Geek’d Con returns to Shreveport Convention Center August 17-19

Chris Sarandon, voice of Jack Skellington

The following is derived from a press release.

Geek’d Con, an annual fan convention, will return to the Shreveport Convention Center Aug. 17-19, 2018, with more than 10,000 attendees browsing vendor booths, meeting celebrity guests, attending panel discussions and more. Single-day admission to Geek’d Con ranges from $10 to $20, with adult weekend passes available for $25, and VIP Passes available as well. Children ages 10 and under will be admitted free, and Friday night is Military Night, where anyone with a Military ID will be admitted free. For complete event details, including a link to purchase tickets, visit www.GeekdCon.com.

Helen Slater

Celebrity guests scheduled to appear at Geek’d Con include:

• Chris Sarandon, the voice of Jack Skellington from “The Nightmare Before Christmas;
• Prince Humperdinck from “The Princess Bride,” as well as starring roles in horror classics “Fright Night” and “Child’s Play;”
• Mick Foley, WWE Hall of Fame Member, former WWE Champion during the “attitude era”;
• Bam Margera, from MTV’s “Jackass,” “Viva La Bam” and “Bam’s Unholy Union;”
• Helen Slater, the original screen version of Supergirl from the 1984 movie “Supergirl;”
• John Wesley Shipp, TV’s original Flash, as well as Jay Garrick in the current CW TV show “The Flash;”
• Matthew Wood, actor known for “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith;”
• Daniel Logan, Boba Fett from “Star Wars Episode II” and “Star Wars Clone Wars;”
• Erik Estrada from the TV Classic “CHiPS;”
• Mike Grell, legendary comic book artist known for his work on characters like “Green Lantern,” “Batman,” “Superman,” “The Flash,” “Green Arrow” and more;
• Shreveport’s own Tim J. Smith, who appeared earlier this year in Marvel’s box office smash “Black Panther;”
• John Lucas, artist known for “Deadpool;” and many more.

Erik Estrada

In addition to celebrity guests, Geek’d Con will include vendors selling collectible items including comic books, clothing, video games, original works of art, handmade items and more. The event will also welcome a variety of professional cosplay groups and will include a full-scale cosplay competition.

Geek’d Con hours of operation will be:

6-9 p.m., Friday, Aug. 17

10 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 18

11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 19.

The Shreveport Convention Center is located at 400 Caddo Street in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana and free parking will be available all weekend long. For more information on Geek’d Con, visit www.GeekdCon.com.

For more information on planning a visit to Shreveport-Bossier, visit www.Shreveport-Bossier.org or call (800) 551-8682 to request a free copy of the Official Visitors’ Guide to Shreveport-Bossier.

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery. 

Award-winner Kimberly Willis Holt pens another winner with 'Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel'

Kimberly Willis Holt, author of the National Book Award-winning novel “My Louisiana Sky,” wasn’t born in Louisiana, but Louisiana keeps appearing in her books. Her parents hailed from Forest Hill and she had such fond memories of the central Louisiana town that many of her stories are set in fictional towns based on Forest Hill or in Forest Hill itself.

But I digress, because what I really want to write about is her charming latest chapter book for young readers, “Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel.” Thirteen-year-old Stevie loses her parents in a car accident and is forced to move in with her grumpy grandfather, Winston, who owns a run-down motel in Esther, Texas. There are so many things Winston isn’t saying about Stevie’s parents and why she never knew about him or her grandmother, who’s deceased. Winston isn’t comforting either, coming across as a cold, unfeeling man. The motel and town consist of several interesting characters, all who provide unique aspects to the story. There’s eclectic Violet who runs the motel office and lives in a colorful Victorian in need of landscaping; Mrs. Crump who home schools Stevie but has narcolepsy and falls asleep precisely at 12:30 sharp; and Roy, the 13-year-old son of the motel’s maintenance man who befriends Stevie. They all work together to provide our engaging main character with support and comfort and convince her that Winston isn’t all that bad. And, as the story of her parents emerges, both Stevie and Winston begin to understand each other.

Back to the Louisiana connection — along the way Stevie discovers more family members, her father’s sister who runs a nursery in Forest Hill. She realizes why her father loved gardening so much, a trait he passed on to Stevie. The Forest Hill family provides the support she needs but can Stevie leave her grandfather and the Texas Sunrise Motel behind?

I’ve read several of Willis’s books and this one tops my list, filled with enjoyable characters who waltz in and out of Stevie’s life and keep us guessing on where the plot moves next. Stevie’s story flows sweet and gentle like a summer breeze on flowers, and you’ll find yourself smiling through most of its pages. Don’t miss passing along this sweet tale to your young blooming readers.

Louisiana Comic Con

Louisiana Comic Con, a two-day fan convention with appearances by TV and movie personalities, comic book artists and more, will be Saturday and Sunday, April 22-23, at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport. The event will include more than 20 celebrity guests, such as Jason Mewes (“Clerks,” “Jay” and “Silent Bob Strikes Back”); Seth Gilliam (“The Walking Dead,” “The Wire”); Johnny Yong Bosch (“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”); pro wrestling legend Ted DiBiase and more. Guests from the world of comics and animation include James O’Barr, creator of the comic book series “The Crow;” Bob McLeod, author “The New Mutants,” “Spider-Man” and “G.I. Joe;” Tom Cook, animator of “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” and more. For a complete list of guests, visit LouisianaComicConSBC.com.

