RWA Uber Report Two

Okay, I just woke up from a much needed nap and have an hour to post details of the conference. For those dropping by looking for RWA stuff, I apologize for the tardiness of this report. Spies and authors seem to get lazy when they're having fun.

Let's start from the beginning.

***CUE IN MUSIC FROM MISSION IMPOSSIBLE***

dun-dun-dundun; dun-dun-dundun...

FIRST MISSION
Okay, my first mission as uberauthor uberspy was to find my way from airport to the Mariott Marquis hotel in exactly ONE HOUR for my next operation. I couldn't fail. My whole uber authorness depended on this.

So my plane arrived 14 minutes early, which was good. But it took 15 minutes to taxi into the disembarking area, which was bad. I didn't have any luggage to pick up at the Baggage Area, which was good. I was at Terminal C, the farthest terminal from Ground Transportation, which was bad. I was feeling pretty awake, which was good. I needed the restroom first, which was bad.

Anyway, after taking care of personal business, I started on my cross-airport venture to get to MARTA, the rail that would take me to Peachtree Center. I pulled my luggage and handbag along, making good time, to the shuttle that would take me to the terminal. Crowds. Lots and Lots of people have the same idea about going to the terminal. The ride took 20 minutes.

The information counter lady was very nice, giving me directions to MARTA, which was pass the Luggage Area and Car Rental Area. Turn left, down these steps. I hurried.

Dun-dun dundun....

Ten minutes. Bought a ticket. I must commend the rail station for their escalators. WE LURV ESCALATORS, yup we do. I got on the northbound train and looked at my handy RAZR. Okay, I had 28 minutes to make it to the hotel. I was getting a little worried because it was eight stops away. Eight stops and the train was moving pretty slowly.

Dun-dun dundun....

Finally we pulled in at Peachtree Center and it was ten minutes till 5pm. I jumped out of the train, almost killing an old lady, a gentleman with a shopping bag, and two kids in my rush to make my mission. I yelled my apologies as I ran.

There was an attendant standing in front of the station whose duties was to give directions. Can I pause here and say MARTA has a VERY NICE AND THOUGHTFUL train station system (if systems can be nice and thoughtful...). Anyway, he told me to turn the corner, one block, turn left, one block. Sounded good....

I turned the corner. ARcccKKkh....slope! Me. 40lb luggage on wheels. Big heavy bag dangling from one shoulder. Huffpuff, huffpuff, cross road, whimpering "I'm strong, I'm invincible, I'm uber...uber...***huffpuffhuffpuff***

I arrived at the hotel at 4.58pm, 2 minutes before the signing and I could see the long line of readers while standing at the concierge level of the hotel. I think I scared the desk attendant by telling her I was Super Uber Author and needed the fastest Check-In she could perform, LOL. But even with that feat, I was unable to beat the S-L-O-W elevators due to crowds.

Throwing my luggage into the room and then pulling my signing bag out, I jumped down the railing and launched into the air. Then I grabbed one of the wires and used it to slide down the middle open area of the hotel atrium. With a "eeeeeyah!" I kicked open the signing doors, did one dramatic somersault in the air and landed right on my seat exactly at 5.12pm. Because of such a wonderful entry, La Nora and La Linda's lines ignored them and started heading my way and I merrily signed all the copies of my books away before those two silly goddesses.

:-P

Okay, so actually I did get into the signing and proceeded to bump into readers whom I promised to give ARCs to if they bring me alcohol. Does that sound more ME? ;-)

Dun-dun dundun, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Mission Two:

I lined up to get an In Death signed by La Nora and she remembered my name (you don't know what that means to little me)! Then I was first to snag a copy of Jennifer Crusie's and Bob Mayer's book, Don't Look Down and you saw the photo I posted yesterday. They were hilarious together, of course. A reporter from the AP interviewed me about romantic suspense and men writing romance. I still haven't seen it online, so if you guys have a copy, please send the link to me, 'kay, coz I've been wondering whether my words were all chopped up and came out all wrong, like most interviews with the AP and other newspapers seem to get.

I found other books I wanted signed and then I had to return to my seat to drink my wine and meet with all the readers coming in. It was a madhouse. So many readers! The noise level was incredible and at one point, I think everyone was shouting at everyone to get heard. But so much fun!

I sat beside Dianna Love-Snell and Kathy Love and had a total blast. We are now signing buddies forevah.

The photos from the day before were all from the signing.

DAY TWO OPERATIONS

Can I add here my opinions about the Marriott Marquis? BESTEST BED EVAH. The total bestest. The bed in my room was big, with these featherbed comforters, and six pillows of various firmness. It's a dream bed. It's a bed for sex. It's a bed that could seduce a spy.

I LURV the Marriott Marquis bed, okay? I would take a pic of it to show off but right now it's not in a state for public viewing because of, well, hard usage, heeheehee. I love this bed so much that I want it to be shipped home to FL. I'll never leave it. I'll stay at home and be a romance author diva in it....

As for the hotel, I like it. It's perfect for a convention and the elevators are similar to the ones in the New York Marriott; they are plexy-glass, so you could see the humans encased within as they shoot up and down the many floors. Of course, some of the authors hated this because they didn't like heights. Some had requested to be placed on a lower floor because of these elevators. I don't mind the height at all. In fact, it was kind of fun to plaster my face and body against the plexy glass as the elevator shoots down from the 41st floor ;-). I know. I keep forgetting I'm no longer a kid.

The entire hotel surrounds an empty space in the middle, so you can actually look down and see the lobby with the seatings and people milling around. The atrium is lit by a huge big skylight that I'd LOVE to check out to see how it was put together.

Pamela Clare, author friend, described it the best during one of our wine-drinking moments...she described the hotel as being like the belly of a whale, the bullet elevators were the back bone, the ridges above us were the ribs, and we, the ones sitting in the belly, were food. Hmmm. Well, that was after three or four glasses of wine, so....

Okay, I just glanced at the clock and I have to get ready for the Harlequin party. Tomorrow, hopefully, I'll give details about my book haul from the book signings as well as post pictures of me with my new MIRA authors and editors.

Oh, here is a pic of me, Pamela Clare and CJ Barry after she won the Daphne du Maurier award. CJ is da QUEEN, girls. She absolutely deserved the award for UNMASKED. So don't mind us if we looked a bit drunk because really, what could we do when rolling around in a whale's belly?!!!




More to come, dundun dun dun, dun-dun dun dun....

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