It Begins… Event-a-Palooza 2019

Blog No. 324

I’ve already had a workshop this year (thanks to Vanessa over at Gertrude’s Writing Room) and I’ve even had an interview (also thanks to Vanessa and the good folks at Scribes and Songsters). I’ have yet to have a traditional event such as a convention or reading. All that is about to change—starting this weekend. I’m heading up to Guelph with Christian for GenreCon. I haven’t been to Guelph since a couple of my friends were living there. I went up for St. Patrick’s Day and had a wonderful time. That was years ago now. I have been as close as Kitchener for book related stuff, but this will be a new city for an event. Hopefully it’s going to be a good one.By good one, I mean both somewhat fun and marginally profitable. It’s hard to have high expectations for making money at out-of-town events due to all the costs, but if I can sell enough books to break even, I’ll be a happy camper. As for the fun side, it’s a really odd mix. It’s hard to not have some fun at a con, but it’s also not easy to have fun when you’re working. Usually, Christian and I find some middle ground as we delve even deeper into inside jokes that make no sense to the outside world as we spend hour after hour together from the drive up, to the convention floor, to the hotel room, and eventually the drive home. You’d think we’d run out of things to talk about, but somehow we keep going. Usually about Star Wars. Either way, when we are busy and selling, and when there is a good turnout with diverse booths and interesting side events, we tend to have a good time. We also have a good time when we are selling lots of books (go figure).

Hopefully it will be fun and hopefully we break even. Also, hopefully the possible ice storm holds off and doesn’t scare the people away (and we get home safely, I guess). Either way, shortly after the con (Friday the 15th in fact) is the Amazing Adventures in Strange Lands reading at Biblioasis. Christian and I will be joined by local sci-fi author (and genuinely nice person) Brittni Brinn, and New York Times Bestselling Young Adult Fantasy author Elly Blake (also genuinely nice). I’ve been getting together with Elly in Amherstburg (about half way between us) to do some daily writing when I can. She has been very helpful with a whole aspect of the industry that I know nothing about. She also said that she is interested in doing some events, so hopefully she meant it, because she is part of this one. It’s at Biblioasis at 7pm and we’ll have some coffee and Timbits for folks. Vanessa Shields is doing us the pleasure of hosting the event, so the energy should be high the whole time. It should be an interesting night at a cool place.

After those two lovely events, I have to solidify the March ChiSereis Windsor Reading. I’ve heard of some other stuff going on in March, but I haven’t zeroed in on any of it. I’m sure there will be something, but if not, I’ll have my hands full with getting Neon Heart finished. (Time is slipping away for that one). By the time April comes around, I’ll have my hands full. There is the Windsor Small Press Book Fair on the 13th and the Sarnia Pop Culture Show on the 14th, then Shock Stock on the last weekend of the month (if we get to go this year). The goal is to have Non Heart done by then, but it may launch out-of-town. If it does, I’ll try to get something going in Windsor in May. Something small and very laid back. But now, I have to get back to work on Neon Heart. Edits, edits, edits.