Reporting from the scene at the Romantic Times Conference, held at the Chicago Hyatt Regency OHare. Steam Punk was the fashion statement to make this year. Carina Press Editor Mallory Braus cut a dashing figure in her bronze tiered skirt and beribboned bustier. Brilliant accessorizing!
Scientific eyewear was all the rage. And the fascination for the fascinator has not faded, especially with females who prefer fuchia.
I hope you brought your rolling suitcases, ladies! I haven’t seen a line like that since I ran out of fast-pass at Disney. With hundreds of authors on the scene and thousands of books for sale, bibliophile’s from across the country indulged with abandon.
Anyone who bought a book at Saturday’s sale, could have it autographed by the author. (I noticed several Kindle and iPad owners packing sharpies and asking favorite authors to sign their readers!)
Big name authors, like Ann Rice and Susan Elizabeth Phillips and JR Ward, stopped by for a visit.
Gossip on the line: “JR Ward has a curse jar. Every time she swears, she puts a dollar in it.”
"Does she swear a lot?”
“Well, she went through $70 bucks in singles. Had to borrow extra from her mom.”
The afternoon workshops were both educational and refreshing. Your Humble Reporter learned that Lord Byron was a Greek National Hero and the Duke of Wellington lived at Number One London. Wellington was born in Ireland. Being somewhat ambivalent about his Irish past led the Duke to remark: “Being born in a stable doesn’t make you a horse.”
To which an Irishman supposedly replied, “Nor does it mean, you are not an ass.”
According to a workshop on Drinks with Jane Austen, at the time of the Regency, children were allowed to drink.
“They might have been onto something,” author Karen Dornabos said with a wink. “If I could give my kids a drink or two, every so often, we all might be better off.”
Dornabos mixed up a batch of claret cup for all the guests to sample, along with four of her fellow Regency authors who thoughtfully brought along the Rum Punch, Orgeat, Ratafia, Sherry and Port for the gentlemen. What? No gentlemen here? Guess the ladies will have to make sure that tasty tipple doesn’t go to waste.
Next, onto a character wedding with Jade Lee. Champagne, wedding cake and cheese cake, actual and metaphorical.
The men were beautiful. The women were funny. And the vows were priceless:
“Do you promise to rub her feet whenever she is tired and pleasure her even to the denial of your own desires?”
“Do you promise to put him in his place whenever he is arrogant and satisfy his lust even though he seems insatiable?”
We do!
The event ended with a contest to win a beautiful embroidered Peruvian wedding blanket.
The woman who won told the audience, “Ten years ago, I received a Jade Lee book as a gag gift from my husband. I read it and decided…I liked it. I really liked it. I’m a writer today because I read that book.”
Read on, Gentle Readers!
7 comments:
I am soooo jealous of your trip :) Hope you are truly inspired :)
Sounds like you had a great time. Wish I could have gone. I went to RT once and found it loads of fun!
Oh, how I wish I could have gone! Thanks for providing that report. At least I feel like I got to be a teeny-tiny part of it now. :) I hope to go next year (it would be my first time).
It was fun to see the Carina people & mingle with them. Our fearless leader, AJ, planned a fab party game that made the mingling easier for introverts. That was some inspired marketing. I kept trying to sneak off to the bar, put my back to the wall and do nothing but people watch.
I had tons more fun photos, but couldn't wrassle blogger into submission last night. Every time I added a 3rd photo it would freeze on me. If anyone knows how to make an album or something...clue me in!
sounds like a delightful time was had by all of you. I'm jealous.
Thanks for the inside info. I'm planning on going next year.
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