Of Swords and Soulmates

Inside A Sold-Out Romantasy Convention: Authors, Panels, And Merch

• Mari • Season 2 • Episode 45

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Our Romantasy BookCon Orlando 2025 recap takes you inside Orlando’s packed romantasy gathering—where authors, panels, and pop-up shops turned a sprawling venue into a surprisingly smooth reader playground. We break down what scaled well, what didn’t, and the small fixes that could make next year even better.

We start with the basics: travel, check-in, and how the con split across two ballrooms without losing flow. Ticket talk gets real—why guaranteed panel and author slots mattered more than early access—and we share how no-shows created last-minute wins for savvy attendees. From planned signings with Sarah Beth Durst and Hannah Nicole Maeher to elevator hellos and booth banter with Grace Draven and Juliet Cross, the best moments stayed personal, photographed, and unhurried.

On the vendor side, candles, stickers, and lore-inspired jewelry delivered, but we make the case for more inclusive, non-binary-leaning merch: regulation-sized mugs, ear cuffs, leather goods, and costume pieces like tiaras and horns for the ball crowd. We also spotlight the rise of on-site trading and argue for a dedicated swap zone to keep hallways clear and community buzzing. Then we wade into the night-events debate: the ball earned praise, while the high-priced Disney add-on drew mixed reviews on value and logistics. Our suggestion—keep special programming on property with thoughtful theming and shared meals that center authors and readers—aims at better experience per dollar.

You’ll also hear what creators want more of in romantasy right now: horror romance, humor and banter, real enemies-to-lovers, strong-from-page-one heroines, diverse representation, and slow burns that pay off. Our verdict: same tier next year, arrive a day earlier, pace the panels, and bring space in your bag for surprise finds.

If you enjoyed this debrief, follow Of Swords and Soulmates on Instagram and TikTok, subscribe for future episodes, and leave a quick review. What do you want more of at book cons—cozy or monstrous, mugs or tiaras? Tell us and we’ll take that wishlist to the floor.

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Views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants. The hosts make no claim to be literary experts, and their opinions are exactly that. Opinions. All creative works discussed or reviewed are the intellectual property of the creators of said stories and is being used under the Fair Use Doctrine.

Mari:

Hello and welcome to Swords and Soulmates, a podcast where we read, watch, and discuss romanticy stories. I'm one of your hosts, Mari, and with me I have Kelly.

Kelly:

Hey everyone, it's Kelly. We also have Ashley.

Ashley:

Hi guys, it's Ashley. We also have Jonathan.

Jonathan:

What's good, everybody? It's JP. How's everybody doing today?

Mari:

So today we're going to be discussing our experience at RomanticCon 2025 in Orlando, Florida. For this event, Jonathan and Ash and I went. Kelly didn't go, so Kelly may intersperse a few things if he's like, what the heck are you guys talking about? All right. So we're going to be discussing our our experiences at the con. We also recorded a lot of audio. So we'll be putting that in as well. So it'll be a little mix of things to get started. How was everyone's you know getting there? Travel day, etc., leading up to the con.

Jonathan:

Arduous.

Ashley:

No, we didn't have any issues. We it was a relatively smooth journey for us. We left Brighton early. I'm coming from South Florida to Orlando, and we made it there in a couple of hours. We found the hotel, no, no hiccups, no complaints and travel for us.

Jonathan:

I wear sunglasses in the passenger seat, if that counts.

Mari:

Were you the passenger princess?

Ashley:

He is a passenger prince. No, he's the princess for sure. Very high maintenance. No comments?

Jonathan:

No. I mean, she's no lies were told.

Ashley:

Yeah.

Jonathan:

Tie roll.

Mari:

Yeah.

Jonathan:

How about you?

Mari:

I uh yeah, I I have a little bit of a longer journey than you guys, but not not much. I was South Georgia there. I got earl, I got up early Friday as well, and got myself all packed up and headed out there. It wasn't, I mean, it wasn't a bad drive. I listened to an audiobook on the way down there, a Grace Draven audiobook. I was trying to finish up before the con. And got in. And of course, we all got there early enough that even though we had a hotel room at the event, we couldn't check in. So I got my all my books and stuff together. By the time I got there, everybody was parked. So I had to park out and like tip up to in the parking lot and roll my little self in. Um, but it wasn't bad. I think we pretty much were able to find each other right away. And registration this year was as easy as last year. It was basically just gave them your information and and you know, authenticate who you were, right? Did you guys have any issues with registration?

Ashley:

No, I don't even think they looked at his ID.

Jonathan:

Yeah, no, they did they I had my So yeah, I can't remember if they looked at my ID or not, but Ashley was like trying to verify my name and the lady had already given me my stuff. Yeah.

Ashley:

I thought there were gonna be QR codes that they had to scan because they were so they were stricter this year, right? They wanted names assigned to tickets.

Jonathan:

In that regard, yeah, but they weren't like super strict.

Ashley:

No, not at the window.

Jonathan:

They pretended online, they pretended to be strict.

Mari:

Which is fine. Like, I don't think there were any issues with anybody not being able to get in who had signed up or whatever. And it made the registration go by super fast. Like there was no line at registration.

Jonathan:

Yeah, I didn't think I saw a line at all ever.

Mari:

No, I think the only line we saw was like the exhibit floor that first day, like before it opened. So there was like the hour where it was open to the high fee, I think it was at nine. And then we had the I I forget what the real name of the ticket is, but I call it the peasant fee. We have the low-tier tickets. Yeah, I think it's just Faye. Faye. So we had the Faye tickets, and so we got in at 10, like an hour after the other people. So there was a little bit of people that had, I assume, the same ticket as us that were lined up waiting, but it was just because they were there before it opened. Like that line went away as soon as the floor opened.

Jonathan:

What did you think of this? I mean, like you've been to the venue before, right? Overall, uh do you think it's a good venue for the event?

Mari:

Um I think so. I mean, I really it would be nice if everything was available in one spot without having to go to separate ballrooms or separate floors. But I don't know that anything exists that would be big enough for that, other than like it definitely grew this year. It did. And the only thing I can think of is like a convention center would be big enough. But the problem with a convention center is it's gonna be maybe too big, too much of a space, and it won't be subdivided, I wouldn't think, very well. So, like one thing I noticed this year, so this year they had the same room that the exhibit floor was in last year. So last year it was the exhibit floor and then divided out for panels.

Jonathan:

Correct. Yeah.

Mari:

This year that entire area was one of the exhibit floors, and then there was the other exhibit floor, the palm ballroom, that was about the same size, would you say?

Jonathan:

Yeah.

Mari:

Yeah, and it was like across the pool area.

Jonathan:

Yeah. I bet you this the that they're both the both buildings had the same size ballroom, but then they split one of the they split the palms for panel.

Mari:

Probably.

Jonathan:

Yeah. So I mean that could give you the size I would the size the the amount of growth has to be in excess of a hundred percent.

Mari:

I would think so, yeah. I think that they they were mainly sold out, or they were very they they had sold a good many tickets last year after the event. Because a lot of people went ahead and signed up for this year, like right after at the the event last year. Like we bought our tickets for 2025 at the event last year in 2024. And that was of course before they announced who was gonna be there. And then as soon as Rebecca Yarrows was announced, I think like I don't know, within a day, if not hours, the rest of the tickets sold out.

Jonathan:

Yeah.

Mari:

So um yeah, but I would say that there if if there were lines, it was very small lines, like in the exhibit floor, some of the authors had like short lines. So, like, I don't know, maybe seven, eight people at the most would line up in one area. And I mean, but for the most part, I think we were able to do like what we did last year, where you just walk right up to the authors.

Jonathan:

Yeah, I'm gonna be honest, going into like when I watched everybody line up for their like extra hour early, early access kind of thing. And I was like, I was actually like, are you gonna gonna get in? I was like, No, I was like, I was here last year. I really didn't think it was gonna be a a massive deal. Um, so I was like, I'm just gonna sit down. And then when they start letting us because we we weren't I wasn't gonna go in without you. You arrived before any of that stuff happened. So I was like, I was like, you know, it's I don't see this being I don't see it's not a per it wouldn't have been a perk to me. It wouldn't have been like, hey, you get the hour, an extra an hour of early access. That wouldn't have been a perk to me, a selling peach, because I don't think we had we like and we were meticulous at every booth. Like we were like we went up and down every aisle, some of them twice two or three times. So yeah. Yeah, so it's I didn't think the only time we waited in a line, uh we waited in line twice. Panels. That was just to get in. I mean, that's what lines are for, right? And then ticketed authors, right?

Mari:

So and both of those were like, yeah, you were in line, but you were guaranteed to be there. It's not like, oh, I'm I, you know, if I don't get towards the front of the line, I'm not gonna be able to get in, or you know, I'm not gonna be able to get what I'm lining up for. You just had to be patient. Like if you really needed to be first, you could be there super early. But like the panels you signed up ahead of time, so you knew you had a slot, you know, you knew you were gonna be able to sit. And the same thing with the authors, like you knew you were gonna get to talk to those ticketed authors, you know, regardless of the line, because you had a ticket.

Jonathan:

And the the panels weren't full. Like, I don't know if they were just like we're only offering this many seated seats, and then I don't know if people took the seats and like, hey, not going, or if people, or if they were just like, Yeah, we have a hundred people coming and that's how many t pla slots we're gonna offer, and we're gonna but we're gonna put 200 seats out.

Mari:

Yeah, I think that so we we all signed up for three panels on Friday. We only attended two of them because we were running out of time and wanted to be able to see everything. And because I think because I didn't factor in, I didn't realize they were doing it this year where they closed the the ballrooms down for lunch, which is good for the authors and the vendors, and also they have time to like, you know, use the bathroom, have lunch, you know, relax. I just didn't factor that into when we signed up for panels. So I think there were people who may have made the decisions like we did, you know, maybe they wanted to do something else other than the panels last minute and didn't like unsign themselves from it. Um and or I know there were people who maybe got up late and didn't go to like earlier panels. I was in line with somebody who had a panel and a ticketed author slot that morning that they just didn't get going early enough. Oh, because I but the two panels we went to were the beauty, was it Beauty and the Beast? Beauty is the beast, when Beauty is the beast. Right, and then the hot cocoa and hoody hot hoodies, hot cocoa and hotties panel, and both of those were sold out, like when you know there was no more slots available. And yet when we looked around when we were there, there were definitely seats available.

Jonathan:

Yeah, yeah. And and when we and and honestly, when we gave up our oh oh, weren't gonna make it to that third one. We unregistered it just. Right.

Mari:

But a lot of people probably didn't, you know what I mean? Yeah, which is like a thing I would say to people, and I'll probably say that on the Discord next year and remind people like if you decide not to go to something unregistered, because I know that there's last-minute things that like Ash, I think you s were able to find some stuff last-minute ticketed authors to go to because people had unregistered and stuff opened up that day.

Ashley:

Yeah, and we were kind of hoping to have so I was able to secure a spot to meet Erin A. Craig, whom I've actually not read yet, but she was such a delight in one of the panels that we had scored on Friday. And so when I was able to lock that in for Saturday, it was a no-brainer for me. I went and what was I don't know if they had this last year. Did they have the Barnes and Noble store last year?

Mari:

I don't remember that being there last year.

Kelly:

I don't remember that being an only people selling books last year were actual authors and then that local bookstore.

Mari:

Okay.

Ashley:

Okay, yeah. I thought maybe there was, you know, a situation where like the gift shop in the hotel maybe scored some books, but I don't like I don't remember the whole layout of it. So this year there was a Barnes and Noble like store.

Jonathan:

Like a pop-up shop.

Ashley:

Yeah, for like all the not even just the ticketed authors, but for the authors that were on the floor of the convention. And so I was able to go downstairs bright and early, you know, on Saturday morning after breakfast. I bought one of Aaron, Aaron's books, and I was able to go get in line, you know, 9:30 to meet her. And she was such a delight. It was really a joy, you know, to be able to do that last minute. So yeah, that people who were responsible and aware enough to, you know, unregister for things that they knew they weren't going to make because all of the ticket authors were sold out going into the event. Like there were no spots open.

Mari:

Um I think that made it easier for the authors that were there too. Because I know that, you know, talking to some of like indie authors and stuff that we've talked to, one of the biggest decisions they have to make when they're going to these events is how much of their physical stuff do they bring? Yeah you know, versus this way they could bring their stuff, and then if they sell out, they know that the Barnes and Noble at least have a little bit more.

Kelly:

Yeah, but then the question becomes in my in my thinking, if I was an author, yeah, it's great that a big chain bookstore is going to be at this convention selling, potentially selling your books, but then does that potentially take sales away from you whereas you make more money selling the books out of your own booth versus the money you would make if a big chain sells your books. So what's the margin difference? What difference do you get? Do you get more money if you sell your own books at your booth?

Mari:

That would be a great question to ask authors. I don't know.

Ashley:

Well, and to be fair, I don't think that that was the only option, even outside of the authors who had books at their tables on the convention floor. I do believe that you could pre-order through the author's websites and pick them up at their at their booth. Right.

Kelly:

Like that seems like that would be the ideal situation as an author, is that that way you're not bringing potentially more than you need. Because I would imagine from my experience, working at medical conventions or associations in the past was always the how much merchandise, how much stuff do you bring to the booth and to sell or give away versus the cost of bringing it versus then the cost of sending it back. Because you're already it's already expensive enough to bring stuff to a convention to set up a booth, you know, especially if you're bringing in stuff like you know, tables are usually provided, but like the table drop cloth for your table and then whatever you know, banners or flyers that hang out behind you, and then the merchandise itself and all of that, it gets really expensive to bring that stuff in and then turn around and send it back.

Mari:

Right. Yeah. So okay, you had Aaron Craig, and then you guys both had Hannah Nicole Mayer, right?

Jonathan:

Yeah.

Mari:

For ticketed authors. Yeah.

Jonathan:

Um and Sarah Beth Thurst. Sarah. Sarah Beth Thurst.

Mari:

Okay, so how was so Aaron Craig was just you, Ash?

Ashley:

It was just me.

Mari:

Okay, so that was a good experience?

Ashley:

Yeah, no, she was delightful in her sparkly champagne-colored shirt. I was super stoked to meet her. And she was super chatty. She, you know, I was wearing the the glitter freckles. And it's such a good conversation piece. It's almost like an icebreaker I'm I'm finding in these situations. And she's, oh my God, I love your I love your freckles. And I said, Oh my god, thank you so much. I love your shirt. It's so you know, so sparkly. And so yeah, she was just she was a huge delight, and her the volunteer that was running her room was like taking pictures as the conversation's happening. So everything was just super organized. She was very prepared. You know, I think it I do think no, that was a different author. But yeah, no, she was super friendly and it was it was quite early in the morning and she had had a busy day the day before. I'm sure she was on the floor and I just didn't, I didn't have enough awareness, or I would have bought, you know, the book with her team directly. So I think, you know, having that Barnes and Noble option, you know, on the fly in that way, because otherwise I did make a very like conscious effort to buy things on the floor, like from the authors.

Mari:

I don't know that the ticketed authors were on the floor.

Ashley:

I don't I don't know. Yeah, sounds like I know sometimes I know the panels you know, to be fair, you're correct. So maybe maybe the Barnes Noble was the majority ticketed authors.

Jonathan:

But like so for like Sarah, I think that I think some of the ticket, like so you weren't gonna get to you weren't gonna get to Rebecca without like No, you weren't getting to Rebecca. But I mean, Mari, you hopped on an elevator and the next person on the elevator was Sarah.

Mari:

So you got signing time on on Saturday on the ride down elevator? Mm-hmm. Yeah, okay. So first of all, we all had Sarah Beth Durst signing. So we all got to talk to Sarah Beth Durst for the signings, which it was the same situation for me with the signing where she had like, and this was Friday, she had the the her volunteer, her assistant was there like taking pictures. Um, it was a very fairly short line. You know, got I got books signed by her, had a little conversation. She saw my Falcore tattoo and like loved it. So it was it was fun. She's super sweet. And then we also heard her in the hot Coco and Hotis panel, which she was very, very good panel. I posted a good snippet of it on our TikTok and Instagram, where like they were the cozy fantasy authors were asked for their recipe for cozy fantasy, so she gave hers. But yeah, then on Saturday on the way down when people were getting ready for the ball, we were hanging out with Sarah from Hissin and Kissing came and hung out with us that day. And I think that I was at that point was when I was dressed up in armor, I believe. I think I was. I was already in the armor. Like I had this dress.

Jonathan:

It was for breakfast. It was breakfast. Okay, sorry. It was breakfast.

Mari:

Um everything is mishmash. Yeah. So yeah, on the elevator on the way down, she like rode with us and she was just as nice, just as sweet, just as personable. Yeah. It was a really, it was a really cool experience.

Ashley:

Um I was gonna say kind of surreal. Like I was a little starstruck.

Jonathan:

Very were you? I okay, so I I was not starstruck. No. I'm gonna be honest. Like I but I so okay, so is this what it is that what it's like? Is that like for you when you meet an author? Is that what it's like when when I finally meet Ryan Reynolds?

Mari:

Yeah. Probably.

Jonathan:

Okay.

Mari:

Because there's movie stars that I wouldn't have as much to say to as I I wanted to say to Sarah Betters. Not that I actually did, because that's the whole problem with being Star Trek. You're like, oh my god, I love you. And that is true. Stupid, but it's not everything you want to say.

Ashley:

No, I fangirlled over Hannah Nicole Mayer so hard on Friday. Like I just happened, like we just crossed half.

Jonathan:

Just popping through the lobby.

Ashley:

Yeah, just super casual. Like she's not, you know, a high on my uh on my preferred author's list or whatever. And I was just and I just I fangirled so hard. I was like, I just need to tell you how much I love your books, and I think you're amazing. And I'm so sorry to interrupt your day like this, but I couldn't not. And she was just, oh my god, thank you so much. You know, we really appreciate it. And you know, super down the earth. But yeah, I totally I fangirled hard over Hannah Nicole Mare. It was slightly embarrassing.

Jonathan:

I wasn't I wasn't there when you were.

Mari:

How was the signing? Because you guys both had signings with her Nicole Mayor, too, right?

Jonathan:

Yeah, it was good. Her partner was there. We're from the same neck of the woods. We grew up in an area like Hannah and I grew up in an area that was like your pal Hannah. Yeah, it was the next town over, basically. So I think uh so she's from Southeast Pennsylvania, as am I, and I think we share the love of the Philadelphia Eagles. So when we were done, yeah, when we were done with our with our signing, we looked at each other and said, Go birds.

Mari:

Yeah.

Jonathan:

So good on good on her. Uh yes.

Mari:

So I would say like the of the ticketed authors, Sarah Beth Dirst was the one I was most excited about. I also wanted to get Hannah Komea, but it just I didn't work out for me. But I think overall we had good experiences, all of us, with the ticketed authors. What about the authors where you like were walked up, the ones that you were on the floor? Did you guys have any interesting experiences with anybody on the floor with the authors?

Jonathan:

Yeah, I had I had wild experience with with Juliet Cross, one of my faves. So I love I I like Juliet seems to write in like a couple different spaces, like a couple different voices almost. Yeah, yeah. So the stuff that I love from her is the like the cozy romancey stuff, the stay a spell, the southern charm stuff. Um and uh and so I had given her she was there with her daughter. I didn't know it was her daughter, but I had been I had made the iron on pockets and I was handing those out, and so I'd given them each one of those, and her daughter was like she was like ripping into it. She's like, This is so neat, I love this. And then I was like, hey, I I tend to I ask questions backwards, and she kind of and so she called me out on it. So I was like, Hey, would you be opposed to signing this book? And I brought her like the Southern Charm book, A Rebel Without Claws, and she said, Would I be opposed? No, give me your book.

Ashley:

That's what we're here for, dude.

Jonathan:

Yeah, so so she was signing that book, and I was like, Hey, I made up some words for you. And I was like, I wrote them down, and she was like, she was like sitting there, she was like looking, and she's like, Oh, you you you wrote them down with definitions, and I was like, Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Ashley:

Then she starts writing them down like in a hurry. She's like frantically looking for you know something to write, you know, that isn't another book, right? And then he's like, Oh no, these index cards, like I made them for you, and she looks up with like adoration, like you made these for I get to keep these, like you didn't do this for every because the pockets were for multiple people, right? We gave those out to authors all day long in their teams, but the the the new words, those were for her.

Mari:

Now, let me say I think I remember hearing or her in a podcast or her saying somewhere, I think she's a teacher in another life or was a teacher. So I think that appealed to her teacher soul.

Jonathan:

So that came up.

Mari:

Her eyes lit up.

Jonathan:

That came up. So I was like, hey, you know, unfortunately, I spilled coffee on them too. Like, and because I was like, but you can have them. And she was like, that makes them real. Like, um, and she's like, so then she says because then I was like, I was like, hey, yeah, I like made I told I told her about the calculator, uh which is my which is my uh mechanism for deciding the level of spice and what type of reading that I'm doing to an Excel spreadsheet. And I was trying to like expand on it. I brought this up with Sarah later. Uh I was trying to like figure out appropriate responses to emotions. So I like catalog like 75 different emotions and seven, yeah, and then each emotion has like a set of like responses that are like most appropriate stuff. Like, so it's like, you know, kind of I this is like I launch into this BS with Julia. And Julia Cross looks and she's like, you know, I teach gifted students.

Kelly:

And I can recognize.

Jonathan:

Yes. And so so like she says, she's you may be gifted. Um when things calm down, you should come back and speak with me. And I thought to myself, when I left, I was like, I looked at Ashley, I was like, she thinks I'm special needs.

Ashley:

No, I think she meant like highly intelligent, to be fair. I think he's down and like hyper-focused.

Mari:

I think that's what it is.

Jonathan:

Yeah, hyper focused. So she took my name. She did say, My fingers are crossed. I'm hopeful that she'll use one of the one of the words. If she does use one of the words, she's like, hey, write your name down. We'll give you an acknowledgement if you if we roll down here. I was like, that's awesome. Uh so it yeah, it was it was definitely a it I left with a bounce in my step.

Mari:

Yeah. The other one that I was super excited about seeing was B Northwick, now that I know how to say her name, uh, that we just read. She was in the other, she was in the the Palm Palm, yeah, the Palm Ballroom. And she had a nice little setup. She had posted her setup on Instagram and was able to talk to her and tell her how she tricked me and I loved it. Um and I loved loved the series. And um, yeah, I I that was a good interaction. I think I think those are the two main ones I was interested in interacting with. But there were a lot of other authors that we've read that we were able to interact with. Like Grace Draven was there, she wrote Radiance that we had read together for the podcast. And then I've read, I don't know, two other of her series since then. And I'm I'm hooked. I will read everything she writes. She was very sweet. And Chiara Forestieri was there who writes like monster romance. I wrote, I read one of her books and enjoyed it. And I had on my list to read another one that I went ahead and bought for her. It's like some, I don't know, it's like a blonde demony chick and like a cowboy dude. Like it's it's like a mix between cowboy romance and monster romance, and I am intrigued. It's very pink and sweet and like of the cover. And I'm just like knowing her voice and how she writes, I think that will be a really interesting read. So I'm looking forward to reading that. And she's also gonna be at Monster Rotica Con. So I'll be able to talk to her again in May next year.

Jonathan:

What what did you think of the vendors?

Mari:

Um, vendors, I thought they had some cute things. Like I there were some candles. I always buy candles. I you know burn them throughout the year. So I I bought a few candles that smelled really good. I bought a few stickers. And oh, what else? There was, oh, there was a uh a t-shirt about there was a vendor that had t-shirts and sweatshirts that had really cute little images and sayings on them. Um and the dirty dirty, I believe it was a dirty llama.

Jonathan:

And it's yeah, they were kind of quirky kind of messages.

Mari:

The one I got has a picture of like a blue zombie hand locked in a pinky, like a pinky promise with a skeleton hand, and it says, Vibin' with my demons. I was yeah, I've already worn that shirt. I was very excited about that. So as far as like non-book vendor stuff, I think that's the main thing I got was a few candles and a t-shirt. How about you guys?

Ashley:

Oh, I did some damn guys.

Jonathan:

You definitely did some damage.

Ashley:

I did some damage. I I I found a lot of so one thing about me is I love stuff, right? Like it's not just about the books. I want book merch, right? And so I personally didn't feel like there were enough t-shirts, sweaters, socks, you know, things of that nature. And that's fine because that's expensive these days, right? You know, to what's going on in the in the you know, economic world. But I definitely felt like, you know, the authors stepped up their book game, their fan art game, but we also definitely had stuff. Your girl got, I have so many earrings. Um, and I did, I was able to buy a lot of gifts actually. So last year, our first year going to this one, our my sister came with us. And so in my head, that had cemented tradition. You know what I mean? Like now we were supposed to do all of this together from here on out till the end of time, and she couldn't come this year, you know, because responsibilities. And so I got I got a lot of gifts. So I got some earrings for my sister. There was this cute little stand called Five Lemons, and they had like they had book genre earrings, they were really, really cute. Some of them were bubbles, some of them were book shaped, and so that was really fun. Like you, I got a lot of stickers. I actually paid for stickers last year. We came home with an abundance of free stickers, but this year I paid for some.

Jonathan:

And we came home with some free ones too.

Ashley:

I did come home with some free ones, yeah. And I definitely invested in earrings. I don't remember what they were called. Um I gotta find the the paper on my desk, but I got these cute little dagger earrings. And I I can't remember if they're sterling silver or not. They weren't very expensive, so I'm gonna say no. Mythos and accessory.

Mari:

That's what you found.

Ashley:

So I got little dagger earrings and they dangle, and so it they feel nice and but they feel slightly heavy, like you know, they're they're you know, a nicer metal, so it's not just plastic. And I got like rose earrings from them too, I think. I I splurged on myself for sure. And we also met Darling Embers, which was the the bougie ring place. Um, I was a big fan of those. I had stumbled on them, I'm sure my my TikTok FBI agent was zeroing in on me getting ready for this con. And they had rings that were in the vein of you know romantic book characters. Yeah. So, like um, you know, not Game of Thrones, but like TOG Avatar.

Mari:

Um that really pretty night court ring.

Ashley:

The night, yeah. I bought I ended up I was a sucker. I bought that one. So pretty. And there's a Terrain ring as well. So yeah, sh they were super nice. It was slightly affordable, but you know, high-end looking. Um, so that one was you know a little bit more expensive.

Mari:

But yeah, there's definitely more dragons, like dragon skin, dragon scale texture, like a yeah.

Ashley:

I think it was the wingleader one. Yeah, maybe, and they were very nice and super helpful, and I was excited to see them there. So, yeah, there was definitely more stuff this year. I don't think I bought any candles. There was one stand that was doing embroidery, right? So she had embroidered the shirts and jackets and hats and stuff, and that was really excited. I bought a patch from her, but I should have had all of this at the ready. I'm sorry.

Mari:

No, it's good. I don't either. My stuff, my cart is also my Jonathan is still completely packed.

Ashley:

Yeah, it's glaring at me to my left right now. Like I had to go dig to find the book with the pirate stuff, and I just realized you're gonna die when you see how pretty this is. It's a stunning book. So, yeah, there was definitely more stuff, and for that I was excited, but I was also intrigued and excited to learn and see how much trading was happening.

Mari:

Yeah, there was a lot more trading this year than last year.

Ashley:

I don't even think I saw it at all last year.

Jonathan:

I genuinely like genuinely I I think there's needs to be an expansion in just romantic merch. It's it's arguably uh one-sided, which is good. I mean, don't get me wrong. Like I I'm not gonna campaign for the like people like start swinging the pendulum in the other direction. Um but like if you're crazy, you felt left out. Yeah. If you're if you're a vendor, uh maybe give some thought to testing some products that that are maybe non-binary.

Mari:

Um yeah, I think non-binary is good because I mean statistically, the vast majority of romantic readers are self-identified as female or femme. However, that doesn't mean they're not gonna like other things, you know what I mean? Like female sex stuff and or even things that are geared towards guys like people will still wear, like that Dragon Rider ring, that dragon whatever ring that I got is it was a men's ring.

Jonathan:

Oh I didn't see I didn't even I didn't even look. I just when I looked at the earrings and the jewelry, I was like, oh, this is this is it that's not a booth that that I could have stood in front of that booth all day too, and that that person behind the counter wasn't gonna say anything to me. That's which happened from time to time. The only time at a merchandise booth where somebody engaged me without me interacting first was the it was a candle space. It was it was that lady who like hand poured the Luke's all the stuff from the Gilmore girls. She was like, Oh, do this, and then we just started talking about the city.

Mari:

Is she the one that had the little car scents as well?

Jonathan:

Uh is that a different vendor? I think it was a different vendor. I'm sorry. Although, but it might have been you might you were you were talking to them off to the to the left of where we were it was in the palms room. Yeah, so I mean it might be. So I I definitely turned my attention. Once she engaged, I turned my attention away. Bro, I'm Left there with like a 10-pound candle in the shape of a coffee mug. Like I'm not gonna lie. But when I so when I say like non-binary stuff, like coffee mugs.

Ashley:

Yeah.

Jonathan:

I man, I was so there were there were a very low amount of coffee mugs. Yeah, I'm a coffee mug guy. I and if you're a coffee mug person, there were some unique coffee mugs, but sometimes I just want I I want a regulation-sized coffee mug with a comfortable handle, ambidextrous or or left-handed, whatever.

Mari:

Or like I like the ones with no mug no with no handles on them that you can kind of cup in both hands, almost like a little bowl. I love those. Okay.

Jonathan:

That's interesting. That's a that's a that's a flex, that's a choice. Yeah, I I support that. I s I love that for you.

Mari:

You're like for you.

Jonathan:

I'm gonna drop my mug if it does. I'm gonna be like, where'd the handle go? Dang. I mean, you talk about really wanting to confuse me, is like if there's no handle, how do I know what hand what if this is a left-handed mug or right-handed?

Mari:

So choose your own adventure.

Jonathan:

I know. This is wild. The way to go, Mari, way to throw a wrench into my system.

Mari:

Um, mug vendor that I fell in love with their stuff. I just was out of budget money already by the time I found them. But it's coyote maybe. The handcrafted one?

Jonathan:

Huh? With like the little were that the handcrafted ones where it looked like it was like stitched on.

Mari:

No, they were they looked like they were almost like a fond dance sticker put on, like a like a 3D sticker put on. It's Coyote May Creations. I I like them for two reasons. Number one, just I'd like them. They were like hearts that said things, and then little like wings or tentacles or horns around them. And they were very affordable. It was like 45 bucks for these handcrafted mugs, and very important that I'm looking for now is they were um uh dishwasher safe.

Jonathan:

Nice, that is very important.

Mari:

So they had a whole collection of mugs that were they that had hearts on them and they said smut in the heart. And then around the heart, you you could get either like horns, like devil horns, or like minotaur horns, or tentacles, or bat wings. Yeah, if I had not been at the end of my of my scholastic book fair money budget, I was gonna get their stuff. So I I really liked Coyote May Creations, was like I may have to look them up later.

Jonathan:

Nice. Yeah, that and then the last piece of merch or two pieces of merch, if you're a jeweler, explore, like get maybe some earcuffs. Sometimes I want to look pretty too.

Mari:

Or bracelets. I mean, I think bracelets can be a little bit uh more sexy too than than earrings.

Jonathan:

I think also leather.

Mari:

Yes.

Jonathan:

Like I can't I I I'm I'm genuinely I'm surprised at the lack of leather uh at at some of these events. I think they're I think it's a like what uh what's the word?

Ashley:

Like you do this opportunity.

Jonathan:

Yeah, you do so many things. Yes, from bookmarks to bracelets to you know, like some very interesting belts. What the hell?

Mari:

I'm wearing the same thing on like rentfair vendors, people who sell at rent fairs, who's usually has a lot of leather at rent fairs, rentfair vendors, take note. Think about bookcons.

Jonathan:

Yes, I think I especially think about bookcons because they lean into each other. And then I think I heard Sarah mention this from our from our our our our our dear friend from Hissin and Kissin. Um the t-shirts. Like there were sometimes there were some of the designs were just on sweatshirts and not everybody has room. Yeah, we live Sarah lives in Florida with us, and there's not always opportunities for that stuff.

Mari:

But also another good thing that Sarah uh I maybe it was you and Sarah were talking about was like uh costume stuff, right? There weren't that many people selling costume items, you know, like the the flower uh wreath bands and like little horns and like people will buy costume accessories and things like that. Tiara.

Jonathan:

Yes. I buy I yes. I buy costume stuff just to have it. I don't even wear it. I just buy I have a set of horns, two sets of horns behind me right now. My niece puts them on and runs around the house. That's it.

Mari:

And that's a fun thing to like take home to people. Like you might have, you know, friends, family who may not care about books or read the books, but like, you know, bring in bringing back a tiara or like a pair of horns and they'll, you know, that may be their thing.

Jonathan:

I really feel like tiars and and small crowns would would sell really like just like you know, just like the moment they're gonna buy it. Yeah, do they sell at like Renfest? Do they sell things like that at Renfest?

Mari:

Yes, they do. And also at like other kinds of like sci-fi fantasy cons. So my well, my friend who who has was been on the podcast for Maplegrass, she does she's got the Maplegrass business that does the little surprise balls. She and I went to MegaCon together I don't know, maybe two years ago. It was when Tom Hiddleston was there. We had zero intentions of this, but we left that con with tiaras. Yeah, each of us bought tiaras, which we occasionally now wear just for the heck of it.

Jonathan:

Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, I would buy my niece a tiara. Like I just think she get she would love to have she likes she's into the princesses, so she would love having that stuff. And I think even like my wife and and my niece and my sisters, like having those tiaras and just maybe I'm I'm I fully support putting on a tiara and going out to get tea. You know, do something different. And you know how much Ash, you know how much our niece would love that? Just like an afternoon tea or trying to sell this at me.

Ashley:

Disney does it. I don't understand why the book cards don't do it.

Jonathan:

Um I will say this that venue being I I was we m I think we missed it last year, but this year, Amari, when we were able to just walk across, like literally it was the whole venue wasn't self-contained, which I felt on day two when we were bounding, because I went downstairs to get coffee and uh I was bounding in um I was bounding as Ariel, so I just had like the colour blocks on and stuff, and it was Gariel. Yes, Gariel. Princess Erica.

Mari:

Princess Erica, yes.

Jonathan:

It was very it was it was a blast, but when I like there were definitely some Disney dads that were kind of they were there for vacation.

Mari:

That's right, because it was a Disney resort area.

Jonathan:

Yeah. They were coming downstairs and they were like, what the heck am I looking at here? And I was like, but at the same time, like there were also like families that were going to Disney, and I saw Boo from a little uh what's it called? The Monsters Monsters Inc. It's just a a lady who was had she had the the t-shirt and the shorts and her hair and pigtails, and she had her little shoes on with the f the the white lace socks, and she was she was off to Disney. So although it wasn't a fully insulated event, uh uh it was fairly insulated, I would say, or you were at least around some like-minded folks. So even if they weren't going to that event, they were going to a a similar event that was accepting of the bounds or or or crafting. Yeah, exactly. And then to not have to get in the car and just walk across the street without like we didn't even touch the street. We took a bridge and it made a 90-degree turn, and we were in Disney Springs and able to a variety of food choices became available.

Mari:

This is one thing that I love about cons, this is the type of cons I love where you can be fairly contained for the whole weekend. You know, Dragon Con is like that, where you can not leave your little weird nerd bubble for the entire you know five days uh and just exist. Okay, so we did not have tickets for any of the night activities. We have already said we all had the the the Faye bottom tier tickets. So Friday night we ended up meeting up with Sarah and her husband from the Hissin' Kissin, and we had dinner at the Edison on I was gonna call it City Walk. It's not what is it?

Jonathan:

Uh uh Disney Springs.

Mari:

On Disney Springs, and then on Saturday, you guys went and did Disney, and then Sarah and I got dressed up in armor and went out to the to the the park and got pictures taken, and then we went to the coven at City Walk and hung out with the witches at the coconut club. And then when I got back to the hotel, Griefcat, who we've had on here before, had performed at the ball and ran into them and hung out with them some. So that was our night activities, basically. It wasn't anything of the sanctioned official stuff. Um but on I know that on Friday there was like a thing where you could get together, it was like a cocktail hour kind of thing. And then also there was a Disney event with Yarros that was a separated ticket ticketed event. And then Saturday was the ball. I've heard good things about the ball. Last year we heard good things about the ball. So I would say if that's something that's up your alley, it's probably a good event to go to. It might be worth getting an upper tier ticket to do that. I heard mixed things about the the Disney experience, but I know that Fable Fantasy officially announced that they had had some, I think I don't know if it they called it miscommunications or something between like what what they they had contracted from Disney and what Disney offered for the event in terms of like seeding and people's ability to hear things and and whatnot. Um did you guys hear anything, uh any feedback about those activities, the night activities?

Jonathan:

You know, I I heard just whispers of stuff, and I'm not even sure if it was like direct. So there's there's always this like I think everything I came across should be taken with a grain of salt, where people are are maybe what's uh for lack of a better term, and forgive me for this, jealousy. Like if you didn't get a ticket or couldn't afford to do the extra add-on ticket, then maybe you kind of looked for the for the phone. Yeah. Like, oh, I didn't really miss out because it was shitty anyway. And and I so that's when I looked back at some of the videos, she had a mic in her hand. Rebecca had a mic in her hand. She did an entry into it. She had a very lovely Disney dress on. Like I did the the uh stitch work around the around the bottom of the dress was like I think it had like the castle and stuff. It was like very it was quite lovely to look at. Um and and I think that once that was done, they allowed people to mingle on the on the stage floor. And I think so it became it becomes difficult to say that it was a it was like poorly executed if you had maybe that level of access to her.

Mari:

Yeah. I I am not gonna hear anything. Do I know?

Ashley:

I didn't hear anything, honestly.

Mari:

Yeah, I'm not gonna out anyone's name, but I know someone who did go to the event and they didn't feel that it was worth the the money that they put into it. They didn't think that the the Disney part of it fit in with the event. It was like not what they had paid the money for. Um and I think there was an issue with like I don't know, seating or something. So like the the I I've only talked to one person who did go to it and got their their take on it, and they don't they don't think it was worth the money, they wouldn't do it again, especially if it was another Disney type event rather than just like the author, specialized author event.

Jonathan:

Um how much was it again for that?

Mari:

It was like almost $300.

Ashley:

Yeah, I was thinking it was expensive enough that I was like, I'm an AP holder, you know what I mean? Like I was not paying extra to go to a park that I already paid for.

Jonathan:

Yeah, yeah, no, I was uh so I I'm I I'm with your friend on that. I think that an event of that nature they could have had. I mean, so on on site at the venue, there were enough resources to host like an after hours special meal, dining.

Mari:

I think they would have gotten more bang for their bunk if they kind of excluded Disney from it. Like I don't know that it being at Disney included enough bang for the value. I think I think if they had done like a special event with like maybe a meal, you're right, like a meal, a sit-down talk with them, maybe something more themed to the author's world. Um, I think something like that would have would have maybe made it a better experience for everyone who decided to opt into that extra ticketed event. Expectations versus reality. What did we think overall of the experience? For me, overall, I enjoyed it. I plan to go back. Yeah, I plan to get tickets for next year. Probably same tier tickets. I think I am not interested in necessarily doing the ball in the night activities. So for me, I'll probably continue with the same tier ticket. What'd you guys think?

Jonathan:

Yeah, I think the same for for me, at least. I'm assuming that if I go Ashley's going, someone's gonna pay. Yeah, I think it's the I I think my expectations were met again. I think the I actually I'm gonna be honest, I think they were better this year than like I thought I was gonna walk into after the whole like social media thing and everything that was going on, like getting, you know, registering to for for authors and stuff. After that went down, I was like, Yeah, I was like, I was like, you know, I'm just gonna sit back because I don't trust this event at this time. And then like so I went into it like with like uh on what is it, like uh like like walking on eggshells. I was like, I don't know what's gonna happen. But it went off really well. Um the and I was uh whatever negatives I had going into it were deleted for me, and I'm I'm looking forward to going next year. I would encourage anybody to get who's not sure to at least, you know, give it a shot. Just give one day a shot if you don't if you're not sure. Um and you can always hang out with us, we'll walk around with it.

Mari:

Absolutely. Um Ashry, go ahead.

Jonathan:

Oh no, sorry. Uh the only thing I would add to it is I would like to see a trading space or like a even if it's just uh not a panel, but like Yeah, just where people can come and gather. Because I think we blocked that entire walkway at one point.

Mari:

I think that would be a great idea, have like a table set aside or a corner or something set aside that just like a little trading uh area.

Jonathan:

Trading booth.

Mari:

Yeah, yeah. People can kind of socialize, trade, and be a set place, you know. That would be cool. Ash?

Ashley:

Uh I had a great time. I'm so glad that we went for both days this year, and I would, you know, unless the price jumps exponentially, I would like to do the same next year.

Mari:

All right, we all got here. Safe and sound. Safe and sound.

Jonathan:

I survived.

Mari:

We made it. Yay! We're about to go into the ballroom and see everybody for a little bit, and then we're gonna go into our panels after that.

Bea Northwick:

Yay! Hi, I'm Bean Northwick, author of The Cruel Dark and Black Wicket. You can find my books wherever books are sold online and also my website, Northwickbooks.com. And what I would like to see more in romanticy is horror romance. I want to see more of that horror. I want to see dark magic. I want to see monsters bring all of that to the table. Nice. Okay, perfect.

Paige Lavoie:

Hi, I'm Paige Lavoie. Uh, you can find me on Paige Lavoie Author, all across social media. And I would like to see more monsters in romanticy, especially the ones you can kiss and maybe snuggle.

Rebecca:

I'm Rebecca Kenny. Rebecca, you can find me at Rebecca F. Kenny Books on Instagram. And something I would like to see more of in romanticy is actual enemies who literally try to kill each other.

Chiara:

Nice. My name is Chiara Forestieri. You can find me on Instagram at authorkiara forestieri, and the same on TikTok. I write monster romance, and I would love to see more monsters in romanticy. Yes.

Lauren:

My name is Lauren Lasik. I write YA Romanacy. And what I would like to see in the romantic genre is more of the nightmares trope where she he she comforts him or he comforts her after having a nightmare. Nice.

Leone:

Hi, I am Leone Riley, and you can find me at my website, LeonRiley.com. And what I think we need more of in romanticy is more clawed monster daddies.

Mayda:

Mayda muslin, you can find me at MaydaMuslin.com. And in Romanacy, I would love to see more heroes that are just all in for her from the beginning.

Mari:

Anything else? All right, thank you.

Speaker 8:

I'd like to see more of it.

Speaker 21:

I don't know, wait.

Rebecca:

Wait, I'm gonna think of it, wait. I'll think of something really good at like 2 a.m.

Mari:

Hey, I'd want to see more of this. Okay.

Speaker 8:

All right. Sarah first, and I'd like to see more hot chocolate. Always.

Mari:

Thank you so much.

Speaker 21:

My name is Grace Draven, and you can find me on Instagram, on Facebook, and of course my website, GraceDraven.com. Um things that I'd like to see more of in romanticy, I would probably say the very big epic story.

Jonathan:

These are the delightful folks who taught me all about one-handed reads.

Speaker 7:

Well, I'm sorry, I didn't I did not hear what you said.

Jonathan:

You taught me all about one-handed reads last year.

Speaker 7:

That's right. What supposed to me was my assistant? She came up with the third, because like I wouldn't be able to like, yeah, just get a smug some like not safe for work art, and because I have that a lot, and it's like, you know what, let's put them on the cover. Why not? Yeah, like I didn't like first of all, I didn't know if people would like want to buy on the cover, and it's like, but let's try. And then you know, people went crazy over the and that now to do because a lot of people have kids, I do like uh knife on the front of this jacket, and then a naughty in inside, so you can have both worlds if you have choice. Exactly, and be safe. Your kids were not be scared. My daughter has seen everything, and it's just no, and it's just like the scary pictures, mommy. So, what's your name and where can people find you? My name is Michelle Hercules, and you can find me. I have my website, um Michelle Hercules Bookshop, and you can buy all my books there. I just prefer you can buy directly from me, but I'm also on Amazon, Apple Books, and um mostly live number things, so that's where you can find and what would you like to see more of in the romantic genre? I'm gonna stereo answer because it's a good one. Diversity, I'd love to see more that, you know, like like I said, languages, and I have them already in my books. Um neurodivergency because I'm neurodivergent. I'd like to see me independent, and then I do write. Sometimes I'm not very explicit, but then I know they are because that's me. I don't think you need to be like, oh, like this person. No, because you know, like if you have that disability, you know it's you. So that's what I'd like to see me. Thank you. Thank you.

Mari:

All right, so we finished up our day. What did we think of the day?

Jonathan:

Oh, I thought it was action-packed. Lots of uh, we dodged disaster um a number of times. Uh we went upstairs and downstairs. We had intimate trollly trolly peppermint forest. Yes. With with gumdrops and uh what are the candy corn, candy canes, um, and uh cocaine.

Mari:

Um, okay, yes, that's what it is.

Jonathan:

Absolutely. Um we had we had we had I think we had a delightful time with um uh our the interactions with authors, even just like out of out of the context of like a signing, like just bumping into somebody. Uh I think Ashley ran into Hannah Nicole Mayer like in the lobby getting caught.

Mari:

She was super stoked.

Jonathan:

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, you talk about um uh getting forgetting that people are people, just being like uh celeb status. Um definitely uh fun to see that uh reaction. Overall, um I I think that this event is structured well, as with anything that has interesting vibes here and there that could, you know, it's a it's dynamic, it's a work in progress. So there's tweaks that are gonna be made regardless. Um day one as expected, looking forward to day two.

Mari:

In the books, good we huddle. All right, let's huddle come in here, Dartha.

Jonathan:

Sorry, I'll get to the okay.

Mari:

So we have uh day two, beginning of so far. Ash is coming to join us. She did uh an early morning signing with Craig and Craig?

Jonathan:

Erin?

Mari:

Okay, with an author, sorry. Um, and today we're we're joined by Sarah. Hi, I'm here. Vincent and kissing. Um, and we are about to go into the vetting area. It'll be her first day here. Expectations for today.

Jonathan:

Um, fireworks, lots of fireworks. Um, actually, I'm looking forward to um Juliet Cross.

Ashley:

Ah, she looked adorable with the little flower in your hair. She's here now. They traded me in high fives for this flower. Oh I paid high fives. I had to pay three high fives. Who did you who were you getting the signing with again? Oh, I met um Erin A. Craig. Nice. And I've not read her before, but the signing opened up, and so I was like, well, I have to. And um, so the book that I purch I ran downstairs to go purchase a book, and so I got the 13th child, and um she's delightful. Nice, absolutely the sweetest, and she loves my freckles. It's a great opener, and she had a sparkling shirt, and so we were like two peas in a pod, her and I. We took pictures. What was your your expectations for today? I'm hoping um that it's not as crowded as yesterday. It's already seeming like a little bit less. Um, but other than that, I'm just hoping to go see more stuff and more people. Everybody's been fantastic. Um, and if we can score an hour an Alex Aster meet, um, I think that's top of our list. I don't know if we're gonna get it. Cool.

Mari:

All right, Sarah, what are your expectations for today? I'm going monster hunting.

Speaker 8:

We'll check back in.

Ashley:

Actually, I saw a K-pop demon hunter. Yeah. K-pop demon. He was not a hunting.

Speaker 19:

Hi, my name's Jennifer Chipman. All of my books are on Kindle Unlimited. You can also find me on Instagram at Jen Chipman, author. And uh the thing I want to see more in romanticy is cozy romanticy. Um, I love that. Very nice.

Speaker 1:

My name is Jamie Dalton. I am available on Target and Walmart and Amazon and also TikTok shop. And I definitely feel like romanticy needs more humor and banter. We need more rom-com slipped into it. Dark has its place, and I love it. But we need more humor in it as well.

Speaker 12:

Hi, I'm JD Evans, and I can be found pretty much all over the internet as JD Evans Books. And um, what I would like to see more in romanticy is different characterizations of female strength.

Speaker 20:

Hi, I'm Geneva Monroe. I was a mood reader and it turned me into a mood writer. So I write both Slowburn Romanticy and also a Dark Y twos mafia retelling of The Wizard of Oz. Um, what I wanted to see more of in romanticy actually leads to a lot of why I ended up writing the romanticy I did in the first place. And the one thing I really wanted to see, and I would love to see more of are female main characters who don't need to discover that they can be strong, but actually start strong. Elyria, my main character in Sun Serpent, is the strongest person in the room. She does not need to be told, she already knows it.

Speaker 6:

Hi, I'm Genie Balie, and you can find me wherever books are sold. Um something I'd like to see more of in romanticy this year is Honestly, I'd like to see a little more sex. You know what? Yes, ma'am. Yeah, I think we've been uh a lot of slow burns for good reasons, but um I'm ready. I think it's time, ladies. We're ready. Ready to pay off. We're ready for some some more big dick and thank you.

Speaker 8:

Yes. I'm Sunia Mara. Uh you can find me on TikTok and Instagram at Sunya Mara. I'm the author of The Darkening Duology and Embrace the Serpent. And what I'd most like to see more of in romantic is humor. I want to see, you know, girls having fun, couples who can tell jokes to each other and just like a riot of a time.

Speaker 9:

Thank you. Hi, I'm Juliette Cross. You can find me on Instagram and Facebook, but mostly Instagram. That's my favorite place. And I think what I would like to see more in romanticy is really dark, like horror romance, the new one horror romance. That's what I'm really looking for nowadays.

Mari:

Alright, so we just finished day two. All the bending, looking, all the areas complete. What do we think of our experience?

Ashley:

I think it was fun. It was cute. Yeah. I like it. There's at least two more authors that I need to go back and see in the pong. I have severe FOMO. Like I'm just terrified that I missed something important and I don't know what it is. I'm having so much fun.

Jonathan:

I am um I am chill and fulfilled. Chill A.

Mari:

Chill and fulfilled. I would say today definitely we'd notice less people than than yesterday overall. Um, like as we're saying earlier, probably the Rebecca Grouse effect, she was just there yesterday. Uh so it's been a little easier to get around and to look at things and to get into the aisles. Um I'd say none of the authors have had too much of a crazy weight. They're like the non-ticketed, it's maybe four or five people deep at the most. Um and it seems to flow pretty fast. Yeah.

Ashley:

Everybody's been really great and like conscious of like the space and the time that they're taking up, and um yeah, I'm super impressed. I'm glad that this is going as well as it is. I was a little worried, but I think we'll definitely come back next year. Are you opposed to two days next year?

Jonathan:

To two days next year?

Mari:

I think I think I'll be definitely doing next year. I don't know that I'll be doing any different ticket as far as like high fai or any of that mask, but I think I'm gonna do this ticket again. Yeah. I would just come and stay a day earlier so I'm not so frazzled the first day. Do you think you would want to come back? Maybe maybe if more monster romance people come. Yes, which to be honest, several authors have said that's something they would like to see more of in their massive genre typical monster or monstrous um things. So um, so we've done our our our scholastic book fair and now we're doing our cafeteria lunch. Um we will be reporting it later. Alright, so I'm gonna wrap it up. Thanks to listening to Of Swords and Soulmates. Before we go, make sure to check the show notes, rate, review, and subscribe to us on your podcast, F of Choice. It helps others to find us and lets us know what you are enjoying, what you want more of. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, or Goodreads at Of Swords and Soulmates. Check us out on our website, of swordsandsoulmates.com. If you'd like to offer a suggestion for future episodes, book books, or topics, feel free to reach out to us and any of those methods. If you want to read along with us as we prep for a new episode and get chapter by chapter breakdown of the books, you can join our Fable app book club by searching for the Of Swords and Soulmates book club. I'll say right now, the most active and the one I've had the most interaction with and that I tend to be on the most is probably Instagram and TikTok. That's going to be the quickest way to get a response from from me, from us. But yeah, however your your method is. And last but not least, we hope you'll join us in two weeks for our next episode when we'll be when we will be talking about Wicked. The movie, the experience, etc.

Jonathan:

I love it.

Head Shot

Mari

Host
Head Shot

Ashley

Co-host
Head Shot

Jonathan

Co-host
Head Shot

Kelly

Co-host

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