NEW YORK COMIC CON 2012



LADIES WHO STEAM: Women in Steampunk panel at New York Comic Con - L to R: Lauren Panepinto, Ay-leen the Peacemaker, Liz Gorinsky, PJ Schnyder, Me, Anina Bennett

Trying to explain New York Comic Con is like trying to explain DragonCon. You have to see it to believe it. For those complaining that NYCC was too crowded, well, they've clearly never been to DragonCon, which is, every year, WAY too crowded. So the NYCC crowds did not phase me in the least. I was just thrilled to be there. For not only was I traipsing about in my usual Narcissa Malfoy cosplay, I WAS A PANELIST. It's been a dream of mine to be a NYCC panelist and this year it came true on the LADIES WHO STEAM: Women in Steampunk panel alongside the fabulous women listed above, Ay-leen, Lauren and Liz holding down the editorial and art side of the panel, the rest of us the author side. We chatted about why Steampunk matters, the ingenuity and the reinvention of it, the costuming and the concepts, our thoughts about where the genre is, where it can go, and why anyone should care. Check out Tor.Com's album for more fabulous pictures of the panel and keep your eyes out for my upcoming eerie Victorian paranormal story, TOO FOND, to be featured this month on Tor.com. (If you're interested in a copy for your very own, It's available now as a .99 pre-order to your Nook...) This story has been a big hit at my convention live readings.

Thanks to our fab Auror's Tale publicist Jenn Levine I knew to attend The Mary Sue / Her Universe meetup and met Jill Pantozzi and Ashley Eckstein while I was hanging out with the fabulous, ridiculously talented Jeff Carlisle, drooling over his art. I admire Jill and Ashley so much for who they are and what they're able to do in promoting Geekdom throughout the land, and especially raising the bar for women in the industry. In that vein, keep an eye out for Fan Girl TV, as I was a part of one of their first events this week as well, hosting a live show with very talented panelists and performers. While at the Mary Sue / Her Universe meetup I also met a lovely and engaging freelance comic editor who bonded with me over Harry Potter and Victorian literature (two of my very favourite subjects in all the land) and who has wonderful ideas for her own work. I got a chance to cheerlead a bit, something I feel called to do in this life, and as her ideas are truly, truly wonderful and potentially life-saving for so many of her readers who would relate, I hope she keeps in touch and I hope she gets her own work out into the world one way or another.

The rest of my time at NYCC I hovered about The Group That Shall Not Be Named: HP-NYC and alongside my oft sister Bellatrix (othertimes an uncannily perfect Irene Adler - and who in real life is an exceedingly talented Jack of All Trades and BFF), Cassandra Johnstone, who, as Bellatrix, teaches a mean and amazing Wand Dueling class. The Group That Shall Not Be Named, the largest Harry Potter meetup group in the nation, made sure the weekend was fabulously full of Quidditch, Wand Dueling and more. Something I got to do this year that I'm rarely able to do is walk the floor. That was wonderful and on day one I got this incredible peacock feather fascinator for day two (an item perfect for a Malfoy and for my general sensibilities) and this was as much of a hit as anything I've ever worn. Ever. (By Rae Beth Designs)

Like with any convention heavy on Cosplay, there are some amusing things one overhears and witnesses.

Voice 1: "Is that a sexy version of-"

Voice 2: "YES."

Throw in some expletives and that was something overheard between two young men, the iterations of which could have taken place between any number of persons of any gender or orientation about any character of any fandom. Everything under the sun. Grown, burly men confidently and without hesitation shouting out the names of My Little Pony characters to those of any gender dressed as them. Like DragonCon, you have to give yourself extra time to travel escalators and cross rooms, and like DragonCon, people watching is sort of the best.

Favourite costume? The Bain Capital Bane. Brilliant and epic. Check it out on Tor.Com's FB page. Also, Michael Mason Photography has some great shots as well.

Favourite moment? Looking out into the packed house at our Steampunk panel. When I introduced myself at the panel, a cheer went up in the room. I was honoured by this, I was flattered, and I was more driven than ever to keep writing books. Thank you, readers.

Coming up, WE'RE JUST A FEW WEEKS AWAY FROM THE NEXT MAGIC MOST FOUL NOVEL! We've got cool stuff regarding THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART, like book trailers, excerpts, giveaways and more, the book is available for pre-order wherever books are sold, both in print and digitally, so if you, like me, forget about release day, pre-ordering is always an option. I'll be touring for signings and events in Cincinnati, Ohio, Portland, Oregon and New York City, possibly Salem, MA, so stay tuned to my Appearances page on my website, and for postings on my FB wall, and of course, tweets!