The drive to Atlanta was pleasant, if not a little long, but any uneventful road trip is a good one.  I kept myself occupied with a tiny pair of binoculars, shouting out gas prices to my husband, Dan, and trying to find the one, obscure station that was still unaware of the outside world.  Alas, we paid far too much for gas on this trip, just like everyone else. 

 

I was on the verge of cabin fever when the Atlanta skyline finally rose into view.  We took a meandering route to the hotel (On purpose.  To see the sights.  That’s our story, and we’re sticking to it), and I knew we were getting close when I began to recognize the pedestrians.  Wings.  Fangs.  Haircolors only anime artists can conceive.  We had arrived at Dragon*Con 2005 !

 

After a quick change in our hotel room, we wandered aimlessly toward the Marriot, looking for the convention itself.  We couldn’t seem to find it.  Oh, sure, hundreds of costumed folks wandered hallways, pausing to indulge those who pointed or wanted photos, and we found table displays for bands, gaming groups, or fan-based organizations, but where, exactly, was the convention?

Thank you to everyone who signed up for the drawing for the Todd Lockwood Lithograph. This painting was done for the Dragonlance Fifteenth Anniversary game product, and was so well received that it was used for the cover of the Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles as well. It won Best of Show at Dragon Con in '99, the Chesley for best Gaming Related Art, and appears in Spectrum 6.

The lithograph is a limited edition print, signed and remarqued by the artist. The winner was randomly drawn from the qualified entries. And the winner is...

Q:  Now that Jackie has a new website, do I need to re-register on the new website?

A:  No, if you were already signed up on the old website, you are all set.

Q:  How was it possible to move all the people over to the new mailing list--that must have been a Herculean task?

A:  Well, while it IS impressive, we actually employed the aid of a renowned web-wizard, who did use some magic to aid in the task.

Q:  What if my email address has changed, how will I get the Newsletter?

A:  If your email address has changed you will need to reregister for the Mailing List here.

Q:  What if my email is the same, but my home address has changed?

A:  Now, that is a tough one.  You will need to send us an email with your registered email address, name, and put "Address Change" in the subject.  Include your new mailing address in the body and we will update the list.  You can contact us here.

Q:  With all the exciting and dangerous things Webmaster Dan is doing with the site, does he use a stunt double.

A:  While it upsets our insurance company, we are proud to say Dan DOES do all his own stunts, unless they involve wearing a dress...

There was a shining star at MidsouthCon23 this year. Jackie came armed with cookies, her manuscript, and a smiling face. I caught up with Brad at a few panels in the author's track, and asked him for his impressions of Jackie. --editor

Out of all the great readings I attended at MidsouthCon, the best was Jackie's. Her writing was packed with emotion without being overly sentimental. When she read at the con she laid these emotions bare. I felt deeply for the characters to the point where I needed a tissue after the reading to dry some (very manly) tears.

Q: What do those Syndication links in the lower left hand column do and why does the page look funny when I click on them?

A:  Syndication is a way to Subscribe to a website, and automatically be notified when the site is updated. 

If you are already familiar with Blogging (WeB-LOGging), you most likely understand Syndication and RSS documents.  If not, read on!  RSS is an acronym for Really Simple Syndication.  RSS originated in 1999, and has strived to be a simple, easy to use format.