A Time For Everything

I'll be home again early this afternoon from the Gateway to the West aka St. Louis, Missouri. Had a wonderful time driving through Oklahoma and Missouri, in the city itself, and at my conference. More on all of that to come.

St. Louis is the home of the Arch (see above), the 2019 Stanley Cup Champions (who defeated my Dallas Stars on their way), toasted ravioli (see below), and boatload of history. Did you know that St. Louis was originally a French settlement?? I didn't, but I'm intrigued. I'll read up on that more later.

Had toasted ravioli at the Riverboat Cafe and it was good, fine. Tasty. Very much like a cheese stick, if you ask me, just in a different shape. :0)

 

Now that the conference is over, I can look ahead to the rest of the year and to next year in earnest. More on all of that as well.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Have a great week.

The countdown has begun. Now that my Labor Day road trip has come and gone, it's time to ramp up preparations for my trip to St. Louis...not only for being there, but for not being at home or at work.

In one day and eight weeks, I'll be headed to St. Louis for my annual genre specific reader/writer conference. The hotel is not canceling, the conference organization can't afford to postpone again, so it's on for who-so-ever shall come. I will be there. Masks are being required by the conference organizers and I'm completely on board with that. With the new strains, I have begun to mask up again.

Anyway, I'm looking forward it this year.

Primarily because I upgraded to "Featured Author" status and I'm going to be participating in a new event (for me)--a Storyteller Series Panel. I was able to find three other authors to join me and we brainstormed the topic "The Joys and Challenges of Writing MM Sports Romance."

In addition to the Storyteller Series Panel discussion, I get a second author lounge--an opportunity to sit at a table in the corridors outside the ballrooms where the panels are held and meet people. I bought a small table-top hockey set for passersby to play and try to win a prize. I'll have the whole table to myself this year, since the organizers are trying to be cognizant of social distancing as best they can implement it.

 

The other major change for me is being part of the Saturday book signing rather than the Thursday signing...usually the bigger name / more popular authors are at the Saturday signing, so that's another upgraded opportunity for visibility.

So I've made my lists and I've checked them twice, three times, four times...trying to make sure I have all my conference "ducks" in a row. I don't yet, but I'm getting there and I still have those eight weeks.

Now, if only I could finish the latest hockey book. I keep plugging away at it, but I still feel a bit lost in the weeds.

Hope you had a good weekend and here's to a great week.

Back when I first registered for last year's GRL (2020), which became this year's GRL (2021), I did so as an "author" because the "featured author" tier sold out, as it usually does, in a matter of minutes. I'm not kidding. So I put myself on the waiting list for a featured author slot should one become available. That was a year and a half ago and I don't remember doing so.

However, I got an email from the organizers on Wednesday saying there was a slot available. I had forty-eight hours to let them know if I wanted to upgrade.

Did I?

I had to weigh the cons--the additional $100--against the pros: additional exposure by way of added opportunities. I talked to a few fellow authors, one in my genre and also attending and two online friends, not in the genre, as well as to DD. Three of the four were of the opinion I should go for it.

So I'm going for it. I let the organizers know I wanted the slot and am awaiting instructions for upgrade.

One of the additional opportunities is to participate in an author Q&A or in a storyteller panel (topic TBD by me or by someone else). Both of these make me nervous. Not because I'm nervous about talking in front of people. As long as I know what I'm talking about, I'm fine.

But because the Q&A is "on the fly" and my brain doesn't always process immediately or well until I've had time to think about things. Now I'd be talking about myself mostly, so that shouldn't be terrible. I know myself pretty well, right? But I attended some of these when I went to Albuquerque and Portsmouth to see what they were like and sometimes the questions do require more processing. Maybe I take a notepad and write down the questions to circle back to...

I'd prefer a storyteller panel because I could research and be prepared, but what could I possibly offer except a primer on hockey and the interest in that would probably be pretty small. And panel means more than one person and that means me soliciting others or others soliciting me to participate. The challenge there is that I'm new. No one knows me, I don't know anyone. Most of the attendees have been going since the conference started and they all know one another. This crowd can be a bit intimidating.

DD suggested I just not participate. Which is definitely an option. But I'd hate to let it go to waste...

So if I can come up a really cool idea for a panel topic, I'll go that route. If I chicken out, I'll default to the Q&A...

Topic suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Have a great weekend!!

