Kanisha K. is this multi-talented 21-year-old singer/songwriter's self-titled full-length album featuring the uplifting and empowering track "My Another Day” and new single "Bring Me Home."

"Music is a way for people to get acquainted with me, but I really want people who like my songs to get to know me in a more intimate way,” says Kanisha. "I love being able to do what I love and to inspire people who think that their dreams can't come true. All of this is hard to believe for me sometimes, but I think everything boils down to focusing on your passion and working hard."

This contest has ended.

The winner is RANDY S. of Rochester, MN.

I've bumped into author Van Allen Plexico at a couple of different venues we've shared, from past Archon conventions to Free Comic Book Day appearances. I even had the opportunity to co-host a panel with him at this year's Archon 38.

So it was an inevitable opportunity as well as an estimed privilege to corner him at his dealer's table this year to talk about just a few of the many books he's written, from superhero sagas like his Sentinels series to space opera and his latest science fiction venture, THE SHATTERING.

I'm still waiting for the day when Plexico collides all his worlds into one -- and issues a story about a superhero's journey through perilous outer space aliens in a quest to obtain prime tailgate space at an Auburn bowl game.

Hieroglyphs of Emotion is the second CD in Mae Edwards' multi-media project "Starlette & Saint: A Memoir on Dualism" containing commentaries reflecting her years-long studies into numerous spiritual traditions (Christianity, Buddhism) as well as thought provoking references to folklore, world history, psychology, U.S. travel destinations and popular film.

Soaring vocals, electric violins and sweeping lyrical imagery power the second CD and you have a chance to win it by entering the form below.

This contest has ended.

The winner is JILL R. of Pennsville, NJ.

I tend to avoid pre-release publicity and trailers because I want to be surprised. I skimmed the press screening synopsis and saw the words, “Kill,” “Jeremy Renner,” “and “CIA.” My cursory glance at the press invite and the film’s title had me thinking action flick. It isn’t. It’s a thinking man’s thriller, a “JFK” for this generation. Michael Cuesta, more noted for directing episodes of Six Feet Under, Dexter, and Homeland than for film, has crafted a masterpiece of political intrigue and the cutthroat world of American mass media with “Kill the Messenger,” but I’m afraid it may not fare as well as it should in the box office. As Jack Nicholson famously said in “A Few Good Men,” “You can’t handle the truth!” I’m looking at you, America.

“Dracula Untold” is PG-13. If you’re hoping for a gory, bloody-squirting everywhere fang-fest, that simple sentence probably tells you everything you need to know. If, however, you’re not particularly a horror fan but like over-the-top action with a little tongue-in-cheek humor mixed into your violence and don’t take liberties with history as being sacrilegious, you might enjoy it.

Or, to put it another way, this is Dracula, the superhero. Ponder that. I’ll wait. 

Before you get all spastic about the lack of sparkles and shaved chests on werewolves (while the rest of us old school Universal Pictures horror buffs cringe at the same thought, and anything involving Kristen Stewart), take a deep breath and change your perspective a little. What other possible way can a movie studio possibly depict Dracula? He’s been done as the classic European gentleman bloodsucker, he’s been a blaxploitation caricature, and he’s been used to sell breakfast cereal.  It’s been done.

The Archon science fiction convention is quickly taking the express train into yesterday, and I still have so much material left! One of the more interesting writers I encountered in the main aisle was C.S. Marks -- a biologist whose scientific background guides the framework of her fantasy stories, the Elfhunter series. Don't let the pointy ears and fuzzy animatronic horse fool you: Marks is one sharp cookie with a clear idea of where she wants to take her readers.

But don't take my word for it! Click the video below and get some insights into the world of Alterra (and it's residents, both humanoid and equine) straight from the horse's mouth (so to speak).

The concept of clicking a few buttons and having something made from nothing has been a staple of science fiction. And with the advent of 3D printing technology, we're one step closer to making one more fantasy a reality. With devices that print not only in plastic, but also metals, chocolate, and even cellular tissue, there's a bold new horizon out there waiting to be crossed.

But until we reach that point, let's have some fun with it. Representatives from EF Innovations were on hand at the Archon 38 science fiction convention in Collinsville, Illinois showing off their 3D scanning and printing techniques. It was the perfect market, with gamers on hand who couldn't resist the opportunity to create one-of-a-kind representations of their role-playing characters by dressing up, getting scanned, and being printed as a miniature or slightly-less-miniature version.

Lex Luthor in an 80s hair band? Batman baring his feelings of emasculation with Green Lantern? A Starbucks in the headquarters of the Legion of Doom? The real origin of Superboy?

It's your favorite DC heroes and villains as you've never dreamed of them before. Well, okay, maybe once before, because this is, after all, ROBOT CHICKEN DC COMICS SPECIAL 2 (#RCDCS2VIP). Nevertheless, even the first ROBOT CHICKEN DC COMICS SPECIAL wasn't enough to prepare you for the utter ballsiness of the R-rated humor Seth Green and the boys throw at you here with utter irreverent abandon.

It's not a science fiction convention without a plethora of cosplay -- that fun time when you can let out your inner Halloween freak without it having to be Halloween. Fans from all over brought their favorite characters -- or events -- to life at the Archon 38 science fiction convention in Collinsville, IL, crowding the halls with steampunk, super heroes, monsters, princesses, and sometimes steampunk monster superhero princesses. It was imagination on display for one and all to admire (or, in some cases, cock an eyebrow).

Here is just a sampling of some of the many, many characters I ran into during my three days at the convention.

