RT Recap

I promised you the RT recap.

Do you remember Kid 2′s glasses disaster?  When I went to pick up her glasses, they asked me for my ID.  I handed over my Oregon Driver license and hadn’t seen it since. The glasses store swears they don’t have it, I definitely don’t have it, and since I discovered this awesome fact twenty four hours before the flight, the day before the trip was spent at the Texas DMV trying to get an ID made.  Serves me right, by the way.  We should’ve taken care of this months ago.

Wednesday

So, Gordon and I, with my piece of paper from Texas DMV, go through security.  The piece of paper isn’t enough.  I produce Costco card, photocopy of my Oregon DL,  and the old Georgia license, and the nice Texan lets me through.  I pass security with flying colors, while Gordon gets patted down.  The reason?  He was wearing sweatpants.

As an aside, people have issues with pat downs.  I don’t.  All my issues went out the window with 9/11.  To get on and off post, your car was searched and sometimes you were searched, and in my experience TSA was always above board.

So we get on a plane – and I managed to book the seats in the same aisle but not together, because I am a moron.  I get to sit next to a woman, while Gordon gets to sit across the aisle.  The plane takes off, and we get turbulence.  Strangely, I didn’t freak out.  I just sat there quietly, very happy that I made the will before I left.  Midway through flight, I decided to work a little bit.   I was editing the chapter, when I realized the woman next to me was reading what I wrote.  This is the precise point where this realization occurred to me:

“What can I do?” she asked him.
“Anything you wish.”
Anything she wished. She raised her hand and touched his chest, drawing her fingers along the narrow hollow between the hard panes of his pectoral muscles.  He strained, his body tightening under her touch, but kept his hands on the headboard.  She felt so free and…  wanton.  Yes.  That was the word.

O_O

So I decided it would be prudent to stop working.  Luckily I had purchased ANGELS’ BLOOD on Kindle just before I left (I had it in paper) and I was actually displeased when we landed, because I had to stop reading.

We arrived at the hotel late Wednesday night, hit the bar – which was very crowded, and ate.  Said hi to Rachel Caine, who was marvelous, as always.  Met Jackie of Literary Escapism and her friend, who immediately informed me that she was a romance reader and out of everything we wrote she only read Andrea and Raphael novella, and she will NOT be reading the novel unless I could assure her that HEA is imminent.  (I died.  I kind of had to keep a straight face, but it was too funny.)

We also met Mindy (mudepoz), who brought me an orchid book.  (Later as I read it, the book explained to me that the plant I’ve been trying to save since the move probably will not recover.  Bummer.)

At ten thirty went to bed.

Thursday

Thursday I realized that Jeanine Frost wouldn’t be getting in until later, which really sucked. We had a panel on action scenes with Zoe Archer, Larissa Ione, Laurie London, and Nico Rosso.  It was well attended and Zoe did a nice job moderating.

At noon we had lunch with Nalini Singh, Jeaniene Frost, and Shiloh Walker.  I took some pictures with my phone, and I’m not that great of the photographer, so what you see is what you get.    I also have Shiloh’s but she asked me not to post it.

Later on, we went to listen to a panel-chat with Charlaine Harris, Nalini and Jeaniene.  Here, I took more bad pictures.

Gordon and I got to meet Charlaine Harris.  I thought he would faint. Charlaine Harris was very kind and gracious and later on, at the signing she autographed Gordon’s copy of DEAD RECKONING and her comics.

Saw Mindy again – she had the coolest steampunk outfit on and won the contest with it.  Briefly saw Yasmine Galenorn and we chatted a little.

Saw Angela James and Jane of Dear Author.  Said hi.  Unfortunately they were going one way and we were going the other so didn’t get to visit.

Went to have a dinner with Jeaniene and Jill Smith of RT Magazine.  We had deep dish Chicago pizza and Jeaniene, who was driving, made four U-turns.  (Mostly because when her GPS told her to take the turn, she ignored it.)

Friday

Went to have breakfast with Angela Knight and her husband. (Angela Knight reads our books.  OMG!)

Had a really cool interview with Jackie of Literary Escapism.

Chatted with Rachel Vincent and Shiloh Walker. Here are our  feet.

The Pitch-palooza was going on while we were chatting, and Gordon, who was in rare form, suggested that he should go there and pitch some nonsense to poor unsuspecting publishers involving Gay Naked Russian Werebears.  I managed to talk him out of it, mainly by threatening him with our agent.  Because you know, if we pitched it, they would expect the Gay Naked Russian Werebears.

Then we got tired and went to take a nap.  Woke up.  Watched Property Brothers.  Dressed up and went to have a nice date at the hotel restaurant.  Gordon had steak and I had salmon.  The wine was excellent and the food delicious.  Saw JR Ward at the next table.  She looks just like her pictures, very elegant and put together.. We didn’t say hi, because we don’t know her and she was clearly having a private dinner.

That night we hung out with fans at the bar and we finally met Jana Oliver, who was just as cool as her books.

Saturday

Went to breakfast with Ann Aquirre, Jeri Smith-Ready, and Sarah Zettel.

Went to the Giant Book Fair.  People said that we had a huge line.  I didn’t actually see the line, because when I sign, I kind of get tunnel vision and I only see the person in front of me, but I guess we had a lot of people, because my hand hurt by the end of it. Nice Australian ladies gave us some TimTams, chocolate aaaand white chocolate.  Debi Murray brought me a cute ducky!

Then we left for home.  On a drive to the airport, we found out tornadoes were coming.  Luckily we got through security, where I was thoroughly searched due to my sucky documentation.  We got on a plane, where the captain told us to expect turbulence.  Strangely, I really enjoyed the flight.  Except my stupid Kindle Fire ran out of charge fifteen minutes before descent and I was upset about it.

And that concludes the RT report.

::falls over::