RT09

The Romantic Times conference was in Orlando this past weekend. I usually go for the week but was only able to make the weekend this year so I packed quite a bit into a 24 hour period. I had to catch a 5:30 a.m. flight and was at the conference center by 10:30. Thanks to Rose and Anthony of Crossing Realms for picking me up.






I immediately found fellow Chatelaines Emily Bryan, Gerri Russell, Bonnie Vanak and CL Wilson in club RT. Also the lovely ladies of Between The Sheets, Jennifer St. Giles, Annette Batista and Dayna Linton, who promote my books! Yay BTS! Then ran into the Rebels of Romance, Liz Maverick and Marianne Mancusi. Went to their fabulous workshop on promotion and then out to lunch where we caught up on our lives.

Attended an editors panel on what's selling with Emily Bryan. Then found Linnea Sinclair, Stacey Kade and Isabo Kelly, along with the extremely shy Jade Lee. Attended more workshops, went to the awards banquet (yay Linnea) had dinner with Jade, Emily and Bobbi Smith, then came back for the Heather Graham vampire ball.

Saturday, after breakfast at the worlds loudest MacDonalds with Bonnie Vanak, my dear friends Alyssa Day and Barb Ferrer came down. Then it was off to the book signing extraordinaire where I caught up with Jenna Black and Ann Aguirre. I will be posting videos of that in the next few days. Had a great lunch with a bunch of author friends, then hung out by the pool and talked with Sue Grimshaw of Borders.

Then came the Mr. Romance pageant where my dear friend Chris Winters gave up his crown. Linnea Renee Hieber, Elizabeth Hoyt, and the always irrepressible Jade Lee and I enjoyed it immensely. Charles Paz won the crown. I have to admit I was cheering for Jimi Gaskins. Then it was off to the bookseller mingle put on by Dorchester Publishing then the always fabulous Dorchester party with Diane Stacy, Erin Galloway and Leah Hultenschmidt. All in all a very busy and productive weekend. Even if Bonnie Vanak did try to get lost on the way to the airport Sunday morning!