Sophomore… Can that sophomore year or book live up to its predecessor? Or can it surpass what came before? In the case of Ellora’s Cave, its sophomore RomantiCon was a resounding success.
Held in the same motel (only the name was changed) I enjoyed the same warm and helpful motel staff and yummy food. And while the service is still a little slow (I suspect due to shortages in both kitchen and wait staff) the cheerful attitudes more than compensated.
Raelene reprised her “Act it Out” workshop to the same hilarious responses as last year. New workshops included World Building (from both a plotter and a pantser’s points of view), the advisability of using and how to select a pen name, and a no-holds-barred “Family Feud” style contest. I wish all the workshops were taped—not only because of the great information—but also because of the workshops I missed. Especially the reader input sessions.
Oh well, oh dear. Maybe next year I’ll figure out a way to clone myself so I can attend them all. (Yeah, sure. That’s gonna happen along with losing weight and exercising!)
Glad rags reigned at EC’s tenth anniversary 1920s style party. Gotta love those Cavemen, their picture-perfect chests, and their jaunty fedoras. Not to mention gyrating hips and all those other moving parts. Ymmm-Ohhh!
Saturday night found me near and in tears when Jaid Black (EC’s founder) gave her heart-wrenching speech, including thanking us for making her dreams come true. We—authors and readers alike—owe her several enormous thanks for letting us write and read the stories that touch our hearts and arouse our senses. And how great was it to meet the cover models and author of the “book that started it all”—The Empress’ New Clothes? A great, HOT read.
Two semi sad semi happy events also occurred. Martha Punches told us that our donations allowed her family to give scholarships to some deserving folks. And Jaid told us about a family being destroyed by some horrible, thus far untreatable illness. Jaid made a generous donation to research into this devastating disease.
Forgive me, Jaid and Martha, I was crying so hard I don’t remember either organization’s name.
On a much happier note…the Sunday pizza party was a return to nonsense and fun. Lots of great pizza and bingo prizes, along with constant laughter every time Ruby Storm’s sister Sue moved. (Imagine a decorated giant phallus and dangling balls atop a Stetson. That’ll give you an idea.) I hope someone posted pictures, because my poor description can’t’ even begin to tell you how funny it was. Sue won the best hat award—not that there was ever any doubt of that!
And did I mention the gorgeous Cavemen? Rodney, Jason, and Angelo stayed after the others had gone, and filled the evening with lots of eye-candy as they called the bingo games, giving out prizes and hugs.
So there we are. Another successful conference—due in no small part to Jeannia and Val and the other EC folks who put their hearts and hard work into it. And Sue said, the only problem is how to make next year even better.
I can’t wait to find out!
Dee Brice
Erotic Fantasies Where Nothing is Forbidden
2 comments:
Great to see you there, Dee!
It was wonderful meeting you! Hope to see you again next October!
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