The Carol Lynne Reader Weekend
When an author thinks of a 'reader weekend' with dozens of their readers in their home, in and out of their hotel room, sharing several, several hours, most authors I know wouldn't even attempt engaging. They don't know Carol...or her readers.
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I was sooooo impressed with this group and how well everything went. It was truly unbelievable. EVERYONE was so polite, so nice and sweet, so helpful, and nobody wanted the weekend to end. They missed their kids and homes, but if there was a negative ion within miles of this group, I didn't detect it, and my skills are pretty sharp.
Forget that the hotel was fabulous, the food was never-ending, that the group attended a Fork & Film or Cinema Suites at the movies one afternoon. Forget that we had literally dozens of best-selling authors of erotic romance and avid readers mixed together, a pool, a hot tub/spa, and terrific Kansas City barbecue.
The group rented out the theater - quite literally - lol. These long tables? Everyone had their own reclining lounger, a waiter at your beck and call if you but flicked your little switch alerting the switchboard. There were hot moist towels for after you finished eating. Drinks, pop and popcorn if you chose, or alcoholic beverages. Meals - we're talking appetizers, full courses, whatever you wanted that was on the menu. This area of Kansas and Atlanta, Georgia are the only places where these exist. I'm not sure why, because I think the company would make a FORTUNE with them.
It was the people that made this weekend party work so well. I had more fun at this little soiree than I've had in ages. Literally ages. We shopped, swapped recipes, played "Bullshit" - and that is one fun card game. We swam, drank a bit (but not too much), watched movies, chatted, and chowed down on some great food. Carol's sisters helped ferry people to and from bus terminals and airports, and her older sister cooked burgers and hot dogs for about 30 people.
The beauty to the left, by the way, is Silver.
I'm not sure what everyone else expected. I was only worried about my friend. Hoped that everyone was pleasant (not a problem), that nobody fought or cried or ripped her off (not a fucking chance), and that she got enough rest (ok, she didn't, but...2 out of 3's not so bad).
********
Dudley had no problem finding pets or treats. He wasn't above asking for what he wanted either. *grin*
********
Not because she's my friend, but because it's true - one of the main reasons this party was fabulous was because of Carol herself. She's a tad anal, nit-picky, or whatever, but it worked to her advantage here. The details were covered. She might walk off without her wallet or her keys now and then, but bigolly everyone had a room, food to eat, a place to sleep, and plenty to keep them busy...and happy.
*****
I wouldn't recommend this sort of thing for MOST writers, but for Carol Lynne and her group, it was absolutely perfect, and I can't wait until next year's bash.
hugs, all..
Sunny Lyn
Labels: writer friends
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Pics From National RWA Conference
Nooo, I didn't go - I was LEFT BEHIND, remember? But I have friends who went and sent photos. Some of them just didn't make it to me until after those friends were home.
The first one is of MARA President and Harlequin/Silhouette author Carla Cassidy signing books in DC. Looks like
Last Gasp is the one up for grabs here. (Carla writes really terrific romantic suspense, by the way. You should try this one.)
The next photo is of four really sweet friends and fellow authors. From left to right, there are Gretchen, Aimie, Erin, and Heather. Aren't they gorgeous?!
* * *
Thanks, Jackie Bannon for the pics.
Jackie's new website is listed on my blog roll (alphabetical order). Pop on over and say hello. She's a riot.
* * *
To the rest of you left behinds, maybe we'll see one another at the next conference. In the meantime, I'm not above living vicariously off of my friends and hawking the photos they took. *grin*
* * *
~ Sunny Lyn, the optimist, who thinks she'll be at RWA next year...and if not RWA, then surely at RT. (Wouldn't it be great to be at both?!)
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Brynn Paulin's New Book
So I did some catch up blogging and found that this book just came out - Brynn's a terrific writer, and menage *sigh* is one of her strong suits. Best of luck with this one, Brynn!
I *think* I'll be seeing her again within a few days at Carol Lynne's m/m reader retreat (well, that's my term for it - not sure how the rest of them are referring to their weekend getaway that's coming up).
I should be writing, but I have mountains of laundry staring at me, not to mention two hungry dogs, some shirts that need ironing, and a load of dishes to do. The four WIPs will just have to wait until after the banana bread bakes and those clothes are hanging up.
Have a great Sunday, everyone.
