HelenKay Dimon

I am home and have survived my first RT Convention. I thought this would be a good time to set out some general observations. In no particular order:

*Costume balls and roaming male models are not my thing. Now, I know many others love that sort of thing. Me, well, I never liked Halloween as a kid so the idea of dress-up parties as an adult holds no thrill. Having said that, I had a very nice time meeting authors, talking with friends and meeting readers and booksellers. I just didn’t do all those things at themed get-togethers. But, I do appreciate that RT throws this impressive shindig.

*While there are a few unfriendly authors and some who suffer from the I’m-superior problem out there, many are the exact opposite. I met and reconnected with so many down-to-earth and amazing women. It really was one of those times where I made a mental note to go buy books by particular authors because I liked something about them and want them to do well.

*Erin McCarthy continues to be one of my favorite authors ever. I love her books. I truly like her. And, since readers grabbed up my copies of WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD BOYS despite the fact it’s been out for a year, I want to again thank Erin and Lori and their fans.

*I previously linked to a blog by Meg Cabot about authors at booksingings. Having been to a few now, I would like to highlight her thoughts again. I can’t find the actual link since her website moved at some point, but here is the one I previously highlighted. It bears repeating:

#4 DON’T BE SUCH A BIG BABY – and this is my favorite – she says:

Often when I go on a book tour I hear from booksellers about authors who were in their store the night before, who are also on a book tour, and who signed so many books that they had to ice their hand. Very often, these poor, tender things needed to have a bookseller stand next to them to flip the books open for them, because their little author fingers are too precious and weak to do this task themselves.

Authors, seriously: Unless you are physically challenged, Harper Lee, JD Salinger, Beverly Clearly, or some other beloved but aged author, YOU MUST STOP DOING THIS. It just confirms what the rest of the world already thinks about us: that we are a bunch of badly groomed little namby pamby prima donnas with spirit guides who think our characters are real.

If I didn’t read Meg before I found this link, I would have started reading her because of it. It’s dead on. This doesn’t apply to the women sitting on either side of me at the signing . They were very nice and helped to make the hours pass by swiftly. Others, well, they should try to track down Meg’s full list and see if anything sounds familiar then…change.

*When Ann Wesley Hardin says you can find her at the bar, she means you can find her at the bar. And, when you find her there, you should sit down and say hello. She’s funny and all those great things you want an author to be when you meet him/her for the first time.

*For those who worry younger women aren’t interested in the romance genre, let me say that there are some talented and charming young female writers coming on to the scene – Cythnia Eden and Richelle Mead, to name only a few. New blood is good. I can hardly wait to see what these ladies do with their careers.

*When riding behind one of the cover models on the escalator – the one with the blonde hair that goes past his butt – it is probably not okay to pet him. That’s enough said on that.

*As proof that being courteous means something, let me tell you this: Angela James of Samhain Publishing came over to me, introduced herself, said nice things and took my photo. She is an excellent face for Samhain. Because of her and her professionalism, I added four Samhain books to my “must get” list to read after my May 15th deadline. Yeah, the way you act matters.

*I know MaryJanice Davidson gets a bad wrap on the author-behaving-badly thing. Frankly, having chatted with her briefly over time I think the label is unfounded. If you see her in person, go up and say hello. She’s a NYT bestseller and has always gone out of her way to be supportive and kind to me. You’ll like her.

Some general thoughts for readers and aspiring authors:

*Free books are free. They are gifts. You did not pay money for them. Don’t get angry when the event runs out of supply or you don’t get what you want. Just saying.

*If you are an aspiring author, do not hound the editor to whom you wish to sell your book. I was talking with my editor when a woman broke into our conversation and wanted to know when my editor was going to find time to hear her pitch. The aspiring author was rude and apparently had bugged my editor several times during the conference before that point. Okay, not cool. Use some common sense. Hell, I am one of Kate Duffy’s writers and have known her for years and I go out of my way not to bud in when she’s talking or socializing with someone else. I waited until she was finished on a panel, everyone in line had talked to her and she was leaving the room before I slipped in and said hello. And, again, I have a relationship with this woman. If you want one, don’t be an idiot.

*When you throw a fit, demand attention, act entitled or like a jerk – you are making an impression. Not a good one.

The RT Convention is winding down…at least it is for me. It’s been an interesting mix of meeting new people, chatting with friends, spending a few minutes with industry professionals and booksellers and attending a few gatherings. I’ll admit to going light on the workshops. One I attended today on networking – hosted by authors Beth Ciotta and Mary Stella – provided a lot of helpful and common sense information. Most of the others did not do much for me. And, of course, I manged to somehow miss one or two I meant to attend. That always happens. No idea how, but it does.

