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What’s it like to be a vendor at a ComicCon?

What’s it like to be a vendor at a ComicCon? Perhaps you never wondered. I’ll tell you my experience with QuadCon in Peoria.

ComicCon
Here’s the start of the ComicCon experience

It all begins when I hear about a ComicCon, especially in my area of central Illinois, Peoria.

I go to the QuadCon website and find out how to get a table, how much it costs, and what the schedule is.

After buying the table and putting it on my agenda. I advertise it to my fans–like you.

By the way, if you want me to come to your area, contact me with the opportunity.

If it works out and I can come, I’ll give you a pick of my books!

The Life After Life Chronicles

Or you can pick my newest book, Secret Supers.

Secret Supers cover

The Day Before the ComicCon

I pack my books to sell–all of them. That’s four different books, about a hundred and fifty copies. Normally I keep them in the Amazon boxes they come in, but I pack about a hundred in my rolling suitcase, until I can barely lift it.

I pack up my posters and most importantly, my zombie turkey puppet.

Andy Zach acting out

You see, I read the first page of Zombie Turkeys and act it out with my puppet.

What’s the first page like?

The First Page of Zombie Turkeys

ComicCon
Chapter 1 icon

Chapter 1


Bartonville

He felt different. More energetic, more alive. He bred with
female after female in his flock without tiring. He stayed
awake through the night. He feared no predator.

Then a turkey hunter shot him.

The setting sun overlooked a crisp, clear evening in early
November. South of Bartonville, Illinois, a farmer had leased
his wood lot to two turkey hunters. Big and burly in their
bulky camouflaged outfits, they had just bagged one.

“Good shot, Pete!”

“He’s a big ‘un!”

Pete and Bob walked up to the tom turkey, bleeding on
the cold ground. The rest of the flock had scattered into the
woods. He had exceptionally good plumage and weighed
perhaps twenty pounds. Pete reached down and picked him
up by the neck.

“He weighs at least twenty-five pounds!”

Then the turkey’s eyes opened—and gleamed red. He
kicked with his spurs and pecked savagely at Pete’s arms and
eyes. Dozens of his hens attacked the men from behind.

“Gobble! Gobble!”

He felt different. More energetic, more alive. He had no
memory of being shot, but a certain turkey satisfaction at
killing his killers. He also enjoyed pecking at their dead meat.
He had always liked frogs, but this meat tasted better. He led
his flock down the road, in search of more predators to eat.

I’ll do this ten to twenty times in an eight hour day.

Andy Reading Page 1 – and more

Andy Zach reading page 1 – and more

Here’s our table at QuadCon:

ComicCon
Andy Zach and Tori at QuadCon

Finally, the End of the ComicCon

The convention ran out of gas by 4 pm and we all closed down. I packed up my books, took down my posters and went home.

Let me know if you have any questions about conventions. I have a goal of going to one a month this year. I’ve done three so far.

ComicCon
First person to identify the character this cosplayer is portraying, gets a free ebook! Email me
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4 Best Fun Links from February to Now

Get free books here!

4 Best Fun Links – that’s a high mark to meet. Let’s start off with a bang. Free books for everyone! That includes my own, Zombie Turkeys.

Now for just regular free books from me, you can get them here.

You don’t know what books I have? Check my books page.

4 Best Fun Links – Your Second

Andy Zach’s Cover Artist Ian Bristow at work

Ian Bristow and I are collaborating on my next novel, Secret SupersThe cover reveal is this Friday. Check my Facebook page for more details.

Next, something silly.

4 Best Fun Links – Your Third

It’s time for some amazement. Enjoy!

Next bit of wonder for you follows.

More wonder follows.

You don’t believe zombies’ eyes glow red? Check out this picture of a flock of zombie turkeys at Navy Pier in Chicago, from Zombie Turkeys back cover.

If you’re not impressed by a 110,000,000 million year old tapetum, how about the current photos from Pluto?

Have you heard about the teen who built a fusion reactor? That’s my next link.

Finally, I have an 80 megapixel picture of the moon for you.


4 Best Fun Links – Your Fourth

Then we have these next fun links:

I also like this one.

I mention Paranormal Privateers. Here’s a chapter icon:

Have some more fun with this following cartoon.

Continuing with the funny theme in links, we have this one.


4 Best Fun Links – Your Last

Yes, I know this doesn’t add up to four links. I didn’t think you’d mind some extra.

I belong to the Sci Fi Rountable group on Facebook and weekly they ask for writers to contribute their best 100 word samples around a theme. This theme was character description.

My contribution from Paranormal Privateers follows.

“We’re in trouble,” General Figeroa said to the assembled team—paranormal patriots, John Smith’s capuchin ambassador, and the alien AI, Wilhelmina “Minnie” Wallace. 

She’d whipped up a portable droid, a golden metallic humanoid, obviously female. She made her robot an exact copy of Marilyn Monroe. She slouched in a chair at the table in a white dress. Her glowing blue diamond eyes captured everything for three hundred and sixty degrees around her. Her third eye, located where the occipital bone was, peered through shiny blond hair.

“What now?” Diane asked.

“Are you referring to my computed .019 percent probability of victory against my former overlords?” Minnie asked.

from ‘Paranormal Privateers’.

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Yet More Fun Links for You from Andy Zach

Yet More Fun Links

Yet More Fun Links for You from Andy Zach

Are you tired of laughing and watching fun and interesting videos? I have Yet More Fun Links for You. Enjoy!

The first one on our list is Atomic Rulers of the World clip, from the ’50s black and white movie.

What do you like the best from this video? The globe meter? The council of aliens? Let me know me here or leave a comment below.

But maybe you don’t like future predictions from the past. How about a present analysis of the past, suitable for fantasy world fighting? From Author Asaph Mehr:

But wait: there’s more!

Yet More Fun Links – for Trekkies!

Are you a Trekkie? A Star Trek fan? I know some who are crazy about the series and the universe. But are you this crazy?

I’m not done yet!

Yet More Fun Links – for Dr. Who Fans!

For those who don’t know what about Who, Dr. Who is a Time Lord from way back.

Yet More Fun Links
Andy Zach’s Books – click to get

You can check Andy Zach’s Ad at Dr. Who Online.

Here’s a glimpse of the Dr. Who site:

 

 

Yet More Fun Links – Science Fiction Comes True

Now for some science fiction coming true.

How about a panorama of Mars?

Science fiction becomes reality: a panorama of Mars from the

surface:

Want some more video from Mars? (I love writing that!) How about the sound of the Martian wind? Coming up next!

Next we have Voyager entering interstellar space.

My final link for science fiction links is here. Do you like mining asteroids? Check out the following video.

 

Yet More Fun Links – Christmas Links

I’ve accumulated some useful Christmas links for you. First, a wonderful gift that costs only .99!

Next link is seven lines from my next book, ‘Secret Supers’.

And you also get some flying car pictures, since I have one in that upcoming novel, in November.

Yet More Fun Links
Flying Car from Andy Zach’s next book, Secret Supers. Click to follow Andy on Amazon.

Finally, meet Ian Bristow, my illustrator for ‘Secret Supers’. He writes great books too!

Yet More Fun Links – Give Andy’s Books for Free!

I’m not kidding. I’m giving away two books every month to my newsletter subscribers. Give the newsletter to all your friends! Send me the list of new subscribers you get and I’ll give you extra chances to win. Just use this link for my landing page:

Zombie Turkeys Chapter 1 Icon
Zombie Turkeys Chapter 1 Icon and link to subscription page: https://mailchi.mp/22d3daf2a1b7/get-your-books-by-andy-zach