 

 

I didn't dress for this kind of weather!

 

In other exciting news--yet another encore of National Theater's Frankenstein starring YOU KNOW WHO--that's Benedict Cumberbatch if you really didn't know--is playing in theaters. I might have a date if a gal from my writers group can get her hubster home on time. Yee haw.

Tonight's my Facebook Live Spotlight for my conference and I'm about as ready as I'll ever be. I've got a cue "doc" (rather than cue cards) ready to go. I have to set up the laptop when I get home and put in my pretend teeth, but otherwise...yup. Ready. I'll let you know how it goes--

Anyway, have a great weekend. See you Monday. :0)

 

 

My in person conference didn't happen last week, but a virtual version is going on this week, starting today. I won't participate in most of it because of work, but I'll try to attend some of the online live author presentations after work.

I've got my own scheduled as well for Friday evening, so I've been preparing for that along with Saturday's promo opportunity.

So all was not lost since I published this last book to actually coincide with the conference.

It's going to be interesting considering the condition of my mouth at the moment. But I have a temp appliance, so I guess I'll wear it for the first time. The surgeon told me not to unless absolutely necessary. And I haven't, so I think I'll be all right for my allotted thirty minutes.

Have a super rest of your week.

My October conference has been officially canceled due to COVID-19. A lot of attendees had already canceled and the organizers just didn't want to chance anyone getting sick during the five-day event, so they worked with the hotel to move the con to the following year.


Normally, the conference moves locales each year, but due to circumstances and the legalities of a contract with a hotel, it's my understanding that we'll be in St. Louis for the next two years. I could be wrong and it'll just be next year in St. Louis, but staying with the same hotel chain for the second. I don't know and I'm not worried about it at this point.

I'm bummed that I won't get to see a friend of mine that I haven't seen since my first GRL in  Denver in 2017, but on the other hand I'll no longer have the travel and hotel on the books this year and I may even show a profit!

The other bonus is that I can push the publication date of this current WIP out by a month, which I'm going to do. I've been struggling with it and the loss of that pressure to get it done will definitely help.


I've been wondering about a thing for a while and this weekend, I finally found out.

The thing I've been wondering is...can I fit into clothes for teenagers and little girls? I so often see so many cute things--not that I would everything, of course. But the answer is...

Yes.

DD and I were in Target on Saturday and I saw these two really cure dresses and I can fit into a size 16 for girls. My height is the X factor here. Since I'm so short, nothing will be too short or too long!

Look how cute! The blue one is like a button down shirts with a skirt and the red is like a polo with a skirt.




Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

It's official. I have signed up for GRL 2020. As the blog post title suggests, it's in St. Louis. A city that I can drive to and that has a hockey team. Had it not had both of those things going for it, I might have opted to not go this year.


I also decided to up my attendance tier...only that tier sold out within 11 minutes and now I'm on a waiting list. The tiers are for readers, authors, and featured authors. I've been a "mere" author for the last two years and decided to up my visibility.

As a featured author, I'll be able to participate in one of the hourly panels (there are 2 options, Q&A or Storyteller Series), I'll get a second lounge slot, and I'll get to participate in the Saturday book signing as opposed to the Thursday morning book signing.

"Lounges" are time slots where you set up shop at a table in the areas outside the rooms the panels are being held in with books and swag in order to visible and to meet people and get your books in the hands of potential new readers / fans. I learned that I get more visibility if I sign up at certain times and get a slot close to a more well-known author.

Either way, I get to see and room with my good friend Char who introduced me to this conference in the first place.

Now, if I get a slot as a featured author, the question becomes: do I do a Q&A or do I attempt to submit a proposal for a Storyteller Series presentation? I'll be brainstorming possible topics which A) I know something about and B) would (hopefully) be of interest to enough people. I'm leery of the Q&A as I don't think well on my feet, but do I have any sort of pertinent knowledge of interest....?

The good thing is...I have time to ponder / brainstorm. The conference isn't until October.

Hope you're having a great week.

The conference was busy and fun and here I am at one of the author book signings...




The main doors were just to my left, so I got a good spot. This is my view of the rest of the room...




And for a nice change of pace, ballrooms with windows...!




Going to these things is always a marketing-learning opportunity. How are other authors presenting their books? What kinds of swag do they offer? How do they present themselves? I made a few notes.

