So here are my high (and low) points and things I learned at RT:

Total miles driven: About 1,100.

Total hours spent driving: About 18.

Best thing about Pittsburgh: Just about everything. Great weather, a gorgeous downtown area, and lots to see and do.

Worst thing about Pittsburgh: Some of the bridges only go one way. It’s confusing, especially if you’re from out of town.

Biggest fangirl moment: Getting to talk to Kim Harrison for a few minutes. I love her books, and she was very gracious in person.

Most awkward moment: Realizing practically everyone else at the Fairy Ball was in costume — but me.

Second most awkward moment: Asking people what they were standing in line for (the goody room). I can never tell and always have to ask.

My best author moment: Having people come up to me at the book fair and tell me how much they enjoyed the Bigtime books.

Funniest author moment: Jackie Kessler referring to her Hell on Earth series as the HOE books.

Best spot to hang out: The lobby outside the ballroom.

Worst spot to hang out: The Pub restaurant. It was way too small for the number of people at the event.

Cool authors I met: Jackie Kessler, Rachel Vincent, Mark Henry, Stephanie Hale, Ann Christopher, Robyn DeHart, Barry Eisler … and too many more to name.

Other cool people I met: Krista, a reader from Nashville that I met last year during an event; Susan Helene Gottfriend of the West of Mars book blog; Ann the librarian … and too many other people to name.

Things I will do different if I go next year: Get some sort of cape or nice dress for the costume balls. Bring more promo items besides bookmarks. Talk to more people.

Worst thing about RT: The hotel. Enough said.

Best thing about RT: Meeting so many people and all those wonderful free books.

Whew! So there you have it. More about RT than you ever wanted to know. I’ll give you guys a couple days to digest it all before I go back to more regular posting. In the meantine, happy reading! :ww:

So Saturday was all about the big book fair. I went down around 10:20 a.m., and there were already tons of authors inside setting up their tables. I went around and chatted with some folks like Jackie Kessler and Barry Eisler, and managed to say hi to Lora Leigh just before the doors opened.

Wow. It was chaos for a while after that. Tons of people coming in and heading straight for their favorite authors. Barry was quite popular, as was Kim Harrison and Mark Henry (those were some of the folks I could see from my spot). Mark told me he sold out of books by 11:15. Way to go Mark! (BTW, his book, Happy Hour of the Damned, is about a zombie. How cool is that? Got to add it to my TBR pile).

I did pretty good at the book fair, especially considering all the big names there. I sold 14 books out of 20 (mostly copies of Hot Mama). Lots of people came up to me and told me how much they enjoyed the Bigtime books, and I got lots of cards from librarians and booksellers. A couple folks also came up and had me sign their tote bags, which was really cool and flattering. (I’m so bringing my own tote bag for people to sign next year!) So my traffic was pretty steady throughout the fair, which is always good.

Things started calming down around 12:30 p.m., and I cut out of the book fair a little after 1 p.m., so Wheezley (the significant other) and I could drive back home. By the end of the day and our drive, I was exhausted, but it was a good kind of tired. :bubbles:

Up next: The final RT post.

I had the most fun at RT on Friday. My presentation was over, and I could just relax. It always takes me a couple of days to get into the swing of thing at conferences, and I hit my stride on Friday.

I started off the day by going to two urban fantasy panels and listening to folks like Kim Harrison, Jackie Kessler, and Mark Henry talk about the genre. Very cool stuff. I also introduced myself to Jackie and Mark after the first panel (we’re all members of Fangs, Fur, and Fey).

BTW, Kim Harrison looks just how I picture her character Rachel Morgan, except for Rachel’s freckles. But who knows? Maybe Kim has a charm to hide her freckles, just like Rachel does in the Hollows books. :joecool:

Then, it was time for the big awards luncheon, which I decided to go to at the last minute. I sat next to Robyn DeHart, who’s a fellow member of Smoky Mountain Romance Writers, and Pamela Kinney. We had fun talking about (what else) books and authors.

