Friday morning started with a workout.
Yes, you read that right. I got up at 6am so Elyan and I could hit the exercise room at 6:15. Considering how many calories I'm sure I'm consuming here, I know what I did was a drop in the bucket, but I figured it was something, right? And honestly, I felt better after I did. I would've been up anyway, and it worked wonders to get me started.
We weren't originally going to bother with breakfast, but then changed our minds. The three of us headed down to the Samhain Build a Burrito breakfast, and wouldn't you know it, but we ended up eating with the same four readers from Thursday night! They're a fantastic bunch, let me tell you. So nice and funny.
I had my Q&A at 11:20, but I wanted some down time first, so Carolyn and Elyan went to work elsewhere while I escaped to my room. To say I was nervous was an understatement. Thankfully, I had Jet Mykles, Belinda McBride, and Marguerite Labbe on my panel, so they held the whole thing up marvelously. I was so relieved that Carolyn and Elyan were so fantastic to show up and support me.
Lunch was in Albuquerque, but rather than take the bus, we'd already decided we wanted the freedom of driving ourselves in. We got to meet some new readers at the lunch, a pair of sisters from Pennsylvania and an 18 y/o girl who had come to the con all by herself. I was amazed. That's a pretty cool thing, going to something like this at such a young age.
But then, a late bus arrived, and who would walk in right at the moment? Our four reader friends from before! And lo and behold, we had four seats still left at our table so they joined us again.
It happened again at the cocktail party in Albuquerque. And then, when we were back at the hotel, we went down to have drinks, walked in, and there they were again. So we joined them this time. I have to say, they are amazing. Getting to hang out and laugh and chat with them was entertaining, informative, and probably one of the best parts of the con already. Considering how much has gone on, that's saying a lot.
The book signing is today. Carolyn and I are going to get in early to grab a table together. I envision I'll be a lot less stressed about that.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
GRL - Thursday
My con reports are going to be short, lol.
Thursday was all about registration and finding faces. After getting our packets in the morning, Carolyn Gray, Elyan Smith, and I hit the swag room to look around first, just like everybody else since it was right next to where we signed in. Tons of people, tons of freebies from pens to chocolates to bull squeeze toys. I got to see a lot of people I rarely get to see in real life, and was excited to chat with Lynn Lorenz, T.A. Chase, Tina Burns, Z.A. Maxfield, and Adrianna Dane, among others.
But you know what was probably the coolest person I got see all morning? Elisa Rolle. I'd known she was going to be coming, but forgotten because I'm a ditz like that. Carolyn was talking to her, and she asked me to sign the Jamie Craig card for her. I said sure, signed it, and it wasn't until I handed it back to her that I saw her nametag and went, "Ohmigod, you're Elisa!" She's done so much for m/m romance. It was an honor to finally get to meet her.
Carolyn, Elyan, and I went and chilled until the Riptide publisher's spot at 1:00, where Carolyn and I hung out in the audience to support Elyan's first real author appearance at GRL. I have to say, I was really impressed by Stephanie Grobes, Riptide's marketing gal. She's literate, knowledgeable, and highly articulate. Clearly a great asset to the company.
Afterward, I went to Z.A.'s Q&A. She was on the panel with Cat Grant, Isabelle Rowan, and Karenna Colcroft. I didn't ask any questions but just hung to listen. Cool stuff, but then I adore Z.A. and knew it would be. She's as warm and funny and nice in real life as her books can be. It's always a delight to see her.
Then, I do what I always tend to do at cons. I escaped to my room for a few hours of quiet and to work. I just get very overloaded being around so many people all the time. Plus, being around creative people makes me hunger to write. So that's what I did until MLR's cocktail party.
I sat with Carolyn and Elyan, and we were joined by four wonderful readers (who were an absolute blast to listen to), as well as Kaje Harper and Edmond Manning (so nice, the both of them). MLR ran a scavenger hunt, where people went around looking for MLR authors and their tattoos, so I ended up signing a lot of cards. Being so quiet usually meant I was one of the last signatures a lot of people needed, lol. Then I'd usually point them out to the few other faces I could help them with, like Kaje, T.A., or Rick Reed.
There was another party after that, but I, being my usual self, went back to my room. I wanted to call home and say good night to my family, as well as get some writing done. I'm a chapter away from finishing my noir story so the urge is strong.
Today, I'm on a Q&A at 11, but after that, the day is pretty wide open. Maybe I can finish it!
Thursday was all about registration and finding faces. After getting our packets in the morning, Carolyn Gray, Elyan Smith, and I hit the swag room to look around first, just like everybody else since it was right next to where we signed in. Tons of people, tons of freebies from pens to chocolates to bull squeeze toys. I got to see a lot of people I rarely get to see in real life, and was excited to chat with Lynn Lorenz, T.A. Chase, Tina Burns, Z.A. Maxfield, and Adrianna Dane, among others.
