“It’s Not Just a Job, It’s an Adventure!” Starting a Small Press: a Presentation by Catherine Lundoff, publisher at Queen of Swords Press.

Queen of Swords Press is a new small publisher of genre fiction, with 4 titles out so far and more on the way. Catherine will be talking about how she got started in independent publishing, what she’s learned so far and what’s next. Q&A to follow. Queen of Swords Press titles will be available for sale and light refreshments will be served.

On Wednesday, February 7 MICHAEL MERRIAM reads from his fiction. Michael Merriam is an author, actor, poet, playwright, and professional storyteller. He has published three novels, two short story collections, four novellas, and over 90 pieces of short fiction and poetry. His debut novel, Last Car to Annwn Station, was named a Top Book in 2011 by Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women’s Fiction. His scripts have been produced for stage and radio, and he has appeared on stage in the Minnesota Fringe Festival and over the air on KFAI and Minnesota Public Radio. Michael is a co-founder of the Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers and a member of the Artists with Disabilities Alliance, the Steampunk Artists and Writers Guild, and Story Arts Minnesota. Visit his homepage at www.michaelmerriam.com.

Speculations is a co-production of DreamHaven Books and SF MINNESOTA, a multicultural speculative fiction organization that also hosts a midsummer SF convention, DIVERSICON, the 26th edition of which will be held July 27-29, 2018, at the Best Western Plus—Como Park (by Bandana Square), Saint Paul, with Guests of Honor CHARLIE JANE ANDERS and BRYAN THAO WORRA.

On Wednesday, March 21, ROB CALLAHAN reads from his work. Rob
Callahan trained as a broadcast journalist but couldn’t get much work,
so he started doing weird short stories to keep his writing chops up.
He made his first professional sale in 2003, got his first novel out
in 2008, and then spent the next eight years working as an arts
journalist. In 2017 he completed a new novel, titled The Devil’s
Descent, and is currently planning a sequel, workingly titled A World
Within the Walls. If you ask what he writes, he will ask what you’re
buying.

Speculations is a co-production of DreamHaven Books and SF MINNESOTA,
a multicultural speculative fiction organization that also hosts a
midsummer SF convention, DIVERSICON, the 26th edition of which will be
held July 27-29, 2018, at the Best Western Plus—Como Park by Bandana
Square, Saint Paul, with Guests CHARLIE JANE ANDERS and BRYAN THAO
WORRA.

On Wednesday, April 18 David J. Schwartz reads from his fiction. Mr. Schwartz’s’s first novel, Superpowers, was nominated for a Nebula Award. His short fiction has appeared in anthologies such as Glitter and Mayhem, Paper Cities, and The Best of Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet. He lives in Minneapolis and is probably not a group intelligence of misplaced bookmarks. Probably.

Speculations is a co-production of DreamHaven Books and SF MINNESOTA, a multicultural speculative fiction organization that also hosts a midsummer SF convention, DIVERSICON, the 26th edition of which will be
held July 27-29, 2018, at the Best Western Plus—Como Park by Bandana Square, Saint Paul, with Guests CHARLIE JANE ANDERS and BRYAN THAO WORRA.

Get out there and support your favorite local independently owned bookstores!

On Wednesday, May 30, SCOTT BURTNESS reads from his fiction. Scott Burtness lives in the midwest with his wonderful wife, Liz. He has always enjoyed reading horror, sci fi, and thrillers—especially comedic takes on these genres. For Scott, reading is a fun escape, a chance to live vicariously through someone else’s adventures. He decided to start writing with the hope of entertaining readers like himself. When Scott isn’t making madcap adventures about bowling vampires, beer-guzzling werewolves, and zombies that love watching T.V, he spends his time bowling, guzzling beer, or sitting in front of the T.V.

Speculations is a co-production of DreamHaven Books and SF MINNESOTA, a multicultural speculative fiction organization that also hosts a midsummer SF convention, DIVERSICON, the 26th edition of which will be held July 27-29, 2018, at the Best Western Plus Como Park by Bandana Square, Saint Paul, with Guests CHARLIE JANE ANDERS and BRYAN THAO WORRA.

Dan Gearino, author of Comic Shop: The Retail Mavericks Who Gave Us a New Geek Culture will be in the store talking about his book and comic shops in general. Come hear about the history of the comic shop in general and where DreamHaven fits into the picture!

On Wednesday, June 27 at 6:30 p.m. DC EDWARDS reads from her fiction. dc edwards is a writer, Afrofuturist and pop culture junkie. Her first novel, Bright City, debuted in April 2017. dc edwards has a somewhat healthy obsession with Lego Minifigures, any character that has powers–she can’t choose between DC and Marvel–and the Assassins Creed video game series–her favorite one being Black Flag. dc participates in the Sunday Weekend Writing Warriors challenge where you have to write a story or an excerpt of something you’re working on in 8-10 sentences. Check her out at dcedwardswrites.com. She lives in St. Paul with her partner and their two weird cats.

Speculations is a co-production of DreamHaven Books and SF MINNESOTA, a multicultural speculative fiction organization that also hosts a midsummer SF convention, DIVERSICON, the 26th edition of which will be held July 27-29, 2018, at the Best Western Plus Como Park by Bandana Square, Saint Paul, with Guests CHARLIE JANE ANDERS and BRYAN THAO WORRA.

UPDATE!

This Wednesday’s reading was originally intended to feature J. Lloren Quill, but he has had to postpone his reading. Instead, Eric Heideman will step in, reading pieces from TOTU #32 from out-of-state authors.

Speculations is a co-production of DreamHaven Books and SF MINNESOTA, a multicultural organization that also sponsors a midsummer speculative fiction organization, DIVERSICON, the 27th edition of which will be held July 22-24, 2019 in the Twin Cities, with Guests TBA.

We have a lot of books in the store. We have a lot of books in the basement. We have a lot of books still coming in from the collection Greg purchased earlier this year.

Fact #1: We need to clear some space.

Did you know that we have a whole garage full of $1 paperbacks and hardcovers? When something is a little too beat up to sell for regular prices, or when we have too many of them, or when something comes in that doesn’t fall under our usual range of SF-Fantasy-Horror-etc., they often go out into the garage at $1. Yes, the garage isn’t the easiest place to shop, often being a little too cold in the winter and a little too hot in the summer, but right now it’s just perfect. SF/Fantasy/Westerns/Poetry/Home Maintenance/Classics/Popular Fiction…it’s out there.

Fact #2: We have a lot of good books, going cheap, that nobody looks at.

1 + 2 = Fact #3: DreamHaven is going to have a bag sale.

Saturday, September 8th, DreamHaven is going to give you a chance to pick up a lot of good reading for not a lot of cash.

Here’s the plan: $5 gets you a small bag (6 3/4 x 4 3/4 x 13 1/2”) or $15 gets you a grocery bag. You take it into the garage, and fill it with all the hardcovers, paperbacks, 25-cent comics, or whatever else we manage to pack in there by Saturday. Fill it right up to the top, then take it away – not back into the store (we don’t want things to be confused, or to come back!). 

There are lots of goodies out there, and I expect that by the 8th we will have even more. And if the weather is nice, we could expand out onto the driveway and have room for even more things. Come on by, say hello, and help get us a little breathing space before we wedge even more wonders in!