Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Once again I`ve been so bad

at blogging *unhappy sigh*

Right now I`m here in the big city of New York at RWA. As usual I`m having an amazing time. There is so much stuff going on, I think I`ll just do point form

I had a melt down when I first got to the hotel. I`d stayed the night before at the Algonquin Hotel and was NOT impressed. It had to be the smallest hotel room I`ve ever seen and even worse, the air conditioning didn`t work. I suffered through though and then took a 45 minute cab ride for what was pretty much a 15 minute walk.

I have never seen traffic like it is here. Never. Ever, never, ever. I could not live in this city or I`d go nuts though it interesting to visit.

Once I got past my meltdown - thankfully Rosie showed up to rescue me, things started getting much better. I met up with Lisabea and Nath and her sister Emily. Wendy was a late arrival since she, the RWA Librarian of the year, had Librarian duties that kept her occupied for a while.

I don`t really know how to explain it, but all these people I see once a year at RWA and when we get together, it`s like we last saw each other only a few weeks ago. At the risk of mush overload, I am just so damn happy to see them all. There is this bond that is indescribable. OK - mush over.

If I start naming people, I`m sure I will forget half the names, but a few standout meetings. It was wonderful sitting with and talking with Susanna Kearsley at the bar. I was so excited to hear she would be going and was looking forward to meeting her. Christine was another person I was pumped to meet. It`s funny - it seems you get to know these people so well through blogging and or twitter and then when you meet in person, there is already a well established friendship base (oops - lapsed into mushy again)

Today I went to lunch with some Carina Press people. I was quite excited about this as I have really gotten on board the digital book band wagon and I`ve found some great books at Carina Press.

Angela James is a great speaker. I sat in on a spotlight she did for Carina and she`s charming, friendly and funny.

Getting a chance to chat with Blythe and Lynne from All About Romance was great. I love that site. It was there that I first realized I was not alone and was the first step on my journey that helped lead to where I am today. So meeting up with them is especially meaningful.

Back to yesterday. I went to the literacy signing, but as you may have heard, it was crowded. Beyond crowded. I knew as soon as I went in that I wouldn`t be able to last long - and I didn`t. I could only make it as far as K as far as author rows go so any author I wanted to see with the last name of L and higher was out of luck. Of course, I`m not comfortable at author signings at the best of times. I`m not really an autograph collector unless the author is special for a reason (such as having a cover where the hero resembles Richard Armitage - Michelle Styles I`m talking to you *g*) And I was real excited to get the first book by Ellen Connell. And I picked up one more, a book by Eileen Dreyer I was curious to try. Then I reached my limit. *sigh*

I bought a pair of sandals at Walmart that have turned out to be surprisingly comfortable. That`s always a good thing when walking or standing a lot.

I took the train from Albany to Penn Station and much of the journey was along the Hudson River. As I was looking out the train window, I kept imagining the early settlers and the native people traveling up and down it; the colonial soldiers, this history and damn it all - I want more Colonial Romance!! Thank Goodness we have Pamela Clare, but gosh darn it, we need more authors to write in that genre and for scads and scads of readers to read them. Berkley is reprinting some of Pamela Clare`s historicals and at leas the first one has one heck of a gorgeous cover, so listen to what I say and BUY IT. I need you to help me so we can get more books in this genre. Not to mention she is one of m favourite authors.

I resolve when I get back to not be such a lackadasical blogger as I seem to have become recently.

So,

`til later

13 comments:

Meghan said...

I love that train ride. It's my favorite part of traveling home. During the fall, the hills look they are on fire when all the leaves change.

Have a great trip!
Meghan

Marg said...

I'd be happy to sit and have a chat with Susanna Kearsley at a bar. Of course, she might then ask security for assistance because I am such a SK fan girl, but it would be worth it though!

Christine said...

