Monday, August 12, 2013

Pre-Gen Con 2013

Yes, Gen Con is coming up. Yes, I’m going (my second time!) (all four days!). Yes, I’m wearing costumes (you heard me right-costumes. As in, more than one. On different days, of course). Yes, I’m dragging my boyfriend along (he’s actually pretty excited). BRING. IT. ON!

Excitement aside, I really don’t have much planned-just a few things I know I’m doing and a few things I might do. And that’s totally okay.

A Floridian friend of mine on Facebook recently asked for some advice on conventions. She said the Tampa Comic Con looked fun, and that she planned on going, but that she’d never been a comic nerd so she didn’t know how to prepare. I typed out a long comment response, and quite liked the way it turned out, so I thought I’d share it with you as a little advice for Gen Con (or any convention). Enjoy.

I haven’t been to a Comic Con before, but I have been to Gen Con Indy, which is a gaming convention. I was not a gamer at all before I went, but I heard that they had writing classes going on too, which is something I’m definitely interested in. So I went to some writing seminars, hung out with my friends that also went, and just walked around looking at everything.
Even if you’ve never been a comic geek (or gaming geek, in my case), they’ll have something that’s related to something you’re interested in. Just look at the schedule, see what’s going on, and check a few things out. Even if you’re not a comic geek, I’m sure their exhibit hall (where stuff is on sale) will be super fun to walk around in. They have lots of stuff that’s not actual comics for sale. So, just check out some stuff and have fun!

So that’s my last word on the subject of Gen Con (or any other convention): Check out some stuff and have fun! See you there!

Sunday, May 19, 2013

On Fandom

I am a geek, no doubt about it. The only question is: what kind of geek am I?

I game a little (random sci-fi, Pathfinder). I like many different things. I like Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Avengers, Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly, Sherlock, and more. I even like Twilight (not as much as I used to, though. I think I’m growing out of it just a little).

That covers most of the things that I like that I’ve actually seen or read all or most of the books/movies/episodes that are available. What about the things where I’ve only experienced a small portion of what’s available? Why do I like those things so much?

We’ll start with Supernatural. I have never seen a single episode of Supernatural, yet I have a seemingly unfounded recognition of and affection for the characters (somebody really needs to make a decent Supernatural music fanvid using the song ‘Send Me an Angel.’ It seems like the logical thing to do).

Then there’s the big one: Doctor Who. I have only seen six episodes of the reboot, but my love for this show is so huge that sometimes it feels like I can’t contain it inside my head or heart.

Why? Who do I have so much love for these things I don’t even really know? I'll tell you why: the internet. The internet and Pinterest. The geek category on Pinterest is highly addictive-I’ve literally spent hours scrolling through pictures and articles that others have pinned into the geek category. It’s difficult to stop.

It’s all your fault, internet. You make me smile when I see Dean, Sam, and Castiel. I’ve only seen one episode with Ten and five episodes with Nine, and you, internet, make me squeal and sigh and melt with joy when I see any of the Doctors. I love them. I love all of them. And it’s all your fault.

Nicely done, internet. Nicely done.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Star Wars Day

In case you haven’t been on the internet in the past several days, last Saturday was Star Wars Day (there were pictures everywhere). You know, May the Fourth be with you! It also happened to be Free Comic Book Day. Lucky!

Normally the only thing I would have done to celebrate Star Wars Day would have been to wear an appropriate T-shirt. This year, however, a friend of mine that works at Half Price Books had told me about the May the Fourth celebration her store had planned-posters, decorations, displays, costumes, and, perhaps best of all, stormtroopers. Yes, the 501st Legion had a planned appearance at Half Price Books. This called for something far greater than a mere T-shirt.

I still wore a Star Wars T-shirt.
I wore it in the first half of the day, while I scrounged three different Goodwill stores for a costume. Granted, this was unnecessary thrifting, as I found all my costume pieces at the first store. But really, can you ever have too much thrift store shopping? (In case you were wondering, the answer to that question is no, unless you are a hoarder, in which case it is a resounding yes.)


