RT Goodness

I'm a bad blogger. Everyone else here has been much better than me about posting pictures and updates. I haven't taken many pictures, but somehow I'm managed to be a number of pictures. Hmmm.... I guess I'm just hanging out with a very picture-happy group.

Yesterday wasn’t a very good day for me as I had a nasty migraine that slowed me down. However, I’ve bounced back and I’m ready to go again.

This morning started off on the right foot: coffee and friends. After basking in the warmth and love of my cup of coffee, I got to sit down and spend a few less-than-hectic moments with Kim Harrison, “Guy in the Leather Jacket,” Rachel Vincent (my roomie here), Jeanne Stein, and Mark Henry (who I met for the first time in person here, and let me tell you this man is twisted and hilarious).

Next, we were off to the panel “Demons Are the New Black,” which had on it Kim Harrison, Caitlin Kittridge, Jackie Kessler, Richelle Mead, Carole Nelson Douglas, agent Miriam Kriss, and Mark Henry. The panel was great, but I didn’t get pictures because I was way in the back. Hop over to Rachel’s blog, as I believe she has posted one or two.

Next was the “Urban Fantasy 101” panel, which had on it Rachel Vincent, Richelle Mead, Jeanne Stein, Keri Arthur (who I am just loving the more I see her each year), Jeri Smith-Ready, Kelley Armstrong (who I already adore), and a Tor editor whose name I am completely forgetting right now because I am an ass. Unfortunately, as you will notice in the picture below, not everyone is shown because I moved to the front row for this panel to make up for my back-row blindness during the prior panel. This panel was great because a lot of it was about defining Urban Fantasy vs. Paranormal Romance and the importance of world building (it’s ABSOLUTELY crucial).

Afterward, we were whisked away to the awards luncheon, where Kim Harrison won an award for Best Protagonist and Jeaniene Frost won Best Urban Fantasy! And to complete a good lunch, great chocolate cake for desert, and the joy of friends winning awards: we got free books. Now, you know this is the main reason people go to these things; it’s all about the free books. I’ve done pretty well so far and I’m trying to keep it light. Remember, what ever you get here you have to either schlep home or ship. Also, I’m not allowed to read. I’ve got deadlines!

Any other updates… I finally got to meet the wonderful, brilliant Melissa Marr in person. She was the only one out of the upcoming anthology that I hadn’t met yet. I also found out that she’s reading my book … gulp! We had drinks last night and I joined her and several other wonderful writers for lunch today.

At the moment, I am enjoying a little down time before tonight’s Vampire Ball. It is my goal to grab at least a couple pictures of that interesting event tonight. In the meantime, it’s back to work. I’ve got a short story to finish.

For more photos and updates, stop by Rachel Vincent’s blog and Mark Henry had a great photo posting over at Fangs, Fur & Fey. I’m sure there are other pictures out there, I just haven’t located them all yet. In the end, the only thing I've got left to say is: Vicki Pettersson, we wish you were here!