Thursday Thirteen - 247 - 13 Things About My Fan Expo Author Event

1 - Nine months into being published, this August saw my third official author event, which took place at Fan Expo in Toronto Aug. 23 - 26.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my friend Tara for helping me to navigate the hoops and hurdles involved in being an exhibitor.

2 - After flying into Toronto, I made a quick dash downtown to snag gift certificates for my Fan Expo contest--one for Bakka-Phoenix Books and one for Silver Snail. Here I am with Chris, my good friend and the manager of Bakka-Phoenix.

3 - Day 2 in Toronto became Day 1 of Fan Expo. My brother-in-law Jeff drove us first to UPS Store 421 on Front St. to pick up my boxes of books, and then a few blocks further for the load-in at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Dino, the manager of the UPS store, had them all ready for me right by the counter. More strategic brilliance from Tara--thanks!

4 - It took awhile, but I finally got to the Artist Alley counter to pick up my exhibitor badge. Excitement was building...

5 - Once we trundled our way through the enormous convention centre and found my booth, we set up my books, along with a looped DVD showcasing my book trailers, my mom's watercolor ink prints (including her dragon print featured on the back cover of my Dragonsfyre series) and my contest for the book store gift certificates.

6 - My neighbor for Fan Expo was Alan Draven, horror and urban fantasy author.

The saying "when the student is willing, the teacher appears" pretty much sums up the cosmic placing of Alan next to me at my first convention. He sold out of his books by the last day with a few hours to spare. My husband could quote verbatim Alan's disarming pitches that stopped strolling convention goers in their tracks and ended up with a sale nine times out of ten.

He was on fiyah.

7 - The costumes of convention goers were phenomenal. I had to stop Jack Skellington for a picture.

8 - Day 2! Look at the hordes!

Look at my clear-sailing exhibitor entry. Sweet.

9 - Saw the Batman villains having lunch as I stood in the Pizza Pizza line-up. Hats off to Pizza Pizza for getting me through a 30-customer line-up in 15 minutes. And for somehow having pizza that wasn't dried-out or under-cooked.

10 - Since my blog readers voted Spike the Ultimate Vampire last October during the Take it to the Mat Ultimate Vampire Smackdown, I figured I should tell James Marsters about it, since he was at Fan Expo as well.

Okay, so he was headlining at his own panel and I was in the Indie Artist Alley, but whatever.

When I mentioned that he'd won "over the two True Blood guys," he said. "Well, that's because we had the better writers."

Spike = Ultimate Vampire

James = generous co-creator with writing team of the Ultimate Vampire

11 - My thanks to my brother-in-law Jeff, at left, for all the help with picking up the boxes of books on both Day 1 and Day 4 of Fan Expo.

To my sister-in-law Karen, second from left, for doing some early Christmas shopping!

And to my niece Pamela, at right, for getting my Dragonsfyre banner and author logo t-shirts ready for me.

Also enjoying a delicious Thai dinner out are my sister-in-law Violetta and her niece Natalia.

12 - Now that I'm back from my post-Fan Expo vacation, I held the draw for my contest last night.

13 - Whose name did I pick?

Check your email for a notice from me...

5 on Friday - Set 82

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.


Last New Year's Eve, Brad and I spent our final night in Toronto at my brother-in-law's karaoke show at the Konrad Lounge on the Lakeshore in Etobicoke, just down the street from Brad's mom's place.

We had an absolute blast. This is Jeff at the console, smoothly easing the audience into taking up the mic, chiming in seamlessly if they get lost (easy to do once you're the singer!)

When I think about it, our all-night singing party really set the tone for this incredible year I'm having.

Jeff runs his Songsmith Karaoke show every Thursday at 10:00pm in Etobicoke, in the west end of Toronto at the Konrad Lounge. If you're in the area and want to have a great evening, pop by and tell him Julia sent you!These are some of the songs we tried on for size, either at their sister Karen's karaoke house party that Jeff DJ'ed, or on New Year's at Konrad's.

