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. 

Book Review: A Killer's Mind by Mike Omer

 

Goodreads Summary: The New York Times and Washington Post bestselling serial-killer thriller that will leave you wondering, is the past really in the past?
Three Chicago women have been found strangled, embalmed, and posed as if still alive. Doubting the findings of the local PD's profiler, The FBI calls on forensic psychologist Zoe Bentley to investigate.

Zoe quickly gets off on the wrong foot with her new partner, Special Agent Tatum Gray. Zoe's a hunter, intense and focused; Tatum's a smug maverick with little respect for the rules. Together, they must descend into a serial killer's psyche and untangle his twisted fantasies, or more women will die. But when the contents of three inconspicuous envelopes reveal a chilling connection to gruesome murders from Zoe's childhood, suddenly the hunter becomes the hunted.

Goodreads Rating: 4.20 stars with over 55,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Mystery, Thriller Fiction, Crime, Suspense, Detective

Goodreads Challenge: 7/60 

2024 Reading Challenge: #8 Read a book that's been on your "shelf" for over a year (see the entire challenge here)

Review: 

Hello Readers! I hope everyone is doing well. I've been traveling for the last few days, visiting a friend. I got to experience two new states that I had never been to, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Airports and flights are perfect for finishing books. Last night, while on the plane, I finished A Killer's Mind by Mike Omer. 

I don't read thrillers often, and I'm not sure why. I tend to forget they exist since I usually just read Historical Fiction and Fantasy. Picking up A Killer's Mind by Mike Omer was an excellent reminder to read this genre more often. I enjoyed how the story bounced between Zoe and Tatum's investigation, Zoe's past, which prompted her interest in profiling, and the serial killer's perspective. It gave a well-rounded view of all the factors that contributed to the events in the book. It also gave a good distraction from who the killer really was. 

I wouldn't say I was blown away by the book, but it was good and a quick read. I'm intrigued enough that if I see the other books for a reasonable price on Kindle, I might pick them up. I did like how it read a bit like an episode of Criminal Minds. Character-wise, it took me a while to really warm up to Zoe. For the book's first part, she felt flat and one-dimensional. I won't say I loved her as a main character, but she was ok. Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who wants a light thriller/mystery.

Book Review: The Last Light by Pirateaba

 

Goodreads Summary: [Kings] awake, and [Emperors] build new lands. Change is coming to the world, from the King of Destruction moving to a certain [Doctor] finding more friends from home.
The Wandering Inn has a [Princess] who solves problems rather than creates them, and her name is Lyonette. Yet what happens when the [Innkeeper] returns to manage her inn? Lyonette must learn to be a good employee rather than manage everything herself, and sharing power is never easy...

Nor is it ever simple in war, but that is where Geneva Scala remains. In bloodier and increasingly brutal battlefields, The Last Light of Baleros is now growing in fame, but there is no future there. She is desperate, working against hostile forces who see her intervention as dangerous, and still bears the wounds of her previous war to save lives. But she is no longer alone.

Goodreads Rating: 4.62 stars with over 1700 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Magic, Fiction, Fae, Adventure, RPG, LITRPG, Action

Goodreads Challenge: 6/60 (I already feel impending doom!)

2024 Reading Challenge: #2 Read a book by an author you've previously read (Find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

Hello Readers! As always, I hope everyone is doing well. I just finished The Last Light, book 5 in the Wandering Inn series by Pirateaba. I wanted to get a blog post out while a few things were fresh in my memory. It's been hard for me to write posts about this series. I'm listening to it as an audiobook and have been starting one book right after the other. Events are getting blurred together, but I will try my best. Going forward, I'm going to take notes if I can.

This book was one of my favorites in the series so far. However, I've long since given up on predicting where this story will go. It's just sheer chaos. The last five hours were an absolute rollercoaster of emotions for me. There are also so many strings that I am still determining how they will connect or even if they will. I've been trying to figure out how to review this without giving spoilers, so I will try to provide some general thoughts about some of the characters/groups. Since I'm doing the audiobook, forgive me if I don't get character names correct. I am way too lazy to go through the web series and get the spelling.

Erin: Erin feels like the drunk friend you can't take your eye off, or they'll go missing. I'm listening to the series with a friend and am a book behind him. I've lost track of how many times I've proclaimed, "Erin is so damn stupid!" That said, she's loyal, sweet, and cares about her friends. But damn it, woman, think before you do.

Rhioka: Rhioka really grew on me in this book. She's still hot-headed-know-it-all, but I like her take no shit attitude. A lot of her story in this book wrecked me emotionally.

Lyonette: Now that the incidents in book 4 have thoroughly humbled her, I'm no longer rooting for her to be punched in the face. She's becoming one of my more liked characters. And what she did for Brunker. 😭

Lakin/Doreen: Love them. They're adorable, and I want nothing but the best for them.

Geneva: Her scenes fascinate me. The combination of her medical knowledge with Okasha's healing is so interesting. If they teamed up with Pisces' ability to mend bones, they'd be one hell of a medical team.

Octavia: I feel bad for what Erin puts her through, but she also annoys the ever-loving hell out of me.

