I know you're all dying to know my plans for the year. Here this the summary:  I'm going to attend a bunch of conventions! Mostly in the Midwest, but a few further afield.The spring schedule got full quickly:

• CapriCon 38 Wheeling IL February 15-18. Attending as an author. Panels & reading confirmed.
• Deep Dish Science Fiction Reading: Thursday March 1 at Volumes BookCafe. I'm penciled in, I'll share more details as soon I get them.
• ConCoction Cleveland OH March 9-11 Attending as an author. Panels & reading confirmed.
• C2E2 Chicago IL April 6-8. I'll be there Friday & Sunday, possibly part of Saturday as well. Doing what? not sure yet. My pro application is being processed. If that doesn't get accepted, I'll still go, just as a fan.
• Nebula Awards Conference Pittsburgh PA May 17-20. No, I'm still not a member of SFWA. This one's all about learning & professional development. And the Nebula  Awards ceremony of course.

I wanted to do MiniCon and/or WisCon too...but neither of those is in the scheduling cards this year. Family first, finances second, timing third. I can't make it work.At some point in the next week I must decide WHAT AM I GOING TO READ AT THESE READINGS?  I need multiple 5-7 min excerpts from either published works or works-in-progress. At 130 words per minute, that's about 900-1000 words each.  Suggestions welcomed. First chapters are the default, but from panels & classes I've taken, I  would be better off pulling other scenes I can voice better.Why do I have to decide so soon? So I can practice. Not because I'm nervous, no.  I am the weird introvert who is infinitely more comfortable standing up in front of groups than talking face-to-face. I have to practice because once upon a time I did competitive public speaking, and I was drilled to never EVER stand up unprepared. Dramatic Interpretation (Duo) and Original Oratory both required me to memorize 5-8 minutes worth of words. Reading should be a comparative cakewalk once I work through the material a few times.ANYway. More author stuff. After my packed spring comes summer.I'm aiming to attend GenCon in Indianapolis IN  August 2-5 as a pro or a vendor, and I WILL be back at DragonCon in Atlanta GA again this year. That's August 29-September 4. I'll be working in the Armory for certain and hopefully doing panels and selling books too.I could possibly fit in one more summer convention. Not sure what, where or when. Or if, frankly.  Budgetary concerns come into play. And time. And brainspace.There are family visit plans in the squishy-maybe stages, I'm still ambivalent about aiming for some fall conventions. Might or might not do WindyCon again.  I'm open to other ideas. (although as you all know, I am all about asking for suggestions and then ignoring them) plus I am dying to get out to NY to visit the fabulous Camp Little Notch someday and autumn might be a beautiful time for that...I dunno. That's a long way off. I have February through April planned. That's a big step for me. One scary leap at a time.In other author things:My cozy-mystery-with-family-ghost manuscript is moving along well, working title Ghost Town. (don't get attached to it. That will NOT be its final title, just like "Carl Finally Gets Some Action" became Turning The Work) It's well behind schedule but progress is steady in its tortoise-like way.Heartwood is in revision and shaping up nicely. Also behind schedule, but I would rather be late & good than early but unpolished.And that is that.