Costumes, treats, and Julia Mandala Headline October Meeting, 10/15/16

Susan Ives and Carol Doms
livened up the food table in 2013.

What: Halloween KaCSFFS Meeting

Where: The Writers Place

3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111

When: Saturday, October 15, 2016

6:00 Setup Begins!

6:30 Latest time the business meeting will start. 
7:00 The conversation with Julia Mandala begins! 

Food Theme: Halloween-themed Party Food! 

Consider dressing for the occasion 
KaXFEN usually come in costume for the October meeting, and we've had some strange and interesting looks over the years, from exotic wearable constructions to double-take-worthy makeup and special effects. But even if you don't feel like costuming up yourself, please come and enjoy the creations of those who do. 

Everyone in costume lined up for a photo at the 2014 Halloween meeting.

Every Halloween party needs food
If there's one thing we've learned, it's that KaXFEN not only love to eat--many of them also are excellent and creative cooks. Please bring something delicious and seasonally-appropriate to share. 

Tracy Majkol surveys the bounty at the 2014 Halloween meeting

Julia Mandala at this year's Archon.

Get ready to Meet the Author/Editor
Our main programming event this month is a live interview with our Reviewers' Reading Circle author, Julia Mandala. She will join us live and in her own costume via FaceTime, to discuss her new book book Blood Songs, our RRC Selection for October, and to tell us about the new Fantasy Writers Asylum imprint she's now editing for Yard Dog Press. 

IMAGES: Many thanks to Ty Gephardt and Jan Gephardt for photos of costumes and food from past meetings. Many thanks to Jim Hines, via Facebook, for the photo of Julia Mandala reading to an audience at this year's Archon 40 convention.

ConQuesT Memories will rule the night

Change is coming to KaCSFFS metings.

What: Monthly KaCSFFS Meeting

Where: The Writers Place

3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111

When: Saturday, May 21, 2016

6:00 Meeting Begins!

6:30 Latest time the meeting will end. 

Program begins!

Meeting Theme: ConQuesT Memories

Food Theme: Finger-Food Favorites! 

Games and Special Interest Groups: See the KAXFEN list for more details.

New meeting format gets its maiden voyage!

2002 ConQuesT: Next year's
Con Chairs take over.

We announced in April that this year we'll try a new way to conduct the meetings we hope will make them lots more fun. We start that new format this month: A short meeting (only if needed) between 6 and 6:30--then we'll launch right into the program.

ConQuesT Memories 

ConSuite balcony banner from 1987.

We owe a huge thank-you to longtime member and photography enthusiast Tracy Majkol, for putting together a slideshow of photos from past ConQuesT conventions. Considering that this year we're about to hold ConQuesT Prime (#47), we have a few ConQuesTs to remember! 

ConQuesT 31: Better not to ask?

Come prepared to share some of your favorite stories about ConQuesTs past--then let's all prepare to work hard this coming Memorial Day, and make ConQuesT 47 another great convention to remember!

Special Interest Groups and Games

This is an almost-first try with a new idea. If you like the idea of forming special interest groups or playing board/tabletop games during the freeform parts of the meetings, please come prepared to participate!

IMAGES: The photo of the Writers Place is pulled from a 2010 post, which borrowed it from the blog "A Skewed Perspective." The photos from ConQuesTs past were gleaned from Keith Stokes' wonderful Midamerican Fan Photo Archive. Many, MANY thanks! (pool noodles; balcony banner; 2001 cow monolith). 

Join us at the Holiday Meeting and Book-Signing 12/19/15

What: KaCSFFS Holiday Meeting and Book-Signing

Jim Murray, David Means, and Tracy Majkol
enjoy holiday treats at last year's Meeting.

Where: The WritersPlace

3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111

When: Saturday, December 19, 2015
Update: NO BoD meeting.

6:00 Doors open for setup and pre-meeting socializing.
7:00 Let the Party begin!

Join us for the Holiday Meeting!
Our holiday gatherings are a great place to relax with friends, share holiday treats, and warm up in the glow of the holiday season.

The food theme is HOLIDAY TREATS! If you have a favorite, please bring it to share. Some KaXFEN also bring small gifts or cards to exchange.

Book-Signing Attracts Six Local Authors!
Bring your own books, or buy from the authors at the meeting! 

L-R: Holly Messinger, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, and Robin W. Bailey

Robin W. Bailey is a bestselling author and editor of several dozen fantasy novels, short stories, and collections, and former president of SFWA, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Many of his recent collaborations have been with Bryan Thomas Schmidt. 

Holly Messinger's debut novel, The Curse of Jacob Tracy, was published December 1. The advance reviews, in publications such as Publishers Weekly, have been very positive. Meet this rising star of our region! UNFORTUNATE UPDATE: due to unexpected circumstances, Holly will not be able to attend, after all.

Bryan Thomas Schmidt is an author and Hugo-nominated editor of adult and children's speculative fiction. His most recent published project is Mission: Tomorrow. His debut novel, The Worker Prince, received an Honorable Mention on the Barnes & Noble Book Club's Year's Best Science Fiction Releases. 

