WorldCon/Sasquan: Once again, with feeling…
Tomorrow I journey northward to the land of Spokane wherein I will make merry through the weekend. I AM EXCITED. I had the time of my life at WorldCon in San Antonio two years ago, and now I have approximately a gazillion more writer friends AND I have two books out. Also, Spokane just plain looks like a nifty place and it has an incredible food scene downtown. I will also prowl the room parties at night, because I am the adventurous type of eater who is willing to try the Helsinki WorldCon Bid’s reindeer pate. I mean, heck. In San Antonio I drank a poutine martini. I live dangerously at WorldCon.
And yes, I am bringing cookies. Lemon Cornmeal Shortbread, to be exact. If you see me around the con, feel free to stop me and inquire about the cookie stash. I’ll be happy to share, but I imagine I will run out before the con ends. The one guaranteed place to find cookies is my Friday 3pm reading that I’m sharing with Tina Connolly. I’ll be reading excerpts from Clockwork Crown and my next novel Breath of Earth.
Here’s my official con schedule:
Thursday the 20th
Steampunk, Colonialism & Imperialism
11:00 AM to 11:45 AM (45 minutes)
Charles Stross Moderator , Arthur Chu , Leigh Ann Hildebrand , Warren Frey , Beth Cato
CC – Bays 111B
Autographing – Beth Cato
02:00 PM to 02:45 PM (45 minutes)
CC – Hall B
Friday the 21st
The Future of Food
12:00 PM to 12:45 PM (45 minutes)
Beth Cato , Fran Wilde , Lawrence M. Schoen , Scott Edelman , Amy Thomson Moderator
CC – Conference Theater 110
Reading – Beth Cato & Tina Connolly
Aug 21 03:00 PM to 03:30 PM (30 minutes)
CC – 304
My WorldCon/Sasquan Schedule
I’ll be in Spokane for WorldCon/Sasquan August 19th through 23rd! I had a blast at WorldCon in San Antonio two years ago, and I am super excited to attend this year! This time around, I have panels and other events, too.
Here’s where you can find me for sure:
Thursday the 20th
Steampunk, Colonialism & Imperialism
11:00 AM to 11:45 AM (45 minutes)
Charles Stross Moderator , Arthur Chu , Leigh Ann Hildebrand , Warren Frey , Beth Cato
CC – Bays 111B
Autographing – Beth Cato
02:00 PM to 02:45 PM (45 minutes)
CC – Hall B
Friday the 21st
The Future of Food
12:00 PM to 12:45 PM (45 minutes)
Beth Cato , Fran Wilde , Lawrence M. Schoen , Scott Edelman , Amy Thomson Moderator
CC – Conference Theater 110
Reading – Beth Cato & Tina Connolly
Aug 21 03:00 PM to 03:30 PM (30 minutes)
CC – 304
I survived San Diego Comic-Con
I was at San Diego Comic-Con all of one day and I am still recovering three days later. It’s that intense. That crazy.
I arrived at the convention center about 2pm on Thursday. I had a signing at the Harper Collins booth at 4pm, and I knew the intervening hours would be my best chance to wander the convention floor. So I did just that. I quickly found that the blockbuster media area was way too loud and crowded for my taste. I had to make a brief stop at the Square Enix booth, though. I was happy to see that Dragon Quest Heroes had a major presence and playable games, though I was indignant that the attached Square Enix store sold no Dragon Quest slimes. This didn’t surprise me. Sadly, it’s a snub that has dragged on for years. Slimes need love, dangit.
My signing at the booth was exciting. They pulled out a whole box of Clockwork Dagger books and handed them out to people. Of course, a lot of folks were there because, “Hey, free book!” but a few people had the book on their wishlist already and had made a point of showing up. THIS GAVE ME ALL THE HAPPY FEELINGS. Plus, Harper Collins shocked me by presenting Clockwork Crown fans! Holy moley, I had con swag!
That evening I went with friends into the Gaslamp District as we prowled for sustenance. I witnessed one of the crazy promotional events that Comic-Con is known for: a Sharknado parade.
