Steampunk Thursday: ArmadaCon 2017

Last weekend I was a guest at the 29th ArmadaCon down in Plymouth. It was a convention I had been invited to in the past but one I had been unable to actually attend until this year.

Raring to go at ArmadaCon 2017.

ArmadaCon is only a small convention, but it is incredibly friendly, and in no time at all I was made to feel very welcome. It was also great to catch up with old friends - like Andrew Lane, Helen Stirling, Frances Hardinge, and David Wake - and to make new ones - like Mark Poles of The Shop on the Borderlands, and RB Watkinson.

Mark Poles stocking up on signed stock for The Shop on the Borderlands.

Over the course of the weekend I gave a talk about writing adventure gamebooks, and another one about my Pax Britannia steampunk novels. I also took part in an author's panel on the Sunday afternoon. But the highlight of the weekend, for me, had to be Circle of Spears' live reading of my Fighting Fantasy gamebook Night of the Necromancer. I will never look at that particular book in quite the same way again.

Mark Norman, Tracey Norman and Sam Burns of Circle of Spears attempt to keep a straight face during the Night of the Necromancer read-through... and fail!

So all that there remains for me to do now is to thank Gary, Julie, Chris, Dave the Tech Gnome, and the rest of the crew, as well as everyone who attended my talks and the Fighting Fantasy read-through. And if you're a author looking for a welcoming audience, I can wholeheartedly recommend ArmadaCon.

My memento from my time at ArmadaCon.

You can see more photographs from the weekend here.

JG at ArmadaCon this weekend

I will be one of the guests attending this year's AramadaCon, which is taking place at Future Inns in Plymouth, from Friday 3rd - Sunday 5th November.

On Saturday 4th November, in the Main Hall during the day, I will be giving a talk entitled 'How to Write an Adventure Gamebook', while on Saturday evening there will be a live read-through of a Fighting Fantasy adventure.

And on Sunday 5th November, again in the Main Hall, I will be giving a talk about my Pax Britannia steampunk novels, and may also be taking part in a writers' panel.

I will also have a table in the Dealers' Room, where you will be able to buy copies of my history of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, YOU ARE THE HERO Parts 1 and 2, as well as my ACE Gamebook, The Wicked Wizard of Oz.

YOU ARE THE HERO - Parts 1 & 2

The Wicked Wizard of Oz

Forthcoming Events

With 2017 almost two thirds done, I thought it timely to let you know which events I shall be attending in the forthcoming months.

September

Friday 1st September - Fighting Fantasy Fest 2 & You Are The Beer-o presents: Stout of the Pit
The world's first Fighting Fantasy pub quiz and a warm-up to the next day's Fighting Fantasy Fest 2. FF fan James Aukett is hosting the event and I will be Quizmaster (rather than Dungeonmaster) for the evening. Tickets can be purchased here and all profits will go to Prostate Cancer UK.

Saturday 2nd September - Fighting Fantasy Fest 2
A day-long event to mark 35 years of the world's premier gamebook series. Featuring Guests of Honour Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, Special Guest Artist Iain McCaig, as well as authors Marc Gascoigne, Peter Darvill-Evans, Jamie Thomson, and Keith P Phillips, artists Robert Ball, Malcolm Barter, Leo Hartas, Alan Langford, Tony Hough, Jim Burns, and Pete Knifton, comic creators Andi Ewington and Simon Coleby, and Your Truly. If you follow my blog and don't know about this event yet, then I really don'y know what to say, other than tickets are still available here.

Saturday 30th September - Dragondaze
Dragondaze is all about Playing Games, Dressing Up, Having Fun and Raising Money for Charity, at a one day convention celebrating all things gaming-related. It's about dressing up as your favourite character and meeting and making friends who like the same things. There will be many things to see and play. All profits from this Convention will be going to the Barnardos Young Carers, a charity that helps young carers cope and give them days out as a break, and Sparkle a charity that funds a local Children's Hospital and programs for Disabled Children. And I'll be there selling my ACE Gamebooks Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland and The Wicked Wizard of Oz. You can find out more here.

October

Saturday 21st October - GamesFest 2017
GamesFest is a one day tabletop gaming convention based in Hertfordshire that aims to introduce new tabletop games alongside some well loved classics in an informal atmosphere. Gamesfest events continue to gather fans and plaudits as they encompass war-gaming, RPGs, board games, comics, cosplay and much more. We are now firmly established in the annual convention calendar providing a platform for new entrants and a great day out for all those attending. So come along participate and try something new. And I'll be there selling my ACE Gamebooks Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland and The Wicked Wizard of Oz. You can find out more here.

November

Friday 3rd - Sunday 5th November - ArmadaCon
I shall be one of the guests at this year's ArmadaCon, a Sci-Fi and Fantasy Multimedia Convention that's been running in Plymouth since 1988. Other conventions tend to be focused one medium or one subject within that medium but the organisers of AramdaCon found that fans find this format restrictive as most fans like more than one type of medium irrespective of subject matter. For more information about events at ArmadaCon, follow this link.

December

Saturday 2nd December - Dragonmeet
I am planning on attending Dragonmeet again this year, with my ACE Gamebooks in tow, as well as YOU ARE THE HERO Parts 1 & 2. You can find out more about the event here and I will keep this blog updated regarding my attendance at the con in due course.

Maybe I'll see you at one of these events before the end of the year...