Excitement of my first con

Well, maybe that isn't the best title, it could probably be taken the wrong way!  What I am talking about is spending last weekend in Allen, TX at Fresh Fiction's Readers and Ritas conference!  This was the first conference I have ever been to and I had such a good time.  I decided to stay at the hotel even though I could probably have traveled back and forth from home.  I didn't want to miss anything and there was just so much to do!

I checked in on Friday afternoon and was awarded with my first big surprise.... a bag FULL of books!  Many of them by authors in attendance.  Be still my signed book hording heart!  There was also a room full of baskets to be raffled off.  These people really know how to do up raffle baskets.  Contents were amazing!  Books, wine, chocolate, kindles, nooks and oh so much more.  Unfortunately I did not get to take home any of the loot, but I'm sure that they raised a very good amount for Plano Family Literacy which is awesome.

I was unfamiliar with quite a few of the authors, as they were mainly romance, but we had read a few of the authors in book club the last couple of months so I wasn't completely out of the loop.  I met some pretty great authors, and even though they are not in my most passionate genre, I will still read them just because they were so awesome.  The first night I had dinner with Jade Lee, Roz Lee and Connie Cox.  Let me tell you, these ladies know how to put a nervous convention virgin at ease.

I discovered something very weird about myself this weekend.  I am a fangirl of Jaye Wells, even though I have only read the sample of Red-headed Stepchild.  I loved the sample but never did get a chance to read the book.  I felt a little foolish showing up at the signing with ALL of her Sabina Kane series with the exception of book 2, looking like a complete fangirl, but knowing nothing about the series.  I don't know how I know, call it gut feeling, but I think that series is going to be awesome.  Reader's instinct, that's what I will call it!  I like that better than "gut feeling".  If anyone of my fellow addicts have read this series, please drop me a note and let me know your thoughts.

Another author I met was Wendy Corsi Staub.  She writes awesome thrillers.  I have read the first book of one of her trilogies, and it had a few goosebump moments as well as a complete, blow your mind ending.  I have been meaning to review it, hopefully soon.  I was able to tell her one of my goosebump moments, but all the questions I wanted to ask her flew right out of my head.  I sent her a Facebook message with them yesterday.  I get so flustered sometimes I forget things.

Saturday night was party night.  There was a bachelor's auction for charity, a masquerade ball and then dancing.  These girlies know how to party!

So, I got to hang out with other book addicts, authors, my friends Felicia, Jenn and Kelley, meet the most adorable shi tzu ever, (Candace Havens has one amazing dog named Elvis), satisfy my signed book hording self and bring home lots of loot.  I would call that an exceptional weekend if I do say so myself.  Many thanks to the great folks at Fresh Fiction for organizing such a fun weekend.  I can't wait until next year.  Go here to see some of the authors already lined up as well as where to buy early bird tickets.  You can count me in, hope to see you there!