My trip to the RT Book Lovers Convention 2015 – Recap Part 1…

Maryse, Sherry, Willow & Tarryn at the Lana Del Rey concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheater. (Thank you Sherry, for the photo!!)

GAH!!! It’s been exactly one week, since one of my favorite weeks ever, and I’m STILL reminiscing my heart out. Telling my friends, my aunt, my mom, you guys… Bits and pieces of my most cherished memories and hilarities that I’m scattering here, there and everywhere! I keep finding myself saying… “Oh!! This one time… blah blah blah…” and then I hear, “You already told me that one, Maryse.” Right. But there’s plenty I haven’t told some, so I’m going to collect all of my memories right here!

LOL! You know me. I LOVE to compile “like” stuff together, so I’m compiling all of my “#RT2015 week memories” for all of us to giggle about, and also to tempt y’all into coming to the next one so we can meet. And for me to be able to access it again and again, whenever I’m missing everyone. Which I am. Right now.

Okay so… it’s a long story and starts MANY months ago… so bear with me. I think you’ll get how it all ties in (and like usual… I’m extra wordy. I can’t “keep it short and sweet”).

Once upon a time, one of my favorite authors (Karina Halle) posted online that she was listening to Lana Del Rey’s latest album, Ultraviolence. I remembered how hooked I was on “Summertime Sadness” when I had read her book Love, in English. Remember that bus scene when Summertime Sadness was “playing”? It had me sobbing my eyes out. So when she mentioned a new album, I went on a listening spree. OMG I WAS ADDICTED. I AM addicted!

So I was telling Tarryn Fisher how addicted I was to Lana Del Rey. And she said… “Why don’t we go to see her in concert?” OMG WHAT???!!! WE CAN DO THAT? And to make things crazier she suggested the “Red Rocks Amphitheater” in Denver, Colorado. She was told that it was THE BEST place to see a concert and we’d have to HIKE to it. What what whaaaaaaat!!??  I had never been anywhere on the West Coast. I was SO in. And. IT. WAS. FANTASTIC!!!

You guys… YOU MUST GO!!! That was the best concert, the best sound, the most mind-blowing place, visually and soundally <— LOL! I made that up!! that I have ever been in my life. It is amazing, and I am SO jealous of all y’all in Denver that can go to any concert you want, there. There is NO better place for the best live sound.

But! Come to find out, her concert was the same week as #RT15 (which was in Dallas Texas), and I was speaking on a panel during the RT Roundup (later that week), so I was a bit panicky. That was a lot of moving around in a week. I don’t fly good. I don’t english good either, apparently. But… why not, right? A week of fun-filled events with my favorite authors and readers? Plenty of authors jet-setted regularly from one state to the next for signings. Some even from one country to the next. I could SO do this right?! Maryse!! The jet-setter! ME!!! Wheeeeeee!!! 

Courtney Love opening for Lana Del Rey (thank you, Sherry, for the photo!!)

So my bestie, Sherry and I, and Tarryn and one of her besties (author Willow Aster!!! Yes… I was in author heaven!) went to Denver, Colorado. I believe Denver was a first for ALL of us, and OMG we had SO much fun! We saw Courtney Love (she opened for Lana), and well… she was exactly as I expected her to be. Actually pretty darn funny, on top of her usual fun “train-wreck”. Old songs from my youth… and yes, she’s not the best singer (*snort* that’s an understatement)… but I was thrilled.

Lana Del Rey at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, Colorado. (Thank you, Sherry, for the photo!!)

But Lana? WOW!!! Pure perfection. Perfect sound, with her angelic voice, and dark DARK lyrics. And then! The concert was over… we were hearded down that HUGE rock formation and…

OMG YOU GUYS!!  I almost DIED!!! How?

Well… I was fascinated by those amazing red HUMONGOUS rocks all around us that looked like movie props. I HAD to touch ‘em. I just HAD to! So At the highest point, I sidled over to the rock closest to us, and reached over to touch it. AWE.SOME. But… as I did, I looked down. And I realized how high we were (eeeeeeeeeeeep!!!!!!!), and felt entirely too faint as I also noticed that I was only separated from plummeting to my own death by a metal “guard rail”. If it wasn’t there… I would have surely died!!! LOL!!! It’s true!  I almost died!

Maryse & Sherry at Red Rocks Amphitheater

But I lived! And so we explored Denver (well…”Denver shopping” AND eating – we were next to a FABULOUS diner!! YUMMMM!!!) on our days off, and we met up with a friend that we had met at Book Bash 2013 (Hi Corinne!!),. Yep. We had our worlds rocked (LITERALLY!!! Rock concert AND rock formations).

Then… it was time to head to our next destination!

On to Dallas, Texas for #RT15! Poor Willow missed her early morning flight, but her airline fixed all of that for her. And Sherry and I also had our own little silly “we think we’re all that” mishap. LOL!! All of the sudden, the two of us together? We ummm… forgot how airports worked. It’s as if we had never flown before. And we found ourselves prancing (oh yes. We pranced) down an empty security line with our carry-on bags and tickets in hand, all proud of how smart we were ’cause of how short our line was! ‘Cause there WAS no line. Proud and confident until the TSA security guy very politely (albeit slightly humored <— I could tell) told us that our tickets were not “pre-checked”. Er… oh. Okay then? LOL! Whatever that means.

So we sauntered back to the “other” line (yes… the BIG FULL LINE) giggling at our audaciousness of even thinking the “cool empty line” was meant for us!

