My Schedule at Ravencon This Weekend

I have my schedule for Ravencon this weekend in Williamsburg, Virginia (April 28th, 29th and 30th). http://www.ravencon.com/ 
Friday
6:25 - 6:50 pm (Reading) Room 4-I will read from my upcoming urban fantasy, How the Vortex Changed My Life
7 pm (Opening Ceremony) Large Auditorium (all guests)
Midnight (Panel) My Favorite Horror / Room G
Saturday
6 pm (Panel) Buying Cover Art / Room E
Sunday
Noon - 2 pm (Workshop/Presentation) Children's/Young Adult Writer's Workshop / Room 5

The rest of the programming is here: http://www.ravencon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/PanelDescriptions-1.pdf

Pamela K. Kinneys Ravencon (April 29th-May 1st) Schedule

My panels, book signing, and reading schedule for Ravencon (Doubletree by Hilton Hotel  50 Kingsmill Road, Williamsburg, Virginia,)

:

Friday:
5 pm (Panel) Southern Gothic Fiction / Room F
7 pm (Opening Ceremony) Large Auditorium
8 pm (Panel) 50 Years of Star Trek / Room E

Saturday:
10 am (Panel) Kid Scary vs. Adult Scary / Room F
Noon (until 1:50 p.m.) 10 :00 a.m. Book Signing / Dealer's Room
2 pm (Panel) Going Where No Man Has Gone Before / Room G
11 pm (Panel) Ghost Stories / Room 8

Sunday:
10:00 a.m. Reading / Room J

For panel and workshop descriptions, plus rest of the programming at the convention: http://www.ravencon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2016PanelDescriptions.pdf

Supernatural Friday: The Raven Said, "What the Nevermore?"

In honor of Ravencon that I will be at later today and rest of the weekend, I will blog about myths and legends of the raven.

Because of its black plumage, croaking call, and diet of carrion, ravens has long been considered birds of ill omen and of interest to creators of myths and legends.

The raven is the national bird of Bhutan, and it adorns the royal hat, representing the deity Gonpo Jarodonchen (Mahakala with a Raven's head; one of the important guardian deities of Bhutanese culture.).  As a carrion bird, ravens became associated with the dead and with lost souls. In Sweden they are known as the ghosts of murdered persons.

In Irish mythology ravens are associated with warfare and the battleground in the figures of Badb and Morrígan. The goddess An Morrígan alighted on the hero Cú Chulainn's shoulder in the form of a raven after his death. 
 
Ravens were also associated with the Welsh god Bran the Blessed (the brother of Branwen), whose name translates to "raven." According to the Mabinogion, Bran's head was buried in the White Hill of London as a talisman against invasion. The name of the god, Lugh, is also derived from a Celtic word for "raven." He is the god of the sun, and the creator of the arts and sciences.  He is depicted as giant and the King of the Britons in tale known as the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. Several other characters in Welsh mythology share his name, and ravens figure prominently in the 12th or 13th century text The Dream of Rhonabwy, as the army of King Arthur's knight Owain.
 
According to legend, the Kingdom of England will fall if the ravens of the Tower of London are removed. It had been thought that there have been at least six ravens in residence at the tower for centuries. It was said that Charles II ordered their removal following complaints from John Flamsteed, the Royal Astronomer. However, they were not removed because Charles was then told of the legend. Charles, following the time of the English Civil War, superstition or not, was not prepared to take the chance, and instead had the observatory moved to Greenwich.
 
The earliest known reference to a Tower raven is a picture in the newspaper The Pictorial World in 1883.^[  This and scattered subsequent references, both literary and visual, which appear in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, place them near the monument commemorating those beheaded at the tower, popularly known as the “scaffold.” This strongly suggests that the ravens, which are notorious for gathering at gallows, were originally used to dramatize tales of imprisonment and execution at the tower told to tourists by the Yeomen Warders. There is evidence that the original ravens were donated to the tower by the Earls of Dunraven perhaps because of their association with the Celtic raven-god Bran. However wild ravens, which were once abundant in London and often seen around meat markets (such as nearby Eastcheap) feasting for scraps, could have roosted at the Tower in earlier times. 
 
