Posts Tagged ‘romantic times convention’

I am getting the impression that this was the first published book in the series, despite it being #3 in the actual reading order. It seems this is the one that introduced the readers to the Argeneau clan, and was certainly quite a hit. I agree with the fans! It was extremely witty, and I fell in love with Lucern’s grumpy edge, and chuckled at Kate’s insistence in getting her way with Lucern, despite his extreme resistance. Subtlety is not part of Lucern’s manner, and he has no shame in not wanting to please those around him.

Lucern is an author (and has been for hundreds of years). He has recently tried his hand at “vampire romance” with great success. While he was actually writing historical biographies of his family, the publishing agency had no questions about the “romantic fiction” he was submitting, and categorized his works accordingly (considering that vampires are unknown amongst mortals – what’s there to question?). While Lucern had worked out an unusual deal with his editor (basically, don’t bug the author about anything, no public appearances and just publish the books!), he was dismayed to find out he was assigned a new editor (Kate Leever) who had NO intention of accommodating his “privacy” wishes.

The image shattered when the woman dragged her luggage up the porch steps, paused before him, offered him a bright cheerful smile that lifted her lips and sparkled in her eyes, and blurted, “Hi. I’m Kate Leever. I hope you got my letter. The mail was slow, and you kept forgetting to send me your phone number, so I thought I’d come visit personally and talk to you about all the publicity possibilities that are opening up for us. I know you’re not really interested in partaking of any of them, but I feel sure once I explain the benefits you’ll reconsider.”

Lucern stared at her wide, smiling lips for one mesmerized moment, then he gave himself a shake. Reconsider? Was that what she wanted? Well, that was easy enough. He reconsidered. It was a quick task. “No.” He closed the door.

Kate, being a “go-getter” at her publishing house, with aspirations of rising higher in the ranks of the company, was determined to have her newly assigned, wildly successful author out in public, obliging mainstream media. Accomplishing this, would guarantee her success to being promoted, and Lucern’s resounding “NO’s” would not deter her.

By chance, Kate winds up spending a few days at Lucern’s (much to his distress), and even manages to get invited to a family wedding by Lucern’s mother (of course, as Lucern’s date).

“She’s contemplating matchmaking , Bastien. Take her home. Now,” Lucern ordered.

As they get to know each other, they sense a mutual attraction, and Lucern finally agrees to ONE promotional event (which he assumes is a magazine interview with the Romantic Times Magazine). What he doesn’t realize that he actually accepted to do, was to attend the week long Romantic Times Convention (which as any of you who have been to one, know – it is party, after party, signings, pictures, public speaking panels, meet and greets and MORE parties!)

Turning to his brother, Bastien asked, “So what exactly is the problem, Luc? I thought you were willing to trade an interview with the Romantic Weekly magazine to get rid of Kate. What’s happened to change that?”

“Romantic Times,” Lucern corrected shortly. “And it isn’t a bloody interview-that’s what changed it. It’s a damned conference.”

“A conference?” Bastien glanced at his mother suspiciously. “Did you know this?”

Marguerite Argeneau shrugged mildly, which was as close as she would come to a concession. “I don’t see the problem. It’s just a couple days in a hotel with some readers.”

Annoyed by the trickery but being a man of his word, he joins Kate (and to his agitation, her colleague, Chris) at the event;

“This is Chris?” Lucern asked with dismay.

His editor stiffened again but said simply, “Yes.”

“You never said he was a man. Make him leave.”

and then proceeded to grill Chris (the banter in this section is hilarious, although, Lucern, clearly is not amused).

“Why are you here?” he asked the male editor.

Chris grinned “I’m supposed to keep you safe. When Kate can’t be around. Like tonight.”

“Keep me safe?” Lucern echoed. “From what?”

Chris pursed his lips and considered. Then he grinned. “You’ve never been to a Romantic Times convention, have you Luc?”

Luc finds himself catapulted into a public world of which he had never taken part. To make matters worse, his shipment of blood was diverted, and he is starving, extra cantankerous, and the humans are beginning to look like steak (especially the lovely Kathryn Falk – yup – lots of great cameos in this story!)

While there was a scene of danger halfway through the novel, the clever writing delighted us with the numerous hilarious antics of a man exhibiting extreme displeasure at having his “personal space” invaded. Vampire “accidents” that he’d try to cover up and his priceless reactions to the public (especially the funny scene under a table) will have you laughing out loud. The moments of closeness between this mismatched couple will tug at your heart and you’ll be cheering for the twosome all the way till the end.

