| Home from RW Conference and Catching Up! |
I've been home since last Monday night, but have been exhausted and working on a deadline, so forgive me for my long-delayed blogging!
So much happened while I was away. It started with my fellow Smutketeers (RG Alexander, Crystal Jordan & Lillian Feisty) plus RG's husband, The Cookie (he's an amazing chef, thus the nickname), meeting at Feisty's house in Nevada for a few days of writerly bonding pre-conference. The Cookie cooked like mad, we all ate like mad, lounged around, and did our Steampunk photo shoot. Here's a peek at the results: The shoot was crazy-we made the guys (The Cookie and Feisty's husband, Manroot) drive us out into the middle of the Nevada desert in nearly 100 degree heat and gale-force winds and carry a 7 foot long couch out to the edge of a hill, where we posed for the pics. We had Feisty's 3 1/2 year old with us (Little Manroot), dressed as Superman. (hey-we were all in costume-he wanted in on the action). It was weird and awesome and *hot* and I can't believe the guys indulged us this way. Thank you, Cookie and Manroot!Back at the house, we ate and drank our way through the rest of the weekend, went out to dinner and then to the oldest bar in Nevada.  (Feisty's friend, Bona {love ya, you dirty girl!}, Crystal, RG, The fabulous Cookie, Feisty, me)
We arrived at the SF Marriott and the madness began-a little crazier this year since Feisty is on crutches (roller derby accident) (and yeah, we get that look from everyone when we tried to explain). The week began with a lovely dinner with my agent, Roberta Brown, and a bunch of her authors, including Saskia Walker, who came in from the UK and was so jet-lagged, poor thing! But I loved getting to know her!
The rest of the week went by in a blur: The Literacy for Life Signing on Wednesday night (I started in this adorable Betsy Johnson jacket over my T-shirt, but it was incredibly hot in that ballroom with several hundred other authors, so I had to take it off-I felt underdressed).
 Thursday night was the Passionate Ink cocktail party, which was fun and a bit racy, with bullet vibrators as party favors (the best party gift ever!). Those little gadgets are powerful! Just sayin'... Then there was the Diva dinner, and I have no good pics yet as I don't currently have a camera and must rely on other people to send them to me (if you have any, please send!). That was insane and fun-over 70 Divas at Bucca di Beppo, where they served enough food for 200. After that I slipped into the Kiss of Death chapter contest to see if my crit partner, Gemma Halliday, would win an award (alas, she didn't win, but that must have been some sort of weird cosmic fluke, because her books rock!). Slipped back out to work my local RWA chapter's Moonlight Madness booth until nearly midnight, went back to my room and fell into bed.Lunch with my agent on Friday, then publisher parties all night long. I wore the cutest little white dress to the Bantam and Berkley parties:  ( RG Alexander, me, Loribelle Hunt, Jennifer Leeland at the Berkley party)
Wild dancing there, before a bunch of us took off to a little bar to sing karaoke. No pics from karaoke. What happens at karaoke, stays in...oh, nevermind...