Yet, all of the sudden, the TSA security guy in our new “BIG line” points at us and says… you girls go in THAT line (pointing us back to the cool “pre-checked” empty line that we were just so eloquently kicked out of). We giggled, pointing to TSA guy #1… and said… “OH NO. We are NOT pre-checked. That guy over there said so!”.  Yet our new guy chuckled and said, “I just “pre-checked” you. Go on in.”

What what whaaaaaaat!??? For reals?

Oh boy. If that first guy over there didn’t know that THIS guy over here just “pre-checked us”, we were gonna be in SO much trouble. But, we reluctantly meandered our way back to him, and this time… YAY!!! We passed! !!! And for some reason… they chuckled. How did he KNOW??!! Those airline tricksters! I’ll tell ya.

And STILL, after my “pre-check approval” I got pulled aside for my contraband unopened water bottle. *gasp*  REALLY? Even the sealed bottle? Oh I must have disappointed them greatly with their premature “pre-checking” me. *snort*  I obviously wasn’t ready.

And so we flew.

And I almost DIED!!!!

How? I discovered that the “back of the plane, window seats” in sold-out packed planes are NOT for me. *gasp* I swear I started hyperventilating, my eyes as big as saucers, bugging right out of my head! WE WERE SARDINES!! We were packed like sardines!!!  I can’t. I… I JUST CAN’T!!!! I think I’m hyperventilating again…

And I was so scared I was going to start screaming “Lemme out!!! Lemme ouuuuuut!!” until the guy next to me asked me (out of the blue, I swear!!!) to trade seats with his wife up there in the front… ROOMY area. And I mean ROOMY. TWO windows in that area (that is how much room I had). An angel sent from above to keep me from freaking out all of the passengers. I swear it’s true!

Flying? I LOVE it. Take off and landing? Bring it on!!! Stuffing me into a sardine can for 3.5 hrs.  GAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! HELP ME!!! I almost died.  But I didn’t!

‘Cause I got to Texas just fine (minus the TWO hour – should have been 20 minute shuttle ride from the airport to my hotel). Don’t even get me started on that! Oh you wanna know? Okay!

So my plane lands early. My luggage arrives just fine… and I wait in the WRONG shuttle area for half an hour! Grrrrr! That was bad enough as it was, but my mistake. Sort of. And finally I’m told where MY shuttle is (they have their own area up there somewhere), and my shuttle picks me up. My driver is a total GRUMPY McMoodypants. And I’m the only one he has to pick up, and HE is not impressed.

So he circles the airport. Once… twice… until he finds another shuttle just like ours. And it is FULL, minus ONE empty spot. He pulls over, unloads me INTO it (FULL I tell ya! Sardines!), and the new driver-guy says… “…are you going to the Hyatt?” My driver says “YES!” WHAT?!! I say “NO!!! I’m going to the Adolphus!” (P.S. The Adolphus is haunted and I’ll tell you all about that in a bit!!). My new driver says GET IN! And so I do. Hey if you’re gonna boss me in a time of duress… well. I’m likely to just go with it, ’cause I’m all confused anyway. Lead the way! LOL! We stop at EVERY stop. Even a retirement home area. I had no idea shuttles even stopped there. And two… TWO hours later (what should have been a 20 minute drive), I finally get to my haunted hotel. <— HAUNTED!!! I can’t wait to tell y’all about that part!

And we were good to go, and off we went to a meet ‘n greet with fellow authors and bloggers and readers at a “bridal shower” of sorts! Fun, except that by the time we got there, the restaurant kitchen was closed. *sigh* and that part of the party was pretty much over.

Me, Author S.L. Scott, Heather Maven, and Sherry is taking the pic! (P.S. This is that grrrrr!! taxi)

So we headed back to the Hyatt Regency hotel. Don’t even get me started on the dark-alley “taxi” we took. Grrrrrrr!!! My meter isn’t working my a$$!! Can I say we ALMOST DIED here too?  Too much? LOL!!! ‘Cause it was a pretty creepy dark alley with some shady characters, including the driver, to boot! But we wanted to go, ’cause that was where RT was being held. We KNEW everyone would be at the hotel bar  and so we were so excited. AND OMG we saw almost EVERYONE!!!! What a perfect start to the Dallas RT trip.

Like Tijan (Teeeejyn, NOT Tijaaaahn like I thought  <— check out the video. She fixes it), and Leisa Rayven, and A.L. Jackson, and Helena Hunting, and Joanna Wylde, and all of my favorite bloggers friends! It was freaking fantastic, and I have SO SO much more to tell y’all.

More to follow… My friends.

Erin Noelle, Willow Aster, Maryse, Sherry & Kayla Robichaux playing “Cards Against Humanity” *gasp!!*

P.S. There was public dirty card playing (Cards Against Humanity *waggles eyebrows*), E.L. James sightings (I’m in one of ‘em and that story in itself is pretty darn awesome!!), author signings & TONS of photos, reader (and author!!) bonding over mustard and fries (YES. MUSTARD and fries!!)

PLUS!! Creepy-ass GHOST hunting!! And GHOST FINDING!!!! VIDEOS! That’s right. With authors, btw. And Karina Halle fits right back into this mix in one of our Ghost hunting ventures. WHO BETTER than to ghost hunt with Dex and Perry’s maker!!?? Right? !!!!

Ahhhh I have so much to tell you guys and I’m so darn wordy I can’t help it. I have to split this “post” up into multiple sections. but you knew that would be the case, didn’t you? I can’t ever keep it “make a long story short”. What’s the fun in that?