track to attract younger attendees. The committee always need volunteers. They wondered if a book club would be beneficial to the Con.
They held the ceremonies in the Pegasus Room with 8 attendees
Sunday, March 9 at 11 AM
Author Showcase with Weston Kincade, David F. Balog, and Geoffry Landis.
Listen to your favorite authors read excepts from newly released and soon to be released works. Find your next great read. Ask questions and discover the world behind the books. Balog read a chapter from his novel, The Necromancer’s Sorrow. (Note: Balog has the owl Glitter featured in his books perched on his shoulder.) Kincade read the short story “Permadrunk” from his collection, Tales from the Box. Geoffrey Landis (Mary Turzillo was scheduled for the showcase but she was sick, not COVID, and he substituted for her.) read three poems. Kincade read a poem from his collection. Balog read a preface/poem from his novel.
They held the showcase in Hayes A Room with 8 attendees.
Recommendation – Conclusion
Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2025
ConCoction 2025 was wonderful. The Bertram Conference center is nice. The con was held previously at the Airport Sheraton which was torn down this year. My star of the con was Marie Vibbert, the last-minute Author Guest of Honor. I saw her in one panel, attending several panels, and giving a reading in the Consuite. My other highlights were seeing Weston Kincade and David F. Balog who were both on panels and in an author showcase. I’m planning on attending next year.
Links
Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2025
I attended the SF conference called Cleveland ConCoction at 600 North Aurora Road Aurora, Ohio at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 8 to 10, 2024. I attended the opening ceremony, eight panels, two author showcases, and the closing ceremony. This year’s theme was the Neverending dungeon. My star of the con was Becca Lynn Mathis. The con returns from March 7 to March 9, 2025.
I attended the SF conference Cleveland ConCoction 2019 at 600 North Aurora Road Aurora, Ohio at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 1 to 3, 2019. I attended the opening ceremony, four panels, and the closing ceremony. This is a link to my conference recap. I also volunteered in the Programming Department for four hours and in the ConSuite for four hours.
I attended the SF conference Cleveland ConCoction at 600 North Aurora Road Aurora, Ohio at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 9, 2018, to March 11, 2018. The 2019 convention was from March 1 to 3, 2019 and I realized as I was writing a recap for that conference, I had not posted a recap for the 2018 conference. This is a recap for the conference from last year. I attended the opening ceremony, five panels, two author showcases, a performance, and the closing ceremony. I also volunteered in the ConSuite for eight hours.
This is my recap for the SF conference Cleveland ConCoction from 2017. They held it from March 10, 2017, to March 12, 2017. Attended nine activities and volunteered in the ConSuite for twelve hours.
In April 2025, I presented the short story named Mixtape to the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop on a Zoom call.
I made five posts on my Goodreads account in April 2025.
In the past, I sent the stories, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, and Grognard to magazines.
The seven Flash Fiction Stories I sent out in 2020 and 2021 were Space-Dog Confession, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, Wormhole Generator, Runs with Scissors, and Principled Rogue.
Magazine submissions for 2021 were 4 unique stories submitted 4 times, with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections. No submissions for 2022. None for 2023. None for 2024.
Events from April 2025.
No events in April.
Writing Goals for May 2025.
In May 2025, I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com, including my Writing Progress Report for May 2025.
I plan to work on a story for the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop on a Zoom call in May 2025.
Eventually, I plan to work on the third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. I plan to split Chapter 1 into two chapters and add a scene to the new Chapter 1.
Submit the stories Space-Dog Confession, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, LARP Film noir, Sleeping Sickness, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, and Caliburnus. to other short fiction magazines.
Polish and send the stories White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short fiction magazines.
In May 2025, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account.
Planned Events for May 2025.
The next conference I plan to attend is Balticon, from May 23, 2025, to May 25, 2025. They will hold the conference at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel.