Book news

The UL-Lafayette Press is having to give up warehouse space so it’s having a Warehouse Clearance Sale from 9-4 pm Wednesday and Thursday on the third floor of UL’s Dupre Library. It will take place during the University’s Spring Break, so there should be plenty of available parking. There will be thousands of books, representing dozens of titles at greatly reduced prices. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/238764446590229/ to see what items will be on sale.

Entries for the 11th annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, created to honor outstanding literary work from rising African-American authors, will be accepted now through Aug. 15. The Gaines Award honors novels or short-story collections published in 2017. Galleys for 2017 publications are also accepted. The winner is chosen annually by a panel of professional writers and academics and will be honored on Jan. 18, 2018, at the Manship Theatre at the Shaw Center for the Arts in downtown Baton Rouge. Information on criteria and entrance forms for the award, which includes a $10,000 cash prize, is available at www.ernestjgainesaward.org.

Mary S. Palmer, an English lecturer at Faulkner University in Mobile, Ala., has been awarded a grant from Faulkner to write a book about the new genre of Tourism Writing. Palmer co-authored “The Callings” with Loretta Theriot of Lafayette.

Kristina Mullenix of Juniper Creek Editing and Literary Services will hold a three-day workshop titled “How to be a Poet” May 2-4 in Ocean Springs, Miss. The workshop will include a class, a writing lab and a poetry showcase. For more information or to register, contact the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center of Arts & Education at (228) 818-2878 or visit http://themaryc.org/?event=may-2017-poet-3-day-workshop.

The Alabama Writers’ Conclave will host a writers’ conference and contest June 30 through July 2 in Birmingham. Larry Brooks will be the keynote speaker. For more information, visit www.alabamawritersconclave.org.

At the library

Jon Donlon has researched what is considered “purple leisure” activities, which often include gambling and the topic of his book, cockfighting in southern Louisiana. He will discuss his book “Bayou Country Bloodsport," and the cultural impact cockfighting has had on southern Louisiana, at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Iberia Parish Library St. Peter Branch, 1111 W. St. Peter St. in New Iberia. For more information, call (337) 364-7150 or visit IberiaLibrary.org

Southern Writers Workshop will begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Main Terrebonne Parish Library in Houma.

Mary Ann Armbruster, co-chair of the Healer’s Demonstration Garden at Vermilionville, will lead a talk on “Medicinal Plants of Louisiana” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Lafayette Main Library.

The Victory Garden Spring Planting Party, in collaboration with Townfolk and the Urban Naturalist, will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at 217 Olivier St. in downtown Lafayette. Then on Saturday, participants are asked to help with the Carencro Community Garden at 10 a.m., located behind the North Regional Library.

Cheré Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country.” She writes Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Louisiana Comic Con coming to Lafayette Oct. 17-18

            Louisiana Comic Con is coming to Lafayette this weekend (Oct. 17-18), a two-day blast of writers, actors, vendors and fan groups at the Cajundome Convention Center. Sean Gunn from “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Gilmore Girls” will be there as well as Lew Temple from “The Walking Dead,” Sean Patrick Flanery and David Della Rocco from “Boondock Saints” and comics professionals Joe Rubinstein, Mike Huddleston, Andy Kuhn and Roland Paris. Rob Guillory, award-winning author of “Chew” and Kody Chamberlain, author of “Punks” and “Sweets,” are both artists from Lafayette. The family friendly events will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $15 per day or $25 for the weekend, children eight and under $5 per day. Tickets are available only through Ticketmaster or the Cajundome Box Office. For more information, visit www.louisianacomiccon.com.

Spell-a-bration!

Think you can spell better than the person to your right? Give those brain cells a workout and compete for a good cause. The fifth annual Spell-a-bration! Fundraiser, a spelling bee with a game show approach, will be Nov. 19 at the Lafayette Science Museum, with funds benefitting the Lafayette Library Foundation. Proceeds from previous Spell-a-bration! events helped underwrite the design concept, creation and installation for the children’s entrance at the newly renovated Main Library. The proceeds of this year’s event benefits Lafayette Reads Together, a community-wide reading event for Lafayette. For tickets and more information, visit lplfoundation.org.

New releases

            John Kennedy Toole’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel “A Confederacy of Dunces” introduced the world to the eccentric and food-loving character Ignatius J. Reilly. In addition to the character’s job stint pushing Lucky Dogs through the quarter, the book offers a few gastronomical looks into the Crescent City. Now, LSU Press, who published the novel in the 1970s, and author Cynthia LeJeune Noble offer us “A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook: Recipes from Ignatius J. Reilly’s New Orleans” with 200 recipes and narrative inspired by the novel. Dishes include Ignatius’s favorites, such as macaroons and “toothsome” steak, as well as recipes based on supporting characters. For instance, there’s Officer Mancuso’s Pork and Beans and Dr. Talc’s Bloody Marys, as well as a guide to the D. H. Holmes Department Store’s legendary chicken salad and the likely offerings of the fictitious German’s Bakery. Nobles, who lives in Baton Rouge, is also the author of “The Delta Queen Cookbook,” is a series editor for The Southern Table, food columnist for the Advocate and a member of the Newcomb College Culinary History Writers Group. She will be signing “A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook” at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans and Lucky Dog owner Jerry Strahan will be on hand with a Lucky Dog Cart.