Look! It's me and Richelle Mead! Book reader, and author = happy combination!

I arrived right on time, and couldn’t wait to seek out my favorite authors. As I walked into the large ballroom, setup with rows upon rows of tables, fully loaded with books, and an author behind each pile, I felt like a kid in a candy store.

Suddenly, that overwhelming feeling took hold of me again, as I turned in circles trying to decide where to head to first. All authors were seated in alphabetical order, and the public was even provided an author seating plan to help us find our favorites faster, but my mind literally went blank! Who was I looking for again? My absolute favorites that I knew by heart (including all of their titles) escaped me, as I realized I couldn’t even put two words together (this happens to me everytime I walk into a bookstore, too!)

I walked around aimlesssly, and there was that silly grin on my face again. I passed by tables, smiling at all these authors, just hoping to have a spark of memory flicker me back into conciousness. All of a sudden, a ray of light amidst my fog, a hand waving at me, sparking my mind into high gear again. There was KATHY LOVE. The minute I saw her, all names came back to me! It is safe to assume she was my first lucid encounter of the day, and I quickly picked up everything new on her table. She graciously signed my books, and I giggled with glee as I continued on my way.

Here is Kathy Love at the book signing. In my haze, I forgot to take a pic while she was signing, so I got this side shot

Ahhhh now that my mind was finally working again, I decided to make a plan. First, visit all of my favorite authors to sign the books I already had, and then proceed to purchase all of the new releases that I still didn’t have. Despite the aisles being packed with tons of fans, I managed to meet and speak with all the authors I approached. I also enjoyed meeting some new authors that other fans at the event, had recommended to me. I met up with my favorite authors such as Kerrelyn Sparks, Jeaniene Frost, Adrian Phoenix, and Kathy Love, and found my way to books from authors I had just recently been introduced to such as Terri Garey, Vivi Anna, Jeri Smith-Ready, Stacey Jay, Michele Bardsley and Larissa Ione.

Terri Garey. Cool right? She was so fun! I loved meeting her! A complete joy to meet the night before at the Vampire Ball (pictured on the right). The left pic is after my doubletake the next day at the fair. Can't wait to review the books I got from her at the fair!

Michele Bardsley. Hilarious during the awards ceremony, and even while she signed my book! If this is indicative of how funny her novels will be, I have much to look forward to when reading her series!

Larissa Ione. I'm anxious to start her "Demonica" series (if I can judge a book by it's cover, I would say these will be HOT!)

Jeaniene Frost. I was hoping to get her newest novel (not yet released), but alas, my luck was not THAT good! While it had been given out a day or so previous, I missed that event (argh!)

Here is one of my favorites - Kerrelyn Sparks. I have read her entire Love at Stake series (and reviewed it too!). So fun to discuss my favorite male "Vamps" with her! She even signed a "bookmark" type thing that featured Jean-Luc (my favorite Vamp that I had not brought the book of)...What was I thinking?

 
The Romantic Times Convention TOTALLY exceeded my expectations. I will absolutely be attending again!

As you can see, I have a TON of new reading to do, and material for my reviews will be plentiful. I will never be bored again!

Ok, two events under my belt, and you’d think my nerves would be starting to settle. No way! I was eagerly looking forward to the Vampire Ball (which was coming up at 8pm), still completely disoriented due to my anxiety (you know, when you are excited and overwhelmed at the same time).  It was all good, though, I managed to keep my wits about me, while I walked in a stupor with a silly grin on my face.

I made some friends with others that seemed to be in the same position as me (single at a HUGE party, where it seems everyone knows each other…) Who do you talk to, when you walk smack-dab into the middle of it?

Author Julie Miller

I collected my thoughts and enjoyed the slow progression of Vampires and the like making their way through the corridors to the main event. I found my way to yet another line, and exchanged views with some published authors (including Julie Miller, who had just accepted the Career Achievement award for “Romantic Suspense Series”). We spoke of their own personal blogs, and about what other authors we enjoyed reading.

I buddied up with another book reviewer, and we were seated at a ghoulishly decorated dinner table, near the stage (where the skit “COMIC-ula”) would be presented.

The skit was a riot, with a mix of Vampires and Comic Superheros, some singing and a guitar (played by the Hulk)!

After being joined by my husband, we found ourselves lounging in the lobby (enjoying some cocktails) outside the party hall. We mingled with the authors, aspiring authors and even some sexy cover models (my words, not his – haha)! This was absolutely thrilling to me! My nerves finally settling down (thanks to a Tequila Sunrise or two), I chatted with so many people, and enjoyed some avid photo taking.

