JordanCon 2024: Final Day

 Hello Readers! JordanCon 2024 is done! I did less media work on the last day. Things close up early, and if I had stayed in the convention rooms longer, I would have spent more money, which could be problematic. However, I was able to chat with a couple of more authors on the final day. 

I talked to Hollis Jo McCollum and Elara Dunn for a while. Both gave me so much advice and encouragement about writing and publishing. In addition to their own books, they share a Podcast called the Banshee Energy Show. As I was taking pictures, Darin Kennedy snuck in and decided to get one with them since his booth was the next table over. 

After that, I briefly talked to Ellie Raine. I had wanted to check out her books because the covers were so eye-catching and pretty. She was really sweet, and her series seems interesting. I also caught one of her panels earlier in the week. 

After that, we walked around, talked to people briefly, and sat until we had another panel. The final panel we chose to participate in was the Cozy Fantasy Panel. Hollis and Elara were panelists, and the conversation was amusing. Except for when one of the other authors pointed out that the '90s were 30 years ago. I heckled them a bit and yelled out, "Rude!" Everyone laughed. The biggest thing I took out of this panel is that when I do write, Cozy Fantasy is my genre. I don't classify it when writing, but it naturally falls into this category. 

The final event was the closing ceremony, where the directors of JordanCon revealed the numbers raised for the Mayo Clinic's research on Amyloidosis. This was cool to see and a good reminder that JordanCon is a Nonprofit organization. They run entirely on volunteer power. I liked seeing the numbers raised and knowing I made a small contribution. I plan to donate some jewelry I've made to the charity auction next year. I may also apply/submit something for the anthology next year, but we'll see. That one I'm more nervous about. You can check JordanCon's website for the official numbers once they've posted them. 

I should have called the closing ceremony the final official event. Once that was over, it was time for food and giggles! Tress and I went to Lazy Dog's for dinner with many people. After dinner, it was chilling at the hotel lobby for CouchCon. Once final meetings for volunteers had ended, it was time for SHENANIGANS, aka Cards Against Humanity. It was great to have lots of laughs with good humans with inappropriate and dark senses of humor. We finally pulled ourselves away from Cards Against Humanity once Tress won and went to bed around 1:30. I also learned that I dislike drinking Rum straight. Although, I probably wouldn't like it mixed in with anything, either. 

This morning was the usual nonsense of packing, saying goodbye, and preparing to return to the real world. Boo. Hiss! I already regret not taking off tomorrow.

The rest of this post will probably contain my final takeaways/ lessons learned from the trip and event.

1.) I packed way too much food, and Tress did, too. It turns out we really didn't need to pack any food; we could have just had the hotel shuttle take us to Publix to get the few things we needed. 

2.) Atlanta is a surprisingly well-oiled machine. I expected it to be like other big cities, just chaos. Maybe I didn't experience the chaotic parts, but it was a smooth operation between the airport, Airport Shuttle, and MARTA stations. Everything was very clear in the signs, and there was always someone to help. I don't like crowds, and I don't like being in places where I need to figure out what to do. It gives me so much anxiety. But even as big as the Atlanta Airport is and with never taking the train, it was easy.

3.) Everyone in Atlanta I encountered was friendly, whether local or associated with the convention. 

4.) I bought a lot of freaking books, like 12 lbs of books. There was a constant conversation between Tress and me about whether I would be over my 50lb weight limit for my checked baggage. I came in at 51 lbs. 

5.) I doubted my purpose and whether I was truly a writer or even wanted to be. However, I connected with many amazing authors and attended some great panels that have inspired me to keep writing and try to publish - Indy publishing or the traditional route. I have so many ideas and things to research. I found a lot of kindred spirits in Author's Alley (as well as the rest of the event), but I felt like I belonged in Author's Alley. I have many things to do and plans to make, but I am EXCITED!

I've already told Tress that I'm coming back next year. I can't wait. 

JordanCon 2024: Day two!

 

Hello, Readers! Day two of JordanCon 2024 is in the books! I just returned to the room from the dance party, but more about that later! Tress and I decided to take today a lot slower. There weren't any events we had our hearts set on attending until 4, so we wandered over to Starbucks and then chilled outside for a while and talked. Proof that my trail of ribbons is taller than me. Swag N' Seek is a thing, so these little duckies are everywhere. I didn't have to find this one, however. A sweet little girl was passing them out and gave me a green one. 

