Good Afternoon Everyone,

As you know, I’m all about chills and thrills. I talk about it so frequently it can seem like a broken record at times. But sometimes I don’t feel like I immerse myself in that world. Before yesterday I’ve never been to a convention. That’s right, hurl your tomatoes now peeps.

The truth of the matter is, I’ve been invited to many a convention, mainly Planet Comicon. The problem? I rarely plan around a convention financially, so I’ve always had to back out. And to be quite honest, I was frustrated with myself for it.

That’s why when my bestie Christina told me about Crypticon months ago, I instantly said yes! This was the perfect chance to not only redeem myself, but to enjoy the things I love and possibly network (Christina sold me on the networking!)

Crypticon is an annual convention catering to love who love horror and thrillers. It tends to feature mainly on cinema, but also caters to the literary side as well. It is currently going on now until the end of the weekend in St. Joseph, Missouri, but I can’t speak for other locations where it may be occurring.

I’ll admit, I was a little nervous to attend this convention, but St. Joseph was only about 45 minutes away from me, so I figured, what did I have to lose?

After attending a night of Crypticon, I have to say that I’m going to make this a yearly event for myself. I absolutely loved it! To keep things short, I’ll glaze over some things and people I met.

The Actors

Famous horror actors were lined up all along the top level. I wasn’t looking to take a selfie with any of them, but it was really cool to see all of them, some of them extremely familiar. There are two in particular that Christina and I spoke with.

Bonnie Morgan 

Bonnie is known for her roles in Rings (Samara), Bubble Boy, Minority Report, and many others. When we talked with her, she was really easy going and made some jokes that people thought the Rings reference at her booth was that it was her daughter. How funny is that? I was super stoked to meet her.

Gary Morgan (Yes, I know the irony of the last names matching)

Gary Morgan is a famous actor and stunt man that has held many roles, the most important OBVIOUSLY being the first Ferengi in Stark Trek TNG. Did you also know that he played the stunt dog of Cujo in certain scenes?

Yeah, he did, and guess who’s booth was next to his? Dee freaking Wallace! (I didn’t get the chance to talk with her as there was a long line)

Gary was super cool and was excited to tell us all about his adventures in his previous roles. He is extremely relatable and it was a joy talking to him.

The Authors

There were also some really cool authors present at Crypticon. While I didn’t talk to all of them, there were two in particular that I got to speak with and do a little networking in the process.

J. E. Nelson 

Unfortunately I don’t have a photo of J.E. Nelson, but I talked with her quite a bit about writing and the process. She’s a self-published author like me and I bought her first novel The Power Within. I am putting this on the top of my TBR, so after my current book I’m reading that one.

I really feel like I connected with this author and look forward to supporting her however I can. The power of networking!

Tommy B. Smith

Again, I don’t have a usable photo of Tommy B. Smith, but he is a writer in the horror/thriller genre and we really got to talking about our experiences in getting published and everything that comes with it.

Now, I haven’t had the chance to buy one of his books just yet, but once I’m back home from the wedding I’m attending today I’ll be purchasing immediately.

Definitely looking forward to reading and reviewing his work.

Shenanigans

Last but not least, here are some of the things Christina and I saw and did. There were not only authors and actors, but great items for sale, great cosplays, and even jedi battles and wrestling matches!

Well, that’s a wrap for me.

Ultimately, Crypticon helped reignite my love for the genres I currently write in, and I can’t wait to start attending other great conventions.

How about you guys? Do you enjoy conventions? Which ones do you attend? Have you met any great actors or authors? Feel free to share, I’d love to start a dialogue!

Have a great day everyone!

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