"Babylon Confidential" interview

I had a nice interview with Claudia Christian at GalaxyFest in Colorado Springs Sunday morning. We spent maybe 15-20 minutes chatting in the Dealer's Room before it opened. My purpose was to get more background for the review I am planning for her book, "Babylon Confidential". She was very nice and unaffected.

We asked a bystander to take a photo. After Claudia looked at it on the camera, she said it was very good, but then asked if I would like to be closer to her (I suppose that's what fans do.) I told her if I got any closer to her and my wife saw it, I'd be sleeping in the tool shed for a week.

That cracked her up.

"Babylon Confidential"

With the GalaxyFest convention in Colorado Springs coming up this weekend, I am reading Claudia Christian's autobiography "Babylon Confidential". I was offered a review copy a few weeks ago, and with Christian being the celebrity guest, I saw the opportunity to interview her a part of a book review.

Last night I read two-thirds of the book, settled in an armchair in the living under a floor lamp that I basically bought just for when I read. It's a very interesting book, very well-written, and I've enjoyed it so far. I'm sure I can polish off the rest of it before I leave for Colorado Springs.

The convention gave me a schedule this past weekend, but I had to send it back with a request for some modifications. I'm working Friday and then flying out of Texarkana; I will be arriving in Colorado Springs too late to participate in anything Friday. The first stab at a schedule had me on two panels Friday night. I brought  that problem to the convention's attention and made some suggestions for my participation based on panels I read for Saturday and Sunday.

Cons like this are run by fan volunteers, bless their little geeky hearts, and I could never get mad when someone is working so hard for something they love and for no pay.

The con did get back to me and said they will work on it. Once I have a final schedule, I will be able to set a time to sit down and interview Ms. Christian. I'm sure the interview and review will make a good story for a weekend entertainment page.

Getting ready for GalaxyFest

Since I have committed to participate in GalaxyFest, and it's a relatively long trek to Colorado Springs, I feel I should make some hay from the excursion. A celebrity guest, Claudia Christian, is touting her book that was released last fall, "Hollywood Babylon", which details her battle with and recovery from alcoholism.

I'm going to double dip,as it were, and also get something useful for my newspaper. I contacted the publisher, Ben Bella Books in Dallas, and asked for a review copy and interview. I figure I can get a nice story for the Lifestyles section of a weekend paper to be published later in February.

They are sending a review copy, so I will have plenty of time to read it before the convention, and later in the month we will get back in touch - hopefully after I get my schedule of panels - and set up an interview time with Christian.

Also, like so many other conventions, GalaxyFest produces a souvenir book. In their case, proceed will help go to support the Colorado Literary Foundation. I emailed off a flash-length story over the weekend, "Ladybug, Ladybug", for inclusion.