After that, it was already lunchtime. I wasn't hungry, so I bothered more authors and vendors while Tress ate lunch. First up was Cecilia Dominic, who had fantastic antlers on. I asked her which series she would recommend, and she recommended her book, The Shadow Project, so I also picked up the 2nd book, Shadows of The Heart. 

Next on my Author's Alley rounds was Jason Gilbert. He gave me an elevator pitch about his book being Psych but with werewolves. Obviously, I was in. Somehow, we started discussing bad horror movies. It was great. 

Right next door was Jason Roach. I could only stay briefly at his booth because I would have blown my entire budget if I had. There were notebooks, pins, tarot cards, his book, and another author's. Once he told me he had taken his paranormal experiences and turned them into a story, I knew I had to have it. Fun fact about Gold Dust Publishing: It is a publishing group that strives to be a safe place for LGBTQIA+ Authors. 

I had briefly talked to Kyoko yesterday, but it was before I was ready to buy books. I tried returning later that day, but she was away from her booth. So, I made a point to come find her again today. She had several books out, and the covers drew me in! Once I started talking to her, she explained that her book The Black Parade could be described as "Constantine with a grumpy afro-latina waitress with a drinking problem," I'm not sure how I could turn away from that. I picked up that one and another of her series because the cover was pretty.

Next up, I got to talk to Milton J. Davis for a bit. It was fascinating learning about his fantasy stories set in Africa. He and a few other authors shared the space, and they had something for everyone. Sci-fi, fantasy, and steampunk. There may have even been comics/graphic novels. I love seeing different cultures in fantasy. I feel like I get to learn a bit, and I'm sure the representation is appreciated by readers of the various cultures.

After I talked to Milton for a bit, I took a quick walk-through of the Dealer's Hall. I stopped and spoke with the lovely proprietress of Leveled Up Geek. I saw she had dinosaurs on her dress, and I was super excited because my phone case is dinosaurs. It has just dawned on me that I did not catch her name in my excitement about dinosaurs. So, my apologies for that. Anyway, if you want cute geek earrings, check out her booth! You can also find her on Etsy at leveledupgeek.etsy.com

After doing rounds at the Dealer's Hall, I made a quick run through the Gaming Hall, as I had yet to check it out. While there, I met the lovely Emily and admired her artwork. We may collaborate in the future - if I ever finish writing one of my books. Who needs linear thought processes, though?

These are the stickers I got from her booth.

At this point, I am trying to remember the timeline of events. Somewhere, I went to the room and ate lunch, and Denni and I walked around more and attended a writer's panel. The panel was fascinating, and we discussed handling writer's block and burnout. It inspired me to get back into writing more regularly. We'll see how it translates when I return home, and remember I have responsibilities. 

I talked to a fascinating couple who made D&D dice on one of my walks. I'm slowly learning more about tabletop games, and though I haven't played D&D, I'm vaguely aware of some things about it and have Dice Goblins for friends. They told me a story about trying to make mini dice, and they didn't work, so they were banished to Dice Jail. Dice Jail turned out to be a bigger math rock. I loved the story, so I bought it. I am now the owner of a sparkly Dice Jail. You can order shiny math rocks from them at faerie-dragon-gaming.myshopify.com.

Next up on Lindsey's A Dragon and Needs to Hoard Shinies Tour was Thandor of Thandor Metalworks. He doesn't have a website listed but go check him out if you want some cool chainmail designs. One of my 8 million hobbies is jewelry making, and I've tried to do things like this. It's hard and I lack the patience needed. If you're in a shopping mood, check out his work today. 

Tress and I both decided we needed new rings, so we went to visit Maggie at Moonstruck Silver. We talked with her for a good while about the Wheel of Time. I finally settled on some lovely black and green stacking rings. 

