Tag Archives: Indiana

News, Announcements, Blog

COVER REVEAL – ‘The Worlds of Nathan Marchand, Vol. 2: Tales of the Lost and Lonely’

After a few too many years, I’m publishing a new collection of rare and unpublished short stories! While Volume One was all science fiction and fantasy stories, this book will be all literary stories with the occasional thriller. Many could even be called “romantic comedies.”

This cover is a photograph taken and edited by my sister, Sarah Marchand. It was snapped in a back alley in the small town of Columbia City, Indiana. The cape, which is part of a Christopher Reeve Superman costume I own, factors into my favorite story in the collection, “The Discarded Gift.” Appropriately, it’s a Christmas story.

The (current) promo copy for the book reads:

FOR THE HOPELESS ROMANTIC IN ALL OF US…

Nathan Marchand dipped into his story vault to take you to fantastical worlds in his first collection, and now he takes you to…your neighborhood.

These (mostly) down-to-earth literary stories feature lost souls in search of redemption and lovelorn romantics in search of, well, love. They look in a graveyard, Washington, D.C., a WWII airplane hangar, an arcade, and the small Midwestern town of Vienna. Their problems range from flat tires to a discarded Superman cape to a kidnapped daughter. At every turn in every story, loneliness and love wage battles for the seekers’ hearts and minds. These everyday heroes never come out unscathed, but their very human quests for connection, no matter how unattainable it seems, cannot be denied. Each story includes a short introduction by Marchand, which gives readers insight into his creative process.

So, get cozy in your favorite reading spot for 15 Tales of the Lost and Lonely, many of which are published for the first time in this little volume!

The tentative release for the book is December 16. Watch for more announcements!

Blog, News, Appearances, Announcements

My Upcoming Book Signings and Conventions 2023

My book signings have been few and far between since the pandemic, but now I’m finally getting back into the swing of things! The next six months or so will be quite busy for me when it comes to conventions, and I’m looking forward to it. I’ll be back in my element (well, my other element). So, here’s a quick rundown of my upcoming appearances.

Local Author Fair – Eckhart Public Library in Auburn, IN
DATE: April 22, 2023.
TIME: 10am-2pm
LOCATION: Eckhart Public Library – Auburn, IN

I’ll be one of 15 local authors from northeast Indiana selling books at the Eckhart Public Library. I’ll also be part of the fiction writing panel (the other two are on nonfiction and poetry). The Brown House Foodmobile and Hoosier Mama food trucks will be there.

Learn more about the event on the library’s website.

Days of the Dead – All Monsters Attack 2: Chicago S.O.S.
DATE: May 7-9, 2023
TIME:          Friday: 5pm-10pm
                        Saturday: 11am-7pm
                        Sunday: 11am-4pm
LOCATION: Crowne Plaza Chicago Ohare Hotel & Conf Ctr. Rosemont, IL

I attended this upstart spin-off convention last fall as a con-goer, but this year I’ll be tabling there to promote Kaiju Ramen Magazine, a publication for which I edit and write. It’s a kaiju-focused con with a guest list that goes on for days. Check out the convention’s website for more details.

JAFAX
DATE: June 9-11, 2023
LOCATION: DeVos Place Convention Center – Grand Rapids, MI

My friend Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel is in the process of acquiring a table that he will share with me and our friends Tim and Becky Smith of the Redeemed Otaku podcast. This is an anime convention. I’ve never attended it before, so I don’t know what it’s like. Because we don’t have a table guaranteed, my attendance is uncertain, so stay tuned for more. Read more about the event on its website.

G-Fest XXVIII
DATE: July 14-16, 2023
LOCATION: Hyatt Regency O’Hare – Rosemont, IL

The biggest kaiju convention in North America returns to the Hyatt in Rosemont. I’ll be part of several panels on various subjects and attending many events. The details of the panels are still being worked out, so stay tuned! Learn more about the show at the G-FAN magazine website and the event’s new website.

Gen-Con 2023
DATE: Aug. 3-6, 2023
LOCATION: Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN

After taking a year off, I return to the “best four days in gaming” in Authors Avenue. I may also look into hosting some events. This is my flagship convention, and I can’t wait to see my Gen-Con friends again! Learn more about the event on its website.

The next few conventions are events I’m interested in attending or have been offered a spot by friends, but details are still being worked out. I’m including them so you know where I might be. Watch for updates!

-Ramencon (Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2023)
-Bangor Comic and Toy Con 2023 (Oct. 13-15)
-Fantasticon Fort Wayne 2023 (Oct. 28-29, 2023)

Like I said, I’m gonna be busy!

