Chessiecon!

 I just had the most exhausting and wonderful weekend at Chessiecon. Sold books, signed books, personalized books, met new people and made new friends, sat on eleven panels (yes, ELEVEN) and had some insightful conversations with the few other authors who were there.

First, let me say that my publisher Danielle Ackley-McPhail is truly a force of nature, so her place as Guest of Honor was appropriate. Take a look:

At the far left where you can't really see it is GingerKICK! Danielle makes candied ginger in dozens of flavors, and has the Ginger KICK Cookbook to boot. 

The publications display begins with the Systema Paradoxa cryptid series (the orange covers), sweet little novellas featuring classic cryptids in a series. Then come the anthologies, new releases (like Esprit de Corpse!), military science fiction, and Danielle's own collections. 

Past the books you'll find the display that first drew my attention to Danielle so many years ago: "The Hornie Lady" makes an assortment of horns and adornments that range in size from "nubs" to unicorn. Many long years ago, I bought red devil horns, but my supervisor at school made me take them off. Spoilsport.

Seriously, visit the eSpec Books website for a peek at how much this woman produces. Remember too that she edits those books she publishes! 

Our panels discussed an array of topics including alien cultures, dystopian literature, the blending of genres, the effect of feminism on genre, writers block, and the decision to make a novel versus a short story or novella, or a stand-alone novel versus a series.

Michelle D. Sonnier and I seemed to hold down the fort together for many panels, and since we were also roommates we got to bond a lot. What a wonderful and prolific author. Michelle and I both do steampunk, although her Clockwork Magic series is set in an alternate history where magic rules. She's incredibly knowledgeable as well as open and welcoming.

We were happily overwhelmed at the eSpec Launch party when 47 people showed up for the swag, the celebration, and the readings. And I'm pretty sure EVERYONE bought books. One woman bought Esprit de Corpse after Michelle and my panels Friday night, and at the launch party told me she was already halfway through! It's gratifying to know people enjoy what I give them. I signed MANY books; I lost count.

One thing I learned attending two cons back to back: I am physically useless. Philcon involved running back and forth to the elevator to make it to panels. Chessiecon's elevators were at the far end of the lower level, and the con rooms were all the way at the other end. There was only one set of restrooms, far from the dealer's room and even farther from the con suite. I really wanted to help Danielle with set-up for both cons, but other than packing 100 swag bags, I wasn't able to do much. Between long Covid giving me breathing problems and the piriformis giving me debilitating sciatica, I could barely get myself from point A to point B. My doctors insist PT will fix them both, but it hasn't worked so far. When I got home from Chessiecon, I went to bed at 5:30pm and slept through to 7:30am, had breakfast, and went back to sleep from 9 to 11:30am! 

So, I think for the next month, I'll be working harder at losing weight and getting all my PT in each day, because when the book is released in April, I want to be there!

Don't forget to pre-order Esprit de Corpse so you'll have your copy April 1!

Meanwhile, look for my work in Conspiracies and Cryptids Vol. 1 coming soon from Charles Barouch, Dangerous Waters coming in January from Brigid's Gate, and Incubate coming from Speculations Publications December 6.