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If there was one thing that needed to happen before my upcoming Storm Chasing adventure, it was that I was going to need a new tiara. And not ANY tiara…a special tiara. But what kind?

Chris suggested something with lightning, which seemed cool. I was thinking maybe I could scour Etsy and find a design that suggested maybe that or storm clouds. I didn’t want to commit to something large and weighty—I prefer the lighter, more understated variety that I can wear for longer periods of time.

Other than “Etsy,” really, though, I had no real I idea of what I wanted, or where to start.
It felt a lot like when I’m writing a book and I got stuck on the name of a character…I want a good name, but I have no real preference one way or another…so I ask my friends on Facebook. What am I looking for? I don’t know. But what I’ve come to realize is that 1.) my FB friends make up an incredible creative braintrust 2.) they, and all their suggestions, are hella inspiring. A girl could do worse!

So I threw it up on the wall…suggestions for a tiara?

And within about 5 minutes, my friend Mandi posts a link to Etsy that makes me positively squeal. It’s Ozma’s circlet.

Those of you who haven’t read the Oz books, or haven’t seen Return to Oz, or didn’t watch Emerald City, don’t know about Ozma, Princess of Oz. As a baby she given to the witch Mombi by the Wizard of Oz, to prevent the rightful ruler from gaining the throne. Mombi turned the baby into a boy and raised him as “Tip.” (Tip created Jack Pumpkinhead.) Glinda discovered this, and forced Mombi to turn Tip back into Ozma. Kickass Ozma—with her undetermined age, fluid gender, and fairy blood—became quite the benevolent ruler of Oz.

Ozma’s book was the third installment in the Oz chronicles, and had possible the best subtitle ever. Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Billina the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Tik-Tok, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People Too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein.

Between Baum and Carroll, I was well-versed in quirkiness at a very young age.

The circlet in the 1900s era books, as illustrated by John R. Neill, is a very distinct O with a Z inside it. Those unfamiliar with the circlet might think it looks like lightning.
I was actually kind of shocked just how many of my friends were unfamiliar with Ozma!

But here was the kicker: Not only did I recognize the circlet and love it immediately, but it was also affordable. Made by a Bronze Smith here in Florida—www.handmadebronze.com.

I looked closer at the design…contacted the artist…and what do you know? One of my favorite tiaras—bought at DragonCon decade or more ago—was made by one of his apprentices!

And now I have a new favorite: my Official Storm Chasing Tiara!

My world may be small, but boy is it crazy magical!

That’s right, everyone — I will be at Gen Con this year! Here’s my schedule:

Friday

Saturday

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And as a bonus, here’s a schedule of all Mikey Mason‘s concerts (where I may very likely be as well)

Thursday COMEDY ROCK GEEK MIKEY MASON 9-11pm Lucas Oil Meeting Room 4
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Friday FIREFLY DRINKING SONGS WITH MARC GUNN (Mikey will be performing a song or two.) 8-9pm Westin Grand IV
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Friday MIKEY MASON’S BROWNCOAT SHOW 9-11pm Westin Grand III
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Saturday COMEDY ROCK GEEK MIKEY MASON 9-11pm Lucas Oil Meeting Room 7
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It’s that time of the month again! That’s right…the reveal of the cookie going to everyone on my Royal Baker tier! Last month was baklava, which is everyone else’s favorite. This month is one of MY favorites: koulourakia!

Koulourakia is typically known as an Easter cookie (thus the twisty design also used with Easter breads) — but Mom always made these for us around Christmas. They’re buttery, far less sweet cookies, and they pair fabulously with coffee and tea. (Almost like a shortbread!)

Depending on your family’s area of origin and traditions, these cookies might be laced with almond, orange, rose water, or anise. My family, happily, is of the “almond” variety. With a little vanilla thrown in for fun, too.

I still like making these around Christmas, rolling out sheets and sheets of sough while watching “White Christmas,” usually, or one of the other movies on my Alethea Yearly Holiday Movie List.

Does your family have cookies you only ever make at certain times of the year? Or things you make at a time when you’re not traditionally supposed to?

It’s going to be a long drive out to Tornado Alley — Chris and I are definitely going to need some tunes to keep us company on the road and whet our appetite for the stormy weather to come!

I reached out on Social Media…and the world has responded! (I expect the FB thread to go on for days…or weeks…) I know I’m still adding songs as I think of them.

