The inaugural
Readers 'n ' ritas was a blast. Readers came from all over Texas and Oklahoma and it wasn't just for the Texas / OU game although their fans were in abundance as well! Authors came from as far as NYC. It's amazing what a gathering of like minds can do!
From the first panels we knew it was a hit -- I mean seriously, when women gather around the speakers table at 9am on a gorgeous Saturday morning and eagerly start discussing book covers along with examples of how a committee designed the cover for
ECSTASY or enjoy a bit of show-and-tell with cat litter and dryer sheets you know it's at least to first base, maybe even second! And by the time the third workshop was over, we were all friends...the kind that talk to each other and even feel comfortable enough to disagree! The best kind of friends.
And learning about new authors and books is never a bad thing, even if you have to start early in the morning! Isn't that why they have hot coffee ready?
After a morning of learning about taking care of your books (and removing stubborn stains, how to be a reviewer, the process between the most important element of a book -- the cover and melding friendships, it was time for lunch! Of course we had the "nice" tables and then there was the "rowdies!" With
Jodi Thomas and
Dianna Love as leaders, that table was the noisiest one during the lunch! I'm not sure why but could it be the charm of the ladies? They also seemed to have tons of fun!
Following lunch we had more workshops and even a little pampering at the Arbonne Pampering Zone. Getting to test out rubs, lotions and aromatherapy even while indulging in a relaxing foot bath! All gratis. It was heavenly!! And then there was the anticipation of the book trade. If you've never gone to a book trade you're missing out on SO much good stuff and hidden treasures. It's one of the fun things we do each month at our tea meetings: you bring in books you're ready to give to a good home and you find treasures in return. And best of all, there were other readers who could give you the scoop on new authors and books to try! From the look of bags and bags of books that went off to new found readers, a fun time was had by all.
But then it was time for a little margarita therapy and snacks. I mean, seriously, after a day of meeting new friends, learning new books and techniques a girl needed some chips. salsa and MARGARITAS! Eventually everyone made it to our section of the lobby where delectables awaited and margarita pitchers were replenished. It was time to chat, sip and laugh!Then it was time for dinner and an evening of comparing notes, the drawing of the raffle baskets and the results of the silent auctions. No one went home empty-handed. After dinner we all made it back to the lobby to talk until it was time to collapse!
See you all next year...
November 13th to 15th...for a whole weekend of readers and authors!
Sara Reyes
Readers 'n 'ritas
http://readers-n-ritas.orgCheck out our Readers 'n 'ritas fun!Labels: Candace Havens, dakota cassidy, lauren willig, readers-n-ritas
Most things in my life happen when I’m trying to do something else. I don’t even mean the big things, like planning to write a dissertation and coming out with a series of romance novels instead (ought I to get an RD for that? I like the sound of Romanciae Doctor), or the fact that if I meant to go right, I usually walk left (I find all sorts of new and interesting places that way). This happens to me in my writing, too. What I wind up writing is seldom exactly what I intended it to be.
Take my first book for example, the lengthily titled Secret History of the Pink Carnation. I very firmly told my agent that what I had produced was a “traditional Regency romance”. My agent is a very kind, patient sort of person. Instead of making snorting noises, he said, very gently, “Are you sure?” I was quite sure. “Um…” he said, flipping through the mental filofax for Tactful Ways to Deal With Deluded Authors. “Are you really sure?” That’s how I found out that what I’d really written was Napoleonic-era historical fiction/ romantic suspense/ mystery/ chick lit. No can quite agree on what it is, but it sure ain’t a traditional Regency. In a word, ooops.
