Let’s break it down…
Friends. Parties. Fun!
This year was my second RT, but we arrived the day before the official start so we could settle in and get the party started. Though we’d intended to hit a club Tuesday night, we had little luck. We went out. We came back. Even so, it was a good time! Wednesday began with more fun, meeting friends, a Black Lace panel nobody came to give so LD and I jumped on it. Dinner with my editor and agent and friends. The EC party, yay!
But Thursday morning, I was feeling pretty lousy, and I continued feeling lousy almost the entire time. I rallied every now and then but mostly…felt like ICK. I blame the hotel — lots of people were sick. I think it was bad air.
I know RT makes some people’s lips curl. Cover models, they say, GROSS! Mr. Romance, EWWW! People in their underpants on the dance floor! HOW HORRID! Okay, I’m sort of with you there on the whole wearing your underpants on the outside thing, but you know what? Whatever.
RT isn’t RWA, okay? RT is a reader/fan convention, it’s not a professional organization’s professional conference for the purpose of learning. RT is parties and meeting readers and friends and hanging out and yes — some get a little wild. There are cute boys (and really, honestly…the whole “they’re gross, or he does nothing for me” comments…these are people, you know? They have feelings. Not everybody in the world has to melt everyone’s butter, you know?) and there is mayhem, but I have to say, I didn’t see anything that I thought was out of line. Maybe I have a higher tolerance. Maybe I’m one of the people misbehaving — but I was having fun. I didn’t go upstairs with a Chippendale, okay? I only talked to one in the bar.
Do I agree with all the behavior that allegedly went on? No way. Do I think it’s okay for ANYONE to be rude to a reader or an author who’s not wearing a name badge, or an aspiring author who’s not yet published? Erm…what’s the point? What, really, is the point of being a moron to someone who could decide to read, OR NOT, your books? To another author, editor, agent, bookseller or librarian? In fact, the bottom line is, you shouldn’t be nice to strangers because they might be someone you can use later, but because you should BE NICE.
Anyway, I’m sorry for those who didn’t have fun. I felt like death not even warmed-over, and I still had fun. Because I was there to meet friends and readers and other authors and yes, Mr. Romance contestants, because life is too darned short NOT to fill it with fabulous people, and how do you know who’s fabulous until you’ve met them?
We had a fantastically attended reader appreciation party, THE LOVE SHACK, with food, goodies and karaoke, and it was great! And I got lots of swag, and met tons of new people and saw people I’d met last year and didn’t expect to see ever again, so that was a thrill.
On another note, the decorations were amazing. I didn’t eat much food (but I LIKE CORN!) and missed most of the official lunches and dinners due to illness, but I heard it was good. RT really puts on a fantastic event.
And you can see all of it, if you wish, below…
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