Conestoga was awesome! Like last year, it was very well organized, and the conference staff was amazing. And I've never seen so many urban fantasy authors gathered in one place. It was like being in a room full of friends I hardly ever see, and I spent the entire convention with this huge, goofy smile on my face. So if you saw me grinning like a fool, that was the I-can't-believe-I'm-really-here smile. ;-)
I was on several panels, most of which will be posted on FFF over the next few months, to facilitate discussion. I even got roped into sitting on the Conestoga programming track's YA panel when one of the scheduled panelists couldn't make it. I just came to listen, and wound up talking. I'm not sure how much help I was on the topic (after all, my YAs won't be out until next year), but it was fun!
One of my favorite panels to sit in on was the Vamps and Shifters panel, with PC Cast, Jeanne Stein, and Dakota Cassidy. PC and Dakota are hilarous, and Jeanne is just one of the sweetest people ever. I need to have a shirt printed, reading: I survived two panels with Dakota Cassidy. Because she's awesome. So funny, and friendly, and smart. Even if she claims otherwise.
I also loved the FFF track YA panel (Melissa Marr, Sarah Brennen, Jen Barnes, Rachel Caine, and both PC and Kristin Cast), even though I had to leave in the middle of it. These ladies are hilarious! And very informative.
I signed lots of books (much to my own surprise) and someone even brought me a copy of the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance to sign! So of course, after that, #1 and I had to track down a couple of copies before we left town. I'm taking one with me to RWA this week, to see if anyone else will be there to sign it. Then I'll give it away here next week.
I met so many wonderful people (both readers and authors) this weekend, and I'm still feeling overwhelmed. Unfortunately, my camera battery died on the first photo I tried to take, but I plan on snatching other people's pictures as soon as they're posted.
Among the awesome people I met for the first time were Sarah Brennan and Jen Barlow (love them both! So funny and smart...), Marc Del Franco (one of the best moderators there, and so incredibly nice!) Devon Monk (we have the same agent, and she was just as cool in person as she is on line!), and Illona Andrews (fantastic Russian accent! I could have listened to her all day...). Oh, and Dean Lorey! And Jaye Wells, who's first book comes out next year. And I'm sure I'm forgetting people... ;-(
I also got to spend time with existing friends Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, and Patrice Michelle, all of whom I could have spoken to for hours.
I swear, there will be more info later. Panel recaps and pictures. But for now, this week's signed book giveaway!
The books:
Happy Hour of the Damnedby Mark Henry- Shadows on the Soul by Jenna Black
- Ashes to Ashes by Jennifer Armintrout
- Dark Lies by Vivi Anna
- Scions: Insurrection by Patrice Michelle
Dancing with Werewolvesby Carole Nelson Douglas (not signed)
The details:
- To enter, leave a comment in the comment section of this post, telling me, if you'd been able to go to Conestoga, who you'd most want to meet. (Or who you did meet, if you were there...)
- One entry per person, please
- You must sign your entry if you don't have a Blogger account. But do NOT leave your email address in the comment. That's a great way to get spammed.
- You qualify if you're not related to me, or to one of the above authors, even if you've already won something from me or from one of them.
- Entries must be received before 11:59 pm (central) on Thursday, July 31, 2008. The winner will be announced the following day.
63 comments:
I think I would have most like to have met Melissa Marr. We've been in contact for a while and talk about meeting up but so far, I'm a poor poor student and all her tour dates are outside Canada.
I would have loved to meet you of course =). Or Jeanine Frost, her books are fantastic.
Cyndi Fuller
You! Rachel Caine, the Casts, Mark Henry, eh my list is too long :)
I'm glad Conestoga was so much fun. I can't wait to see some pics and videos!
I'd most want to meet you, Rachel. And I swear, it's not just because you're the only author there I've heard of. (Yes, I'm such an UF newb.)
Oo, this is hard! It would be a toss-up between meeting Rachel Vincent, Vicki Pettersson and Shanna Swendson.
-Mel aka sea0tter12
Hi Rachel! It was so great meeting you in person. What a blast.
glad your having fun. Wish I could be there. It sounds sort of like Dragoncon in Atlanta GA. You need to come to that one sometime. Please enter me in your contest.
I hate that I missed. And I would have loved for Ms. Marr to have signed a book for me. I'm at the midway point of Ink Exchange and I don't want this book to end.
