Superhero Stuff

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    Rob-Con 2016 set for July 30-31 …

    Rob-Con 2016Note: This post will also appear today at Magical Musings.

    I’m doing something fun this upcoming weekend. I’ll be one of the many writers, artists, vendors, fans, and more attending Rob-Con 2016. The event will be held on July 30-31 at Viking Hall in Bristol, Tenn. from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days. Admission is $15 for one day or $20 for both days. Kids under 5 get in for free.

    I will be signing books on Saturday only, July 30, starting at 9 a.m. and going until 1 p.m.

    Rob-Con 2016 will feature writers and artists signing and selling their books and artwork, along with vendors who will have everything from comic books to toys to games. If it’s related to comic books, comic book movies/TV shows, or fantasy movies/TV shows, you can probably find it at Rob-Con 2016. Folks are encouraged to come in costume, and one of the highlights of the weekend is the costume contest, which will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 31.

    Now, I don’t have a superhero costume, but I do have several superhero T-shirts (Captain America, Black Widow, etc.). So that’s what I’ll be wearing. I always see lots of folks wearing really cool superhero T-shirts, which usually leads to me going online and ordering more superhero T-shirts for myself. LOL.

    Whether it’s a comic book convention like Rob-Con 2016 or a romance-writing convention like the RT Booklovers Convention, cons are always a lot of fun. It’s just really great to meet and hang out with people who are passionate about comics, books, writing, or whatever the con is about.

    Comic book and fantasy conventions are held in towns all across the U.S. (and world). If you’re unsure if there’s a con in your area, ask the folks at your local comic book store if they can point you in the right direction. Here’s hoping that you can make it to a con sometime soon.

    What about you guys? Do you plan to attend any conventions or book events this summer?

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    Rob-Con set for July 30-31 …

    Rob-Con 2016I’m doing something fun in a couple of weeks. I’ll be one of the many writers, artists, vendors, fans, and more attending Rob-Con 2016. The event will be held on July 30-31 at Viking Hall in Bristol, Tenn. from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days. Admission is $15 for one day or $20 for both days. Kids under 5 get in for free.

    I will be signing books on Saturday only, July 30, starting at 9 a.m. and going until 1 p.m.

    Rob-Con 2016 will feature writers and artists signing and selling their books and artwork, along with vendors who will have everything from comic books to toys to games. If it’s related to comic books, comic book movies/TV shows, or fantasy movies/TV shows, you can probably find it at Rob-Con 2016. Folks are encouraged to come in costume, and one of the highlights of the weekend is the costume contest, which will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 31.

    Now, I don’t have a superhero costume, but I do have several superhero T-shirts (Captain America, Black Widow, etc.). So that’s what I’ll be wearing. I always see lots of folks wearing really cool superhero T-shirts, which usually leads to me going online and ordering more superhero T-shirts for myself. LOL.

    Whether it’s a comic book convention like Rob-Con 2016 or a romance-writing convention like the RT Booklovers Convention, cons are always a lot of fun. It’s just really great to meet and hang out with people who are passionate about comics, books, writing, or whatever the con is about.

    Comic book and fantasy conventions are held in towns all across the U.S. (and world). If you’re unsure if there’s a con in your area, ask the folks at your local comic book store if they can point you in the right direction. Here’s hoping that you can make it to a con sometime soon.

    What about you guys? Do you plan to attend any conventions or book events this summer?

  • Free Comic Book Day is tomorrow, Saturday, May 7 …

    Mountain Empire Comics

    Just a reminder that Free Comic Book Day is tomorrow, Saturday, May 7. Comic book stores all across the country and world will be giving away free comics, hosting costume contests, and much, much more. It’s a great day to visit your local comic book store.

    As part of FCBD, I will be signing books starting at 10 a.m. and going until noon (or maybe even a little later, depending on the crowd) at Mountain Empire Comics in Bristol, Tenn. The store will be giving away free comics, and the street will be closed off for all kinds of vendors.

    Hope to see you there! 🙂

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    Free Comic Book Day — and keeping movies and books fresh …

    2 Comments

    Mountain Empire ComicsNote: This post will also appear today on Magical Musings.

