Alison Kent's Blah Blog

During the weekend of RomCon, reader Ali Flores, known as SimplyAli on Twitter, tweeted several times from the convention floor, and I sent her a DM to ask if she’d like to do a blog post when she got back . . . and here it is! With a giveaway!

**********

A week after RomCon and I think I’ve finally got my energy back. It always takes me a bit to get things back to normal after a convention. And, what a convention this was! I was so excited to attend RomCon’s first convention in Denver, Colorado. This convention is specifically for romance readers and celebrates the romance genre with chats, games, fun and all presented by romance readers, published authors, publishers, and other experts on the genre. One of the best parts of this trip? I got to go with my cousin, who’s never attended a romance convention of this size. Another great part to attending this convention? More books… so much so, that I’ll be doing a giveaway at the end of this post.

So Many Books, So Little Room in the Suitcase!

I was up early Friday morning to help volunteer at the RomCon registration table. It was an interesting experience for me and my cousin as we got to help and meet many authors as they registered for the event. Afterwards, I got to attend some fun and interesting events all throughout the day. Among the many events they had available for readers to choose from, I went to: Anti-Heroes You Hate to Love, Author Fairy Godmothers to the Rescue!, Contemporary Spotlight Authors Host A Tea, and Meet Samhain Publishing.

At Anti-Heroes You Hate to Love, there were many different authors and they took turns meeting groups of readers as authors went from table to table, two at a time. Readers at my table got to speak with authors such as Meagan Hatfield, Cindy Gerard, Carolyn Crane, Nalini Singh and many more on topics from bittersweet endings to heroes who do bad things for good reasons (heroes doing bad things, now that sounds hot, lol).

Meal tickets were available for purchase, aside from the basic registration fee. Friday’s dinner included a speech by author Lori Foster, a comedic skit by Charming and Dashing, and the Readers’ Crown Awards. And what’s a reader’s convention without some party and dance? Later on, there was a Costume Ball and dance with live music. I got to see some beautiful and lavishly done costumes that quite outshone my red dress and angel wings.

Cover Models DO Have More Fun!

Don’t fret though, if dancing isn’t your thing (as it’s quite not mine with two left feet), RomCon made sure to keep you busy with some of the other events being held at the same time: Q&A Author Chat/Mix & Mingle – Erotic Romance Authors, Mini-Mystic Fair, and Melissa Mayhue & Friends Blogger/Reviewer Party. I got to attend the Blogger Party and had fun seeing other bloggers and readers I had known from either their blogs or on Twitter. I also got my cards read at the Mini-Mystic Fair… good things will be coming my way, if only I remember to focus. Hm, now that’s a tough one, lol.

Saturday morning, my friends and I went down for breakfast. We got a chance to speak with authors Lavinia Kent, Michele Chambers and Lila DiPasqua. It was nice to meet these authors in a very casual setting. From breakfast I missed the next set of events and instead decided to walk around to the vendor center, where among all the different booths of purses (wanted to buy), jewelry (had to buy), fudge (who in their right might could not buy?) and other interesting things was Waldenbooks! Yes, I’m addicted to books and proud to admit it.

Events I got to attend Saturday were: Monsters & More Semi-Charades, Intimate Chat with Anna Campbell, Historical Spotlight Authors Tea, Cocktail Hour & HCI Line Launch for Vows! and Midnight Sexcapades. I had an absolute ball at Monsters & More Semi-Charade as I sat in a round table with about four other readers and taking turns giving clues as to what the secret word was. The authors hosting this event went from table to table about every five minutes trying to help readers win. While my table didn’t get first place (and it probably didn’t help that I’m so bad at this game, lol) everyone who attended did get a chance to go away with a book from hosted authors.

The only Intimate Chat I got to attend during this convention was that of author Anna Campbell. It really was an intimate chat, as only about ten readers were present in a small conference room with the author. It gave us a chance to speak with the author about herself and her books. The only downside to this was that talk of Ms. Campbell’s books made me want to go out and buy any I didn’t already have in my collection. Ms. Campbell was an absolute hoot as she joked with us and answered any and all questions we had.

