Open Road Publishing releases Robert Goswitz’s The Dragon Soldier’s Good Fortune!

A story of luck and Devine protection in a most unusual form…

An ancient king of Vietnam commanded his subjects to cover their arms and thighs with dragon tattoos. The accepted belief of the time was that the Dragon Spirit protected farmers against evil spirits in their rice paddies.

In 1971, Private Ed Lansky seeks protection from a different form of evil, ‘Something’ to guide him through his year in country. Each time the war tries to kill him or burden him with guilt, the dragon appears, guarding and guiding him. A weight lifts from his soul as he discovers the power of the Dragon Spirit…his Warrior Shield.

Although this is a work of fiction, much of what happens comes directly from Goswitz’s accounts, making it ever so real in the mind’s eye of the reader. Commendable writing of a turbulent time in American and Vietnam history.

Robert Goswitz was born and raised in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, graduated from Milton College, and holds an MA in Education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He was drafted into the US Army in March of 1971 and served in Vietnam from September of 1971 to August of 1972, receiving the Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star for his service. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! After the military, Robert was a special education teacher from 1974 until his retirement in 2007. Goswitz is a Wisconsin writer whose novel excerpts have been published in O Dark Thirty Literary Magazine and The Military Writers Anthology for 2015. Another excerpt received Honorable Mention from the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction/ Essay Contest sponsored by Winning Writers “One of the Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers” www.winningwriters.com. The Dragon Soldier’s Good Fortune is his first novel. The prequel, The Earth Shall Claim Your Bones, is available for acquisition. Robert Goswitz   Facebook Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency

 

 

John Flynn to Speak at DragonCon 2024!

John Flynn to Speak at DragonCon 2024!

 

John L. Flynn, Ph.D., author and long-time science fiction fan, has been invited by DragonCon to be an attending professional for its 2024 convention over Labor Day in Atlanta, Georgia. This will be Flynn’s 41st as a writer-guest since the convention was founded in 1987. He enjoys every aspect of its thousands of hours of programming focusing on science fiction, fantasy, comic books, and other elements of fan culture, such as cosplay, the annual Saturday parade on Peachtree Street, new writer’s workshops, celebrity VIPs, art show, vendors, gaming, and the charity auction, which last year raised thousands of dollars to fight childhood cancer.

While at the convention, Flynn enjoys reading excerpts from his twenty or so assorted books and Hugo-nominated stories, participating in discussions about horror and science fiction movies and television shows, answering trivia about James Bond on the Brit-track, helping new writers as part of the Writer-track, and shopping for unique items to add to his memorabilia collection.  DragonCon is his favorite convention of the year.

He sold his first book, Future Threads in 1985, and has subsequently had over twenty other books published, including Cinematic Vampires: The Living Dead on FilmThe Films of Arnold SchwarzeneggerDissecting AliensVisions in Light and ShadowWar of the Worlds: From Wells to Spielberg75 Years of Universal Monsters50 Years of Hammer Horror101 Superheroes of the Silver Screen2001: Beyond the InfiniteThe Jovian DilemmaPhantoms of the Opera: Behind the Mask, the Introduction to Signet’s new edition of Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera, and the Afterword to Signet’s new printing of The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells. Everything I Know About Life I Learned from James Bond (published by Open Road Media) and Future Prime: Top Ten Science Fiction Films were co-authored with Bob Blackwood.

To learn more about John L. Flynn www.johnlflynn.com

DragonCon is the largest multi-media, pop culture convention in the world. It draws more than 81,000 fans from all over the known universe, who occupy five hotels in the Peachtree Center neighborhood, as well as the Merchandize Mart, and it takes a 1500+-member volunteer staff to keep things running. For all information pertaining to the convention: www.dragoncon.org

 

 

Open Road releases Jeanne Charters’ third novel in the Daughters of Ireland trilogy, Silk Stocking!

Open Road releases Jeanne Charters’ third novel in the Daughters of Ireland trilogy, Silk Stocking!

