Report from Berlin Furry Convention and Book Party Invitation

Report from the Furry Convention in Berlin and Invitation to Book Party

Dear Friends,
My report from the Berlin Furry Convention is below, but before you scroll down to it, I’d like to take a moment to thank all of you for making to The Village of Bones a success and invite you to two events.

Invitations

Thursday, September 15, 2016, San Francisco, CA: I will be reading selections from The Village of Bones and signing books at Modern Times Bookstore in San Francisco’s Mission District. TIME: 7:00 PM. PLACE: Modern Times Bookstore, 2919 24th Street, San Francisco, CA . Free and open to the public. Come join us.

September 21, 2016, Berkeley, CA: Party Time! Celebration of the paperback edition of The Village of Bones. I will read selections from The Village of Bones and sign books. There will be time to have fun, browse the books in one of the West Coast’s finest bookstores, and talk to interesting people. TIME: 5:30 to 7:00 pm. PLACE: University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way, Berkeley CA. Free and open to the public.

REPORT FROM EUROFURENCE
This August novelist Dorothy Hearst and I were Guests of Honor at Eurofurence 22, the largest Furry Con in Europe held at the Estrel Hotel in Berlin. Furries are people who love anthropomorphic animals. Over 2500 Furries attended the Convention and over half wore costumes (known as “fursuits”) that made them look like big, fuzzy animals (no real fur allowed). Dorothy spoke about her Wolf Chronicles. I talked about shape-shifting in The Village of Bones.

We both had a wonderful time. All the Furries we met were warm, sweet, and hospitable, and clearly there to have fun. I saw a Furry dance contest (You haven’t really lived until you’ve see an Siberian Tiger break dance), and listened to horses and wolves sing Furryoke. You had to be at least eighteen to attend, but I never saw anything you couldn’t let a six-year-old see except for a very small section of the art show. Eurofurence is a non-profit organization and this year those who attended raised over 30,000 Euros ($33,000) for Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe.

You won’t find me in a fursuit any time soon, but I’d speak at a Furry Con again in a flash if they invited me, and I will always treasure this photo I took of a Tiger in a Bounce House.

Other Upcoming Events and One More Furry Photo:

September 11, 2016: Valona Deli Reading Series. I will be reading with poet Bill Mayer. Event hosted by Connie Post. TIME: 3 pm PLACE: Valona Deli, 1323 Pomona St. Crockett CA.

September 24, 2016, Sacramento CA: I will join poets at the Sacramento Poetry Center to celebrate the launch of the anthology Sacramento Voices IV. TIME: 12 noon – 4:00 pm. PLACE: Sacramento Poetry Center, 1719 25th Street, 25th and R Complex, Sacramento CA.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016, KDVS Radio 90.3 FM: Poet Andy Jones interviews me on “Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour. 5:00 pm PST (available streaming and in Dr. Andy’s archives after the live show).

Saturday, October 8, 2016, San Francisco CA: Major Author Event: Celebrate National Reading Group Month with bestselling authors Mary Mackey, Cara Black, Jessica Chiarella, Patricia V Davis, and Mary Volmer. Moderated by novelist Laurie R. King. Co-sponsored by the Women’s National Book Association, San Francisco Chapter and Litquake. FREE book club materials. Refreshments catered by Max’s Opera Cafe. TIME: 2:00 to 4:00 pm PLACE: Books, Inc, Opera Plaza, 601 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco CA. FREE and open to the public.

October 25 – November 8, THE WELL Inkwell.vue Conference (Online): WELL member Phil Catalfo interviews Mary about The Village of Bones and invites readers to weigh in with questions and comments. The WELL is usually a membership only group, but this 2 week, on-going interview is open to and viewable by everyone. To be admitted to Inkwell.vue and have your comments posted to the conversation, email the hosts at http://www.well.com/conf/inkwell.vue/participate.html

Tuesday, November 1, 2016, Oakland CA: I’m reading in the Pandemonium Press Series to celebrate the Day of the Dead. TIME: 6:30 pm. PLACE: Spice Monkey Cafe, 1268 Webster St., Oakland Ca.

Friday, November 11, 2016, San Francisco CA: I join Great Weather for MEDIA authors for a reading at the Beat Museum in North Beach to celebrate the publication of Great Weather’s new anthology The Careless Embrace of the Boneshaker. TIME: 7:00 pm. PLACE: Beat Museum, 540 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133.

Friday, November 18, 2016, Portland OR: A celebration of Great Weather for MEDIA’s new 2016 anthology The Careless Embrace of the Boneshaker. Mary will read with Great Weather authors and editors Jane Ormerod, Richard Loringer, Thomas Fucaloro, David Lawton, and others. TIME: 7 P.M. PLACE: Another Read Through Books, 3932 North Mississippi Ave,

On February 17, 2017 I’ll be doing three panels at the San Francisco Writer’s Conference, and on March 25, 2017 Director/screenwriter Renee De Palma and I will be telling writers who attend the Women’s National Book Association Pitch ‘o Rama how to turn their novels and short stories into screenplays.

To see my complete schedule of readings and other events please CLICK HERE