After my awesome mother did my hair, I was dressed and ready to show my costume to the world. If you’re getting curious, I’ll tell you that I was dressed as Princess Leia from Episode V, in her Hoth gear. So much white! Leia really seems to wear a lot of white. Doesn’t seem too practical to me. Wouldn’t she get it dirty so quickly? But whatever.

My friend (the one that works at Half Price Books), my boyfriend, and I met for dinner before heading over to HPB.  The funny moment there was when my friend and I were waiting for my boyfriend, and I heard the host say, “Are you meeting other wookies?” I knew he was talking to my boyfriend because my boyfriend has this awesome Chewbacca shirt (he got it from me).
Chewbacca for the win!


There were four members of the 501st Legion at Half Price Books that evening: two ‘normal’ stormtroopers, one Hoth stormtrooper, and one TIE fighter pilot. My friend that works at the store was dressed as Wicket the Ewok (Yay!). Among the employees there was also a Jedi, Yoda, Han Solo, and R2-D2. I thought it was quite the nice assortment of characters.


There was much picture taking, with and without the stormtroopers. When I was taking my “getting arrested” picture, one of the stormtroopers said, “Blasters set to stun!”
That made me laugh because that time in the first movie with Leia has to be just about the only time that blasters are ever set to ‘stun.’ I mean, really.


My most surreal moment of the evening was when we were inside watching some kids beat up a Death Star piñata. The TIE fighter pilot walks up to me and says, “Boba Fett is looking for you.” Hmmm. Not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing… Sure enough, a few moments later, up walks a guy in a suit and a Boba Fett helmet and wants to get his picture taken with me. I’m game, obviously, but I get the feeling we looked like the weirdest prom couple ever. He was wearing a suit and a Boba Fett helmet! Seriously!

There was also an adorable moment with a little girl. Her father said she loved Leia, and when I met her she just smiled a lot, didn’t say anything, and cuddled up to her dad. Later, when he got a picture of her with me, she ran right up to me and wrapped her arm around my leg. I just about melted, she was so sweet! Things like that are some of the best things about dressing up in costumes-you get to make somebody’s day, which in turn makes your day that much better.

I finished out my Star Wars Day by going back to my house and watching Episode IV with my parents and my boyfriend. Such a good movie, I hadn’t seen it in a long time! My dad and my boyfriend kept commenting on everything that had been added from the original version. I’m not going to get into that debate here. It would take far too long!

I had a great Star Wars Day. I got to dress up, hang out with stormtroopers, and have a really great time (I also grabbed a free comic-Free Comic Book Day!).
I hope you had a good day too. May the Force be with you!



The stellar couple!


 Star Wars trivia prizes



He's got a red lightsaber. He's obviously evil.

Nothing to see here. Move along.

Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope!




P.S. I’d rather kiss a Wookie!
(It had to be done) :D

Sunday, April 28, 2013

"Mine to Avenge" Book Review

Mine to Avenge is not the kind of book I would have picked up off the shelf, simply because fantasy is more my style, not mystery and suspense. But I won a free copy of the e-book off of author Kerry Letheby’s fan page on Facebook, and I’m so glad I did.

This book picks you up and sweeps you along with its story right away. The first chapter almost made me cry, and the rest of the book continued to reach into my emotional center and grab my heartstrings, refusing to let go.

The family of characters was engaging and dynamic. The generational aspect of the story gave me a perspective into the lives of the characters that brought me close to them, and brought them close to my heart.

The familiarity the author had with the places in the book was obvious. I felt like I was walking through the streets of Australia’s cities, and experiencing the familiar sights and sounds of my own hometown, not a locale that was continents away.

I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to any adult or older teen reader, regardless of whether or not they are normally interested in mystery or suspense.


