The Virginia Festival Of The Book

Alright... I'm getting caught up, well not quite.

With most of these travels I never really know what to expect. I always seem to end up really happy after each event. The VA Festival of The Book was another wonderful success. I arrived Wednesday where I had dinner at the Horse & Hound Gastropub on St. Patrick's day. (Good place by the way.)Then I ran over to Random Row Books where I presented a panel with Noah Scalin of Skull A Day Fame. Being St. Patrick's Day at 8Pm I really didn't expect anyone to show up. Wrong again. With a crowd of about 25 people Noah and I spoke about our projects as well as a common link between the visual link of steampunk and Noah's creative endevours. Great panel and a great time. Ok here's a picture from the panel, I promise I'm not giving Noah the evil eye.



Now here's the really fun part. Going on these trips usually means I'll be alone most of the time but I met a great couple that took me out on the town for some green beer. That doesn't really happen. Anyway, I went to a great little pub in the walking mall in Charlottesville and we hung out had a few drinks, good conversation and listened to some mellow live jazz. When you get down to it, that's what is really great about all of this. I get to meet the best people. So, this is the talented couple, Chelsea Evenstar and Nate Main. Check them out. I regret that I didn't get pictures with them... I'm so bad at that.

I spent the next two days writing the second book of Thomas Riley in a little coffee shop (Cafe Cubano) in the walking mall. This was a great little get away. I rarely get ample amount of time to just sit and write. By Friday I had lunch and dinner with Publisher extrordinaire Karen Syed and met Joanna Stokes who was helping me with promotions while in Charlottesville.

Photo by Peter Hedlund

Then came Saturday. Vending day is always crazy. It's wonderful but crazy. With a steady flow of readers all day I seriously probably spoke to five hundred people. Another thing that I love about Thomas Riley is that it seems to appeal to everyone. I sell the book to 12 year olds and 60 year olds. I particularly love when the younger kids get excited. Well, I like it when everyone gets excited but there's something really great about seeing a kid get all jittery with excitement about the story.

Completely exhausted by the end of the day I retreated to the bar then was fortunate enough to find a nearby bar that had the Predators game on TV. Wow, what a great trip. By the way, The Omni hotel is the only way to go in Charlottesville VA. Thanks to everyone involved with the fest! I had a blast and can't wait to come back next year.

Next up: Blog on The Almost Famous Book Faire in Clarksville IN and my most recent Book Signing at Barnes and Noble in Louisville KY.

This Weekend I'll be at Barnes and Noble in Evansville, IN (One of my little adopted cities) and Elzabethtown, KY (Sat & Sun April 3 & 4. Yep I'm signing on Easter.)

If you can't make it to those events, curb your steampunk craving here.

Oh! A lot f pictures were taken in VA, so anyone that took some, I'd love to get some via email.

MidSouthCon

Ok, I'm a week behind on my posts so you'll get MidSouthCon right now and I'll post about Virginia in a few days.

MidSouthCon took place in Memphis TN or technically Olive Branch MS, which is right outside of Memphis. We showed up on Friday, set up the table and met the neighbors. Good people. Reconnected with long ago friend Stephen Zimmer, which was a great treat.

You all know I love a good Con and basically I haven't been to a bad one yet. Even the small more family like Cons are wonderful. MidSouthCon was the largest regional one (Besides D*C of course) that I've attended in a while. First off it's packed and I mean packed with panels. There are seriously like 7 panels going every hour in one hotel. That's a lot for a mid sized hotel. The Con Suite was great (Free Beer). May I pause in thanks for this free beer thing that South Eastern Cons have going on. I mean that never happens right?

Saturday I had two panels Steampunk "What puts the punk in steampumk?" It was a great panel with Kimberly Richardson, Sid Reese, and Angelia Sparrow. The moderator didn't show up and the room was pretty full so we just winged it and I have to say that it created a great open forum where everyone, even the crowd was able to speak.

Later, I was on the "To Market To Market... finding one that fits your work panel." This was another great little panel aimed toward the writers part of the convention. It was a thrill being on a panel with Julie Kagawa, Elizabeth Donald and Kathryn Sullivan. Great people with some really good views on writing.

