KK at Dragon*Con 2012

[Evie]

Okeyday, now that I've got official permission to share these photos with you, here are some pictures from KK's appearances at this year's Dragon*Con:


Saturday CM3 reading by evian_delacourt, on Flickr


Saturday's CM3 reading by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

KK reads a scene from her upcoming Childe Morgan 3.  If you don't already hate Oliver de Nore, you are guaranteed to loathe him after you find out what that expletive-deleted bishop does to our sweet l'il eight-year-old Alaric.


Sunday night session by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

KK has the panel almost completely to herself, though if you peek behind her name card, you'll see she has a mini-confessor there to lend her some moral support.  It's a bit lonely at the top, though, so she invites a few others to join her at the High Table...


KK and the Mini-Deryni by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

The Mini-Deryni, including LEGO Duncan, join KK on her Sunday evening panel.  (If a few figures seem to be missing, that's because I just set out the canonical characters, but the others were present and got to listen in all the same.)


KK looks over the little people by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

KK tells the DragonCon audience about the Deryni Action Figure project and some of the other fan projects on the Rhemuth Castle Forum.


Face to Face by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

LEGO Duncan gets a close-up view of The Author and vice versa.


All together by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

After the session ended, I realized I hadn't had my picture taken with KK all weekend, so while the Mini-Deryni were still out, I asked if I could join them for a photo-op.

So anyway, these photos are from two of her four sessions.  Her first one was a telecast sort of interview with a few of our DragonCon guests (including KK) doing a question-and-answer session along with some con guests at a different con in Chicago on the same weekend (WorldCon, I think), so that one didn't lend itself to photographs as well, and after I finally found the room where the autograph tables were set up, it didn't occur to me to dig for my camera as I hauled my trove of books from my backpack with my last gasping breaths.   (Well, I thought I was on the verge of expiring from heatstroke at the time, anyway.  )

[derynifanatic64]

Great pictures of all of you!  Everyone obviously had a great time!

[Jerusha]

What a fantastic opportunity!  Thanks for sharing, Evie!

Of course, now I really, really wish I could have been there for the reading.  I don't suppose KK shared some insights with the "littles" while they were visiting, or that they would share if I bribed them with copious amounts of Fianna wine?  *looks wistfully hopefull*

Not that I need an excuse to dislike de Nore more than I already do. 

[Alkari]

Great pics Evie, and obviously all concerned had a wonderful Con.   I hope Duncan behaved himself appropriately   

[Evie]

What a fantastic opportunity!  Thanks for sharing, Evie!

Of course, now I really, really wish I could have been there for the reading.  I don't suppose KK shared some insights with the "littles" while they were visiting, or that they would share if I bribed them with copious amounts of Fianna wine?  *looks wistfully hopefull*

Not that I need an excuse to dislike de Nore more than I already do. 

Hm.  What can I share from it without lessening the impact that the actual scene is bound to have on the reader once the book is in print?  Hmmmm....

OK, here's a bare bones summary.  Alaric, who I think is around 8 at the time, is about to leave Coroth to head to Rhemuth (I think...somewhere in that general direction, at any rate) by means of his first sea voyage.  He is leaving behind two slightly older friends who have been his cardounet playing buddies, and they have given him a special going-away present--an excerpt from a book about cardounet strategy that has been painstakingly copied out.  There's a bit of a catch...the book (and therefore the copied excerpt) is written in Torenthi, and Alaric has only barely learned the Torenthi alphabet and a few basic words.

As young Alaric approaches the ship that is to take him eastward along the Gwyneddan coastline, he notices that there is a problem up ahead...there is a high-strung R'kassan gray mare that is in a panic over boarding the ship, and she's giving her handlers a hard time.  Alaric, wanting to help, discreetly uses his powers to calm the horse so that she can be coaxed into the hold safely.  To an outside observer, it would appear that the boy is simply very good at talking down a nervous horse, but those who know him best are aware of what he has really done.

The trip around the coast takes several days, and of course Alaric soon needs some way to pass the time, so he struggles to read his cardounet book excerpt.  Here we meet a young man who will eventually rise in the ranks to become captain of his own ship in the Ducal fleet--Henry Kirby.  Kirby, as it happens, is much more fluent in Torenthi, since a decent grasp of the language is rather necessary to his job, and he's also a keen cardounet player.  He continues Alaric's education in the strategy and tactics of the game--skills that will eventually translate in later life to his equally keen grasp of battle strategies and tactics.

The ship eventually puts in at Nyford, where a certain very important personage is awaiting delivery of his new R'kassan mare.  A certain odious bishop, to be more precise.  Spotting Kenneth Morgan, Bishop de Nore doesn't waste any time in making himself disagreeable, since he still holds Kenneth's marriage to his brother's murderer (as he sees her) Alyce de Corwyn against him, never mind that Alyce has been dead for several years now. Even little Alaric isn't safe from his taunting.  And upon learning that Alyce's son is responsible for his new horse having boarded the ship safely, instead of being properly grateful, he becomes enraged.  How dare that young spawn of Satan sully his new and very expensive possession by presuming to lay hands on her!  In doing so, he has contaminated the beast beyond any hope of salvaging, and while Bishop de Nore doesn't dare act against the King's little duke-in-training directly, he sees an opportunity to rectify this situation while, at the same time, putting the little upstart Deryni firmly in his place.

Exactly how he chooses to do that, I'll leave for you to find out when CM3 comes out.   

[Evie]

Great pics Evie, and obviously all concerned had a wonderful Con.   I hope Duncan behaved himself appropriately   

Well, he's no longer a Con virgin.  Of course, as Dhugal will swiftly attest, Duncan hasn't been the regular sort for years either.   

[Evie]

Great pictures of all of you!  Everyone obviously had a great time!

I definitely did, hopefully KK did too, and as for the littles...well, all they have to say about their evening away from my watchful eye is "What happens in Hotlanta stays in Hotlanta"....   

[DesertRose]

Looks like all concerned had a great time.  KK looks like she was having entirely too much fun with the mini-Deryni.

[cynicalmedic]

I know where my mind went - and it gives me the shudders to think about it. DeNore needs the Blackmantle treatment - someone should turn his hide into a saddle blanket!

[tenworld]

Evie, I like the smiling version of you next to KK better than that severe nun picture you use to post:)
But maybe thats just suppressed memories of grade school nuns.

[Evie]

You mean my "Sister Therese" picture?  I'm not sure Sister Therese has a severe bone in her entire body.  Why, just look at what she got up to at Dragon*Con....


Sister Therese enjoys DragonCon by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

Or maybe that's just what they all look like when they take off those starchy veils and wimples? 

[Alkari]

Exactly how he chooses to do that, I'll leave for you to find out when CM3 comes out. 

Well, we know that Alaric eventually survives, but I do hope that no harm comes to that lovely grey 'contaminated' R'kassan mare!   

[Jerusha]

Perhaps we need a "little" De Nore, just so we can stick pins into him and twist them - cruelly.   

[Evie]

Tempting...though I suspect that sort of magic would be more Dark than Light, and even Alaric might not consider tormenting De Nore in that way worth risking his own soul over...especially if he knew himself well enough to know he wouldn't be truly penitent later, so simply having Duncan absolve him wouldn't work....  

[Alkari]

Who said anything about Alaric tormenting the little figure?!      I thought Jerusha was suggesting that WE could stick pins in him - or you could, on behalf of us!      Or you just sell little de Nore dolls ...