Horns of Hammerod: They feel like a real team now. I am amused by the weird friendship between Kisemver and Pisces.

Antinium: In the audiobook, one visiting Antinium sounds like Sean Connery, and I can't unhear it. Is it weird that I like the Antinium? At least the individual ones. Bird even amuses me, as odd as he is. 

I have more thoughts, but they get spoilery, and I'm not sure which book some of my thoughts are about. Plus, I'm still processing the book's last 5-8 hours. I absolutely love this series, though, and I can't recommend it enough for Fantasy/RPG fans. It's amazing. I plan to start book 6 tomorrow. If you've read/listened to the series and want to ask me specific thoughts about books 1-5, feel free to use the Contact Me portion of the blog. 

2024 Reading Challenge Update - January and February

 

Hello, Readers! Happy almost March! I hope everyone is doing well. Here is a quick update on the books I read in the middle of January and February. It's a short list. I was sick most of January and am just now getting back into the swing of reading/listening to audiobooks. Also, I got addicted to Palworld. 

I primarily focused on listening to The Wandering Inn on Audible. I finished both books three and four of the series. I'm jumping into one book as soon as I finish the previous one. It makes it hard to separate my thoughts for each book into a blog post. It's definitely becoming one of my favorite series. I never know what will happen, and there are so many strings that I can't figure out how they connect. There are so many cliffhangers, and it keeps it exciting. As I type this, I'm listening to book five, and I am losing my train of thought because I keep getting distracted by what's happening in the story. Check out this series if you like video games, fantasy, and adventure. 

I also read A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. It took me a while to get into it, but I enjoyed it. I'll eventually finish the series, but I want to make some progress with other books before I get back into the series. I am not prepared to dive into a twenty-book series. 

Exciting announcement for Wheel of Time friends! I'm going to be at JordanCon in April! Tress is finally getting her wish and having me join her. If you will also be at the Con and would like to say hey, let me know. 

Here's a quick update for the Challenge:

Level 1: Book of the Month Club

1 Read a book you got for free

2 Read a book by an author you've previously read-

3 Read a book that is under 400 pages

4 Read a book published in 2014 (10 years ago)

5 Reread a book you have recommended to someone else

6 Read a retelling of a fairy tale or a classic novel

7 Read a book that is a comedy or satire

8 Read a book that's been on your "shelf" for over a year

9 Read a book with a color in the title

10 Read a book from the Los Angeles Public Library's staff recommendations // https://www.lapl.org/books-emedia/lapl-reads/staff-recommendations

11 Read a caper story (heist, thievery, etc.)

12 Free Space! Pick any book

Level 2: Casual Reader Club

13 Read book 1 of a Duology

14 Read book 2 of a Duology

15 Read a book about faeries - A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

16 Read a book you meant to read for last year's challenge

17 Read a book with three or more colors on the cover

18 Read a book by an author who shares a first or last name with a family member

19 Read a book published by Simon & Schuster or one of its imprints

20 Read a book with the word "Dark" in the title

21 Read a book published in 2004 (20 years ago)

22 Read a book with a Gothic theme

23 Read a book on a banned book list

24 Free Space! Pick any book

Level 3: Dedicated Reader Club

25 Read an Enemies to Lovers story

26 Read a Lovers to Enemies (or Friends to Enemies) story

27 Read a book that starts with the letter "S."

28 Read a book from Refinery29's "The Ultimate Book Bucket List: The 75 Best Books Of All Time"// https://www.refinery29.com/en-au/best-books-of-all-time

29 Read a book with a grey cover

30 Read a book by an author you think has an interesting name - Winter Solstice by Pirateaba

31 Read a Historical Fiction novel

32 Read a book with the name of a place in the title

33 Read a book about a veterinarian (or someone who works with animals)

34 Read the first book in a series you've wanted to start

35 Read a book that was published before you were born

36 Free Space! Pick any book

Level 4: Speed Reader Club

37 A book by Eleanor Hibbert under any of her pseudonyms // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Alice_Burford

38 Read a Memoir

39 Read a book that is referenced in a film or TV show

40 Read a book with a skull on the cover

41 Read a book with the word "Truth" in the title

42 Read a book that involves gamer/fandom/geek culture- Flowers of Esthelm by Pirateaba

43 Read a book with a Scientist as the main character

44 Read a book that takes place in a cold climate- The Tsarina's Daughter by Carolly Erickson

45 Read a book that has double letters in the title

46 Read a book by two or more authors

47 Read a book involving or inspired by Egyptian mythology

48 Free Space! Pick any book

Level 5: Overachiever Club

49 Read a book with a Unicorn in it- Fae and Fare by Pirateaba

50 Read a book that takes place during the 18th century (1701-1800)

51 Read a book by Jonathan Coe

52 Read a book with over 700 pages

53 A book with a title that has 5 words

54 Read a non-fiction book

55 Read a book with a picture of food or drink on the cover

56 Read a book by an author with Fred in their name

57 Read a book that takes place in South America

58 Read a book you previously started but left unfinished

59 Rickrolled! Read a book with one (or more) of the following words in the title: Never Going To Give You Up

60 Free Space! Pick any book