Well, I made it safely home from Pittsburgh, where I had the time of my life at the Romantic Times BOOKlovers Convention and won the Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Kimani Press of the Year for Just About Sex. I was thrilled beyond belief and, as I said at the time, grateful to be included in a category with so many talented authors.
The low point of the convention was the last portion of an otherwise lovely drive to Pittsburgh. There was some sort of a weird disconnect between where my TripTik ended and the hotel’s website directions began, and so, when I was nearly close enough to the city to be able to see the three rivers I’d heard so much about, I got lost.
Hopelessly, utterly, ridiculously LOST.
The more I tried to get un-lost, the lost-er I got, until finally I had to call the hotel and be navigated home by a bellman like a Boeing 757 with broken landing gear on the horn with air traffic control.
I finally arrived at 11:30 p.m. feeling irritated and sheepish, but the first person I saw was, luckily, the beautiful and funny Kayla Perrin, who told me that she, too, had found the Pittsburgh highways especially tricky to navigate.
This was the only downer in a wonderful few days. Well, that and the ten minute blackout in the ballroom at the end of the signing, which added a little additional drama.
Here, in no particular order, are some of the many highlights:
· Giving my No More Lazy Scenes workshop with HelenKay Dimon and Sasha White;
· Sitting on the multicultural authors panel and laughing my head off with the crowd and other authors, including L.A. Banks, Caridad Pinero, Marjorie M. Liu, Camille Anthony and Kimberly Kaye Terry, the multicultural genre captain and a truly lovely and fun woman;
· Attending the Under the Sea Faery Ball with Eve Silver and enjoying the, ah, myriad and varied costumes;
· Sitting on the contemporary authors panel with Lori Foster, Lori Wilde, Christie Craig and Sharon Sala;
· Spending time with my editors and publisher;
· Finally meeting author friend Maureen Smith face-to-face;
· Embarrassingly gushy fangirl moments with some of my author heroines, including Brenda Jackson, Lisa Jackson, L.A. Banks, and J.R. Ward;
· Catching up with LifetimeTV’s Michelle Buonfiglio, one of the romance genre’s greatest advocates and a wonderful woman;
· Being rescued out of the loooooong breakfast buffet line by the very considerate Gwyneth Bolton and aspiring author Felicia from Chicago; and
· Connecting with readers at the book signing.
While I’m glad to be back home with the husband and younglings, I miss my friends already, not to mention the thrill of adrenalin and inspiration that always comes from connecting with others who love the romance genre as much as I do.
So … how many days until the next convention???
Here are a few pics. Run your mouse over them for descriptions. More pics tomorrow …
It was so great seeing you again, soror. Glad we were able to have breakfast together. And I’m glad you made it back safely.
Gwyneth
by Gwyneth Bolton April 22nd, 2008 at 12:22 pmGwen, that was a good breakfast, wasn’t it? Thank goodness you saw me standing there looking pitiful. Otherwise I’d STILL be waiting in that line.
by ann April 22nd, 2008 at 2:58 pmLiving vicariously through your RT pictures. Looks like folks had such a great time.
Congrats on your Reviewers’ Choice award. I looooved that book. It so deserved it.
-Farrah
by Farrah Rochon April 23rd, 2008 at 8:40 amSpeaking of awards, Farrah, didn’t I see that you’d won a handful of awards recently? Congratulations!
And, Lordy, that new cover of yours … Too bad they couldn’t come up with anything, you know, SEXY for you…
Ann
by ann April 23rd, 2008 at 9:16 amAnn, Congrats on the award!
by Bettye Griffin April 23rd, 2008 at 11:54 amThank you for sharing your wonderful photos. I’m so glad you had a great time. And hearty, sincere and huge, huge congratulations again on earning the Reviewers Choice Award for Best Kimani Press of the Year. You go, woman!
Patricia
by Patricia Sargeant April 28th, 2008 at 11:36 pmThanks, Bettye and Patricia!
by ann April 29th, 2008 at 8:41 am