June 2021
From the Writing Desk (i.e. my laptop) of Tee Morris…
I was driving to an event in Toronto when I first drove through Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. You cannot miss this Barnes & Noble; and on the way back from the event, I thought “Yeah, I should poke my head in there and see what’s going on.” It was a few months later, taking the same road only this time heading to an event in Rochester, New York, that I pulled over and headed into that Barnes & Noble with a copy of my first novel, MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana. I walked in, found an associate shelving books, and asked “Do you all have a Community Relations Manager?” The associate left for a few minutes, returned with the CRM, and after a quick intro resumed stocking shelves. I introduced myself and my book, and asked, “Do you all have a Science Fiction / Fantasy group at this store?” The associate who had helped me earlier stopped shelving books, and stuck his hand out, “Hi, I’m Jeff Young. I host Watch the Skies. Nice to meet you.”
And that was how I found you all.
I know I turned a few SF authors your way as I spoke highly of Watch the Skies at conventions, and I didn’t mind being a pitchman for this group. From the beginning, with that modest book from Dragon Moon Press, Watch the Skies opened their doors to me. It never felt like “Oh we’re entertaining the small press author…” (because, yes, I can think of a few places Tony Ruggerio and I visited who made us feel exactly like that), but more of a “This writer’s put in the time to this book. I’d like to hear more about it.” That kind of reception is what brought me back for my next book with Dragon Moon, which had me introduce Pip to them when Geist released, and when we moved with Watch the Skies to Midtown Scholar where we returned (not once, but) twice with titles from the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.
This year, I am one year shy of celebrating twenty years as a professional writer. I have been fortunate to have traveled across states, coasts, and even countries with my titles; and I have spoken at many bookstores to many groups. I can say, without question, that Watch the Skies remains a favorite as seen in the amount of return visits I’ve made there. It’s also a real testament to the group that while bookstores and book groups have come and gone, Watch the Skies is still standing today. That speaks volumes of its membership. Readers like you only fuel writers to write harder, write better.
And for that, I say, thank you. You push me to be a better writer.
I look forward to future evenings with you all again.
February 2021
Thank You from Cara
“January of 2021 marked my first anniversary with Watch the Skies, and it’s been a splendid year. These are times in which we all have to face harsh realities, but we must also sustain hope and nurture vision. Science fiction helps accommodate all of these needs. Books like Dean Koontz’s The Silent Corner remind us that we must carefully consider the possible outcomes of a new technology if we are to use it responsibly. Stories like Preternatural, by Margaret Wander Bonnano, remind us that the world is replete with phenomena that the human eye cannot see even with the strongest of microscopes. This, in turn, helps us remember that the material world could be rich with resources that cure disease or release us from human limitation. We simply have to continue to wonder, to experiment, and to make new discoveries.
I admire the metaphors that science fiction creates for actual situations. In these stories where pixies need to keep themselves hidden and demagogues impress society’s least protected members to fight zombies, the reader gets an opportunity to reflect on real situations through well-crafted literary lenses. I have also liked Watch the Skies’ discussions on the blending of science fiction and fantasy. By conventional wisdom, a work of science fiction operates on the premise that the scientific community has accomplished something that it has not yet achieved such as time travel or extraterrestrial colonization. Fantasy, by contrast, presents natural occurrences that do not take place in our reality such as dragons or mermaids. A story can therefore be a work of science fiction and fantasy at the same time. What’s intriguing is that, for better or worse, the scientific community keeps surprising us and changing reality in ways that people would never have supposed possible a century earlier. Therefore, the science fiction and fantasy novels that we read for Watch the Skies can prompt us to ask important questions and to learn new things long after our formal education has ended. I am fortunate to have found Watch the Skies as a forum to do so. I thank you all.”
Cara Rice
January 2021
Reminiscing – 20 Years of Watch the Skies
“I saw the sign for the meeting at Barnes and Noble in Camp Hill. After taking care of my mom, who had dementia, for many years, I finally had evenings free for me after we placed her in a care facility. So, I bought the book and showed up for the meeting.
I love science fiction having been a fan of Twilight Zone and Star Trek during my teen years. Through WTS, I have been introduced to many authors I probably would not have read on my own.
I miss not being able to meet in person, but I am grateful for the efforts to continue online.”
Lynn H.