It has been quite a month!
First the intense writing experience of Smoky Writing Retreat, and then only two weeks later off to Vegas.
RT Book Lovers Convention is one of the biggest gatherings of romance writers in the country, and a full on experience in itself.
It’s also one of those traveling conventions. Last year I attended it when it was in Dallas, where I picked up the Best Steampunk award of 2014 for Dawn’s Early Light, on behalf of myself and Tee Morris.
It was somewhat low key compared to this year. This year was Vegas.
Luckily we had Piper J Drake, Matthew Drake and Starla Huchton as our companions. RT is definately one of those conventions where having friends there makes all the difference. It also meant we got to stay at Piper’s timeshare at the Elara resort. Up on the 53rd floor we felt like rock stars!
We warmed up by teaching in the Pre-con Bootcamp. Being surrounded by thirty eager and fired up students was the perfect way to get ready for the con itself. Linnea Sinclair and Damon Suede lead the charge and Tee and I followed.
After two days, the convention proper started. Authors, readers, agents, and publishers all gathered in one place makes for a heady mix. The convention space attached to the Rio was huge, so our Fitbits were certainly happy with our step count.
Another highlight was catching up with Nalini Singh, from New Zealand. Piper and I shared breakfast with her one morning, and we all had a good laugh at the size of my flapjack. Seriously, it was delicious, but it was also as big as a hubcap. A family of four could have eaten off it.
Tee and I were steampunk captains for the event, so we ran that track. It was certainly cheering to see the panels so well attended.
We also took part in the Social Media Fair. It was the first time this event has been held at RT, and it involved handouts and talking to people. I was manning the table for podcasting, and Tee the one for Video. I got a lot of good responses when I asked ‘are you pod-curious?’ Apparently people were. It was fun chatting with them all, though I realized I have been doing podcasting a long time. The surprised looks on their faces when I said I started in 2006! I guess in pod-years I am a veteran…
Just in case you think the whole event was work, work, work, there are also plenty of late night events going on. Tee and I punked up for the Cirque de Punk. It was a celebration of all things punk. Piper went cyber, we went steam. The party was packed, and the entertainment fantastic. I was particularly interested in Hope, who did a silks demonstration, but on chains. Yes, that is far more difficult. She also did an act where she balanced a lithe young man on her hands. It was all very impressive.
Even better was I got to talk to Hope afterward. She would make a fantastic Iron Lily in the book I am working on. Luckily I got her card just in case it takes off an I need a cover model.
Then our final hurrah for the convention was the Book Fair. Apart from New York Comic Con, or Book Expo America, this event is the largest I have attended. Even at those events, you are usually only on for an hour or so; at this event it is four hours of go, go, go.
We steampunked up for the signing too, and we moved a lot of books. Unfortunately we didn’t have nearly enough of the first book in the Ministry series, Phoenix Rising, and sold out of them in the first hour or so. Still we had a great time, and met up with some fans which was lovely.
This is the kind of event where you come away feeling refreshed and exhausted at the same time. After a chat with one publisher have a new angle for a story and I’m rearing to go.
So thanks Vegas…it was quite the trip…
