Autograph This
Imagine this: a room full of scrumptious romance novels being signed by the brilliant goddess authors themselves. Heaven! Today, after taking in an enjoyable production of Spamalot at the Paramount Theater, I attended the Book Fair at the 2008 Emerald City Writers’ Conference. I was very excited to see some of my absolute favorite authors, but I was overcome by debilitating shyness, tying my tongue in knots so that I could barely ask for an autograph. All of the brilliant questions I had thought of in the preceding days went scattering out of my head; leaves to the wind. Pity. So you get a post in which I ruminate on what I should have said or asked or done, were I not such a spaz, rather than witty and unusual tidbits about your favorite authors.
I met Katie first, as she was my first romance author crush. She writes mostly paranormals these days, but she also has done a few contemporaries and historicals. Her heroines are delightfully klutzy, spirited, foot-in-the-mouth types. Her stories are unique, imaginative, and funny. I bought three copies of her new book Ain’t Myth-Behaving, one for me, one for my mummy’s best friend who first turned me on to Katie (with Men in Kilts!), and one for my college roommate Rachael who first told me to read romance novels (whom I’m visiting in London). I am soooo excited for the upcoming release of Holy Smokes on November 6th (Book 4 in the Aisling Grey series) and managed to screw up my courage enough to ask her if she is planning any events for it. But no, she isn’t. and then I bolted, fraidy-cat that I am. What had I been planning to ask her? I wanted to know if she has a recipe for Dragon’s Blood, Aisling’s favorite drink. I know exactly what I think it tastes like – Glugg using my great-grandmother’s secret family recipe. (Glugg is a Swedish drink with spices that is set on fire.) I also really wanted to get autographed copies of Blow me Down (yes, the Puzzle Pirate romance novel) for presents for friends, but she didn’t have any.
Jenna Petersen
Jenna is the sweetest person and made me feel relaxed enough to have a short conversation with her. She asked if I was writing romance novels and I laughed, face red from embarrassment, and said no, I’m just a huge fan, because really, who could possibly think of writing when standing in the same room as all these uber talented ladies? Jenna writes historical romances set in Regency England as Jenna Petersen and erotic fiction as Jess Michaels. I bought a copy of her latest book Seduction is Forever, which is in the “Lady Spies” series, for myself, and a copy of Parlor Games for Rachael. I would have liked to ask about her path in becoming a writer (because she’s not too much older than me) and her process in getting the novel down on paper. But I know she’s probably answered those a thousand times. She has a great website called The Passionate Pen for people who dream of writing romance novels. It has info on publishing, agents and editors, submissions and articles on writing. There is a permanent link on the right-hand side of this blog under “Writers’ Links”.
Julia Quinn
I’ve now read all but one and a half books in the “Bridgerton Series”, which Julia just ended with the recently released On the Way to the Wedding, about Gregory Bridgerton. Unfortunately she had run out of copies of that book, so I got an autographed copy of The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, which I love but already own. I pushed my copy off on my mother-in-law when she visited a few weeks ago (I’m a book pimp), so now I have a special autographed copy at home for general drooling over and re-reading when the mood suits me. The hero is kind of an ass, but I love Miranda’s strong spirit and hilarious commentary. Julia’s dialog rocks! My dialog, on the other hand, drooped miserably, and I ran away before I did something embarrassing, like kissing her feet. Oh, and then she said she had seen me on the internet (just from my name) and I was pleased and mortified at the same time. It’s terrifying to think that authors are actually reading this!
Elizabeth Boyle
I hunted down Elizabeth, and got an autographed copy of her new book Love Letters from a Duke. I had brought my copy of His Mistress by Morning, but was too shy to get it autographed too. Is that kosher at a book fair? I’ve never been to one before. Elizabeth writes Regency romances, and I first discovered her in one of the Regency anthologies that I previously posted about. She was knitting, and I could have asked her what she was making and start small talk there, but as usual my brain froze and I got my picture and scurried off. I liked the cover of the new book and I started reading it in the really long check-out line. I will probably stay up late reading it (instead of packing)!
Stephanie Rowe
Stephanie had a whole heap of new books out and I chose the latest issue in the “Immortally Sexy” aka Goblet-of-Youth series, Sex and the Immortal Bad Boy. Her paranormals are Funny. Satan, in particular, and Teresa, and really Becca and Nick and Satan Jr. and, well, all her characters are fantastic! The romance between Becca and her Markku in the last book, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot, was one of the best I’ve ever read. I loved the imagry of Nick pouring his love and emotions into Becca’s black vacuum of a soul. The long plane ride from Seattle to Copenhagen to London tomorrow will be a pleasure will all these new books!
Caroll Burnett has been singing this Once Upon a Mattress song in my head for the past few hours:
Though a lady may be dripping with glamour
As often as not she will stumble and stammer
When suddenly confronted with romance [authors].