But you know what was probably the coolest person I got see all morning? Elisa Rolle. I'd known she was going to be coming, but forgotten because I'm a ditz like that. Carolyn was talking to her, and she asked me to sign the Jamie Craig card for her. I said sure, signed it, and it wasn't until I handed it back to her that I saw her nametag and went, "Ohmigod, you're Elisa!" She's done so much for m/m romance. It was an honor to finally get to meet her.
Carolyn, Elyan, and I went and chilled until the Riptide publisher's spot at 1:00, where Carolyn and I hung out in the audience to support Elyan's first real author appearance at GRL. I have to say, I was really impressed by Stephanie Grobes, Riptide's marketing gal. She's literate, knowledgeable, and highly articulate. Clearly a great asset to the company.
Afterward, I went to Z.A.'s Q&A. She was on the panel with Cat Grant, Isabelle Rowan, and Karenna Colcroft. I didn't ask any questions but just hung to listen. Cool stuff, but then I adore Z.A. and knew it would be. She's as warm and funny and nice in real life as her books can be. It's always a delight to see her.
Then, I do what I always tend to do at cons. I escaped to my room for a few hours of quiet and to work. I just get very overloaded being around so many people all the time. Plus, being around creative people makes me hunger to write. So that's what I did until MLR's cocktail party.
I sat with Carolyn and Elyan, and we were joined by four wonderful readers (who were an absolute blast to listen to), as well as Kaje Harper and Edmond Manning (so nice, the both of them). MLR ran a scavenger hunt, where people went around looking for MLR authors and their tattoos, so I ended up signing a lot of cards. Being so quiet usually meant I was one of the last signatures a lot of people needed, lol. Then I'd usually point them out to the few other faces I could help them with, like Kaje, T.A., or Rick Reed.
There was another party after that, but I, being my usual self, went back to my room. I wanted to call home and say good night to my family, as well as get some writing done. I'm a chapter away from finishing my noir story so the urge is strong.
Today, I'm on a Q&A at 11, but after that, the day is pretty wide open. Maybe I can finish it!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Day 2 of driving
I made it all the way to Flagstaff my first day of driving, which means I only have five hours of driving today and can check in right at three if I time it right. Tonight, I'll get my swag out and just hang, though honestly, the idea of sitting in a bar right now is not appealing. I sat on my butt for twelve hours today. It doesn't want to take any more, lol.
Next time I want to drive so long, I need to be smarter about entertainment options. I took my husband's car so he could have mine for getting the kids around, and I forgot it didn't have my music in it. I was scrambling for CDs to take, ending up opting for soundtracks. I figured, I knew all the music, and getting to sing along and maybe replay scenes in my head wouldn't be so bad.
Problem was, I picked depressing soundtracks, lol. Too much sadness. For long, boring drives, bouncy is best.
Next time I want to drive so long, I need to be smarter about entertainment options. I took my husband's car so he could have mine for getting the kids around, and I forgot it didn't have my music in it. I was scrambling for CDs to take, ending up opting for soundtracks. I figured, I knew all the music, and getting to sing along and maybe replay scenes in my head wouldn't be so bad.
Problem was, I picked depressing soundtracks, lol. Too much sadness. For long, boring drives, bouncy is best.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Off to GayRomLit
I leave this morning for GayRomLit. I'm driving rather than flying, for lots of reasons though one of them is not because it's faster.
Am I ready? Oh, hell no. Will I make it work? I'll try my best. :)
The goal is to blog about GRL this week while I'm away, but that all depends on time and connectivity at the hotel. If I can't, there will still be a Six Sentence Sunday post (because that's not dependent on GRL activities), and I'll do a recap post when I get home next week.
If you're going to be there, please don't be shy about saying hi!
Am I ready? Oh, hell no. Will I make it work? I'll try my best. :)
The goal is to blog about GRL this week while I'm away, but that all depends on time and connectivity at the hotel. If I can't, there will still be a Six Sentence Sunday post (because that's not dependent on GRL activities), and I'll do a recap post when I get home next week.
If you're going to be there, please don't be shy about saying hi!
Monday, October 15, 2012
Who's got the X Factor?
Contrary to what it might be about to sound like, I'm not rabid about X Factor. We let them pile up on our DVR over the past few weeks and ended up watching a lot of them all at one go, just to make room for other shows to get recorded.
In the process, I discovered I have favorites. Who knew?
The ONE guy who makes me ache, who gives me goosebumps every time he opens his mouth, is Vino Alan. I liked his blind audition a lot, and he's just gotten better with each subsequent performance. L.A. wonders if he's got the package, if people are going to vote for him or if he's too tough. My answer?
Oh, hell yeah.
Yes, he's got tattoos. Yes, he's got a metal edge to his voice sometimes. But he's riveting. And there's something so hot about that tough exterior around all that pain. He didn't pursue music all this time so he could raise his kid, for goodness sake. If America doesn't react to that, then they just don't deserve him, frankly.
