Authors After Dark

Now that things have settled, I wanted to post about my experience at Authors After Dark in Secaucus, NJ.

Let me begin by saying that I had the pleasure of meeting and mingling with some wonderful authors, readers, editors, and bloggers. The crowd was intimate, and I believe the ratio of authors to readers was practically 50:50.

Some noteworthy faces that I had the opportunity to meet were, Joey W. Hill, Jacquelyn Frank, Leanna Renee Hieber, Eliza Gayle, JoLynne Valerie, and Cat Johnson--just to name a few.

The event was coordinated by author, Stella Price, who is about as wonderful as they come! I believe this event was unlike any I've ever attended. While the panels were informative and delightful, the vendors were unique--ranging from jewelry, books, buttons, beauty items, and a TATTOO ARTIST! That's right, the highlight of the vendors was the tattoo artist who was always busy applying ink to a fresh canvas.

In addition to the above, there was a masquerade ball, author sponsored dinners, after hours parties in hotel rooms, and TONS of give aways. I think I walked away with twenty five free books that I can't wait to dive into. But, I walked away with great new friends, and an experience that I look forward to repeating next year, when the conference moves to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! If you have the opportunity to attend, I highly recommend the Authors After Dark Romance Convention.



Me (with the red wig) and a friend, preparing for the character masquerade ball.




Me with the girls during Joey W. Hill's sponsored dinner



The tattoo artist doing what he does best



Leanna Renee Hieber dressed as her character Percy Parker, and Jacquelyn Frank



Leanna Renee Hieber dressed as Percy Parker

After hours party in our hotel room. Do you know of such a convention where the readers hang out with the authors in THIS kind of setting?

Joey W. Hill and Eliza Gayle

One of my favorite authors, Joey W. Hill posing with those precious pages.