It was then time for the final event of the night: the dance party. Tress and I went back to our room to get ready. Tress had the perfect shirt for the evening, and I opted for a dress. A lovely clown was doing lovely facepaint and glitter, so I let her use me as a canvas. We spent much of the night dancing with some of the authors we connected with. Our dance crew included Barbra Evers, Sara Sover, and Darin Kennedy. We both fangirled a bit about getting to party with authors. It was so much fun! Around 11:30, Tress and I's bodies started protesting, and we were no longer feeling 22. So we went up to the room and crashed. I had started this post last night after, but by 1pm, I was ready to crawl into bed and sleep for the rest of eternity. I'm now up and trying to be a functional human; however, I am currently being reminded by my joints that I will be 37 in a few months. Bleh. 

JordanCon 2024: Day One!

 Hello, Readers and new friends from JordanCon! My first official day at JordanCon was in the books, and wow, it was a busy one! My day started at 7 a.m. because my body didn't understand that just because it was Friday did not mean I must function. Once the coffee activated my brain cells, I started preparing for the day. Today was costume day, which meant it was time to be evil! The soundtrack for getting ready this morning was obviously Taylor Swift's new album that dropped last night. I couldn't tell you if I liked it or not. I was too focused on figuring out how to use a curling iron and do makeup. Which are things I don't usually know how to do. Once we were all glammed up, it was time to start socializing downstairs. I also had a photoshoot done with Kathy Campbell, the CEO of Dragonmount. I'm so excited to see the shots she got! Once I get them, I'll be sure to share them. Full disclosure, if you need a morning self-esteem boost, I highly recommend getting dressed up, putting on a tiara, and having a photographer call you gorgeous and hype you up for 30 minutes. 

After the photoshoot, we socialized and killed time before the opening ceremony. Some authors in Author Alley were setting up, so we walked around. One of the authors has a book called Queen's Peril. There's a Black Queen in it, so the author, Darin Kennedy, asked if I'd pose with a copy of the book. I was so flattered and obviously had to say yes! I was trying to give my best evil queen glare with it. I returned at the end of the day, buying all 3 books in the series and having Darin sign them. I'm super excited to start reading them. People becoming Chess pieces trying to survive the deadly Black Queen sounds like an exciting story! I'm sure the Black Queen is just misunderstood ;). 

 After this, it was time for the open ceremony. Marc Gunn started the ceremony with some fun songs, including one about drinking with hobbits. I really didn't catch any pictures of the opening ceremony. I'm trying to post only images of people I've gotten their permission. The toastmasters were Kitty Rallow and Aleena Jack; they were so fantastic and funny. 

After the opening ceremony, Tress and I returned to the room for lunch to wait for the vendor area to open for shopping. The Authors Alley and Dealer Hall are already near and dear to my heart. I am an aspiring author and have grown up working at vendor events with my dad's knife-making business. So, since I have the platform, I definitely wanted to show these folks some love! I'll include some links where possible. I'm not an affiliate for these folks; I'm trying to do my best with the media responsibility bestowed upon me. 

First, we went through the Charity event. The auctions weren't open yet, but the lovely Kalyani was doing Henna work for the charity portion of the weekend. I've always admired Henna but have yet to have it done. So today, I was able to get some art on my body and support a good cause! 

After that, it was off to the official JordanCon merch table, where I got a bag of holding because I had things to buy. Once I had a place to put shinies, I connected with Dawn Voyles of Aurora's Gift Box (
etsy.com/shop/aurorasgiftbox.) She had all kinds of sparkly goodies, and I've decided I need a tiara collection. This one spoke to my love of moons and stars. I will be rocking it tomorrow.

After shopping for shinies, I chatted with Marc Gunn at his booth. He was super friendly and had lots of goodies. You can find him on social media with the handle @Celtfather. In addition to his music, he also has a music podcast!

The next stop was chatting with the family behind Black Belt Maps, who create gaming maps. They were all so lovely. I'm just starting to learn about tabletop games, so I can't express much on this topic, but if you are interested in games, go see them! (https://linktr.ee/blackbeltmaps)

I had to cut my vendor chats a little short after this because it was time for a writer's panel I really wanted to attend. I didn't take any photos because I wanted to focus on the content discussed: writing about magic systems in fantasy. It was super inspiring, and when I get home, I will try and write some more. 

