Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Lori Foster Get Together!




The Lori Foster Get Together is always awesome, but Lori and Dianne and their volunteers totally outdid themselves this year!

My hubby and I got there on Thursday. We had dinner with my good friend Moni Draper, her husband, and author Linnea Sinclair, who is awesome! We had so much fun with them that after coming back to the hotel, we quickly unpacked and went down to the bar to hang out with them some more!

The Get Together officially starts on Friday, and begins with stuffing the goody bags! This year, there were four hundred attendees, so that's a lot of bags to stuff with swag! But it's a great opportunity to hang out and talk with everyone, so it goes fast.

Since we had some time before registration started, my hubby and I went to the IKEA store. We've been hearing about it, but hadn't ever been to it, so we wanted to check it out. The place is huge! Let me tell you, it definitely lives up to the hype!

Okay, back to the Get Together!

After registering, we went into the ballroom to sit at our table. This year, authors made up centerpieces for the tables, so Lori asked us to sit at the tables with our centerpieces. I showcased my new paranormal romance GHOST HUNTER with a signed copy of the book, an EMF Ghost Detector, a collector's edition of Ghostbusters, the Best of the TV show Ghost Hunters, a book on the ghosts of New York, chocolate chip cookies, Ghiradelli chocolates, and the cutest plush Casper! It was a huge hit and Melanie, the person at the table who won it, loved it!

The Get Together is all about hnging out with friends, and that night it was at a pizza party. I got to see lots of friends I made at previous Get Togethers, as well as meet a lot of new friend, including some of my fellow Ellora's Cave authors, and Romance Divas, which I was really excited about! It's so much fun to finally meet people you talk to online! They all totally rock, by the way!

On Saturday, we sat in on a workshop taught by Jenn Stark about promotion and what works and what doesn't. Then after lunch, it was time for the book signing. At previous Get Togethers, we did it in the ballroom, (that sounded naughty, didn't it?! LOL!) but this time we did it (couldn't resist!) in the atrium. It was so much better, and as always, so much fun! Oh, and the awesome Kate Douglas, whom I met at previous Get Togethers, and who was also signing books, specifically asked me to keep my Ellora's Cave book IF YOU DARE for her because she'd been wanting to read it! I was so flattered!

Throughout the weekend, they raffle off the baskets the authors make, finishing it up Saturday night after dinner. Fellow author and good friend Renee Vincent won my basket. And no, I didn't rig it! LOL!

After that, we hung out with friends, talking, laughing and saying how we can't wait for the next Get Together!

Oh, almost forgot! I'll be posting more pics on my Facebook as soon as we download them! I'll let you know when I post them!

*hugs*

6 comments:

Nina Pierce said...

Diane and Lori always do such a fabulous time. I'm so disappointed I couldn't go this year. But I'm hoping it's the only year I miss!

Paige Tyler said...

Nina - They definitely put on a fabulous event! We missed seeing you! You're coming to RomantiCon, though, right?

*hugs*
Paige

Renee Vincent said...

I am so glad I won your basket and it is indeed a great gift you provide for you fans! You rock!

So glad you and I got to see each other again and to share the same signing table at RAGT! That was too cool!

*blogger better hold onto this one* haha

Paige Tyler said...

Renee - I'm so glad you like it! So glad you won! And that was way cool that we shared a table! We should always do that!

*hugs*
Paige

Joni said...

I was there as the Transportation Coordinator and wished I'd gotten to sit and talk to you and your hubby! I was quite lucky to have made it there since a week before it my son had suffered a seizure which led to the diagnosis of end stage kidney failure. I thank God for his quick bounce back in order to make it to his graduation and then home. I had lots of family support to help him so I could attend the event! Sooo glad I did as it's always full of neat surprises and new authors every year! What a turn out! Hope you are able to make next year's. I've not missed a one yet and don't plan to God willing! :-)

Paige Tyler said...

Joni - Can't believe I didn't meet you! We totally have to get together next time!

I'm glad your son is doing better!

*hugs*
Paige