I will be at Anomaly Con March 27 – 29th

The convention will be held at:

Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center
7800 East Tufts Avenue
Denver, CO 80237

I’ll have a table out with books of course, and I have a great looking panel schedule, so drop in and ask questions!

AMAZING STORIES put up a great review for Charisma +1 this morning.

Selected Quotes:

“…this book will be a handy reminder of what you already know plus a few things you hadn’t thought about, all presented with a humorous coating that makes it easier to digest.”

“Charisma +1 manages to succeed where much of the ongoing discussion does not, primarily because the author uses humor rather than browbeat the reader with a harshly presented list of dos and don’ts.”

“Another thing Ms. Brawner does well is to not single out one subset of people – everyone can use good manners.”

“At 96 pages, Charisma +1 is not a comprehensive guide covering all situations, nor does it claim to be, but what it does do is put readers at ease, helping them feel comfortable in their own actions and in how to react in unpleasant situations. Jessica Brawner’s Charisma +1: The Guide to Convention Etiquette for Gamers, Geeks, and the Socially Awkward is available from WordFire Press.”

Read the full review here

Hotel Eleganté Conference & Event Center
2886 South Circle Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Phone: 719-576-5900

I will be at Cosine this weekend down in Colorado Springs! I’ll have a table in the dealer’s room with all of my nifty books, as well as subscriptions to Story of the Month Club. I’ll also be on some cool panels. Check out the list below, then stop by and say hello!

Friday

5:00 – 6:00 pm Media Reboots: Breathing New Life into Old Shows

With TV and movie writers rarely able to think up new ideas, the reboot of an old popular TV show or movie has become increasingly popular. Which ones have worked or failed? What would you do if given the chance to reboot an old show? Which series or movie is ripe for rebooting?

Panelists: David Boop, Jessica Brawner, Nikki Hohl, Thea Hutcheson, Cary Quinn (M)

Saturday

2:00 – 3:00 pm British Science Fiction: Books and Media

Doctor Who and its spinoff Torchwood have been very popular in the US for many years. What British SF is worth reading or watching? Does it differ from American science fiction at all?

Panelists: Jessica Brawner (M), Nikki Hohl, Dina Leacock, Paul Lell, Cary Quinn

Sunday

11:00 – 12:00 pm NaNoWriMo

National novel writing month happens in November every year, and is a challenge to write a novel of 50,000 words in a month. It has its own website and participants from around the world. What is it like to participate in? Do books written for NaNoWriMo get published? Does it help with motivation? How much support is offered once you have finished writing?

Panelists: Jessica Brawner, Thea Hutcheson, Kevin Ikenberry, Nathan Lowell, Sheila McClune (M), Shelly Wright

Earlier in the month I did several interviews for Charisma +1 The Guide to Convention Etiquette for Gamers, Geeks and the Socially Awkward without knowing quite when they would be posted. The answer is – today- all of them. (Which is great!)

The first was a podcast over at G*M*S Magazine in the RPG Interview Room I had a great time visiting with Paco. He says, “I was indeed very curious about it and very curious to find out what was inside the book, as I was curious to find out how it’s been written to avoid being patronizing or confrontational, so an interview was on order. And find out I did and I now can’t wait to buy that book and have a proper read!”

Technically the podcast went live a few days ago, but I just only found it today. You can listen to the interview here:

I also had a great visit with Sonia over at www.pinkraygun.com. She says, “I loved it. It’s a quick and easy read, and I did find myself laughing outloud in moments, and learning new terms (I did appreciate the glossary). I also appreciated when she discussed harassment it wasn’t exclusionary to man scolding, as women are just as apt to blur (The “Soft No” section) and cross appropriate lines.” See the full interview here.

Lastly, though certainly not least – and you will be hearing more about this over the course of the next month or so – Charisma +1: The Guide to Convention Etiquette for Writers, Geeks and the Socially Awkward has been included in a great writer’s bundle over at www.storybundle.com/nano This is a special bundle running for October to help new writers prepare for the madness that is NaNoWriMo. (National Novel Writing Month) $15 will get you 12 eBooks on writing and the business of Writing. You can’t get a better deal that that!