I did meet two of the new Brava authors – Cynthia Eden and Shelly Laurenston. Met a few new authors from other Kensington imprints, including Richelle Mead (Succubus Blues) who looks as if she’s about twenty. All very nice ladies.

The big booksigning takes place in the morning/afternoon. I leave for home in the evening. And, I have books to give. Plenty of books. Once I get home and get settled, I’ll figure out a clever contest or something. Until then, have a good weekend.

After transportation delays resulting from freakish Houston weather, I finally arrived at the Romantic Times Convention. Already I have a pile of free books and other interesting goodies. Will be giving some of those away when I return. Stay tuned for that…

Tomorrow I meet my agent – until now all of our communication has been via email and telephone. It will be nice to have an in-person chat. Also hope to track down my editor and a few authors I’ve been wanting to meet.

Yeah, okay, I know this isn’t the most exciting convention status check in the world. Sorry about that. Really though, today was more about getting to the hotel and welcoming parties (including one with scantily clad men) than programs. Networking and gossiping (with a bit of whining thrown in there – by me, of course) were the main events. Nothing too exciting, but always interesting.

Tomorrow the programs begin. Will keep you posted.

I continue to race around as I get everything done before leaving for RT. As I run here and there, dropping almost everything I touch, I thought I’d fill you in on the author panel I attended on Saturday. The topic was MEN, MAYHEM & MYSTERY. The speakers were male mystery/suspense writers – Ken Kuhlken, Gene Riehl, Alan Russell, Jim Tenunto, Bob Wade and Terry Watkins. I must say, they were a pretty entertaining bunch of guys. Funny with loads of good advice. Some highlights I remember in my current brain-scrambled state:

*They all made a distinction between romance and sex – smart boys. They talked about how they could write a sex scene but that writing an unfolding romance was really hard.

*All but one talked about including romance of some sort in their writing and pointed out that it added a level of richness and realism.

*They talked about the difficulty in writing female characters and the constant problem of maintaining a balance between incompetent and too competent – ie, making them human and not overblown stereotypes.

*One author, Terry Watkins, wrote for the soon-to-close Silhouette Bombshell line. He has sold to Harlequin’s GOLD EAGLE imprint. Honestly, the line did not ring a bell with me at all. Had to look it up. If you’re wondering, they’re men’s action adventure books.

*On writing, they all said a universal truth: Anyone can write an opening. It’s the ability to write the rest of the book that separates the authors from the wanabees.

I leave for the RT Convention on Wednesday morning. That means these last two days are dedicated to getting everything done before I go.

Do you sense panic? Uh-huh.

While I scurry around, you can hop over to ebay and take advantage of an opportunity. Romance Writers of America, San Diego (RWASD – my hometown chapter) is auctioning off a manuscript critique donated by romance writing superstar Stephanie Bond. It’s a fabulous opportunity. You have a week to join in. Get going…

Somehow – probably by clicking on link after link – I ended up at a blog called I “Heart” Harlequin Presents. As you can probably tell from the name, it’s a blog relating to the category line, Harlequin Presents. The authors are listed. Editors blog. People stop by and chat.

What really struck me was this statement from the initial blog post back in February: “This blog is your chance to get to the heart of the world’s best-selling romance series!” I’ve never read a single book in this line. In fact, looking at the list of authors, the only one I’ve read is Lucy Monroe and that’s her Bravas, not her category romance. I feel as if I’m missing something. I hate that.

Anyone have a recommendation?

I’m lucky in that books come to the house every week. Some are romance novels. Most are not. Thought I’d share some of the offerings that arrived this week. I can honestly say none of these would have crossed my radar had they not arrived on my doorstep.

Anatomy of a Secret Life by Gail Saltz, M.D. – The title sounds innocent enough. The front cover tagline (maybe it’s a subtitle, not sure) made me wonder what the folks at Morgan Road Books know that I don’t. It goes like this: “Are the people in your life hiding something you should know?” My husband saw this one on the kitchen counter and said something along the lines of, “what the hell is that about?” Couldn’t blame him. I had the same reaction when the book arrived unsolicited at the door. I paged through the book. It turned out to be pretty interesting, but I had to put it down for fear of turning (more) paranoid.