Around 5:00, the ConSuite opened for dinner. JordanCon membership includes free access to the ConSuite, which has all kinds of food, snacks, and drinks. This is not normal with conventions, but I was grateful for it. If you have special food accommodations, the lovely people at JordanCon will take care of you. When you purchase your membership, they ask if you have any food accommodations. I am, unfortunately, gluten-free, but I felt really comfortable with the food situation today. Traveling with food issues is usually a huge stressor for me, so it was nice not to have to worry. Today's options were a couple of curry options and gluten-free chicken tenders. I went with the Cauliflower Curry, and it was so delicious! They even have a special table in the grab-and-go section with gluten-free PB&J sandwiches, cookies, and other snacks! All of the gluten-free food was on a separate table to avoid cross-contamination. 

Once we had food in our bellies, Tress and I returned to Author Alley, where I acquired books. I'm nervous that I'll be over my suitcase's weight limit. Oops. I couldn't resist buying books. I'm a book dragon; it's what I do. However, I am definitely grounded from spending any more money this weekend. 

First, I connected with Barbara V. Evers, who was lovely! When telling me about her story, she had me at Telepathic Giraffe. We talked briefly, and she gave me some advice for aspiring authors, which I greatly appreciated. Some of the proceeds of her books go to giraffe conservation, which I love.

The next author I had the chance to chat with was Vanessa Giunta, whom I sort of already knew. Tress connected with her at last year's JordanCon and picked up some of her books. They got on the topic of my aspiring to be an author, and I got connected with Vanessa in her writer's group. She was also one of the authors on the writer's panel I attended. Tress brought the books she bought last year for me to borrow, so I'll be reading those soon!

The final author I got to speak with was Jeffrey Falcom Logue, a LITRPG author. This genre is new to me, but I've wanted more of it because of The Wandering Inn. One of the Interludes in the 9th Wandering Inn book was a goblin cooking show, and I needed more of that in my life. Jeffrey's books are what he calls Dungeon Core, where the Dungeon happens to be the main character. One of the books happens to be about cooking, so I had to have it. 

Shortly after chatting with Jeffrey, Author's Alley closed for the night. Tress and I chilled for a bit before she went to Guy Robert's panel on Shakespeare and connected it to the Wheel of Time. I was going to go, but I was so utterly drained by that time I just couldn't. I read in the hotel lobby for a bit before retiring to our room to type out this post. It was a busy day, but I'm grateful for this experience. It's been a rough year, and this has been such a fantastic adventure in getting out of my comfort zone and trying new things, and it's only the first day!

One more note: It is undoubtedly one of the more important things I will say. JordanCon is so very inclusive, and I love it. Everyone has been incredibly lovely, and there's so much support for LGBTQIA+ people within this convention community. They take safety and being welcome so very seriously. I picked up this flyer on one of the author's tables. Unfortunately, I do not remember which, but I wanted to share it in case anyone needs this resource. 

JordanCon 2024 Travel and Arrival

 

Hello Readers! I hope everyone is doing well. The next few days are going to have a handful of posts. I'm in Atlanta for my first-ever JordanCon! Tress finally got me to come; it only took her four years. I don't do well with crowds, and whether I deal well with people is debatable. Anyway, I signed up for a media pass and will do my best to detail my experience. If you are at the Convention, feel free to say hi! I have badge ribbons to promote the 2024 Reading Challenge (which can be found here.)

Those who don't know about JordanCon can learn more at https://www.jordancon.org/. I would explain, but it's a charity event, and I don't think I could do it justice. So, go to the website, learn about it, come next year, and have fun. I plan on returning next year, and it has not officially started.

My day started obnoxiously early so I could get to the Indianapolis airport by 8. I am not a morning person, and this was a challenge. Luckily, I didn't have any issues with traffic. Security deemed me not to be a threat to the nation, and I quickly went through the checkpoint. I pre-ordered some piping hot Nectar of the Gods (aka coffee) and spent more time waiting at Starbucks than in security. 

After an hour-and-a-half flight on a very crowded plane, I safely made it to Atlanta. Tress, being the lovely person she is, took the MARTA and met me at the Airport, even though she got in yesterday. This is the point where I explain that I am not a real adult. I am the age of an adult, and I have a job, but I am terrified of doing everyday things like taking public transportation. I feel like the closest thing Indiana has to public transit is a hay ride in the cornfield. I do not know how to Uber. I'm vaguely aware there is an App, but that's all I know. I'm unsure how I summon a driver if I have to give them my non-existent firstborn or how it works. I've also watched too many true crime stories and would rather not be kidnapped. So, Tress acquired me and we had a lovely lunch at TGI Friday's. Then, it was off to the shuttle to the Marta Station, where we took the rail to the general hotel area. The view from the hotel is fantastic, and there's a whole garden where you can walk!

