On the road again … So, the first thing I saw when I walked
into the Williamsburg Hilton Double Tree
hotel was this:
That’s all I needed to know. Count me in.
And yes, I knew that people such as the masked monks of who-knows-where were all part of the décor.
This charity event brought these cosplay folks out for the
costumes, action figures, jewelry, books, and memorabilia. They patrolled the
halls and restaurants, gave passersby little skits and photo ops, and had their
shtick ready to go on demand. The convention wouldn’t have been a success
without them. And, I’d be sitting at my table of books, often bored and lonely,
without the constant flow of the unusual to keep me entertained. Trust me, I
was entertained the entire three days!
As an author struggling to build an audience, I have taken
the road less traveled (sorry, Mr. Frost) and appear at various theme-conventions
such as Monstermania, Comic Con, Farpoint, and others to set up shop, talk, and
sell my books. These cosplay conventions stir the bizarre in all of us—well, in
all of them. There are spaceship
heroes and aliens, monsters from the deep and beyond, swashbuckling
space-pirates and real pirates (there you go, Jesse, your plug), and even
maidens scantily clad in, well, scant-stuff. At these events, I’m the
odd-man-out dressed in my traditional sport coat, loafers, and jeans. “Aghast!
What character are you?” they ask. “A Man In Black? The Blue Hornet? The Spy
From Beyond?” “No,” says I, “The Unknown Author—a humble writer seeking truth,
justice, and fans … buy my book!”
 |
| The Costume one is on the right ... no, the left! |
But, behind all the macabre costumes and fanciful themes
lies the true meaning of why we’re all there. The charity. The kids. There is
no better cause—none. But there are other reasons many of us attend. For me, it’s
the friendship—the camaraderie. Meeting new people. Finding the one or two that
I might truly connect with and who share a love of my world—books. I’ve said
many times that writing is a lonely business. For me, my Labs are my best
companions and greatest fans. But even they are bored with my constant
soliloquies about my stories. These conventions offer the possibilities of new
readers and fans. The conventions bring in people with love for stories—be it
science fiction, horror, or mystery. There’s a kinship in this. Sort of like
Stockholm Syndrome—you bond with your captors.
Many of these folks—okay, maybe a few—I’ve really bonded
with. Yes, bonded. I know it’s a laugh to those who know me, but deal with it. And
I’ve kept those friendships long distance. I look forward to the next convention
so we can share a drink, a meal, and some laughs and more stories. Some of
those stories I’ll tell in my blogs—the vampire bar-hottie biting lovely ladies
through the night (on camera) just for us; chatting with Eureka’s Colin
Ferguson before breakfast (I gave him a book!); chatting with The Walking
Dead’s Scott Wilson (Yes, I gave him a book, too); the drunk lady who crashed
into our display table and took out the whole shebang but never spilled her
beer (then went on to steal all my business cards and bookmarks!); meeting
Chewbacca and Princess Leia; disappearing in Doctor Who’s Tardis; being stalked
by God-only-knows-who several times, and on and on …
Many stories, however, will remain locked away in memory
only—it’s for the best, trust me. And there may be a statute of limitations.
So, to my new friends made during my many travels—as Mr.
Frost wrote (sort of)—I took the road less traveled by, and you have helped make
all the difference.
To all of you—Thank You.
PS: Here are a couple links for folks I’ve met along my
travels:
Scares that Care
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scares-That-Care/195299815529?fref=ts
Images by Jenna
https://www.facebook.com/jennamansontakespictures?fref=ts
MILFS vs. Zombies
https://www.facebook.com/milfsvszombies?fref=ts
Capt. Mango de Cayo Hueso
https://www.facebook.com/CaptMangoDeCayoHueso?fref=ts
Tj O’CONNOR IS THE GOLD
MEDAL WINNER OF THE 2015 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS BOOK AWARDS FOR MYSTERIES. He
is the author of Dying to Know and Dying
for the Past, available in bookstores and e-books from Midnight Ink. His
third paranormal mystery, DYING TO TELL,
will be released January 2016. He is currently working on a traditional mystery
and a new thriller. Tj is an international security consultant specializing in
anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive
his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a
consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece,
Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among
others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Lab
companions in Virginia where they raised five children. Dying to Know is also a Foreword
Review’s 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award finalist. Learn about Tj’s world at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tjoconnor.author
Blog: http://tjoconnorbooks.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7148441.T_J_O_Connor
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