What a whirlwind of a month I’ve had so far! I kicked June off with finally getting to complete my cross-country move then immediately began preparations for my first convention ever–AwesomeCon! Not only was AwesomeCon the first time I’ve sold Devotion in person, it was my first time even attending a convention. It was an absolutely amazing experience, one which I do hope to repeat in the future.

Urban fantasy author R.R. Virdi and I shared a table alongside a few other indie authors (visit the Awe-Thors website to find out more) and by the end of the con were being sought out by con-goers for our broad selection of books. We had a little bit of everything, spanning through space opera, paranormal, epic fantasy, and steam punk, and we met bunches of amazing readers and several aspiring authors. I do think the most rewarding part of the event was getting to meet new readers face to face and get to hear about the books they love to read. At least speaking for myself, I know I left the con with more titles on my To Be Read list.

I’ve had a few people ask me what the highlight of the convention was, and I honestly can’t choose just one thing. I met so many enthusiastic, lovely people and am honored that they’ve decided to venture into the world of Abaeloth. I learned a lot about where my comfort zone is as far as marketing and promotion goes, and picked up a few pointers on what not to do in the process. Ultimately, I surpassed my expectations for how many new readers I picked up and am blown away by the support of the con-going community.

I want to thank everyone who made this past weekend the success it was–from my fellow authors, to the veteran vendors around us, and especially to the readers who stopped by to take a look at the books we had to offer. It’s people like you who make the publishing side of an indie author’s life worth persevering through. Next time I want to cry over formatting snags or groan over not being able to find that perfect word, I’m going to reflect back on this weekend and all of the moments I shared with other fantasy enthusiasts and know that it’s all worth it. Thank you for being amazing readers. Thank you for being amazing people.