Three generations of Irish American women strive to succeed in a time of great bias, prejudice, and social stigmata in this historical trilogy of perseverance: Shanty Gold, Lace Curtain, and the finale, Silk Stocking.

Mary Boland suffered aboard a coffin ship headed for Boston to escape the Irish famine of 1849. Her daughter, Nellie, against all odds, graduates from college when few women could. Then a fate-filled visit to Dublin changes the wind in Nellie’s sails… and those of her daughter.

Love undaunted. Evil incarnate.

“People sometimes wonder where a character comes from, asking, ‘When did you think up Mary Boland anyway?’ For me, Mary Boland was a magical name I heard throughout my childhood from my mother and aunts. She was my great-great-grandmother. There were no pictures of her and no records of her accomplishments, but she came to me in dreams…a young girl with curly red hair, riding her horse along the Irish seacoast.

“‘Tell my story,’ she whispered.

“In her first iteration, she was the star of a manuscript called Daughters of Ireland. Mary was the first in three generations of women. Writing class instructors and published authors alike told me, ‘Each of these women deserves her own book.’ They were right. So, I started over and told Mary’s story in Shanty Gold. Next came Nellie Kelly’s story, Mary Boland’s daughter, in Lace Curtain. Silk Stocking brings three generations together when Nellie gives birth to Kathleen. These women are family to me and I am thrilled to see their stories in print. Enjoy!”

Jeanne Charters is also the author of a humorous memoir, Funny, isn’t it? and Yellow, a scathing indictment of television and politics torn from Jeanne’s years as a broadcast executive.

Published by Open Road Publishing

Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency

 

 

Loiacono Literary Agency takes on Jason Dew’s novel Up on the Hill!

Loiacono Literary Agency takes on Jason Dew’s novel Up on the Hill!

Charlie Allen is an aging man who sweeps floors and cleans bathrooms at Cougar’s Crossing Elementary School. After work, he visits his wife, Chick, who lives in a nursing home due to the fact that she cannot be trusted. At sixty-seven, he knows the sun is beginning to set on his life, yet one morning, like any other, the green tennis ball appears at the foot of his kitchen table; a ball he has not held in over fifty years. In another time, Charlie Allen would have thrown it and his beloved dog, Molly, would have brought it back.

So begins a story that oscillates between one man’s traumatic past and a present he shares with a fifth-grade teacher who is in the midst of her own personal battle. Charlie Allen did the unthinkable when he was a boy, and the weight of that memory has been a tremendous burden on his soul. On top of all that, there is now a killer on the loose in the rustic Pennsylvania county they call home; a killer who also did the unthinkable. Only the bearded janitor with the missing tooth can initiate the events that will lead to unfortold events. Will Charlie Allen disregard the green tennis ball? Call it an odd occurrence? Dismiss it with old man fatigue? Or, will he throw it into the dark, dark night to see what happens?

Jason Michael Dew was born and raised in Northwestern Pennsylvania, a region he often explores in his writing. He earned his BA from Lock Haven University, an MS from Georgia State University, and an MA and PhD from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of Gadly Plain and All the Bad Things, and is currently on the faculty at Georgia State University in Atlanta, where he makes his home with his wife and three daughters.

Jason Dew is represented by Jeanie Loiacono, Loiacono Literary Agency. Jeanie.L@LLALLC.net

Dr. John L. Flynn Dragon Con 2023 Schedule

Dr. John L. Flynn Dragon Con 2023 Schedule

John L Flynn (Web Site Name:Dr. John L Flynn)
Attending Professional: John L Flynn (Web Site Name:Dr. John L Flynn)
Agent: Jeanie Loiacono
General Info
Website: www.dragoncon.org Dates: August 31-September 4, 2023 (Thu-Mon)
Important Contacts
Guest Logistics: 404-500-8450
VIP Badge Pick Up VIP Badge Pick Up – Marriott L508
Thursday 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Friday 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
Saturday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Monday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Please note, there will be several times that the Marriott will be closed to badged individuals only. If you arrive during one of the times, it will be necessary to instruct the security personnel on the doors that you are going to L508 for VIP Badge Pick Up.To ensure that you do not have any challenges getting in to pick up your credentials, we encourage you to print out this sheet to provide upon your arrival.
To help ensure that our VIP badge pick up is the best it can be, please understand that the following policies will be enforced:

