On Friday, I hoped I'd get up early to attend an 8:30 AM class. That didn't happen. I slept in and started my day with the Avon/Ballantine publisher-hosted signing. I had my rolling cart with me to hold the books, and it was very helpful. I also had the fan I picked up in the Goody Room. I made good use of it while I stood in line. Labels: book signings, writing conferences
The signing rooms were pretty small this year. Last year's format was better, where the authors were lined up in a large room with one publisher on each side. This time around, they were squashed into smaller rooms with tables along the wall. This added a homey element, but some of the lines spilled into each other, making them tough to negotiate.
I hit the Avon room first, getting books from Kim Harrison and Laura Lee Guhrke, among others. Only when I got home did I realize I already had an autographed copy of Guhrke's book. Oops. I'm looking forward to Kim Harrison's Dead Witch Walking, though. I was hoping to run into Lisa Kleypas, but I didn't see her.
I picked up several more books in the Ballantine room, including Raven Hart's The Vampire's Seduction, Linda Howard's Killing Time, and Allison Brennan's The Kill. It was nice to say hello to Linda Howard. I told her that I love To Die For, and she said the sequel is coming out sometime in November.
After the signing, I attended my first class: Theme - Taking an Old Fashioned Concept and Turning It into an Effective Way to Market Your Voice. It was pretty good, although I had to leave early to make it to lunch. I did get some ideas I think will help me finish The Seventh Sense.
Next came the Passionate Ink luncheon at the Atlanta Aquarium. It was just far enough that walking would not have been fun, so I took a cab. I still got there a little too late to sit with any of my fellow Romance Divas, so I sat in a corner table. There were little goody bags that contained two print books, two e-books, and lots of promo items such as pens and bookmarks. Very fun!
There were a number of speakers at the luncheon, including one of the reviewers at Joyfully Reviewed, editor Raelene Gorlinski, and an agent. When it comes to erotic romance, many editors are looking for menage, male/male romance, and alpha males. Not good news for someone who writes heterosexual and monogamous romance, often with beta heroes. LOL! But there's room for me, too, I'm sure. :) It's good for readers to have many choices.
The next two pictures are of the beluga whales and fish at the aquarium.
After the luncheon, I took a cab back to the hotel and attended a class called Writing with Magic (for Muggles). I knew it would be about J.K. Rowling's books, but I hadn't expected it to be the main focus of the class. I haven't read book six, but I know a lot about what happens now . . . I should have anticipated that.
After the class, it was time for another publisher signing. This time around was Berkley and St. Martin's Press. While waiting in line, I ran into author Jill Shalvis and we chatted for a few minutes. It was nice to see her. Before she left, she told me that the wait for the Berkley room was worth it, and she was right. I got a bunch of books there from authors I really like, such as Gena Showalter.
Lia and Gena
I'm a member of MaryJanice Davidson's Yahoogroup, and I remembered she said she wasn't a member of RWA. So I was pretty surprised to see her at the signing. Once I did, though, I was quick to get in line. When I got to the front of the line, I told her I was in her group, so she gave me an "Official MaryJanice Davidson Stalker" pin (LOL!), and I had her sign my copy of Mysteria. I also got a copy of Unwed & Undead. Left to my own devices, I would have loved a copy of all the books she had available, but courtesy kicked in and I showed a little restraint.
Before I left, I convinced Gena Showalter to take this picture of us.
Lia and MaryJanice Davidson
After this signing, I wandered up in time to catch 10 minutes of the Publisher Spotlight on Pocket. I stayed for the Publisher Spotlight on Kensington. HelenKay Dimon gives a good run down of it at her blog. One thing to note: Kate Duffy is not interested in erotica, so that should be submitted to one of the other editors, such as Hillary Sares. They had a couple of books as giveaways, including an ARC for Jacquelyn Frank's Nightwalkers: Jacob, which Kate Duffy says is a series she is extremely excited about. Should be fun to give this a try.
After the spotlight, I took a quick nap, then headed off to dinner with some of the Cobblestone Press authors. We went to a place called The Varsity. Our shoes stuck to the floor as we walked in, but the food was good and the company was terrific. After dinner, we hung out with a few Romance Divas. I left early to get some sleep before the next day's events.
Number of Books Acquired on Thursday: 44
Total Books Acquired through Thursday: 104
2 Comments:
104 books? Wow! You're set up for a whole year of reading! *wg* I love Kim Harrison's Hollows series. I think it's different. Hope you like it too! Great pics, btw! hehehe! Happy to hear you had a great time at RWA!
By
Tempest Knight, at 7:04 PM, August 15, 2006
I've read all of Kim Harrisons books and picked up A Fistfull Of Charms (her latest) at the Lit Signing.
They're not really romances, but they are very enjoyable. :)
By
Sasha White, at 1:48 PM, August 17, 2006
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