Dragon*Con Installment 1: My Time at Dragon*Con

Or, Where I’ve Been All Weekend…

From Friday until Monday, I attended Dragon*Con as a guest author and sold my novel, A Prophecy Forgotten: Book I of the Elysian Chronicles, down in the Hilton’s basement. Dragon*Con is the biggest Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Gaming/Anime/LARP festival in America, and I must say it was amazing.

First, I drove to my author friend, Tracy Akers’s house in Dade City, FL on Thursday night. That took some doing because Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles was due to ArcheBooks the next day. I finished the manuscript at 7:00pm on Thursday, sent it to my agent, and then skedaddled out the door. I arrived at Tracy’s at 11:00 PM. (At this point, I had had only 8 hours of sleep in 3 days.)

We woke up at 4:00 to drive to Atlanta, GA. (Total sleep: 3 hrs after my shower). Then we set up our tables in the dealer room, and ran around trying to get settled. Sandy Lender, the other author who shared a table with us arrived around 4:00. For four days straight, we sold books. Then Sandy flew home on Monday (smart woman), and Tracy and I drove home on Tuesday. Nine hour drive for me. Ouch!

For the next week—or two, depending—I’m going to post about my experiences at Dragon*Con, so keep checking the blog!

Tags: DragonCon, Dragon*Con, A Prophecy Forgotten, The Elysian Chronicles, Tracy Akers, Sandy Lender

BabelCon Installment 1: Top Ten Things I Learned At BabelCon

I just got back from BabelCon in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I spent most of my time in the dealer room, hocking my book. I had a really great time—especially when I gave a talk on “Making Make-Believe Believable.” It was the first time that I’ve asked an audience how many of them have seen Star Wars and Galaxy Quest—and all of them raised their hands. These are my people! (I’m a closet Star Wars junkie. I don’t read the books, but if it’s about the original three star wars, I can tell you a lot.) A few things stood out in my memory, and I figured I share them with you over the next few weeks. (They would be too much for one blog entry, and I have to spend most of my time on Out of the Shadows, which is due at the end of the month. For now, here are my top ten things that I learned at BabelCon.

10. Kaplah (sp?) is Klingon for “success”—not “hi.” (Robert O’Reilly, i.e. Chancellor Gowron from Star Trek, told me.) (I’ll have a future blog on my new Klingon friends later.) By the way, if any of you who know the Klingon language are reading this, please let me know if I spelled Kaplah right. I have this horrid feeling that I butchered it.
9. Lee Meriwether (Cat Woman & 1955 Miss America) is amazingly gracious and kind—not to mention stunningly gorgeous. (Look at me go on the adverbs! I should mark up the whole sentence with red ink.)
8. Stunt women are sexier than actresses because they look healthy instead of like starved Ethiopians. (Of course, the stunt woman (Leslie Aletter) was Lee Meriwether’s daughter, so she has really good genes.
7. Chain Mail (which is actually called just “mail”—oh dear—was actually stronger than many scientists originally assumed, and it could repel most arrows. (A sword specialist guy told me about it, and he let me hold a few of his swords. That was cool. They weren’t as heavy as I thought they would be.)
6. Real leather looks better on a costume than vinyl.
5. Do not visit the USS Alabama during August. If you must (because it’s on the way home from BabelCon), use sunscreen and bring a lot of water. (A blog about the USS Alabama will follow later.)
4. No one ever dresses up like Yoda or R2D2 at these things.
3. Doing sword fight demonstrations outside in Baton Rouge in a full, Elrond-style costume can make you really hot. (Or so I’ve been told by my new friends in NERO.)
2. Storm trooper costumes actually have fans inside of them to keep the wearers from keeling over in the Louisiana heat.
1. I’m still afraid of Darth Vader and Storm Troopers—even though I know they’re just regular people in costume. (More to come on this, too.)

I’ll be writing more about BabelCon as the weeks go by. Right now, I must work on Out of the Shadows.

(This picture above was taken by my new friends, David and his son Jonathan. I'm holding Marvin from The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Please visit David's website at http://www.marvinsjourney.com/. (You'll see a whole bunch of pictures of Marvin with the other guests as well.))

Tags: Gowron, Robert O'Reilly, klingon, BabelCon, Lee Meriwether, Leslie Aletter, USS Alabama, Yoda, R2D2, Storm Trooper, Darth Vader, Star Wars, Galaxy Quest, Out of the Shadows

This Week’s Author Events

Tuesday, 07/10/07
What: Writing Workshop on The Art of Storytelling with a Book Signing to follow.
Where: Barnes & Noble, Waterside Shops
When: Workshop: 2-4pm; Book Signing 4-6pm

Join me at Barnes & Noble as I lead a workshop on The Art of Storytelling. We’ve discussed Plot, Character Development, and Description. Now we’ll be discussing the execution of the story. (Please do not bring a guillotine—or a shredder. That’s not what I mean by execution.) Later, I’ll be signing copies of my fantasy novel, A Prophecy Forgotten: Book I of the Elysian Chronicles.


