RT Post 4 – The Art of the Selfie

In which Kate stalks readers, reviewers, bloggers, and authors. No one is safe.

Today was a day for meeting people. Harlequin Australia set us up with an absolute mountain-load of free books on USB keys that we are giving away to readers, bloggers, reviewers, and random passers-by with the message that Australian romance rocks, and they need to get into it now.

But one of the best things about being at a romance conference for everyone involved in romance (because everyone involved in romance loves reading romance, and everyone is enthusiastic about romance) is meeting favourite authors.

Oh, boy, did I meet some favourites!

Just from today:

Me, Keri Arthur and Escape Artist Donna Maree Hanson! (check out Donna’s squid necklace)

Escape Artist Nicole Flockton

Rachel Vincent and I. I also got sneak peeks at the covers for her upcoming series and they look AMAZING!

Escape Artists Rhian Cahill, Sami Lee and fellow International Heat author Lila Dubois

Victoria Dahl (squee! I love her so much!)

Megan Hart (who is *so* gracious)

Zoe Archer and Nico Russo, a truly awesome couple who write truly awesome books. Check out Zoe’s Blades of the Rose series for fab, diverse action-adventure romance

Not to get all hipster or anything, but I’ve loved Larissa Ione since she was writing for Secrets. Yes, that makes me a better fan than you.

Courney Frickin’ Milan, everybody. *And* she knew who I was from Twitter. I just about died.

There will be more photos from the Giant Book Fair tomorrow, so be prepared.

One of the things I highly recommend to future RT attendees is to take part in the games sessions. They’re much more low key, a lot of fun, and a great way to meet people and authors alike, as everyone is interacting with everyone else. I hooked up with Gabby and Rudi from Orchids and Peach Cocktails, and headed up to Bad Boy Bingo! , wherein if you won Bingo, you had to read a dirty passage from one of the attending authors’ books out loud. I, who never win anything, won a Bingo on the first go-round, and had to read from Megan Hart’s Broken.

I don’t know if you’ve read Broken (you totally should), but it’s not the easiest book to read out loud. Luckily, after the first round, we had a special guest, who came to do our reading for us:

Shane

That, right there in the yellow shirt, is a cover model. And he started reading the passages for us.

First, he did it from the front. Then he did it from the middle.

An equal opportunity for appreciation of fine literary readings.

And then, ladies and gentlemen, he did it without his shirt.

Damn fine literary readings.

Poor man was blushing all over the place by the time he finished, but he was much applauded for his efforts.

Next up: Bourbon Street!