Meet Me in St. Louis! #WFcon15

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First Ever Western Fictioneers Convention!

The St. Louis Arch
Photo credit: Diane Garland

I’ve been looking forward to the first Western Fictioneers convention for a year, and it’s almost a dream that I’m actually here in St. Louis, Missouri, with some of the best writers of the 20th and 21st Centuries. This convention is filled with talented, productive powerhouses. It’s definitely an honor to get acquainted with these awesome authors.

Let’s have a look around and see who’s here a little early. 

Kathleen Rice Adams, Cheryl Pierson, James Griffin, Jacquie Rogers, Vonn McKee

First, special thanks to Vonn McKee, convention chair, who pulled this whole thing together. Believe me, the first convention is tough because she had to lay all the groundwork, and there’s no previous experience to know what works and what doesn’t. She’s also the program chair, entertainment director, IT Gal, and singer. Other than doing all the work, she’s been slacking. Hahaha.

Then there’s our fearless leader, Western Fictioneers President Cheryl Pierson, who co-owns Prairie Rose Publications with Livia Reasoner (she couldn't attend, unfortunately for us).  Cheryl is both a terrific author and an excellent editor.  She has a couple of characters in the Wolf Creek series, and writes western historical romance as well as a few genre blends.  We've been online friends for years, and when I started my Romancing the West blog, she was the very first author I booked, so we go back a long way.  It's definitely a pleasure to finally meet her.

WF President Cheryl Pierson directing traffic,
with Vonn McKee and James Griffin 

One person I've been dying to meet for the longest time is Troy Smith.  He's a wonderfully talented author and the head wrangler of the Wolf Creek series.  He wrote one of the top five best books I've ever read, Bound for the Promise-Land, which will be reissued shortly.  And he loves Have Gun - Will Travel, which puts him right up there with those of us who have good taste in good old TV shows.  So here is the moment I've been waiting for... the chance to get my picture, two, actually, with Troy.  Just wow... rubbing shoulders with such a gifted person is quite a feather in my cap.

Troy Smith and Jacquie Rogers

There are some people in life who just click.  It took about five seconds of online communication with Kathleen Rice Adams (we call her Tex) to know she's one of those people that I could work with easily.  We've done several Facebook events together, and we have quite a system set up for the Prairie Rose Publications Fandangos.  It's always a pleasure to work with her , but please don't tell her that lest she get a big head.  No, that won't happen--her Chihuahuas make sure she knows her place.

Look for us to be planning another Fandango for the holidays.  We always have a blast!

The convention hasn't even started yet--we're still gathering--but watch for more pictures of incredible authors on my Facebook page.

Hearts of Owyhee

Much Ado About Madams

Much Ado About Marshals

Much Ado About Miners

Much Ado About Mavericks

Much Ado About Mustangs

Amazon Author Page

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GOING WEST? START HERE!

The city of St. Louis, by American standards, has been around quite a long time. In 1764, a wandering fur trapper named Pierre Laclede stood at the foot of today’s Walnut Street and made this proclamation: “I have found a situation where I intend establishing a settlement which in the future shall become one of the finest cities in America.” He was accompanied by his stepson Auguste Chouteau, who would oversee much of the construction of the new village.

Auguste Chouteau's Rendering of St. Louis

St. Louis, named for King Louis IV, technically lay within Spanish territory. It thrived as a trading post due to its location at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and proximity to fur-rich lands to the west. 

Beginning in 1800, there were a whole lot of land switcheroos going on. France whipped out the secret Treaty of St. Ildefonse, which gave them immediate claim to the entire Louisiana Territory. They named St. Louis its capital. Four years later, a battle-weary and cash-strapped Napolean cut a package land deal–the Louisiana Purchase–with President Thomas Jefferson, thereby doubling the size of the United States. (As a native of the state of Louisiana, I take great pride in pointing out that our boundaries once encompassed all or part of fifteen modern states!)

Missouri River Water Trail

St. Louis grew into an important outfitting post for travelers heading west. After months of preparation, the Lewis and Clark Expedition officially launched their keelboat and pirogues onto the river at nearby St. Charles in 1804. Their Corps of Discovery would return to the same riverfront two and a half years later. 

Two mailbags marked “The Butterfield Overland Mail Company” left St. Louis on September 16, 1858, marking the inaugural trip of BOMC’s three-year run as a postal carrier. Countless settlers streamed through the city, stuffing their wagons with supplies for a long trek to the newly opened frontier.

Riverboats sidled up to the docks at old Laclede’s Landing, a number of them piloted by an upriver boy named Samuel Clemens. The famous 1870 race between the Robert E. Lee and the Natchez ended here on the Fourth of July, with the Lee more than six hours ahead.

The Robert E. Lee and the Natchez, roaring upriver

Two brewers named Anheuser and Busch became “buds” in 1879. Industry and railroads moved in. At the time of the World’s Fair in 1904, the host city of St. Louis was the fourth largest metropolis in America. 

If you thought that Charles Lindbergh named his plane “The Spirit of St. Louis” out of fondness for the city, you would be mistaken. That was the home base of…his investors.