1 - Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie - a full-on singalong by everyone at Karen's



2 - Conquistador - Procol Harum - sung by Brad at Karen's

3 - Where Do the Children Play? - Cat Stevens - sung variously by Jeff and Brad


4 - Mary Mac - Great Big Sea - I was challenged to sing this by Jeff. Of course, I took it up. I did reasonably well, but the speedy ending did me in.



5 - The Galaxy Song - Eric Idle - This has become my signature karaoke song. I never end a karaoke evening without singing this one.

Thursday Thirteen - 106 - 13 Paintings By My Sister-in-Law, Violetta Smith

Oh look - there she is waiting for us. Hi, Violetta! ((hug))

Happy Birthday!

"Thank you Julia," she says as we head over to the gallery. I'm celebrating my sister-in-law's birthday today by having a showing of her work in my cyber gallery. "That is very nice of you," Violetta says. "That will make me feel very special."




Her husband Jeff meets us on the balcony before we head into the art show. "Hey bro," Jeff says to my husband Brad.

"Hey, Jeff," says Brad.

"Hey, Big Guy!" Violetta says, hugging Brad.



"Happy Birthday!" Brad says, giving her a big hug.

"I hope I don't have to make any speeches," Violetta says, laughing.

"Nah," I scoff. We're almost at the door. She turns and looks at Jeff, takes his hand and walks into the gallery.


















As I watch her walk in and look around at her paintings, I squeeze my husband's hand and feel so lucky to have Violetta as my sister-in-law.

Those Smith men really are magnetic - my husband pulled me from the Maritimes across three provinces to Ontario so we could meet. Jeff pulled Violetta all the way from Poland. It's probably why Violetta and I get along so well. We both fell under the same Smith spell.

I've always admired her adventurous spirit, coming to Canada and seizing life with both hands. I love her no-nonsense style, her easy laughter and her get-on-with-it manner.

I'm so glad you've come to my art show today, so we can enjoy the world as Violetta sees it.

Well, here we go.


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Ha! Ha! Here comes Violetta, bobbing through the crowd with food for us.

"What are you doing?" I ask. "I should be getting it for you!"

"Just sit down and eat it!" she says.










Who can argue with that?

Happy Birthday, Violetta.


And thanks to you for joining us at her art show.





Marcia says Wow. I am so impressed. I do love her art work.

Jen says They are all amazing.... I love 7 and 12!!

Adelle Laudan says Those are fabulous. What a talented lady.

Poetry Train Monday - 38 - Shared Fantasy

I have a guest poet appearing on the Poetry Train today. It's Jeff Smith, my brother-in-law.

















Shared Fantasy


I'd like to share this fantasy with you
And because we both write it
It's a living dream, in a wishful moment

We both write the lines as it goes along
Just the right set of words in our own perfect song
Your hand in my hand, and my hand in yours
Through quiet streets, and on far off shores

No one can condemn us for sharing it's wonder
For only we two know this dream that we wander
It can be wild and savage, or friendly and tame
We both can decide on the rules of the game
We can go as far as we both feel safe
Safe to explore and yes, to also feel great

It's a place we can come back to time and again
Reserved by our hearts, played out by two friends
We're never trapped by it, It always is free
It allows us to see things that otherwise couldn't be





















Finding the feelings we may have misplaced
To share, feel joy, express and relate
Afraid that you'll awaken some hidden desire?
Relax just say stop, and I'll put out the fire!

It never existed, it's all in our heads
We'll both just wake up and be in our own beds
There is no commitment, We just close our eyes
listen to the story, and react with surprise

We become part of the scenery in our own little story
It doesn't have to be now... It could be in our glory
Have the story unfold back before there was guilt
Just to add to the patchwork of our own life's quilt

If ever you wondered just how it might be
Just hop on the same page and share it with me

You see, we all do this, every day, but alone...
A poet shares it, through a poem
What's wrong with exploring this other dimension?
Afraid of a little sexual tension?
Don't worry... it's nothing that I haven't seen...
I'm just missing the part where you would have been!

Copyright - Jeff Smith - Feb. 23, 2008