I look forward to seeing all of you! Bring your books to be signed or come to buy some!

Blog

Why I’m Not at Gen-Con This Year

I’ve been a staple at Gen-Con, a massive four-day gaming convention in Indianapolis, for a decade. I’ve tabled in Authors Avenue in the vendor hall since 2020, but even then, I taught a pair of online panels in the free online version held during the off-year. I’ve networked with many authors there, sold hundreds (if not more) books there, expanded my readership there, and met some amazing friends there.

But this year, I’m staying home. In fact, I canceled my vendor hall table in June.

Why? I’m not allowed to be there. Not because of something I did, but because of something I didn’t do.

This year Gen-Con required COVID vaccination cards to get in the door. This decision wasn’t finalized until two months before the convention. I’d reserved a table in February. I only got half of my money back when I canceled—because I’d chosen not to get vaxxed.

Before I continue, let me make several things abundantly clear:

  • I am not anti-vax.
  • I am not anti-science.
  • I have simply chosen not to get the vaccine. I’m admittedly a little hesitant with how fast the vaccine was produced, but I’m incredibly healthy and hygienic. I’ve gone for 2 ½ years without getting COVID (unless I was asymptomatic).
  • I’m not here to argue about the medical science of COVID and the vaccine. That invariably turns into a quagmire because everyone can site sources that seem to back up their position. Honestly, the science is immaterial to the issue with Gen-Con.

What I will argue is still potentially dangerous. I could lose readers and/or friends over it. (Welcome to the world we live in). It might even be considered grounds for “cancelation.”

But I must speak up.

This vax card requirement by Gen-Con makes no sense. The COVID-19 pandemic is over, for all intents and purposes. In my home state of Indiana (where Gen-Con is held, in case you forgot), we have returned to what feels like 90-plus-percent pre-2020 normal. Last year, Gen-Con held a half-size show while the pandemic was ongoing but subsiding. Precautions were taken, such as requiring masks. It was “diet Gen-Con” in many ways, but I can vouch for it being a success. Heck, I made more money in Authors Avenue than I ever had before! I expected Gen-Con would relax their restrictions in 2022.

Instead, they’ve done the opposite.

Why?

I suspect politics.

It’s no secret that Gen-Con’s management are leftists. In 2015 when then-governor Mike Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the CEO of the convention threatened to break contract with the city of Indianapolis and move the show out of state in protest. Thankfully, that didn’t happen, but it showed the organization’s true political colors. Now politics are influencing how they manage their business. It’s at best misguided virtue signaling and at worst a thinly veiled attempt to identify the political demographics of Gen-Con’s customer base and, I would argue, bar some from attending based on those politics. The problem is some people—such as several members of my family—haven’t gotten the vaccine because of their politics but because of pre-existing health conditions that would be aggravated by the vaccination. Why should such people be prohibited from attending Gen-Con along with the “evil” antivaxxers if they want to be there?

This decision makes Gen-Con an outlier. While I’m sure there are other cons that have such requirements now, I can’t think of one. (Feel free to mention any in the comments below). This year I’ve attended both Indiana Comic-Con (which is in the Indiana Convention Center, the same venue as Gen-Con) and G-Fest (which is held in Chicago, a city that only recently relaxed its stringent COVID restrictions), neither of which required vax cards. And guess what? Everything went fine. No one said anything one way or the other. Nobody died. The attendees just enjoyed themselves. Gen-Con could’ve compromised, as many venues and shows have done in the last year. A negative COVID test within three days of the con? Sure. A mask mandate? Fine. Social distancing and other precautions? Understandable. But a vax card requirement is a bridge too far.

I’ve debated if I still would’ve attended Gen-Con if I was vaxxed. While I can’t say for sure, I think I would’ve canceled on principle and as a sign of solidarity with friends who couldn’t or wouldn’t attend because of this decision.

After the success of last year’s Gen-Con despite reasonable restrictions, this vax card requirement is a baffling, presumptive, and seemingly prejudicial decision. It’s bad for PR. While I don’t wish failure on this year’s con, I do hope that the powers-that-be at Gen-Con corporate get plenty of pushback about this and drop the requirement for next year’s convention. I’ve spoken with other Gen-Con fans who’ve been unfairly excluded by this. We aren’t going to get a COVID shot just to participate in “the four best days of gaming.” There are other cons who don’t have these restrictions who will be happy to have our time and money. It’s not 2020 anymore. We’ve moved on.

Gen-Con should, too.

Vlog, Video

“But I Digress…” Returns–for Gen-Con 2021!