Because Atlanta is approximately 37 degrees hotter than the sun, and I was already sunburnt from the 1/2-mile walk from the station to the hotel, we just chilled for a few hours in the room. Eventually, we decided more coffee was needed, so we walked to the Starbucks next door. Being that this is Tress's fifth year, she was able to socialize and talk to people. She introduced me, and then I made attempts to socialize before registration. There were conversations about books, previous conventions, and other nerdiness. I did my best to act like an extrovert and was included in conversations, so I think that counts as a successful attempt at being a human. We now have our badges and have already started to collect ribbons. Because I'm not done with the series and have yet to read much Sanderson, I've had to have many of these explained to me. I'll understand them someday, however. 

Tress's ribbon is for the Taylor Swift Parody she did last year for a Parody competition. She's been going around singing it and getting it in people's heads—mainly mine. You can check it out and get this earworm in your head by going here. After the registration, it was dinner at Cheesecake Factory with a new friend and more socializing. One thing I really enjoyed about this first day was the vibe and getting to know people. It was relaxed, and I didn't feel like I had to prove my nerdiness to anyone or defend myself for not having finished the series yet. Everyone so far has been incredibly friendly. 

The official shenanigans start tomorrow. I want to attend many of the writing panels this weekend, but I'm currently playing it by ear. Tomorrow is apparently Tiara Day. I decided that I needed to dress up fully, so I will be running around in costume and getting a photo shoot done. Here is a sneak peek of my costume. 

Book Review: The General of Izril by Pirateaba

 

Goodreads Summary: Clowns, Goblins, and Erin Solstice. Not all in the same place, mind you.
Erin Solstice trusts a lot of people—even some lost Redfangs survivors of Esthelm—but can she handle being friends with Goblins when every hand is turned against them and the tribes are on the rampage?

Liscor is in the path of Goblin Lord's inexorable march north, and the fates of Rags, Garen Redfang, and Tremborag's Goblin tribes are all tied to an impending war. Who will survive?
Tom the [Clown] is facing Demons in Rhir while Zel Shivertail is facing Wall Lord Ilvriss and an uncertain future. Faced with the knowledge of the Necromancer's return, who can the two Drakes turn to?
Contains bonus content, an exclusive account of the 2nd Antinium War by famed [Writer], Krsysl Wordsmith.

Goodreads Rating: 4.63 stars with over 1400 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Magic, Humor, Adventure, LITRPG

Goodreads Challenge: 8/60

2024 Reading Challenge: #32 Read a book with the name of a place in the title (see the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

I don't typically do two posts in a day (hell, lately, I don't even do one post in a day...Sorry!), but I finished the audiobook of The General of Izril this afternoon. I took notes and want to get better at reviewing the audiobooks I listen to. Let's see how well I can do on not giving spoilers.

As I have with the previous books, I enjoyed it thoroughly. There's a lot of me thinking (sometimes yelling), "What the ****, why?" while listening to this book. I've said multiple times at this point that I've just given up on figuring out where the story will go. At this point, I'm just hoping Erin makes popcorn or something. 

The General of Izril provided a lot of information to answer my questions and promptly gave me even more questions regarding other details. Pirateaba gives you just enough information to keep a reader interested and then dangles a different carrot in front of their face. However, the first few chapters of this book were definitely a knowledge bomb. 

Honestly, I can't give this series enough praise. It is definitely not something I would have gotten into if it wasn't recommended, but I'm so glad I got into it. I can't speak for how it reads in the e-book or web novel, but the audiobooks narrated by Andrea Parsneau are fantastic. I already have books 7-11 and Book 12 pre-ordered if that shows how much I'm enjoying it. The General of Izril ends with a cliffhanger, and I'm curious to see where it leads. There's so much more I want to say, but it would be filled with spoilers, and I don't want to ruin the element of surprise that these books have. 

 

This is not book-related, but I wanted to share these photos from my trip. They are pictures over Indianapolis while I was coming back home.