The 10th Annual Imaginarium Convention

This past weekend (July 13-16, 2023), I had the honor of attending the 10th Annual Imaginarium Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. I went with my friend Heather, a fellow author, and we had a FANTASTIC time.

Here’s how it went.

Thursday, July 13th. Day 1

We drove around 12 hours from Oklahoma to Kentucky. Nothing terribly exciting happened, except spending about an hour at the worlds largest gift store and candy/fudge factory outside Springfield. We picked up snacks and a few trinkets, then went on our way. We saw the St. Louis Arch (and almost died in the crazy traffic), trekked through Indiana, and arrived at the hotel around 11.

Friday, July 14th. Day 2.

Breakfast at the hotel was AMAZING. We then registered and set up my booth for the weekend. Later, we attended a panel on “methods of madness: how mental health is presented in media,” which was entertaining. I then manned the booth while she explored other panels. After a few hours, I took a break to walk around and visit with other vendors and and met Dacre Stoker (the great-great grandnephew of Bram Stoker), Tyler Bell, Sean Sorce, and others. I also saw my good friend, Lee Pennington, and chatted about poetry. Heather and I then listened to the keynote speaker at 6:30 (who was VERY inspiring), and our friend, Kara, arrived around 10:30 pm.

Saturday, July 15th. Day 3

Breakfast, then chatting with Dacre Stoker and getting an autographed copy of his book. I then spoke on my first panel of the weekend, which was on “the Paranormal in Creative Works.” There, I met Alfred Muller and William Fietzer, who I now consider acquaintances. I then manned the booth and ended up selling a few books before going to a panel and meeting Jeff Mudgett, the great-grandson of Herman Webster Mudgett, aka H.H. Holmes. He spoke about his grandfather, how his family found the connection, and why he decided to explore (and publish) his great-grandfather’s history. I then manned the booth while Heather and Kara wandered around, and we all went to Mudgett’s presentation on H.H. Holmes and how his death may have been the biggest con ever pulled.

That night, we went to the costume ball, ended up in a room party, watched a great film (Unpacking) and met the director, and ended up staying up until 2 am.

Sunday, July 16th. Day 4.

The day started out strong. We met the legendary Terry Brooks (author of the Shannara Chronicles) in the elevator and chatted with him for a while. I missed his signing, unfortunately, and didn’t ask for a picture out of respect. Kara left after breakfast, and I went to my last panel on “Combating Writer’s Block,” where I reunited with Sean Sorce and Alfred Muller. I then packed up while Heather went to a panel, said goodby to my friends, and gave Lee Pennington a signed copy of Transfiguration for his collection. After we left, we tried to visit the Waverly Hills Sanatorium (one of the most haunted places in America) but they were closed to visitors. We then made the incredibly long drive home and arrived in Oklahoma around 1:30 am.