COASTCON XXXI:

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Diane Galloway

Diane was born in Eaton Rapids, Michigan and moved to Baton Rouge , Louisiana in 1986. She attended her first science fiction conventions, Swamp Con in Baton Rouge and Delta Con, in Metairie, Louisiana soon after and has been going to and working for cons ever since. While living in Baton Rouge , she became involved in the Baton Rouge Science League (BRSFSL). She met the Porno Patrol, of which she is now a member, while attending one of their now legendary Halloween Bashes. She has worked for Swamp Con, Crescent City Con, CoastCon and World Con. In service to CoastCon, she has worked in more than one department, primarily in programming and guests, and served on staff for CoastCon, Jr.

More recently, Diane moved to Woodstock , Georgia (just outside of Atlanta) with her husband, Craig. She was living there in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast . From there, she used her email contact list and local fannish Yahoo! Groups to develop a list to help locate area fen left suddenly dispersed by the evacuation or left behind. Through her efforts, many friends were reunited and able to rely on one another for shelter and support. Her list also helped ensure that emergency relief from concerned science fiction fen and professionals, living outside the area, was delivered where it was needed.

In the "Letter from the Chairman" in the CC29 Program Book, Diane was praised for these efforts with the following statement (paraphrased):

Gigi Edgley, Media Guest of Honor

Gigi Edgley is the beautiful, Australian actress best known to Sci-fi enthusiasts as Chiana on "Farscape".

Gigi has performed in many plays, including "Romeo and Juliet", "Les Miserables", "Kill Everything You Love", "4.48 Psychosis", and "Kakos", among many others. Gigi's other film and television credits include "Last Train to Freo", "Starter Wife", "Day of the Roses", "Water Rats", "Monkey's Mask", "Beastmaster", and "Lost World".

When she's not performing, Gigi enjoys singing in a variety of different musical styles, plays bongos, paints, writes poetry, experiments with some script writing, and studies and practices Reiki (associated with "hands on healing") on occasion, among other interests.

Visit Gigi's website by clicking HERE.

Peter Mayhew

Peter Mayhew is the actor best known to Sci-fi enthusiasts as "Chewbacca" from Star Wars.

Mayhew, who stands 7'3", was born in Barnes, England. After being chosen to portray Chewbacca, Mayhew visited a zoo where he studied the movement of animals with traits he felt would be reminiscent of a Wookiee. Once inside the costume, Mayhew created one of the trilogy's most memorable and popular characters. Although Chewie's vocalizations were later dubbed into the film in post-production, to cue his fellow actors Mayhew simulated the character's dialogue from within the mask. On set, he was known to growl, grunt and shriek.

Peter Mayhew is often seen at Star Wars conventions and is a member of the "Men Behind the Masks", a group which also includes David Prowse, Kenny Baker, and Jeremy Bulloch. Mayhew also makes appearances at Children's Home and Hospitals, and often brings them toys.

Mayhew will also appear in "Yesterday Was a Lie", a noir film by James Kerwin which combines the thrills of a classic detective mystery with the imagination of science fantasy.

Visit Peter's website by clicking HERE.
Click HERE to see a biography of Mayhew's alter ego, Chewbacca ("Chewie" to his friends!).

the great Luke Ski

"Most Requested Artist of the 21st Century" on the Dr. Demento Show, Luke's song parodies, originals, stand-up and sketches about pop culture pheonema have made him a favorite performer at sci-fi and fandom conventions.

Luke has released seven albums over the past ten plus years. His 2006 DVD, titled "The Ego Has Landed", featured appearances by many fellow members of "the Funny Music Project" (theFuMP.com), a full live concert, and music videos for "Hobbit" and his convention favorite "Grease Wars". His latest album "BACONspiracy" features many of the new songs he's created for the FuMP, such as his new Doctor Who tribute "It Takes Who", and his Piratey Dr. Demento hit, "You Don't Know Jack".

Visit Luke's website by clicking HERE.