(It's also making me want more ink. Doesn't help that Jaye Wells posted a link for literary tattoos the other day on her blog!)
If I had been able to go I would have loved to be able to meet you in person. Jeaniene Frost comes in a close second. :)
Well the most obvious answer to who I would like to have met is you!
But, after that, the other Rachel (Caine) would be top of my list.
Oh, I wish I could have gone. I'd love to meet Gena Showalter, Melissa Marr, PC and Kristin Cast and you of course. Oh and I'd also love to meet Kresley Cole, but I don't know if she was there or not.
:-D
I would love to meet any author there. I find it fascinating to meet anyone who writes since I love reading! And I would have made sure to stop by and see you, Jeaniene Frost, & Mark Henry of course! <3
I was lucky to go. I was shaking each time I got to meet someone I was looking foward to, including you!
Despite the outside looking calm,cool and collected, I was SHAKING!
I was most excited to meet you, Gena Showalter, Jeannine Frost, Melissa Marr, P.C.Cast...ok, so you could name a Fang,Fur,Fey member and um, well they make the list! I was also excited to meet members of boards, blogs and such that I watch! That was as much of a shocker then anything else.
I'll post pictures sometime today..I hope!
I haven't been to one, yet. I would love to meet Illona Anderws, you, and some other people!
I'm glad you were excited about Vampire Romance. With all the excitment I forgot to ask if you were going to do any novels based off the characters in the story? It was extremly interesting. Also, thank you for being so nice and for remembering little 'ol me.
Yes, I'm a dork, but you were the author I went to meet. : ) There were so many nice people there, it was well worth it! Dang, I wish I would have stayed for the Vamps panel, now. I was going to, but I got homesick. Little Guy's too young to leave for too long.
Rachel it was a great con this weekend. I didn't get to make it to nearly enough of the panels. Actually I missed quite a few that I wanted to go to. There was just way too much stuff going on all around. It really was great getting to see you again.
Lets see to answer the question hummm I don't know who my favorite author was this weekend. I really loved everyone it was truly amazing. I can't express how great it was getting to see the people behind all the great books I have sitting on my shelves.
Enjoy your time at RWA I know you will have a complete blast.
i didnt go. man i wished i could have!!!!!!!!!
I could only pick one? Not fair! I'd want to meet them all because there are so many good ones out there these days - Melissa Marr, Rachel Vincent, Dakota Cassidy. Can I narrow it down to three? Oh, this is a tough question...
I would've wanted to meet Ilona Andrews. I really enjoy her books - mostly because I love her characters but a little b/c I love Atlanta :)
Rose W.
I didn't get to go but if I had I would have wanted to meet you!, Rachel Caine ad PC Cast.
This is ridiculously difficult to answer! Can't we all just sit down to a UF version of a murder-mystery dinner party instead? I'd learn so much from that and we'd all have such a fun time (I'd guarantee a variety of excellent chocolate desserts of course!).
Ooh, that one's too tough for me! There were so many people there I wanted to meet- pretty much everyone from FFF!
I was there! I got to meet you Saturday morning and you signed my books. (I was the one with the best friend who embarrassed her. LOL!) It was great to meet you even if I was shy about it. I also met and got books signed by Melissa Marr, Jeri Smith-Ready, Rachel Caine & Stephen Hickman. And just by being around my friend, whose much more social than I am, I also saw Mark Henry, Dean Lorey, Dakota Cassidy, Jeaniene Frost & Marie Brennan. We had a great time meeting all the authors and the panels were great. I really, really hope everyone decides to come back next year because this was the best Conestoga I've been to yet!
You and Jeaniene Frost would have been the top of my list!! =)
Self-serving wretch that I am -- I'd want to me agents and editors!
I gots this book, you see.
Ach, I feel so distanced from it all - yes, there is a downside to living in Australia ;-)
But I so would've wanted to hear Ilona Andrews talk. Not so much the content as her accent ;-) (What? Accents are hot!)
Have a lovely day! :-)
I would have enjoyed meeting anyone and everyone, as I've never been to a convention.
~A. Soyez
Mark Henry
Honestly? i would have liked to meet anyone whose books I've read, so that would include you, Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, and Vicki Pettersson.
I would have most wanted to meet Rachel Vincent. She writes an excellent series that I absolutely love.
