Monday, August 13, 2012

AAD: My author crushes

I'm bacccckk. OK, maybe it seemed like I never went away, thanks to the scientific wonder of pre-scheduled blog posts. But I have just returned from five fun-filled days in the Crescent City for the Authors After Dark convention.  I am exhausted and I have no voice left, but I have some really great memories that I am taking away from the event.

On the way home (after I finished reading the epically awesome Stars & Stripes,) I tried to catalogue in my head how I could possibly blog about the experience in any meaningful way. I thought about doing a post about each day of my visit. Then I thought about what my post for Tuesday would be like and it was something like: I drank with Marcela at Pat O'Briens. I ate dinner with bloggers. I walked. I drank again. The end.  So instead of a blow by blow, I'm going to post about the things that stick out as the most memorable parts of the trip.  The first thing that comes to mind: the authors I met and fell in love with.

I left AAD with giant, embarrassing crushes on at least four authors.  Two are women. One is gay. The other is married.  But let's not get caught up in the details.  These folks had Personality with a capital P. And I may or may not have tailored parts of my schedule to stalk gain valuable insights from them throughout the con.

Mark Henry. You had me at The Pussy Eater.  Seriously.


The best panel that I attended was called Guess the Author by the Sex Scene (or something like that.)  Mark and Nicole Peeler completely stole the show.  I can't remember what Nicole read, but it involved a clit that burned a lot while the heroine gave the longest blow-job in history.

 

Meanwhile, Mark read The Pussy Eater with the enthusiasm of a 14 year-old girl at a One Direction concert.  I laughed so hard that I cried.  I am sad to say that I didn't get to spend any more time with Nicole, but I "accidentally" ended up at Mark's table for dinner Friday night.  And at his zombie panel. And the panel on dark humor.

And speaking of dark humor.. Dakota Cassidy was also on that panel (as well as many others I attended.)  It would have been a great segue to say that was where she stole my heart. But the truth is, I fell in love with her during the Bookie awards, when in her acceptance speech, she said, "Where is Jeaniene Frost? --Ooh, I beat you, girl."  


She has this great, fabulous, big hair and awesome eye make-up and she utterly dominated every single panel she sat on. She's just got this presence that is impossible to quantify.  Her voice has this deep, dusky timbre and she is larger than life and completely hilarious.  Loved. Her.

Finally, Damon Suede.  Damon, who walked around in a kilt and flashed his ass at anyone who asked what was underneath.  I got to stand at the table with Mandi, Tori and Pamela while they talked to him at the Open Bar Friday night.  I think he had pants on by then, but he was totally charming anyway. I just kind of stood there with a goofy smile and listened to him talk. He also seriously rocked it out on the dance floor after dinner.



So that's the list.   It's just the tip of the iceberg on the AAD experience. I've got more stories to tell about the great authors and my amazing fellow bloggers in the days ahead.  In the meantime, I'm ready to start unloading some of the mountain of goodies that I took away from the event.

Enter below to win a copy of Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep and an ARC of Hollywood High by Ni-Ni Simone and Amir Abrams. A big thank you to the folks at Kensington for the books.

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36 Comments:

At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 1:17:00 PM CDT , Anonymous Anonymous said...

GREAT post - I share your AAD crushes!! I followed Nicole Peeler and Dakota Cassidy around this year but Damon Suede and Mark Henry were new this year, and they are now new crushes. I'm still giggling and smiling!

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 1:31:00 PM CDT , Anonymous Anonymous said...

So incredibly jealous! I keep telling myself that someday I'll get to go *sigh* until then I'll just have to live it vicariously through you! ;)
Regina (@regi6102)

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 1:55:00 PM CDT , Blogger elaing8 said...

Sounds like you had a blast.Great pictures.

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 2:15:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

LOL. Great minds think alike! (It was hard not to love them.)

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 2:15:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

This was my first time. It was a blast!

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 2:16:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

I did. Thanks!

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 2:53:00 PM CDT , Blogger Unknown said...

Love the pictures. Wish I could have gone but I couldn't afford it. Maybe next year.

tinyauthor at yahoo dot com

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 3:08:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

I'm going to RT next year. I am so excited!!

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 3:48:00 PM CDT , Blogger Book Savvy Babe said...

OMG, I was jealous before, but now I am green with envy. I wish I could have gone, it sounds like you had a blast. I can't wait to hear more stories, and to see pictures, answer me this, can you top my "mangasm idol" picture?? Book Savvy Babe

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 3:53:00 PM CDT , Anonymous MamaKitty said...

I already adored Dakota Cassidy but I fell in love with Damon Suede and LA Witt (who is certain I'm stalking her) and I fell even more in love with TJ Michaels. I had the best time everrrr!

