Recap: Once Upon a Book, Happily Ever After Ball & Author Signing Frankenmuth, MI August 12-13, 2016

I Smell Sheep's very own Bianca Greenwood attended Once Upon a Book, Happily Ever After Ball & Author Signing in Frankenmuth, MI August 12-13, 2016 put together by author Stacey Rourke. She shares her experience!

This past weekend marked the first ever Once Upon a Book event. Held at picturesque Frankenmuth’s Bavarian Inn, the story-book themed event was a way for readers, authors, and publishers to connect over their mutual love of fiction.

The festivities began Friday evening with a storybook themed ball. Guests were asked to dress in formal or costumed attire, and they were only too happy to oblige. A brief awards ceremony followed the cocktail hour where award winners Mary Ting, Delphina Miyares, Whitney DeBoe/Alicia Michaels, and Ethan Rice received the honors. Dinner, consisting of traditional comfort foods, was followed by dancing. Throughout the evening, guests were also invited to the complimentary photo booth and OUAB selfie mirror; a 

hand-decorated mirror reminiscent of that belonging to Snow White’s evil queen. Much fun and frivolity ensued.

Angela Gibbons and author Alex Tuttle

Angela Gibbons and Nathan Weller, cover model to Mary Ting and aspiring author

OUAB Selfie Mirror

 

The night life in Frankenmuth seems to wind down early, however, that didn’t stop my group from making the sojourn over the river via covered bridge following the festivities. The covered bridge was all too appropriate given the storybook theme of the event. Added to that was the coincidental fact that I was reading event organizer Stacey Rourke’s, Crane (read Bianca's review of Crane), a re-imagining of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow wherein a covered bridge features prominently. But I digress.

Saturday morning came quickly. VIP access to the author signing commenced at 9 AM. Dozens of authors were in place to distribute materials, meet their fans, and make new connections. I was able to meet some I Smell Sheep familiars such as Bridget Blackwood, as well as meet some new and upcoming talents in the world of speculative fiction. A wide array of genres was represented at the event, however, paranormal romance, fantasy, and science fiction were dominant.

Author Bridget Blackwood

Angela Gibbons, again. She bought about 6 books and is a super reader averaging about 200 books a year!

Below is my swag haul. I even won a hand written page by author Amy Richie.

Co-writing team N.D. Taylor and A. Payne

 

Overall, the event was well-organized. Stacy Rourke and her organizational team did a great job planning an fun-filled event. Attendees were well informed in the time leading up to the event, and judging by the light, fun atmosphere a pleasant time was had by all. OUAB was a family-friendly affair with activities organized for children during the ball and the signing, which wrapped up at 3 PM.

Be sure to check out next year's event

http://www.onceuponabookauthorsigning.com/

Magazine Review: Sleepy Hollow magazine

Sleepy Hollow #1
Official Magazine

Titan Magazines
Available From: 18 November 2014

Hang on to your seats Sleepy Hollow fans, Titan Magazines has brought us a Sleepy Hollow magazine! That’s right, in case you need more Ichabod and Abbie, you can now pick up monthly issues based on the Fox TV series.

This magazine has so much to offer fans like myself such as interview articles with the cast. There are no second hand quotes, or recycled articles from other magazines or online interviews, these are exclusive interviews, exclusive quotes which I thoroughly enjoyed. Nothing chaps my rear like a fan magazine that doesn’t provide exclusive content. Then there are the extras like a monster guide which features photos, details and behind the scenes secrets about baddies like Moloch, The Golem and The Kindred but the Headless Horseman himself is surprisingly absent. In fact, there isn’t a profile or anything major about him at all which was strange and a bit disappointing seeing as he’s a huge part of the show and the current storyline. Maybe the next issue?

For fans who want a little more than just the standard interviews and character profiles, there is also a section where some of the best tweets from fans and the cast and crew are listed, some of them are pretty darn entertaining too. Speaking of tweets, the magazine also includes a list of cast and crew members who are on Twitter so if you’re not already following them, you can be sure that you’re following the real deals (In case you’re wondering, I’m totally following them all). A season 1 episode guide, trivia and other fun tidbits are just some of the information waiting for the curious and the diehard fans.

Really, I had fun reading this issue and learning stuff about one of my favorite shows that I didn’t know before! For example, did you know that you can purchase The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on audible.com and it is narrated by none other than Ichabod Crane himself, Tom Mison? Or that there is also a preview of the Sleepy Hollow comic?

This first issue of the Sleepy Hollow magazine shows a lot of promise and I’m curious to see how future issues will stack up and if the contributing writers will continue to deliver entertaining articles and interesting facts. According to the magazine itself, the February issue promises and interview with the lovely Katia Winter (Katrina Crane), season 2 news and more.

While all that sounds interesting and believe me I’d love to do a write up on each and every issue, there is one problem I saw with this magazine. At $9.99 an issue for US/CAN residents, that might cause more than a few fans to lose their heads (See what I did there?). It’s a little steep for my tastes but if you can swing the price, I’d say go for it. Especially if future issues are going to be this packed with Sleepy Hollow goodness.

