So my WordPress account got hacked. Big fun. Nothing went missing so whoever did it wasn’t thinking very far ahead, but it was just this massive hassle to recover my password because the bright stars that sent the “you got hacked” email didn’t tell me to just go in and reset my password.
What was it Charlie Brown used to say in situations like this? AAAAAAAAUUURRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!
Okay, I feel better now.
I don’t have much of an update since last time, so let’s talk about Fandom Fest.
It was a bit of a bust from the literary track side for a whole number of reasons:
(1) No easily accessible panel schedule. People were telling us they didn’t even KNOW there was a literary track.
(2) They tucked us away upstairs with no signage.
(3) The layout of the hotel is wonky and completely wrong for ease of locating.
(4) There was WAAAAY too much going on in that building.
I almost feel sorry for the Galt House actually. There were a lot of people roaming around and some of us looked pretty funny. There were great costumes, fabulous events and some of the most wonderful people in the world. Some of my internet friends became real friends, and that made the whole trip worth it.
Someone made a comment that it was less a convention than a networking opportunity, and he was very right. I have a massive stack of business cards sitting on my desk, and because of a few of them I have brilliant new ideas. Those ideas might come to life a little faster if only I’d get off my butt and finish what’s in my “In Progress” folder – there are 28 items in that, by the way. One is a completed novel undergoing extensive edits. Another is a half-completed romance novel that we won’t discuss here. The rest are a mishmash of various projects covering the literary spectrum.
Plus I owe beta reads to two people and I really need to get those done.
Procrastination Station, population: Susan.
There’s just too much going on in my head. Plus one of my friends clued me into YET ANOTHER ANTHOLOGY CALL. The proper term for that would be “OMG.” I don’t have enough brain capacity to add another story to the mix! Yes it’s only 5,000 words and I have a month to write it BUT STILL. NO. NO MORE.
Or not. I’ll figure out something for it. Actually I’ve got a really good short idea in progress in that folder but I don’t have a freaking clue how to make it do what I want. [Insert noncommittal shrug here.] Eh, I’m sure I’ll figure it out somehow. I always manage to pull something out of my butt at the last minute. Maybe it’s the deadlines that make it work. I don’t know.
But anyway… BACK TO FANDOM FEST.
Really good food – Hard Rock Cafe and The Old Spaghetti Factory. I think the company made it better, too. I still can’t believe Selah and I hadn’t seen each other in ten years. It didn’t feel like it, though. We picked up where we left off like it had been hours instead of years. I love that, and I miss her like crazy. She and I always get into mischief together, and the con was no exception. We were the horrible fangirl type for awhile there. The highlight of the weekend was definitely getting to meet John Rhys-Davies. That absolutely made my weekend.
That and geeking out in a majorly scary way over Timothy Zahn. I’m sure he wanted to call security on us.
Plus it’s not every day that you’re just standing around talking to someone and turn around to find Leatherface standing behind you. Talk about freaky.
We also geeked out my girls – Alice, poor baby, will never be afraid of anything. She laughed at everything. And then my teenager got to meet Corey Feldman. That was just it for her. I think she still giggles about it.
Then… Alexx and Charlie, whom I absolutely adore. My husband has a new man-crush, too. They are the sweetest, most wonderful people in the world and I can’t wait to see them again. I think Alexx was secretly planning to steal Alice, though. They bonded, which made me happy.
As always, Lexxx, Crymsyn, and Tally were with us. I can’t imagine a con without these guys. I’d be bored out of my mind because they entertain me, keep me out of trouble (or in trouble depending on what time it is), and generally make the world a better place.
Stephen… oh, Stephen… how he exists on crackers and Monster I don’t know. He did such a fabulous job organizing our part of the con… I just hate that his hard work almost all went to waste.
I feel truly blessed to have so many good friends. I love them all and even though the con wasn’t all that successful from the literary standpoint, I’m glad to have had the time with them. Plus there’s a host of others – old friends and new – that are too numerous to name right now. I definitely look forward to seeing them all again and yes…I have every intention of going back next year.
Hopefully by then I’ll actually have books to sell. It’s worth a shot considering I write horror and it’s a horror film festival. Who knows…next year I might just get lucky.
I’d best get back to work now… these books aren’t going to write themselves. But oh, how I wish they would.