RWA Day Three: Wendy Ties One On

OK, I'm blogging at nearly midnight - so a wee bit of latitude will be required here.  Especially considering I had just a teensy bit of fun this evening.  This is how much I love this blog.  I'm blogging when I should probably be drooling on my pillow.

Today started bright and early with a lunch date with my FanGirl Squee Of The Conference, Jessica Hart.  Hart lives in the UK, is up for two RITA awards this year, and I love her Harlequin Romance like whoa!  Seriously, I was probably a blathering moron, I was so excited to meet her.  For those of you who haven't read her books (why?!??!), her HRs are what I call "chick flicks on paper."  Seriously?  Hollywood?  Start buying the rights to Jessica Hart books.

After breakfast, I made my way down to two Publisher Signings - Harlequin and Avon.  KristieJ was at a workshop, so I agreed to score her any Harlequin Historicals, SuperRomances, and single titles that looked promising.  I also managed to get a few things for myself.  After that I went to Avon.  Oh.....Avon!  I told myself I was just going to walk around and pick up maybe a couple of books.  I stopped by Beverly Jenkins' table and she said, "Wendy, so nice to see you again!  Would you like a print copy or an ebook?"  Upon hearing these options I may have said "Shut up!"  That's right kids - for many, many, many of the authors there Avon not only had print copies but also free digital downloads.  So what started out as Wendy taking just one or two books turned into an ebook orgy.

At the Harlequin signing - Holy cow!  Maggie Shayne and Brenda Jackson!  

I had a few authors ask me if I still read print, and the answer is emphatically yes.  I still do.  But here's the thing - this conference is in Atlanta.  I have to ship any books I get back home - and shipping from the hotel (which uses FedEx) isn't cheap.  Coupon cards?  Yeah, can be tossed in my luggage.  So from a promo perspective?  A getting people to try their authors perspective?  Avon wins.

After that it was Awards Luncheon time.  I was so happy to see that this year's Librarian Of The Year got a wee bit overcome on stage accepting her award - if only for the fact that it made me feel better about my own Librarian Of The Year year (I. Was. A. Mess.)  Kristan Higgins was the luncheon speaker, and she was fantastic.  She really brought home the value of the romance genre, and what it means to readers - especially during trying times in their lives.

My ebook orgy at Avon

The afternoon was fairly low-key for me.  I wandered into the Berkley and Pocket signings for a little bit, and then it was up to the room to get gussied up for the evening.  One holdover from the Librarian Of The Year year?  I still get some party invites.  Boroughs Publishing had an open house, which I stopped by for a bit since they've been splashing my quote all over the upcoming Jami Davenport Seattle Lumberjack football books.  Then it was on to the St. Martin's Press cocktail party, where I  hung out with fellow Heroes & Heartbreakers peeps, Kwana (author K.M. Jackson), Limecello and Megan Frampton.  I also ran into Harlequin author, Donna Alward, who has a single title series with St. Martin's coming out in May (yippeee!)

After munching on the tasty nibbles at St. Martin's, Limecello and I shared a cab to the Avon party.  I mixed and mingled - once again running into Lynne and Blythe from All About Romance, and getting stopped by Laura Lee Gurhke who proclaimed she was seeing me everywhere.  I had a great time, which I'm sure I'll be paying for tomorrow (when this blog post goes live).

(ETA: Rosie, bless her heart, gave me two bottles of water upon my return last night and I slept in this morning)

It's been a great conference so far, and I've had a chance to reconnect with so many awesome folks. Tomorrow is the final day, and RITA night.  It should be fantastic!