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Join me at The Popculturedivas for 13 of My Favorite Costumes From Hal-Con 2013.

My next Thursday Thirteen will be my 300th listing of thirteen things. A big milestone for A Piece of My Mind!

Because I won't be able to get ready for that by next week--I'll need to recover somewhat from NaNoWriMo and my choir concert this Friday--my retrospective of Thursday Thirteens from 200 to 300 will be posted sometime in January. See you then! 

Thursday Thirteen -- 297 -- 13 Things About My Hal-Con 2013 Weekend

My second Hal-Con is wrapped and in the can. A fantastic weekend! Thanks to all of the organizers who put on the event, especially since -- as you'll see -- things went a little off-script on Saturday...

1 -  This is my husband Brad and me at our booth on the main retail floor, Day 1. We had an awesome spot, and I did the best ever at this show. Thanks to everyone who dropped by my booth, with very special thanks to all who bought my books. That's a thrill that never gets old.

2 - Upstairs on the second floor, in the official author area, my friend Shawna Romkey, a fellow member of our writers' group Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada, had her booth ready for Hal-Con pass holders. Shawna had an especially great con. Go, Shawna!

3 - Across from Shawna was bestselling fantasy author Terry Brooks, who came with his own legions of devoted fans. Witness the Terry Brooks lineup.

4 - When there was a moment between signings, Terry Brooks made his way along the other author tables, chatting with fellow writers.

Here's what happened immediately following the convention, in Shawna's words:

"Ummm...Terry Brooks just contacted me. He read my book on the flight home. He asked for my email to send longer comments than my website form would allow. YIKES!!!!!!!!!"

Then --

"Terry Brooks emailed me!!! He had some really positive things to say and also gave me some great feedback! *faints* "

5 - What book is that, you say?

Speak of the Devil

6 - One of the good news / bad news things about taking part in events like Hal-Con as an author is not being able to see everything that's going on. I did manage to stop for a few minutes on one of my trips upstairs to see Shawna, and watched these historical warrior reenactors demonstrating sword fighting.

7 - Sometimes the best place to see the headliner guests is just by staying put at your booth. That's Robert Maillet at right, from 300, Sherlock Holmes, Immortals and Pacific Rim checking out a jewelry vendor across from my table.

8 - Day 2 started out with a very large line-up stretching around the Metro Centre, with the interior crowds noticeably bigger. This shot of the corridor immediately outside of the room where Shawna and I did a Heroes and Villains panel on Saturday at 12:45 is a good indicator of the Day 1 crowd. Busy but still lots of space to move around.

Halifax is a little city, and Hal-Con is still a young event -- only a few years old. By about 10:30 on Day 2, having been a former Toronto's Fan Expo participant, as well as an eight-year veteran of working front of house for what is now the Sony Centre, I could sense that the building had reached maximum capacity and that people were no doubt being turned away.

I attempted to head upstairs to meet with Shawna before our panel, only to be faced with an unmoving wall of people being held back on the first floor. Using my Toronto Big City skirting-around-the-mob technique, I managed to get to the escalator where I thought I would have to plead my case as to why I had to get to the second floor.

However, the staff waved me along when they saw my vendor pass -- thank God!

9 - Somehow our panel started on time, with a packed audience and even standing-room-only at one point. Shawna talked Heroes and I talked Villains, and we had great questions from the audience.

This was the first-ever panel at an event like this for both of us. Thanks to everyone who attended and took part in the discussion.

10 - Meanwhile, unbeknownst to us at that time, Hal-Con was enduring some rather extreme growing pains. Here's a link to a news report on Hal-Con's Day 2 fiasco:

Long lines at Hal-Con lead to frustrations, refunds and an apology

11 - I salute the 5th Dr. Who, Peter Davison, who waded outside into the cold where all of the incredibly disappointed turned-away convention pass holders were lining up for refunds.

Peter Davison walked up and down the line to chat with those who couldn't get in, showing wonderful generosity and kindness.

Here's a clip from Dr. Who, with the 5th doctor in action.

12 - Shawna got to hang out with him at the Stargazer Soiree later that night. A jolly good fellow, what?

13 - The best part of taking part in cons like Fan Expo and Hal-Con is the incredible costumes that go by my author table. Here's a small taste of some great ones. Join me next week when I turn Thursday Thirteen over to the costumes of Hal-Con 2013.

5 on Friday -- Set 191

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

Only nine more 5 on Friday's to go before I hit the magical 200th set here at A Piece of My Mind. Much rejoicing will take place throughout the land.

A few heads' up notices first --

Coming up in one month's time, Blog4Peace is an international peace event held online on Nov. 4th. Join me and hundreds of other peace-spreading bloggers by typing the words 'Dona Nobis Pacem' on:

Your blog

Your Facebook page

Your Twitter account

Your Pinterest page

Anywhere you like to hang out online, please join our day of peace by saying 'Grant us peace' with one voice. Sign up at Mimi Lenox's linky on the big day so you can find the other peace bloggers and they can find you. Travel the world from your computer screen and feel the love.

Coming up a few days after Blog4Peace -- I'll be appearing at Hal-Con from Fri Nov 8th to Sun Nov 10th at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax. I'll be hosting a panel with angels-and-demons author Shawna Romkey on Heroes and Villains. More details on time and location as soon as I have them.

Warp Speed Passes are already sold out. Weekend Passes, Day Passes and Family Passes are still available.

In celebration of all things spooky during October, I'll be featuring interviews with paranormal authors for my Thursday Thirteen series. The first one launched yesterday with Spooky Screenwriter Stephen MacLean. This is my second year for the Spooky Author series which is turning into an annual event. Coming up next week: Jane Slayer and Grave Expectations author Sherri Browning Erwin.