During the Second World War, most of the Tower's ravens perished through shock during bombing raids, leaving only a mated pair named "Mabel" and "Grip." Shortly before the Tower reopened to the public, Mabel flew away, leaving Grip despondent. A couple of weeks later, Grip also flew away, probably in search of his mate. The incident was reported in several newspapers, and some of the stories contained the first references in print to the legend that the British Empire would fall if the ravens left the tower. Since the Empire was dismantled shortly afterward, those who are superstitious might interpret events as a confirmation of the legend. Before the tower reopened to the public on 1 January 1946, care was taken to ensure that a new set of ravens was in place.
To the Germanic peoples, Odin was often associated with ravens. Examples include depictions of figures often identified as Odin appear flanked with two birds on a 6th century bracteate and on a 7th century helmet plate from Vendel, Sweden. In later Norse mythology, Odin is depicted as having two ravens Huginn and Muninn serving as his eyes and ears – Huginn being referred to as thought and Muninn as memory. Each day the ravens fly out from Hliðskjálf and bring Odin news from Midgard.
 
The Old English word for a raven was hræfn; in Old Norse it was hrafn; the word was frequently used in combinations as a kenning for bloodshed and battle.
The raven also has a prominent role in the mythologies of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, including the Tsimishian, Haida, Heiltsuk, Tlingit, Kwakwaka'wakw, Coast Salish, Koyukons, and Inuit. The raven in these indigenous peoples' mythology is the Creator of the world, but it is also considered a trickster god.^[ For instance, in Tlingit culture, there are two different raven characters which can be identified, although they are not always clearly differentiated. One is the creator raven, responsible for bringing the world into being and who is sometimes considered to be the individual who brought light to the darkness. The other is the childish raven, always selfish, sly, conniving, and hungry. When the Great Spirit created all things he kept them separate and stored in cedar boxes. The Great Spirit gifted these boxes to the animals who existed before humans. When the animals opened the boxes all the things that comprise the world came into being. The boxes held such things as mountains, fire, water, wind and seeds for all the plants. One such box, which was given to Seagull, contained all the light of the world. Seagull coveted his box and refused to open it, clutching it under his wing. All the people asked Raven to persuade Seagull to open it and release the light. Despite begging, demanding, flattering and trying to trick him into opening the box, Seagull still refused. Finally Raven became angry and frustrated, and stuck a thorn in Seagull's foot. Raven pushed the thorn in deeper until the pain caused Seagull to drop the box. Then out of the box came the sun, moon and stars that brought light to the world and allowed the first day to begin.
 
In the Talmud, the raven is described as having been only one of three beings on Noah's Ark that copulated during the flood and so was punished. The Rabbis believed that the male raven was forced to ejaculate his seed into the female raven's mouth as a means of reproduction. Interestingly according to the Icelandic Landnámabók – a story similar to Noah and the Ark, Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson used ravens to guide his ship from the Faroe Islands to Iceland.

 

Author Li ve Appearances Through August 2015

I will be either selling and signing my books and the Paranormal World Seekers DVDs, an author guest or an appearance.


Ravencon--April 24-26, 2015--DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Richmond – Midlothian. 1021 Koger Center Boulevard (10800 block of Midlothian Turnpike), North Chesterfield, Virginia 23235.

Science Fiction Yard Sale--May 23, 2015 (Rain Date-May 30th): 4844 Linshaw Lane, Virginia Beach, Va. 23445. 9:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m.

Virginia Haunt Fest 2015--June 6, 2015 (it is also June 5th, but I am being a vendor on the 6th)-9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Behind the Curtain Studio, 118B Thompson Street, Ashland, Virginia 23005  Phone: 540-205-5629.

Scares That Cares--July 24-26, 2015: Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Williamsburg  50 Kingsmill Road Williamsburg, Virginia, 23185.

