by TGTBTU’s “Author on the Scene” Lynne C

The internet here is a bit hit and miss. Hundreds of people descending on a hotel and instantaneously plugging in their laptops and logging on will do that. So I’m online when I can. Excitement and exhaustion is setting in wholesale.

After the Ellora’s Cave party last night, came the EC spotlight with a more serious side (and more serous hats!) Ellora’s never stands still, and Raelene Gorlinsky announced a new revamp of the ratings. The old S-E-X ratings will go and new, more descriptive ones will take their place with new icons. I’m wondering if my E rating is still good, because I worked hard for that E, dammit!

Samhain Publishing is going from strength to strength, and submissions are still open for new, exciting romantic fiction. I have some gorgeous new book covers, but you really don’t want to know about that, do you? A lot of business goes on here, behind the scenes, and what you don’t see is as important as what you do see. If you know people by sight, watch for small, interesting groups of people and see who is talking, and who isn’t. For all the fun, deals are made here.

The Lightning and Thunder lunch featured Helen A. Rosburg, back from a serous illness, and back with a bang. I love me some cowboys and Helen has a new book out, Blaze of Lightning, Roar of Thunder which has new, darker themes which may help to revitalize the Western. Her little scenario, a kind of live action trailer was well done, and an interesting way of presenting a book. I kept thinking it must have cost her a small fortune, but hey, if you get Jason Santiago as your hero, who cares? Still, I would have liked to see less fringe and more chest on the divine Jason!

The hotel hasn’t built its Grand Staircase to the ballroom yet, so the narrow, concreted and whitewashed backstairs are thronged with authors, readers and librarians in their glad rags. Not seen any booksellers on the service stairs yet, so I’m wondering if they just fly!

So on to the Fairy Ball. The costumes are so elaborate and so pretty it’s hard to put it into words, but I have to because I take such lousy pictures. I took a lot, but they’re all unprintable. Most of the costumes are hand made and it makes you wonder how much time the authors have left to write! The standouts for me were Tawny Taylor, Stephanie “Flash” Burke and Kevin Beard. Kevin was born to be Neptune, I swear. Tawny was resplendent in ripples of blue, the queen of the sea come to life, with a polythene sheet to add gloss. Flash was leggy, gauzy and edgy, as well as gorgeous. Me? Blue, with little black feathery wings and a matching fan, but less a costume, more an effort to blend in. The Fairy court were their very gracious selves, and since the theme was Under The Sea, lots of greens and blues abounded. Or maybe awashed.

Or something.

Anyone would think I was a writer.

Earlier RT reports: First Impressions (Day One), Day Two