I was thrilled to meet Kathy Love, (luckily my husband stopped her momentarily to ask her a question, and when I saw who it was, I jumped at the occasion to say hello). She was extremely friendly and accommodating.

I then caught up with American Title V winner Marie-Claude Bourque, and we chatted (it was nice to speak french with a fellow Quebecer again) about where we were from, and how one of our Quebec TV Stations had already reported her great accomplishment.

Winner of American Title V Marie-Claude Bourque, and Maryse

Ali DeGray and Sly Bowden (Cover Models)

I chatted with Medallion Press editor/cover model “Ali DeGray” about her different career choices, and she proudly spoke of her talented mother, author and founder of Medallion Press, Helen Rosburg.

Maryse & Leanna Renee Hieber

Maryse and some aspiring authors

Maryse & Caridad Piñeiro - she was as sweet as can be!

Maryse & Terri Garey (in her costume, she was barely recognizable!)

 This party and my new acquaintances will never be forgotten. It was 2:30am before I finally got to bed, and I needed to rest up, as the Book Fair, that I had anticipated all week, was coming up next (and I was going to take full advantage of getting my hands on all sorts of books).

Stay tuned! More to follow…

It was early Friday afternoon, and I managed to get off of work. It was my intention to go to the Saturday bookfair that the RT convention would be holding, however, I was hoping to partake in Friday’s activities as well. While I did arrive there late in the afternoon (3:25pm to be exact), there were still a couple of workshops and events that I could attend, before the highly anticipated “Vampire’s Ball” (a yearly party thrown by Heather Graham and her crew). The RT Staff was extremely accommodating, and ushered me into the workshop that I was hoping to arrive in time for.

The first thing I was able to sit in on, was “The Good, The Bad and the Paranormal: Heroines Kicking-Ass Across Urban Fantasy Worlds”. Panelists included Ilona Andrews, Jeaniene Frost, Mark Del Franco, Rachel Vincent and Jeri Smith-Ready. Since I was a huge fan of Ms. Frosts series (Catherine, aka “Cat” was one of the heroines the panelists discussed), I was anxious to hear about the author’s approach to writing such a character.

Subjects that were discussed included how the authors managed to keep the strong and assertive male characters in balance with the equally dominant female characters. Surprisingly, Jeaniene’s response was that in the next novel, the balance would waver, as “Bones” was going to get a run for his money with “Cat” when he realizes that she will forever be headstrong.

Another subject discussed was how a heroine’s past (and family upbringing) influenced her decisions, and possibly, her “character flaws”. I found an interesting comment that stuck with me, in regards to how, throughout a series, a character could learn through experiences, to dispel her past prejudices. However, even though one character flaw could be alleviated, another could soon take it’s place. The characters would never be perfect, and would continuously grow to learn, and yet still make mistakes.

I was introduced to a few series that I am quite interested in reading. There is a series by Rachel Vincent (The Shifters Series) that is about a female werewolf, who is isolated within her pact. Females are greatly protected due to their ability to bear future pact members. I got the impression, from the author’s perspective on this panel, that the main heroin in this series is resistant to the close-knit yet smothering environment she was raised in, and decides to venture out on her own.

Another series that I picked up over the weekend included a book by Jeri Smith-Ready. This one is about a human female, who was raised by bamboozling, crooked parents, and herself, as an adult is a recovering “con-artist” (however, not a violent one, as per Jeri, as violent con artists are criminals, and the heroin in this series, does not consider herself a criminal). She realizes that her entourage includes Vampires, and of course, one particular Male Vamp becomes a focus in this story.

Overall, the workshop was enlightening, and it was fun to see how the different authors related to each other in the creation of their characters.

Here are some great pics of the event:

Rachel Vincent, Jeaniene Frost & Jeri Smith-Ready

Rachel Vincent & Jeaniene Frost signing books for attendees

Jeaniene Frost and Jeri-Smith Ready (Jeri made a funny comment about females and Vampires)

Ilona Andrews & Mark Del Franco

I was fortunate enough to get off work early yesterday and enjoy the rest of my Friday and Saturday at the Romantic Times Convention in Orlando Florida. Read the rest of this entry »

I am now on book#2 (just finished book number one this morning), and while it took me abit to get used to the comedic mood (recent books I have read have been dark, moody, and “angsty”), I do see potential in the romance area here, and am anxious to continue.

Since I will most likely be meeting Ms. Davidson this weekend (Yay! Orlando Romantic Times Convention!) I thought it best to go in knowing some of her material. So far so good!!

Reviews to come!