L-R: Susan Satterfield, Mary Chambers, and Dora Furlong

MC Chambers most recently has had a short story published in a Hadley Rille Books anthology, Ruins Excavation. She also is the author of the novels Shaper's Veil and Silk and Velvet.

Susan Satterfield is a Professor in the English Department at the Metropolitan Community Colleges-Longview, in Lee's Summit. She is the author of Mirror Images, a fantasy novel, and has written short stories for Yard Dog Press collections, including I Should Have Stayed in Oz.UNFORTUNATE UPDATE: due to unexpected circumstances, Susan will not be able to attend, after all.

Dora Furlong's debut novel One of Our Own debuted last summer, and has been selling well on Amazon ever since. She is a frequent Savvy Authors teacher, with a background in the military and emergency services.

IMAGES: The photo of Jim, David and Tracy at the 2014 food table is by Jan S. Gephardt. The photos of Holly Messinger and Dora Furlong are from their Amazon Author Pages. The photos of Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Robin W. Bailey, and MC Chambers are from their author websites. The photo of Susan Satterfield is courtesy of the Lee's Summit Tribune. Many thanks to all!

Is the KaCSFFS Picnic on Your Calendar?

Fun, Food for All

What: Annual KaCSFFS Picnic

Where: The WritersPlace

3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111

When: Saturday, September 19, 2015

5:00 Load-in food and equipment to the back parking lot begins. Once everything's in, you'll have to park elsewhere after unloading. PLEASE BE PROMPT! 

6:00 Let the festivities begin!

9:00 Begin load-out, in the back parking lot

Don Mull and Kristina Hiner at an indoor picnic in 2013

An Indoor-Outdoor Picnic 

For the past several years we've held our annual picnic indoors, in recognition of some of our members' allergy, mobility, and other health issues. However, an influx of new members has brought many requests to go back outside. 

This year we hope to accommodate both groups. We've moved the Picnic's timing to September, in the hope it won't be as hot as it often is in June. 

Grills and some picnic tables will be set up in the shady, level parking lot area in back of The Writers Place, once all the equipment and food has been unloaded.  

We also will set up some of the tables indoors, so everyone will have a place to eat that is comfortable and safe.

An outdoor KaCSFFS Picnic in 2006

Field Day in Front

We also plan to set up lawn games in the front yard of The Writers Place. If you have something fun to share, be it Frisbees, croquet, bocci, horseshoes, beanbags, Nerf weapons, Super-Soakers, or whatever, please bring your toys to the party.

Feeding the Fen

KaCSFFS will provide hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, ketchup, mustard, some soda left over from the ConSuite, and tableware (table-coverings, plastic flatware, plates, cups, napkins, etc.)--but that leaves a lot of things we need from members:

• Grills, charcoal, utensils, and most importantly COOKS! 
• Delicious side dishes to share with everyone (there's a sign-up message on the Google Group. Please use it, so we can make sure not everyone brings the same thing).
• Drinks of your choice, if our standard soda choices don't work for you.
• More specialized condiments (pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, mayo, cheese, chili, or other goodies)
• Ice, for drinks and coolers

It should be fun! It should be delicious! You should be there! Please sign up to bring stuff, and join the festivities.

IMAGES: Many thanks to Jan Gephardt for the "indoor picnic" photo, and to Tracy Majkol for the "outdoor picnic" picture (to see more, go to his "KaCSFFS Picnic" page). The "Lawn Games" photo is courtesy of Benekeith.com, via Snipview. Many thanks to all!

Flying Fen and Chili, with SF Television

It's the Incredible Flying Fan!

You just never know what you'll see in a newspaper . . . 

Our own Tracy Majkol recently flew on a ring at Union Station with Quixotic’s Jenny Prohaska (KC Star photo by Fred Blocher).

The Great KaCSFFS Chili Cookoff returns! Plus SF TV

How better to spend a winter night with friends?
The January KaCSFFS Meeting: 6:30 p.m., Saturday Jan. 19, 2013
At The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111.

Program:
The Best and Worst of SF TV
Carol Doms leads the proceedings

Have a chili recipe you think is a winner? Bring it on! It just might be the best yet!

Chili Cookoff
This will be our 4th annual event.  Past winners, come and defend your title! Win adulation and a lovely certificate! Challengers, here's your chance for the title of KaCSFFS Chili Champ, and all bragging rights! Certificates will be awarded to the top three chili cooks.

KaCSFFS provides the bowls, spoons and cups. Individuals are responsible for what they wish to drink.

And PLEASE! If you are not going to participate in the chili contest kindly bring other food items to go with chili. This could be slaw or other salad, chips, toppings, oyster crackers or saltines, shredded cheddar cheese, etc., or dessert items.

PHOTO CREDITS: Fred Blocher's photo of Tracy Majkol is from the Kansas City Star. Left and center chili bowl images came from Wikimedia Commons, and the bowl with oyster crackers is an image from The Chili Guy's website.