Wild Wild West Report

So sorry for the delay. I know it’s been nearly two weeks since I returned from the Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention. Better late than never, they say.

At my signing in the North Chapel with two new readers: Michael & Diane.

This was the first convention in which I was a Guest of Honor, and it was a wonderful experience. I normally have a table at fantasy conventions full of books and other goodies like vampire slayer kits, peanut shooting crossbows, and steampunk broken hearts, but at this show I was a Guest of Honor.

I am indeed a pretty, pretty princess. And so is Cherie Priest.

Me with Cherie Priest, dressed for the Masked Ball.

Being a Guest of Honor means I had a whole lot of nothing to do and nowhere to be most of the weekend, which was rather great for a change! I got to hang out with my new friend Cherie Priest all day and chat, because she, too, had nothing to do. The con had only scheduled us for one event each on Friday and one event each on Saturday, so it did make for a lot of down time. Okay by me, as I got to know the amazing Ms. Priest and learned a lot from her. (Loved Boneshaker, btw…have I mentioned?) We talked publishing and writing and marketing and life. She drank root beer floats. We ate pizza, quite a sight in our Victorian finery. We rode the train around the studios & even went on a tour of the haunted mine! We shopped in the vendor area and found some truly amazing things. It was the most impressive vendor display I had ever seen. I fell in love with some shoes. Imagine that.

Hans of PH Factor & Cherie Priest

My dear friends Nick Valentino, Elizabeth Darvill, and Hans of PH Factor were also in attendence, but they were working (like I normally am) all day during the show. I didn’t get to hang out with them as much as I had hoped because of our differing schedules, but it was truly wonderful to see them all just the same.

Me, Liz, & Nick at the Tea Party. Photo by C. Priest.

The Baroness, aka Kimberly Terrell, and I hosted the fabulous Tea Party where a group of authors read to nearly 150 patrons as they enjoyed a spot of tea and other goodies. Each attendee got an author-signed copy of Avalon Revisited for their very own. I had never read in front of a crowd quite that large before, so it was a wonderful experience.

Reading at the Tea Party. Photo courtesy of Turner Photography

The evenings were fun, too. Dinner, drinks, and dances…even a rat with a teeny tiny top hat attended the Chrononaught Ball!

~ by omgrey on March 18, 2011.