RT Booklovers' Convention 2013

At the International Reception with Kathryn Falk and Sherry Botelho

So much to talk about – so little time!
To this year’s RT Booklovers’ Convention at Kansas City. It was, as always, fun. It was also one of the smoothest and most enjoyable I’ve attended. Very few cross words anywhere.
I taught on the boot camp, which is the two days before RT. I was involved in teaching GMC (Goal, Motivation, Conflict), and Dialogue, or Dialog as it said on the program. The students were a great bunch, and they concentrated, as well as having a lot of fun in class. It would be nice to think we taught them something they’ll remember and that will help them in their burgeoning careers.

Heather Graham and her elevator doors!

After that, to the International Reception, a new event with Kathryn Falk (owner of RT) our patroness. It went well, and it was really good to see how many countries of the world were represented. We had people from Brazil, Thailand and Azerbaijan, as well as Canada, Britain and Europe, and Australia. Here’s a picture, from left to right of Kathryn Falk, Sherry Botelho (Canada) and me (Britain, as if you hadn’t guessed!). it was nice to see Britain even better represented than usual, with the future chair of the RNA, Sue Moorcroft, and her future vice, Christina Courtenay. I nearly took Mary Balogh’s ear out by yelling, “You’re Mary Balogh!” at the poor woman, once I realised who I was talking to. She took it in stride, and made me wonder how many other people had the social grace to scream something at her that she already knew perfectly well.
Since I was largely responsible for this event, it was with a happy sigh of relief that I set out for the Aussie dinner, which took place afterwards. I shared a table with Jennifer Blake, a perfect lady and huge fun. Lucky me!
Also lucky there weren’t any photos.

Holly Bush, Marianne Strand, Kimberly Rocha, yours truly, Beth Williamson and Valerie Cozart

 

My luck couldn’t hold forever, and later in the conference, I was caught holding the goods, so to speak, with a group of ladies who were smart, good fun and some of whom I’ve known for a shockingly long time. We’ve all come a long way, baby, since the first conference we all attended. My first was in 2007, in Houston. It seems a long time since then, and in other ways, no time at all.

Enjoying the ball with Charles Paz

Unfortunately, Bertrice Small couldn’t attend, so I couldn’t gush to her again about The Kadin and Skye O’Malley, but I did talk to her on the phone after the conference, and she sounded fine, if disappointed she couldn’t attend. But I did get to talk to Laura Kinsale, who is another of my idols. Really. Her wonderful books fired me to try for myself. After I read Dorothy Dunnett, I couldn’t imagine writing, because nobody wrote like her or with as much fire, but Kinsale wrote about unusual situations and excellently researched history. While I don’t compare my poor efforts with her books, it made me believe that the different could sell, and I went ahead and did it my way.
Her new audiobook of “Prince of Midnight” is wonderful. She let me listen to a section, and while I don’t usually do audiobooks, I’ll probably do this one.
She also told me what she was working on, which sounds superb, but I don’t know if she wants to keep it confidential, so I’ll restrain myself, and just tell you that I want to read it like, yesterday.
It’s so great to meet like-minded people who feel as passionate about reading and writing romance as I do. Roll on next year!

News for May, 2013

I know it’s unconscionably late, but I’ve been doing exciting things. I’ve been at the RT Convention in Kansas City and before that I was in Washington, researching for a new trilogy I’m planning. More vampires!
Before I went to the States, I went to St. Hilda's College, Oxford, to talk about writing for the US market. I know, Oxford University! They put me up for the night in a tutor's room with a view over the meadows to Trinity College.
Then I attended the London Book Fair, very interesting, and all new to me, before I went home for three days to repack for my American adventure.
RT was great, but the gossip was fairly low-key or quiet. There are some publishers to avoid, some up and coming, and the turmoil surrounding epub, self-publishing and traditional publishing was more or less non-controversial here. Maybe that’s because RT has always taken a tolerant attitude to epublishing and has had an epublishing strand since my first year, 2007. I know, the Dark Ages!
For me, the convention started with the Boot Camp, where I taught Goal, Motivation, Conflict with Linnea Sinclair and Stacey Kade and then Dialogue with the equally awesome Kathy Lyons (Jade Lee). I really enjoyed my teaching, and I think the students enjoyed the boot camp, too. that evening I co-hosted a new event, a reception for the international visitors. Yes, for those of you who asked, even Canada! It was a really great opportunity to meet the visitors from overseas and over-border, and to connect for the first time this convention. I’m afraid a lovely lady walked through the door and said, when I asked, “I’m from Canada but I was originally from Wales.” At which point I yelled, “You’re Mary Balogh!” Yes, Mary Balogh came to my party! She even talked to me later, too, so I didn’t completely take her ears out when I told her something she knew already.
We went on to the equally awesome Aussie dinner, and I sat at the same table as Jennifer Blake, though I managed to keep my fangirling to a minimum there. The legends of romance, especially historical romance, were all over RT this year. I even managed to meet Laura Kinsale, one of my inspirations.
The Ellora’s Cave party, being Disco themed was right up my street. The Cavemen were awesome, even the Poor Baby at the end who had difficulty keeping his steps in time! The dance floor after the routine was packed. There might be some pictures of me online, but you can ignore them, they were a wicked imposter!
I did the virgins this year. More particularly, I did the class that oriented the newcomers to RT. They were a terrific bunch this year. I had a great RT. The atmosphere and the attendees were terrific, and everybody had smiles on their faces.
I am now staying at the house of the amazing Desiree Holt, who couldn’t attend RT this year, but she is fine and thriving and writing, writing, writing.
Okay, now to other news, about my new release this month.

Nice ‘n’ Easy is the new release in the Nightstar series. I had such a blast writing these books that I’ve agreed to write another, about the manager, Chick Fontaine. But that’s in the future. We now have the story of Donovan Harvey, the British bass player for Murder City Ravens, currently on the Nightstar tour, but he has a secret – he’s also the author of a popular graphic novel.

Nightstar, Book 3
Heart-stoppingly sexy Donovan Harvey, bassist for Murder City Ravens, is also a writer. At his first fantasy convention, he wants to launch his new book, not find the love of his life. He gets both.
Allie, unabashed fan and book editor, can’t believe she’s locking lips with the bassist for the hottest band, but sometime during their first searingly hot encounter she discovers Donovan the man, not the rock musician, and she’s even more smitten.
They can’t get enough of each other. In the shower, against the wall, even in bed, Donovan talks during sex, leading Allie through fantasies she’d never imagined before, presenting her with scenarios she can’t resist, setting her alight with steamy stories he’ll never share with anyone else. She inspires him. He gives her ideas.
But Murder City Ravens is on a world tour, and Allie needs to stay in New York if she’s to make a success of her career. When her company asks her to poach Donovan from his current publisher, Allie hesitates, but her boss makes it impossible for her to refuse without losing her job.

ISBN 9781419939921
Buy from Ellora’s Cave: http://www.ellorascave.com/nice-n-easy.html 
Buy from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nice-Easy-Nightstar-ebook/dp/B00CJFY79E
Extract and details: http://www.lynneconnolly.com/NicenEasy.html