After three attempts to use the stylish template of my LA-Con schedule, I'm just going to write it out here. My apologies - I've been trying to get the rough draft for the next Hollywood mystery in shape (the outline is even more disorganized than usual, owing to circumstances beyond my control), and I'm doing about 45 minutes per day of physical therapy exercises, which cut into time.

Here's where I'll be at LACon-V, the 2026 Worldcon at the Anaheim Convention Center, August 27-31:

Thursday, August 27:

Sleuthing Through History - Noon

Barbara Hambly Birthday Tea Party - 3 pm (yes, because I'm one of the Guests of Honor, and that weekend is my 75th birthday, they're giving a tea party which will be open to all, they tell me. So I'll see you there!)

Friday, August 28:

GoH Interview - Noon - They asked me, did I want to give a speech, or be interviewed? I said I'd rather be interviewed, so I will be interviewed by my longtime friend Christine Valada.

Fandom Needs Brains: Keeping Them Healthy - 4:30 (Ageing and staying healthy, an interesting topic and necessary with the "graying" of the long-time fan community)

Saturday, August 29:

Forensics for SF/Mystery Writers - Noon (My late husband, George Alec Effinger, said of writing SF/mysteries: "They're tricky because they have to work as science fiction, and they have to work as a mystery." Randall Garrett worked the fantasy side of murder mysteries - How DO you track down a supernatural killer? Or an alien who doesn't have fingerprints or DNA?) (And who would vampires hire to track down a vampire-hunter, because they can't go out in the daytime?)

Researching History for Writing - 1:30 (After starting as a writer of fantasy, for thirty years now I've been writing historical murder mysteries - including several vampire murder mysteries. Nothing dumps me out of a story faster than poor research - and I've done my share of it!) (Research is Fun!)

Sunday, August 30:

Table Talk - 10:30 (I'm not sure how the convention is working these, but it will be a small group chat that people sign up for)

Autographing - 3 pm

Monday, August 31:

Historical Fiction meets F/SF - 10:30 (Parallel worlds, alternate time-tracks, what-if...)

Reading - 2 pm - This will be 25 minutes, so it'll be just the first part of a story. Right before closing ceremonies.

In addition to all that, I'll be helping to judge the Masquerade on Saturday night, and will be one of the presenters at the Hugo Awards ceremony Sunday night. AND they're giving me a couple of panels for me to display some of my art-work - for exhibit only - I believe in the Art Show. So it's going to be a REALLY busy con for me.

And I'm very much looking forward to it.

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