    If you follow me on social media, you know that I love, love, love superheroes. So, naturally, Free Comic Book Day is one of my favorite days of the year. 🙂

    Free Comic Book Day is always held the first Saturday in May — May 7, this year. During that day, comic book stores across the country and world give away free comics, host costume contests, and much, much more. As part of Free Comic Book Day, I will be signing books starting at 10 a.m. and going until noon (or maybe even a little later, depending on the crowd) at Mountain Empire Comics in Bristol, Tenn. The store will be giving away free comics, and the street will be closed off for all kinds of vendors.

    So why is Free Comic Book Day one of my favorite days of the year? Because not only do I get to sign books, but I also get to hang out at the comic book store and talk about all things related to superheroes, along with fantasy books, movies, TV shows, and more. This year, I expect much of the talk to be about Marvel’s newest superhero movie, Captain America: Civil War, which opens on Friday, May 6.

    As an author and a reader, I’ve seen tons of blog posts and articles about how to keep a long-running book series fresh and interesting, not only for fans of the series but for the author writing it too. I think that Marvel does an excellent job of this when it comes to their superhero movies.

    Captain AmericaI’ve seen several articles and comments from Marvel filmmakers talking about how all of their movies are superhero movies, but how they all explore different ideas and genres, which helps keep them fresh and interesting for the audience, actors, and filmmakers. For example, Captain America: The First Avenger is a World War II movie. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a political thriller. Guardians of the Galaxy is a space adventure. Ant-Man is a heist movie. And so on and so forth.

    I find myself doing the same thing when it comes to my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Each book is an assassin story at heart, but the books also contain elements from other genres besides urban fantasy.

    One of the reasons that I started writing about my assassin heroine, Gin Blanco, was because I thought that there were so many different stories that you could tell with an assassin character. So far, 14 books have been published in my Elemental Assassin series, along with several e-novellas and short stories.

    Book #15The more books I write in the series, the more I think about incorporating elements from other genres. For example, I’ve always wanted to write a western, and part of Unraveled, book #15, Aug. 30, takes place in an Old West theme park. So the book is my take on a western, with Gin facing down some evil cowboys, among other bad guys.

    I’ve also always wanted to write a spy thriller and a heist book, among other stories, and I think that Gin would be the perfect character to help me explore those genres. Hopefully, readers will enjoy seeing my nods to other genres in my books.

    Who knows? Maybe my Elemental Assassin series will be like the Marvel movies and just keep going and going and going … 🙂

    What about you guys? What are some of your favorite book and superhero series and movies?

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    Making time to read comics …

    4 Comments

    Note: This post will also appear tomorrow at Magical Musings.

    I love to read. I always have, ever since my mom started taking me to the library when I was a kid.

    But sometimes, the very last thing I want to do is read.

    Why? Because most of my reading is done as work on my own books, instead of reading whatever I want to for fun. After spending hours writing, editing, revising, and proofreading my own books day in and day out, sometimes I just don’t want to read. Instead, I’ll veg out in front of the TV or listen to music or do anything else but read. And with my writing deadlines, I often just don’t have time to sit down and read a 350-page book, not even if I break it up over several nights.

    Black Widow Last DaysBut I’ve found something that works for me, a way to keep reading in the limited time that I have these days. The answer? By reading comics collections.

    I’ve always enjoyed superhero stories as books, movies, and TV shows, but in the past several years, I’ve gotten more and more into reading comics. One series that I’m enjoying right now is about the Marvel superhero Black Widow, including Black Widow Vol. 3: Last Days by Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto.

    Why do I like reading comics? For starters, they are a great mix of stories, dialogue, action, and art. Plus, there are many, many different takes on just about every superhero character out there, so you’re bound to find a story or interpretation that you like. And depending on the size of the comics collection, I can usually read it in one night, which works great with my busy schedule these days.

    Don’t get me wrong. I still enjoy reading full-length print books, and I squeeze those into my schedule as often as I can. But when I want a quick escape to another world, I often grab some comics from my TBR pile. If you’ve never read comics before, give them a shot. You might just get hooked on them like I have. 🙂

    What about you guys? Is your reading time limited? How do you make time to read? Do you read comics collections?