Greetings form RT, where the bar goes dead at about 430-5 so people can get dressed up for dinner, and the party doesn’t stop until well past midnight, no matter what time zone you’re in. I heard via Twitter that there were many people in the gym this morning from the RT conference crowd. I’m betting that gym will be a little more sparsely populated in the next few days, unless running with a hangover is your thing.
I know a few people wish they were here, and I can’t say that I blame you for that feeling. I’ve been looking forward to RT for awhile, and can’t wait for the Saturday YA day, and the panels I’m giving. But for all of you who aren’t here, I have a taste of RT for you.
This year, attendees get a pass to the Goody Bag Room, which is filled with books. Really, you walk in and take a deep breath, like it’s fall and someone has a wood fire burning. It’s New Book Smell, y’all. You’re allowed to select 9 books, plus a signed totebag to put them in, so off I went to build a Taste of RT giveaway package.
If you win, you’ll receive 12 books (nine from the goody room plus three additional books), including a signed ARC of The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen, romance novel trading cards, bookmarks, promo items, candy, and a selection of excerpt booklets. The books that are in the package include:
Please note: the copy of Outlander is a free promotional copy with a promo-oriented cover.
What do you have to do to win? Well, next year RT is in Chicago, and this year it’s in LA. Tell us where you think RT should be next year. Hellertown? Ellsworth? Key West? Make your case for your ideal place in the US (not like I have any control over this, obviously – this is all collective wishful thinking!) and I’ll select one winner at random to win. I have a postage-paid Priority mailbox with me, so I’ll send your items from Los Angeles as soon as I have your address.
Standard giveaway disclaimers apply: I’m not being compensated for this giveaway. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited. Entries valid only on website. Prune in the spring, cut down in the fall. I think Sarah MacLean’s next book should be titled “Thirteen Ways not to Hurl When Chasing an Earl.” NO! “Thirteen Ways to be a Hot Mess When Tracking Down a Marquess!”
Comments are open for just under 24 hours, and this entry is (I’m sorry!) open to US only (The postage is already paid for domestic post. Yes, I suck a lot).
Ready Set Go! Win a Taste of RT!
Reno, NV, although I understand from a previous comment that RT was held here once. Well, did everyone have a good time? You can still ski at this time of year and the Sierras are gorgeous. All of our major hotels have everything you could possibly want on-site so you wouldn’t even have to go outside (the dim lighting and lack of windows are beneficial to hangovers) if you were so inclined.
New York, New York! 🙂 Such a great place.
Normally I suggest Chicago for everything, since it’s my home and I love it, but this time I’ll recommend San Francisco, since it’s a beautiful, romantic city.
I really want it to be here where I live, so I can go. 😀 But for some reason nobody every wants to come to Oklahoma?? Strange, huh?
So my pick would be Austin. Tons of stuff to do, full of indie crowds, open minded people (aka hopefully romance accepting open minded people!) and great food!
Back to Southern California in Anaheim. 🙂 Just a wee bit closer to me!
I can’t believe I haven’t read Outlander yet but all the books look awesome!
New York! Come to New York!!
(PS I am dying to read when Harry met Molly. Dying.)
Why not San Diego? the city is gorgeous and there’s great shopping!
Las Vegas, NV! They pump excess Oxygen into the casinos so staying up late to party at all the event would be EASY, there’s plenty of places for conferences, tons of restaurants, and lots to do when you’re not attending RT stuff—does that actually happen? With all the marriages that happen in Vegas you could say it’s one of the most romantic cities in the US and “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”! I love Las Vegas!
Though, I could get behind the idea of it being in Coeur d’Alene, ID because then I could drive up for it. They do have a nice resort.
I would love for the RT to be in Indianapolis, Indiana! It’s only really 1hr. 45 min. from Fort Wayne where I’m at!
It’s a great city and I don’t remember there ever being a RT there 🙂 Actually, I can’t recall there ever being anything around this area…which makes me sad but all of those new pretty books would make me Oh SoOoOo very Happy!
Good luck everyone 😉
Charleston, SC! It’s absolutely gorgeous, has a ton of great hotels, lots of history, lots of shopping, and—I’ll say it—a bunch of fun bars.
Anywhere in Maui, Hawaii. no reasoning necessary! 🙂
Seattle, Washington. We have great hotels, fabulous coffee and no one expects you to go outside because it’s raining. Just stay inside, read a book, snuggle with your honey, relax in the hot tub, do whatever you want!
Madison, Wisconsin! It’s god lovely side streets were no cars are allowed, the capitol building is beautiful and sits in the middle of what is essentially a large round-a-bout with other streets branching off it. AND! State Street! So many lovely shops and restaurants. And there is a very lovely lake near by with public garden-y like parks along it that look amazing in late spring.
Aaaand now I want to plan a day trip and go back. Haven’t been there in so long.
Scottsdale, AZ because we’re HOT!
Sacramento:
It’s the capital of CA for goodness sake, and what better, crazier place to have it than CA? Also, there is a huge convention center here and I can get to it easily from my nearby po-dunk town.
I’d go with Denver, CO. Great mountains, nice nightlife, tons of stuff to do. Otherwise I’d go with Pittsburgh, PA. They have so much going on right now revitalizing the city. It’s easy to get around downtown, the bridges are great architecture, and the food is a-MAY-zing. I’m drooling just thinking about it. Yum.
Portland, Oregon! Because the northwest is beautiful this time of year…and we have Powell’s, and mountains and the ocean…oh, and Powell’s.
Do I have to pick just one?
Seattle—no transpo costs (for me) and it’s a pretty city
Vegas—because, you know, it’s Vegas
New Orleans—because then the party would never have to stop
Have a great time!
Baltimore, Maryland. Balitmore and the surrounding area already hosts a Comic-Con, Game Days, Horrorfind and a host of other Cons. So we need to show Balitmore that there are more than just Comics, Games and Scary People. Please note, I am a comic, game and scary people geek. In no way am I maligning any other Cons. Some variety would we awesomenss.
Well, I was going to say Asheville, but someone beat me to it!
I think think it should be in Shartlesville, PA because every time my boyfriend and I drive by that town we burst out laughing at the name.
Plus they have a rodeo, so we could head out to see some real life cowboys. We can stop by the Shartlesville Sheepskin and Leather Shop (there are billboards along the highway featuring a mustachioed dude in a sheepskin coat) and get matching vests beforehand:
http://www.shartlesvillesheepskin.com/products/108-western-collar-vest.aspx
Bath, England. Then we could all pretend we were in a Georgette Heyer novel. Or if it has to be the US, then how about Vermont? Burlington has the airport and is a nice town. Of course, April wouldn’t work then. It would have to be summer (whichever week that is), or fall.
I want St. Louis!
It’s close enough to me (Chicago), but far enough I have a reason to get a hotel room!
Plus, there’s a zoo and an arch…who doesn’t love a good arch?
I think it should be in Seattle, because as the song says, “The bluest skies you’ve ever seen are in Seattle.” What the next verse leaves out is the word “occasionally” but it’s still a great city for a conference. And bookstores. And microbreweries. And wineries. And salmon, crab, produce and pie. With a great coffee to follow.
Can I choose 2 – Cleveland, or Columbus, Ohio
How about The Institution and Lake Chautauqua in Western NY. They’re such a bunch or literary snobs that they need something to take them out of themselves.
Cait
San Francisco! Those picturesque views are sure to inspire romance.
Boston, because it would be close to me!
Next year’s CHICAGO???
Oh, I’m a happy girl now. The year after that, who cares??? You can have it in TimBuckTu, BUT just to play nice, you can have it at Lake Geneva, WI. Then I can go there too :-)))
Mel
Hotlanta! I should say Madison WI since it’s close, but I have always enjoyed the conventions I’ve attend in Atlanta.
Go South! Can you get more romantic than Savannah and Charleston?
Nashville TN since the hotels fixed after the flood and it has become such a great city just to visit
Sorry typo the hotels are back in business
Boise, ID
It’s a beautiful city that has a “small town” atmosphere. There are tons of fun, outdoor things to do. Plus I live here:-)
I’ll third the votes for Madison, WI. It’s a great town and Monona Terrace and the Energy Center are amazing venues!!
Plus, lots of independent bookshops, great food, and we host the state book fair every year (in the fall).
Top 10 reasons that RT should be held in Las Vegas (as often as possible)
10. they know how to handle conventions
9. competitive air fare prices
8. even if RT somehow manages to sell out the home hotel, there are a bazillion more within walking distance.
7. no worries that our partay will disturb other bar patrons/diners/guests
6. a different bar for meet-ups every night/day/morning
5. Readily available food in copious quantities (seriously, if you’ve ever been to RT, you know this is IMPORTANT)
4. Slots. Lots and lots of slots.
3. Thunder from Down Under and Chippendales
2. Menopause the Musical (at the Luxor). Serious tears of laughter streaming down your face while feeling bonded with all the other women in the audience.
1. It’s VEGAS, Baby!
Charleston, SC—an absolutely beautiful place in the spring! Plus you would get Southern Hospitality, awesome food and lots of wonderful history. (And it’s pretty close to where I live so I could come, too.)
Intercourse, PA ! Hello the name is Intercourse! How hilarious would it be to have an RT welcome banner that says ” RT Convention Welcome to Intercourse!”. There is also another town in PA named Virginville but since the heroines we love hand in their v-cards I think Intercourse would be better!
I’m saying Richmond, VA. Chock full of history and gorgeous locations and buildings. And the restaurants are amazing. And its beautiful in the spring and the weather is great there right now. Carytown is adorable and full of great boutiques. Ummm BARBEQUE! and lots of it. And did I mention the restaurants? And plantation tours, and the James river. I think I need an excuse to visit Richmond again.
Philadelphia!! Ridiculously underrated, and the weather is lovely around this time of year!
I was going to suggest Atlanta, but then I saw several people advocating for Charleston, SC so I’m going to go with that. Charleston is an awesome city full of great artitecture and ridiculously good food. The weather is terrific in the spring and the people couldn’t get any nicer.
A great place for RT in my humble opinion.
I was going to say Seattle, just because so many great romance authors live in the area. However, it felt awfully disloyal to my own hometown, so I have to put in my vote for Portland, OR. We’re often overlooked in favor of San Francisco to the south or Seattle to the north. And, while I love both of those cities for lots of reasons, I have to extol the virtues of the burg I call home.
We have an excellent public transportation system. So, after you’ve indulged in local microbrews or micro-distilled spirits, you can still get back to your hotel safely. And, you can take light rail from the airport directly into the downtown area.
We’re not as hilly as either S.F. or Seattle, so we’re much more walkable. Also, smaller and easier to find your way around in.
Voodoo Donuts. Powell’s Books. Dark Horse Comics.
This year aside, early spring is usually lovely. And, on the whole, we get less rain than Seattle.
Mountains. Desert. Ocean. Old-growth forest. Wine country. All just a day trip away.