My short RomCon experience

Jul 11, 2010 by Lisa Renee Jones

Where to begin….oh yeah. How I got to Romcon. I was going to drive to Denver to have dinner with my editor Deb Werksman and a few fabulous Sourcebooks authors. But as luck had it, I was lucky enough to win a registration from Angela James at Carina Press. I had this little jaw surgery done Thursday and knew I wasn’t up for much so I only went to the convention for a few hours Saturday before dinner. DH was going to sit in the bar and work and drink a beer or two like he does at all conferences.

We get to the registration desk, and despite Angela copying me on the registration email, they didn’t have me down. Confusion ensued and they were not overly nice to me at all. I finally get the badge which says Angela James and leave, and DH and I both mumbled that I was treated pretty rude. I never got them to understand I was an author so my badge doesn’t have an author ribbon. But I felt like I was trying to cheat my way in the door when it was all over. Not a good way to start. Oh and they told me DH couldn’t go to any events. I promised them he had no intention. Talking about how to create the perfect heroine really isn’t his cup of tea. If you want to dance with him at the Harlequin party he’s all about that. Want to have a beer in the lobby– check. Otherwise. Nope.

Then I realize I didn’t get the dinner ticket and I go back. I figure if I don’t go, DH can go. He isn’t keen on this idea. A bunch of female authors he doesn’t know. But I am going to dinner with Sourcebooks and I don’t want the man to starve. Someone should get the paid for meal. I stand at the front desk and the three girls ignore me. They chat among themselves and help someone I believe they perceived to be a published author –remember they just don’t get that I am at this point– before me. Finally, the helpers hand me the ticket and I go back to sit down. No apologies for forgetting it. Fish I realize when I sit down. I’m allergic and DH hates it. Couldn’t believe they would serve fish only at an event. I give the oh so helpful ladies back my ticket and suggest they give it to someone who needs an extra — someone should get the paid for meal. They say they have other meal options. GEE — misfit that I am I guess I didn’t get a choice before. I take the beef.

So we sit down and I have a few hours so I go to check out the book signing. It was set up very strange. People had to walk through a little flea market type area which was cool but had there been a crowd would have been a problem. I missed most of the signing but did get to stop and chat with the amazing Carrie Vaughn. Those of you who know me know I lover her Kitty series.

Anyway– went back to DH. Starving. See a couple convention goers with yummy cookies and go over and ask where they got them. They look at my ribbon badge with the name scratched out and say they are for AUTHORS. Holy crap. What if I was a reader? Is this how you would treat me. No name will be mentioned here but it was as bad as the front desk. Good grief, I have never felt like such a misfit at a convention, even before I was published!

This sounds all bad but I had a good window too. I met with my absolutely wonderful editor Deb Werksman and then went to the Sourcebooks spotlight where I met some awesome readers, reviewers, and authors. We ended up in the bar chatting about Sourcebooks with Deb and it was an intimate, fun spotlight on Sourcebooks. I enjoyed chatting with everyone there. This part of the event made me feel there was good to be found in my not so good experience so far. And I have to say that everything I learn about Sourcebooks just makes me happier and happier to be with them. After the spotlight I went to dinner with Deb, Judi Fennell, Joanne Kennedy, and Olivia Cunnings who has a debut erotic novel out this October I hear is awesome! Great food and great company. so enjoyable. I want to take my DH to the Denver area we ate at. I think he will love it.

Anyway, so I go back to the hotel. DH reports he went to the dinner despite not wanting to because I’d insisted. A raw steak, a chunk of uncut lettuce, a slice of tomato, no salad dressing, two chunks of blue cheese on plate. Potatoes. Water. No drinks at all. The ticket cost $35. He chatted with some authors and went to McDonalds. I hate I made him go.

I take my stuff to the car and leave my badge. At this point it seems to be gaining me insult after insult. We go back in because we love Tarot cards and we decide they are having tarot card readers, we’ll both do a reading an hit the road. DH sees some Samhain TSHIRT while we wait on a tarot reader on the table — huge sizes. My mom loves books — she spends a huge chunk of her limited income on them, and she loves huge t-shirts despite being tiny. I always send her convention goodies. The woman reads about 20 books a month. I’m not joking. HUGE. Reader. Diego asks if they are being given away. One the the customer service reps from the convention, not Samhain, says ‘yes’ then looks him up and down and add — Do you even know who Samhain is? Diego laughs. I live with a romance author. Of course, I know who Samhain is. I walked up then, biting back words, and reaching for the last of my composure, and defend him. Good gosh — it’s time to leave. Still. I was nice but I felt like the scum of the earth taking that shirt. However, my mom will buy enough books to make the shirt more than worthwhile for Samhain. Once she is hooked on a book source, she is hooked.

We went home.

Was my experience a good example of what Romcon had to offer? I sure hope I was unlucky and it was not. I have enjoyed many an RT, RWA, BEA convention, and even a few of the smaller RWA events at local chapters, and always — published or not — felt I had such a great experience. This was the first time I’ve ever left a convention feeling I didn’t belong.

So there it is. My RomCon experience. If you went, I hope yours was better. Nevertheless, thank you to Angela James for the registration and thank you to the readers and reviewers, authors and my editor, for giving me the fun part of the experience! Oh– and my tarot reading was fun too!