  • All guests and attending professionals will be required to pick up their own packet (with the exception of agents) and show state issued ID in order to do so.
Event Location
Event Location
The event is spread across 5 hotels and the AmericasMart.
The Marriott Marquis 404.521.0000
265 Peachtree Center Ave
Atlanta, GA 30303
Hilton Atlanta – Downtown 404.659.2000
255 Courtland Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel 404.659.1400
210 Peachtree St
Atlanta, GA 30303
Hyatt Regency Hotel 404.577.1234
265 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
Courtland Grand Hotel Atlanta 404.659.6500
165 Courtland Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
AmericasMart Atlanta 404.659.1400
Building 2,230 Ted Turner Drive
Atlanta, GA 30303
Panel Info
Title: “Bond. James Bond.” “I’m Sorry…Who?”
Time: Thu 08:30 pm Location: Galleria 5 Hilton (Length:1 Hour)
Description: James Bond has to be the least successful ‘secret’ agent, since at one time the mere mention of his name caused the bad guys to preemptively attack. We’ll try to figure out how he manages to keep his job, despite apparently taking out an ad in Spies Monthly magazine.
Panelists: Caro McCully(M), Van Allen Plexico, J M Tuffley, Dr. John L Flynn, Bill Hussar
Title: The Beauty of the Beast: Romance and Tragedy in Horror Movie Classics
Time: Fri 01:00 pm Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Length:1 Hour)
Description: Our panelists delve into the captivating interplay of love, desire, and doom within iconic Horror films. Uncover the haunting allure of these tales as experts explore the delicate balance between beauty and horror, weaving unforgettable narratives within the genre.
Panelists: Dr. John L Flynn(M), Mark Muncy, Hansi Oppenheimer, Clay Gilbert, Bill Bridges
Title: Breaking the Taboo: A Discussion on Classic Horror Movie Censorship
Time: Sat 08:30 pm Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Length:1 Hour)
Description: Delve into the dark past of classic Horror movie censorship. Join us as we uncover the chilling tales of banned scenes, controversial cuts, and the battle between artistic expression and societal norms. A spine-tingling exploration of Horror’s censored history.
Panelists: Bill Mulligan(M), Daniel Griffith, Dr. John L Flynn, Bill Bridges, Thomas Mariani
Title: Burned to Light: Vampires in Classic Cinema
Time: Sun 07:00 pm Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Length:1 Hour)
Description: Explore the allure of vampires in classic cinema as this panel dives into the captivating world of blood-sucking creatures, examining their evolution, cultural impact, and enduring fascination. Sink your teeth into this mesmerizing discussion!
Panelists: Bill Mulligan(M), Dr. John L Flynn, Bill Bridges, Thomas Mariani
Charity We are so very excited to partner with CURE Childhood Cancer as our 2023 official charity. Dragon Con has increased its dollar for dollar match of any money raised for this charity to a potential $125,000. Each dollar raised turns into two! We would love to make a BIG impact by sending the total match to CURE! CURE Childhood Cancer’s mission is to conquer childhood cancer through funding targeted research while supporting patients and their families. Research remains a focus as evidenced by the fact that they have invested more than $38 million in innovative research over the past twelve years. CURE believes the research funded today will lead to safer and more effective cures tomorrow. Additionally, CURE comes alongside families as a comforting presence from the day they are diagnosed and walk beside them until we are no longer needed. CURE’s programs address the physical, emotional, financial, and educational needs of families during treatment and beyond.