Sheep Rating: 4 sheep

Adria Reyes
Adria's Romance Reviews
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Coast Magic Convention Schedule! Check it out...

http://coastalmagicconvention.com/

Take a look at all the fun authors you can meet and panels to attend. CM is coming up quick. The deadline to grab a hotel room at the discounted rate goes away Monday!!! You have till Jan 14 to register through EventBrite, but there my be an option after that. Check the website for details.

Registration through EventBrite will be closing on January 14th

 group rate with the Hilton is only valid until January 5th

 Be sure to mention our group rate code, CMBT, if you call.

To see the full schedule:

2015 CMC Schedule - Final1

note:  there might be slight changes to this schedule before the convention

Thursday, Feb 5, 2015

5pm - 10pm
Check-in / Welcome Bag Pickup (resumes 9:00am Friday and Saturday)

6pm - 12am
Game Room (board games, card games, etc.) - open to all attendees

Friday, Feb 6, 2015 

9am - 10am
All Creatures Great And Small - Vamps & Werewolves seem to top the list of UF/PNR creatures, but they are not the ONLY paranormals to steal our hearts! A chat about dragons, fae, witches, and more. - Alivia Anders, Vaughn R Demont, Jeffe Kennedy, Stephanie Julian, Rane Sjodin, Tigris Eden, Elisabeth Naughton

Non "Others" - The importance of the humans in our favorite UF/PNR stories. - Chudney Thomas, Deborah Cooke, Jess Haines, Kiernan Kelly, Jordan K Rose, Kelly Meding.

My Hero - Is your perfect hero an “alpha”? Are they “flawed”? What makes readers swoon for the leading man? - Kait Ballenger, KC Burn, Kristen Painter, Tere Michaels, Lia Davis, J A Souders

10:15am - 11:15am

Forever & Ever - Keeping a series fresh and interesting when there's no real end in sight. - Paige Tyler, Christina Farley, Angie Fox, Eric R Asher, Julie Kenner, Coreene Callahan. 

Out Of The Genre Box - Paranormal authors who also write contemporary/historical/suspense/etc. Why they do it, and what's in it for their paranormal fans? - Tigris Eden, Hildie McQueen, Seressia Glass, Donna Grant, Damon Suede, Tina Wainscott

Bite Me! - Readers' continued fascination with Vamps & Weres in UF/PNR. What's hot & what's next. - Terry Spear, Amanda Carlson, Stephanie Julian, Molly Harper, Jan DeLima, Jess Haines.

11:30am - 12:30pm
Meet & Greet - J A Souders, Tawdra Kandle, Lucienne Diver
Meet & Greet - Lisa Kessler, Lee Roland, Poppy Dennison, Kiernan Kelly
Meet & Greet - Lia Davis, Deborah Cooke, Coreene Callahan, Aria Kane, Tina Wainscott

2:15pm - 3:15pm
M Squared - Gay UF & PNR at it's best. Where to start, what's hot, and what's coming soon. - Kiernan Kelly, K C Burn, Tere Michaels, Poppy Dennison.

Urban Fantasy Rulemakers (and Rulebreakers) - Creating, and sticking to, the rules of a paranormal society. - Jenna Black, Elliott James, Amanda Carlson, Lee Roland, Kelly Meding, Nancy Holzner Elliott James

Life With An Author - Family members of Featured Authors dish about life with a loved one on deadline. - TBD

3:30pm - 4:30pm

Meet & Greet - Carrie Ann Ryan, Larissa Ione, Christopher Rice, Lexi Blake
Meet & Greet - Jaye Wells, Kelly Meding, Nancy Holzner, Paige Tyler, K C Burn
Mad Hatter Tea Party (M&G) - Hildie McQueen, Jordan K Rose, Kristen Painter, Chudney Thomas, Terry Spear

4:45pm - 5:45pm
1001 Dark Nights - Series Q&A - Larissa Ione, Carrie Ann Ryan, Donna Grant, Elizabeth Naughton, Lexi Blake, Christopher Rice, Julie Kenner

7:00pm - 10:00pm
TBD

9:00pm - 11:00pm
Cinema Craptastique - Movie Title TBD - Damon Suede, Molly Harper, Vaughn R Demont, Angie Fox, Kiernan Kelly, Jess Haines, Jeffe Kennedy - and more!!

