Yay! TeslaCon was this weekend and one of the main draws for me was the opportunity to get a chance for an autograph from Gail Carriger author of the Parasol Protectorate (Soulless) series. I really loved the book Soulless and the series itself would probably be my favorite if it weren't for the unfortunate issues at the end of book 2.
One of the events at the Con was a reading with both Gail Carriger and George Mann. (I didn't know much about the later, but I had heard he had some work with Doctor Who so I was intrigued. He seems to write mystery/detective fiction himself so I picked up a book of short stories he was selling at the event and an autograph from him as well). They both read short stories/excerpts and answered questions during the panel. Ms. Carriger read from a short story that has not been published yet (and sadly we don't know if it will be) that was really wonderful. During the Q&A session she talked a little bit about how she can tell if her work appeals to her sci-fi fan base or her romance fan base because of their reactions to the ending of book 2. The sci-fi fans are used to tragedy and horrific cliffhangers while the romance fans tend to feel more betrayed by the book 2 issue. It put the books into perspective for me and the series in general, and so I plan to go back and re-read it with fresh eyes.
I think this panel was my favorite of the Con. The two of them had excellent things to say about the craft, about books in general, they really opened my eyes to some things, I heard really drool-worthy things about Carriger's next series, and I may have been introduced to a new author. Yay! The rest of the event was a bonus after that.
I also came to realize that tea may become a requirement for my happiness. About half way through the day I kept thinking, dammit if I could only have a cup of tea. Alexia Tarabotti knows what she's talking about.
There is more to come about what I have been working on the last few months as well as the Con in general but I need to do some homework.
In the interim - a video about an 1870s gown that I saw on Ms. Carriger's site:
http://www.indigomultimedia.com/portfolio/art-of-dressing