After the longest of hiatuses, my old YouTube show returns as a live show/YouTube shorts series! I relaunched it for Gen-Con 2021, doing daily recap streams with my friend and co-author Eric Anderson, the founder of Nerd Chapel, discussing what we did at the convention and how our book sales went each day. Check out the playlist below!

The “But I Digress…” Gen-Con 2021 playlist.
Blog

The Journal of the Plague Fortnight, Day 1: Reputation, Lockdown, and Excuses to Leave

The foggy scene outside my apartment on day one of the Indiana lockdown. (Photo by Nathan Marchand).

As I mentioned on my social media, with my home state of Indiana in lockdown and my university going to online only classes, I’ve decided to increase my creative output to entertain (and hopefully enlighten) all of you True Believers while in quarantine. We could all use some relief, and this is one way I can help with that.

When I wrote my blog last week, I hesitated to put in my political commentary. I make no secret of my political leanings (I’m a conservative), but I don’t make a habit of broadcasting them to the world because it always invites trouble. That’s the climate we live in now. But I left it in because it was part of my frustration. Predictably, I was accused of being flippant, propagating misinformation, and not taking the situation seriously. I ended up adding a “retraction” of sorts to the blog and posting it as an addendum. This came after I did some more reading and learned a few things I didn’t know before about coronavirus.

The criticism ignited an old fear that has dug deeper roots in recent years: perception is reality when it should be truth. In other words, the actions and decisions of others have more control over my life than I do. I could be objectively qualified for, say, a job, but the employer could still not select me. In the case of my blog, I didn’t mean to spread misinformation or offend anyone. Given that I’m something of a public figure (and the internet is vicious), damage to my reputation could cost me big time. I’ve seen the destruction wrought by gossip. I know firsthand how ungracious people can be. That’s why I went into “damage control mode” to mitigate the problem. I should’ve known everyone, including myself, is on edge with everything happening. It’s only natural to respond defensively. I stay up-to-date with the latest reports on the crisis, but there’s a lot of unknowns out there. Humans fear the unknown more than most things. That’s why coronavirus is terrifying but the flu isn’t.

Sadly, I saw the internet tear someone else apart this week over this. J.D. Lees, the editor of G-Fan magazine and the organizer for G-Fest, sparked the controversy of the week in the kaiju fan community when he posted coronavirus stats on the event’s Twitter page. Yes, it was a bad PR move, but I’ve rarely seen such instant hate in this fandom. People called him a “clown” and a “villain” and said they would cancel their magazine subscriptions and their G-Fest tickets. I know J.D., so I know he meant no harm, which is why I did try to stem the hate. That and my recent experience made me sympathetic to his plight. At least no one bit my head off for it.

So, now almost everywhere I would go is closed. School, the dance studio, bookstores. Heck, even my church had to start livestreaming services. To say I feel isolated would be an understatement. It makes me glad my brother Jarod moved in with me or else I would die of loneliness. I’ve distanced myself from online communities to focus on real-life relationships, and now they’re all I have for the time being.

At least I was able to do some work for InstaCart, and they seem to be staying in operation. At this point, I’ll take any excuse to go outside.

On my first day of quarantine, I drove to BioLife to donate plasma like I normally do. The stuff is desperately needed, and it’s good money. Appropriately, fog as thick as peanut butter blanketed the city at 9AM. It made me think of the people’s blindness and how fog would deter travel. Beyond that, I spent the day raiding my overfilled cupboards, watching UltraSeven with Jarod, doing schoolwork, catching up on my TV viewing, and gaming online with my friend Bill.

One of the goals on my whiteboard is, “Add more adventure to your life.”

That just got more challenging.

What are you doing to pass the time in self-quarantine? Comment below!

Announcements, Blog, News, Appearances

My Upcoming Book Signings (as of 9-15-19)

I will be tabling at a small convention, and I have applied to table at another local author event. Both will be in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The first will be Fantasticon Fort Wayne, which is being held September 21-22, 2019. Eric Anderson, founder of Nerd Chapel and my co-author on the 42 books, will also be there, but we’re not tabling together. The con announced that they would be selling five heavily-discounted tables last week, so I jumped at the opportunity. I wasn’t sure I’d snag a table, but I got lucky (or was “blessed,” if you’re the religious type). I’ll be selling and signing my books (although Eric will be selling the 42, so get them from him) and promoting my upcoming podcast The Monster Island Film Vault, which is launching September 25.

According to the convention’s website,

Fantasticon is a mid-size show created for true comic book and pop culture collectors and fans. The fans that come to our shows are true collectors that are looking for those rare items for their personal collections. Most leave very satisfied as we pride ourselves on having great dealers and artists at our shows. If you collect it, you will find it at a Fantasticon Show.