Saturday, Feb 7, 2015 

9:00am - 10:00am
Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The End Of The World - Comedy in UF/PNR - Vaughn R Demont, Jaye Wells, Molly Harper, Angie Fox, Julie Kenner, Lee Roland

Novellas & Short Stories - Making the most of a two hour read. - Deborah Cooke, Aria Kane, Amanda Carlson, Seressia Glass, Kait Ballenger, Kristen Painter, Carrie Ann Ryan

The Perfect Villain - Bad guys we love to hate. - Coreene Callahan, Jan DeLima, Larissa Ione, Kiernan Kelly, Tina Wainscott, Jordan K Rose

10:15am - 11:15am
Wrapping It Up - Ending a series in a way that makes authors AND readers happy. Moving on to something new, and taking your fanbase. - Deborah Cooke, Lisa Kessler, Donna Grant, Christina Farley, Hildie McQueen, Carrie Ann Ryan, Maureen McGowan

The Scooby Gang - The importance of “side” or “support” characters in our favorite stories. - Kristen Painter, Stephanie Julian, Tawdra Kandle, Coreene Callahan, Paige Tyler, Jaye Wells

Been There / Done That - Stories that bust stereotypes in gay urban fantasy and paranormal romance. - Vaughn R Demont, Damon Suede, Tere Michaels, Poppy Dennison, K C Burn.

11:30am - 12:30pm
Meet & Greet - Elizabeth Naughton, Julie Kenner, Donna Grant
Meet & Greet - Angie Fox, Molly Harper, Damon Suede, Rane Sjodin
Meet & Greet - Jan DeLima, Elliott James, Jeffe Kennedy, Stephanie Julian

12:30pm - 2:00pm
Lunch with an Author

2:15pm - 3:15pm
Paranormal Mystery - Who Dunnit? An intro to the cozy(ish) subgenre. - Lexi Blake, Angie Fox, Jaye Wells, Rane Sjodin, Poppy Dennison

PC in UF/PNR - How authors incorporate or avoid political and social issues in their stories. - Kelly Meding, Nancy Holzner, Terry Spear, J A Souders, Jenna Black, Maureen McGowan, Elisabeth Naughton

Man Up! - Panel of male UF/PNR authors discuss how they approach storytelling. Is there any difference from their female counterparts? - Eric R Asher, Vaughn R Demont, Elliott James, Christopher Rice

3:30pm - 4:30pm
Flash Fiction - Authors create a fast-paced, on-the-spot story using prompts from the audience. - Damon Suede, Lucienne Diver, Kiernan Kelly, Nancy Holzner, Lisa Kessler, Alivia Anders, Jeffe Kennedy

5:00pm - 7:30pm
Public Book Sale / Signing

9:00pm - 1:00am
Mixer

Sunday, Feb 8, 2015 

9:00am - 10:00am
Charity raffle basket winners announced. Winners can pick up baskets until 12:00pm. Alternate winners will be selected between 12:00pm and 2:00pm.

10:00am - 11:00am
Mythology, Fairy Tales, & Legends - The stories that inspire our stories. Which of the old tales are most used, and best used. How to make them work in today's UF/PNR. - Lia Davis, Aria Kane, Seressia Glass, Larissa Ione, Tigris Eden, Jeffe Kennedy, Lee Roland

Kick-Ass Heroines - Our favorite leading ladies . How important is it to have a heroine who is both soft and strong? - Paige Tyler, Jess Haines, Christina Farley, Tawdra Kandle, Lucienne Diver, Jan DeLima, Julie Kenner

How REAL Is Your FANTASY? - How far can you push the boundries of a “believable” paranormal story. What's the research process like, and how much does the FBI know? - Eric R Asher, Nancy Holzner, J A Souders, Maureen McGowan, Terry Spear, Chudney Thomas, Rane Sjodin

11:15am - 12:15pm
Meet & Greet - Alivia Anders, Christina Farley, Maureen McGowan, Jenna Black

Create The Perfect Cover! - Author Activity - Ever wonder what goes into the making a great cover? From title to graphics, you will create a masterpiece for the authors. In this interactive event, readers will work alongside authors to create the perfect cover for their books. - Hildie McQueen, Jordan K Rose, Chudney Thomas

Meet & Greet - Eric R Asher, Jess Haines, Tere Michaels, Kait Ballenger

12:30pm - 1:30pm
Soundtracks / Playlists - The groove behind some of our favorite characters and stories. - Tigris Eden, Aria Kane, Alivia Anders, Tawdra Kandle, Lia Davis

Authors In The Audience - Full panel of authors with questions for YOU!!! - Hildie McQueen, Lee Roland, Tina Wainscott, Jenna Black, Eric R Asher, Larissa Ione

Little Thing Called Love - Balancing a great (hot) romance within the worldbuilding of paranormal romance. - Christopher Rice, Lucienne Diver, Chudney Thomas, Terry Spear, Lexi Blake, Lisa Kessler

1:30pm - 2:00pm
Farewell - Informal chat about what worked at this year's con, and what we can improve on for Coastal Magic 2016. Authors and readers welcome!

And the best part...you get to meet Sharon and Katie! We will be gearing up for The Year of the Sheep. Get your Year of the Sheep World Domination Picture with us and declare your love of I Smell Sheep*

*no blood sacrifices will be accepted, but man-candy or candy in general will be...I like chocolate and Bit-O-Honey...just saying.