Sunday I was on a panel that I really wasn't suited for called Coloring Inside the Lines which dealt with contract writing for other people's creations. After about 5 minutes I discovered that I really didn't belong there and I think I said one thing the entire hour. Oh this is fun too, I got to sign my first Young Alchemists e-short CD.


Anyway, MidSouthCon is great! Lots to do and a wide variety of subject matter. I have to tell you that a lot of people made the weekend wonderful but I have to mention this mother and daughter that took a Thomas Riley Wanted Poster off the wall so I could sign it... pretty amazing feeling.


Also there was Anna. Anna bought the book on Friday and stayed up all night reading it until she was done. Then to make it even better she wrote a poem about Thomas Riley. It's really quite mind blowing to have some write a poem about your book. It's under her picture. Sorry this is a bit blurry.


Thomas Riley
By: A. M. Paulson
In West Canvia there lives an inventor
Who is more gifted than any other.
His name is Thomas Riley,
And his gifts are in machinery and alchemy.
Deep in his lab he works
Both night and day.
His young assistant,
And his greatest asset,
Is the young and beautiful Miss Cynthia Bassett.
Together they make chemical marvels
And technological wonders
The likes of which have never before been seen.
Can their combined ingenuity
Along with their boundless creativity
Be enough to defeat Lemuria,
Thus win the war for West Canvia?
We will have to wait and see.
Cause there are still two more books in this trilogy.

Next up
This weekend I'll be in Clarksville, IN (Just North of Louisville) for the Almost Famous Book Faire, then on Sunday I'll be at Barnes & Noble in Louisville KY. Come say hi!

As always:
Get signed copies of Thomas Riley Here.
Buy through Amazon Here.
Enlist as a Sky Pirate Here.

www.sirthomasriley.com

Tour Dates Part 2

Things have literally gotten insane. It's a good insane but mind numbingly hectic to say the least.

First off I've started the second instalment of Thomas Riley. It has no working title yet but I'll be sure to let you know when it's properly named.

Also, the second instalment of The Young Alchemists is coming soon as well. It is called "Io & Calamity". More to come on that soon.

My favorite thing in the world is traveling and meeting awesome readers and writers. So in the spirit of getting out and meeting my fellow steampunk enthusiasts here are the latest tour dates. There are more but I'm waiting to hear back from some events.

3/12-3/14 - MidSouthCon (Memphis, TN)~Speaking at 3 panels
3/17-3/21 - The VA Book Festival (Charlottesville, VA)~Speaking With Noah Skalin
3/27 - The Almost Famous Book Faire (Clarksville, IN)
3/28 - Barnes & Noble Signing (Louisville, KY)
4/3 - Barnes & Noble Signing (Evansville, IN)
4/4 - Barnes & Noble Signing (Elizabethtown, KY)
4/9-4/11 - Steamposium (St. Louis, MO)
4/17 - The Alabama Book Festival (Mongomery, AL)
4/18 - Divergence II A Steampunk Ball (Nashville, TN)
4/30-5/2 - Anachrocon (Atlanta, GA)
5/22-5/23 - The Victoria Steam Exposition (Victoria British Columbia)
5/28-5/31 - The World Steam Expo (Deerborn, MI)
6/5-6/6 - Printers Row (Chicago, IL)
6/25-627 - Apollocon (Houston, TX)
7/1-7/4 - CONvergence (Bloomington, MN)
7/21-7/25 - San Diego Comic-Con

So come out if I'm coming near you. I'd love to meet everyone I can. See you soon!

And for you Sky Pirates represent with your patches and flight credentials.

The South Carolina Book Festival

The South Carolina Book Festival was held in Columbia, SC this past weekend and what a ride! We left Nashville at 9PM and drove until 2:30AM. Yeah, that was brutal. But we made it into town about 1:00 on Friday and set up the table.

Saturday the madness began. We had a constant flow of people through the fair and I have to say everyone was really great. I know I say that a lot but going on these trips really restores my faith in humanity.

The six table Echelon Press booth was awesome. Some great authors attended. Myself, Teresa Burrell, Sam Morton, Alexis Hart, Marc Vun Kannon, and Barbara DeShong represented. (By the way, I have to give another HUGE thanks to all the authors that attended. You all were inspiring in every way!) I think I speak for everyone when I say that we met some really great people. Not just because they were buying books but because everyone was so genuine and kind. Really, we had a constant flow of people through the booth and it's so nice to connect with people that are true book lovers.