Tony and Glenda Finkelstein

Tony E. Finkelstein is a Voice Actor, Actor, Booking Agent, and Executive Producer of Final Destiny Productions. He was instrumental in the production of his wife’s original screenplay, “PERFECT COPY”, and has also lent his voice for two of the characters in the audio book version of Glenda's “NEMESIS RISING”, which is available in CD and download formats for MP3 and I-pod. In his spare time, Tony books celebrities like Noel Neill (The original Lois Lane), Kenny Miller, and various other writers and performers for convention appearances.

Tony had an eclectic background in music; he was one of Tampa Bay's top ten drummers during the late sixties and seventies, going on tour with The Rascals and opening for such acts as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. He's also had experience in filmaking, theater, and make-up, and even appeared in a couple of grade Z movies with the late John Carradine as an early teen. During his service in the US Air Force, Tony worked as a projectionist; now he's an Executive Producer for Final Destiny Productions and has been involved with every aspect of the making of "PERFECT COPY", including casting, props, make-up, location scouting, continuity, and even acting (portraying Judge Jacob Wilcox).

The movie based on Glenda's book, "PERFECT COPY" has already been nominated for Best Dramatic Short at the Melbourne Independent Film Festival 2007; see the trailer and review by clicking HERE.

Margali Morwentari

CoastCon's resident Sorceress-at-Large and perennial Mistress of Ceremonies returns to celebrate her Twentieth Anniversary presiding over the festivities at Saturday night's Costume Contest, aided and abetted by the good folk of Phantasia Productions once more. "Auntie M" first departed the pages of "WIZARDS' REALM" for Biloxi's balmy clime in 1984, becoming CoastCon's emcee in 1988 -- which  ultimately led to hosting WDBD's "THRILLER THEATRE" for a few years. Things have been balmier ever since! 

At 829 years of age (and holding!), Margali still pursues a career in stand-up horror, but has found time to branch out (what, again?) with the release of her first book, the anthology "VINTAGE SPIRITS & COLD BIERS." (Hey, necromancy doesn't pay like it used to, Couch Pumpkins.)

She is accompanied this weekend, as always, by her faithful "roadie" Niels Erickson, by turns a freelance cartoonist, game designer, writer, editor and broadcast personality himself, still trying to figure out what he wants to be when he grows up.

Visit Margali's website by clicking

David Gerrold, Author Guest of Honor

David Gerrold started writing professionally in 1967. His first sale was "The Trouble with Tribbles" episode of Star Trek. Within five years, he had published seven novels, two books about television production, three anthologies, and a short story collection. David was nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards six times in four years. Since 1967, he has published more than forty books. Several of his novels are considered classics, including "The Man Who Folded Himself", "When HARLIE Was One", and the five books in "The War Against The Chtorr".

Gerrold has written episodes for over a dozen different television series, including Star Trek, Star Trek Animated, Twilight Zone, Land of the Lost, Babylon 5, Sliders, Logan's Run, and Tales From The Darkside. He has had columns in six different magazines and two websites, including Starlog, Galileo, Profiles, PC-Techniques, Visual Developer, Yahoo, and GalaxyOnline. In 1995, he won the Hugo and Nebula for "The Martian Child", an autobiographical tale of his son's adoption. He is currently working on both the sixth book in the series, "A Time For Treason" and the seventh and final book, "A Case For Courage".

Visit David's website by clicking HERE.
See the trailer for the November, 2007 movie "Martian Child", starring John Cusak, by clicking HERE.

Glenda Finkelstein

Glenda C. Finkelstein is a screenwriter, producer, actress, voice artist, poet, and novelist. She began pursuing her passion for writing in the early 1990s. She has a unique way of tapping into the human heart and encouraging the reader. She continues to burst forth with high-energy science fiction adventure novels and soul-searching inspirational books and has attained several honors since the beginning of her publishing career.

Glenda's books have won many awards, including her book THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE winning second place in the SF category of the 2003 Royal Palm Book Awards. Glenda has also had her poetry and song lyrics published in a variety of publications.

This year Glenda will debut her screenplay “PERFECT COPY"; already nominated for Best Dramatic Short at the Melbourne Independent Film Festival 2007, it is a story of self discovery, the challenges of which are very definition of life. You can see the trailer and a review for the movie by clicking HERE.

