Captain’s Log: ConNooga XIII

The ladies of Patronum Delicioso

Who says 13 is unlucky? This was one of the best conventions the folks at ConNooga have put on in the last few years. The Authors track, particularly, has improved this year, and is reviving from the slump it went into after Robbie Hilliard resigned from the directorship of it a few years back. Gil Hough stepped into the position this year and put a lot of work into it. Next year looks to be great, as well.

There was a little confusion Sunday, when all the panels for that track were moved from the Convention Center over to the Chattanoogan Hotel. Todd, the convention chairman, explained that he was trying to get more foot traffic to the hotel, since the convention has use of the space for the whole weekend. Up until this year, mostly adults-only panels were held in the hotel. He plans to put more daytime panels there next year.

As one of my convention friends pointed out, there was a wider range of fandoms present this year, as well. A couple of times in the past, the con was dominated by Anime and Disney cosplay. This year had so much more: the usual Mandalorian Mercs locking people up for charity, the smattering of Marvel and DC characters, the Doctor in at least one incarnation, Potterverse characters (as evidenced by the feature photo on this post), some rarely seen (in Chattanooga, a Star Wars town) Star Trek people, random vampires and pirates, and a few medieval costumes. There were even an alien abduction and a Deadpool/Pikachu.

As you can see, a good time was had by all.

I plan to post in the next few weeks about some of the tips I picked up in the Authors panels. I hope to be on some panels next year.

New Additions!

Been doing some catch-up on updating site pages. So far, I’ve added more authors to all three Author’s Alley pages. These are gleaned from business cards I’ve collected at conventions as well as additional links discovered on Google. Different people put or omit different info from their cards. For all concerned, any phone numbers, mailing addresses or email addresses are gotten from the cards or an author/artist/business’ website. In other words, if they didn’t make it public, neither did I. 

This latest lot are from cards collected at Chattacon 45 and from LibertyCon last summer. Yeah, I’m a horrible procrastinator.

As I get time, there will be new info/listings added to most of the other pages under the Smugglers Cove and Hucksters Haven heading in the menu.

Captain’s Log: Chattacon 45

Pirates and vampires gaming in the consuite: how perfect is that? (Hey, I saw fangs, so I stand by the statement.)

I think this year’s Chattacon was probably the best one since they left the Chattanooga Choo Choo as a venue. It took place at The Doubletree by Hilton in Chattanooga, TN. The dealer room was a mite smaller than the space we had at the Read House, last year, but larger than the space we had at The Chattanoogan the year before. The hotel seemed very con friendly, and some of the Choo Choo’s former staff are there, as well.

My sales weren’t as good as I’d hoped, but I know that sometimes my target audience is in attendance and sometimes not. Sunday was my best day. I managed to sell all the jigsaw puzzles I brought just to get rid of, one print of Young Queen and Rider and two copies of The Girl Who Fell from the Sky. Still, I have secured a spot in the dealer hall for next year.

I did manage to get some artwork and a little writing done. The artwork is waiting approval from my commissioner, of course.

I enjoyed visiting with my convention family, and even attended a few panels after the dealer room closed each day. I won the silent bid on a nifty little print by Theresa Mather titled Cephalopirates, received a lovely print from my table neighbor, John E. Kaufman, for sharing the use of my card reader, and purchased a copy of the book What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor? about unexpurgated sea shanties; definitely NOT for children and quite raunchy, to boot. I REGRET NOTHING!

One of the highlights of the con for me was going in the consuite after the bellydancing show (the Merry Bellies did a vampire club theme this year) and arriving just in time for a group sing of Bohemian Rhapsody followed by Paradise by the Dashboard Lights and wound up with dancing to The Time Warp. Have I mentioned, I’m sure I have, that Chattacon is both a great sci/fi/lit convention AND a partycon? You really should come check it out next January. Just follow the link to their site and preregister. It will be held at the Doubletree again.

Inventory!

Here’s an inventory of items I will be selling in the dealer room at Chattacon this weekend.

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky: The Adventures of Pigg & Woolfe season one                 9 copies

Waves of Darkness books (Physical copies of books 1 & 2, Blood Curse and Demon Bayou, are sold out/out of publication. However, I will gladly email a free digital copy to any new readers who purchase any of the other books in the series.)