 ( Rhonda Stapleton, Amanda Brice, Gwen Hayes, Loribelle Hunt, Crystal Jordan, me, Jax Cassidy going to the Harlequin party)Saturday Christina Cross and I took Sandy Barkevitch to get her belly button pierced at Body Manipulations (someone always gets pierced or tattooed at conference-it's a Diva tradition). The guys there were so, so nice, and her piercer did a great job. She handled it like a champ! I was just bummed that I didn't have time to hang out and do some shopping; I had to run back to the hotel to do the Bantam signing. I have no pics-I can't even remember if anyone came by and photographed me. Christina Cross, was my booksigning bitch (an endearing term for someone who stands there with me and piles books on the table, puts 'autographed copy' stickers on them, inserts bookmarks, and chats with people waiting in line. Thank you, darling-you were fabulous!). Saturday night was the Rita and Golden Heart awards, and Feisty and I were so wiped out we mostly napped through them, then went to a friend's party later for a little while. Sunday most people were leaving, and I was so tired, I just let myself sleep. I hate those goodbye's, anyway. I always cry the last day of conference-it's too sad! We all get so attached to each other. Conference is such a whirlwind-it's like being through a tornado together. Most people took off, and Feisty and I lounged around until it was time for me to go get my tattoo finished! I started this tattoo while I was in SF in March-about 5 hours on the table and I couldn't take anymore, so it was left mostly uncolored. So off I went to Tattoo City to see the incomparable Mary Joy Scott. 6 hours later, my tattoo was done!  Usually I'm pumped up on endorphins while being tattooed, but this time I lost them after about 3 1/2 hours, so it was a bit grueling, but SO worth it! Isn't she beautiful? She covers most of my left side/back. I'm still healing but already thinking of adding on. I think some floating cherry blossoms would be pretty... I'm also thinking ahead to conference next year-I can't wait to see everyone again! I miss you, Divas! Meanwhile, I'm back at my computer, trying to reach an August 15th revision deadline. I would have been done already, but then I had an epiphany about my hero and have gone back in to weave it all together. A writer's work is never done. Good thing I love it so much! Next up: I'm allowing myself a two day break before I start writing my next book about Shibari rope bondage. Funnnn research! |
|
| 15 Comments: |
-
-
OMG your steampunk pics are STUNNING. I want in next time! LOL
I love your tattoo--it's GORGEOUS! YOU GO GIRL!
I'm so, so glad I got to mee tyou!!
-
Your tattoo is gorgeous!
I also miss you. :)
-
Ditto on the missing you.
xoxoxo
-
Very beautiful ink. And I miss you. Oh. I wasn't there. So, miss me? LOL
-
The tattoo colouring turned out awesome! So beautiful, just like you :-D
So, just like everyone else...um... I miss you. :-(
But I was so happy to have met you and partied at Karaoke with you (I think there are photos somewhere, I saw some!) LOL - way to rock that Love Shack!
-
Great conference pics! And fabulous tattoo. It was fun to see you in San Francisco!
-
Thanks for stopping by, everyone! I'm still going through post-conference withdrawal and missing you all!
-
You know I LOVE that tattoo even in the outline stages. I MISS YOU! Good luck on your deadlines and hope to see you soon...
-
Love the tattoo! Wish I had been in on more of the festivities this year. Looks like you had an amazing time. I kind of felt out of place this year at conference, not sure why that is.
Any how, I am looking forward to getting my dragons. Hope you will be there for that too.
Hugs and miss you bunches.
Lacy.
-
The conference looks like it was a lot of fun, as was the photo shoot. Your site is top rate. I dig it... thanks for stopping by thenervousbreakdown.com today. Your comment meant a lot.
You know, having lived in the desert and now back in Bakersfield, I am thinking back to peaceful moments in the Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon and Mt. Charleston... I just wish I would have stumbled onto a couch with hot women sitting on it...
-
Oh, I almost forgot. That tattoo is gorgeous. Reminds me of a fire-eating belly dancer I once saw in SF...
-
Love the tattoo!
I have to send you a picture of something...LOl look for it later this week.
Thanks for sharing the pics from RWA. Wish I'd been there.
-
Jax and Lacy-miss you too, girls!!!!
NK-thanks for visiting! Loved your article.
Sasha-conference wasn't the same without you! Can't wait to see what you're sending me. ;)
Tattoo is itching like mad now as it's healing, and driving me crazy, but I've just about met my deadline. I like to really take my time when revisions are done and carefully read the whole thing from beginning to end.
-
What dedicated men ... dragging a couch to the desert for a photo shoot. Love the photos!
Your ink is gorgeous, Eden!
I'm sorry I didn't get to spend more time with you. I think I missed out on some of the fun. Next year!!
|
| |
|
|
|
|
posted by Eden Bradley-Eve Berlin at 
I miss you.