Amanda Meuwissen's Blog - Posts Tagged "minneapolis"

The Twin Cities Book Festival, held Saturday October 12th this year, is a huge literary gathering with FREE admission to attendees.

As part of the BigWorldNetwork.com table for the event, I will be available to sign copies of Incubus, as well as my novelette The Collector, any time during the festival, so stop by and say hello.

With the Incubus blog tour over, I'd also like to thank all the new readers leaving ratings and reviews on the book. It's true you can't please everyone, but to those who really love this story, your kind words mean the world.

"I devoured this book and enjoyed every minute of it. The romance blossomed in believable ways and I enjoyed the pace of its development. There isn't a boring moment in this story, it really drags you along for the ride with its passionate, tumultuous romance. The chemistry was tangible and the erotic pay off was well-written. It pulls some hard punches, too, and character's really have to work hard to earn happiness."
- Willow Wood

I could not have felt more blessed than to have a sale of the Incubus audiobook be the first item sold at the BWN booth last weekend. What a great time! More for conversation and connections than overall sales, but it was great to see the excitement people have for audio and the serialized idea.

As a bonus this week, here's an image of Incubus Sasha. Enjoy!

I am so thrilled that Wizard World, which hosts some of the largest and most amazing comic conventions around the US, is finally coming to Minneapolis, May 2-4.

I have been to Wizard World Chicago twice and loved every minute, but this year I get to stay local.

Join me at the BigWorldNetwork.com booth in Artist Alley and purchase a signed copy of Incubus, or stop by just to chat. :-) I'll also be promoting book 2, set to come out in July.

Check me out on the Wizard World Minneapolis homepage! Scroll down to Artists and Creators and you'll find my picture and info. I hope to see some of you there!

This was my third year at MiniCon in Bloomington, MN, with BWN, the first being when we only had one published title to our name, my novelette The Collector. Now we had nearly 30 to showcase.

“Minicon is a volunteer run, general science fiction convention held every year on Easter weekend in or near Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minicon is run by the Minnesota Science Fiction Society, or MNStF. Attendees of Minicon can expect to find a full slate of programming (panel discussions, readings, signings, etc.), costuming, films, gaming (open and organized), an art show, dealers, kids' programming, a science room, filk and folk music, a consuite and bar, room parties, and various special events.”

I look forward to the homebrews in the bar every year, of course, but first and foremost the people, as this smaller convention is for lovers of science fiction and is always teaming with readers—just my kind of crowd.

I'm very excited for next year’s 50th anniversary MiniCon, and plan to more heavily participate in panels, signings, and other events, thanks to some great advice and conversations from Blake Hausladen who had his release party for:







Thank you again to the wonderful dealer room staff, volunteers, and everyone who helps put MiniCon together each year. It is always a fantastic time!

Then I returned to the grind this morning to discover a new review at Joyfully Jay, which focuses on M/M Romance reviews. Reviewer Kris' write-up is just wonderful. So thought out and just...well, had me grinning even on a Monday, so please check it out!

And stay tuned for more convention news, as I'll be at Wizard Minneapolis Comic Con in just a couple weeks!

Yes me, Incubus author Amanda Meuwissen, met Nathan Fillion at Wizard World Minneapolis Comic Con with my husband John, and sold out ALL of the Incubus copies I brought along! I wish I could say Nathan was one of the buyers, but his agent did stop and chat at the BigWorldNetwork.com table.

I helped man our booth in Artist Alley for great sales and conversation with Creative Director Mario Hernandez, fellow authors Meagan Hedin and Daniel Mitchell, and artist Corrie Hardin.

The highlight, though, was definitely this awesome photo and chatting with Nathan while getting his autograph. You'll notice I am dressed for the occasion as Rogue from X-Men.



Next con on the agenda for me is CONvergence in Bloomington, MN!

There are as many locations in fiction as the mind can think up, because fiction never needs to be based in reality. If you’re writing about colonization on the moon, chances are it’s not going to be based off of any real place. Even when writing contemporary fiction, there are no rules that say you HAVE to write about a real city; you can make one up, and many authors do.

But there is something to be said about taking real places, places that the author knows well or researches thoroughly, that can have even more personal impact for readers.

