This has been the longest winter ever.
Last week my kids were off school for four days, for a combination of snow storm and intense cold. All sorts of things were canceled or rescheduled, my hands are cracked and bleeding the dry air…it got so bad that my oldest kid, who is nearly 14, actually wore a coat one day!*
But! We are in the upswing of the year now. Sunsets in Ohio are sneaking closer and closer to 6pm. January is in the rearview mirror, thank goodness. And I have a number of fun events to look forward to.
The first is Cleveland ConCoction 2026. This is my “hometown” convention (I drive an hour to get there, which is nbd for me.) and I’m always glad to see it roll around again. It’s small but cozy, everyone is incredibly friendly, and there is some amazing cosplay every year. The Author’s Alley is mostly people I know, which is kind of a fun place to have reached in my career.
This is my badge from last year. ConCoction also has a pretty strong ribbon game.
If you like fandom, cool authors, neat art, intriguing board games, and fantastic cosplay, you should come to the Bertram on March 6-8!
The second exciting thing coming up is the Big Ohio Book Con.
I’ve vended with Black Cat Books & Oddities before so I know they run a good show. I don’t think I understood quite how big this show is, though, until they announced the authors who will be attending. I MEAN. Take a look at some of these headlining authors:
- Leigh Bardugo
- Mai Corland
- Sarah Beth Durst
- TJ Klune
- SEANAN MCGUIRE (Sorry, I’m really excited about this one)
- Page Powars
- Markus Redmond
- Alex Erickson
- And many more!
Those are just the headliners. There are also over 100 indie authors, including three members of my writing group and a good handful of other folks I know. Here’s that list, and if you scroll down to the “Horror, Thriller & Mystery” section, you’ll find me.
I’m really excited for this event. It looks like so much fun. I am also stressing a little bit about my table display. What would I be if not stressing about something months ahead of time??
The Big Ohio Book Con is in Medina, Ohio, from June 5 – June 7. If you’re interested — and seriously, why wouldn’t you be? — you should get your tickets now, and maybe start making room on your shelf for all your new books.
I’m hoping to have more events and announcements later this year, but for now, I’m glad to have some bright spots to look forward to as we dig our way — metaphorically and literally — out of the depths of winter.
* Parents of middle/high school kids will understand what a big deal this is.
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