I had Rebecca Wood, an opera student also helping me with the Thomas Riley table. Here's a young lady that has a bright future ahead of her. Many thanks Rebecca, I couldn't have done this without you!



I regret that I didn't get to see much of the other vendors or any of the panels at the festival but I was literally busy beyond belief at the table for two days straight. For recreation, the Echelon Press authors went to Longhorn where we had the traditional Saturday night meal. (Great times!) Stacey and I were also able to run over to the Liberty Tap Room for pints and Olympic hockey on Friday afternoon. Nice place and I recommend it to anyone visiting Columbia.

The entire experience while exhausting was absolutely amazing. Thank you to everyone in Columbia SC I can't wait to see you all again next year in May!

Ok so you don't live in South Carolina and you missed the event. No big deal. I'll be in Memphis TN at MidSouthCon March 12-14. I'll be speaking at three panels there as well.

- Saturday 5:00 PM Steampunk 101 Steampunk fiction is on the rise. But what puts the punk' in Steampunk?

- Saturday 7:00 PM To Market, To Market Finding the one that fits your work.

- Sunday 2:00 PM Coloring Inside the Lines Intellectual Property: What does it take to write creatively in someone else's world?

Don't forget to Enlist as a Sky Pirate HERE.

And if you can't make it to the events, get your signed copy of Thomas Riley HERE.

The Southern California Writers Conference

As many of you know, this is the same conference where Thomas Riley was picked up for publication last year. It was an amazing and overwhelming experience. For those that hesitate to go to writers cons or think they are too expensive... here are some thoughts on SCWC (San Diego).

The Staff
The staff is wonderful. All of them are helpful, kind and will go out of their way to help you as a writer, friend and colleague. Really, the friends I met here on the staff are friends I will keep for the rest of my life. Michael Steven Gregory (MSG), Wes, Ed, Melanie, Cricket, Ochaki... You all are great!

Panels
The panels (workshops) are awesome. Made up of authors, editors, agents, publishers, and other industry professionals, the panels always offer something for every kind of writer. I don't care if you have 10 books published from Penguin or if you don't have a page written, you will find at least one panel that will rock your world.

One on ones
These are meetings with your agent, editor, author or publisher that for a small fee will read through and review your submission. Think it's a waste of money? Thomas Riley was sold there. And so are a seemingly record number of books lately. (Tip: go through the bios of who is doing the one on ones and pick someone that you think might be interested in your genre and style.)

Other Writers
I can't tell you how great other writers are. I didn't meet anyone that turned me off. In fact, everyone was awesome. There is no competition, very little arrogance and everyone just wants to meet writers like themselves. It doesn't matter if your writing women's lit, horror, steampunk or memoirs... Everyone gets along and everyone has a blast. I really had a blast with everyone. Really I had drinks at the bar with everyone. From people just there to get back into writing all the way to chatting with NY Times Best Seller Selden Edward about Steampunk.

Inspiration
I can't explain the boost of creative inspiration that comes from this conference. I'm 100% refueled and ready to start on the second installation of Thomas Riley as well as finish the second story in The Young Alchemists short series.

New Authors Panel
I was part of the New Authors Panel "What I wish I knew before I was published" with Teressa Burrell, Gayle Carline, Andrew Peterson and Kathy Porter. I had a blast. The room was packed and it was a really great panel. Make sure you check out these authors books (I linked them) they are great people and great writers!

Ummm. It's San Diego. I was sick when I left for California. Congested and miserable in every way. Within 24 hours of being in San Diego I felt great. Talk about a bonus!

So I regret to say that I don't have any good pictures from the conference but I do have this account to share with you. If you've ever wondered if a writers conference can help you, it can. Well, this one can.

I've been home for less than 24 hours and I'm already looking forward to next year. Thanks everyone!

Oh, if you can't wait until next February, the same group is putting on another writers con in September in Newport Beach CA.


This is my lone photo of the famous white board with my panel listed. Sorry for my lameness. I could have sucked less.

ShadowCon and More!