So, in Charisma +1 I tell a story about ‘hygiene fairies’ I encountered at Dragon Con many years ago. I couldn’t remember what year I saw them – the years run together a bit for me.

Well… apparently they were the ‘Freshness Fairies’ and they found me! One of them (April)  bought a copy of my book this weekend and contacted me after reading it.

She said that they were at the con circa 2007, and that while they were afraid they would get negative feedback and bad reactions, they didn’t. They never sprayed anyone without their consent, just offered the options. Apparently it was suggested that they visit the gaming rooms, though I don’t know if they did!

Here’s a few photos of them in action. (posted with April’s consent of course!)

I had a great time at Dragon Con this year, it was great to see everyone, and thanks to everyone that stopped by the table and bought a copy of Charisma +1! I sold out at my table, and the WordFire table only had a few copies left at the end of the con. Good job everyone!

The self defense panel had nearly 80 attendees on Friday – twice what we had last year. Thanks to Keith R.A. DeCandido for inviting me to participate and help out again, it was great fun and I hope to do it again next year!

For those of you that don’t know, I’ve been a booth babe for The Brobdingnagian Bards for 15 years (give or take) which is how I got into conventions in the first place. They are both great guys, and you should check out their music.  I was interviewed by Marc Gunn of the bards, The Celtic Music Podcast, (and about a million others) you can find him over at www.marcgunn.com
He’s a fantastic guy. You can hear my interview here

We will be at Dragon Con!

More specifically -I- will be at Dragon Con at the Brobdingnagian Bards table. We will be in the band area over at the Marriott. Should you decide to come by and visit (please do!) you will find a plethora of CD’s from Marc Gunn, The Brobdingnagian Bards, and Andrew McKee. You will also be able to pick up a copy of my new book: Charisma +1: The Guide to Convention Etiquette for Gamers, Geeks and the Socially Awkward, and a copy of Steampunk Trails 2 with my story Bad Altitude, (the precursor to Sapphire Eyes are Smiling) and of course, you can also sign up for Story of the Month Club.

Hint: We give discounts for multiple purchases at the Bards table.

Here’s where you can find me over the course of the weekend.

Friday:

2:30 – 3:30 Self Defense Panel (Vinings Hyatt) with Keith R.A. DeCandido

6:30 – 9:30 pm Brobdingnagian Bard Table

11:00 pm Brobdingnagian Bard Show – Hyatt International North

Saturday:

2:00 – 4:30 pm Brobdingnagian Bard Table

Sunday:

4:00 – 9:00 pm Brobdingnagian Bard Table

Monday:

10:00 – 2:00 pm Brobdingnagian Bard Table

My new book is out! You can get a copy over on Amazon.

Here’s the back cover blurb.

In D&D there are certain attributes you start with, just as in life there are certain things you’re born with: Strength, Will, Charisma, Wisdom, Intelligence and Constitution. Whether you’re a veteran convention attendee, a con-virgin, a volunteer, vendor or a guest, everyone can use a bump in their life stats. Do you know what the 6-2-1 rule is? What do Barbarians and cell phones have to do with hygiene? Do you know when it’s okay to take a photograph? How do you flirt with that cute girl or guy across the room? Who are Booth Babes really? In Charisma +1 you will find: • Suggestions on how to network, flirt, and interact with attendees • Tips for dealing with crowds, people in costume, and that weirdo that keeps following you around • Rules for keeping yourself sane, happy and safe • Advice on shopping, attending panels, dealing with volunteers, vendors, staff and other attendees.

I had a great time writing this book, using anecdotes from my many years of con attendance. It also gave me a great opportunity to connect with the convention community at large and delve into the great brain trust that the convention community is made of to make sure that I covered the most pertinent issues that a convention attendee might face. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, make sure to leave a review over on Amazon!