RomCon recap

I had a great time at RomCon last weekend! Yes, it was their first annual convention, so there were some hitches with events, but overall I think it was a wonderful time. There were sooooo many free books. I think readers could’ve walked away with fifty free books each if they’d wanted to. The dealer room also had all kinds of cool knick-knacks, including delicious fudge, hand made soap, costume jewelry, and of course, more books.

What I liked best about RomCon was the interaction with readers. It’s definitely more of a reader-friendly convention than many others I’ve been to, second to perhaps the Romantic Times convention. This is great because not only did I get to chat with readers about my books during the panels I was on, I also got to chat with them about other authors’ books, too. My “To Be Read” pile just increased by a lot, lol. Several bloggers were there, some I’ve met before, some new, and it was fun chatting with them about favorite books, the paranormal genre, multi-cultural heroines, and what we’re looking forward to reading.

In addition to chatting with readers, bloggers, catching up with friends I only get to see once or twice a year, it was a blast to finally meet several people I’ve only spoken to online before (waves to Kimberly, Kelly, Meljean, and  Nalini, to name a few). Also, my lovely editor Erika Tsang was there, and as I seldom see her in person, it was great to spend time with her. Author Terri Garey was my con date for most of the weekend, bless her, and I also got to meet several other authors I’ve admired, like Christine Feehan, Lori Foster, and Brenda Novak, among others.

I also got confirmation of some news I’ve been waiting for – I’ll be going on a small tour for the release of ETERNAL KISS OF DARKNESS! In deference to my aversion to flying, my publisher is putting me on a train to four cities during the first week of August. Look for another post shortly containing all those details. If you didn’t already see my Tweet and Facebook update yesterday, I’m happy to say that the first 20% of ETERNAL KISS OF DARKNESS is now available to read here: http://www.harpercollins.com/browseinside/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061783166 . Since I’m a big fan of “try before you buy”, I love that my publisher always has a big chunk of my novels online for free so readers can sample them in advance.

And here are some books that I read while on the train. Why wasn’t I working as planned, you ask? Well, Smart Jeaniene remembered to bring her laptop, true, but Stupid Jeaniene forgot to bring the power cord. Ahem. Laptops don’t work nearly as well without power, as it turns out . On the plus side, I did get to read more books in the trip to and from Denver than I had in the month before it. Read two duds that I’m not going to name, but here are the ones I really enjoyed:

THE DARKEST WHISPER, by Gena Showalter

NIGHT MYST, by Yasmine Galenorn (first in a new series!)

RELENTLESS, by Dean Koontz

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND DESIRE, by Lorraine Heath

ANGEL’S BLOOD, by Nalini Singh (been meaning to read this series for a while & now I’m kicking myself for waiting!)

I know I’m forgetting so many things about RomCon, but that’s usually the sign of a good time for me. When I’m having fun, things tend to blur into one big happy haze J. Because pictures are worth a thousand words, here are some shots from RomCon:

At breakfast on day one. From left, Stacy, me, Louise, Katie

Me and Terri Garey, who was so much fun to hang out with.

Me and Anna Campbell, who is one hilarious lady!

From left, me, my editor Erika Tsang, and Terri Garey

From left, Kelly, me, and Kimberly. You may know Kelly and Kimberly as KellsBells and Engarde on Frostfans!

Kimberly baked me some "Lucifer's Bouncing Balls" treats! *grin* They were the most delicious balls you'd ever want to eat (oh, come on, I had to say it! )

Me and Christine Feehan, who was such a sweetie.

Me and Lori Foster, who gave an awesome keynote speech Friday night.

Look at this tee shirt! I cracked up when I saw her wearing it.

One of my favorite pics from the con! Terri Garey is the proud mama, and recognize baby's face?? Lol.