Susan Mallery, Brenda Novak, Carly Phillips

In between these events, RomCon hosted their Book Fair, which was open to the public. Of course, I just had to buy more books because one can never have enough, hehe. The only downside to this signing was that books were not placed by author, and instead were kept at Borders’ tables outside of the signing. Borders had available a mix of books by authors attending and those not attending. I don’t know if I was just late to the game, but for some authors at the signing I couldn’t find their titles.

Later on, my friends and I went to Historical Spotlight Authors Tea. Tickets to this event and other Authors Tea events were made available if you won the raffle drawing. The room was packed with readers and historical authors. Fun was had by all with games, prizes, and chats. I ended up leaving this event early as I got pleasantly interrupted by my best-friend who lives in Colorado.

After catching up a bit we decided to step outside of the hotel for dinner… but, not before attending the Cocktail Hour & HCI Line Launch for Vows! I thought it was simply perfect that True Vows had a wedding theme, with beautiful and yummy cupcakes, wedding trinkets and gift baskets. Readers were given the opportunity to take home ARCs of the first three novels to launch the True Vows line: The Icing on the Cake by Alison Kent, Meet Me In Manhattan by Judith Arnold, and Hard to Hold by Julie Leto.

I do wish that the ladies of True Vows were able to talk more about their upcoming line. While I knew of True Vows from Alison Kent’s newsletter, I know some others hadn’t heard of them yet. I think the idea of turning real life romances into stories is fresh and exciting and I know I can’t wait to get started on my copies of these novels.

After dinner with my friend, I made sure to go back to my room and get ready for RomCon’s Black & White Masquerade and Dance. Where else but at a convention can you bring out a mask your mother bought you from New Orleans? I made sure to pack mine for this very event… only problem was I didn’t bring my contacts and since I couldn’t wear my glasses and mask at the same time, things were very blurry, lol.

Oh, Look! It's Alison's Book!

Again, no dancing for you? No worries, this night the Mini-Mystic Fair was back or you could attend the Midnight Sexcapades, which is where I went. I don’t think I had blushed so hard that whole weekend… well, accept for that moment where I dropped a glass of water as this hot guy was standing next to me, eek. Just as I got there, they were asking for volunteers to reenact a scene from an excerpt out of author Delilah Marvelle’s novel.

Well, things certainly got interesting as they weren’t reenacting just any scene. Nope, it was a sex scene. I’m pretty sure my jaw dropped, lol. Now, don’t let your imagination get away with you, both parties did keep their clothes on ;). We moved on to the bar afterwards and then I headed up to my room for an early night. Well, technically 1am is early when you’re at a convention, lol.

The next and last morning *sigh* I got up early to meet with author Erin Nichols. I had a wonderful time chatting with her and was ecstatic that I got to spend some time with her. We also had authors Carolyn Crane (I tried my best to stalk her throughout the convention, lol) and Meg Benjamin join us for a bit.

Things were much more mellow on Sunday as only a few more events were left, including a delicious brunch where author Carly Phillips gave a speech before the winner of the $2,500 Trivia Challenge Finale was announced. Sadly, it wasn’t me… I think I’ll ask for a recount, hehe.

As I said good bye to old friends and new, I was already anticipating returning for next years RomCon Convention. As with most new conventions, though, there’s always a few kinks to work out.

My Mask and RomCon Program Book

Cons of this convention included: having a host hotel with no free wi-fi in convention area, very slow connection in hotel rooms, bar that closes at midnight (um, that might just be a con for me, lol), from some readers I heard that there was too much talk about publishing (and this may be because some readers are also aspiring writers), some of the panels where we got to meet different publishers didn’t seem prepared and the Borders book section didn’t carry all the books by attending authors. There were also events that weren’t well advertised. I had no idea about the Author Avenue, where you could sit and chat with some of your favorite authors who rotated every hour. Another thing that disappointed me were the ladies hired to work the convention who were not romance readers. I passed by the registration table only to hear them reading excerpts from books and making fun as they laughed. Quite rude, in my opinion.