On St. Louis’s riverbank–framing the setting sun–stands its most famous modern icon, the Gateway Arch. It is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, and was dedicated in 1968. If you’ve never visited, be sure to check out the Museum of Westward Expansion at the base of the Arch. Take the enclosed tram (unless you’re claustrophobic) to the observation deck for stunning views of the city to the west and the sprawling farmlands of Illinois to the east. Finnish architect Eero Saarinen designed the curve of the aluminum structure to resemble a length of hanging chain. I’m told that the technical term is a weighted catenary. 

And just where does this St. Louis timeline lead us? To the first annual Western Fictioneers Convention, of course! It seemed only right that we should meet in the city known as  “The Gateway to the West” to celebrate the literature and history of the American Frontier.

Old Pierre Laclede would be pleased to know that "one of the finest cities in America" will be hosting a talented group of writers who continue to keep the spirit of the frontier alive.

The Western Fictioneers convention runs from 1:00 PM on Friday, October 30, through 11:00 AM on Sunday, November 1, 2015. Registration info can be found HERE.

All the best,
Vonn
                                  


Keep up with Vonn:

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Available on Amazon and Smashwords:

THE SONGBIRD OF SEVILLE
(2015 SPUR Award Finalist,
Best Short Fiction

THE GUNFIGHTER'S GIFT
(2015 PEACEMAKER Award Finalist,
Best Short Fiction)

WESTERN FICTIONEERS CONVENTION 2015!

YEE HAW!

Pack your saddlebags and shine up your boots for the first ever WESTERN FICTIONEERS CONVENTION! We’ll be rendezvousing near beautiful historic St. Louis, Missouri––the Gateway to the West––on October 30, 31, and November 1, 2015. Many WF members will be meeting each other for the first time and we have crammed as many fascinating workshops, panels and meet-and-greets as two and a half days will possibly hold!

Here’s a peek at the schedule (tentative):

                

FRIDAY             MUSTERING THE TROOPS: Introducing the Western Fictioneers!

2-9 PM              WHAP! BAM! POW! Punching Up Your Fight Scenes

                         WRITE ‘EM UP, MOVE ‘EM OUT: Tips for Selling Your Story

                         THE “RIGHTS” SIDE OF THE LAW: Legal Labyrinths

                         WELCOME RECEPTION AND DINNER

SATURDAY      CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

8 AM-NOON     LIVING LEGENDS PANEL: Q & A with WF Giants

                         BUILDING A FRANCHISE: Serial Novel Tips and Tricks

                         ROMANCING THE WEST

                         WRITING ABOUT INDIANS WHEN YOU’RE NOT ONE

                         BADGES & BAYONETS: Lawmen, Rangers and the Cavalry

1-9 PM              PUBLISHERS PANEL: What We Want from Writers

                         THE DOCTOR’S BAG: Medicine and Surgery of Yesteryear

                         DECONSTRUCTING CUSTER

                         HOLLYWOOD WEST: The Scoop on Screenplays

                         TAMING SOCIAL MEDIA: Marketing and Other Necessary Evils

                         THE CIVIL WAR AND THE WEST

                         DINNER (Wear your over-the-top cowboy & cowgirl duds for 
                                   HALLOWEEN!)

SUNDAY           CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

8-11 AM            THE WOLF CREEK SERIES: Behind the Scenes

                         COWBOY CHURCH

You’ll get to meet and visit with many legendary (and up-and-coming) Western Fictioneers like Robert Randisi, James Reasoner, Dusty Richards, Robert Vaughan, Frank Roderus, Jacquie Rogers, Keith Souter, Tom Rizzo, Cheryl Pierson, Troy D. Smith, L.J. Martin, James J. Griffin, Chuck Tyrell, Kathleen Rice Adams..and many more! They'll be happy to hand out autographs at the Western Fictioneer Book Store! 

AND...there'll be special entertainment provided at

Friday and Saturday dinners.

<--------------------------------::::

HOTEL INFO:

WESTERN FICTIONEERS CONVENTION

OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 1, 2015

SHERATON WESTPORT PLAZA HOTEL

900 WESTPORT PLAZA 

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI  63146

You may reserve rooms at our special convention rate of $109 per night by:

Clicking HERE to book online or... 

Calling the hotel at (314) 878-1500. 

Be sure to mention that you are with WESTERN FICTIONEERS.

REGISTRATION FEES (includes all workshops, panels, two continental breakfasts, one welcome reception, and two dinners)

                                                       Early Registration Sept. 1-30

                                                       (Through Aug. 31)

WF MEMBER INDIVIDUAL $179 $199

WF MEMBER + SPOUSE PKG. $279 $299

NON-MEMBER INDIVIDUAL $205 $225

NON-MEMBER + SPOUSE PKG. $305 $325

SINGLE DAY ATTENDANCE $115 $125

There are TWO WAYS to pay registration fees.

1. ONLINE VIA PAYPAL (choose “Send Money” option and enter this email address: mfmilom@comcast.net
2. MAIL CHECK PAYABLE TO: Micki Fuhrman (WF Convention Chair)  P.O. Box 59463   Nashville, TN 37205

You’ll be hearing more about the convention between now and October. For now, RESERVE your room and REGISTER for what may be the best convention you’ve ever attended!