Lori Foster Author/Reader Get Together

Well, I had quite the weekend! It all started out on Friday. I worked, then ran home to change, and straight off to a wedding, which was wonderful. Then home that night, only to get up bright an early the next morning to head to the Lori Foster Reader/Author Get Together. This wonderful event happens every year, but this is my first time attending, and I'm so glad I got to go! Tons of authors (75-ish) from the Ohio area come to hang with each other and readers, there are raffles, great meals, some fun parties, and TONS of free swag and books! Not only that, but if you registered in advance (or in some cases, during the presentation before hand), you could get a pitch meeting with an agent or publisher. I even met two ladies who came from Oklahoma to pitch their books.

I was so overwhelmed by everything going on, I didn't even attend any of the lectures/presentations. In fact, I think I spent most of my downtime going through all of the beautiful promotional items.
I know, I know, the quality is terrible - but that's just SOME of what I received. Three of the books were bought, and I won a goody bag in a raffle - I'll get into that a little more in a moment!

Everyone received a goody bag when they signed in - a wonderful, sturdy totebag full of swag, and at least one free book. I went to the get together with my Mother and Aunt - each of them got two free books, but I just got one. But no worries, I ended up buying several books that will keep me busy for a while. Not to mention my already huge TBR shelf! I probably looked crazy carting my bags everywhere.. I already had a purse, my bag with my clothes in it, a laptop bag, and the new tote bag I bought and decorated for authors to sign. And to gain several more bags to carry around? Quite the load to carry, but man was it worth it!

Now on to the raffle and other great prizes. There were well over a hundred raffle prizes, and while I didn't win any - my Mother and Aunt both did. I'm planning to steal the books while they're not looking. Now, there were your regular types of raffle prizes, the kind you'd expect - some with wine and glasses, some with books, a tote bag full of goodies, etc. But there were a few baskets that includes brand new eBook Readers, and the biggest one included a brand new Apple iPad. If I had won, you'd know by now. While I didn't win any of those, I won the raffle Desiree Holt was having at her table.

If you stopped by to visit and chat with you, you received a ticket you wrote your room number on. While resting in the room before dinner, I got the call saying I won! I found her later, after dinner - and what a great prize pack it was! I got a signed book by her, "Cocked and Loaded", some very steamy looking cover copies, a signed Tshirt, and it all came in a Desiree Holt Tells All totebag.

And of course, Barnes and Noble had set up a small "Store" selling books by some of the attending authors. And I believe someone mentioned eBooks were for sale as well. Quite the smart decision on their part, to be included in the event, because they got thirty plus dollars out of me, and I'm sure quite a bit out of everyone else that attended. I picked up "The Taking" by Erin McCarthy, "Ecstasy Unveiled" by Larissa Ione, and "Jared" by Sarah McCarty. And my free book - "The Next Best Thing" by Kristan Higgins. I got both Larissa Ione and Erin McCarthy to sign my tote bag, yay!

I'm so going back next year. And I hope anyone in the Southwestern Ohio area that has yet to hear about this great event will look into going next year. Registration was extremely cheap, and well worth it.

Authors! Books! A general author/book-ish post!

I know, I haven't been around in a long time. But I've got an excuse! I got promoted at work, so that means more hours, and WAY more stuff to learn. But I'm managing. And I have been reading! I'm actually preparing to go to the Lori Foster Reader-Author get together, coming up this weekend. There's going to be 75-ish authors attending, and there's so many I've never heard of!

So what did I decide to do? I picked up some new books, of course! My first find was "Tails of Love" a benefit anthology by several of the attending authors - Lori Foster, Stella Cameron, Kate Angell, Dianne Castell, Ann Christopher, Marcia James, Donna MacMeans, Sarah McCarty, Patricia Sargeant, and Sue-Ellen Welfonder. What's great about this anthology? As I mentioned, it's a benefit anthology, so the author advances all went to an animal shelter. Every story featured an animal of some sort, and the stories were wonderful. There are other benefit anthologies by these authors, I know there's one called "Power of Love" and another "Gift of Love." There may be others, I definitely want to check into them.

Since I'm talking about meeting authors - I got the chance to go to a book signing featuring Holly Black and Sarah Rees Brennan. Except for some very uncomfortable chairs, the signing was great. They were so amusing to listen to, I loved their stories. And they were both kind enough to sign the books I bought, as well as the new canvas tote bag I decided to buy, so I can have authors sign it. I heard about this great idea on a message forum, and I figured it's a great way to get autographs without carting around stacks of books!

And finally.. some exciting news, at least for me. I was browsing the book section at my local Walmart when I came upon... THIS!

What is that, you ask? It's the re-issue of the first two books in Thomas E. Sniegoski's Fallen series!! I have them all, of course, but this makes me want to buy the new versions. This series... oh man, I love them so much. I firmly believe these books changed me. They were wonderful. I heard once they made a miniseries out of them... but I never even wanted to research it, or try and watch it. Nothing will come close to the books.

I think that huge update, at least in part, made up for my lack of reviews and posting. There will definitely be a big post about the festivities of this coming weekend. Eeeek, I'm so excited!