Pros of this convention, though, definitely outweighed the cons. This was definitely a convention for readers, with events tailored just for romance readers. I loved the idea of the Intimate Chats and how it gave readers a great opportunity to get up close and personal to some of their favorite authors. There was more than one events during each block hour to choose from, and time in-between to make sure you made it to your next event on time. There were many books and goodies given away, not just during registration, but other events as well. I just loved the casual setting of this convention and how authors really joined in on the fun with readers. And last but not least, it’s another great convention giving romance readers a chance to meet other romance readers. After all, sometimes we’re the only ones who understand our addiction to this genre. ;)

**********

Now, onto the giveaway.. I came back from Denver with a whole bunch of books. So many in fact that I had to buy an extra suitcase, lol. I’m going to be giving one lucky reader a bundle of books that includes a title from varying genres: Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Category, Historical Romance, and Romantic Suspense. Along with these books you’ll get some of the promo items my friend Limecello picked up for me… and most importantly, I received an extra ARC copy of Meet Me In Manhattan by Judith Arnold. Again, this title will be among the first to launch the True Vows line from HCI.

How do you enter? Just leave a comment in this post letting me know if you’ve ever attended a Romance Convention before? If so, which ones and how did you enjoy it? If not, any that you want to attend? RomCon, perhaps? Maybe we can even talk Alison Kent to join us next year. ;) Winner will be drawn Friday, July 23, 2010, 9:00 a.m. CDT.

I want to thank Alison for letting me share a bit… or a lot… of my recent RomCon experience J If you ever want to hear me chatter some more you can usually find me on twitter @SimplyAli or on my blog at Simply Ali.

Happy Reading, Everyone J

I’m going to start The Artist’s Way tomorrow. From the introduction to the 10th Anniversary Edition (which I’m reading tonight):

“Difficult as it is to remember, it is our work that creates the market, not the market that creates our work.

I’m also reading the Basic Tools (which you can download here in a pdf) and the Basic Principles.

There are two pivotal tools in creative recovery: the morning pages and the artist date. A lasting creative awakening requires the consistent use of both. I like to introduce them both immediately, and at sufficient length to answer most of your questions. This chapter explains these tools carefully and in depth. Please read it with special care and begin the immediate use of both tools.

I’ll try to post thoughts as I go through, and would love anyone who wants to be part of an informal creative cluster to join me.

HCI, the publisher of the new True Vows line had a great presence this past weekend in Denver at RomCon. Cupcakes were involved, as were gorgeous gift baskets put together by Series Developer, Olivia Rupprecht. Author Judith Arnold (Meet Me In Manhattan, 09/10) and author Cindi Myers were on hand with Olivia and True Vows Series Creator (and HCI Editorial Director) Michele Mastrisciani. From all accounts, the cupcakes were a hit, the baskets coveted, and the ARCs scarfed up by readers! Hard to believe THE ICING ON THE CAKE will be on the shelves in a month and a half! (Thanks to Carly Phillips and Cathy Maxwell for the photos.)

Earlier today on Twitter, Lynn Griffin, author of Sea Escape, asked:

Writers–what novels or books on craft see you through when the writing gets tough?

We all have our favorite craft books, but I really loved how she used novels to illustrate what they’ve helped her with. Here’s her list (though she may have added more after I grabbed these):

For theme and use of symbols I turn to John Irving’s PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY

For strong execution of multiple points of view, I turn to THE HISTORY OF LOVE by Nicole Krauss

For anchoring my novel premise to my character’s transformation, I turn to BETWEEN THE LINES by Jessica Morrell

Writers-Looking for great characterization through use of dialogue? COAL RUN by Tawnie O’Dell

For scenes layered with subtlety, EVA MOVES THE FURNITURE by Margot Livesey

So I got to thinking. What romance novels / novelists, do the genre writers turn to to be inspired? Jennifer Crusie for great banter? Barbara O’Neal for her way with words? I was once told by a friend who is also a creative writing teacher:

I think one of your greatest strengths as a storyteller is social commentary. (…) I have always believed you have a particular ear for capturing a contemporary pulse – whatever it is that lends a certain time its flavor and uniqueness.