Fantasticon is proud to have a presence in multiple cities throughout the mid-west. Currently we are in five different cities, in three different states including Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

We also, are very proud of the fact that our admission price is the lowest of any other comparable shows. And the cost for being an exhibitor or artist at the Fantasticon is far less than any comparable comic cons out there.

While I haven’t received a confirmation yet, I have applied to table to table at the annual Local Author Book Fair, which will be held November 30, 2019, from 10am-4pm at the main branch of the Allen County Public Library. Find out more info here on ACPL’s blog.

Be there or be square!

Blog

Moving to the Fortress of Solitude

Once again I’ve neglected my website. My apologies, True Believers. To make up for it, I’ll be giving you two blogs a week for at least two weeks on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Caprice?

Good.

Moving on….

Image taken from www.baruch.cuny.edu.

Speaking of moving (see what I did there?), I just made a major move. If you’ve been following my blog, you know I just started grad school. I’m studying for an M.A. in English with a writing concentration. Along with that, I moved. To Fort Wayne, Indiana, to be specific. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Call me weird (most people do), but I like this city. I have a lot of connections here thanks to family, college, and growing up nearby. Unlike when I moved to Bluffton, Indiana, in 2007, I have a built-in support network. Plus, this city is the perfect size for me: not too big to overwhelm the rural/small town kid in me, and not too small that it lacks amenities.

It was tough the first two weeks of school. I was commuting or staying with friends while balancing classes, teaching (I’m a graduate teaching assistant), and a part-time job on the side. I survived, obviously.

Then came the move.

I spent all of Labor Day weekend moving into an apartment in a nice little community next door to the university. Unfortunately, I learned again that transitions are messy. Packing was laborious. My parents said they’d help me and not to rent a moving truck. We’d just caravan everything to Fort Wayne. Well, that didn’t work out as well as we’d hoped. It required several trips over the entire weekend. There was miscommunication over whether I needed to drive back every day to help move furniture and transport more boxes. There was even some drama over from who I would get some of my furniture (most of which were “hand-me-downs,” but I feel no shame). This ramped up tensions and led to some…spirited discussions, shall we say? But when it was all said and done, I managed to get 95% of my stuff here.

Moving will make you want to become a minimalist. I never realized how much stuff I own—or how I managed to cram most of it into one room—until I moved. My increased space-consciousness combined with a need for some extra spending cash has inspired me to start selling some things on eBay. (Check out my auctions here). I was inspired to do this by a podcast I listened to recently that interviewed a toy collector who said he would sell pieces he wasn’t in love with to make room for stuff he did love (and to earn what he called “toy karma,” i.e. good standings with other collectors who could help him get other items).

Unfortunately, I still haven’t unpacked or fully decorated my place yet. I want to make it my own.

The Fortress of Solitude. (Image taken from www.Screenrant.com).

Admittedly, while I believe God led to me this community (that’s a story in and of itself), I have a two-bedroom two-bathroom apartment all to myself, so it’s lonely oftentimes. I went on Facebook and asked my friends to suggest names for my apartment. I got many good ones—“Darf’s Lair” and “The Nate Cave” among my favorite runners-up—but I ended up going with “The Fortress of Solitude.” For those who don’t know, this is the name of Superman’s Antarctic “hideout.” It’s essentially the ultimate man-cave (“Superman-cave”?). While it sounds kinda depressing, I thought it fit because Superman usually goes to there alone to get away from things, and it’s full of awesomely cool stuff.

At some point soon, I hope to have an overdue housewarming party. But I want to finish unpacking and decorating first. It doesn’t feel…uniquely me yet. That will be remedied soon, though.

What was the biggest move you’ve made? How did it go? What advice would you offer someone as he settles into a new place?

News, Appearances, Blog

Upcoming Book Signings for 2017

Hello, True Believers! It’s October, and the nip in the air signals the oncoming end of 2017. But it also signals Halloween and the holiday season. This is one of my favorite times of the year.

My book signings have been a bit sparser this year, but I do have two more coming up in the next few months. One I’ve been committed to for several months and another that I just applied for. Here’s all the pertinent info.

Fantasticon Fort Wayne, Oct. 28-29

I’m returning to my new “hometown” comic-con! Once again, I’ll be joined by my co-authors/collaborators Nick Hayden and Eric Anderson. Nick and I will hopefully have copies of our new book, Zorsam and the God Who Devours, which we co-wrote with Aaron Brosman, available for purchase. The guest list will include several actors from The Walking Dead, a few comic book artists, and a replica of the Optimus Prime truck from the Transformers movies (if you can call that a “guest.”

