Spent the week in Vegas for Romantic Times Convention (RT) mid-April. Four women, seven days, and 3,100 other authors and readers all looking for their next new author.
My roommates at the Rio were Julie, Lynn, and Brenda Wagner, and while we spent each night together we all spent the day at several workshops and/or events. We had a great view of the mountains each day, as well as the roof of the parking garage. LOL
As a special treat, I placed five of my books (one a day) in random spots throughout the convention area. If you got one of these books, please remember to Pass The Read on to the next person by leaving it in a random spot, then posting it on the Pass The Read FB page.
Monday evening, we had dinner with Callie Hutton and Peggy McKenzie at Guy Fieri’s El Burro Buorracho restaurant in the Rio. I had the Mango Jicama Crunch Salad with Shrimp and a frozen strawberry margarita. I highly recommend this salad it is that refreshing.
While Julie spent two days with her new publisher Entangled, Lynn, Brenda and I cruised the facilities and decided to shop at a local grocery store. Being local to Vegas, they knew exactly where we should go. We also at a very nice restaurant away from the Rio.
The first day of the conference for me started on Wednesday. The welcome party was fantastic and a great way to start things off. I decided to sit in on the craft workshop “Villain, Villain, Who Is the Villain.” It was an interesting hour and I believe I learned a bit in helping me with my villain in my WIP “Simply To Die For.” I also sat in the Entangled Publisher Spotlight for a refresher on what is new with EP, and what they are looking for. The hour only convinced me what I thought in 2015, EP is high on my list of must submit to publishers.
I also sat in a Steampunk workshop, which sparked some interest in this genre. I may have an idea or two up my sleeve.
One thing you must keep in mind when you attend an RT Convention, you need to be prepared for the crowds of readers waiting to get into events where they meet authors. And you need to get to the promo tables early before the best stuff is gone. Luckily I was able to get a Power Pack on Thursday from the Desert Breeze Publishing table, as well as varies pens (suffice to say, our household is never at a shortage of pens), trinkets I can take home to my 8-year-old granddaughter, and various other promo material.
Also, at this particular venue, it was approximately 1.5 miles from our room to the convention site within the hotel. Keep in mind, that does not include the miles and steps one puts on walking from workshop/event to workshop/event. I decided to choose my workshops carefully for the morning and then find a place to relax in the afternoons. I did manage to finish a particular scene in “Simply To Die For” that had several holes in it, and I got to spend a few relaxing moments poolside with Julie.
I have to say the most fun I had was Friday night at the Cirque du Punk where I caught up with EP author Nina Croft, and new Desert Breeze Publishing cover model, Cody Canon. This was the first time I’ve met Nina and I absolutely LOVE her. She’s sweet, funny, and flew all the way from Spain to attend RT and meet her fans. Besides, she’s a horsewoman like me. Cody is a sweet young man and very entertaining, watch for him on your next romance book cover.
It was so much fun seeing people I don’t see very often Saturday was my rest and relaxation day, as I had a 7:30 am flight out of Vegas and back home to OKC. Check out my FB page or the RTConvention FB page for more pictures and information.
RT2017 will be held in Atlanta, GA next year. If you love romance, love meeting the men and women behind great stories, then you need to attend RT at least once. I hope to see you there!
Maxine
