When You Can't Wear the Steampunk Goggles...

I'm still buzzing from the fun and interesting time I had at the Ad Astra Convention in Toronto, where I was pushing our new titles from Gallivant Books in the dealer's room. Any SF or comic con is, of course, like a David Attenborough nature documentary, and when you're not smiling in amusement at the seriously authentic Imperial stormtroopers walking by (their Darth Vader had a whole heavy breathing gizmo set up), you're trying not to drool over the beautiful gals in their authentic steampunk era gowns. I was told some of these were handmade -- the gowns, not the heavy breathing gizmos. You know you've grown too mature when you admire the exquisite fashions as well as the ladies' figures.

On the downside, you're stuck in the dealer's room all day unless you've got someone to relieve you, which means you miss all the fun panels and the action. On the other hand, it's fun to watch the con come to you, plus you get an education on how a book sells or doesn't, depending on where you are. For instance, we barely moved copies of The Karma Booth, though the brilliant Kanaxa tells me folks were picking up our bookmarks at a major romance con in LA the same weekend and loved the concept, going, "Ooooooh," as they often do when they hear the premise. Who would have thunk it? A horror novel catching interest at a romance convention? But I also bet Kanaxa told the premise really well and had them spellbound. :-)

(Check out Ann Somerville's review of The Karma Booth over on Goodreads.)

On the other hand, Reich TV did really fantastic, and we sold out of copies of Bianca: The Silver Age. I was also kind of amazed that Buddha on the Road should sell so well. The back blurb copy makes it quite clear there's gay content, and while sure, Toronto has the biggest annual Pride parade in North America, I had my doubts about the novel clicking with visitors from beyond our oh-so-queer-positive borders. Go figure... and great. Renewed my faith in changing attitudes.

Good camaraderie in the dealer's room. Everyone easy to joke with, ready to look out for each other's table if you had to slip out for a bathroom break. High points? Kat the lovely purple-haired lass who "couldn't buy because she was drunk" Friday night, but came back Sunday. Tamora Pierce buying a copy of Bianca, and a blast of a conversation with Larry Dixon, who bought Reich TV, Karma Booth and Buddha on the Road. Very cool to have guests of honor picking up your stock.