Friday was my really cram-packed day. I dashed from a Harper Collins breakfast to my Romantic Adventure panel to the group signing afterward. The panel was great–good food for thought on world-building and romance and the nature of villains.
I sure loved the weather in San Diego. The convention center is right on the water, and the views are amazing! It was overcast at times, but the afternoons stayed sunny with the high in the 70s. Considering that the LOW is Arizona right now is the mid-80s… yeah. I enjoyed the coastal coolness.
Once the signing was done, I lingered a while longer to do an interview, and then it was time to head back to the airport! I had bought a Handbag of Holding from Think Geek for this trip because I knew I’d be at the con most of the time. It was really hard to pare down to the essentials, but the minimal space also made me picky about what I bought. Right before I left, I was offered two ARCs I couldn’t say no to, and at that point my purse was at about exploding point.
The whole experience was a blast. I’m sad that I left after just a day, but kind of relieved, too. It would have been nice to attend some panels other than my own. It would have been nifty to have some celebrity sightings, too.
There’s always next time, right?
Read MoreSan Diego Bound
One week from today, I will be doing something gloriously geeky: attending San Diego Comic Con! Not just attending, though. I have two signings and a panel! I’m Someone with a badge!
I have never been to San Diego Comic Con before. Actually, I’m a native Californian who has never been to San Diego at all! This is a really fast trip, too, but I hope to have a couple of hours in there to wander the infamous Comic Con floor where I will hopefully not be stampeded by fangirls/boys in pursuit of a celebrity.
Here’s where you can find me!
Thursday, July 9th
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
IN BOOTH HarperCollins Publishers #1029: Beth Cato Free Signing + Clockwork Crown promo giveaway
That’s right. I’ll sign stuff AND you might just get a free book. Which I can then sign.
Friday July 10, 2015
10:00am – 11:00am
Romantic Adventure
SFF fans are always down for an adventure, from a daring airship expedition to space-age exploration, but what’s the fun in an adventure if there’s no one to share it with? Some of the most compelling stories in genre fiction spring out of the relationships between two equally awesome characters when they’re thrown together in an out-of-this-world situation. Come discuss the lure of romantic adventure with Chloe Neil (The Devil’s Isle series), Sam Sykes (The City Stained Red), Beth Cato (The Clockwork Crown), Suzanne Young (The Remedy), Gena Showalter (Alice in Zombieland), and Mary E. Pearson (The Heart of Betrayal). Moderated by S. J. Harper (Reckoning).
Room 32AB
Link to the Comic Con scheduler
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Panel Signing: Romantic Adventure
Room AA09
I’ll sign stuff! Books! Anthologies! Napkins! Scones!
If you’re at Comic Con, please drop by to say hi!
Read MoreSigning at Changing Hands
TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT. At 7pm if I survive the drive into Phoenix, you will find me at the Changing Hands on Camelback Road. You can buy copies of my books, listen to me read a little bit from Crown, and indulge in delicious goodies.
So what is on the menu?
I’m so glad you telepathically asked that question! If all goes well in the kitchen, I plan to serve:
– gluten free caramel brownies
– churro Chex mix
– maple pecan tartlets
The Phoenix Changing Hands is also home to the First Draft Book Bar, so you can buy beer or wine, too!
If you’re in the area, I hope you’re able to come by. I’ll be happy to sign Kindle covers, lunar rocks, and books brought to or bought at Changing Hands.
Read MoreChurromancy and More
The promotional blitz is slowing down (thank goodness!) but I was still making rounds this week.
Just a reminder: next Monday is my book release event at Changing Hands in Phoenix! I’ll be serving up goodies (gluten-free included) and steampunk (maybe gluten-free too?). My parents will even be there, which makes it all extra cool.
Steampunk, Tacos, and Final Fantasy: An Interview with Beth Cato, at the Barnes & Noble SFF Blog
Why the Healer deserves to be a Hero: Podcast Interview with Sword and Laser. Also on BoingBoing.
Interview with Author and Steampunk Enthusiast Beth Cato at Between the Blurb.
Publicity and Parenting at Spencer Ellsworth’s Blog
