Jessa at #RT2012

Crossposted from Silk & Shadows

Currently working on: Stealing Easter candy from careless children
Mood: Sneaky

This week I’m at the RT Booklovers Convention in Chicago. If you aren’t attending, you can follow the fun on Twitter at #RT2012.

If you are my XY reading this, thinking, “I thought you said it was work?”, see all the work:

This picture doesn’t even show the big box of books coming with me.

If you ARE attending RT, I hope you’ll come find me and say hey. All Silk & Shadows (and JessaSlade.com) readers who come hey me (let me know you read the post here) will be entered to win an RT schwag bag. Readers at home, leave a comment here about your favorite memory of meeting an author, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win too.

My RT schedule is all over the place, but you can for certain find me at:

Wednesday: Linnea Sinclair’s Intergalactic Bar & Grill, 4:45-5:45 p.m.

Thursday: Ebook Expo, 4-6 p.m., Grand Ballroom

Friday: Humor writing workshop (What? You don’t think I write humor? We shall see!): SPRINKLING SMILES INTO SAD (SEX, ACTION & DRAMA) SCENES with Dee Brice, Ashlyn Chase, Marcia James, Delilah Marvelle and Jessa Slade, 11:15 a.m.

Saturday: Giant Book Fair, 10:45 a.m.-2 p.m., Grand Ballroom

I’ll also be at all the evening parties, of course, probably dancing. If you see me limping during the days, you’ll know why.

Also also, I’m taking part in a “stalk the author signature” game with Ann Aguirre, Tes Hilaire & more. Come find me for your game sheet and signature. Someone will win an e-reader, a basket of books, and more.

If you’ve wondered about attending a romance reader convention, here are three useful tips:

• Bring an empty priority mailing box from the USPS, already filled out with your home address so you can mail your books back to yourself. You can pay online and drop the box at the hotel business office, easy-peasy. Books are crazy heavy, and you’ll be going home with more than you might expect. At least that always seems to happen to me 😉
• Bring cute shoes AND comfortable shoes. You can wear the cute shoes the first day while you still care. On the second day and every day thereafter, you can switch to the comfortable shoes, because by then, you’ll be friends with everybody in the hotel and they’ll be in their comfortable shoes too. Heck, bring your slippers.
• Stay hydrated. I know, you think, it’s not like we’re lost in the desert. But those hotels are big enough that you can march for days. Bring a couple chocolate bars too.

You can never go wrong with extra chocolate bars.

In Love with New York

Crossposted from Silk & Shadows

Currently working on: Laundry
Mood: Squeaky clean

I’m posting a bit late since I just returned from a week in New York City. I was attending a published author conference and had SO MUCH FUN!… I mean, it was sooooo much work. (Just in case my XY is reading this.)

Our conference hotel was the Millennium Broadway just off Times Square. I feel like I am not a complete rube, but in New York, I am definitely a country mouse. So many people in such a compact space — there are actual pedestrian traffic jams — make me just a little crazy. But the energy is undeniable. Or maybe that’s all the power pulsing through the light bulbs on Times Square.

Since DARKNESS UNDONE officially released last Tuesday, I did a stock

signing tour of every bookstore in Manhattan I could find that carried a copy of the book. If you live in the New York area, you can find signed copies of DARKNESS UNDONE at almost all the Barnes & Nobles. You’ll find me lurking in the vicinity of Nalini Singh and Gena Showalter.

My roommate, historical authorDelilah Marvelle and I hiked all over NYC. I Google Pedometered our route afterward; we hiked 8.5 MILES! Truly pounding pavement. But the sore feet were well worth it starting off with breakfast with fabulous bookseller, Stacey ofPosman Books. Not only does the store have a glorious romance section, it is located in Grand Central Station. How cool is that?

I also had the chance to meet Carla from Book Monster Reviews who along with book friend Karina joined me, Laurie London and Erin Kellison for a beautiful spring day in Bryant Park.

We sat for a couple hours, talking about books and eating Crumbs Bake Shopcupcakes. I think that might qualify as a little slice of heaven. Although the black bottom cheesecake brownie cupcake contains over a thousand calories (according to the placard at the shop) I felt entirely justified because of the aforementioned 8.5 MILES.

From the New York Central Library, a quote  from John Milton:

A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life.

I’m sure he would have added friends and cupcakes too, had he thought about it.

I brought back some goodies to share (no cupcakes though) and am doing a giveaway through my newsletter. Sign up here.

Ah, New York, I miss you already.

2011 Northwest Bookfest

What are you up to this weekend? If you’re a reader or writer in the Pacific Northwest (or have lots of frequent flyer miles) come check out the FREE Northwest Bookfest Saturday and Sunday, October 1-2, at the Kirkland Performance Center, Peter Kirk Park, in Kirkland, Washington.

There will be more than 50 workshops and panels for readers and writers, from kids to adults, in every genre from comics to memoir. Check out the program list here and the writing workshops here.

I’ll be speaking on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Community Center Lobby Meeting Room on “Writing the Woo-Woo and Weird Stuff.” (Editor’s note: “Woo-woo” is a highly technical terms. Do not attempt this at home.) I’ll be on a panel with Yasmine Galenorn, Teresa Meyers and Alexis Morgan.

Now THAT deserves a woo!

Hope to see you there.