A post for the Horror World gang as opposed to everyone on Facebook. In no particular order some of my favourite things at Necon.

1) Dan Foley bringing his granddaughter - how cool is that!
2) My Saturday night conversation with Janet.
3) My Friday night conversation with David.
4) Thad pointing at me: "Chris, I got your back."
5) Kurt imitating Dodd imitating someone else.
6) Tony's medical nightmare stories.
7) A joke that Tony Holden whispered to me one night because he wasn't sure about saying it aloud.
8) Finally talking to the great Jack Ketchum right before leaving on Sunday.
9) Nanci's enthusiasm for another Eulogies and just watching Nanci interact with everyone - she is loved.
10) Talking books with Kevin Lewis - he sounds exactly like JKF.
11) Finally getting a copy of Poisoning Eros.
12) Talking to CJ Henderson - went into Necon with some pre-conceived ideas about him. Turned out to be a very sweet man.
13) Interacting with Jeff Strand - seems like a genuinely nice guy.
14) Linda's comment about taking a picture with Errick and her.
15) Kealan saying that although his family was poor they never said no to buying him a book. A philosophy I have with my children.

I'm sure I'll think of more.

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Mike Styczen: As far as I can tell, all of Toronto is on the lookout for some sort of demented leprechaun. If Toronto didn't exist, we'd have to invent it

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I'd like to add the surreal moments of signing Eulogies II for F. Paul Wilson and Jeff Strand. I'm still not convinced those things happened.

I'm making a list...

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Lost Homicidal Maniac (Answers to "Shirley") The fourth Andrew Mayhem novel is available NOW for $2.99! http://tinyurl.com/6n4rujb

Chris, was that the 'simplicity (or not) of men' conversation?

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Mike Styczen: As far as I can tell, all of Toronto is on the lookout for some sort of demented leprechaun. If Toronto didn't exist, we'd have to invent it

First of all, I had a WONDERFUL time, as always. You folks always make me, and Tony, feel so very welcome it's like a family reunion. No one's uptight, and there's no side to anyone. Great to meet Keith, Dave and Nanci for the first time, too!

Sorry we missed most of Thursday. We arrived just as they were finishing up Rick's memorial (around 9pm?).

I 'think' I managed to navigate the late nights without puking or punching someone, although I seem to remember babbling incoherently about this and that, so if anyone here got their ear severely bent, I DO apologize.

There were some good panels, although I had a few bones to pick with one of them. But, no worries.

Great to see others I hadn't met before - Kealan, Eric, Hal, the great James A Moore, and Mary SanGiovanni (at last!). There were others I really wanted to talk to and the opportunity just didn't arise - OR - I was having a crippling attack of the Shy People. It really was a case of - Okay, I've had a couple of beers, NOW I can go talk to Kealan, and Jim.

Had some lovely conversations with everyone in our group.

The anthology signing was my first. It was awesome, and quite surreal. I bought books, ran out of cash and luggage space or I would have bought more.

Other highlights:

Hal talking about Vincent Price and Dom DeLuise cooking in the same kitchen.

Looking at David's wicked cool cover art, listening to his process, while Keith offered his own insights on the subject. Right at that moment it felt like being at an art convention. SO cool.

Received wonderful rib-crushing hugs from Kurt and Jim Moore, although Matt Bechtel has you both beat.

There's probably more.

I'm not a writer and it's taken me almost 3 days to write this... my thoughts on Necon:

What is Necon? A lot of people ask me that and I always answer “it’s family.” It’s a family where you have your adopted parents (Bob Booth and Mary Booth), your big brother who teases you (Dan Booth ) and your sweet little sister (Sara Calia) hosting the party. We have our crazy uncles, our favorite aunts and lots of cousins.

Necon is a safe zone; a place where you check your ego at the door and let your hair down for 3 1/2 days. It’s safe because you don’t have to worry if you overdo it, someone will get you back to your room, and make sure you’re OK in the morning. There is no judgment, jokes-yes, judgment-no; because, let’s face it, we’ve all been there. It’s a place where you can sit down with a group of writers, editors and artists you admire and not be shunned. Everyone is welcome.

Necon is a place where old friendships are renewed, new friendships are made and fences are mended. How can you stay mad when you’re standing face to face, a saugie in one hand and a beer in another, with someone you may have had disagreements with online. It’s a place to talk it out. Everyone leaves friends and looks forward to the next Necon.

Not everyone gets it – some have come and never come back. The folks who do get it, come back every chance they get. Why? Because it’s family.

There’s the valuable prizes, the game show, the talent show, the weekend update and the roast but the best part happens at night, in the courtyard, where you can stay up until dawn and just talk with likeminded people.

While some of us may never master the art of the quiet voice (sorry Sara), but I know my "family" accepts me; socially awkward geekiness and all.

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