Next year's con will be in St. Louis. I was hoping it was someplace too far away and that I didn't want to go to, but then they had to pick a city I could drive to again (it's 10.5 hours) and more compellingly--a city with a hockey team. The home of this year's Stanley Cup champions, no less. So I guess I'm going.

The question becomes--do I want to be a featured author rather than just a supporting author. The difference is about $100 and two additional opportunities to get in front of potential new readers. I have until February when registration opens to decide...

Hope you've had a great weekend. I did. I'll share pics of my adventures around Albuquerque on Wednesday...

Day 2 of the Great Albuquerque Road Trip...(Wednesday)

After enjoying the hotel breakfast, Pauline and stopped to see the Cadillac Ranch on our way out of Amarillo:





You just walk up, take a look, add your mark if you like, take pictures and head out. It was fun to see.

A little farther west, we hit the geo-mathematical mid-point of Route 66--not that we traveled the whole thing, but it a neat thing, so we stopped.





And then we arrived safe and sound in Albuquerque mid-afternoon.

Have a great weekend and I'll share more next week once I'm home.

Eighteen days until I leave for my conference in Albuquerque.



It's time to make the lists: things to do in preparation and things to pack.

I'm driving this time, which is nice. I like road trips and having a vehicle is always handy if you want to sight see or whatever while you're wherever you are.

Things to do in preparation is two-pronged: all things at home and at work I have to do in advance of being gone and all the things I have to prep for the actual conference.

I'm getting tired just thinking about it. :0)

But it's Friday and I have a hockey game tomorrow. I'm going with some friends who don't go to many hockey games, so I'm hoping to give them the full experience. I created a poster for my favorite player and I want to get there in time to secure spots on the glass to watch warmup and see if I can't get another interaction with my man Roman Polak.


Monday evening is the Season Ticket Holder event at the zoo and I'm hoping that Mr. Polak will be attending that as well, so I can get a picture and possibly an autograph. So excited!!!

I'll report back next week.

Have a great weekend!!

GRL is the conference I go to. This year it's in Albuquerque. I've never been and looking forward to it. I'm also looking forward to the drive--I'm gonna take the more northern route and check out some Route 66 tourist spots--namely The Cadillac Ranch. I haven't decided about the drive back--if I want to take the more southern trip and hit Roswell, although I'm not much into aliens and such. So maybe not.

In the mean time...

I mentioned the other day I'm trying to get two books out, so there are plenty of things to populate my TO DO list.

Things like write the book / back cover blurbs for both books. Assign ISBNs for various formats of each book. And by format I mean the epub, mobi, pdf, and print formats. Yes, an ISBN is required for each one. After that, I have to create said formats, except for print right now. And you know, finish that second book. :0)

I'm so close to finishing the second major proofing pass. I'll read it through one more time to address any last notes I've made, but there shouldn't be anything major left. I've addressed them all during this second pass.

So far, in each book of my Ten Rigs series, I had the first chapter of the next book to use as a preview. I have a first chapter for book two of this new series, except I wrote it so long ago when I was still writing heterosexual couples. I don't know if the plot line as written will convert easily as a pregnancy is involved. So do I add an extra character or do I remove the pregnancy angle? Things to ponder. There will be no chapter preview in the short anthology book.

Other things to prepare for are the book signings--do I have all the SWAG I need as well the signing accoutrements needed? That would my table signs and table runner, pens to sign with, etc, etc, etc...

Sounds like I need to borrow my kitchen table at some point and do a mock setup.

Hope your week is going well!

Catch you on Friday.

Sorry I missed Friday, but Thursday was a whirlwind and Friday was busy and I just didn't have a chance to sit down at a computer and get something posted.

So Portsmouth is a charming little town and the conference was a success in as much as it could be for this being my first year attending as a writer.

As a supporting author, I had to pay a little higher registration fee, but I was able to participate in the supporting author book signing Thursday morning as well as schedule two author lounges; lounges are an opportunity for fans or prospective fans to chat with an author. No book selling.

Here is me at the signing:


My setup was minimal because I needed to make sure I had the funds to get/be there. I didn't spend a lot on swag--I bought pens and paperboard coasters. I gave away more coasters than pens which is fine. I sold one physical copy and convinced maybe a dozen or so people to download the free ebook.