Patio Party

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned Johnette Downing’s lovely new children’s book, “Louisiana, the Jewel of the Deep South.” As part of her book launch, there will be a “Patio Party” for young children and their families from noon to 2 p.m. today at the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge. Educator Claire Coco and animals from BREC’s Bluebonnet Swamp will also be on hand for the event held in conjunction with the museum’s exhibition, “Patios, Pools and the Invention of the American Backyard,” visiting from The Smithsonian Institution until Nov. 28.  The free program is open to the general public.

Book events

            I’ll be signing copies of my book of Acadiana ghost tales, “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana,” and “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History” from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 17, at 1921 Jackson Street coffeeshop in Alexandria.
            An Evening with Authors Neal Shirley and Saralee Stafford begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Mid-City Library of New Orleans. The duo are authors of “Dixie Be Damned: 300 Years of Insurrection in the American South.”

Joshua Clegg Caffery will discuss his new book of poetry, “In the Creole Twilight: Poems and Songs from Louisiana Folklore,” from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Lafayette Parish Main Library’s meeting room. The lecture is part of the Bayou State Book Talks.

The Jeanerette Museum will host “Indian Mounds Along Bayou Teche” by Mark Rees, an archaeologist and director of the Louisiana Public Archaeology Lab and Nalley Board of Regents Support Fund Professor of Social Sciences at UL Lafayette, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14. Rees is the author of “Archaeology of Louisiana” and the lecture is in conjunction with Archaeology Month. This free program is suitable for adults, and seating may be limited. Contact the Jeanerette Museum at (337) 276-4408 or eanerettemuseum@yahoo.com for more information.

On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Robert S. Brantley, author of “Henry Howard: Louisiana’s Architect” (The Historic New Orleans Collection and Princeton Architectural Press), will visit the West Baton Rouge Museum to discuss the area courthouses and other properties designed by Howard (1818-1884). The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will take place at noon and a book signing will follow. 



John Pope launches his collection of newspaper obituaries from The Times-Picayune, titled “Getting Off at Elysian Fields” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at Octavia Books of New Orleans.

Lafayette Author Constance Monies will sign her books “A House For Eliza” and “Never Say Goodbye” from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at Teche Drugs Pharmacy, 509 Jefferson St. in downtown Lafayette. Books will be available in the store.
            Alice J. Voorhies will sign copies of her latest book, “Once Upon a Time in New Iberia” from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Books Along the Teche in New Iberia, in conjunction with the city’s Artwalk.

Book events this week

            Family Puppet Theater for ages 5 to 12 begins at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at the North Regional Library of Lafayette.

            Matt Kepnes signs “How to Travel the World on $50 a Day” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans.

            Warren and Mary Perrin, editors of “Acadie Then and Now: A People’s History,” will speak about their new book from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at the 250th Anniversary of the Arrival of Beausoleil and the Acadians at the, Old U. S. Mint in New Orleans. For more information, call 233-5832, or email perrin@plddo.com.

            Louisiana’s first comic con convention will be Saturday, Feb. 21, in the Bossier Civic Center in Bossier City. For more information, visit Louisianacomiccon.com.

            T. Geronimo Johnson will celebrate the release of his latest book, “Welcome to Braggsville,” at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at Octavia Books of New Orleans.
            Johnette Downing and Jennifer Lindsley will be reading from and signing their new book, “Fifolet,” from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Maple Street Bookshop in New Orleans. The official book launch will include a book reading, art discussion, treasure hunt, coloring sheet, refreshments and a book signing by both the author and illustrator!

            Jyl Benson will be signing her cookbook, “Fun, Funky & Fabulous: New Orleans Casual Restaurant Recipes” from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at Oil & Vinegar Louisiana culinary shop, 6111 Pinnacle Pkwy, Covington. The book features three recipes from Covington chefs Keith Frentz and Nealy Frentz of LOLA Restaurant and we'll be serving samples to snack.
            The SWLA Family Book Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at Central School, 806 Kirby St. in Lake Charles. The free event includes over 35 book vendors coming from all over Louisiana and Texas, activities for everyone including a miniature horse for the children to pet and read to, a Kids' Korral with "steer" roping, a children's story and activity center, plus food! The CAL/CAM 4-H Horse Club is sponsoring a jambalaya lunch and Coke is offering free soft drinks.
              The Writers and Readers Symposium: A Celebration of Literature and Art will be Saturday, Feb. 21, in St. Francisville and feature writers Abigail Padgett, Moira Crone, Louisiana Poet Laureate Ava Hayman and photographer/writer Richard Sexton with Carolyn Thornton. Info: http://www.stfrancisville.us/.

Cheré Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “ExploringCajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.