Welcome to Penned Con 2014 Where You Can Find Bad Boys, Battle Axes, and...Pie in the Face!

The first annual Penned Con was held last weekend in St. Louis, Missouri on September 12-13. First and foremost, Penned Con is a celebration of the Indie book market. 86 Indie authors and hundreds of fans gathered at the Sheraton City Center to sign books, stalk their favorite authors, and take part in multi-author panels to discuss where the Indie market is now and where it is going.

The Indie market is constantly evolving. Even five years ago being self- published held the stigma of being considered not-good-enough to be traditionally published. While I don’t think that belief has entirely faded from some minds, the authors who self-publish couldn’t be happier with their choice. I consistently heard authors praise the Indie market because of the control they had over their story. They can write the story they want, with the ending they want, and the characters they want, without a major publisher changing it to fit into a genre mold.

What this means for the reader is that we get to read stories that cross boundaries. Characters are more diverse. Genres are blended in unique and exciting ways to defy the stock endings we often see in traditional print publishing, and Indie authors are even experimenting with how a story is told, utilizing technology to include art, music, and videos to enhance their story. I’m intrigued with this evolution of story and can’t wait to see how the Indie market grows in the years to come.

Penned Con 2014 was informative, but above all, it was a fun event filled with fantastic readers and authors! Here are the top five reasons Penned Con 2014 was a wonderful experience and why you should attend Penned Con 2015!

1. All profits from Penned Con 2014 went to Action for Autism (AFA).

AFA was founded in 2008 to help families within a 250 mile radius of St. Louis to obtain care, treatment, and educational support for children on the Autism Spectrum and with other neurodevelopmental delays. The creators of Penned Con, Rick and Amy Miles, not only donated all the profits to AFA, but Rick pledged to get a pie in the face if Amy and their son Landon could raise an extra $1,000 for AFA before the event. Amy and Landon rocked the challenge, and Rick got a pie in the face at the Awards Ceremony on Saturday night!

2. Talented, hilarious, smart authors.

I met some amazingly talented, hilarious, smart authors at Penned Con. The panels were always interesting and always lively, and the ones I attended balanced the discussions to appeal to readers, published authors, and aspiring authors. These authors know their craft and are constantly looking to improve by reaching out to their fans. I laughed until I cried at the Book Boys We Can’t Live Without panel with Moderator CJ Roberts and authors J Sterling, Ella James, JA Huss, Christine Brae, and Sarah Ashley Jones. I hope next year will bring back many of the same wonderful authors as this year and give me a chance to find more.

3. Books, swag, cover models, and more books.

There were fabulous books to buy and lots of free swag including pens, magnets, bookmarks, signed postcards, bracelets, and a colorful to-go cup with an instant coffee packet in it from Maggi Myers, who saved the day for me and I’m sure others with that coffee! Did I mention the cover models roaming the room? I may be in the minority here, but when a cover model in a cowboy hat, tight gray t-shirt, and snug jeans winked at me, I half-smiled but I’d already stopped seeing him because right beside him was a table stacked high with books. Yes, that’s right I only had eyes for the books. I have learned that I can’t talk to an author behind a table filled with books without caressing the book covers like I’m trying to comfort it by saying, “It’ll be okay. I’m here for you.” Luckily, not a single person at Penned Con thought this the least bit strange. I was definitely among my own!

4. Community

And speaking of being among my own...the readers and authors at Penned Con are wildly supportive of each other. The crowd was responsive to all the speakers on the panels. There was laughter, tears, and lots of applause because this is a community of readers and writers who are connected through their love of stories. Every time I introduced myself to an author and told them I write a YA column for Fresh Fiction, they would immediately give me recommendations on who I needed to talk to. There is little distinction between authors and fans at events like Penned Con. Everyone has a favorite author they stalk during book signing. It was a joy to be surrounded by so many people who were thrilled to be in that moment with these people who share a passion for stories.

5. Penned Con 2015 is hosting a Masquerade Ball!

Masquerade Ball. I don’t even need to explain why this is awesome. Maybe I read too many historical romances growing up (I don’t actually think that’s possible), but going to a Masquerade has been on my bucket list since I was 15. Attending a Masquerade with such amazing authors and readers like the ones at this years Penned Con 2014 promises to be absolutely fantastic. Penned Con 2015 is from July 23-25, so that gives you plenty of time to find the perfect ball gown or suit, invent a perfectly mysterious identity for one evening, and buy your ticket!