~ Sunny Lyn
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Eloisa James Keynote Luncheon Speaker
Gretchen sent this a day or two ago, and I'm just now getting it posted. I haven't read this author, but I looked her up. Her website says she's made the NY Times best seller list. (She writes historical romance.)
Her website is:
http://www.eloisajames.com/As for what's going on in DC, I'm assuming that Gretchen, my fearless adventurer friend, has had to stop playing in the political alphabet soup bowl with FBI, CIA, and God Knows what else. I mean, she IS there for a writers' conference, right? (Nah, I'm not jealous...not bitter.*shiver*)
All I've been told I can say is that one of our published authors is having a good time in DC. She was asked for a trilogy from one of the big houses. Two of our unpublished authors were asked for partials from places like St. Martin's Press (yaaaaaaaaaaaay, LEE and ERIN). There could be more - I haven't talked to Gretchen for several hours.
Hope everyone else is having a terrific start to their weekend. The weather is gorgeous here, and neither of my kids has to work, so...Mom here will be doing the cooking, cleaning, dish-washing, laundry, writing thing no matter what day it is. Maybe if she's lucky somebody else will feed her, though, and take care of the cooking part - lol.
Hey. One can hope.
Hugs,
~ Sunny
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Squeeze Those Jelly Donuts
Gretchen sent another kewl photo from the RWA conference - it's of keynote speaker Janet Evanovich. According to Gretchen, Janet says that writers are like jelly donuts. The jelly is the creativity, and when we're squeezed the creativity comes out the ole romance writing hole (as opposed to the plumber's hole, etc).
Okay. Like I'm gonna turn down any little tidbit from the queen of chick lit mystery?
Where's the bath towel? Because I always leave messes when I squeeze. Eeew.
On a different note...Ann, THE BAT DAME, and her family included me on an afternoon of delights yesterday. I got to reunite with Ann's girls and sister, Jane, and this time I got to meet The Bat Mom, who is absolutely fabulous. Ann's daughters are drop-dead gorgeous. Jane looks wonderful. And 'mom' doesn't look a day over...well...20 years younger than she really is. They all were beautiful. Oh. And Ann got her belly button pierced the day before - lol. They figured it up...15 piercings among her and the girls. She said other mothers take their daughters for walks on the beach to talk about periods. She and her girls bond by getting something pierced and shopping their butts off. Hey - works for me.
We went to the old downtown OP and shopped at Penzeys Spices. I gotta go back and pick up some BBQ 3000, some of their chili seasoning, a delicious smelling cinnamon from Viet Nam, and a bottle of Tellicherry Indian Black Pepper. Later, we shopped at an antique furniture store and got something to drink at a neighborhood coffee shop. *sigh* I love days like that.
* * *
THANKS for the pic of Janet, Gretchen!
* * *
And THANK YOU to Ann and her family for including me for the fun yesterday. Love you all.
More later. In the meantime, all you donutes start squeezing your jelly.
~ Sunny
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Women With Balls
Squeaky wheel...and all that works sometimes...GRETCHEN PHONED - YAAAY - lol. She sent a photo of the shooting range. Nothing like getting to tour the FBI, shoot a tommy gun, and have all the cute young recruits looking at your tour group with a truly WTF look on their faces, she said.
Interesting people she met during the past couple of days include George, a young hottie at the FBI who became the key contact for Saddham Hussein during his stay here. Seems Hussein had a compulsive behavior related to keeping time, so all clocks were removed around him, and George wore a watch with a large face on it...Hussein had to ask George the time if he wanted to know it.
Gretchen informed me that SH had written ROMANCE NOVELS. I will admit...that was my personal WTF moment. Then I Googled and discovered yep. The first, Zabibah and the King, was a love story about a powerful ruler of medieval Iraq and a married commoner girl, Zabibah, whose husband rapes her. (Anyone wonder where he came up with THAT premise? Anyone remember his masochist son?) It's suspected that there was at least one ghost writer.
The fourth title was interesting. Begone, Demons...about a Zionist/Christian conspiracy against Muslims and Arabs. Supposedly, it was finished the day before the US invasion.
Nothing like a hottie with the FBi to spike your interests.
Gretchen said that a woman who reports directly to Hillary Clinton at the Secretary of State building was inspiring as well, said this woman has led such a life of service to her country. Then there were the folks at the postal inspection station who told them about catching different types of mail criminals.
