Con Number One: Off to Toronto for Ad Astra 2014

Well, I’m off to Toronto this coming week, to attend Ad Astra, the first stop in my year of cons. Some authors seem to hit a con a month (at least, that’s the impression I get from the chatter on Twitter!), but for me, even getting to two or three is tricky, so I’m pretty excited. I haven’t been to Toronto (not counting that dreadful plane-voyage where I was benighted on my way to Macedonia), since . . . um . . . well, I lived there for a year back in the last century.

It should be a lot of fun. I’m staying with a good friend, catching up with some other people I haven’t seen in years, and maybe hearing a rehearsal of the Amadeus Choir, among non-con things. At Ad Astra, I’m on several panels, ones discussing social media for authors, cover art, non-European fantasy worlds, and research in world-building. I’m pretty excited about all of those, but especially the latter two — looking forward to some really interesting discussions there.

Plus, it’s Toronto: mochi, canned sweet red beans and ajvar and pindjur in the grocery stores — I’m going grocery shopping.