Phantomcon--August 7 and 8, 2015: Holiday Inn North Fort Lee, 401 E. Roslyn Road, Colonial Heights, Virginia 23834. 
 

Having a Book Release Party at Ravencon This Saturday, April 26th

I will have a book release party for Southern Haunts: Devils in the Darkness this Saturday, April 26th from 10-11 a.m. at Ravencon . Cupcakes and drinks (nonalcoholic and Darkside red wine and Vampire white wine will be served and she will read her story, "Let Demon Dogs Lie" from it. Afterwards, there will be the drawing for a basket of devilish goodies, including a bottle of Darkside red wine) for one lucky winner, and sales of the book.

So if you are attending the science fiction, fantasy and horror convention, stop by my book release party! 

Supernatural Friday: Raven Myths and Legends

In honor of Ravencon that I will be at later today and rest of the weekend, I will blog about myths and legends of the raven.

Because of its black plumage, croaking call, and diet of carrion, ravens has long been considered birds of ill omen and of interest to creators of myths and legends.

The raven is the national bird of Bhutan, and it adorns the royal hat, representing the deity Gonpo Jarodonchen (Mahakala with a Raven's head; one of the important guardian deities of Bhutanese culture.).  As a carrion bird, ravens became associated with the dead and with lost souls. In Sweden they are known as the ghosts of murdered persons.

In Irish mythology ravens are associated with warfare and the battleground in the figures of Badb and Morrígan. The goddess An Morrígan alighted on the hero Cú Chulainn's shoulder in the form of a raven after his death.
Ravens were also associated with the Welsh god Bran the Blessed (the brother of Branwen), whose name translates to "raven." According to the Mabinogion, Bran's head was buried in the White Hill of London as a talisman against invasion. The name of the god, Lugh, is also derived from a Celtic word for "raven." He is the god of the sun, and the creator of the arts and sciences.  He is depicted as giant and the King of the Britons in tale known as the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. Several other characters in Welsh mythology share his name, and ravens figure prominently in the 12th or 13th century text The Dream of Rhonabwy, as the army of King Arthur's knight Owain.
According to legend, the Kingdom of England will fall if the ravens of the Tower of London are removed. It had been thought that there have been at least six ravens in residence at the tower for centuries. It was said that Charles II ordered their removal following complaints from John Flamsteed, the Royal Astronomer. However, they were not removed because Charles was then told of the legend. Charles, following the time of the English Civil War, superstition or not, was not prepared to take the chance, and instead had the observatory moved to Greenwich.
The earliest known reference to a Tower raven is a picture in the newspaper The Pictorial World in 1883.^[  This and scattered subsequent references, both literary and visual, which appear in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, place them near the monument commemorating those beheaded at the tower, popularly known as the “scaffold.” This strongly suggests that the ravens, which are notorious for gathering at gallows, were originally used to dramatize tales of imprisonment and execution at the tower told to tourists by the Yeomen Warders. There is evidence that the original ravens were donated to the tower by the Earls of Dunraven perhaps because of their association with the Celtic raven-god Bran. However wild ravens, which were once abundant in London and often seen around meat markets (such as nearby Eastcheap) feasting for scraps, could have roosted at the Tower in earlier times.
During the Second World War, most of the Tower's ravens perished through shock during bombing raids, leaving only a mated pair named "Mabel" and "Grip." Shortly before the Tower reopened to the public, Mabel flew away, leaving Grip despondent. A couple of weeks later, Grip also flew away, probably in search of his mate. The incident was reported in several newspapers, and some of the stories contained the first references in print to the legend that the British Empire would fall if the ravens left the tower. Since the Empire was dismantled shortly afterward, those who are superstitious might interpret events as a confirmation of the legend. Before the tower reopened to the public on 1 January 1946, care was taken to ensure that a new set of ravens was in place.
To the Germanic peoples, Odin was often associated with ravens. Examples include depictions of figures often identified as Odin appear flanked with two birds on a 6th century bracteate and on a 7th century helmet plate from Vendel, Sweden. In later Norse mythology, Odin is depicted as having two ravens Huginn and Muninn serving as his eyes and ears – Huginn being referred to as thought and Muninn as memory. Each day the ravens fly out from Hliðskjálf and bring Odin news from Midgard.
The Old English word for a raven was hræfn; in Old Norse it was hrafn; the word was frequently used in combinations as a kenning for bloodshed and battle.
The raven also has a prominent role in the mythologies of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, including the Tsimishian, Haida, Heiltsuk, Tlingit, Kwakwaka'wakw, Coast Salish, Koyukons, and Inuit. The raven in these indigenous peoples' mythology is the Creator of the world, but it is also considered a trickster god.^[ For instance, in Tlingit culture, there are two different raven characters which can be identified, although they are not always clearly differentiated. One is the creator raven, responsible for bringing the world into being and who is sometimes considered to be the individual who brought light to the darkness. The other is the childish raven, always selfish, sly, conniving, and hungry. When the Great Spirit created all things he kept them separate and stored in cedar boxes. The Great Spirit gifted these boxes to the animals who existed before humans. When the animals opened the boxes all the things that comprise the world came into being. The boxes held such things as mountains, fire, water, wind and seeds for all the plants. One such box, which was given to Seagull, contained all the light of the world. Seagull coveted his box and refused to open it, clutching it under his wing. All the people asked Raven to persuade Seagull to open it and release the light. Despite begging, demanding, flattering and trying to trick him into opening the box, Seagull still refused. Finally Raven became angry and frustrated, and stuck a thorn in Seagull's foot. Raven pushed the thorn in deeper until the pain caused Seagull to drop the box. Then out of the box came the sun, moon and stars that brought light to the world and allowed the first day to begin.
In the Talmud, the raven is described as having been only one of three beings on Noah's Ark that copulated during the flood and so was punished. The Rabbis believed that the male raven was forced to ejaculate his seed into the female raven's mouth as a means of reproduction. Interestingly according to the Icelandic Landnámabók – a story similar to Noah and the Ark, Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson used ravens to guide his ship from the Faroe Islands to Iceland.
 

