You know your weekend is going to be a great one when it starts out with the words “I brought you a haggis.” More on that later.
I’ve seen a handful of LibertyCon AARs go up within 24 hours of the con ending, and damn, guys, I’ll never know how they do it. It’s Wednesday and not only am I pretty sure I’m still in a coma, but I probably still need to catch up on about 24 hours of sleep.
But on to LibertyCon! This was my second year there, my first as an official pro, and hopefully one in a long string of attendance. Last year, I was celebrating the release of my debut novel. This year I spent most of the weekend promoting and celebrating the Milesian Accords with mentor Jon R. Osborne and co-author David Shadoin. They’re both incredible writers and I’m honored as hell to be working with them. Our latest stories can be found in the Paladins of Valor anthology, which released in April. Check out Valor’s Wirth and The Oaths That Bind here.
Between CKP Year Ahead and our very own Readings from the Milesian Accords panel, we had a great time interacting with fans, future fans, and some phenomenally supportive author peers. I was terrified for the reading, and I can’t thank everyone who came to listen enough. I hope you’re all delighted by our books as they start releasing.
In case you’re wondering, here’s the current lineup!
- The House of Owls – by Jon R. Osborne, book 6 of the Milesian Accords (coming late 2024!)
- Reka’s Grasp, Tugarin’s Revenge, and Chernobog’s Wrath – by H.Y. Gregor, books 1-3 of the new Vechnoye Saga (coming this winter!)
- The Legends of the Wind series from David Shadoin (coming soon!)
And it’s only the beginning.
As a quick weekend recap, I landed on Thursday afternoon and was immediately inundated with friends and like-minded nerds upon walking into the hotel lobby. I finally made it to my room about three hours later, then escaped to Tupelo Honey for some delicious chicken and catching up with friends I haven’t seen since DragonCon.
Friday dawned around the crack of noon, and I had the privilege of an author mentorship meeting with master of the craft Bill Fawcett. Then the whirlwind—attending friends’ panels, handing out rum balls at opening ceremonies, CKP Year Ahead, and our Milesian Reading. Barcon, room parties, and solving the world of publishing conversations followed. Saturday we attended the banquet to heckle (I mean support) the wonderful Mistress of Ceremonies Kacey Ezell, and then my day slowed down until I set up to sell books and chat with fans in Author Alley a few hours later.
More exciting news—on Saturday, CKP hosted a room party and launch celebration for an awesome new project, the Ashes of Entecea series by Kacey Ezell and Chris Kennedy. They’ve got an in-world anthology releasing next month. Remnants of Empire has a table of contents totally stacked with talent, and I’m stoked to announce that I’m among the lucky authors involved. More on Lampadnik and my plans for world domination later.
Sunday, as usual, was a crash day. I tagged along to follow friends’ panels, sat on a Q&A session about Superstars Writing Seminars (AMA), and went to an incredibly fancy dinner and dessert place. The usual con crash was accompanied by many hugs and laments about how there’s never enough time to talk to everyone.
Wonderful food and drink was had. New friends made. David Appleby brought me some delicious popcorn all the way from the UK just because I hooked him on white cheddar popcorn last year (and a little stuffed haggis, pictured above—isn’t he cute?). I hung out with awesome folks from CKP, Cannon Publishing, Three Ravens, and Baen Books. Couldn’t ask for better company. I was even invited to a few new anthologies!
All and all—a win. See you there next year?
Until next time, fellow adventurers.