WOW!! This is a hard question. Well of course I'd want to meet you and I'd also like to meet Jeaniene Frost, Gena Showalter, and Keri Arthur. The list goes on.
Kaitlyn Vega
Didn't got, but would have loved to have met Jeaniene Frost. Been reading her books recently, enjoy them tremendously...
It sounds like you had a great time and got to hang out and meet some amazing authors.
I cannot believe that you are surprised that you were asked to sign so many books...you are one of those great authors just like the ones you got to hang out with. Right now on someone else's blog I am sure they are saying how thrilled they were to get to meet you.
Glad you had such a good time.
I can't choose. I'd love to met all the Urban Fantasy authors!
-Lina
Do I have to choose just one? They all sound like great fun, so I'd like to meet them all!
I would like to meet you, Gena Showalter and Jaci Burton.
It would be fun to meet Jeanine Frost and Vicki Petterson to name only two.
I would have loved to meet everyone, even if I wasn't familiar with their works!!!!
Glad you had a GREAT time!
Wish I could have been there, some people I would have liked to meet. Mark Henry, Gena Showalter and Dakota Cassidy.
I would like to meet you or Jeaniene Frost if I ever went. I love both of yalls series!
Melissa Mason
Would love to meet Keri Arthur, Gena Showalter, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson, and was Lara Adrian there?
I think I'd have run to meet you first and Jeaniene Frost second.
Oh, gods...You, Rachel Caine, Kresley Cole, Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, Caitlin Kittredge...the list is endless.
If I'd gone to Conestoga I woulda wanted to meet you, of course!
Wish I could have gone. I would have liked to meet Vicki Pettersson, Jeaniene Frost and you, Rachel.
I would have loved to meet you, Jeanine Frost, Ilona Andrews, Vicki Pettersson and Gena Showalter. Ahhh... maybe one of these times I'll make it out.
Regina Brookman
i would have loved to meet you. of the choices, you are the only one i have read and after being a regular reader of your blog i think you would be cool person to hang out with.
besides, we cat people have to stick together
I guess it would be a toss up between and Melissa Marr and Gena Showalter. Please don't make me choose!!!! It's sad to hear that Gena got hurt and had to go home.
I would have most liked to meet you, you have forever changed the way that I look at Urban Fantasy. When I was young I read a UF book, and it wasn't very good, so i kind of gave up on them, but when I read your book, it just sucked me in, and now I can't get enough. ;]
Elizabeth B.
I would have really liked to meet you, Rachel, I am new to your world of werecats and already am a big fan, can't wait for Pride! I would also have liked to have met Ilona Andrews and Patrice Michelle, as well as Jocelynn Drake, and the list could go on...
Thanks for bringing us a world we can truly escape to!
Debbie Williams
HI rachel I would have loved to meet you of course! and jeanine frost. Kai.
Hi! No idea who I would meet if I were ever able to go to an event (I never will T_T), but I think I would just end up hunting down everyone that I read - you included! So far, of the names you've mentioned, I know only you... So, I would find you! Cheers!
Ilona Andrews would be a must - i'd love to ask her few questions about her writing. Rachel Caine, Kim Harrison, Richelle Mead.. The list can go on and on and on..
Ummm, let me think, YOU!!
And Gena Showalter and Jeaniene Frost!
But alas I live over the other side of the world. So no fun for me :(
I would have to have met you Rachel
I would have like to met you, Ilona Andrews, Mark Del Franco, Mark Henry, Jeanne Stein and the list goes on and on!!
I'd have wanted to meet Jaye Wells. I adore her blog and she seems like a wonderful woman.
I would of loved to have been there. I really would of liked to meet you or Jeanine Frost, you both are my favorite authors.
Kara H.
I think any author from FFF would have been excellent
To be quite honest I had never heard of the Contestoga before your mention of it. If I would have been able to attend I would definitely have wanted to meet you. You are the one I learned about it from after all!:)
Amanda Cox
I would most like to meet you because you seem so nice! And, P. C. and Kristen Cast, Kim Harrison and Rachel Caine.
It would be one of the most awesome things to get to go to the Conestoga!! Unfortunately I live very far away.
A few of the authors that I would love to meet are Gena Showalter, Keri Arthur, Melisaa Marr, P. C. and Kristen Cast, and of course you Rachel!!
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