Archive for November, 2011

Today was the first day for learning. In the morning, I attended a workshop on cowboys, given by a few EC authors who write western romances. We talked as a group about what made cowboys so freaking sexy, and what we’d love to see more of with western romances.

.

Then came one of the workshops I was really super looking forward to…burlesque dance class! A woman came in to show us a few moves we could try out to make our significant others wild. How to put a little extra pop in your step, swivel in your hip, arch in your pose. She was funny and energetic and made us laugh. And made us move! We got up and worked it along with her. Burlesque class was absolutely not a spectator sport. My heels couldn’t keep up…I had to take them off and work it that way.

.

In the afternoon, after lunch (which was not provided…I had snacks in my hotel room and rested) I attended a workshop called 31 Flavors of Sex. It covered the different kinds of sex and positions you find in erotic romance, why readers like them, and what they want more of. Very informative as a writer.

.

And the last workshop of the day was a BDSM workshop. We watched a flogging, got to ask questions, and just had a nice open panel. Questions were asked about BDSM clubs, introducing a reluctant spouse/partner to the lifestyle, toys/equipment, safety tips, and more.

 

This was also a casual day, I wore jeans and a decent top. I carried a sweater with me, luckily, because some rooms were freezing and some were pretty warm. Just the way it works with hotels.

 

And then came the party at night. The theme for Friday night’s party was the past…aka the caveman era. Saw a lot of animal prints, a lot of fur (fake!) and some other interesting elements. I’m not a costume person, and don’t worry! I’m not alone in that, and it wasn’t at all weird to not be dressed up. My jeans and nicer top fit in just fine, no problems. We ate dinner, we drank, we listened to the opening speeches, we watched the Cavemen dance (yes, dance…they had little performances for us!) and then we broke it down on the dance floor. The party ended around midnight, but I know people hung out at the bar and in each other’s rooms for long after that. I was exhausted, so I headed back to my own room to get a good night’s sleep.

.

Below are a few more pictures of the evening, captions included. Come back again for another round of Romanticon wrap-up!

.

Thursday’s Rundown

.

 

 

This was a day for checking in, getting settled, meeting up with people and the meet and greet.

First off, let’s discuss the gift bag. We were given a bag that included cotton candy (num!), some books, our name badge, a yummy calendar, the conference book (which had notes for the workshops, space for autographs and a place to keep track of awards. Oh, and also a keychain that said “I got BONED at Romanticon 2011” … but the cool thing is that it popped out and had a condom!

I set up my baskets that had my promo items in it. There were tables set up where the workshops were located and you could drop off your promo for convention-goers to browse throughout the conference and pick out what they wanted. I loved looking through the offerings, seeing what other authors had to show off. My promo included military-themed rubber ducksies and also pocket tissue packs. One fun, one practical.

Then was the meet & greet for the night. Ellora’s Cave had their own wine as “favors” with EC labels on them. The cavemen mingled, I got to meet one of my favorite EC authors (Mari Carr…such a sweetie!) and it was a good intro to the entire event. Also, this was the night I met my editor, Grace Bradley. It’s funny how you can work with someone for over a year and not even know what their voice sounds like. But Grace was as awesome in person as she has been online. If you don’t follow her on Twitter…you should! @GraceBradley

Overall, Thursday evening was a great opportunity to meet up with people I had talked to on Twitter or on author loops, check out the caveman man candy, and get used to the surroundings. It was a casual event (I wore jeans, flip flops and a simple tee).

Check back in the next day or so for another installment of Romanticon 2011, and how it went!

 

Today is my one-year anniversary of being a published author. On November 5th, 2010, Songbirds was released by Ellora’s Cave. A huge day for me, as a writer. I still remember the anticipation. The countdown in my mind. The confusion. The horror. The absolute bliss the minute the book went live on the website.

.

I want to relive it. Sort of. So I’m doing a day-long giveaway. I’m doing little bursts of gift giving on Twitter, so if you have a Twitter account, go ahead and follow me! @authorKJReed. But I’m doing a full day* long giveaway here, if you don’t have Twitter, so don’t worry! All you need is an email address for where to contact you, and that’s all.

.

I’m going to give away my first paperback, Come Together.* It’s like three books in one, since it has my three novellas of the Come Together series. Just comment here about you own favorite anniversary. Is it your wedding anniversary? The anniversary of your own birth (aka your birthday)? The day you started some amazing journey in your life? Let me know, and you might win a signed copy of my Come Together paperback!

.

And remember, follow @authorKJReed for ebook giveaways throughout the day!

.

* Contest on blog ends 11:59 EST.

.

** Should an international poster should win, I will send them all three ebook novellas that comprise the paperback. I apologize, but the international shipping would kill me! (Darn not having the ability to send things mentally…)