My series, The Incubus Saga, has many real life locations mentioned, particularly one of the main settings, my home of Minneapolis, MN, and its surrounding suburbs.



When I describe the apartment complex in St. Louis Park where the brothers in the story first meet Sasha Kelly, that’s a real location I passed on the bus many times.



When I describe what’s around Loring Park, those are real details.



Schuester’s high-rise apartment by Lake Calhoun? You better believe I salivate over those awesome lofts, and that I even looked up the apartment layouts to give an accurate description of that building’s accommodations.



Obviously, there is some liberty taken with specifics, interior design, and the view a certain Irish Pub might have of the city it overlooks, but I always strive to capture a real location and give details someone who lives there might recognize. If someone happens to live in Chicago, Pittsburgh, or even Rushville, MO, it may not be as detailed as I can make my own hometown, but it will be as close as I can get it.

How do you use real locations in your fiction? Do you prefer to always make locations up instead? If you do use real places, feel free to share pictures or details of the town/city/location that inspired the setting of your story and why it was included.

It's almost that time of year for me again, so I wanted to give everyone a heads up of the conventions I will for sure be at this Spring.

First, MiniCon, which is having it's 50th anniversary. Located once again at the Double Tree in Bloomington, MN, it's a smaller, literary specific con, but always with amazing people, and they have free craft beer. Seriously good stuff. See me in the dealer room.

Second, Wizard World Minneapolis, the second year this Comic Con has graced my fair city. This convention is HUGE, and was an amazing success last year at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Celebrities galore, and tons to look at. I'll be in Artist Alley.

I will have copies of Incubus, Changeling, and my novelette The Collector available for purchasing, and will happily sign copies.

As always, I will also be in costume. This year the hubby and I are going as a pair - Margaery Tyrell and Renly Baratheon from Game of Thrones.



I've created a unique new look rather than copy one of the costumes Margaery has been seen in on the show, but the final pieces came together last night and I am really excited. Plus the hubby looks so good in his gold tunic and crown.

I hope to have a few more conventions for the year, and will keep you posted. I'm dying to get to an anime con - partly because it has been TOO long, and because I know my fellow yaoi fans will enjoy The Incubus Saga.

Let me know if I'll be seeing you at either of these conventions this year, and let me know if there are any I should NOT pass up near Minnesota.

Once again I will be attending Wizard World Minneapolis, and you can find me (and my books) in Artist Alley. The convention is this coming weekend, May 1-3 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. I’ll have copies of both Incubus and Changeling, and will happily sign any copies purchased.

I will also be on the lookout for artists as I continue my tradition of purchasing an art commission at the convention. As The Incubus Saga is coming to a close this year, with the final book out in July (I think I may have said June somewhere at some point, which is incorrect) my goal is to get something Incubus related…but I don’t know what I want!

I have had SO MUCH Incubus fanart over the years, provided for me, and that I commissioned myself, so it’s tough to decide what to get.



I suppose I don’t have anything of Jim. Maybe something simple of the three boys all together?

Help me decide, folks! I’d love some suggestions, and of course I’ll scan and share the art as soon as I have it.

And if you’re in the Minneapolis area, please consider stopping by the con and seeking me out. I’ll be at the BigWorldNetwork.com table.

In the end I should have known who I would commission to draw my anniversary finale fanart for The Incubus Saga, as she stayed with me for Wizard World Minneapolis Comic Con this year, along with other friends:

Comic author/artist Katie Shaw, creator of Dragon Child.

Katie and I attended college together, and one of my most cherished pieces of art is a picture she did back then of me glomping on my favored character at the time, Valykrie (his story is a screenplay, but I might write it as prose someday).

So after scouring Artist Alley on day one of the con, I realized that night that what I would really love is a recreation of that art but with Sasha and Nathan.



It's perfect, and has the extra weight of also being an ode to that long ago art from Katie as well. Now all that remains is to prepare for the release of book 3, Sidhe, and to continue writing my next story.

Thank you again, all of you, so much for being a part of this journey with me, and thank you to Katie for this beautiful art.

For more on Wizard World, check out the BWN recap for details, and this awesome image of part of our giant Game of Thrones cosplay group which was featured on The Escapist. I love being Margaery Tyrell.