Fandoms and Artists and Writers, oh my!

A couple of shout-outs to some awesome people I’ve recently met through my love for fandoms:

• A number of weeks ago, I bought earrings from Nerdy But Still Girly, and when my purchases came, I was bowled over by the thoughtfulness of the packaging itself — personalized box, tasty bunny sucker candy, and each set of handmade earrings individually packaged in sweet little bags. I wore the custom-ordered Outlander earrings she made for me on Sunday at ComicCon. Definitely ordering more awesome earrings from her in the future!

• Montreal Wolverine and his team of X-Men cosplayers were fantastic at Ottawa ComicCon, raising money for Breast Cancer Research (Claws for Bras!). I was so impressed not only by his dedication to the cause and the part he was playing, but also his creativity with improvising tableaux. He’s on Facebook — check him out! (And my face on the bike, ha ha…)

• Victoria Dunne and her crew behind the book                                Alice Hearts Welsh Zombies — I got my face zombified on a pin at their booth, bought a signed and personalized copy of the book from them, and got to take home a handmade crocheted 1st Doctor. Plus, we chatted about writing and publishers, and they gave me a great tip on who to approach with my snowmobiling novel for reluctant readers!

And these are just a few of the fantastic people I met. If I get time tomorrow, I’ll post a pic of the lovely steampunk necklace I bought, and information about the artisan, along with highlights from ComicCon. I firmly believe that kindness and generosity and being genuine are essential parts of the successful small business or fundraising enterprise, and these individuals are all excellent examples of how to accomplish those things. When you love your fans and appreciate them — we know it.