Whew! Happy Monday! Conference is over. It was exhausting, fun, inspiring, and filled with yummy cocktails. Before I begin my awards ceremony, I would like to add one extra award...Bestest Hubby Ever. Which goes to my sweet husband of 23 years, Dr. B. When I got home, he had these gorgeous flowers waiting for me, to celebrate my successful workshop. I lub that guy!
And now it's time for Penelope's awards....
✯Penelope's 2013 NECRWA Conference Awards✯
✯ Best Gandy On A Stick Award....Gandy
Bobbi Baby With Gandy
✯ Most Likely To Burst Into Spontaneous Flames...Stephanie Estes Saccoccio
✯ Coolest Newb With Bad-Ass Book Idea...Jennifer Hallock (Go friend her at Facebook!)
✯ Best Friend Covered With 10,000 Melted Lindt Chocolate Truffle Balls Who Never Complained....Sam Wayland
Penny and Sam With Christmas Tree and Melted Chocolate
✯ Nicest Person Award (I think she also won this last year. And I'm going to predict she wins it next year, too)....Lena Goldfinch
✯ Best Real Tattoos...Traci Olsen
✯ Best Fake Tattoos...Penny Watson (#UNICORNSFORTHEWIN)
✯ Best Alcoholic Beverage....Moscow Mule and Pink Cosmo (tie for first place)
✯ Best Conversation About Diabolical Plan To Take Over The World...Marie Force
✯ Most Elegant-Looking Harlequin Author With Adorable Haircut...Barbara Wallace
✯ Best Beard...(excellent scruffiness and salt and pepper coloration...I'm giving it an A-)...CJ Lemire
✯ Best Story About A German Exchange Student And Dirty Dancing Lessons...Victoria Morgan
✯ Moderator Most Likely To Make A Hilarious Freudian Slip During Introductions...Liberty Blake
✯ Best Bump And Grind Partner...Michelle Libby
✯ Funniest Story About A Fried Chicken Smoke Ball And The Fire Department....Frances Stockton
✯ Raunchiest Erotica Author Who Looks Like A Cute Pixie In Vintage-Inspired Outfits....Cara McKenna
✯ Best Abdominal Work-Out....Laughing So Hard My Tummy Still Hurts
✯ Most Touching Speech...Caroline Linden
✯✯✯
I will wrap this up with a quick story about my workshop presentation DEAR PENELOPE. I had a moment of panic when I realized that A) the bar opened at 5:45, and B) my talk started at 5:45. Would I have enough time to get my cocktail before my workshop? Would they have enough girly drinks? Would the bartender be a cute guy named Chuck like last year? Well, the bar opened early, and disaster was narrowly avoided.
So, I go into the workshop room and it's filling up with people. I notice there are folks lined up out the door, but I can't really see into the hallway. The next thing I know our conference co-chair tells me she is opening up the partition between my room and the next ballroom to accommodate the extra people. I'm thinking...Well, it will be pretty empty, but at least everyone will have a seat. The wall slides open and the entire next room is packed with attendees--every seat filled, and more folks standing at the back of the room.
My jaw dropped open and my friend Sam laughed.
And I thought...Well hell, I guess I should have planned a real talk. Oops!
Needless to say, the talk was a roaring good time. We discussed social media, beards, Hugh Jackman, Lousy Book Covers, Paris Hilton and negative publicity, and even bigfoot orgy erotica. I'm sure it wasn't that different from Julia Quinn's talk. (*smirk*)
Thanks to everyone who made the weekend a wonderful time!
Victoria Morgan at book fair...She also wins Attendee Most Likely To Hand Out Pens
Happy Monday!
Penelope
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