Spent the weekend at ConGlomeration, hawking the book, speaking on panels, eating fattening food, and complaining about the hotel. All in all, aside from the fact that THERE WAS NO WI-FI IN THE HOTEL, it was a great weekend. ConGlom is a small fantasy/sci-fi convention with only about 600 members, and it’s a really neat, tight-knit little community. The hubby and I have been going for years, but this time the experience was just a little different.

If you’ve never been to one of these things, the easiest way I can describe it is “Star Trek convention.” It is definitely that, but it’s so much more. The cons touch on all facets of fantasy, science fiction, gaming, cosplay, and anything else the geek mind can come up with. You’ve got Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Dungeons & Dragons, H.P. Lovecraft, videogames, anime, fairies, vampires, werewolves, cyborgs, pagans, Christians, storm troopers, Klingons, retirees, families, and fans who are enjoying the con nestled safely in mommy’s womb. There’s a fantastic art show and a masquerade costume contest, and of course a dealer’s room with people selling all sorts of fantasy and sci-fi items—action figures, books, games, dice, costumes, magic wands, steampunk blasters, jewelry, tarot cards and crystals, comic books, swords and fantasy weapons, t-shirts, crafts, yadda yadda yadda. They’re also very big on the parties. Up until the last few years, my con experience has been mainly focused in the areas of cosplay and partying. Recently, my weight has gone way up and way back down, so none of my costumes fit. Also, I’ve hit the age where partying all night just leaves me tired—plus, my kids come to con with me, so all-night partying just isn’t a good idea to start with, even though they’re now in their teens. This con, however, set me on a new path.

Having just signed with BlackWyrm Publishing, the hubby and I were part of the company’s stable of writers working the con this year. When we weren’t sitting on panels, we sat in the dealers’ room, selling our book and those of the other authors. I don’t know how many books the other guys sold, but we sold ten. Ten may not sound like much, but considering that there were only about 600 people at the con, I’m thinking it’s not so bad. This is the second printing of The Order of the White Guard. In the first printing, we sold a total of about fifteen copies. Fifteen books in a year, and then ten in three days. The hubby and I are lovin’ life. It was pretty scary, though, being on the other side of the dealer’s table.

One of the major events at cons like these is the panels. A bunch of people sit in a room for an hour and talk about a specific topic. Others might work on a craft; some might watch a movie, etc. Last year, a group sat around and made up a plan for a potential zombie apocalypse. The panels I spoke on involved religion and the supernatural, monsters and folklore, and romance in fantasy and sci-fi. This last one was particularly interesting because I was able to talk about my Skyrim fanfic, which is has more romance than our novel.

I also learned a lot this weekend. The hubby and I sat on most of the panels with another author, L. Andrew Cooper, who has a bit more experience than we do. We did a reading in the same time period, and it was really neat to watch him talk about his book and read portions of his story. We took away quite a bit on how to interact with one’s audience.

Okay, intellectual pursuits aside: the best part of my weekend? I bought a FANTASTIC corset! I keep trying it on to show people, and then we forget to take pictures. As soon as I get a pic, I’ll post it. It really is gorgeous. WAY overpriced, but still.

Upcoming cons: Origins in Columbus, Ohio; GenCon in Indianapolis; and DragonCon in Atlanta. Come out and enjoy the conventions, and visit me and the hubby in the BlackWyrm booth!

Our book is available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Order-White-Guard-Book/dp/1613181442/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365378143&sr=8-1&keywords=the+order+of+the+white+guard or http://www.amazon.com/Litos-Children-Order-White-ebook/dp/B00BRM2SKU/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1365378143&sr=8-13&keywords=the+order+of+the+white+guard. If you’re a member of Amazon Prime, the Kindle version is available for a free rental, and we actually get royalties from the free rentals!

Other BlackWyrm authors you might like to take a look at:
Burning the Middle Ground by L. Andrew Cooper: http://www.amazon.com/Burning-Middle-Ground-Andrew-Cooper/dp/1613181388/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365378314&sr=8-1&keywords=burning+the+middle+ground
The Man in the Box by Andrew Toy: http://www.amazon.com/Man-Box-Andrew-Toy/dp/161318137X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365378380&sr=1-1&keywords=the+man+in+the+box

http://www.blackwyrm.com