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!