This is me with Nobilis Reed. I'm 5'3". He's 6'8".

Just got back from Balticon, where I got to hang out with some of my favorite people in the world, met even more awesome people, and missed a couple folks who had other obligations. Then I drove seven hours on no sleep to make sure Rosemary didn't miss her plane. I ended up screaming out lyrics to fast-paced songs so I didn't fall asleep at the wheel. Now my voice sounds like Ke$ha. I did not wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy.

With the exception of ConTemporal, which I will be attending with the North Carolina D20 girls as part of the convention staff, this is my last con of the year. I would love to go to more, but it's just not in the cards.

If you've been reading the blog, you know I quit my day-job back in March, and things have gone about like you'd expect:

I thought about going back to school, but decided against it.
I got a part-time job scooping ice cream but it wasn't enough to pay the bills.
I'm moving back in with my parents, and I am very lucky to be able to do that but scared of returning to the same isolation I had when I came back from Japan.

My parents have told me not to worry about getting a job for three months. This is insanely generous of them, and I am so thankful and fortunate not only to have the ability to move back in with them, but to have their support and belief that I can actually do both voice acting and writing and make what I love into my day job.

This coming month, I'm narrating two books on ACX/Audible and have been asked to audition for another, which I may decide to accept pending audition and direct offer, because it's sold quite well on Amazon given it's recent release and the story would give me the opportunity to do some accents I rarely get to exercise...as well as read something other than romance.

But that will be after I move. Seriously, the guy downstairs moved out and they're fixing up the apartment so the new folks can move in.

Here is an example of the drilling noises I hear every day while I'm trying to record...and my voice post-Balticon.

I'm getting enough decent offers from ACX, that I really hope I will be able to support myself, at least in part, on recording. If I could just make enough to pay off my debts, I would be happy.

So I've decided my goal is to support myself through writing and voice acting.

Which brings me to another point. I am still pursuing traditional publishing, but in talking to Abbie and a few other folks, I've decided not to limit myself only to that anymore. If I can afford to put the money into my book that I would be relying on publishers for (for in-depth editing, cover art, and the marketing I would want to do) I think I have a good chance with it. However, until the market settles down and I have the capital to actually give my books the attention I want to give them, I will still be pursuing traditional publishing with my longer works. I have a lot of confidence in my writing, but I know there's room to improve - enough that I don't want to short-change my chances.

So, I'm using the Millroad Academy Exorcists series to teach myself how to do this e-publishing thing. Exorcising Aaron Nguyen is coming together well, and through the crazy chance networking opportunity generator that is Twitter, I did end up winning a free in-depth edit... which is awesome, because I never could have afforded it! I also did a reading from the second draft at BaltiCon and feel really excited about doing the audiobook version myself. I may put up the audio from that reading a bit later.

This post's shout outs include awesome new people I met:

Benjamin Charles Press Esq (our paths would have crossed eventually. Glad it was here.)
Myke Cole (who appeared on Pendragon's live panel, then gave the best 3AM pep talk ever)
Hugh O'Donnell (who I finally got to hang out with some)
Katie Bryski (a fellow author, podcaster, nerdfighter, and Disney/Musical enthusiast)

Awesome people I got to hang out with again:

Veronica Giguere
Starla Huchton
Nobilis Reed
Norm Sherman
Renee Chamblis
Doc Coleman

Friends at con who feel more like family:

Abigail Hilton
Bryan Lincoln
Rosemary Tizledoun

And friends I missed seeing:

Justin Macumber
Tee Morris
Pip Ballantine
John Mireau

This post brought to you by Cards Against Humanity, the best drunken pep talks ever, and staying up until 4:30 because you can't stop talking and don't want the con to end.