I like the idea of bringing that to the table. ;)

Who do you think is great at what they do? Whose novels do you turn to and what do you take away from their work?

Like a lot of you probably do, I subscribe to Hungry Girl’s newsletter. For July 4th, she included a crock pot recipe for pulled pork. My favorite pulled pork recipe is The Pioneer Woman’s, but I wanted to give HG’s a try.

The only change I made is that I used all tenderloin and no shoulder, and though the meat was good, the sauce was a vinegary no go. We had a ton leftover, but I also had a chuck roast that had to be cooked, so did that the next day (again, The Pioneer Woman’s no fail recipe), meaning I had to do something with the pork leftovers because I was not going to throw them out.

Enter Cooking Light on Twitter. The same weekend, they posted a link to light versions of fifteen pies. Some fruit, some vegetable (a spinach and ricotta in phyllo dough I want to try), some sweet but low cal desserts, and some meat.

One of the meat pies was a Galician Pork & Pepper Pie. Since I had all that pork, my dilemma was solved. This was dinner on Wednesday night, and for me, lunch on Thursday and today both. Cuppacafe’s only complaint was that it needed more onions, and he was right. Still, he ate a hefty portion and leftovers tonight.

Faith Devlin: A poor, outcast child in Prescott, Louisiana, she’d always adored the town’s golden boy from afar. But he called her white trash that sultry Southern night when his rich, respected father disappeared, along with her pretty Mom. Now Faith wanted to hate Gray Rouillard…not to feel a powerful surge of desire. But she couldn’t quench her passion, any more than she could hide the truth about the past she had waited so long to unravel.

Gray Rouillard: Even when he raised hell, he did it with style. Reckless, charming, and backed by Rouillard money, Gray controlled the town of Prescott — and Devlin was a name he never wanted to hear again. But when he gazed at Faith Devlin, all he saw was a swirl of tangled sheets and her silken flesh beneath him. To care for her was impossible, unthinkable…because Gray Rouillard planned to use all his power to ruin her.

Yes, it’s true. I just recently read this 1997 Linda Howard classic. I picked it up downloaded it because Lauren Dane and HelenKay Dimon were discussing it on Twitter. As a romance reader who cut her teeth on Howard, Lowell, Brown, etc., it’s hard not to love After the Night. I found Faith to be a strong heroine. Really really loved her. And Gray was typical Howard, though a much more old school romance hero. Protective, but authoritative. Still, I loved him too. What I didn’t love was how so much narrative and exposition overwhelmed the immediacy of the story. Again, this is a book of its time, but I would love to see it written with less telling and more showing, longer conversations and not all that repetitive introspection.

For their second blogger bundle, Jane of Dear Author went to the experts: readers! Their task: recommend titles that have not been previously available as ebooks and vote on the ones they want in a bundle. Suggestions were made, reasons argued and votes cast. Now, the four winners are gathered here! From a romantic comedy from Harlequin Duets to an unusual younger hero story, they were the books that stayed in readers’ hearts and intrigued new readers’ minds.

It was great fun to see readers choose THE SWEETEST TABOO to be reissued electronically in a Dear Author Blogger Bundle. And along with other bundles, and this one is out today!

After a recent conversation on Twitter about a book within a book, I had already planned to post about THE SWEETEST TABOO since Sebastian Gallo is an author and part of his current manuscript is written in the book (by me, not by him *g*). So the timing was serendipitous.

But then I realized I’d written a post about the book last year, so I’m just being lazy and copying the information over! I think of THE SWEETEST TABOO as the little book that could because it’s been an amazing international hit.

And to update the earnings information below, as of the statement covering the period through 12/09, the book has earned $24,241.08.

Below originally posted June 19th, 2009

Laurie G asked:

What has been your best seller to date?
Favorite book of yours? Favorite book ever?

