Christine, one of our intrepid commenters, has graciously agreed to give us her impression of the New Jersey Romance Writers Book Fair & Signing event last weekend. Here is her story…
My Author Signing Day!
If you were in the New York Metropolitan area this past weekend, you could have found yourself enjoying a multitude of outdoor activities – the weather was wonderful. Or, like me, you could have found yourself in the Hilton Hotel ballroom in Iselin, New Jersey, mingling with some of your favorite romance authors!
The New Jersey Romance Writers Put Your Heart in a Book Conference was last weekend. It had a one and a half hour Literacy Book Fair & Author Signing that was open to the public and held on Saturday afternoon, and there couldn’t have been a better day to be living in New Jersey, Gwen!
My first stop was to the author at the signing who had the longest line of fangirls—Sherrilyn Kenyon (also one of the three keynote speakers along with Julia Quinn and Karen Robards). I was fortunate to also have met Kenyon in August while she was in New Jersey doing her book tour for the Devil May Cry. But I got inline to have my two minute visit with her again, as I wanted to get her autograph for one of my romance reading friends who gifted me a multi-author autographed tote bag from Lora Leigh’s RAW back in September.
After waiting in a line for maybe 15 minutes, I reintroduced myself to Ms. Kenyon, reminding her that I met her just two months prior, and have to say she delighted me in saying, “Of course I remember you, baby,” in her ever so sweet and delicate southern drawl. Which totally made my day, because regardless of whether she really remembered me or not, she called me “baby” and I’m pretty sure we’re the same age—okay, maybe I’m older! Then again, maybe she did remember me. I was, after all, one of only two fans who wore Simi horns to that August signing! LOL So yet again, Ms. Kenyon impressed me with her warmth and admiration for her fans. She is so very humble regarding her success as an author and truly makes you feel that it is her privilege to be meeting you and not the other way around.
I proceeded to tour the ballroom, visiting so many other wonderful authors. I met Caroline Linden, an author whose presence became known to me as a direct result of visiting TGTBTU and found Caroline and I actually had a lot in common. I am looking forward to reading her books, especially What A Rogue Desires, as I just love seeing the bad guy become the hero!
Other historical romance authors I met were Kathryn Smith, Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Sophia Nash (did you see her on the cover of RT magazine? She is that beautiful in person, too!). I also met historical/paranormal romance authors Hannah Howell [ed.: squeeeeee!] and Joy Nash; paranormal romance authors Bianca D’Arc, Stella Price, Diane Whiteside, Eileen Wilks [ed.: squeeeeee again!]; fantasy romance author R. Garland Gray; and Shomi (futuristic action romance) authors Marianne Mancusi and Liz Maverick.
I read Eve Kenin’s (a.k.a. Eve Silver) Shomi novel Driven this summer and loved the freshness and action this new subgenre brings to romance literature (not to mention the really cool manga-inspired covers!). Each and every author I met was kind, friendly and enthusiastic about sharing their love of books. It truly makes my reading experience that much more enjoyable when I know how delighted and appreciative the author is that I am interested in their book.
When I came to this signing, I focused on meeting the authors whose books I have already read, or whose books are on my wish list. There were so many other less widely known, and I’m sure just as talented, authors whom I would have been delighted in meeting on Saturday, but sadly, there just wasn’t enough time. With that in mind, I’m already looking forward to next year so that I can add some new authors to my bookshelf!
Thanks for the vicarious look at this event, Christine. Sounds like an absolutely fantastic event!
Did other folks attend? And someone tell me if Kenyon wore the swan!?
Thanks for taking the time to share with us Christine! And yes, did the swan come out to play 😉 Caroline is a doll (don’t tell her I said that) and you will love her books.
And it is a good thing you stopped to see Kathryn cuz she is gonna be on soon and you would have never heard the end of it if you missed her ;). Isn’t she just the cutest?
Kresley Cole is just a trip, if she is there next year you must stop and say hi. And ask her if she has met Lisa Kleypas yet ;).
You know I would have cried, cried, cried had I been ignored!!! Thank you, Sybil my love.
And no, Sherri did not wear the swan hat, but the Shomi girls were too freaking cute. And they’re so nice too! And I bought Caroline’s book just because of what I read here!
You’re welcome! It was fun!
Kathryn is definitely adorable! 😉 I was gushing with Kathryn over her gorgeous book covers. She had those promo book flap postcard thingies (I know there is some more official name for them… ) for Taken By The Night and I must say that the cover is even more gorgeous in your hands than it looks on the computer screen!