Awww! Kristie!! I am SO happy we finally got to meet in person. Isn't it funny how there were no surprises meeting? I mean... it was comfortable and familiar like we've known each other well for years, right?
Hope you're enjoying the remainder of the conference.
Already looking forward to meeting again...
xoxo

Mariana said...

It was great to put a name to a face. You are one hysterical lady! Good times listening to your stories :)

The Romance Girl said...

It sounds like you're having a great time! (other than that first little bit, but that got cleared up)

I agree that there should be more books set in Colonial America. I can only think of mow much more I might have paid attention to in US history if more romances were set in that period. I seem to know a lot about the British peerage, but we we're never really quized on that...

Lorraine said...

I just read somewhere, can't remember where, that Pamela Clare has another MacKinnion book coming out in the near future. Can't wait to read it!

Kristie (J) said...

Lorraine, yes she does and I can hardly wait to read it either!! Her last few have been RS and while I adore them too, I'm just ready for the next in her MacKinnon series.

DL. I had a grand time. Though now I long to get home. I'm in a rest stop with WiFi at the moment, taking a break from the almost 9 hour drive home.
And there used to be Colonials published in the 90's but nearly as many now. And to be honest that really puzzles me as Americans have to be the most vocally patriotic people going!!! So the fact the stories based on the birth of their country aren't coming out our ears is a source of confusion to me.
When I was at my sister & her husbands, they had a glass with a Minute Man on it and I REALLY wanted that glass!!! :-)

Marianna *curtesy*. Thank you. My Dad was the funniest man I ever knew & if I had to inherit something from him, I'm glad it was his sense of humor. I could listen to his stories for hours. I got his bushy eyebrows too though. I'm forced to clip/pluck them

Kristie (J) said...

Christina, isn't it so amazing how connected we already are when we first meet in person? I'm normally very quiet & shy upon first meeting new people and while still am to a certain degree when I meet fellow online romance friends, it's not the same almost painful thing as it is with non romance people. Instead it's OK, what book or topic in this genre we love so dearly is going to be the real connecting wire.

Margaret, it was lovely. And it's still VERY much on my bucket list to sit and have a drink with YOU in a bar *grin*. I'm aiming for next year. The broken leg & sons wedding delayed my plans, but only for a year I hope.

Meghan, as GORGEOS as the train trip was this time of year, I couldn't help but think in the fall it must be breathtaking. All those mountains and all those trees. I'm thinking it would give me goosebumps!!

Marg said...

Well the next ARRA con will be in Brisbane in 2013 so you have a little bit of time to save up!

Looking forward to having a drink with you too!

Susanna Kearsley said...

Kristie, it was wonderful to meet you, too! One of the highlights of my week, in fact. I love putting faces to names, and you're right, it doesn't actually feel like a first meeting, does it?

Maybe I'll have to start saving for Brisbane, too, so we can both sit down with Marg (no security required, Marg :-)

And I've had a Colonial New York story brewing for awhile, actually (my ancestors lived at Hell Gate in the mid-eighteenth century), so maybe when I'm done the next book, that one will be next...

Thinking of you and your sister this week. Hope all goes well.

Joanne said...

Enjoyed reading about your RWA experiences! Funny, Susanna Kearsley was at the top of my "must meet" list, too, at the Literacy Signing and I was so excited to get to tell her in person how much I admired her work! I'm from New Orleans, so this would probably be my one and only chance to ever meet her.(I brought my beloved copy of Mariana for her to sign.) I found the signing exhausting but oh-so-worth it in the sheer number of great authors I got to meet in person. A wonderful experience!

Joanne @ Books, Belles & Beaux

Hilcia said...

I love that train ride, Kristie! It's just gorgeous... I'm glad that your time in New York got better as time went along. :)

It was such a pleasure meeting you in person. I had a wonderful time chatting with you, although it was way to short.

PS: I STILL have the first book in this Clare series in my TBR! What am I waiting for? Thanks for reminding me. :)

nath said...

I agree with you, kristie! It's great to see authors and get free books, but the highlight is definitively catching up with the bloggers :)