Here is the page to the event.

I’d never been to Chicago before.  I really enjoyed the city.  To me, it was like bits and pieces of other cities I’d visited had been lifted and planted in one place.

At the end of the convention, I’d gone off with some friends and managed to get some authentic Chicago pizza.

The convention itself was more of what I’d enjoyed in Reno, but bigger.  I knew about Kaffeeklatches and Literary Beers and the after parties, so I was able to attend those with confidence.  I was struggling with my confidence as a writer when I attended this convention.  While I’d made a lot of changes in my life to make more room for writing, I hadn’t actually accomplished any successes with my writing.  I’d changed jobs and was happier in general, but I was having a hard time getting the words out of my head.

It was during a TOR party that I met John Berlyne and Emma Newman.  John Berlyne had this somewhat caustic mien about him, but he was surprisingly patient and generous with me.  And Emma Newman was just amazing.  They were both extremely nice to me, and gave me some advice that I desperately needed at the time.