Returning From Phoenix Comicon

Terry and I have returned from Phoenix.

Well, not exactly. Terry stayed behind a few days to hang out with his sister, author and playwright Laurie Brooks. She lives in the area and is just as busy as Terry. And just as lovely a person. So when they can spend time together, they do.

As for me, I did the same. Sort of. I jumped on a US Airways jet for Bakersfield. I know, I know, who in their right mind would want to travel to Bakersfield? The heat. The sand. The lack of activities. In fact, I wanted all of those things. My own sibling lives in Bakersfield and, if there is one thing I’ve learned from Terry, you mix business with pleasure as much as you can. I hadn’t seen my brother in about seven months and it was time.

So now I sit in Bakersfield sun next to a Bakersfield pool with nothing to do in Bakersfield but write, write, write on The Dark Thorn‘s sequel, The Everwinter Wraith.

This is a blog post about Phoenix Comicon though. It was amazing. Terry could not believe how well the convention was run. I agree. Terry has been to a lot of conventions; I have been to my fair share as well. And Phoenix Comicon ranks near the top for enjoyability. Lee Whiteside, a consummate bibliophile, created a fantastic experience for the writers who attended. And there were a few of us. Brandon Sanderson, Kevin Hearne, Peter Orullian, Delilah Dawson, John Scalzi, Leanna Renee Hieber, Cherie Priest, Sam Sykes, James A. Owen, Greg Van Eekhout, and many more. We had a large presence at the convention, we were on numerous panels, and we signed whenever needed.

Terry had a great time. He met with hundreds of fans, signed books at every turn, and he sat on several panels talking about epic fantasy, world building, Unfettered, and was interviewed by author Michael Stackpole. Terry met another Terry Brooks which was pretty cool and he received many compliments about his website—which made me happy, of course. Terry and Brandon Sanderson got together for lunch one day and spent time talking about the book industry and Hollywood. It was fun being a fly on that wall, let me tell you!

Good people and good time spent. The best.

As for me, I sold out the Phoenix Comicon Exclusive edition of Unfettered, which featured five stories from next month’s complete book. I met hundreds of fantasy readers. They were all so very kind. I received my first “squee” of delight—from a Sith Lordess, no less! And I got teary with a couple of fans who have a mother going through cancer treatment. There were a lot of laughs too though. I met Wil Wheaton. I locked a long stare with Jewel Staite. And laughed with Michael Rooker before one of his signing sessions. Was fun.

But the readers made it great. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat, talk about books and Unfettered. It was an amazing experience, one that I will forever remember.

Terry and I will definitely be back. As I said, the convention was exceptionally well run and the perfect blend of interaction and publicity.

Next up? The San Diego Comic Con! And then the Witch Wraith tour!

Hope to see you on the road!