The Sunday Book Fair was packed! |
Our amazing photographers and models worked all weekend on cover shoots. |
The bar served special Erotic RomantiCon drinks. |
The Psychedelic Soiree Dance Contest was a major hit. |
As always the Ellora’s Cavemen rocked the house! |
For more awesome photos of the event, check our blog Sex Talk for Wicked Women and Flickr RomantiCon 2009 group |
RomantiCon 2009 was great fun! Authors, readers, reviewers, bloggers, Caveman cover models and staffers were all so pumped, we decided to do it all again next year, same time, same place! (October 7-10 and Quality Inn & Suites, Richfield, Ohio).
RomantiCon 2010 will be even more wonderful because we’ll be celebrating our 10th anniversary! We already have lots of ideas for the theme party and for how to make next year’s event even better. Stay tuned for details.
Raves just keep on pouring in. Here are few excerpts:
From our RomantiCon Yahoo group:
“Thanks to all the EC staff who made us feel like family members. Chatting with them and with all the other authors and readers simply made my year!”
Ruby Storm
“Putting it on the calendar! Oh I can't wait.”
Holly Hardenbrook
“This was THE BEST conference I have ever been to.”
Kate Poole
“I tend to be kind of shy when I'm
meeting new people, but with all of you I immediately felt at home.”
Francesca Hawley
“I'll be there next year if I have to hitchhike!”
Shayla Kersten
“I have never attended a conference where I had so much fun or was treated to well.”
Desiree Holt
“The workshops were just fantastic and the advice from all of the authors was great. “
Kristyn Warren
From the Blogs:
“Friday night's Psychedelic Soiree was a blast, Saturday's workshops and focus groups informative, Saturday night's dinner tasty and Sunday's book signing loads of fun.”
Stephanie Julian
“The first RomantiCon has been just amazing from the start. Everyone, authors, readers and Ellora’s Cave staff, has been wonderful. … It really feels like EC is a huge and happy family, each author helping the next so everyone can succeed.”
Joyce Ann McLaughlin, a.k.a. Joysann
Beyond Her Book Blog
“Can't describe how truly wonderful this event was. There were no strangers. Everywhere you looked authors, readers, reviewers, and other industry professionals were dispensing hugs and smiles as if they'd know each other forever. Such a warm and fuzzy feeling that I came home knowing this is one event I would never, ever miss.”
Regina Carlysle
“If you are entertaining the thought of going next year, DEFINITELY save the money for it! From the awesome goodie bags, to the great food, to the friendliness of all the professionals, to the hunky Cavemen participating in everything, and readers mixing with the authors, it was just an awesome experience I wish everyone could enjoy!”
Anonymous commenter on Regina’s blog
“Our enthusiastic readers, hard-working and gracious hosts, awesome authors, and always-charming-and-sexy Cavemen raised the excitement levels off the fun-o-meter charts.”
Adele Dubois
From Twitter (search #RomantiCon)
@marifreeman: Had a blast.
@F1yMordecai: It was so much fun!
@joysann: Had an absolutely fabulous time. Met wonderful people.
@rebeccasew: Met so many wonderful authors, got a boatload of books to read, had my hormones pumped up by gorgeous cover models!
@caismith: WHEE!! Just won a Sony E-Reader at the EC Booksigning at #RomantiCon! Now I can take that off my Christmas "wish-list." LOL
RomantiCon 2009 Author Appreciation Awards
2009 Rising Stars
Attending authors who had a first release with us in 2009.
Ellora’s Cave
Betty Hanawa
Francesca Hawley
Helen Hardt
J. Hali Steele
Kristin Daniels
Lee Pearce
Nina Pierce
Samantha Cayto
Tessie Bradford
Cerridwen Press
Ann Hinnenkamp
Brooke London
2009 Superstars
For attending authors, special appreciation awards
for 2009 books or series, the ones that carved a place for themselves in our editors’ minds
The Golden Whip
Joey W. Hill for her Nature of Desire series, especially Natural Law, our “gold standard” for fem dom
The Pillar
Ann Jacobs for her support and loyalty to EC
Double-Entendre Title
Tea Trelawny for Warrior’s Release (where the hero achieves several types of release, including, of course, the one you expect in an erotic romance)
Double Your Pleasure
Maggie Casper for the McCain twins in Enough Love for Two
Most Innovative Dinner Scene
Diana Hunter for Stress Relief
Family We’d Most Like to Marry Into
M.A. Ellis for the Hot Hendersons series
Erotic Emails
Desiree Holt for I Dare You
Hottest Home Improvement
Kaenar Langford for Just Being Neighborly
The Argument for Angry Sex
Tawny Taylor for Wrath’s Embrace
Creative World-Building
Anny Cook for Love Never-Ending
Hottest Heroes Who Love Heroes
Samantha Kane for her Brothers in Arms series
Most Unique Matchmaker
Adele Dubois for the magical matchmaking GPS car system in Desert Fever and Desert Wild
Devilishly Delightful Series
Sam Cheever for the Dancin’ With the Devil series
I Want That Sex Toy Catalog
L.A. Day for Made For Me
Most Erotic Use of a Chocolate Chip Cookie
Tracy Cooper-Posey for Ningaloo Nights
Sexiest Advice Columnist
Christine McKay for Mistress Paige in Brown Paper Packages
Amusing Innuendo Award
Francesca Hawley for the elevator-ride “gun” conversation in Protect and Defend
Publisher’s Prize
Jory Strong
Because we wanted to give her an award for so many things, this is for an author who is not only extremely popular with readers, but is a professional and a joy to work with, has continued to support and publish with EC despite her New York success, and is just an incredibly nice person.
Favorite Visitor
M.A. Ellis
—and their dogs! She is a fantastic baker who visits us with yummy goodies in hand. And she brings bags and bags of wonderful dog treats |
