Balticon is the first SF/F con I attended as an adult fan, and returning as part of programming is one of the highlights of my year. As much as I adore the new romance community I’ve found, speculative fiction remains my passion, and I love having a few days to catch up with the people and topics that helped form who I am as a writer (and reader) today. I also spent the first 8 years of my professional career in an office 2 blocks away from the host hotel in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, but that’s like coming home in an entirely different way!
| Balticon 60 May 22-25, 2026 Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel Baltimore, Maryland |
Since this is a “local” event for me, I am commuting from home for my scheduled events. Below is my official schedule. The rest of the time, don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to meet up for a meal, a drink, or just to chat. I’ll definitely be around more than the hours listed below!
Friday
8:30 PM: Crossovers (panel; Federal Hill Room)
What happens when the Addams Family moves to Gotham? Or your favorite character gets a Hogwarts letter? Writers of fanfiction (and sometimes official works) love to mashup IPs. Why would it be interesting for certain characters to meet? What makes two worlds compatible for collision? Some crossovers can be satisfying, while others might have been too ambitious. What are the strangest crossovers you have seen/written?
-> With Elora Malat and Wayland Smith (I’m moderating!)
Saturday
11:30 AM Author Autograph Session (5th Floor Lobby)
Stop by for postcards with links to free stories, bookmarks, and stickers. I will also have limited copies of all my books on hand to sell, including the full Steel Empires urban fantasy series; Earth and Water and Service Before Self, my debut paranormal and contemporary romances; and Fur and Honor, my PNR novella.
4:00 PM: The Fanfic-ication of Traditional Publishing (panel; Guildford Room)
Fanfiction has invaded traditional publishing! A lot of well-known authors got their start in fanfic. We’re looking at you Fifty Shades and Mortal Instruments. Elements like content warnings, tags, “characterXcharacter” are now seen in indie and trad publishing. Let’s talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of these developments, and how we feel about them.
-> With Evelyn Lewis (moderator), Cecilia Tan, and Sheila Jenne
5:30 PM: What Makes a Good Editor (panel; Room 7029)
What are the hallmarks of a good editor? What strategies and techniques do professional editors use to review a story or poem and help it become its best self? How does one navigate the editor/author relationship from the editorial side? Is there a trick to convincing a publishing team that this book right here is the one the publisher needs? Our panel of editors will discuss these and other important facets of editing.
-> With Dave Ring, Scott Edelman, and Scott H. Andrews (I’m moderating!)
Sunday
11:30 AM: Author Readings (James Room)
Authors M. Flagg, J.L. Gribble, and Brigitte Winter will read selections from their works.
4:00 PM: Streaming Services and SFF (panel; St. George Room)
With so much quality SFF on outlets like Apple, Prime, and Netflix, what shows are worth watching? This is a discussion group for fans to talk about their favorite streaming SFF shows.
-> With Bill Lawhorn, Emily Wagner, Wendra Colleen (there’s no official moderator, but I promise not to talk about The Old Guard the entire time) (or Heated Rivalry, which I do promise I can make relevant to SF/F!)