Silent Fathoms 5 copies

Black Venom  5 copies

Hell’s Dodo  5 copies

The Daedalus Enigma  3 copies

Maelstrom of Fate  3 copies

I will also have prints of a Dragon Riders of Pern fan art I originally created for Dragon*Con ’89. The work is pen and ink stipple art titled Young Queen and Rider and is printed on 8×11 card stock.

This copy was signed by Ms. McCaffrey at a book signing in 2002 held at Legible Leftovers in Longwood, FL.

And finally, I have a few jigsaw puzzles, should anyone be interested in them. These will be at yard sale prices: 25-50 cents, depending on number of pieces, and 10 cents for those missing pieces. I got them at yard sales and have had my fun with them. It’s time to pass them on.

Books for Sale!

I will have 9 copies of The Girl Who Fell from the Sky: The Adventures of Pigg & Woolfe Season 1 available for sale at my table in the Chattacon dealer room!

I’d ordered 10 copies, but I already sold a copy to a coworker who is a fan and a speed reader. He wanted a signed copy, and waited until I had them available in person. I guess he worried he might read any copy he ordered before he could get my signature, since we’re on different shifts. (He did over pay, at his insistence, which more than covered my shipping cost.)

I will also have copies of Silent Fathoms, Black Venom, Hell’s Dodo, The Daedalus Enigma, and Maelstrom of Fate, books 3-7 of the Waves of Darkness series available. The first two books in the series, Blood Curse and Demon Bayou, have been sold out since early last year. Rest assured, I do still plan on getting these titles back into publication, one way or another.

Speaking of the WoD series, writing has stalled on book 8 for now. I’m not happy with chapter 12 and plan to rewrite it, moving some of the events about. Otherwise, this book might end up a novella instead of a novel.

The majority of my free time has been taken up with working on a previously mentioned art commission. I’ve really been enjoying the challenge as well as exercising my rusty portraiture skills.

As soon as I’ve figured out my schedule for Chattacon, I will post it to my Appearances page here. I’m not slated as a panelist, so I imagine a large portion of my time will be spent at my table. Hope to see you there!

Happy New Year!

Looks like Mr. Grimm wishes to give a New Year’s greeting of his own.

(Image “borrowed” from one of the many FB pirate groups I haunt.)

While my writing has stalled out a bit lately, I have been working on an illustration commission. Fans of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series will really like this one. That’s all I’m at liberty to say at this point, until I get the clearance from my commissioner.

I will be at Chattacon January 24-26. Click on the link for location and other details about the convention. I will have a table in the Dealer Room and will have copies of The Girl Who Fell from the Sky: The Adventures of Pigg & Woolfe Season One available for sale. Just placed my order this morning. If you’re in Chattanooga, TN that weekend, please stop by. It’s a fun con to attend!

Wholly Shake Up!

Had a slightly sour experience this past holiday weekend, one which led to a valuable lesson. However, it will mean an even further delay to the launch of season 2 of The Adventures of Pigg & Woolfe.

After a single denial to post on a particular FB book promotion group because the graphic on my cover didn’t meet the admins’ definition of “professional”, I did a little marketing research. I have to admit that cover art is not really my forte. As proud as I am of the cover I did for The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, it really does scream “self-published/amateur.” I’m better equipped to do illustrations and portraits.

A friend has supplied me with links for some better fonts, and I have a design in mind which I believe will look as good as anything put out by a large publishing house. I just need to find an affordable artist with the correct skills and digital tools to pull it off.

I’m also planning to do new, more detailed B&W illustrations for the book’s interior, when I get the time. I am keeping the pipework frame from the current cover for the new illustrations. I will probably enhance the line art for the current cover with more shading and insert it a splash page in the front of the second edition, as well.

In the meantime, I will leave the current first edition up on Amazon. I will pull it maybe a week or two before releasing the second edition. This will allow me time to get everything just right as well as get and look over a galley proof of the new version.

I have not decided on a design for the individual ebook covers, but they will be uniform and without illustrations. That being said, yes, I will be issuing second editions of the first 12 episodes with new covers and a bit tidied up. There are some errors I’ve spotted since original publication that need to go away, after all.

Oh, and I am changing the publishing name from Steele Rose Press to Steele Rose Publishing. There is a winery with the name, and I don’t want any legal issues to crop up.