Best of all–the playlist is available to everyone! Just follow this link, and you can ride along with us!

And for those folks who want to play the “Where in the US is Princess Alethea?” home game, bookmark this link: http://skydiary.com/tracking/

We will have our beacon active while we’re chasing, so you can follow along!

This Toriphile will be Chasing Tornadoes veeeery soon!

Storm Chasing Update!

Hello, everyone! So…the plan was to get the heck out of Dodge as soon as we could to chase those storms. I got the cookies for the Patreon Royal Baker Tier done ahead of time and got my to-do lists together. I decided to bring along some mailers, so that I could send out whatever exciting Treasure Box treasures I encountered on the road.

But, plans change. This is why we stay flexible.

Worry not — Chris and I ARE STILL GOING STORM CHASING. We’ve just been delayed. By weather. Or lack thereof. Seems there was a wee bit of activity a couple of days ago, but long-term models currently show a bunch of blah. Followed by more blah.

As eager as I am to go (yes, my bag is packed with everything but medicine and my pillow), it doesn’t make sense financially to drive all the way out there if nothing’s happening.

What does this mean for my Patrons? Well…a couple of things. First off, I will be throwing myself full throttle at that massive to-do list I compiled, meaning you’ve got a BUNCH of fun posts coming! And…you know…maybe even some VIDEOS,because I’ve really been chomping at the bit to do some more of those. Who cares if the library is in the middle of being torn down and put back together? Am I right?

I happen to have just received my hot-off-the-press copies of The Unicorn Hunter…and I’ve never done an “unboxing” video before…

What does this mean for the Treasure Box patrons? Well…it just so happens that I was recently celebrating busted ankleversary with my dear friends in the Adam Ezra Group (This was SUCH AN AMAZING SHOW! More on that later)…and they just so happened to have a bunch of their new CDs available…and I maybe just so happened to get them all to sign it for you.

The album is called Hurricane Wind–which is sort of perfect for this month’s storm chasing theme!

And if Chris and I end up storm chasing into June (which at this point it looks like we might), then all my Treasure Box Patrons will get pressies! (Hint: If you’ve ever wanted to pop up to that level, NOW’S THE TIME!)

Thank you to all my Patrons for helping to make this storm chasing adventure a reality…I CANNOT WAIT TO SHARE IT WITH YOU!

xox

Princess Alethea

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Are you as excited as I am? Want to help pitch in for gas, hotels, and coffee? Paypal akontis at gmail or click the Donate button on the right! (And Thank You!)

Want an ALL ACCESS PASS to Alethea’s Official Storm Chaser Diary and Pics? Become a Patron of the Princess today! Pledging as little as $1 a month gets you exclusive access!

For you Audiophiles: This week’s episode of Cast of Wonders (Young Adult Fiction Podcast) is now live!

Episode 301: “Ana’s Asteroid”

by Megan Hutchins, narrated by Alethea Kontis

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Want to hear more stories narrated by Alethea? Check out this list!

Support Alethea Kontis on Patreon–even a $1 pledge gets you access to exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/princessalethea

THE UNICORN HUNTER, book two in the Fairy Tales of Arilland chapbook series, is out today — with another gorgeous cover by Bianca Roman-Stumpff!

Amazon Paperback
Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iBooks

Once upon a time, a princess was born with hair as black as ebony, lips as red as blood, and skin as white as snow. After the huntsman and before the dwarfs—while she was all alone in that great forest—the princess met a demon.
He was hunting unicorns.
And what bait could better snare his prey than the fairest of them all?
This is the secret tale that the princess never shared with the world.
This is the true story.

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Don’t forget — the Swag Shop still has a few copies of  THE GLASS MOUNTAIN left, signed by Alethea Kontis AND cover artist Bianca Roman-Stumpff!

On the way to her wedding, brave and clever Princess Sabine falls into a Glass Mountain, where she is trapped with a crotchety, smelly man she calls “Old Rinkrank.” The two form a unique, unlikely friendship while working to escape.

Purchase your copy HERE!

Chris says that peak storm chasing in Tornado Alley starts the second week of May. Depending on what the radar looks like (and prior personal obligations), we could depart as early as May 3. We might be gone for as little as two weeks, or as much as a month. It’s all up in the air. We will go wherever the wind takes us. (Heehee…I could do this all day…)

“I know there’s no way to tell me for sure,” I asked Chris, “but what are some of the usual areas of the country in which you find yourself?”