My Panels and Workshop at Ravencon April 13-15 2012

The children's writer's workshop I am teaching at Ravencon is for ages third grade through age 17 and is free. Maximum allowed will be 15 and need paper and pencils or pens. And my Reading/Author Talk at 10 pm Saturday--I will have chocolate chip cookies and ghostly nutter butter cookies for those who attend! http://www.ravencon.com/

FRIDAY

Creating a Timeline—room F—5:00 p.m.

Ghost Hunters Vs. Mythbusters—Cove—6:00 p.m.

Opening Ceremonies—Room E & F—7:00 p.m.

SATURDAY

Children’s Writer’s Workshop—Anna—9: 00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Book Signing—Dealer’s Room—1:00 p.m.

Private Investigations: Bringing the Facts to Your Fictions—Room F—5:00 p.m.

Reading/Author Talk (with cookies)—Boardroom—10:00 p.m.

SUNDAY

Writing for Tweens—Room F—10:00 a.m.

Self Publications Vs. Small Press Vs. Big Press—Room F—1:00 p.m.

Ravecon Having a Book Drive and a Children's Writing Workshop This Year

Ravencon is a science fiction, fantasy and horror convention in Richmond, Virginia,  in addition to their Charity Auction this year Saturday, April 14th of their convention, is also going to be hosting a book drive. If you have any gently used books that you would like to donate, you can send them to me. Just email me for my address. And if any author who has a children's book or YA, you can donate that too. After all, it will reach your readers. If you are attending the convention, you can bring the books there to give.

All books that collected will be passed along to BOOKS ON WHEELS, a local charitable organization in Richmond. In concentrating in working with youth, Books on Wheels strives to encourage young people to read and to learn skills that they can use for the rest of their lives.

RavenCon hopes to use this book drive as a means to continue encouraging young people to develop a love for the written word. They are also planning a special Children's Writing Workshop this year.