Saturday, 07/14/07
What: Writing Workshop on Making Make-Believe Believable with a Book Signing to follow
Where: Borders, Gulf Coast Town Center
When: Workshop 1-2pm, Book Signing 2-4pm

Join me at Borders as I lead a workshop on Making Make-Believe Believable. I’ll be discussing the art of writing fantasy, science fiction, horror, and paranormal without going overboard. Later, I’ll be signing copies of my fantasy novel, A Prophecy Forgotten: Book I of the Elysian Chronicles.

Tags: M. B. Weston, A Prophecy Forgotten, The Elysian Chronicles

My First Book Signing at Barnes & Noble!

Well, on Wednesday, I got a call from Jessica at Barnes & Noble telling me that they had a slight problem with my book signing. They were down to 12 books total in the store out of the 50 that they had originally purchased, and they didn’t have time to order more. I guess that’s a good problem to have, running out of books because people want to buy them…. Fortunately, I had 100 books at home, so I lent them 50 more that Wednesday night.

Friday, May 4th, was my first book signing at Barnes & Noble—a whirlwind of a day. First, I went to Praise FM, where I was on the radio with Arnie. Then, I tried to race to PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans where the first part of my book signing was supposed to be, but I got stuck in traffic, and had to make a highly illegal u-turn in the median. I reached PJ’s, but with no time to copy my first chapter brochures for Out of the Shadows, so I sent my mom to Kinkos with my credit card, while I sat in PJ’s and signed books.

I was so excited by the turnout at PJ’s. My friend, Lundy Hedges brought a bunch of kids from her son’s school with books for me to sign, and it was great getting to meet them. A bunch of kids from my youth group and writing group also showed up, as well as some teachers from Barron Collier High School, and some friends of my parents. It was great, and the best part was that I got to introduce everyone to the phenomenal coffee at PJ’s!

Then it was off to Barnes & Noble, where I signed books for three hours. I’m not sure how many books I sold. I know that the store had negative 4 to start with because they never recorded my 50 as being received, so I figure that they had about 46. At the end of the night, we were down to 2 from what we could find, so I might have sold 44 books, which is pretty good for a book signing! A bunch of my friends from the Florida Writers Association, including Sandy Lender (http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/) and Tina Murray (http://www.achancetosayyes.blogspot.com/) came as well as my friend, Tracy (www.myspace.com/tmmercury, from Lakeland.

The most exciting part is this: my publisher was there, and he loved the energy, the crowd, the kids, and the sweet T-shirts (that are soon going to go on sale on my website). It inspired him to….

You’re going to have to wait for my next blog to find out my exciting news!!!!!

For more pictures, visit my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com/May_4th_BookSigning.htm.

Above all, I want to thank everyone who came out to support me. This first book signing was a big deal. I needed a good sell through rate with my books at Barnes & Noble, and I got it—they were almost left with negative 48 books by the time I left! To put it bluntly, they received the first 50 books on Friday, April 14th. Three weeks later, they sold almost 100 books! You guys, all of you, rock! You absolutely rock!

For more information on my debut novel, A Prophecy Forgotten, check out my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com.

Open Mike Night at Barnes & Noble

My friend, actress Jillian Windham, and I are the new MCs at Barnes & Noble, Waterside’s Open Mike Night. Our first night was on Wednesday, May 2, and I must say, I was incredibly impressed with some of the young talent we have in Naples. I heard some amazing guitarists and singers! Special thanks to Jessica and Felicia at Barnes & Noble and to the band Ocelot, who made us feel welcome!

For more information on my debut novel, A Prophecy Forgotten, check out my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com.

No Time to Blog!

Wow! Time has really flown by. (Cliché, I know, but my brain is dead, and my husband is currently watching Conan the Barbarian on TV, so I can’t escape cheesy clichés!)

Basically, let me sum up what’s been going on since I last blogged:

1. I spoke at Corkscrew Elementary School on Wednesday the 18th to about 200 4th and 5th graders. They were awesome and had so many questions for me! I also left a box of 20books with the librarian, who sold them all out at the school’s book fair this week, and then some. If any of you from Corkscrew are reading this, thank you so much for your support!
2. I got to speak to the Golden Gate High School FCA on Thursday the 19th. GGHS has a really big FCA, and good pizza!
3. On April 20th and 21st, I had a charity book signing at NCA, and I also spoke at the middle school chapel.
4. On April 23rd, I taught a class on character development to the HEED Homeschooling Co-op Advanced English class. We had a great time, and the girls were incredibly smart!
5. I had two book signings at Curves as the member of the month on April 24th & 25th.
6. On Wednesday, April 25th, I spoke to First Baptist Church’s youth group. The kids were well-behaved, and I sold a lot of books—basically I almost ran out of my supply. Also, someone told me that I replaced Brian Jacques as his favorite author. Now that's a compliment! Thank's Wyatt!
7. On Friday, April 27th, I traveled to Broward County where I spoke at Somerset Academy. What a great facility and wonderful kids. Special thanks to Ms. Ellis’s class, who fed me breakfast and made me feel welcome, Desiree, who was so excited about A Prophecy Forgotten that she had her mother e-mail me to make sure I brought her a book, and to Michael, A Prophecy Forgotten’s best salesman! Also, thanks to Ms. Ellis, who made the whole event possible!