I did learn a few things:

A) I do need some sort of  table drape. I tried to buy one a month or so ago, but the image I wanted to use wasn't high enough pixels per inch to allow it to look okay at a larger size. So I didn't end up getting anything. During the signings and other author lounges, I looked at what other authors did. Bottom line...even just my name will work, if that's what it comes down to. But I have an author slogan, so I can certainly incorporate that if I choose to.

B) My book full of QR codes was well received and I got several compliments on having it. So that's a standard going forward.

C) Even if I don't have physical books, I need to print 5x7 copies of the covers and use those standup acrylic frames to show off all the titles... I'm not sure why I didn't think of that this time. (and have the QR codes handy)

D) (and my least favorite but not unfamiliar lesson) Swag is king and draws the crowd. I only took one opportunity to check out swag this year and was amazed by what was on offer. Mostly all I could think of is "why"? I guess mine is not to wonder why, but to provide meaningful and interesting goodies. I have a few months to decide if I'm going to next year's (probably) and then I need to decide on swag and start gathering.

I did get to explore the area a bit too and I'll post some pics on Wednesday.

Hope you're all well and happy Monday.

I'm out of stuff to read.

Okay, not really, of course. But every fan fic in progress I've been following is complete, there's been nothing new that looks interesting when I search my various fandoms and pairings.

So the universe is telling me it's time to do other things.

Catch up on cross stitching and pattern-making.

Continue brainstorming the new series.

Continue to prepare for the October conference.

Prepare for a writers retreat happening two weeks from yesterday.

And the really important task: WRITE.

No pressure there.

Also, how did it get to be JULY already?

But, really, I should be writing.

Something.

Anything.

>>sigh<<

In the absence of inspiration and plans for new words, I'll just have to edit something old...

Hope you're keeping cool and have a great weekend.

Not in the writing sense, but in the prepping for the writer conference I'm attending in October.

I've talked about swag a couple of times and I've known what I wanted: pens and cardboard bar coasters.

Almost everyone loves pens, so that's almost a given. As for the bar coasters...I didn't come across any last year at the conference, so I may be a trendsetter. I have a handful from a con I attended years ago. I do use them.

Here's what they look like:


I'll probably also invest in either postcards or bookmarks...people like autographs at this con, so it might be nice to have something sign-able. One thing I noticed was missing last year were QR codes to e-book versions of people's books. I prefer e-books and I have to think there are others who do as well, so for each book, I'm going to have a sheet with QR codes to each retailer...

On the book front, I've decided on getting only the first two books in physical form. This is mostly a cost-based decision because I have to buy them and then ship them, so yeah...

As I'm writing this, all the things I need to do are bombarding me--time to make a conference preparation list me thinks!

Tomorrow is writers group and I'm super excited to see my posse after a two month hiatus. In the interested of being fifty and fun and fabulous, I will be wearing my new hockey jersey to the meeting. :0)

Have a great weekend.

I have a conference reservation. I have a hotel reservation. I don't yet have airfare, but that isn't cheap enough yet. I was told (whether true or not, I don't know) that airfare is best bought 58 days from your departure date.

In October, I'm going back to one of the few cons that solely represents my genre. I had a great time last year and am looking forward to another enjoyable experience. I was hoping to go as a supporting author (opportunities to hawk my wares) this year, but those slots sold out in under fifteen minutes. I'm on the waiting list, so please keep your fingers crossed that they add slots or that enough current slots become available for me to upgrade.

This year's GRL will be in Portsmouth, Virginia; I'll get to add yet another city and state to the list of places I've been, so that's nice.

The other really exciting thing is that...I've earned enough in royalties so far to actually pay for my conference registration!!! That just tickles me pink. The goal as the months pass and royalties continue to trickle in is to pay for the whole trip. :0)

This is the fun and exciting part of the publishing journey.

The hard part is writing the next book. Working on that...

Have a great weekend.

Okay, last post about the conference.

I'm high maintenance. Not terribly, but I am. However, I do maintain myself. There are a few things I have to have, like mint tea and warmth when I sleep. I need to eat relatively healthy and usually cheaply and I need to exercise.

The only microwaves available were downstairs, off the lobby. Luckily my room was on the second floor, so it wasn't a horrible inconvenience--this time--but I could have been on the 14th floor or something...  And since the apparent removal of vending machines from next to the ice machines on each floor--a small cart with a microwave could easily be added.

Note to self--consider how to get my small portable kettle to my destination.

