Dragon*Con 2009 Highlights
I have returned from Dragon*Con. My suitcase is all but empty of bookmarks, but full of signed books (by some of the amazing other authors at the con, of course. And yes, despite returning last night, I have not yet unpacked.) If you've been following my twitter feed, you know I had an absolutely amazing time. For those of you who are not into 140 word micro blog posts, or for those who are interested in seeing pictures, here is a quick recap of the highlights of my convention experience:
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Sunday afternoon I was very privileged to have the honor of sitting on a panel with the amazingly talented Charlaine Harris. (Also on the panel, not to leave them out in the name dropping, were several other amazing authors in my genre [and a couple outside it] including Stacia Kane and Laura Anne Gilman.) 
The topic was about Strong Female Protagonists, and while we got sidetracked on a tangent at one point, I thought it was definitely an entertaining panel, and I hope it was also a little informative for the audience. Speaking of the audience, it was standing room only, so a very large crowd. I was nervous as could be, but I had a great time, and it was unreal being up there with all of those accomplished authors.
--Saturday night was The Cruxshadows concert. 
As everyone in the twittersphere probably realized this weekend, I am a huge Cruxshadows fan. The music is the type that seeps under the skin and quickens the soul, so getting to see them in concert is just amazing. But beyond seeing them, I ended up on stage during the final song (with about 30 other people, but still!) I also had a chance to talk to Rogue (the lead singer) and gush (read 'melt into a totally idiotic fangirl') 
about his music on Friday. As you can see by the photos, I snagged several with Rogue and a couple other band members.
--Patrick Stewart is hilarious. Unfortunately I didn't get the opportunity to see him speak live, but I did catch a couple of his panels when they aired on Dragon TV. Leonard Nimoy is also extremely funny, but Stewart was by far the most entertaining speaker of the Con. I did get the opportunity to see (and I literally mean 'lay eyes on but no more') Stewart, Nimoy, and Shatner, but I did not speak to any of them. It is amazing how much more approachable writers are than movie stars.
--To mention one more concert (Yes, Dragon is as much about music to me as it is about seeing writers) I also had the opportunity to see Voltaire live. His music is hysterical--I already knew that (it's macabre gothic satire and just plain horrific humor) but I had never seen him in concert before. Let me tell you, if you ever have the opportunity to see this man live, do it! He is an absolute riot. His interaction with the audience will have you in pain from laughing so hard.
Okay, I think that is a good set of highlights. Over all, the convention was amazing. It is like stepping into another world. If you have any type of geek or alternative bend, you should visit Dragon*Con some year (and hopefully next year I'll be an official guest, so you can come see me. ^_^)
Have a good Tuesday everyone. I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend!
--
Sunday afternoon I was very privileged to have the honor of sitting on a panel with the amazingly talented Charlaine Harris. (Also on the panel, not to leave them out in the name dropping, were several other amazing authors in my genre [and a couple outside it] including Stacia Kane and Laura Anne Gilman.) 
The topic was about Strong Female Protagonists, and while we got sidetracked on a tangent at one point, I thought it was definitely an entertaining panel, and I hope it was also a little informative for the audience. Speaking of the audience, it was standing room only, so a very large crowd. I was nervous as could be, but I had a great time, and it was unreal being up there with all of those accomplished authors. 
--Saturday night was The Cruxshadows concert. 
As everyone in the twittersphere probably realized this weekend, I am a huge Cruxshadows fan. The music is the type that seeps under the skin and quickens the soul, so getting to see them in concert is just amazing. But beyond seeing them, I ended up on stage during the final song (with about 30 other people, but still!) I also had a chance to talk to Rogue (the lead singer) and gush (read 'melt into a totally idiotic fangirl') 
about his music on Friday. As you can see by the photos, I snagged several with Rogue and a couple other band members. --Patrick Stewart is hilarious. Unfortunately I didn't get the opportunity to see him speak live, but I did catch a couple of his panels when they aired on Dragon TV. Leonard Nimoy is also extremely funny, but Stewart was by far the most entertaining speaker of the Con. I did get the opportunity to see (and I literally mean 'lay eyes on but no more') Stewart, Nimoy, and Shatner, but I did not speak to any of them. It is amazing how much more approachable writers are than movie stars.
--To mention one more concert (Yes, Dragon is as much about music to me as it is about seeing writers) I also had the opportunity to see Voltaire live. His music is hysterical--I already knew that (it's macabre gothic satire and just plain horrific humor) but I had never seen him in concert before. Let me tell you, if you ever have the opportunity to see this man live, do it! He is an absolute riot. His interaction with the audience will have you in pain from laughing so hard.
Okay, I think that is a good set of highlights. Over all, the convention was amazing. It is like stepping into another world. If you have any type of geek or alternative bend, you should visit Dragon*Con some year (and hopefully next year I'll be an official guest, so you can come see me. ^_^)
Have a good Tuesday everyone. I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend!
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