I’m a bit late in getting around to this, but only because I’ve been knee deep in edits for Mountainfall. But no more delays! Here are my thoughts on my first ever experience at a Realm Makers event.
I trundled into St. Louis after a long drive from Tennessee around mid afternoon and pulled up to the hotel and even center at Union Station. There I met up with an old and very dear friend, Aaron, who took the train over from Kansas City and we set about scouting the convention floor space, trying to get badges, to find out where my booth would be, and all those logistical questions.
It was such a blessing to have him there. Fantasy and sci-fi are hardly his forte but he’s such a chipper fellow he can find the port in any storm. And boy did we run into a few storms!
A multitude of mishaps
First off, I had to go pick up some flyers which I had to have printed in St. Louis because I left the ones I’d printed back home. Then we came back to unload and it was raining. And in the chaos and frazzle of lugging things in I lost my wallet! And my glasses. But I was not penniless for long because a nice lady (whom I later met) turned it in to the hotel desk. Unfortunately, I did not find my glasses until I got home, but I had a spare pair so it all worked out.
Halfway through setting up the booth I realized I had forgotten the credit card readers for the phones so we had to run to a store and get there before it closed down.
The store we found was closing within 15 minutes and so I left Aaron in the car and sprinted to sprint to the parking garage elevator like Peter Parker trying to deliver a stack of overdue pizzas, only to find that the elevator door wouldn’t open when it got to my floor. Frantic that the elevator would start back down, I mashed the “open” button repeatedly, crying out, “no, no, no!” only to then realize that another door had opened behind me and some much less frantic people were watching my antics and waiting to get on.
Oh, well. I got the readers and then I realized I was almost out of gas (my dash said I had 4 miles left). Phew, we dodged another bullet there.
Finally, we got back and finished setting up, grabbed some food and retired to our hotel room two very exhausted blokes.
Oh, the people you’ll meet
The next day we got up bright and early and headed down to the convention floor for our first taste of Realm Makers. Here’s a peek at what the booth looked like in all its glory. Note the 3D weapons. And the map. And the dapper fellow in the suit.
I met so many wonderful people. Bright-eyed, hopeful, earnest souls. It was so refreshing. The parents with children were my favorite. The wonder in their eyes and the enthusiasm in their parent’s voices for stories they had only just discovered was such a blessing.
But it wasn’t just readers there. There were authors, heaps of authors. And my editor Deborah was there, too. It was so great to get to meet her and her sister. She is just as sweet in person as she is online and via email. I also ran into Robert Treskillard, whose Merlin books I very much enjoyed and he was very nice and down to earth.
But as if that wasn’t enough, my dear friend and fellow author Jenelle Schmidt’s booth was right next to mine. We met online 14 years ago and have exchanged emails and messages many times over the years, but I had never gotten to meet her in person. And it was like meeting an old friend you haven’t seen since college. It was so great to talk to her in person. If you’re not familiar with her books, you should absolutely try them out. She’s a wonderful writer.
As a bonus, I got to meet her whole family, including her husband, kids, parents, and sister, the talented singer-songwriter Brittany Jean. They’re all such warm-hearted, salt-of-the-earth kind of folks.
Mastering our fate?
After the craziness of the convention, Aaron, Jenelle, and her husband, Derek, and I had a little time in the evening to try our hand at a board game. And what better game to play for two veteran silmaril award hosts and die-hard Lord of the Rings enthusiasts like ourselves than Fate of the Fellowship?
In this cooperative game we all took on two or three characters in the Lord of the Rings saga and tried to thwart the vile plans of the dark lord Sauron. While we did manage to slay a nazgul, that’s about all we accomplished in our quest to destroy the one ring and for some reason do Arwen’s laundry. Don’t ask! I laughed so much. The jokes were pretty much non-stop. And Deborah and her sister sat on the side-lines and cheered us on until we flamed out and lost miserably.
When all was said and done, I can’t think of a better way to have ended the convention.
Experience points
After the conference, Aaron and I went on several madcap adventures ourselves and I had a great time meeting some family as well, but all too soon it was time to pack up all my gear and head home.
So, was it worth it? I didn’t sell very many books, but I did get some extra sales outside the convention during the week so perhaps a few seeds were planted. And I enjoyed getting to meet so many kind-hearted people, especially, Deborah and Jenelle and her family. That alone made it more than worthwhile.
What I realized by the end was that there are just so many sci-fi and fantasy writers there with their own booths that it was a little hard to stand out. It was great to test the waters and see what other authors and creatives are doing, but with so many other books to choose from, many of them from winners of past Realm Makers awards, I was definitely a little fish in a big pond.
Still, I’m glad I went. I met the people God wanted me to meet and I got to spend several days talking about stories that I love and talking with wonderful people I both admire and respect.
And as an author, it doesn’t get much better than that.
Until next time, I’ll see you between the pages.
We packed it in! I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather search for a lost wallet with . . . in the rain. Thanks for including me — and what a joy to meet some of your literary friends. Grateful to have those memories tucked away for the next rainy day.