Doctor! DOCTOR! Whatever you do, don't blink until the TARDIS arrives!

God’s unconditional love is the central focus of Joanna Beasley’s new album, Loud Love. About it, Joanna says "We’re singing back to God what He already says about Himself and about us. His love is bold, true, loud, unconditional, and constantly pursuing you wherever you go!”

This contest has ended.

The winner is BARBARA B. of Auburn, KS.

♪♫It’s the spook, spookiest time, of the year!♫♪

♫With kids that need scaring ♪

♪And candy that needs sharing♫♫

♪♪♫There’s nothing but FFFFFEEEEEEEAAAAAAARRRR!♫♫♪

♫♪♫It’s the spooooookkkk, spookiest tiiiiimmmmmeee of the YYEEEEAAAARRRR!♪♫

In case you didn’t know, fall is my favorite season. I like the cool fall weather. I like the smell of burning leaves, and the cheering crowds at the high school football game. I hate that every single thing has to be “pumpkin spice” flavored. I love wearing hooded sweaters and sitting in the driveway with my neighbors while we eat chili.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the annual Archon convention isn't the costumes you see or the panels you attend or the goodies you buy. It's the people you meet.

While volunteering as a panelist and roaming the hallways like a homeless web reporter, I made the acquaintance of David J. Pedersen, author of the fantasy novels Angst and Buried in Angst. Admittedly, it may or may not have been the posters (and personal appearances) of his model, Cristi, which initially attracted me to his table, but the means, in this case, justified the ends. Or something like that. What I'm really trying to say is that I grew my circle of friendly acquaintances in the community, and learned about a new series of fantasy novels which take a unique approach to the tried-and-tired sword and sorcery formula.

I love a good time travel flick, and Doug Liman's "Edge of Tomorrow" qualifies. The unique twist this Tom Cruise vehicle has going for it is the method used for for time traveling, and the restrictions put in place upon it. Specifically, Cruise's character can only ever go back in time to a specific moment -- and to get there, he has to die.

After the credits rolled on 2005's Revenge of the Sith, many fans of the original trilogy were left unsatisfied. The newer trilogy seemed to focus on updated special effects and intense choreographed fight scenes.

The overall story, however, seemed to sputter like the Falcon's hyperdrive.

Enter the ultimate in ironic acquisitions: Disney, a real Empire seeking to expand it's reach, purchased Lucasfilm and the rights to everything Star Wars.

Moving quickly they began to develop the next motion picture installment with Episode VIII. To ensure they remained in touch with the original audience, veteran actors such as: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher were all brought in to pass the torch to a new generation of heroes.

Arthur Penn’s 1967 film “Bonnie & Clyde” is considered to be a masterpiece of American cinema. While not the most historically accurate biography Hollywood ever made, it is a crazy thrill ride, and it had Gene Hackman and Gene Wilder in it. That’s pretty tough to beat in my book. It was at times very funny and very violent, but I can’t recall being emotionally invested in it. When Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow meet their young demise, I wasn’t shocked or moved. It really couldn’t play out any other way.

"Backbone cracking music." That's how the New Orleans natives in Flow Tribe describe their sound. It's a groove-based gumbo, a mixture of classic Louisiana traditions (funk, jazz, electric blues) and modern-day influences (rock, hip-hop). It's music that moves. Music that hits you in the heart and the feet. Music that sounds as celebratory as the Big Easy itself.

More than anything, though, it's music that gets you dancing.

This contest has ended.

The winner is HEATHER B. of Auburn, ME.

Americans have it tough. Which cell phone company gives us the biggest bang for our buck? How secure are our pictures on our i-Phones and Android devices? Which lousy choice will we get to pick from for our next President? Who do I pick up to replace these criminals who keep getting suspended by the NFL for my fantasy league? Do I want Taco Bell or am I thinking Arby’s? Why in the world is Thor a woman in the comics when he’s a man in the movies? Why won’t my cell phone stay charged for the whole day? 

"Living in New York City is like tug of war. I'm constantly going back and forth deciding if I like it here," says indie-folk songwriter Ben Rabb, whose first EP, Until It's Gone, was written after an influential move to NYC. "These songs are about me trying to make sense of my experiences here. New York is a place with a lot of people, a lot of noise, a lot of ups and downs… which makes it a great muse."

This contest has ended.

The winner is NANNETTE R. of Brockport, NY.

I have fantastic memories from seeing From Dusk Till Dawn in the theater back in 1996.  Goodness, it's so hard to believe that was nearly twenty years ago! Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino had only made a few films up to that point. More so, George Clooney was really just the dude from "ER" and a host of failed series. Now, Tarantino's films are always Oscar worthy, Clooney has been Best Actor, and Robert Rodriguez owns the El Rey Network. They are a power trio in modern Hollywood, but back then they were just making a horror flick.

The idea of remaking a well loved horror film as a television series that essentially follows the map of the original, well that takes balls! To be honest, it all pays off quite well. Considering the film was packed with stars or soon-to-be stars, the series pulls off recasting so well, that you mostly don't even miss the original players.

Joel Gilbert's latest documentary, THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE UTOPIA, is a two-hour coast-to-coast tour of America in decline. Using THE WIZARD OF OZ as a springboard, Gilbert draws comparisons from the Wizard -- a charlatan -- to President Barack Obama. Not being as complicated of a connect-the-dots as his previous work, DREAMS FROM MY REAL FATHER, UTOPIA is easier to follow, and more inventive in its employment of effects and its cogent use of parallel analogy.