If you would like to help us reach our goal, please donate today at bit.ly/DragonConGivesBack!

 

Each guest agreement includes two donations to our Charity Auction (though of course more are welcomed). This is your friendly reminder that YOU have the opportunity to make a difference and help us raise money for a great cause. We get a lot of questions on what to donate, so we are happy to provide some ideas to help you: any show memorabilia they may own (this has brought in *huge* dollars in past auctions), signed artwork, autographed sides (episode notes from shows), autographed scripts, or autographed movie or television promo posters. Want to give something personal that fans would go wild for? Try auctioning off a meal with a fan while at the show or voice mail recording. For the authors out there, signed books certainly work, but if you prefer a more creative approach, we’ve had great success auctioning off Tuckerizations.

 

Items can be dropped off in VIP Badge Pick Up or in the Charity Auction booth at the Marriott. If you would like to get creative, let us know by contacting charityevents@dragoncon.org.

Dragon Con 2023 welcomes Dr. John L. Flynn!

Dragon Con 2023 welcomes Dr. John L. Flynn!

For those who are planning on attending Dragon Con, please sign up for ALL of Dr. John L. Flynn’s sessions! Flynn is an expert in SciFi and Horror films, and all they entail—from James Bond’s gadgets to the very first horror films and what it took to create them, and how far the industry has come. https://johnlflynn.com/aboutauthor.htm https://loiaconoliteraryagency.com/authors/john-l-flynn/  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2188894/bio/

Title: “Bond. James Bond.” “I’m Sorry…Who?”
Description: James Bond has to be the least successful “secret” agent, since at one time the mere mention of his name caused the bad guys to preemptively attack. We’ll try to figure out how he manages to keep his job despite apparently taking out an ad in “Spies Monthly” magazine.
Panelists: Caro McCully(M), Van Allen Plexico, J M Tuffley, Dr. John L Flynn, Bill Hussar
Time: Thu 08:30 pm
Location: Galleria 5 Hilton (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: The Beauty of the Beast: Romance and Tragedy in Horror Movie Classics
Description: Our panelists delve into the captivating interplay of love, desire, and doom within iconic horror films. Uncover the haunting allure of these tales as experts explore the delicate balance between beauty and horror, weaving unforgettable narratives within the genre.
Panelists: Dr. John L Flynn, Kelly Robinson, Mark Muncy, Hansi Oppenheimer, Clay Gilbert, Bill Bridges
Time: Fri 01:00 pm
Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Breaking the Taboo: A Discussion on Classic Horror Movie Censorship
Description: Delve into the dark past of classic horror movie censorship. Join us as we uncover the chilling tales of banned scenes, controversial cuts, and the battle between artistic expression and societal norms. A spine-tingling exploration of horror’s censored history.
Panelists: Bill Mulligan, Daniel Griffith, Kelly Robinson, Dr. John L Flynn, Bill Bridges, Thomas Mariani
Time: Sat 08:30 pm
Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Burned To Light: Vampires in Classic Cinema
Description: Explore the allure of vampires in classic cinema as this panel dives into the captivating world of blood-sucking creatures, examining their evolution, cultural impact, and enduring fascination. Sink your teeth into this mesmerizing discussion!
Panelists: Bill Mulligan, Dr. John L Flynn, Kelly Robinson, Bill Bridges, Thomas Mariani
Time: Sun 07:00 pm
Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Length: 1 Hour)

“Trash Compactor” Josh Bernhard Interview – John L. Flynn, Ph.D. and Star Wars Episode 3: Fall of the Republic

“Trash Compactor” Josh Bernhard Interview – John L. Flynn, Ph.D. and Star Wars Episode 3: Fall of the Republic

 

