My first convention of 2020 is only 20 hours away!

CapriCon is happening February 13-16, 2020, Westin Hotel, Wheeling, IL

Several wonderful author friends are sharing a dealer's room table with me. We have quite a variety of delightful books and book-related shiny things. Wait, let me try that again with more exclamatory excitement:Seven authors! So many sub-genres! Meet us! Browse the pretties! Maybe buy a thing or two! (BUT NO PRESSURE!) I'll be in several programs too, conveniently listed below. Plus Friday night at 5:30 I'll be doing a a Book Speed-Dating event in room River C. Join the panelists for entertaining & thought-provoking discussions!O Captain, My CaptainThursday 6:30 PMRoom: Ravinia BJoin us as we recognize women in roles of leadership in SF/F. Captain Janeway, Commander Ivanova (who is ALWAYS right), Captain Marvel, Admiral Honor Harrington, and Captain "Starbuck" Thrace demonstrate that it's not strictly a "boy's club" anymore. Who are your favorite women in leadership roles in SF/F? Your inspirations?Nonfiction for Fiction WritersFriday 10:00 AMRoom: Botanic AWe often hear writers advised to read widely, both in and out of our genre. What are some kinds of nonfiction reading that can help broaden your fiction writing? Our panelists recommend memoirs, history, cookbooks, podcasts, subreddits, true crime, whatever else has caught their interest and driven them to write more deeply.Just DesertsFriday 11:30 AMRoom: Ravinia BTropics doesn't just mean Caribbean islands or fabulous tropical rainforests. Deserts are part of the tropics too. Many recent fantasy stories have desert settings, many bearing more than a passing resemblance to North Africa. Camels, beautiful horses, long robes, independent tribes, and more than a little misogyny fill these stories. Can we do anything else with desert settings? What other societies could develop there?The Future Climate of Chicago and the MidwestSaturday 11:30 AM, Room: Willow BWhat do global warming trends predict for Chicago and the Midwest? As our local climate becomes more tropical, what will the impacts be on people, plants, animals and our environment?Pirates are Not Just in the CaribbeanSaturday 2:30 PMRoom: Botanic ACaptain Dan Seavey stole lumber, alcohol and even whole ships right in Lake Michigan. Piracy was a global phenomenon that persists to this day. Our panelists discuss the past and future of global piracy. Why do we romanticize historical pirates, who were often really vicious bad guys? What does modern day piracy say about the socioeconomic impacts of the world we live in? Is climate change playing a role?So Bad it's GoodSaturday 8:30 PMRoom: Willow BOur panelists discuss their favorite "so bad it's good" films. And what about supposedly "good" movies that are actually bad?When not at these events, I'll be most easily found in the Dealer Room.  This is a super-friendly, super-fun, convention. I'm excited about meeting new friends and catching up with old ones.See y'all on the other side of the con.