November 7, 2018
Black City Dragon (2018) Written by: Richard A. Knaak Genre: Historical Urban Fantasy Length: 368 pages (Trade Paperback) Publisher: Pyr Science Fiction & Fantasy Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own. Why I Chose It: When this came into the Spec Chic offices and our Editor-in-Chic asked if…
October 11, 2018
On Labor Day weekend every year, more than 80,000 people descend on Atlanta, Georgia to celebrate dozens and dozens of fandoms, from Star Trek to Vampire Hunter D to X-Men to Firefly. The event takes over five host hotels and two of the America’s Mart buildings, and hosts hundreds of guests — writers, actors, artists, bands, and more. To say…
September 19, 2018
Hi! Venessa here. You might recognize my name from my monthly column here at Spec Chic, where I talk a little bit about books, television shows, and lot about conventions, including my Convention Life series and Con Season on a Budget. I also do some behind-the-scenes stuff for the My Favorite Things column too. In my “other” life, I’m a…
August 8, 2018
Last month, we talked about getting there: getting to your favorite conventions more cheaply (because I am the queen of cheap travel!). This month, let’s talk about staying there! The Age-Old Question: Host Hotel or Cheap Hotel? In an effort to cut costs, it’s completely understandable to shop around for a better price on lodgings, whether that’s another hotel or…
July 12, 2018
In our ongoing quest to attend as many cons as humanly possible (that’s your ongoing quest, too, right?), today we’re going to talk about how to get there without breaking the bank! Ready? Set? Go!
June 14, 2018
Fledgling (2005) Written by Octavia E. Butler Narrated by: Tracey Leigh Genre: Science Fantasy Length: 12h, 17m (Audiobook) Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc. Why I Chose This: In a post in 2017, I listed out several of the (many, many, many) books on my To Be Read pile. I’d never read Octavia Butler before and had been wanting to and figured…
May 10, 2018
This month, we’re doing the second part of the monster Stephen King adaptation news! If you missed the post about upcoming King movies, you should go read! The television adaptation list isn’t quite as long, but stay with it. There are some interesting things at the end! Let’s jump right in.
April 12, 2018
I have been a Stephen King fan since I was an angsty 14-year-old who didn’t want to go on a vacation with my mom, brother, sister, and new stepdad. The room I was in of the cabin we’d rented had a bookshelf. On that bookshelf was a ridiculously thick book. On the spine, the words: The Stand. I spent every…
March 8, 2018
So, 2018 is well-entrenched and that means Convention Season has started! I thought I’d do a post on some of the big ones that are coming up this year. I’m going to focus on the more “industry” type cons and not on the fan cons. Fans make up a good portion of the attendance at the cons below, it’s just…
February 8, 2018
Kill Creek (2017) Written by: Scott Thomas Narrated by: Bernard Setaro Clark Genre: Horror Length: 15h, 45m (Audiobook) Publisher: Audible Studios Why I Chose This: At the end of 2017, I wrote a post about a few of the books on my To Be Read pile (bookshelf). Ever since I started editing professionally back in 2008, I’ve made less and less time…