Anyway, I’m exhausted, and next week’s schedule looks pretty full, too. I’m going to be speaking to East Naples Middle School, judging a speech contest, being an MC with my friend, actress Jillian Windham, for open mike night at Barnes & Noble, being interviewed on the radio with Arnie Coones, speaking at the Naples Writer’s Club, and having my first book store book signing on Friday. Quite honestly, I'm the most scared about the Open Mike Night. I’m hoping I’ll have time to blog more than I did this week.

Oh, but I’ve got a problem. I’m out of books, and I don’t know if the books I ordered are going to be here in time for the book signing…. I’m hoping they get here in time.

(And thank goodness my husband switched to The Fellowship of the Ring instead of Conan the Barbarian. Oh, the cave troll just pinned Frodo to the wall. I wonder what might happen next...?)

For more information on my debut novel, A Prophecy Forgotten, check out my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com.

My First Charity Book Signing!

For Naples Christian Academy

I’m doing my first charity book signing for Naples Christian Academy on April 20-21. Here’s the plan: On Friday, April 20th, I’m going to be at NCA all day selling A Prophecy Forgotten for $25. The regular price is $27.99, but I don’t want to deal with the change. On Saturday, April 21st, I’ll be at the Naples Christian Academy Pancake Breakfast at Beef O’Brady’s from 7:30 to 9:30 selling and signing A Prophecy Forgotten for $25. All profits, which equal just a bit under $10 per book, will be donated to NCA.

For more information on my debut novel, A Prophecy Forgotten, check out my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com.

I’ve Been Selected as a Panelist at BabelCon!!!

Or, How I Decided to Do a Book Tour in the South!

Great news! I’ve been selected as a panelist at BabelCon, and up-and-coming sci-fi/fantasy expo in Baton Rouge. It just happens to occur a week after the Children of Destiny Conference, which means I’ll probably be able to do a little book tour of the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, and Louisiana. (No, I did not realize how close it was to the Children of Destiny Conference when I booked it.)

For more information on my debut novel, A Prophecy Forgotten, check out my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com.

I've Booked My First Kids Conference as a Motivational Speaker

Or, How You Never Know What Can Happen At a Writers Conference...

I was not able to share this in my Emerald Coast Writer's Conference blog because it was not "set in stone" as the cliche goes, but I can share it now. I have just booked my first weeklong conference as a motivational speaker. From July 23 to 27, I will be speaking at the Children of Destiny Conference put on by Grace Tabernacle Church at Ft. Walton Beach to kids from 1st grade on up to 8th. There, for 45 minutes a day, I shall tell the kids a story from another series I've created (name to follow once I figure it out) and draw spiritual parallels from it. I'm so excited because this is what I believe I've been called to do. (More on that below.)

The amazing part about this is how it happened. First, understand that I was leery of going to the Emerald Coast conference because of the distance from Naples (9 hrs). Still, something told me I should go, so I went. On Friday, I presented a workshop entitled, "The Three Rules of Great Writing." I also passed out my book in e-book form on CD, my trustee first chapter brochure, and a bookmark. Unbeknownst to me, the Associate Pastor for Grace Tabernacle Church, a non-denominational church just like mine, was sitting in the audience. He read my first chapter brochure, including the short bio about how I love to work and speak to kids in my youth group, and handed me his card immediately after the workshop, saying that he wanted me to speak at his conference. We discussed the message he wanted me to give, and--low and behold!--I had already developed a six series lesson plan that tells the story of a boy named Darin who enters the service of Prince Stephen who is trying to take his kingdom back from the clutches of the evil Duke of Archenbrand. (I've already got the 30 second pitch for it, and the book isn't even written.) He loved the series (I sent him an outline over e-mail two hours after I discussed it with him.) and just okayed it with his pastor today.

Now for the freaky part. I don't know what any of you believe about God. For me, God is so real, and I've seen Him work in my life in so many ways. Last summer, I attended a youth conference as a chaperone, and as I was listening to the speaker something told me to listen well because I would be doing conferences one day. It didn't make any sense then--I was a small time youth worker waiting to be published, but I decided to follow the idea. I changed my style of speaking from analytical to parable telling, and created the Darin Series for my youth group. Now, less than a year later, I've just booked a youth conference where I'll be using that very series--due to a writers conference that I wasn't sure I wanted to go to but attended because something told me I needed to be there. Some people might call it a coincidence, but I don't think so.

