June has been busy. Luckily, I like being busy. The month isn’t over yet, but the Alpha Showdown wrapped up at VBC last week, I spent a few days roasting in Phoenix in the name of nerdy goodness at Phoenix Comicon, I broke my foot (which doesn’t have a cool story), I’m adding new events to my calendar, starting work on a new novel. Basically, it’s gotten crazy and that means a highlights reel post.

Audiobook Recs, Anyone?

I’m over at The Book Nympho talking about some of my go-to recommendations for audiobooks. I tend to use audiobooks as palate cleaners and listen to books I might not always read in print. One of the books in the post I think actually works better as an audiobook. Yeah. It’s not in the post, but my current listen is Kameron Hurley’s The Geek Feminist Revolution and it’s brilliant. 

Phoenix Comicon Mini Recap

Phoenix Comicon was fantastic. The books and authors track at this particular con gets better and better, and this year was no exception. Brandon Sanderson? Check. Diana Gabaldon? Check. Victoria Schwab? Check. Patrick Rothfuss? Check. Kevin Hearne? Check. Lots of awesome is what I’m getting at. I’m still very disappointed that I didn’t manage to run into Victoria, though, because her A Darker Shade of Magic is probably the best book I’ve read in the last year. Seriously, if you haven’t read that and its sequel A Gathering of Shadows, you are missing out. Big time.

In addition to taking an incredibly awkward photo with Bob Morley from The 100—he was kind and friendly, Christina from Geeky Giving and I just look so very weird in the pic—and being Photoshopped into a Super Mario Bros. scene, PHXCC was all about spending time and meeting stellar authors. Lots of quality time with Michael J. Martinez, who is a fellow Skyhorse author and wrote a stellar story of an Icelandic fighter pilot with a symbiotic relationship with her jet for Geeky Giving (it’s called “Mindflight” and I’ll have an update on the 2016 Geeky Giving anthology soon). Also good times with Kevin Hearne (Iron Druid! Star Wars!), Alyssa Wong (short story queen!), and so many others.

This event is on my list for next year. It should be on yours, too. Plus, there was a lightsaber parade and an entire Mandalorian squadron. Double bonus.

Coastal Magic Convention

Speaking of events you should put on your calendar… Coastal Magic Convention is coming February 2-5, 2017, in Daytona Beach, Florida. That’s right, when most of the country is buried in snow or slicked in ice (Texas, y’all), you could be on the beach in Florida with your flippy floppies hanging out with authors.

I’m attending Coastal Magic 2017 as a featured author, which means you’ll see lots of me. I’ve visited another convention run by the coordinator for this, and it was really focused on reader/author interaction. Very chill and fun. I think I still have inside jokes with twelve people from the last time I was at one of these.

Registration opens on July 1, but there is a contest happening now to win registration if you’re into free stuff. (And who isn’t?) Other featured authors at this event include Larissa Ione, Julie Kenner, Lara Adrian, Katie Reus, Kathleen Collins, and a bunch more.

Are you binging OITNB?

When you want to achieve something you make time. And you can bet I’m making time for season 4 of Orange is the New Black. It’s my word count reward this weekend, and let’s just say I’m jamming. I kind of live for Taystee’s literary references. I’m halfway in and there’s already a A Song of Ice and Fire reference.

Taystee Gets My Love of Harry Potter