Tomorrow? Who knows? I only hope she sends photos. I may even have a glass or two of wine with her during our next conversation.
Have a good day, all.
~ Sunny
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The Left Behind Party
Had to text Gretchen, who is in DC at the national Romance Writers of America conference - and I'M NOT - WAAAAH - about something.
I'm the (_
(that's left behind, for those who can't figure it out).
ANYWAY...one of her side excursions while with her Kiss of Death members was to visit the FBI academy yesterday, and she got to fire a tommy gun! *sigh* There's just something about power between my legs (get your minds out of the gutters...I'm referring to a good Harley, not something with Energizer Bunny batteries) or in my hands that sends tremors all over me. I'm so jealous.
I have absolutely no information as to what's going on other than that, in case you're lurking and hoping I can drop little tidbits for you. None. Nada. As in the heifers who got to go haven't phoned or sent photos for the blog or ANYTHING. I may just have to make this shit up as I go along this week.
I do know that the sun is shining for them and that it's cool of an evening, much like it was when we were all in San Francisco last year. I know that I'm missing out on parties and drinks and smoker's porch fun (oh, wait...do I still smoke?) and gossip and hearing who did what. And I'm pretty certain that the attendees aren't having to face the innumerable transients that trod through the hotel garage last year.
Still. I miss my friends. I may just have to pull out my photos of San Francisco to keep me company this week.
Happy Tuesday, everyone.
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A Bit of Male Male
Loose Id
ISBN eBook: 978-1-59632-952-2
Genre: Paranormal, M/M
Book Length: Novel
Release Date: June 30, 2009
Suffocation, mutilation and dismemberment aren’t the normal outside influences that bring two people together, but inside the newly refurbished Alcatraz Prison, anything can happen.
Inmates begin dying in shocking in sometimes gruesome ways. The deaths prompt Warden Jensen Black to bring in sexy parapsychologist, Brian Phipps. With the help of Brian, Jensen hopes to get to the bottom of what is killing the men he is responsible for. What he didn’t count on is falling and falling hard for the smaller man with the heart of a lion.
The attraction between the two men is instantaneous, but before they could fully explore the depths of their passion, the ghosts set their sites on Brian. As their relationship begins to heat up, the danger escalates, leaving both men to wonder if they’ll ever make it off Alcatraz alive.
---------------------------------------------
This one was a different Carol Lynne book - Carol does the paranormal WELL. Loose Id covers are getting better and better and better, too. I liked this book and its cover. I'd also just come back from seeing 'the real deal' up in San Francisco when I read this, so the salty air, crashing waves, the sea lions barking on the docks, the open-air fruit and vegetable vendors, the city itself...all brought up great imagery as I read the story. I'd always been an Alcatraz story fan, too, which didn't hurt. Spooky stuff there.
---------------------------------------------
Mia Watts has one I haven't read yet (well, it's because it's COMING SOON), but I absolutely adored the title - ROFL.
You can check out more from this talented author at:
http://www.miawatts.com/books.htm
I wasn't one of the first, by any means, to jump on the m/m romance bandwagon. In fact, I had to be dragged there by a couple of friends who shocked the hell out of me when they even suggested such a thing.
Then a couple of gay male friends sort of blinked and asked: What's wrong with you? You have known us HOW LONG, and it never occurred to you that we might like a well-told story that fits US and our lifestyle? We like romance - we like the paranormal - we like people WE can identify with when we read.
Ooookay. So I'm not always the sharpest tack in the box. Better late than never, huh?
~ Sunny Lyn
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Peace, Everybody
It's my day to blog over on the Total ebound site, so I won't be redundant and post the same thing here.
Just wanted to wish everyone a nice day with lots of love.
~ Sunny Lyn
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Happy 4th of July & Happy Birthday(s)
A FEW SHOUT OUTS
Happy Birthday next week to Liz Wolfe and Heather Rae Scott (who I believe share the same birth date). ***
pic snagged (looked like free to me - hey, I'm cheap but not totally insensitive, gotta have a greeting) from:
***
www.illpic.com/Birthday.html***
Hope both of you have a marvelous day. I'm chiming in early because I know I'll most likely forget to blog about it on the 10th - lol. Forget the two of you? Never. Forget to blog...uh, yeah.
***
I'm spending the weekend with writer friend Carol Lynne. Our kids have plans elsewhere, so the two of us, like the diligent writers we are, plan on working to justify our expenditures next year - lol.
