HAPPENINGS
Book shops, conventions, libraries - these are some of the wonderful places I've showcased the Forging of a Knight series, talking fantasy, making great new friends, and bringing on board new readers into the Forging of a Knight adventure!
CodCon - April 12-14, 2024 at the College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL!
CodCon is always a magical event, led by the indefatigable Dr. James Allen! It's always great to see some fellow vendors again, such as Rob Hogan, artist extraordinaire, fantasy author Jak Lore, and many others. Looking forward to CodCon XXVIII April 11-13th, 2025!
PeoriaCon - March 2-3/2024 at a new location - the Peoria Civic Center!
Yet another awesome time at this awesome event! PeoriaCon was held at the Peoria Civic Center for 2024, more of a downtown centralized space, which didn't keep the crowds away at all from coming in and joining the fun! James Pax (Big Trouble in Little China) was there, Rodger Bumpass (voice of Squidward) was there, more vendors, more guests, more game competitions, and activities galore! Some pics follow - and the clock is set for PeoriaCon 2025!
www.peoriacon.com
GameOn!
July 8th, 2023
Peoria High School, Peoria, IL!
Welcome a new gaming convention!
The inaugural GameOn event at Peoria H.S. (brought to you by the same awesome folks at Premiere Events LLC/PeoriaCon) happened on Saturday - and my son couldnt have been happier! First time accompanying me as my convention booth wingman, he enjoyed not just the atmosphere but participating in a Super Smash Bros. tournament (he's wearing the orange shirt below). Being a first-time ever event, the crowd was small, but bigger and better things are sure to come from Jason and his PeoriaCon crew!
One person I wished to highlight here is Alexandria Volk - not only an astute reader of great taste, but also an amazing artist. Check out her work at:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081888696933&__tn__=R*F
CodCon 2023!
April 14th-16th
College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL!
Amazing how the storm giants can fool ya! From 80's to upper 30's in a span of just a few days, snow included! I knew I should have kept the Christmas tree up...!
CodCon is now over with - the Fish has gone back into the pond until April 12th-14th, 2024! Despite the odd temps, fans, gamers, and cosplayers alike made their way to the College of DuPage's CodCon gaming convention held these past three days to partake in fun, fantasy, and frivolity!
Dr. James Allen and the Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Gaming club ran another exceptional event. Tabletop/board games, role-playing games, auctions, video gaming, a masquerade, and more - even Dan the Bard was there!
And in addition to all of that, you had your friendly vendors which Forging of a Knight was a member of. Thanks to the new readers, one and all, for joining the Knighthood! Another great time at this amazing con which just gets bigger and better each time! If you haven't been, you really should!
PeoriaCon 2023!
Sat March 4 - Mar 5 2023!
Another great time at this amazing con which just gets bigger and better each time! If you haven't been, you really should!
https://www.peoriacon.com
Barnes & Noble Book Signing 9/24/22
A fully fantastic Forging of a Knight foray - or in other words, how awesome can a Barnes & Noble be?
I've been lucky enough to have been at book signings at the Barnes & Noble store that used to be located in West Dundee IL. Today was the first time I was able to return to their hallowed halls since they moved to 1802 S. Randall Road in Algonquin.
New location? Definitely. Treatment by staff? AMAZING AS ALWAYS!
The store team went beyond bending backwards in making me and my son Dean who accompanied this weary writer feel at home. Friendliness, attentiveness, support, you name it, they did it! EVERYONE was wonderful - Jeff, Lexi, you two especially - I can't thank you enough for everything you did for us...and this also shows what sort of treatment customers should expect to receive when stopping by! Again, many humble thank-you's...everyone there is definitely a Forging Knight for life! Also, thanks to all the other new Knights who joined the adventure! These pics are just a sample of the fun! How much fun you ask? Check out the sword-pen fight below!
Thanks to PeoriaCon/Logan Dean for the video mention!
This was a cool video on PeoriaCon - and an equally cool discussion with me around the 41 second mark about Forging of a Knight. Many humble thank-you's for the inclusion, Sir Dean! Just shows you what an amazing annual event this is, and one you cannot afford to miss if you are near Peoria, IL! I can't wait to go back!
CODCON is BACK!
The "Fish" returns - College of DuPage's CodCon XXV: "Re- Roll", Glen Ellyn, IL April 8-10, 2022!
CodCon XXV has dropped the mike for another year...After a two-year Covid hiatus, College of DuPage's CodCon completed today, and it's always sad to say goodbye (until next year 4/14-4/16 2023, that is!!). Amazing vendors, amazing College of DuPage volunteers, and of course, the amazing head mage/honcho himself of CodCon, Dr. James Allen (the esteemed gentleman in the photo holding a copy of Forging of a Knight - obviously a mage of great wisdom!).
Role playing games, maid cafe and masquerade, a LARP gauntlet, appearances by the awesome 501st Legion as well as Dan the Bard, video games, and more - despite the delay, CodCon was an absolute success! I was so glad to be a part of it, and attached you'll see a few pics that show some of the reasons why!