Glenda has long enjoyed the genre of science fiction, as it provides a place where imagination and possible reality can meet and inspire people to aim for the stars. Glenda also believes that the genre of science fiction promotes understanding among different cultures.

Visit Glenda's website by clicking HERE.

Sharon Green

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Sharon attended New York University and graduated with a B.A. in 1963. She has been writing full time since 1984. Her hobbies are varied, including knitting, crocheting, Tae Kwon Do, fencing, archery, shooting, jigsaw puzzles, logic problems, math problems, but not cooking!

Sharon is the author of more than two dozen novels, including the tremendously popular SF series THE BLENDING SERIES (including "CONVERGENCE" and "PROPHECY") and THE TERRILIIAN SERIES (including "THE WARRIOR WITHIN" and "THE WARRIOR VICTOROUS") . Sharon admits to not doing her own research, claiming that she would stay with that and never get any writing done. She can usually finish a novel of about 120,000 word in about three months.

Sharon’s advice to beginning writers is, “Simply put, don't give up the dream. If you just have to write it, you're already a step ahead of the pack. Listen to the book, don't try to fight it, and you should end up with a product worth reading.”

Visit Sharon's website by clicking HERE.

Deborah LeBlanc

Deborah LeBlanc is an award-winning author and business owner from Lafayette, Louisiana. She's also a licensed death scene investigator and an active member of two national paranormal investigation teams. Deborah's unique experiences, enthusiasm, and high-energy level make her a much sought after speaker at writers' conferences across the nation. She also takes her passion for literacy and a powerful ability to motivate to high schools around the country.

Deborah is the President of the Horror Writers Association, President of the Writers' Guild of Acadiana, President of the Mystery Writers of America's Southwest Chapter, as well as an active member of Sisters in Crime, the National Association of Women's Writers, and International Thriller Writers Inc. In 2004, she created the LeBlanc Literacy Challenge, an annual national campaign designed to encourage more people to read.

Deborah's most recent novels are: "FAMILY INHERITANCE", "GRAVE INTENT", "A HOUSE DIVIDED", and "MORBID CURIOSITY". Her next release, "WATER WITCH", is scheduled to be on bookstore shelves in July '08.

Visit Deborah's website by clicking HERE.

Bob Liddil

Bob Liddil is the editor of GULF COAST COMPUTING MAGAZINE, and a long-time "Huckster" at conventions. He has authored several game books and a myriad of short stories (including "MURDER UNDER GLASS" and "CERBERUS REBORN"), earning a membership in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

Influenced by the world of D&D, and encouraged by Lou Zocchi and GameScience, Bob became a prolific publisher and writer of role playing aids. He eventually established his own publishing company, Bob Liddil Publishing Group/Pandora's Treasures, for which he wrote about "GRISWALD GRIMM AND HIS LITTLE SHOP OF POISONS AND POTIONS" and "THE APOTHECARY ON THE STREET OF DREAMS", a world where magic works, thieves and assassins belong to a guild that imposes rules upon them and treasure is sequestered in dungeons guarded by deadly and fantastic creatures. Bob has an extensive and impressive resume in the RPG field, writing scenarios compatible with all RPG systems.

Bob will be debuting his book "30-SIDED FANTASY AND OTHER TALES" at CoastCon 31.

Visit Bob's website by clicking HERE.

Debbora Wiles

Debbora Wiles describes her career as a three headed dragon; art, writing and publishing. Her art has won several awards; her whimsical dragons (dragonflies) - with over 40 paintings now in print - have caught the attention of film producers and they are being auditioned for two major motion pictures for children. Debbora is a member of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. Her dragonflies and other fantasy art sells all over the world; you can see it at her store - INTEGRITY TECH ENTERPRISES.

