Tag: updates

Getting Started For Coastal Magic 2019: Featured Blogger Introductions

Published on by Jennifer2 Comments

Well, HELLO THERE, everyone!!

It’s been a little while since our 2018 Coastal Magic weekend, I hope you’ve all got some great memories from that event, and are ready to make some more at #CMCon19!

Some of the first things I have to do in the planning process are find amazing authors for you to get excited about, and incredible bloggers to help us get to know them all. The Featured Author announcement will be coming at the end of this month, but right now I’d like you to meet our Featured Blogger group.

 Jackie – http://www.literaryescapism.com

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Laura – https://littlereadridinghood.com

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Jay – http://joyfullyjay.com

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Tamye – https://bookscoffeeandcraftsnews.com

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Scherry – http://www.thenovellady.com

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Yvonne – https://lilysreviews.dreamwidth.org

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Jeff & Will – http://biggayfictionpodcast.com

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Rae – https://www.booksilovealatte.com

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Mandie – http://takingtimeformommy.com

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Some of these will be familiar faces. (Laura’s been with me since the first year!) Not only do they work hard to promote our authors and the convention BEFORE our weekend, they moderate our panels and do SO MUCH to help make sure Coastal Magic runs smoothly. I’m thrilled to have so many returning bloggers, and excited to get to work with some amazing new peeps.

The blogs these ladies and gents represent cover such a wide variety of genres and target audiences, kinda like us! Each month, from July through February, they will host Featured Author Spotlights. This is where you get the chance to learn a little more about each of our Featured Authors, get familiar with their writing before the event, and even win a prize or two! In addition to their own monthly posts, these will be the blogs involved in any of our convention sponsored blog events, to promote Coastal Magic and/or the authors. Those will generally happen around a holiday, and will all involve contests. 🙂

So… give these blogs a peek. Be sure to subscribe to them, and/or follow all of their social media outlets, so you don’t miss any of the fun!

Coastal Magic Convention 2017… One Week Away!! (AAAHHHHHH!!!)

Published on by Jennifer8 Comments

I feel like the last month has FLOWN by, and the idea that we’re only a week away from seeing everyone for the 5th annual Coastal Magic is a bit mind boggling! It’s awesome, and also I’M NOT READY, lol!!

There’s always so much to do in the “home stretch”, so here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect between now and our weekend by the beach.

  1. Lunch with an Author signups!!
    Lots of people have been asking about this, it’s one of the highlights of the weekend. After the first couple of years, having to rearrange and adjust and try to re-seat disappointed readers… I learned that this has to be done as close to our event as possible. This *hopefully* bypasses the issue of people selecting to sit with an author, that author having to cancel for some reason, and then trying to find places for those readers with other author groups. This makes us all nervous, I know, and I’m sorry… but it’s necessary. In case you missed the social media posts (and a reminder, if you did see them) our signups for this year’s lunch will be SATURDAY, JAN 28th at 8PM, eastern. This will *hopefully* give readers in all time zones a fair opportunity to make their selections. Some things to remember about the lunch:

    1. Please be sure to have a list of authors you’re interested in spending your lunch with. Some authors will have their spots fill up almost immediately. This happens every year. While I understand that everyone has favorites, I also hope that we have enough fabulous authors in attendance that each of will have a long list to choose from.
    2. Consider selecting an author that you’ve never read, or someone you’re not familiar with. This is a great time to find new authors to add to your TBR lists!! And you just never know, you may start some fun new friendships.
    3. Authors will NOT be bringing any giveaways for the lunch groups. The focus here is spending time with each other and chatting. There are many other opportunities during the weekend for authors to share swag or goodies.
    4. I will post the link for the signups (we’ll be using SignupGenius.com again) on all of our social media and this blog at 7:30pm, and the link will go live at 8pm.
  2. Volunteer Signup Form!!
    This is the first year (after being asked for a couple of years) that we’ll have a volunteer signup! If you checked the box when you registered to help out for 1, 2, or 3 hours during the weekend, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for specific time blocks. We’ll need some extra hands at the registration desk, setting up for activities, and more. Hopefully, everyone who’s interested will be able to find some times between their “can’t miss” panels. Thank you, in advance, for your help. The offers are very much appreciated!! I’ll have that signup form ready for you this weekend, as well. The link will be emailed to the address on your registration.
  3. We still have limited space available for single day and two day registrations. If you, or someone you know, wanted to come hang with us, but couldn’t get away for the whole convention — there’s still a chance to join us! The graphic below has the pricing and activity info for each day. Be sure to share it with your book loving, beach loving friends!cmcon17singledayreg1

There are a few more things up my sleeve for the next week… so keep your eyes on our social media (FB and Twitter) for additional updates.

Thank you all for your enthusiasm and excitement. I can’t wait to see everyone! (Actually, I can! I have more things to print, and lists to check off, and people to email… and, and, and… )

A Few Updates: Mid July Edition

Published on by JenniferLeave a comment

executor-checklistWell, hello there, my lovelies!!

