In this issue, we have our regular supply of outstanding original stories for our 25th year of continuous publication Thank you all for helping keep is going through the past quarter-century!

I want to thank Jean-Paul Garnier for being our Short Story Editor this year. But sadly, he will be stepping down after the December/January issue. So once yet again, Aphelion will be in search of a new Shorts Editor. If you're interested or know someone who might be, get in touch! I'm not the best editor in the world, but I'll be filling in again while we await volunteers...

Hallowcon is less than four weeks away! I went to that one for the first time last year, and it was a blast. I made the link clickable in case you want to look it up. JoeDog McKeel puts on a great con, and this year is their 20th anniversary. Lindsey and I are excited to be able to see some of our convention friends again. It'll be Lindsey's first time vending at a con, so she's a little bit nervous, but everything will be fine once we get there and get set up.

I'll have a few copies of my books to peddle. Lindsey will have some of her Steampunk outfits she wants to see go to a good home. We'll have a small table and a clothes rack, but not a lot else. This is the only con I've ever sprung for a vendor's table. Last year was the first time and I did rather well. I'm not sure we will continue vending, not because of the cost of the table but because vendors are pretty much locked into staying at their table and foregoing lots of the other parts of the convention. Although, I have been "threatened" with being put on a few panels in the future, LOL! Not much of a threat, really. Thanks to LibertyCon and Anachrocon, I'm comfortable with being on discussion panels at cons. 

The online streaming shows "Stupid O'clock" and "Last Man Standing" have been uploaded live to YouTube as well as several Facebook pages for over two years now. Twice a week, Thursday nights and Saturday nights, they are basically live-streaming chat shows covering a range of topics, modeled on the types of conversations people have after hours at SF&F conventions. Joe McKeel and I have archives of the past shows on our own YouTube channels. Another one that might be of interest to writers is McKayla Jade's "Tidbits And Scribbles" on her YouTube channel. Basically, it's a writing, editing, and marketing chat show. Usually, she uploads a live-stream show every other week, on Monday evenings. She too has an archive of past shows on her channel. Check 'em out if that sounds like something you'd enjoy. I've put in links in our Features section as well as above that will take you to the YouTube archives of the SOC, LMS, and "Tidbits" shows.

With all that said, it's high time I shut up and let you get to reading. 

Enjoy yourselves,

Dan