After lunch, I hung out with Wheezley (the significant other) for a while. Then, I went to the big editor and agent panel, hoping to put some faces with names. But it was so crowded I left after a few minutes. I ran into Jackie Kessler again and Michelle Rowen. The three of us hung out and talked for a while about books, authors, and our respective accents. I’m a southern girl, while Michelle is from Canada, and Jackie hails from New York. Other folks drifted by, including Jeri Smith-Ready and Rachel Vincent. (Jackie and Rachel probably thought I was stalking them by the end of the conference. I kept running into them. In the hall, in the bathroom, everywhere).

Later, I spotted Rachel talking with Kim Harrison and her husband, so I bucked up my inner fangirl and went and said hello to Kim and told her how cool I think her titles and books are. Kim is also writing a young adult urban fantasy series, which I’ll have to add to my TBR pile.

I ran into Susan Helene Gottfried again and Ann the librarian (who last name I cannot remember at the moment). We hung out for a while and talked about books.

Then, it was time for the Vampire Ball, where I ran into Christine McKay and Trista Ann Michaels again. After the ball started, I ended up sitting out in the hallway with Robyn DeHart and just people watching for a while. Once again, some of the costumes were just amazing.

That’s one of the things I love about conferences — there’s always something to see and do and people to meet and talk to. After people watching, I went upstairs to bed and got ready for the big Saturday book fair.

Up next: More RT.

After exploring Pittsburgh on Thursday afternoon, Wheezley decided to nap, so I went to the annual Fairy Ball.

I’d heard a lot of folks liked to dress up for the evening events at RT, but frankly, I don’t have any costumes and it was one less thing I had to worry about packing. So I went downstairs in my pink sweater and black pants — and stuck out like a sore thumb.

Wow. Almost everyone was in some sort of costume or other (or a nice dress). And lots of the costumes were really impressive. Wings, glitter, bright colors, tiaras. I’m not at all creative or talented when it comes to costumes/clothing. Seriously, the most exciting thing in my wardrobe are the ten pairs of black pants/shoes I have. But there are lots of people who are creative, and they were at RT. I stood in line behind one lady who said she went to a welder and got him to make fairy wings for her. Really cool.

During the ball, I meet the very funny Christine McKay. I also saw Trista Ann Michaels, who I know from Smoky Mountain Romance Writers (of which I’m a member) and from various events we’ve been at together. And of course, I spotted other authors all dolled up in fairy gear. Overall, a fun night.

Up next: More RT.

After I did my workshop Thursday morning, Wheezley (the siginificant other) and I decided to get out and see Pittsburgh.

Our first stop was lunch at Grille 36, the restaurant owned by former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis. Wheezley is a big Steelers fan, so this was a must-stop for us. The weather was so nice, we decided to sit outside and people watch. Our waiter was a bit of a space cadet, but lunch was good. I had mac & cheese, and Wheezley got a salad. I use that word loosely, though, since it was topped with steak. And blue cheese. And French fries!

Somehow, Wheezley found out about the Carnegie Science Museum — and the fact they have a submarine. He’s really, really into history, so that was another must-stop. After lunch, we walked over to the museum. We went down to the submarine first, which was very, very tiny inside. After that, it was back up to the science museum, where we pushed the buttons on all the interactive displays, peered at the fish tanks, walked around a huge model railroad, and enjoyed all the other sights. (I would share some pictures, but Word Press is not cooperating right now).

Then, we were off to walk by Heinz Field, take pictures of the stadium (which I lovingly refer to as God’s Mustard Bowl), and explore some more. I went down one of the ramps and stuck my hand in the Allegheny River just to say that I’d done that, then we strolled across the Robert Clemente bridge, around Point State Park, and back to the hotel.

Lots of walking, and I had to soak my feet afterwards, but we had a lot of fun. All in all, it was one of the best days we’ve ever had on vacation. I’d recommend a trip to Pittsburgh, especially if you’re a football or baseball fan. Lots to see and do, it’s easy to get around, and it’s very clean and safe.

Up next: More RT stuff.