WE MADE IT THROUGH THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF REGISTRATION!!! *passes out party hats & tosses confetti*

I always get so crazy around time for registration to start, because I always feel like I should be doing MORE OF THE THINGS!!! But I think we had a good start this year, and at least I know I won’t be standing around the Daytona Hilton with a bunch of authors all by myself! Thank you all for that. 🙂

BUT… we have just begun, and there is PLENTY of room for more readers. I’d love to give these amazing authors full rooms for panels, lots of fans at their meet & greets, and keep them busy with chats and mingles throughout the weekend. If you haven’t already registered… I would urge you NOT to wait until the last minute, because there IS a limit to attendance (225), and I’m not sure when we’ll reach that total.

Also… if you’re planning to reserve a hotel room for the convention (and you’ve registered, or will be registering very soon), be sure to do that as soon as you’re able. I’m working much more closely with our group rep this year, but I can’t guarantee that we won’t sell our block out like last year. PLEASE don’t reserve a room unless you’re pretty darn sure you’ll be attending. Space is limited, and I’d hate to have rooms cancelled at the last minute that registered attendees could have used. Thanks for extending this courtesy.

As far as Featured Authors go… I just added FIVE more names/faces to the Featured Author list, between last night and today. Have you checked to see all of the INCREDIBLE authors who’ll be joining us??? I really, REALLY can’t wait to meet some of the new faces, and I’m so looking forward to catching up with old friends. I think we’ve got a fantastic lineup so far, and I’ve still got a few more names to add!

**Please keep in mind that these were authors I’d already been in contact with about their spots, NOT new author requests. All new Featured Author requests are being automatically added to a waitlist. This has been the case for some time now.**

When it gets closer to the end of the year, I’ll be getting the schedule put together. And in January, we’ll be setting up for our “Meal with an Author” and “Supernatural Lasertag Team” selections. If you HAVE registered, keep an eye out for more information about those around holiday time. (Remember… if you’re planning to join a lasertag team, you’ll have to get the Daytona Lagoon ticket in addition to your registration.)

For those who might be interested… right now is a really busy time for me behind the curtain. I’m working on checking out and confirming cool vendors for everyone to peek through between the panels, collecting information from authors about scheduling and book ordering, and setting up sponsors to help make things even more awesomer for everyone! **Speaking of, if you’re an author, publicist, or publisher rep who’d like to contribute items to our welcome bags, door prizes, or raffle baskets, you can reach me through the form or email on the contact page. There are also sponsorship opportunities available. Please contact me for details.**

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Something fun for everyone to be looking for are all of the Featured Author spotlights that will be popping up!! Our Featured Bloggers will be doing interviews, hosting guest posts, doing reviews, and including all kinds of other fun stuff with our Featured Authors on their sites. Be sure to follow the convention Twitter and/or Facebook page for alerts when these posts go live. You can also check back on our Featured Blogger page every so often, as we’re trying to keep that updated weekly with any new posts.

Ok… I think that’s it for now. I just wanted to thank you all for hanging in and getting through the last couple of weeks with me. It’s been all kinds of crazy. I’ll check back in a few weeks to give another quick update.

I’d love for everyone reading this to share it with someone they think would enjoy Coastal Magic. It’s all about the readers, and hanging out with others who love the stories and the storytellers. So share the info, bring your friends, and let’s have a fantastic time by the beach!!

Bye for now 🙂

Jennifer

Holiday Update!!

Published on by JenniferLeave a comment

christmas-beach-holiday copyMerry Christmas Eve, everyone!!! I hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday.

Just wanted to pop in and share a few quick things. Registration has been extended to January 13th. If you’ve been “on the fence” about attending, your time is running out. Please don’t miss your chance to hang out with our awesome lineup of authors. We’re going to have a blast, and I’d love to see you there.

If you ARE planning to join us… please be sure to make your hotel arrangements, ASAP. The last day to make your reservation at the discounted rates is January 7th!! Thursday night at the Hilton is sold out (sorry!!), but the Hampton a few blocks away is acting as overflow, and is honoring the group rates. Friday and Saturday nights are still available at the Hilton. (Sunday, too, if you’re staying for a extra days in the sunshine!) I’m also checking on suites (perfect for sharing), as last I heard, there were still some available for all three nights.

This is also last call for vendor spots for the weekend. If you have a service or product you think our urban fantasy and paranormal romance readers would enjoy, please email me with details. (CoastalMagicConvention at gmail dot com) Those of you who are already listed as vendors, you’ll be getting an email from me in the next couple of days to finalize things.  🙂

Ok… I think that’s it for this quickie update. I hope you all have a fantastic holiday. I’ll be spending my Christmas with family, enjoying the Florida sunshine, and making lots of fun memories. I hope you all spend your time doing whatever it is that makes you most happy.

See you in February!!!