ConDFW, part 1

I really liked this con. It was laid back, easy to navigate and despite the crowds, there was still sitting room at all the workshops I attended.

SF and fantasy junkies are loyal attendees. Many of the people I'd seen at FenCon in years past were also at ConDFW.

I think the thing I like best about the small cons is that I get a lot inspiration from my fellow writers. While the bigger cons I've attended were better in the educational sense, the small cons are better at stoking the creative juices. There's more of an interactive mojo going on as opposed to the lecture format of bigger cons.

Booth Babe, Diana

Perhaps the one drawback to this con is that some of these panels could have gone on for two hours and we still would have only scratched the surface. The panel on space weapons was one that felt too short. That hour flew by and people still had their hands up asking questions and making observations. I am not techy in the least, but I do have an inner geek when it comes to how things work, especially when it comes to spaceships and weaponry.

The dealers room, where you can buy anything from books to t-shirts had the usual assortment of goodies. Twisted Links had the most outstanding booth due in large part to Diana, the booth babe. (Their words, not mine.) She was awesome in her leathers and tattoos. This picture doesn't do her justice. Her outfit from Saturday was even more fabulous, but I didn't bring my camera that day. I swear to you she stopped traffic everywhere she went.

Twisted Links had the coolest jewelry and chain maille. It was beautifully made. You can visit their website for a close up of their jewelry.

Twisted Links booth

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Con DFW was very inexpensive for three days of panels and parties. And I'm sure someone is going to ask... I never go to the parties. I'd like to, but they always happen at night and I can't drive after the sun goes down.

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I have to make mention of something Shelley Munro had on her blog the other day about authors being rude. Most everyone I met at the con was lovely, but there was one panel author who I found particularly offensive. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. The author definitely lost a sale with me.

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Perhaps the most enlightening thing I heard at the con was the acceptance (gasp!) that epublishing was here to stay. Imagine that. This was another panel that flew by with people still asking questions even as the new crowd started to pile in. I'll talk more about this in the next post.

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There was even a panel on paranormal romance. Mercy! Could it be that the old bastion of SFF is finally beginning to understand that romance and SFF are not enemies?

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Stay tuned Rocket Rangers for more news about the weird and wonderful world of SFF in Dallas.