John Flynn in costume for Dragon Con

Josh Bernhard, a huge Star Wars fan who operates the Podcast “Trash Compactor” for other Star Wars fans, invited John L. Flynn to participate in an hour-long interview to discuss his script/story treatment for Star Wars Episode 3: Fall of the Republic. In 1982, when Flynn was a budding author/writer, being published regularly with the various sci-fi magazines, like Starlog, Cinefantastique, and Fangoria (to name a few), he wrote a script/story treatment for one of the future Star Wars movies as Christmas gifts to a number of his sci-fi fan friends. “I was too poor to purchase a traditional holiday gift at the time.” One of the people who received his “gift” was a wheeler-dealer vendor at one of the sci-fi conventions who thought his story was good enough to print, and arranged to print hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of copies of Flynn’s story for sale at the conventions. At his vendor table, he told everyone that he had obtained a copy of the script for the next Star Wars movie and sold innumerable copies. Other vendors, not wanting to be left out of the potential sales, bought a copy themselves, and they reproduced hundreds of more. Like most urban legends, his story sprouted legs, and it was suddenly available in every venue where there were Star Wars fans anxious to get a sneak peek at the next Star Wars movie. His script/story treatment for Star Wars Episode 3: Fall of the Republic went the equivalent of “viral” in those days, with fan groups discussing, debating, and spreading the word. Nearly everyone who encountered Flynn’s story thought it was a terrific, well-written with great characters and set pieces, and that it was the “real” basis for one of the next Star Wars films. Yet, Flynn never made a dime on the story. Having produced it for his friends, he had no way to know what would eventually happen. Therefore, John L. Flynn was a household name with Star Wars fans for a very long time.

Flynn eventually started publishing his own stories, apart from Star Wars, and made a career for himself as an author of science fiction and mystery stories. He has written over 20 books and has been nominated for 3 Hugo Awards. Josh Bernhard used his investigative skills as a journalist, tracking Flynn down several months ago, and invited him to record a podcast with him. In the hour-long podcast, they talked about how his script/story treatment for Star Wars Episode 3: Fall of the Republic took Star Wars fandom by storm—deeper into the origins of the story—and how many fans, even to this day, feel his story was far superior to the one George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, produced on his own. Lucas’ Episode 3 was criticized when it finally came out on the big screen, whereas Star Wars fans wished that Lucas had used Flynn’s. The interview had Josh and Flynn comparing versions, talking about the various sequels and prequels, and then came back around to Flynn’s current works as a professional writer.

Open Road Publishing takes on Robert Goswitz’s The Dragon Soldier’s Good Fortune!

Open Road Publishing takes on Robert Goswitz’s The Dragon Soldier’s Good Fortune!

 A story of luck and Devine protection in a most unusual form…

An ancient king of Vietnam commanded his subjects to cover their arms and thighs with dragon tattoos. The accepted belief of the time was that the Dragon Spirit protected farmers against evil spirits in their rice paddies.

In 1971, Private Ed Lansky seeks protection from a different form of evil, ‘Something’ to guide him through his year in country. Each time the war tries to kill him or burden him with guilt, the dragon appears, guarding and guiding him. A weight lifts from his soul as he discovers the power of the Dragon Spirit…his Warrior Shield.

Although this is a work of fiction, much of what happens comes directly from Goswitz’s personal accounts, making it ever so real in the mind’s eye of the reader. Commendable writing of a turbulent time in American and Vietnam history.

Robert Goswitz was born and raised in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, graduated from Milton College, and holds an MA in Education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He was drafted into the US Army in March of 1971 and served in Vietnam from September of 1971 to August of 1972, receiving the Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star for his service. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! After the military, Robert was a special education teacher from 1974 until his retirement in 2007. Goswitz is a Wisconsin writer whose novel excerpts have been published in O Dark Thirty Literary Magazine and The Military Writers Anthology for 2015. Another excerpt received Honorable Mention from the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction/ Essay Contest sponsored by Winning Writers “One of the Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers” www.winningwriters.com. The Dragon Soldier’s Good Fortune is his first novel. The prequel, The Earth Shall Claim Your Bones, is available for acquisition. Robert Goswitz   Facebook Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency