. What's Armchair Bea you ask? Well every year this is something called Book Expo America (BEA for short) that takes place in New York. For those of us who can't make some bloggers came up with the idea to get everyone involved who couldn't go: Armchair bea. Today's topic is about Networking. What better way to do that then talking about The Lori Foster Reader Author Get Together that I went to this past weekend? Networking is something I am just not good at. I've never really had to do it for any of my jobs, and I can be shy around new people. However, events like this make it so easy to network that you don't even know you are doing it when you are!
For the second year in a row, I attended the Lori Foster Reader/Author Get Together held just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. It really was an amazing time. (be prepared for me to use that adjective a lot in this post, lol.)I don't know what was more fun: finally getting to meet all the bloggers whose blog I read or tweet with, or meeting new friends who were just as passionate about reading as I was or meeting all the authors who were simply wonderful.
On Friday night the longest lines were for Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jill Shalvis, Shiloh Walker, and Toni Blake but I thought they moved along at a pretty fast pace. (or maybe I was just too busy talking to notice the speed of the line moving, lol.) Sherrilyn Kenyon was super nice. I still can't believe I had a conversation with her about my name. She pronounced it right and said she had a cousin with my name who got her in kinds of trouble. She kept talking even after she was done signing my book, and I could feel the glares coming my way, but I didn't feel as bad at holding up the line as I probably should have....Vicky Drelling is a total sweethart. I am a fan of hers for life now, as I am Wendi Zwaduk, (she was a total sweetheart) J.A. Saare (she is simply fabulous!! I have to give a special shout out to her because she talked to me and my roommates for a long time on Friday night and made me feel like I've known her forever. (Although she has me totally worried about what will happen with my favorite vampire Payne.) Leanna Renee Heiber, (She is just cool!) Stephanie Julian, (She is just wonderful) Dee Carney, (I can not wait to read her books now. She was just super nice) Nancy Naigle (whose raffle luck this year rubbed off on fellow table mate Penny! I'm convinced Nancy is how everyone at our table last year won a raffle prize). Can you tell which authors I talked to a lot, lol? I also got to talk to Melissa Mayhue and Shawntelle Madison when I got their autographs. I also met a local author, Jennette Marie Powell, whose books are set in Dayton. I can't wait to read those! Other authors who were there who were very nice: Monica Burns, Shiloh Walker, Carly Phillips, Jill Shalvis, Toni Blake, Jules Bennett, & Keri Stevens. I know I'm missing some great names, but everything just went by in a great big blur of fun!
I attended two workshops: one by Virna DePaul, (who was really nice and sweet!) and it was a lot of fun. She made the hour fly by, and I really have to get back and finish her Para-Ops series. The other workshop I went to was a writing one, and it was really informative and motivating.
This year and last years get together has helped me grow in so many different ways I can't even begin to write them all down. It has helped learn to mingle more (I'm a horrible mingler-I always feel like I'm interrupting) meet people who read even more then I do! I'm inspired even more now to finally write down all those stories in my head.
This is Jen from That's What I'm Talking About and Nikki from Ramblings Of A Chaotic Mind
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