BaltiCon 44

Originally published as a post on 6/1/10

Now that I’m home, with eight hours of solid sleep behind me and a cup of home-made coffee in hand, I can look back and say: WOW, that was fun! From the moment I arrived at BaltiCon, when the hotel staff were so helpful about carrying stuff to my room for me and giving me directions when I got lost (often), to the moment I left in a flurry of hugs from newfound friends, I had a great time.

I did feel rather lost in the beginning; the Hunt Valley Marriott is ENORMOUS; much like the hotel for Wicked Faire in sheer size, but sprawled out sideways rather than up multiple flights. It was a challenge getting from my room — out by Parking Lot F — to the vendor’s and panel areas — up by the front of the hotel. The art show, Artist’s Alley, and more panel rooms were on a lower level, beneath the first floor; fortunately there were escalators to make that part of the trip less painful.

I got my emotional bearings quickly, with the discovery that C.J. Henderson, Lord Montague, Peter Prellwitz, Mike Pederson (RavenCon chair), and many other friends were in attendance; it’s always nice to know at least a few people when you walk into a strange place! Thus reassured that I wasn’t completely “alone”, I set out to make lots of new friends, and achieved a smashing level of success far beyond what I’d hoped for.

The panels I sat on were all composed of a very nice mix of the ultra experienced and the noobs like me … and the pros were all extremely welcoming and supportive. I attended two panels as a guest (Money in SF and Music in SF), and those were just as fun; the first panel got very lively a couple of times, as audience members with differing views on economic theory participated in a vigorous exchange of ideas.

Given that I’m still recovering from throwing my back out two weeks ago, I had planned on going to my panels and retreating to rest; as usual, that went straight out the window. I just love meeting people too much, I guess! I’m tickled that I got to meet Tanya Huff, one of my favorite authors, and thank her for being such a strong influence in my life; I’m equally tickled that I got to sit down to breakfast with some very kind strangers who quickly became friends (and even bought a copy of my book). My book signing was great; I focused on talking to people, not on selling books, and managed to sell three or four books anyway.

I attended the Triple Launch Party Sunday night, and it was terrific; well over a hundred people, I would guess, and sales looked to be brisk. Congrats on throwing a great party, Danielle, and well done to all the contributors to the launch anthologies, too!

The vendor’s room was also a win for me; I rarely feel the Must Buy This Now urge so strongly as I did this weekend. So kudos to Honeck Sculpture, Linda Saboe, NancyButtons, Undiscovered Treasures, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, and Anapurna Designs; you have no idea how extraordinary it is that I spent a fair chunk of money at each of your booths. (Readers, please do check out their web sites; they really have amazing merchandise!)

As always, Lord Montague Fromage (Steampunkfunk) was a fantastic source of support and laughter and storage space throughout the con. He was definitely a hit at Balticon, with a thick crowd hiding his booth every time I wandered by. Let’s hear it for the treasures of airship piracy and the hard work Lord M. puts into his Vendor Performance! Visiting his booth is always an Experience you’re likely to remember for quite some time.

In short or long, I highly recommend BaltiCon as a well-organized, friendly, and fascinating convention. If you haven’t ever gone, I suggest you schedule it for next year!

And that brings me hard up against my self-imposed word count … but look for more specific blog posts on topics sparked by the convention to come up soon….