Well, I’m back, from what was one of the most enjoyable experiences ever, in spite of a bout of food poisoning.
First of all, the food poisoning. It was entirely self-inflicted, the night before I flew to Atlanta. In the early hours of departure day, I even contemplated cancelling the trip. However, I made it to the airport, and was met on the other side of the Atlantic by Becca Jameson and Cherie Nicholls (a fellow Brit), with whom I spent some pre-convention time, along with Lea Griffith and Susan Stoker. Thank you, ladies, for putting up with someone who could have been an extra on The Walking Dead, and for the enormous pleasure of your company!
The convention itself took place in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta. What a hotel. Without doubt, the largest I have ever stayed in, and a fantastic venue for the convention, with plenty of space for all the workshops that took place. I attended as many as I could, but there were so many more I would have liked to attend, but for scheduling conflicts. I learned so much. There was even a demonstration in practical fighting techniques that can be used by our female characters. This was given by Rachel Rivers. Not only is Rachel a paranormal and romantic suspense author, she’s also a serving police officer, and she demonstrated a mind-blowing collection of moves to bring down the bad guys.
It’s all in the hips…
Would I go to another RT Booklovers Convention? Without doubt, yes, although I won’t be going to Reno next year, and for me, attendance the following year will depend on location. Some places are easier to get to than others, and for me, driving in the US is not an option. Having said all of that, I want to go back with the benefit of experience of my first RT, and fill in some more gaps in my knowledge and experience as a writer.
So, I only have one more thing to add, and that’s my thanks, to RT for organising this event, which is a mammoth undertaking, and to Becca, for taking such good care of me when I arrived in Atlanta. And last but by no means least, a huge thank you to all the readers who turned up and the ones who couldn’t, for reading our books and allowing us, as authors, to do what we love, which is tell our stories.
Thank you, all.