And now, onwards to this week's musical set. The beginning of this spooktacular month brings preparations for haunting trick or treaters and Halloween party-goers. These videos feature costumes as their central focus. Will you be dressing up this year? 

1 - No Rain - Blind Melon  

2 - Paradise - Coldplay

3 - The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) - Ylvis

4 - Truth Faith - New Order

5 - Mr. Roboto - Styx

CLICK HERE to watch the video

Thursday Thirteen - 246 - 13 Things About Shooting the Book Covers and Trailers for My Upcoming Dark Fantasy Release

1 - Last Saturday I was back on set with Charlie Mac Productions, directing the shoot for the book covers and book trailers of my upcoming dark fantasy release.


L to R: Caroline Ruyle, the Director of Photography with talent Bobby Rossong.



2 - I've been writing my Scorpius tale with Richard Armitage as the model for the character.


As he is rather inconveniently shooting The Hobbit in New Zealand at present, I went in search of a local model who had that certain indefinable something that whispered Scorpius to me.


On The Cassidy Group website, I found a head shot for Bobby Rossong.


I stared at the picture and heard the whisper.


Then I emailed my producer and asked for Bobby. 

3 - My mom asked for his measurements as the wardrobe mistress, which The Cassidy Group provided.


I then scoured the thrift stores for pieces that would start out as one thing and end up as late-medieval / early Renaissance-like costumes.

4 - These are the pieces that make up the costume for the Book 1 cover, when Scorpius is a youth apprenticed to the falconer.

The transformed clothing--now a tunic and rustic jerkin. I designed the costumes, disassembled the clothing and described to my mom in detail what I needed.


She then put the costumes together.

5 - Woo hoo!

Scorpius!

Falconer's apprentice, from Book 1, which is set to release at the end of the month.

6 - Since we had Bobby for the shoot, even though books 2 and 3 are works in progress at this point, we shot all three covers and all three book trailers while we had our Scorpius.

Shown above is the 'before' version of the Book 2 costume.

7 - This costume was the most difficult one, with much swearing and pricking of fingers by Mom.


But it's also the coolest one, if you ask me.


For Book 2, Scorpius enters adulthood and serves Lord Thibault as his personal bodyguard.

8 - Notice the completely awesome reproduction Norman sword he's wielding. From Darksword Armory out of Quebec, where the dagger for the Book 1 cover was also sourced.  

9 - The original pieces for the third costume, taking place when Scorpius has matured and serves the Lady Elysande as her Chamberlain.

10 - This one was a bit complicated, but still wasn't as hard to deal with as the faux leather.

Scorpius...moving up in the world.

11 - The shoot began against white screen, for easier manipulation in post production.


As opposed to the green screen live action shoot we did last spring for my debut novel book trailer, we decided to go for a stills shoot this time out.


In a bit of super-fabulous timing, just after wrapping on this year's shoot, my producer Tara MacDonald got word that the book trailer for SAINT SANGUINUS won an Award of Merit in the Best Shorts Competition out of La Jolla, California. 

Here's a look at that one:




Grateful thanks to producer Tara MacDonald, DOP Luke Hudgins, Editor Doug Woods, PA and Stills Photographer Caroline Ruyle, Actors Scott Baker, Stevie Cooper, Bernie Matthew, Brennan Handy and Brad Smith. 

12 - Just because my mom wasn't busy enough during the week leading up to the shoot, she also decided to become craft services, and provided the homemade lunch for cast and crew.


...mmm... 

13 - And because it's me, of course there was a need for manacles on this project. This is Tara with the manacle kit: extremely heavy manacles, duct tape to attach the chain to the grip stand, twine to close the manacles and pink scissors to keep it light.

Summer Stock Sunday - 34

For the third year running, here comes one of my favorite bloggy events - Robin's Summer Stock Sunday meme.

She invites all to post summery photos and visit other bloggers who share their feelings and memories about this magical season.

Last year I decided to post only vintage photos for this feature. They were so enthusiastically received that this year I'll keep 'em coming.










This shot was taken by my dad in the late 70s, while I was in my Little House on the Prairie obsessive phase.

I still have these phases. They're a part of my creative process. It's all good.

Anyway, because I used to obsess about Laura Ingalls' red calico dress and her 19th century boots, my mom indulged her sewing/costuming cravings and made me and my sister our own Little House dresses.

I still have this dress. It's hanging in my closet at this very moment.

Thursday Thirteen - 182 - 13 of My Favorite Pop Culture Costumes

In time for Halloween, here are some costumes to which I've always been rather partial.


1 - Rob Roy

Includes a sword














2 - The Phantom of the Opera

Fought with a sword














3 - Scarlett O'Hara's curtain dress

Love her cheeky practicality














4 - Gladiator

Used many swords in the arena














5 - The Pirate King








Pirates of Penzance

Has a rapier sword and a rapier wit - and very sexy thigh-high boots


6 - Willie Wonka

Swings a mean walking stick














7 - The Artful Dodger

Could get a sword if he wanted one





























8 - Mr. Tumnus

I always found it charming that he carried too many things.














9 - Darth Maul

Has a lightsabre





























10 - Xena, Warrior Princess

Has a sword and a chakram (the round frisbee-type weapon she throws)








11 - Laura Ingalls' red calico dress

Got into fistfights in the schoolyard. Always loved her fierce nature.











12 - von Trapp children's curtain playclothes





More cheeky practicality




13 - Elvis Presley's gold lame suit

When I was little, we had this album cover and I used to stare at it, with its multiple images of Elvis and the proclamation: "50,000,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong."

It's so iconic that anyone who wears anything gold lame is referencing this suit. To me, it's the ultimate in establishing that personal brand.