Debbora has written in nearly every writing field there is, including newspapers, magazines, stage plays, TV scripts, radio, novelettes and books in the science fiction and fantasy category. She has co-written scripts for "Star Trek", has written a children's book, "THE ADVENTURES OF HB AND PRIZE", and many of her science fiction novelettes have appeared in national magazines such as Watercolor Dreams, The Alchemy and Lavender. Her books in print include “THE SECRETS OF BEST SELLERS: A WORKSHOP", a guide for aspiring new writers, and “TOUCH HEALING FOR PLANTS, ANIMALS AND PEOPLE”. Her science fiction paranormal romance “THE SOUL BONDER” is currently being marketed to the paperback market by her agent. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and RWA Paranormal.

With her talents spanning two fields of advertising for over 25 years, it's not surprising that she combined both and founded Integrity Tech Publishing and Integrity Tech City. Debbora publishes and promotes other writers online in instant download and on CD formats. She is a popular guest at conventions and seminars, where she is always on the lookout for fresh writing talent. She teaches young writers and artists how to get their work published, basic metaphysics in the esoteric arts, as well as doing live watercolor workshops.

Debbora currently lives in Florida with her husband (Hi, Jack!), and loves to hear from readers.

Visit Debbora's website by clicking HERE.

Darlene Bolesny

Darlene Bolesny believes that becoming a fantasy author was simply the next, natural(?) step in her bizarre life.

After living in Isfahan, Iran, working as a full-time Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician once back in the U.S., and picking up hobbies which have ranged from motorcycle racing to tournament pool shooting to swords (primarily rapiers), it seemed that fate was grooming her to write fantasy action adventure. Her first novel, "TRAIL OF DARKNESS", was released in September, 1996. It was to be the first of a series but encountered a series of publishing events which rivaled her bizarre life. But there is a happy ending to this story - Darlene is in the process of negotiating a multi-book deal with a new publisher, who will release "Trail of Darkness" again, and the series will be continued!

Darlene lived in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana for many years, but post-Katrina has relocated to Covington, Louisiana - north of the evil "mandatory evacuation zone."

Visit Darlene's website by clicking HERE.

Rudy Scott Nelson, Gaming Guest of Honor

Rudy Scott Nelson attended his first CoastCon in 1983 as an attendee. Staring in 1984, he attended regularly as a vendor. He has a Master's Degree in Education and Public Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Military Science and Political Science.

Rudy designed his first set of rules in 1979 titled "Guard du Corps", which covered Napoleonic warfare. In 1984 his Colonial rules titled "Indunas! Colonels and Emirs" was nominated for the H.G. Wells Award for Best Miniature Rules (it lost to the ever popular "The Sword and the Flame"). Later his "Coastal Command" rules and campaign system covering small boat actions during World War two became popular in many areas.

Married with one son, Rudy works part time as a consultant for the Emergency Management Agency in Clay County Alabama. Currently he publishes "Time Portal Passages" Magazine which covers gaming and general military history topics. Rudy plans to release "Distant World Battles" in 2008, and has sponsored a range of 10mm SciFi Aliens for use with them.

Visit Rudy's website by clicking HERE.

Dave Arneson

Dave Arneson is one of the co-creators of Dungeons & Dragons with Gary Gygax. He is a member of the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design's Hall of Fame and was named by Pyramid magazine one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons in the realm of adventure gaming. Mr. Arneson is known in role-playing circles for his seminal Blackmoor Dungeons and Dragons setting, but he is also the designer of the role-playing game Adventures in Fantasy with Richard Snyder and the Napoleonic-era naval miniatures rules Don't Give Up the Ship with Gary Gygax and Mike Carr. The game company he established in the 1980's, Adventure Games, produced the miniatures systems Johnny Reb and Harpoon.

Today, Dave Arneson lives in Winter Park, Florida, near Orlando. With Dustin Clingman, he founded Zeitgiest Games to produce an updated, d20 System version of the Blackmoor setting. Goodman Games published and distributed this new Blackmoor in 2004. He teaches the class "Rules of the Game"; at Full Sail, a university geared toward the entertainment industry, in which students learn how to accurately document and create balanced rules sets. He is a returning guest of CoastCon, having formerly been Gaming Guest of Honor.

Robert Bruce, NASA Stennis Space Center

Visit NASA's Constellation Program website by clicking HERE.

Visit Stennis Space Center's website by clicking HERE.