Five Things I Learned at Comic Con

I was fortunate enough to be asked to participate in Simon & Schuster’s panel this past Thursday at New York Comic Con, THE SAGA BEGINS: A New Imprint from Simon & Schuster.  My debut novel CITY OF SAVAGES is the first book the new imprint is releasing on February 3rd of next year, and I joined the honorable Ken Liu, Nnedi Okorafor, Sam Munson, Executive Editor Joe Monti, and moderator and Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy co-host David Barr Kirtley in discussing our books and the imprint in general.  And after fan-girling my fellow panelists and getting my nerves under control, I ended up having a blast.  That’s me, next to Sam Munson, listening intently to Ken Liu describing his world-building process for THE GRACE OF KINGS:

 

And here’s a clip of me later attempting to describe my own process for my work-in-progress, AMERICAN SHINE (which is set during the 1920s): comic con video

While the day was all-together something out of a dream, I did walk away with a complete appreciation for the largest pop culture event on the east coast and an unparalleled excitement for the SAGA venture.

Five things I learned:

5.  I should have been going to Comic Con for years.

Never before have I been able to buy comic books, Star Wars T-shirts, a True Blood cocktail guide, and the latest installment of a YA fantasy trilogy in the same room, shopping alongside superheros, villains, and approximately 35 Lady Lokis.  And there were dozens of panels I would have loved to attend, not to mention authors I wish I had met, if only I had more time.

4.  Next year I have to go in costume.  My husband and I already have the threads.

3.   I get FAR less nervous speaking in public about something I love (writing, reading, S&S, the new imprint, my editor… you get the idea).

2.  I’m keeping totally intimidating company in S&S’s SAGA imprint (see list of other panelists above).  I was very, very lucky for this opportunity to sit alongside these fantastic and award-winning authors, and I’m beyond ecstatic that CITY OF SAVAGES has a home with S&S.

1.   I can’t wait for Spring of 2015 to read all of these amazing SAGA books.  Take a look at the list here!