I've finally had a chance to compile my thoughts and pictures from Toronto FanExpo so I can put it all down here.

First thing I want to do is thank everyone who helped An and I throughout the convention. We really appreciate all you did.

I always love this convention. Everyone there is just embracing their love for the different fandoms and genres, and just unabashedly having fun! It's great.

This year, An and I were guests and I got to take part in two panels, which I'd never done before. I was nervous at first, but soon relaxed, and it was great to be able to talk about the writing and publishing process with readers and other writers.

We sold both Bath Salts and The Strings of the Violin from our table in Authors' Alley, made friends with the people around us, and wandered the floor. Highlights of my time there have to be meeting Max Brooks and Ron Perlman, seeing all the cosplayers getting ready for the masquerade, and just being able to do something I love, while surrounded by other like minded people.

Now, picture time!

There are times in life when it is hard to find the motivation needed to accomplish goals
I’ve set for myself. Even when it’s an important goal, one that truly needs to be worked on, I can find it difficult to find the time to work on it. So, today, I’d like to share a few things that have helped me in my journey.

1. Write things down

This may sound unimportant but it’s crucial for me. I make lists and write things down all the time. When I’m working on a novel, I write down story ideas to help myself out down the road. Otherwise, I’ll forget them. I block out certain times during the day for writing, interviews, family, exercise (though not nearly enough), school, and other projects. I’ve got too much going on that often times I’m inspired to write, it’s finding the time to do so that is the real
challenge.  

   2.     Find the ‘Why’
Ask yourself this question: Why? Why are you writing/drawing/making music etc… Whatever your passion is in life, you need to know why you’re working towards becoming a writer/artist/musician. Simply enjoying writing isn’t enough. You have to have a reason why and use that reason as motivation and inspiration. For me, I write because I couldn’t imagine living life anymore if I didn’t. It’s the only way I can open up another world and create something unique and special. When I write, worlds come alive and people are born who otherwise would not have existed. That’s a special feeling and one that I use to fuel my writing. 

    3.     Simply Do
This one seems simple but usually, the important things are. You can’t write unless you write. You can’t learn to play an instrument unless you play. Sitting down and writing is half the battle. Let the pen flow and see what comes out. Simply ‘doing’ will take care of the motivation
problems, or lack thereof. 

Jackson Baer is the author of the upcoming literary suspense, “The Earth Bleeds Red” (Oct ’13/Pandamoon Publishing). He’s currently writing a literary psychological thriller called,
“The Lights Will Never Fade.” He lives in North Georgia with his wife and four children. He’s had short stories published in the literary magazine, “The Rusty Nail,” and wrote a philosophy book in 2011 called, “What the Hell?” He will graduate from Oregon State University this year with a bachelor’s in English and proudly wears OSU gear all over the beautiful state of Georgia.



https://www.facebook.com/JacksonPaulBaer


https://twitter.com/JacksonPaulBaer


http://jacksonpaulbaer.com/


http://www.goodreads.com/JacksonPaulBaer

I was a guest blogger on Jackson Baer's blog where I wrote a post on procrastination and writing. Check it out here: jacksonpaulbaer.com

He will be doing a post here on my blog on the 26th where he will do a post on what inspires him to write.

Stay tuned!

Today marked my first signing at a bookstore! An and I made an appearance at Indigo at Bay and Bloor in Toronto to sign copies of Bath Salts. She has helped with these before so I kind of knew what to expect, yet we decided to up the ante a bit by bringing along our very own zombie to wander the store.

We started the day by having Zachary, our wonderful zombie volunteer arrive at my house for makeup and then we went directly to the store. We were there from 12-4 and it was great to meet different people who enjoy our kind of book, and speak to them all.

I think we did pretty well today. An and I passed some time talking, and I think we have a sequel to Bath Salts pretty well planned out and outlined. Now we just have to hammer our way through a first draft.

Anyway, I just want to thank the lovely staff at Indigo for making today run so smoothly, and our zombie for scaring so many people he got moved to outside shambling only. Also, thanks to my family members who actually made the trek downtown to see me. It's very much appreciated.

Photos!

So, I bought this button making machine a while back so that I could make buttons for my books to give out as promotional materials at the various cons and faires I was going to this summer and fall. Question: How many authors does it take to work a button press? Well, apparently the answer is "more than two". That's right. An and I could not figure the darn thing out! Looks like there will be no buttons for our zombies to give out this weekend. Boo. But they will still have bookmarks! So there's at least that I suppose.

That's right everyone. This weekend when An and I are at Indigo at Bay and Bloor, we will have actual zombies walking around. I will definitely have pictures of all of this awesomeness to show you. We will be there on Saturday from 12-4.

In other news, I spent a bit of this evening going through all my old blog entries. My goodness how things have changed! I had to laugh when I said in an older entry that The Dybbuk's Mirror would be coming out in early 2013. Then I had absolutely no idea that I would be picked up by Prizm for my Hadariah books, or that I would have Bath Salts out and Sitnalta on the way. With the new year coming up next month, I have to take a moment and be so thankful for all that I have accomplished here. It really is astonishing, and I am amazed at how far everything has come. For that I have everyone who has read my books, helped me with them and has just been there for me. So thank you.

Next month also has Angelwalk's next show opening. If you haven't seen or heard of Tick...Tick... Boom! I encourage you to please check it out. It is written by Jonathon Larson who wrote Rent and is a great little show. Check out more details here. I am once again doing props, and am so excited to be working with Tim French as director once more. I last worked with him on Altar Boyz and I had a small little contribution on [title of show] ( I think I loaned a purse). So it's great to be back with him. Check out the whole season. It's sure to be great! 

Pirate Festival has come and gone. I am sad to see it end. An and I had a blast seeing everyone again and getting our pirate on! On the book selling front, we did better than last year. We are steadily improving our pitches. Bring it on FanExpo!

I am exhausted. The least fun part of these things is definitely the tear down and packing up of the tent and all the gear. Two five feet tall women taking down a 10x10 tent that's 10 ft tall is a sight to see. But aside from that, I definitely want to go back next year.

One of the things we did was try to come up with new and interesting things to sign in the books. My favourite example is coming up below...

Today was the first day of the Pirate Festival, and I am exhausted. Last night, Brian and I went up to Milton to set up the tent. In the rain. This morning An and I went up and did the rest of the set up, and we were off!

It was great to see so many familiar faces from last year as both actors and vendors were back. It felt like a real reunion.

Sales wise, I think we did well for a first day. Now all we have to do is keep it up!

Today I also did my first live reading from my book The Strings of the Violin. I was so nervous. It's one thing to read a script or sing a song that someone else wrote. It's quite another to perform your own words. It feels so much more nerve-wracking. I felt I was being judged on content as well as performance. But it helped to have my kids there. They provided a nice distraction from the rest of the audience.

Yesterday I also received my round of copy edits for Sitnalta, and I spent some time going through them. I have a real good feeling about this one and can't wait to see it in print!

Now pictures!