Skip to main content

The C3 CON: An Intimate Affair for Creatives!

During the weekend of September 13 - 15, 2019, I had a wonderful time at the Creatures, Crimes and Creativity (C3) Con at the Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel in Columbia, MD. Throughout the years I have made some great author friends at this intimate affair and it was a joy to see them again and to meet a few new ones (Julie Hyzy, Becky Muth, Matty Dalrymple, Mark Bergin, Patrick Hyde, and the list goes on).

Anyway, let’s get into the action of the conference. 
Friday night. Noir at the Bar hosted by Ed Aymar after dinner was awesome. The lineup of readers captivated the audience’s attention and made us yearn for more. Shawn Cosby brought his “A” game and knocked us out with his reading which was more like a performance and took home the winning trophy.  
Saturday was nonstop. Right after breakfast, I hit the ground running as a panelist on a panel titled “Writing Diverse Protagonists” which was moderated by Sharon Buchbinder. The other panel members included Debbie Mack, Natalina Reis and FJ Talley. We had fun using a buzzer (each with a different sound) whenever we wanted to answer a question. The audience was amused by this.
Anyway, we discussed what to do when writers want to create a diverse protagonist but are not included in that diversity. Our response – research by seeking out and interviewing folks who belong to that diversity but make your characters believable.

Shortly before lunch, I moderated a panel titled “Getting the Legal Facts Right.” The panelists included Annie Alexander, Mark Bergin, and Patrick Hyde. Great discussion about getting the legal facts in a courtroom or criminal procedure right. Again, nothing beats research and talking to police officers or lawyers.
After lunch, I moderated a panel titled “Marketing Using Social Media.” The panelists included Ellen Butler, Becky Muth, and Matty Dalrymple. The audience had lots of questions about which social media is most effective. We told them to use no more than what they were comfortable using (2 -3) and to let their personalities shine through.

Book signings. I had great tablemates – Glenn Parris, author of Dragon's Heir: The Archeologist's Tale and Becky Muth, social media guru and author of the Haunted Women Series, a collection of ghost stories set in Appalachian America. 
Time for dinner. The Italian cuisine menu and desserts were very delicious. The dinner keynote speech was given by Julie Hyzy, author of Virtual Sabotage. Julie talked about her writing journey and how bullies in her life and her love of books helped shaped her writing career. Great inspirational story.
Chill time. After dinner, we all huddled at the bar talking about our novels, muses, WIPs while enjoying a few cocktails. This intimate affair allows special moments like to include even hanging out with the keynote speaker. Now how cool is that!
Overall, this intimate gathering fueled our energies and lit a FIRE in our writing souls! I look forward to attending next year’s C3 Con on August 28 – 30, 2020. You don't want to miss lots of panel discussions, 5 delicious meals, keynote speeches, guest interviews, Noir at the Bar and so much more! 

 Registration is now open at http://creaturescrimesandcreativity.com/ Hope to see you there!


















 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interview with Jacqueline Seewald, Author of THE INHERITANCE

Author’s Bio: Multiple award-winning author, Jacqueline Seewald, has taught creative, expository and technical writing at Rutgers University as well as high school English. She also worked as both an academic librarian and an educational media specialist. Sixteen of her books of fiction have previously been published to critical praise including books for adults, teens and children. Her short stories, poems, essays, reviews and articles have appeared in hundreds of diverse publications and numerous anthologies. What inspired you to write your book? I enjoy writing romantic mystery fiction. The idea for this particular novel just seemed to evolve organically from my imagination. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult? I would have to say reading the Bible was influential. As far as regular books go, I’m a big fan of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Is this your first book? How long did it take to start and...
20 comments
Read more

It’s A Book Thing Presents: An Interview with Debbie Stokes, author of The Stranger He Knew

Author’s Bio: Debbie Stokes was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. She has always had a desire to be a published author of a fiction novel, but fear stopped her. She often shares how her story ideas come to her in her dreams, and how she jumps up to write them down. Finally, one day, she pushed past her fear and allowed her vision to come to past. She is now a published author, and The Stranger He Knew is her first book.  Debbie is a former CEO, blogger, and interviewer for her previous women's empowerment blog called, 3 Women Voices, where she shared empowering stories of how people overcame odds to live their best lives. She is also a former contributing writer for FEMI Magazine, a cultural lifestyle magazine, where she interviewed and shared people’s stories.  When not writing, she enjoys singing, dancing, inspiring others, and spending time with family.  Deliah Lawrence: What inspired you to write your book? Debbie Stokes: That is a funny story. One d...
10 comments
Read more

National Poetry Month’s Feature: Poet Jahi Trotter

Poet’s Bio: Jahi Minkah Trotter was born in Atlanta, GA, and moved to Alabama when he was six years old. He has been writing poetry since he was 11 years old. He has written two poetry books: It Was Already Written (2016) and Adapting To Life: Poems and Quotes by Jahi Minkah Trotter (2020). He developed a love for filmmaking while receiving his bachelor's degree in social science. Jahi decided to continue his quest for filmmaking at Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, GA.   During his final two years at SCAD, Jahi was encouraged by his professors to go into acting while continuing to work behind the camera as well. This was a crucial time for Jahi. He lost his father in 2019 a month before taking an elective acting class that lead him into acting. He lost his mother in 2021 and continues to act and create films, including his thesis film "The Last Job," in which he acted and starred in. Jahi graduated with a master's degree in film and television from S...
2 comments
Read more