Check out Kerry’s fan page on Facebook and give her a like:

Also, here’s the link for the Kindle e-book if anybody is interested:

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Louisiana Ramblings

As my father and I finished our driving circuit on the Creole Nature Trail in southwest Louisiana, I was not thinking about the multitudes of waterfowl we observed or the delicately beautiful shells we gathered on Rutherford Beach. I wasn’t even thinking about the thirty-three (that’s right, 33) alligators we had just seen on the Pintail Wildlife Drive & Boardwalk.

No, as we drove through bayous and across waterways, I was thinking about my character in the Paragons of Palegain role-playing game (RPG) I’m currently a part of, and how much she would hate Louisiana. You know, because she’s terrified of bridges. And Louisiana is heavy on bridges. She wouldn’t be able to move!


I’m such a geek.

All things gamer aside, I had a great time in Louisiana with my dad last month. New Orleans was on my really-want-to-see-before-I-die list, and my dad and I both had the vacation time. We planned the trip in a hurry, leaving a lot of time open for figure-it-out-as-we-go scheduling.

Bourbon Street and the French Quarter on Saturday night were an experience. People on balconies threw beads at us. We bought beer on the street and ran into a surprise (for us) St. Joseph’s Day parade several times as we meandered through the Quarter. There’s really nothing like a parade in the French Quarter in New Orleans. Imagining it ten times crazier for Mardi Gras is difficult!

Yes, we had beignets (fried dough with powdered sugar) and café au lait (coffee with hot milk) from Café du Monde. No, we didn’t stand in the ridiculously long line at the French Quarter location. We simply found a location just minutes from our hotel in Metairie (just outside New Orleans proper) and skipped the lines. It was just as tasty!

The French Quarter location of the Acme Oyster house was packed on Saturday night, so we went to a location near our hotel another night-no wait! The seafood etouffee with crawfish tails was delicious, and the Manning jersey (no, not Peyton or Eli) on the wall made us smile.

A delicious treat we discovered (on my mother’s recommendation, although she didn’t come with us) was the pecan praline. We had to re-learn our pronunciation: it doesn’t rhyme with “saline,” it rhymes with “spa-clean.” This decadent candy is similar to a brittle, but much softer and easier to eat. Unfortunately for our waistlines (but fortunately for our taste buds), pralines are available at just about every grocery, gas station, convenience store and tourist shop in Louisiana. My dentist will be happy I didn’t bring back a car-load.

One of our trips outside New Orleans proper was a visit to Nottoway Plantation. It was everything you’d expect from a Southern plantation-white columns, long porches, and gorgeous everything inside and out. One unusual fact-the owner is Australian. He keeps it up, runs it as a hotel and tourist attraction, and visits a few times a year from his home in Australia. Hey, whatever keeps the history in that place alive is good for me!

We were walking in the Garden District the Thursday before St. Patrick’s Day Sunday when we ran into a St. Patty’s Day block party. That was where we really experienced New Orleans, with the locals and loads of green beer. There was even a topless woman with body paint covering her chest (no, I didn’t take pictures). One gentleman became fast friends with my father, insisting that we come back to Louisiana so that he could show us the real deal-air boat in the swamps, a crawfish boil, and everything that makes Louisiana great. I get the feeling we won’t be taking him up on that offer. The weirdest thing about hanging out at the block party? Sitting on the sidewalk, drinking a beer, and watching the cops walk by. So not legal in Indiana (unless, of course, it’s the Superbowl)!

We did and saw many things, but rounded out our stay with one last visit to the French Quarter. Wouldn’t want to miss that museum on Jackson Square (The Cabildo-they have Napoleon’s death mask)! We headed out after lunch, but not before I hit Bourbon Street one last time. I had to try a drink that was all over the Quarter-the hand grenade. Tall, frozen, and deceptively sweet, it gave me brain freeze as I slurped it down. Considering the amount of alcohol it contains, it’s no surprise-and I think it’s actually quite fitting-that I left New Orleans just a bit tipsy.

As they say in New Orleans, “Laissez les bons temps rouler,” or, “Let the good times roll!”