(She also asked about 1) promotion, 2) genres, 3) ebooks, 4) piracy, and 5) pricing, to which I say 1) promotion’s out of hand, and it’s hard to be original anymore or to know what works, 2) genres are cyclical, 3) ebook’s day will come but I’m a print reader all the way, 4) pirates will roam the Internet as long as there’s an Internet to roam, 5) no real clue except everything seems to go up and once there it rarely comes down.)

My favorite book ever. Hmm. I’m going to have to go with THE THORN BIRDS. I’m not a re-reader, and I’ve read that one three times, and just bought a copy to read again. I’ve seen the mini-series at least twice. Plus, I named No. 1 Daughter after the main female protagonist, so it made that much of an impression on me!

My favorite book of my own is probably BEYOND A SHADOW, and if you’re interested in reading it, watch for it at a remainder table near you! Or support your struggling author and head to Amazon where you can get a brand new copy for the cost of three Starbucks lattes! Of course, if you hold the same opinion as this Amazon “reviewer” (a review I saw for the first time today) then spend your money at Starbucks instead!

If I had known this was a biracial romance, I never would have bought it. That is so not my thing! Didn’t even finish it.

My best seller to date is without a doubt THE SWEETEST TABOO. Yep, my fourth Harlequin Blaze (Dec ‘02) has out sold everything I’ve ever written. I can’t find my June ‘09 royalty statement (been cleaning, you know), but the November ‘08 statement shows it earning $22,475.38 in the US and twelve foreign countries, some which have printed it more than once, hello Germany, 3x! Even though THE BANE AFFAIR runs a close second with $22.5K approximate net earnings (I say second because TST had more earnings showing on the statement that I can’t find), followed by CALL ME, my very first Temptation at $21.5K, THE SWEETEST TABOO has seen more action, and was even reissued in the UNDRESSED anthology two and a half years after its initial release. This little book has had legs in a huge way, and I’m not sure why. I wrote it during one of life’s hell times. The writing itself was fun as “Men To Do” was a joint project with Jo Leigh and Isabel Sharpe, but it never felt any different than my other books as it poured onto the page. The only unique thing is that my hero, Sebastian Gallo, was a horror novelist, and I wrote pieces of his book inside mine.

Here’s a snippet. Oh, and Sebastian’s cat was named Redrum. *g*

Raleigh Slater needed to catch up on his shut-eye. The catnaps and midday siestas he’d been surviving on weren’t cuttin’ it anymore. He needed eight hours. He needed ten. Hell, combine the two and make it an even eighteen. He was running ragged and it was beginning to show.

Not in his work. That wasn’t going to happen. He hadn’t busted his ass for the biggest part of his his life only to turn around and fuck it up by falling asleep on the job. But it was beginning to show in his face.

He dragged a hand down his jaw, needing a shave, afraid as dog-tired as he was that he’d slip and slice through his jugular if he put as much as an electric razor to his skin. He stared at his mirrored reflection, realizing the thought actually held a measure of appeal.

One nice clean slash and it would all be over. His career. His life. And the godforsaken wait for the end he’d seen coming since turning down a devil’s bargain with the prince of darkness himself. A decision Raleigh was living to regret.

Yep, one good slash and he’d be done with this nightmare. And wasn’t that exactly what HE was waiting for Raleigh to do. To take himself out. To realize the monumental mistake he’d made when he’d “just said no.”

That was why HE had sent the woman. Raleigh should’ve been faster on the uptake. He’d taken way too long to figure it out.

Every time he turned around. she was there, crossing his line of sight while he sat holed up on a stakeout, distracting him from the subject at hand with her long-as-the-Mississippi legs and amazingly fair skin – considering she lived in a city where the sun ate and burned flesh with abandon – and her copper colored hair swinging . . .

This is the most recent German edition (10/07) put out by Mira Taschenbuch in their Mira Erotik line. Germany seems to like ‘em hot. And on the right is a drawing sent to me by a fan of the book who was doing his/her own manga version of the book. You can click for the larger version. For some reason, this book hit with readers. I’d love to know the secret so I could recreate it every time, but I’m guessing it’s a secret for a reason, so I’ll give each book my full attention and not rely on pixie dust!