The performance he gave of Pink's "Sober" last week at L.A.'s house was just amazing. So if you didn't see it, here it is.
In the process, I discovered I have favorites. Who knew?
The ONE guy who makes me ache, who gives me goosebumps every time he opens his mouth, is Vino Alan. I liked his blind audition a lot, and he's just gotten better with each subsequent performance. L.A. wonders if he's got the package, if people are going to vote for him or if he's too tough. My answer?
Oh, hell yeah.
Yes, he's got tattoos. Yes, he's got a metal edge to his voice sometimes. But he's riveting. And there's something so hot about that tough exterior around all that pain. He didn't pursue music all this time so he could raise his kid, for goodness sake. If America doesn't react to that, then they just don't deserve him, frankly.
The performance he gave of Pink's "Sober" last week at L.A.'s house was just amazing. So if you didn't see it, here it is.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday
Welcome to my SSS! For the next two months, I'm featuring my RT Award Nominee, the het paranormal/time travel-ish erotic romance, Two Lives in Waltz Time. I have a real soft spot for this one. It combines a lot of my favorite elements in romance - time travel, paranormal, snarky banter, and a lot of action. It's the story of Maddy Cardinale, an art restorer at a prestigious NYC museum, her co-worker, the irrepressible Cash Vinci, and what happens to them when Cash receives a mysterious painting.
Last week, we met Maddy at the start of a really bad night at work. A painting of a 1940s nightclub arrived for Cash, and the pair find themselves sucked into it. Cash ends as a bouncer in a tux, Maddy is one of the dancers, and much to their surprise, everyone in the painting world thinks they're engaged. Maddy does not take it well. Cash's reaction to her is a little more mixed.
To check out all the other six sentence contributions, head over to the official website.
Last week, we met Maddy at the start of a really bad night at work. A painting of a 1940s nightclub arrived for Cash, and the pair find themselves sucked into it. Cash ends as a bouncer in a tux, Maddy is one of the dancers, and much to their surprise, everyone in the painting world thinks they're engaged. Maddy does not take it well. Cash's reaction to her is a little more mixed.
In this place, she was his. Every guy wanted to be him because they knew, at the end of the night, Madeline Cardinale was going home with him.
Then she'd hit the bar. Three straight shots later, she was laughing too loudly, flirting with an ever-growing circle of men, allowing herself to be led out to the dance floor only occasionally when the band launched into a slow waltz. He had to watch as hands found their way to her ass, as arms held her against bodies that weren't his. It was ridiculous, but every time it happened, Cash's jaw tensed, and the thunder in his gut threatened to ball his hands into fists.
To check out all the other six sentence contributions, head over to the official website.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
My contributions to GayRomLit
I leave for GayRomLit in Albuquerque in four days. Too soon! I'm not ready! But I guess at this point, it's too late for any moaning and whining. I'll just learn better for next year.
As the schedule currently stands, I'll be participating in a Q&A, 11:20am-12:15pm on Friday, with Marguerite Labbe, Belinda McBride, and Jet Mykles, as well as the book signing on Saturday from 2:15-4:30pm. Don't hold me to that, though. They keep warning us that the schedule can change all the way until we actually arrive, so double-check it when you get your registration packet.
I'm taking stock of what books I'll be bringing with me for the book signing. I'll have both Vivien Dean and Jamie Craig titles for sale, but for whatever reason, I can't find one of my boxes of books, which means some titles only have a single copy. That doesn't make me happy. However, I will have at least one of each of the following:
In addition, Samhain will have copies of A Hidden Beauty.
I went out today and bought See's krispy's (orange, latte, and mint) and lollipops for my section in the swag room, to go along with the various goodies I'll be giving away there, as well as a box of chocolates and variety pieces for the signing. For everyone who purchases a book from me at the signing, though, I have a special gift. I won't say what just yet. I'll keep that a surprise for the day.
As the schedule currently stands, I'll be participating in a Q&A, 11:20am-12:15pm on Friday, with Marguerite Labbe, Belinda McBride, and Jet Mykles, as well as the book signing on Saturday from 2:15-4:30pm. Don't hold me to that, though. They keep warning us that the schedule can change all the way until we actually arrive, so double-check it when you get your registration packet.
I'm taking stock of what books I'll be bringing with me for the book signing. I'll have both Vivien Dean and Jamie Craig titles for sale, but for whatever reason, I can't find one of my boxes of books, which means some titles only have a single copy. That doesn't make me happy. However, I will have at least one of each of the following:
In addition, Samhain will have copies of A Hidden Beauty.
I went out today and bought See's krispy's (orange, latte, and mint) and lollipops for my section in the swag room, to go along with the various goodies I'll be giving away there, as well as a box of chocolates and variety pieces for the signing. For everyone who purchases a book from me at the signing, though, I have a special gift. I won't say what just yet. I'll keep that a surprise for the day.
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