For more information on my debut novel, A Prophecy Forgotten, check out my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com.

My Adventures at the Naples Press Club Writers Conference

I had a grand weekend at the Naples Press Club Writers Conference as a volunteer. So many things happened there that I'm going to have to sum it up with obnoxious bullets.

• I got to know the members of the Naples Press Club. What a generous bunch of people. They made me feel included even though I didn't know anyone well. They even invited me to have dinner with them on Saturday night. I had to wait until my sister's birthday party was over, but I stopped by for fifteen minutes and brought the hubby. I'm going to join the Naples Press Club as an Associate Member as soon as I can steal $50 from my food budget. (With Weston Commercial Cleaning, Inc. still a startup business, $50 is a lot.) For more information on the Naples Press Club, visit www.naplespressclub.org.
• I got to reaquaint myself with Dr. Molly Barrow, Ph.D. Molly is a fellow ArcheBooks author. She's a psycologist, and her first book, Matchlines, is about relationships and finding a good match. I've read the book, and she's right on. If you're in a serious relationship or thinking about getting married, I encourage you to read Matchlines. Now you wouldn't believe it, but almost 7 years ago, I was the manager of a small coffee shop called Java Java, and Molly and her husband used to come in all the time. I can't believe that both of us are now fellow ArcheBooks authors. Find out more about Dr. Molly at www.askdrmolly.com.
• I got to know Robert Dean Bair. Bob is an ArcheBooks author whose book, The Cloisters of Canterbury, was published by ArcheBooks in September. Bob was part of a secret special forces Army unit back in World War II. My husband immediately liked him and wanted to know more about his experiences, so I bought him Bob's book.
• I got to hang out with my friend, Sandy Lender (see the Today the Dragon Wins link), and ArcheBooks authors: Linda Bilodeau
  (www.lindabilodeau.com), Prudy Taylor Board (www.prudytaylorboard.com), and Penny Lauer. We formed an author speaking group called the ArcheBook Divas. (Actually, they formed it. I just chimed in every now and then because I kept getting called away, but they included me anyway because they are a great bunch of women.)
• I got to hang out with Linnea Sinclair, a RITA award winner (think Oscars for the Romance genre) and writer of a bunch of science fiction/romance books. She gave me a lot of practical advice, and even offered to help me become a better writer. I love Linnea's personality. She's honest and intense--my kind of woman. (I love to hang out with intense women. It's one of my requirements.) She's also the secretary of the South Florida Romance Writers of America--more on them later. What I love about Linnea is her desire to help other authors. I watched her give writing advice and even offer to refer other authors to her agent all days. What a generous woman. For more about Linnea Sinclair and her books, visit www.linneasinclair.com.
• I got to watch my publisher, Robert Gelinas, solve a rubics cube in less than three minutes. I'm telling you, the guy is a genious. I'm going to have to catch him at a dull moment and get him to teach me how to do it. (He kind of gave me a start at a strategy, so I might be buying a rubics cube in the near future....)
• I made some valuable contacts, and new things might be on the horizon.... I'll keep you all informed.

If you're a writer, and you want to get published, I really encourage you to go to writers conferences. I probably made three contacts this weekend that might pay big dividends in the future, and that's just at this conference. Last conference, I had (endured might be a better term) a fifteen minute pitch session with a man named Robert Gelinas (which turned into an hour long conversation), and six weeks later, he offered me a contract for a book called A Prophecy Forgotten. Who knows where a writers conference might get you.

For more information on my debut novel, A Prophecy Forgotten, check out my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com.

I've Been Selected as a Panelist at Necronomicon

I just found out that I've been selected to be a panelist at Necronomicon (http://stonehill.org/necro.htm), Tampa's science fiction, fantasy, and horror fest. I've never been to Necronomicon, but my friend, Tracy Akers, has, and I'm sure she'll show me the ropes when I get there. Tracy is the author of The Fire and the Light, and she will be a panelist there as well. You can find out more about Tracy at www.soulsofaredyrah.com. Stay tuned--I might even dress up like a character from A Prophecy Forgotten. (Then again, I might not. We'll see how much huevos I can muster.)

For more information on my debut novel, A Prophecy Forgotten, check out my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com.

Speaking at First Baptist Academy

On January 26th, I got to speak to over 150 kids at First Baptist Academy in Naples. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures. I had a great time, and the kids were full of energy and engaging. If you are just reading this and from First Baptist Academy, you guys were awesome, and I hope that I can come back and talk to you again!

For more information on my debut novel, A Prophecy Forgotten, check out my website at http://www.elysianchronicles.com.