MIchele Zurlo's First Reader's Conference!

About a year ago, I set a personal goal to attend a reader's conference. This summer, I met that goal by attending the Rust City Book Convention. RustCity17 was close to home, so it was perfect for my first convention. I had a banner and magnets made, I packed up my things, and set off for Troy, Michigan.

I didn't know what to expect, but a friend told me that this would be perfect for my first time because it was a small convention. It was tiny--and perfect. There were panels for readers and authors, where professionals discussed myriad topics, everything from the evolution of heroines to what kinds of books made great movies. I even read an excerpt from Treasure Me.

We had a meet-and-greet with a cocktail party theme. We served wine and played games. The next photo is me pouring wine with Marie Piper and blogger Tamara from Shelf Addiction.

I played a game where you were given a name (like Ryan Reynolds) and you had to name things about them (like movies, roles, etc.) until your partner guessed their name. I gave away magnets, pens, suckers, and chocolate. I'm a big believer in chocolate.

Waiting for the signing to begin

At the book signing, there weren't a ton of readers there, but I met a ton of great authors and made new friends. I ran out of Re/Bound, so my takeaway from this is to bring a lot more of the first book in a series.

I met Jessica Jarman, a fellow BDSM writer. I have 5 of her books on my TBR pile!

I met Jenny Trout/Abigail Barnette and Ava Stone!

Feeling REALLY short between talented and super nice Sara Dobie Bauer and Roselynn Cannes

I met many, many more people, and I want to thank Wayne Bibbs for taking photos because it never occurs to me to take a picture of anything that's not a waterfall.

Verdict: I loved attending a writer's conference! I'm planning to go to one in October sponsored by the Greater Detroit RWA (attending as a reader.) A friend of mine is planning one in 2019, so I'll definitely go to that (probably in Eastern PA.) If you have suggestions for me, leave them in the comments. I have a banner, and I'm not afraid to use it!

~Love, Michele Zurlo