Annual Holiday Party lights up the night Dec. 17, 2016

We are sorry to announce that due to the bad weather this meeting has been cancelled. The Kansas City Police asked everyone to stay off the streets tonight, and we intend to comply. Stay safe!

See you in January, we hope!

Stockings hang from the chimney in The Writers Place
at the Holiday Party in December 2014.

What: 
Annual KaCSFFS Holiday Party
When: 
6:30-9:30 p.m. 
Saturday December 17, 2016
Where: 
The Writers Place, 
3607 Pennsylvania Ave., 
Kansas City, MO 64111

It's a Party! 
Every year, KAXFEN gather to celebrate some or all of the many different holidays that fall around the Winter Solstice.

It's a non-partisan, non-religious, inclusive gathering of science fiction and fantasy lovers. We'll chat, eat, play games, and celebrate another year in fandom.

Food Theme: Holiday food or "warm and yummy" winter comfort food). As always, table service (cups, plates, bowls, plastic flatware, and napkins) are provided by KaCSFFS. Attendees bring their own food and drink.

Dress code: Warm, comfortable and festive! Santa hats encouraged but not required; ditto for ugly Christmas sweaters! Wear 'em if you've got 'em. 

And speaking of "if you've got 'em": In recent months we've enjoyed a variety of fun tabletop games! Please bring any you'd like to share (2-6 players, with a play length of 2 hours or less works best). 

Tabletop gaming groups are an increasingly frequent feature of meetings. Here, clockwise from lower left, Barry Halidaman, Beth Moscato, Cricket Beebe, Margene Bahm, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, David Means, and Beth Welsh gather around a game on the mezzanine of The Writers Place in March, 2016.

As ever, we'll decorate a bit, and we encourage any who want to bring warm Christmas goodies or winter comfort food to bring anything you'd like to share. Some folks bring small gift-bags or cards but that is purely on an "as you prefer" basis--don't feel obligated.

All members, friends and 
interested community members are welcome!
If you're in the Kansas City metro area but haven't yet come to a KaCSFFS gathering, please consider yourself invited! Ask questions about the group and what we have to offer. Help us warm up the winter night with good cheer and fannish fun!

Jim Murray, David Means, and William McCullough sample Holiday Party food in 2014.

One word of caution: Possible bitter cold and snow are in the forecast for our party date. If icy conditions force us to cancel this event, we will post an update here, on the KaCSFFS Facebook Page, and also on the Members-only KAXFEN email list. Please check one of those places if the weather turns bad!

IMAGES: All photos were taken by Jan S. Gephardt, and are used with her permission.

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!