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 3:54:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

Sadly, no. There were a ton of half-naked dudes on Bourbon Street, but I didn't take any pictures. I am ashamed.

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 3:55:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jennifer @ The Book Nympho said...

YES YES YES!

Mark Henry, Nicol Peeler, Dakota Cassidy were awesome.

I'll also throw in Jaye Wells and Kristen Painter. They were funny too. Really all the authors were great but this group stood out as the "class clowns" of the group.

Fun times!!


 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 3:56:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

LOL. Mark Henry was such a good sport about it. I kept popping up wherever he went. I was trying to stalk Dakota at lunch Saturday, but we ended up sitting with Kelly Meding, which is a whole 'nother story. (I think she may hate me now.)

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 3:58:00 PM CDT , Blogger Adelle said...

love your crushes, had not heard of a couple of these authors will have to check them out!

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 3:58:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jennifer @ The Book Nympho said...

I'm so bummed that I missed the Sex Scene panel!!!

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 4:00:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

Yes! I did really enjoy Jaye Wells too. (I think she was in the sex scene reading as well.)

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 4:01:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

You must! They were all amazing!

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 4:20:00 PM CDT , Blogger Underworld Love Addiction said...

Sounds like you had a great time. I'm really hoping I can make it next year!

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 8:08:00 PM CDT , Anonymous MamaKitty said...

OMG IT'S KELLY MEDING!! hahaha. The look on her face was PRICELESS.

And hey - you can't help it if he happened to sit on every panel/reading you wanted to go to! (that's what happened with me and LA Witt).

I hung out with Dakota every night. She and the girls next door to me smoked on the balcony and laughed so hard I had to investigate. And they pulled me into their world and I never left. lol.

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 8:11:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

I am so jealous. I want to be in Dakota's world!

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 8:12:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

I did. This was my first con... next year, it's RT!

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 8:16:00 PM CDT , Blogger CdnMrs said...

Totally agree with your crushes!! So great to meet you.

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 8:16:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

Sorry I yelled "horny" at you across the lobby. It seemed like a perfectly natural thing to do at the time.

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 9:28:00 PM CDT , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'd love to meet Dakota Cassidy. She seems like such a blast. Too bad it won't be in New Orleans next year because we're planning to go.

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 10:20:00 PM CDT , Blogger bluesun1218 said...

I've been a HUGE fan of Mark Henry's for a long time and it thrills me that other people are seeing his awesomeness! You guys have to check out his vlogs on you tube! Hilarious! Here's his you tube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/dannymarksya
Your ball pics turned out great! Will you be posting more? I was having such a great time I forgot to take any!

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 11:13:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

She really was awesome!! Have fun in Savannah!

 
At Monday, August 13, 2012 at 11:20:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

I don't have many from the ball, unfortunately. (Most of them were me trying to capture the rocking moves of Damon Suede.) I have lots of pics from the signings, group shots, bloggers, and a ton of me standing next to different authors. I am a photography-fail.

 
At Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at 9:13:00 AM CDT , Blogger Carin said...

Color me green with envy! I am so glad you had a great time and have tons of great stories to share with us. Carin
mawmom at gmail dot com

 
At Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at 2:52:00 PM CDT , Anonymous Missy Taylor said...

I missed the reading but I keep hearing about it and I'm so sad I did. I admit to the same crushes (I mean how can you not they are awesome!) plus a few more: Bronwynn Green, Jennifer Armintrout, Jessica Jarmen, Kris Norris, Jaye Wells, Sasha White, and Kristen Painter just to name a few... :D

 
At Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at 3:52:00 PM CDT , Anonymous Chelsea B. said...

Ahhhh! Sounds like such a great time! Thank you for sharing the pictures-- your post was a blast to read!

 
At Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at 6:14:00 PM CDT , Blogger Sariah said...

The pics are fun! I had such a good time. I also fell for Mark Henry, which is a new to me author. I can't wait to read his book I picked up at the signing.

 
At Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at 10:15:00 AM CDT , Blogger Joanne said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Thanks for the pictures and the fun post.

 
At Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at 6:16:00 PM CDT , Blogger Sophia Rose said...

What a lot of fun you had! Thanks for sharing!

 
At Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at 11:12:00 PM CDT , Blogger Book Savvy Babe said...

*sigh* well, I suppose you can always go to dragon con again.... hehe

 
At Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 8:50:00 PM CDT , Blogger Dakota Cassidy said...

Aw, thanks, babe! it was awesome to met you--big, big hugs, and hope to see you next year!

 
At Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 8:55:00 PM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

(*blushes*) The pleasure was all mine!

 

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