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.