Romantic Times Booklovers Convention: Wrap up

A few final comments about the convention, and some answers to your questions.

1. My sister-in-law took the photos at the awards ceremony, and asks for forgiveness. She says it’s a miracle the photos don’t show her thumb in the foreground. Her husband is a former combat photographer who can take crisp, in-focus photos while being shot at. She apologizes that he wasn’t at the ceremony.

2. Yes, the people at the convention were overwhelmingly women. The men claimed they didn’t mind being outnumbered. However, here’s a photo from Saturday’s book fair. The two men in the shot are both thriller writers — Barry Eisler, standing with his back to the camera in the blue shirt, and J.A. Konrath, seated near him, with the beard and ponytail. Note that they’re huddling together for solidarity.

3. Here’s another gent who braved Planet RT: Rich Klinzman, a regular contributor to the blog, who drove to Orlando to get some books signed and to pick up his advance copy of The Memory Collector, which he won as a runner-up in my contest last year.

4. In the comments to my post about winning the RT Reviewers Choice Award, Snart says:

A Romance Writing Award. Whodda thought? Cousin Tater would be so proud of you!

No, Snart — Cousin Tater would set up a booth at the convention to sell vampire-themed lingerie. She would then abandon it to accost the Mr. Romance contestants. At which point the convention would be canceled, because none of the contestants would have survived.

5. Also in the comments, Monita writes:

Ferd and Mr. Peebles are sure this is a sign that Romance with Jo must be coming in Memory Collector!

Ferd and Mr. Peebles have all kinds of dreams, Monita. You’ll have to read the new novel to find out how Jo reacts.

6. Sharon K writes:

So pleased for you, Meg (even if I’m not exactly sure what a “Procedural” novel is….?).

In crime writing, “procedural” is short for “police procedural” and traditionally focuses on the official law enforcement investigation of a crime. Procedurals generally feature cops as protagonists, and are often set in a precinct house or, more recently, a forensics lab. Think of the novels of Ed McBain and Jeffery Deaver, and the CSI shows. Jo Beckett isn’t a cop, but she consults for law enforcement, so that’s where Romantic Times found space for her in their awards.

And excellent punctuation, Sharon.

7. Sharon also gets the last word, because her comment on “romantic” fiction is spot on:

But as we all know — romance is really just shorthand for the great, big emotions in life which slam you in the heart, and you’re clearly managing to hit the spot in a crime novel!

Thanks.

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