“I took hold of that scourge -filled ship and crushed it between my limbs, hurtling it into the second sun, the red one that gave me strength. But I was too late." Terraformer
For those of you who’ve been following me for a while, you know that I attend a conference every year called the Romantic Times Convention. If you are a fan of romance or YA books, this conference is an amazing one for fans.
A lot of author conventions focus on the craft of writing and this one does too but it also has what’s called a reader track. This means that during the entire week readers have cool parties, workshops, and activities designed just for them.
Next year RT is happening in Las Vegas which is perfect because not only can you go to the conference, you can also go see some awesome shows. My favorite in Vegas so far is “O” by Cirque Du Soleil.
If those reasons aren’t enough for you then consider this…on the big Saturday when they have the 600+ authors signing, they also have a teen day. This is where a teen and an adult get into the convention for $30 for the day and walk away with tons of free books.
Now onto my top ten RT Convention Highlights
#1 Getting to sit next to my “H” BFF’s Amalie Howard and Rachel Harris at the big book signing. It’s never boring sitting next to these two. They always have such good stories.
#2 Chatting it up with author Kady Cross. I have grown to have a sweet spot for steampunk and Kady writes a totally awesome YA steampunk series.
#3 Having dinner with awesome YA authors and sharing a plate with Sophie Jordan. YA authors are the best. We all love hanging out, ordering pizza, and talking into the late hours of the evening.
#4 Hanging out with my sisters & having a girl night. We always bring face masks and choose one night to do our nails, put on face masks and take crazy pictures.
#5 I convinced my masseuse, Laura, to come. It was so fun to see her running around collecting swag and it was even more awesome that I got a massage at the convention.
#6 Steampunking it up with my girls. Getting dressed up in costumes is something I rarely do any more and getting the opportunity to do it with my sisters just makes it that much more fun. We all love dancing at the big RT parties.
#7 Having Kami Garcia exclaim over my hair. On the big Saturday, my sisters did up my hair Egyptian style with fancy braids and jeweled barrettes. It was pretty awesomely epic.
#8 Photo Ops with fans at the Teen Party. It was so much fun to pose with fans in the Epic Reads photo booth at the Teen Party. The girls are so cute! Later I was able to pose with two of my sisters too.
#9 The YA Slumber Party. It was so much fun to be a part of this one. Kicking off the convention with a cool party and giveaways is pretty cool, as is hanging out with all my author friends in their pajamas.
#10 Putting on the You’re Never Too Old for YA Reader Party with Stacey Kade. This party was a bear to organize and set up but it was so much fun! We’re doing it again next year and are already making plans.
That’s it for now. Hope you all can see just how epic the RT Convention is and that you can make plans to go sometime. Once you do, you’ll go back again and again.
Colleen Houck
This entry was posted in Conferences, Top Ten Lists.
New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she's not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.