This past weekend I attended Myths and Legends Convention (MaL Con). It is officially my new favorite Con. Unlike Denver Comicon or even Anime Fest, the focus of this convention was not to dress up or cruise around and people watch. This small convention was full of information and one of the most accepting and supportive communities I’ve ever had the privilege of being a part of.
I was offered the opportunity to network with existing authors while they shared their wealth of knowledge. By the end of the weekend, my brain was mush, my phone was full of notes, and my bestie and I were both excited and motivated. I was able to attend every panel that I wanted to without having to wait in any lines. The small panels offered space for me to ask any questions and really get to know the panelists. It was a weekend full of learning.
Of course, Monster went with us too. They were really well behaved and I only had to leave in and out of a panel once due to fussiness (of course it was the one panel that was the most distracting for me to leave from). Beyond that, they were happy as a clam and just as excited to see everyone over the weekend as I was.
I believe what really made the panelists amazing was their genuine willingness to share their experiences. Not one person that I met over the weekend believed that my success would take away from their success. As such, they shared openly and didn’t hold anything back. They made a few good impressions on me as well.
So if you are in the market for your next book, here are a few amazing authors that I met:
Aaron Ritchey wrote Long Live the Suicide King and Elizabeth’s Midnight. I am especially excited to read his novels, suggested to me by Jennifer Rose, because I aspire to write similarly deep pieces.
Dylan Edwards is a comic book writer. Not just any comics though. He specializes in queer comics, such as Politically Inqueerect and Transposes. This underrepresented genre is bound to catch your attention.
James A. Hunter was part of one of the first panels I attended and I knew right away that I would have to pick up one of his books. The bright artwork on the covers and his epic fantasy genre captured my attention right away. I would definitely suggest his Viridian Gate Series or Strange Magic.
Jennifer Rose was genuinely one of the nicest people I met the entire weekend. Anytime someone said they did something odd or poorly or put themselves down in even the slightest way, she gently reminded them that they were just doing things differently or at their own pace. Seriously, she was an amazing inspiration and I could go on about her character forever. What is more, she wrote Twins of Orion: The Book of Keys, an epic tale that follows two twins. I believe this is book one in a multi-story series.
My bestie asked me before the weekend started if I was going to any panels with Mason Torall. I guess the two of them went to high school together and she was excited to see his success. He recently(ish) published his first novel, The Dark Element, and any Sci-Fi lover would be crazy not to pick it up.
I went to one panel where everyone was loud and laughing and oh so fun. I attribute that energy to Veronica Calisto, writer of the Sparkle Tits Chronicles, and her bubbly personality. My bestie picked up her other book, Diary of a Mad Black Witch, and has said it has been a very interesting read so far.