Shadowcon
I had no idea what to expect when going to Memphis for Shadowcon. There isn't much of a web presence and there aren't a lot of pictures online. So off I went and finally arrived at the hotel which was an odd strangely sprawling Holiday Inn. Immediately after hauling my stuff to the con area I was greeted with nothing but kindness by the staff. Ok the guy at the regi desk game me a little crap but everyone was amazing. Right off the bat, the organizer greeted me and opened the vendor room so I could load the books and whatnot.


Shadowcon is a laid back wonderful little con (complete with panels)that in a way is liek a family con. Everyone is welcome and everyone is treated like family. Really, what more could you ask for? There were little gaming rooms, good vendors, but most of all the people were wonderful. Yeah, I just can't get away from how nice everyone was. Here's little Sophie complete with Thomas Riley sticker on the stroller.



The majority of Shadowcon attendees are part of the SCA and more prescisely, the Gleann Abhann Kingdom. While this may sound odd and different to many of you, I can't say how welcome these people made me feel. Did I mention that the SCA people make their own mead? Well, they do and from what I tasted, it is unreal how good this stuff is. Not only that, but I managed to grab my own bottle of Liam's Mead... I'm yet to open it as I don't want it to be gone.



I was asked to do the "steampunk- genre" panel with Darlene Bolesny and Debra Parmley which I thought went very well. So thank you Shadowcon I had a blast. And while leaving, I saw this. I have no idea what it means other than it has to do with the SCA but found it interesting none the less.



This weekend
Saturday the 16th is insane for me. Ok, First off I'm signing at "The Bookstore" in Huntsville AL at Noon - 2PM. (2246 Winchester Rd NE Huntsville, AL 35811 (256) 858-2170) From there I'm busting it to Atlanta for the Mechanical Masquerade to vend and sign. I'm really excited about both these events but man, I'll be driving all over the South in a few days.



Patches!
I told you the Thomas Riley, "The Blood Countess" patches were coming in and... da da dada! They've arrived. If you're a Sky Pirate already, you'll be getting an email soon. If not... what's wrong with you? ENLIST HERE!
Anyway, you'll be able to buy these at any event I attend as well as online... or if you are already a Sky Pirate, then you'll be given special opportunity's to not only get free patches, but also bumps in rank!

On Tour!

I'm so impressed with everyone. I can't thank everyone that bought a copy of Thomas Riley enough. The response has been overwhelming and I appreciate every one of you as well as the people that have signed up as Sky Pirates.

Here are my first quarter tour dates. Keep in mind that there will be more added, but as it stands the next 3 months are filled. Now if you have enlisted as a Sky Pirate and if you attend any one of these events and are wearing your Flight Credentials, you will automatically get something special which I will talk about later. So come out, say hello and remember to sport your flight credentials!

January 8-10 ShadowCon- Memphis TN

January 16 The Bookstore- Huntsville AL 12:00-2:00PM

January 16 The Mechanical Masquerade- Atlanta GA 8:00PM-Midnight

January 22-24 Chattacon- Chattanooga TN

January 30 Davis Kidd- Nashville TN 2:00-6:00PM

February 6 Books A Million- Madison TN 12:00-3:00PM

February 12-15 The Southern California Writers Conference- San Diego CA

February 20 The Little Professor Book Center- Birmingham AL 12:00-2:00PM

February 26-28 The South Carolina Book Fest- Columbia SC

March 5-7 Stellar Con- Highpoint NC

March 12-14 MidSouthCon- Memphis TN

March 17-21 Virginia Festival of The Book- Charlottesville VA

March 27 Borders- Brentwood TN 12:00 - 3:00PM

With that said,I'll be in Memphis TN this weekend for ShadowCon. This is my first ShadowCon experience, so if you are going, come by the table and say hi. Pictures and recound to follow next week.

You can still get signed copies of Thomas Riley HERE

And hurry to sign up to be a Sky Pirate. More really good things are coming for current Sky Pirates. In fact, I'll show you one thing below.

I've been getting a lot of requests for Sky Pirate patches. So I decided to take it a step further. Not only will you soon be able to get Official Sky Pirate Patches, but there will be an officer's program complete with different ranked patches and merit awards. I'll let you know how to get your patches as well as lifting your rank next week when they come in. Until then, enjoy the prototype: