Conflux 13: Day 2

It’s 7:05pm as I begin writing, bleary-eyed and rocking a banquet-sized hunger (in related news, the official Conflux 13 banquet begins in twenty-five minutes).

First things first: after a panicked search and paying a suitable bribe to Miss Five, I have the GOOD tiara, and have been wearing it all day.

I’m also wearing an epic purple tutu, and wings. It’s possible glitter and craft glue are involved.

(There are brass lamps and circular patterns in the foyer/bar/restaurant. It is shiny, and the perfect accidentally-steampunky venue for my launch of “Antipodean Queen 2: Silver and Stone” tomorrow at 2pm in the JFK room.)

Note to self: Take pictures. Promise to show them to people who read tomorrow’s blog.

I extremely enjoyed being on the “Beyond the Hunger Games: Best young adult books in the last twelve months” panel. My personal top picks (based on personal taste + genius):

1. “Borderline” and “Phantom Pains” (Books 1 and 2 of the Arcadia Project) by Mishell Baker.
2. “Goldenhand” by Garth Nix (Book 5 of the Old Kingdom…er… trilogy).
3. “Songlines” by Carolyn Denman (Book 1 of the Sentinels of Eden series).
4. “Salvage” by Martin Rodereda.
5. “Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo, which I am reading now (in preparation for the panel…oops).

I adored the panel on Steampunk Martial Arts by Laura E. Goodin, Madeleine D’Este (yes, her again), Aiki Flinthart, and Rik Lagarto. I could listen to any of those people on any topic, but that was just fantastic. I especially enjoyed Laura and Rik’s humour, and Aiki’s knowledge of unusual weapons (hampered only by my knowledge that everyone will know I’ve stolen the ideas from her), such as the flexible sword word as a belt.

I lied about being in the Dealer Room most of the day. There are so many Odyssey authors this year that I wandered off to other places so me and my tutu could stop sweeping over book displays and toppling posters.

Skirts. They’re dangerous.

Photos tomorrow.