That’s funny you would mention how freaking cute the Shomi girls were, Kathryn. Liz and Marianne were indeed cute! I totally forgot to mention in my write up that Marianne Mancusi gets my “author best dressed award.” She was dressed mad hip at the signing! 😉
The infamous swan didn’t make an appearance?
I so wanted to go! See, us Jersey people are cool and the writers who visit and live there. 🙂
Hi Christine! It was so nice to meet you! And I got to meet Kathryn, too, and Elizabeth Boyle (who is wicked cute–she has the hair I have wanted my entire life!!). But for me, the funniest part of the booksigning was my tablemate, Janet Mullaney/Jane Lockwood, who would ask people if they wanted her funny book (The Rules of Gentility) or her dirty book (Forbidden Shore), all in a crisp Mary Poppins accent. NJ definitely rocks, even without the swan hat, which really was a sight to behold–I was across from Sherrilyn Kenyon at RWA in Dallas this summer and had a great view. Until all the fans crowded around her, anyway.
Sybil, I knew you luved me. 😉 Even though you never write to me anymore.
Ooh I win best dressed? Yay! 🙂 I got that skirt on eBay from a place in Asia that makes really cool clothes for the Harajuku set.
And I agree, it was a GREAT conference. Informative sessions, fun atmosphere, and an after party which had dancing!! I’m a fan of any conference that features a DJ and a dance floor. 😉
One of my highlights was when Sherrilyn Kenyon called me out in front of everyone during her Q&A session to say I stole her corset. 😛 She didn’t have her swan hat, but she had a very beautiful renaissance style dress on. We took a pic which is on my blog if you’re curious to check it out. Her luncheon keynote made me cry. I swear, I could listen to that woman read the phone book and be entertained.
Also great to mingle with Kathryn Smith, Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Diana Love Snell, among others.
All in all – a great conference! I’ll definitely be attending next year.
Marianne
Marianne, it was so fab to finally chat with you and Liz. And you guys were the best dressed there!
I have to blab and say that there were some guys at the hotel who crashed the after party and I noticed that ALL of ’em were giving you the eye!
I was there 😀 If you saw a short girl with pink hair, that was me lol It was my first book signing and I am so glad I went. I loved meeting authors and I am even more of a book whore now that I know how awesome authors are in person (for example, Marianne Mancusi getting me the last copy she had of Girls that Growl 😀 ) I can’t wait to go again.
And Christine, I think I love you. Thanks, for the props!
hugs
K
I didn’t get to go :(.
And Caroline you know I loveses you, even when you are mean to me…
The conference was great! Although Elizabeth Boyle and I were joking that how lame is it that we have to fly across country just to have dinner together (we live about 25 minutes apart).
I will second Marianne–her skirt was wicked cute. I did threaten to take a picture of her and Liz Maverick for possible web use, but I forgot my camera and my cell phone was full of important things like the bumper sticker I saw last month that I had to capture: “Pugs Not Drugs.”
Anyway, the most important lesson I came away with—always wear an athletic bra when flying. Seriously. My plane had an emergency landing (thankfully into the correct airport) and after the flight attendant finished going over the instructions for bracing for the landing, I looked down at my computer bag, stowed safely under the seat in front of me, and thought, “WHEN DID I LAST BACK UP?????”
Okay, I have automatic backup protocols, but still–I grabbed my flash drive and shoved it into my bra. Then I thought some more and went back for my drivers license, a credit card, a wad of cash, and finally, my cell phone. It was a good thing I was wearing a loose sweater because I would have had a very interestingly shaped bosom in anything else.
Anyway, we landed safely (yay), and I was able to haul everything out of my bra, but I was very glad I was not in some Victoria’s Secret demicup thing.
JQ
P.S. Kate Smith now owns an entire case of THE SECRET DIARIES OF MISS MIRANDA CHEEVER (long story), so everyone should go visit her website because maybe she’ll start using them for contest prizes (assuming she doesn’t need to re-insulate her house or something…_
Oh cool.. she is guesting soon… we can have her give them away *g*
Did you sign them? 😉
Backing up is very important and if you had sent said files to someone to read… well they TOO would have them. Just sayin’ 😉
Julia – HAHAHAHA! Just imagine what the bruises would have looked like if you had landed very hard.