Most people prefer colder to warmer, unlike me. So I generally take a blanket with me when I travel by car. I had to take the larger suitcase this time to fit my small electric blanket. Yes, I really did. I didn't need to plug it in, but I had it just in case. :0) I usually take my pillow too. Hotel pillows are too poofy and hard and icky usually.

Note to self--is there any way to get my pillow there, lol?

October weather can change from day to day, so I took more clothes than I needed because I had to plan for both comfortable weather as well as cold weather. In the case of GRL, I don't think that's never not going to be an issue, so I have to deal with it.

The swag, whatever I decide, will just have to be shipped. Next year's location is too far too drive for me, so that's another consideration when deciding on what kind of swag to invest in.

Eating healthy was a challenge, although surprisingly I lost weight. I traveled with a week's supply of Plantation Mint tea as well as a package of Oberto's Trail Mix for each day. There was a local grocery store, and I was able to buy a few pre-made salads, some yogurt, and some microwavable soups.

There was still an over-abundance of carbs in my diet, even when eating "out". I ate at the hotel restaurant at least once each day--part of the networking and getting-to-know-people process--and except for the one breakfast I ordered, everything was based around bread products. Those carbs that I'm trying so hard to exclude from my regular diet. Figuring out some more portable protein will be another of those challenges.

Last point of this ramble--the traveling itself. I took a backpack and toted my laptop as well as my iPad. I have an iPhone as well as a Fit Bit. All of which had to be placed in bins for the xray. I had to take off my shoes and remove my jacket/s. One person and I had to push six bins through the machine. And then gather it all back up again on the other side. *sigh*

But I never used my laptop for the purpose for which I brought it--having to work remotely. Next year...not taking. I'll use the hotel business center if something comes up. I used the iPad for a special project on a daily basis, but will probably not be doing that project next year. So no iPad. I'll always need my phone and chances are I'll still be wearing my Fit Bit. If the weather isn't awful at my destination, my jacket will go in checked luggage. I'll find slip-on shoes and forgo sneakers with laces. I think that'll get me down to two or three bins. Sheesh.

Whew!

Lots learned on a variety of levels.

What's your least favorite thing about traveling?

Two things you find A LOT of at conferences, especially writer and/or reader based conferences, aside from drunk people, are books and swag. Swag in the publishing circles consists of, at its most basic, bookmarks, pens, and postcards with author name and web address--something a potential reader can walk away with that may or may not entice them to purchase your book if they didn't walk away with one of those as well.

I think about swag a lot. Most of my writer group friends attend conferences or book signings or whatever and purchase swag to take with them to entice people to buy their books. I'm not personally a big fan of swag.

Never have I ever dug up a pen or a chip clip or a compact mirror in order to find a book to read.

But 1) I'm not your standard "end user" and 2) I know you have to have it. People expect some sort of swag.

Swag seems like a waste of money. Thanks to my friend, Regina, I like to ask, "what's the return on my investment?". In the case of swag, sometimes there's just not one. You have to have swag, but there's no way to ever know if that pen or bookmark enticed a sale at any point.

But...bearing the swag question in mind and knowing almost from the beginning I wanted to attend next year's GRL, I studied all the swag on display. What did I find personally appealing? What did most people bring? What was unique? What wouldn't end up the trash when Jane Reader gets home?


Some of the swag I walked away with...pens, small notebooks, lip balm, a letter opener, and rubber bracelet, an emery board, eye glass cleaning cloths, postcards, and free books. Now, I love pens, so I will usually voluntarily take a pen. I did intentionally swipe lip balm this time because my lips were hollering at me and I'd left my own in my room. I also took two mini composition notebooks--purse-sized I mean, because those are always handy. Everything else was pretty much just handed to me.

Swag items that caught my attention included...personal fans, flash drives, and a jumbo postcard with an image to color and a crayon to color with. At a previous conference, I walked away with a chip clip, a compact mirror, a bottle opener, and a band-aid keeper. I didn't see sticky-note pads, but I like those too.

I don't mind free books, but I don't, personally, want physical books. It would have been nice to have been given a business card or post card with a QR code for the free e-version. (Note to self, eh??)

I have a lot to ponder between now and next spring when I'll have to start thinking about ordering whatever I decide to buy.

Anyone have any other ideas or care to share what you personally like to walk away with?