Come say hello to me at San Diego Comic-Con!

I'm heading out at the crack of dawn tomorrow to the Nerd Prom, aka San Diego Comic-Con International. I'll be working there on behalf of Hyperion Books, managing their booth and giving away their swag and keeping the Vogons from having a poetry-slam anywhere in the vicinity.

If you're coming to Comic-Con, please feel free to stop by Booth #1507 and say hello! (But do leave your pitches at home, I beg you. I'm there as a mere booth lackey; if you disrupt my swag-shilling by flaunting your manuscript at me, I'll have no choice but to toss you to the Klingons. Fair warning.)

Hope to see some of you there!

RIP, Pulitzer-prize winning author Frank McCourt

Sad news: Frank McCourt passed away this afternoon at the age of 78.

Stunned: Locus Magazine's Charles Brown has died.

I am still reeling from this news: my friend and colleague Charles Brown, founder and long-time publisher of Locus Magazine, passed away yesterday on his way home from Readercon.

I'll have more to say about this later... still wrapping my head around this.

Help Aaron Allston out with his medical bills, please!

Aaron Allston is best known for the long string of New York Times-bestselling Star Wars novels that he's written for Del Rey Books. He's also a game designer and an independent filmmaker. I know him as an incredibly sweet guy who tells good jokes, has a penchant for bad Hawaiian shirts and likes to give great bear hugs.

A couple of months ago, while in the middle of a book tour, Aaron suffered a massive heart attack and had to have emergency quadruple-bypass surgery. Aaron's heart problems were compounded by the fact that he is a diabetic. You can read the details here. Although Aaron came through his surgery and rehab with flying colors, he's now faced with a new dilemma: Like many writers, Aaron has no health insurance. His medical bills are staggering and he needs our help.

The Fandom Association of Central Texas has set up The Aaron Allston Donation Fund and Auction, a 501(c)(3) organization that exists to collect donations for Aarons' medical bills. In addition, they are seeking items to auction off to raise money. If you can donate an item for the auction (which will take place on July 19th) or if you make even a small donation, please consider doing so. And please help his friends spread the word!

Looking for book bloggers/media/reviewers attending San Diego Comic-Con:

If you belong to the group I mentioned above and you're attending San Diego Comic-Con this year, PLEASE email me and let me know. Looks like I'll be attending and I'll be working on a Sekrit Project; I'd like to involve as many of you as I can. Shoot me an email, please! (And if you're an author at Comic-Con and see me there, I'm happy to say hello but please don't pitch me. I'm serious.)