***
Hugs to Alexis who is house-sitting and providing nursing care to family members having surgery.
***
MAJOR HUGS to Kelly Ethan, who is having the damned surgery.
***
Happy 4th of July/Independence Day to all the North Americans.
Labels: birhtdays
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Strange Things
Alexis and I walked from our hotel in Orlando over to the Ripley's Believe It Or Not! museum while we were at the RT convention in April, and we got some interesting photos of the building from the outside. I'd been thinking of this earlier when Gretchen sent me a link to the Ripley's wedding dresses - made from toilet paper.
Little guy in the water has nothing to do with this conversation - I just liked him. I'll try to find my photos of Ripley's building and post them later.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/880000288/post/700046270.htmlAnyway, I couldn't imagine making a dress of any sorts out of toilet paper, much less a wedding gown, but I applaud the creativity it took for these ladies to make those dresses. Thanks, Gretchen. :)
And before I leave, a joke Heather sent me - LOVED IT!!!
CURTAIN RODS --- Should they stay?
On the first day, she sadly packed her belongings into boxes, crates and
suitcases.
On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.
On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful
dining-room table, by candle-light; she put on some soft background
music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar,and a bottle of
spring-water.
When she'd finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a
few half-eaten shrimps dipped in caviar into the hollow centre of the
curtain rods.
She then cleaned up the kitchen and left.
On the fourth day, the husband came back with his new girlfriend, and at first it all was bliss.
Then, slowly, the house began to smell.
They tried everything; cleaning, mopping, and airing-out the place.
Vents were checked for dead rodents, and carpets were steam cleaned.
Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to
set off gas canisters, during which time the two had to move out for a
few days, and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool
carpeting. Nothing worked!
People stopped coming over to visit.
Repairmen refused to work in the house. The maid quit.
Finally, they couldn't take the stench any longer, and decided they had
to move, but a month later - even though they'd cut their price in half
- they couldn't find a buyer for such a stinky house.
Word got out, and eventually even the local realtors refused to return
their calls.
Finally, unable to wait any longer for a purchaser, they had to borrow a
huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.
Then the ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going. He told
her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that
she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her
divorce settlement in exchange for having the house.
Knowing she could have no idea how bad the smell really was, he agreed
on a price that was only 1/10 th of what the house had been worth ...
but only if she would sign the papers that very day.
She agreed, and within two hours his lawyers delivered the completed
paperwork.
A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched
the moving company pack everything to take to their new home ......
.... and to spite the ex-wife, they even took the the curtain rods!
I LOVE A HAPPY ENDING, DON'T YOU?
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When an author thinks of a 'reader weekend' with dozens of their readers in their home, in and out of their hotel room, sharing several, several hours, most authors I know wouldn't even attempt engaging. They don't know Carol...or her readers. 
Forget that the hotel was fabulous, the food was never-ending, that the group attended a Fork & Film or Cinema Suites at the movies one afternoon. Forget that we had literally dozens of best-selling authors of erotic romance and avid readers mixed together, a pool, a hot tub/spa, and terrific Kansas City barbecue. 
I'm not sure what everyone else expected. I was only worried about my friend. Hoped that everyone was pleasant (not a problem), that nobody fought or cried or ripped her off (not a fucking chance), and that she got enough rest (ok, she didn't, but...2 out of 3's not so bad).
Not because she's my friend, but because it's true - one of the main reasons this party was fabulous was because of Carol herself. She's a tad anal, nit-picky, or whatever, but it worked to her advantage here. The details were covered. She might walk off without her wallet or her keys now and then, but bigolly everyone had a room, food to eat, a place to sleep, and plenty to keep them busy...and happy.
6 Comments:
Sunny,
I was so thrilled to see you again. We had a great time. I hope to see you next year.
Hugs
Theresa
you will :)
was so great seeing you again!!!
You're far too kind to me, Sunny. We both know I was a bit of a basket case. I had so much going on in my head that there were times I couldn't even put together a complete sentence. Everyone seemed to accept that about me. Makes me wonder though. Do they all think I'm that way all the time? Yeah, probably so, and they're probably right. LOL
You are too hard on yourself. :) And OF COURSE they think you're that way all the time, though - you ARE - lol.
But we wouldn't change ya if we could.
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