No End In Sight by Rachel Scdoris and Rick Steber – This is the second time I’ve gotten this book. I figure someone is trying to tell me something. Probably that I need a little inspiration. See, this is about a blind Iditarod racer. Not my usual thing. Sounds more like the subject of one of those independent films my husband loves to drag me to. If nothing else, just reading about this woman’s struggle on the back cover made the fact I have a cold seem insignificant.

The Big Bam: The Life and Times Of Babe Ruth by Leigh Montville – I am the least likely person on the planet to ever read this book. I love sports. I hate baseball. Sorry, but I do.

Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen – When I started reading the back cover, I thought this was a my-sister’s-keeper book (1st paragraph). Then I read on (2nd paragraph) and saw talk of a murder. I’m taking this with me to RT to check it out. Here’s the copy for you to see what I mean:

It was the summer on Vliet Street when we all started locking our doors…

Sally O’Malley made a promise to her daddy before he died. She swore she’d look after her sister, Troo. Keep her safe. But like her Granny always said-actions speak louder than words. Now, during the summer of 1959, the girls’ mother is hospitalized, their stepfather has abandoned them for a six pack, and their big sister, Nell, is too busy making out with her boyfriend to notice that Sally and Troo are on the Loose. And so is a murderer and molester.

Highly imaginative Sally is pretty sure of two things. Who the killer is. And that she’s next on his list. Now she has no choice but to protect herself and Troo as best she can, relying on her own courage and the kindness of her neighbors.

The Girl’s Guide To Being A Boss (Without Being A Bitch) by Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio -Since I’m now my own boss and since I’m pretty lenient, I probably don’t need this one but you never know. So, to be safe, I paged through it. Solid common sense advice mixed with real-life stories. Struck me as a smart book and one that would be easy to market since it has a bit of a chick lit feel and look to it.

That’s it for this week. Of course, there are three mail days left in this week.

If you’re one of the six billion writers out there working on a paranormal romance, check out the Romantic Times website. Yes, it’s time for a new American Title Contest. If you’re counting, this is American Title IV. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, this is the contest where aspiring writers submit the first three chapters of their completed manuscripts in the hopes of being picked as a finalist and eventually winning a publishing contract with Dorchester. It’s a terrific opportunity. Just ask previous contestants like Lois Winston. Her finalist manuscript went on to become the published novel Talk Gertie To Me.

In other contest news…

I do have a few books still available in the book giveaway I announced a few days ago. Check it out.

And if that’s not enough…

PBR is holding another contest. More free books! Check that one out too.

The tragic events at Virginia Tech yesterday make it impossible for me to be flip or sarcastic today. The grief there is unimaginable. I wish I knew something smart and helpful to say. I don’t, so I’ll fall back on the insights of others.

Back in 1988 I was a student at Syracuse University when Pan Am 103 blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland killing 270 people, including 35 students from SU. Pain, anger, sadness and confusion raced through campus. It was unrelenting. I remember being in the Carrier Dome, the place where I sat to cheer on our football and basketball teams, but this time the agenda was a mass memorial service. All these years later I still remember certain comments from the speech by the then student government president. He said (and I paraphrase): Who would ever have thought that on a campus of 16,000 the loss of 35 students would be felt so deeply. The thought seems fitting for Virginia Tech.

This horrible event also reminded me of an article I recently read in Romance Writers Report (RWR), the RWA magazine. Author Eileen Putnam interviewed fellow author Cathy Maxwell. Maxwell talked about writing through adversity and of continuing to be creative after the loss of her husband. She said:

I have a dear friend whose daughter ran away for a year. I asked her how she could write during this time – and she said she had no choice. Her life was chaos, but the writing was one thing she could control.

When Kevin died, I grabbed hold of those words of insight. I was concerned about my children, frightened of the future, and lost in grief for this wonderful man – but the one thing I could control was the writing, so I wrote.
…
Nor is death the only thing that can derail writers. Divorce is a form of death, the death of something we’d valued, and requires tremendous energy to survive. We also have writers caring for sick loved ones and writers who have children with challenging special needs. There are writers coping with their own disabilities and illnesses. Life-threatening illnesses, and still they write.

Maybe it is because the writing is the one thing they can control. Maybe it is because they have something to say and must get those words on paper while they still have a chance.

Different types of tragedy, but like the events at Virginia Tech these comments help to shift the daily annoyances of life back into perspective.

While you’re deciding whether or not to take part in my book giveaway offer (see yesterday’s post), take a minute and go over to the Brava Author Blog and check out my post there today. I’m talking about two special Brava Book Baskets that will be up for bid in Brenda Novak’s JDRF Auction. You don’t want to miss these or any of the other great auction items.