I’m curious, because a lot of this is going to be countryside I’ve only seen covered by Sam and Dean Winchester. It’s a lot of new territory for me!

It is highly likely that we will find ourselves in:
North/Northwest Texas
Oklahoma
Kansas (Haven, here we come!)

It is less likely (but still possible) that we might find ourselves in:
Nebraska
E. Colorado
Wyoming
New Mexico
Iowa (Sarah is super excited about this prospect!)

Chris says that every season the storms seem to be tracking farther south—an interesting trend.

Noteworthy Pit Stops We Might Make:
THE TWINE BALL (Kansas)
The Twister Museum (if it still exists…and yes, I am packing my t-shirt) (Oklahoma)
Carhenge, Nebraska
The National Weather Center and NOAA (Norman, Oklahoma)
Big Texan Steak Ranch  (I will NOT be attempting the 72oz steak!) (Amarillo, Texas)

What are some of your favorite Roadside Attractions in Middle America? Let me know in the comments, and I will add them to my Possible Trip Goals list!

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Are you as excited as I am? Want to help pitch in for gas, hotels, and coffee? Paypal akontis at gmail or click the Donate button on the right! (And Thank You!)

Want an ALL ACCESS PASS to Alethea’s Official Storm Chaser Diary and Pics? Become a Patron of the Princess today! Pledging as little as $1 a month gets you exclusive access!

I’ve had people say some strange things to me this past week, so I feel like it’s time to clear something up. This Storm Chasing event really is a Once In a Lifetime opportunity.

And when I say that, I mean: I have never done this before, and I will more than likely never do it again.

May is the height of storm chasing season in Tornado Alley. May is also one of the busiest convention seasons. Mo*Con, Wiscon, Nebula Awards Weekend, MegaCon…the list goes on.

I’ve had to turn down a lot of things in order to keep May 2018 clear on my calendar (and my May 2019 is already booked full, just in case you were wondering).

There are a couple of definitions for Full-Time Writer. There’s the kind of writer whose books (or spouse, etc) bring in enough to make ends meet, and then there’s the kind who’s really a freelancer with 624 jobs.

I’m the latter.

I write both fiction and non-fiction for paying outlets. I pick up podcast narration gigs whenever I can. I sell books online. I gather up my inventory and jump in the car with Bianca whenever she says, “I’m doing this comic con/street fair/whatever and you’re coming with me. Let’s go.” I write essays, take pictures, make baklava, and buy gifts for my Patrons. I’ve started teaching online writing workshops.

And this doesn’t include the promotion, the direct mailings, the prep work for presentations at conferences and school visits, the complete overhaul of my website, all the books I must read to review, and writing manuscripts and pitches for my agent to present to publishers (on top of juggling all the publishers and published books I already have).

Plus…you know…eating and sleeping and hydrating. (Tempest would like you to know that I’m not good at ANY of these things.)

Yes my job is “portable,” and I can do it from anywhere in the world (and have, in emergencies), but detours don’t make my to-do lists any shorter. Expensive detours —like storm chasing—don’t make my utility bills magically disappear either.

So please don’t think that my upcoming Storm Chasing Adventure is just some joy ride for me, or a new way of life I’ve suddenly chosen to lead.

I’m going to learn all I can and experience all I can in this unique window of time—how ever long the universe chooses it to be. I’m going to live every moment…and then sum up as many moments as I can in the Daily Storm Chasing Diary I compile for my Patrons (since they are helping to fund this trip!). I’m going to write up a million notes, and then most likely use them in a book (or twelve) down the line.

I’m looking at storm chasing this May like a trip to Hawaii, or Antarctica. This is a once in a lifetime chance for me, folks. I mean to look back on this summer one day and remember all the good times I had…all the things I learned…and all the friends I was able to share it with.

xox
~Alethea

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Remember: My Patrons will be receiving an ALL ACCESS PASS to Alethea’s Official Storm Chaser Diary and Pics! Become a Patron of the Princess today! Pledging as little as $1 a month gets you exclusive access!

Disclaimer: The views expressed in these posts are mine, and based on my personal experiences. I do not speak for the greater, established storm chasing community at large. Nor should these posts be used for scientific reference. Any mistakes made here are my own.