The venue will be the Grand Wayne Center in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. Admission is cheap, so don’t miss it!

According to the show’s website:

Fantasticon is a mid-size show created for true comic book and pop culture collectors and fans. The fans that come to our shows are true collectors that are looking for those rare items for their personal collections. Most leave very satisfied as we pride ourselves on having great dealers and artists at our shows. If you collect it, you will find it at a Fantasticon Show.

It’ll be a great way to your Halloween weekend!

Seventh Annual Allen County Public Library Author Fair, Nov. 11

Another returning favorite. I’ll be one of 70 local authors attending this event at the main branch of the Allen County Public Library in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. There will also be author-led panel discussions (fingers crossed that I get in one) on various subjects. Best of all, admission is free!

You can learn more about the event and the library here.

See you around, True Believers!

Blog

In Anticipation of Gen-Con 50

Image courtesy of DDO Players.

Next week is the biggest convention I attend as an author: Gen-Con. The show is celebrating its 50th anniversary. That’s an incredible run! The show gets bigger every year even without having huge celebrity guests all the time. They sold out of four-day badges a month ago!

As usual, though, the show snuck up on me. Yes, I paid for my table months ago, but since I have this crazy habit of keeping myself constantly busy, I don’t think about what else I could do at the show until it’s nearly upon me. I like to enjoy the cons I table at, so I try to attend some of the events at the show. The problem is Gen-Con is so huge, many of the events sell out months ahead of time. That isn’t to say there aren’t plenty of other events to attend, but it is a bit disappointing to see some of the more interesting things sell out that far in advance.

Another bummer is the fact that I won’t be staying at one of the adjacent hotels to the Indiana Convention Center like I’ve been doing for several years. Let’s just say things didn’t work out for that to happen. So, I had to get a room at a hotel seven miles away, which means making a potentially long commute every day to the convention. I’m not looking forward to that.

I won’t have any “new” books with me, but not because I haven’t been writing. No, my next book, Zorsam and the God Who Devours, which I co-authored with Nick Hayden and Aaron Brosman, just won’t be published in time for the convention. It’s still a few months away. (More on that later).

On the bright side, I’m happy to announce that I’ve been invited to be on a panel! (G-Fest must’ve been the start of some good luck for me). Specifically, it’s the Christianity and Gaming panel put on by the Christian Gamers Guild. I’ve attended that panel most years I’ve gone to Gen-Con, so it was a surprise and an honor to be asked to be on it. I’m not sure what to expect. It’s only the third time I’ve ever been on a panel. I’m excited.

Other than that, I’m eager to meet all my Gen-Con friends in Authors Avenue again, and, of course, all of you wonderful readers!

See you in Indy!

News, Appearances, Announcements

It’ll Be Fantasticon!

I’ve added another signing to my itinerary, True Believers. In fact, I just bought the table a few minutes ago as I write this. For the first time, I will be attending a local convention as a vendor. In this case, it’s Fantasticon 2016 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, at the Grand Wayne Center October 29-30.

I won’t be the only noteworthy person there, though. My friend and fellow Children of the Wells creator Nick Hayden will be joining me at the same table. We’ll be selling and signing our individual books and, obviously, some CotW collections. However, my brother Jarod, who has done some great illustrations for my short stories and YouTube show, will be at the table next door selling his artwork. The icing on the cake is if Brian Scherschel and I can get our Godzilla podcast going by then, he may also join us for part of the con to promote that.

This sounds like a recipe for awesome!

According to its website,

Fantasticon is a mid-size show created for true comic book and pop culture collectors and fans. The fans that come to our shows are true collectors that are looking for those rare items for their personal collections. Most leave very satisfied as we pride ourselves on having great dealers and artists at our shows. If you collect it, you will find it at a Fantasticon Show.

Fantasticon is proud to have a presence in multiple cities throughout the mid-west. Currently we are in four different cities in Michigan and Ohio, and expect to expand into Indiana in the near future. We also, are very proud of the fact that our admission price is the lowest of any other comparable shows. And the cost for being an exhibitor or artist at the Fantasticon is far less than any comparable comic cons out there.

In other words, this is a smaller traveling convention. If you’ve never been to a con before, this would be a great one to start with. It’s smaller and more manageable. Don’t be crazy like me and start with something huge like Gen-Con (although I did attend a tiny Star Trek convention in high school in Warsaw, Indiana).

I don’t know who the special guests will be, but at its previous stops the con has featured the likes of Billy Dee Williams (aka Lando Calrissian) and Michael Dorn (aka Worf) as well as some comic artists and writers, among others. In other words, I’ll probably be in good company.

Be there or be square, because it’s gonna be…