Just got back from Between the Pages Conference. It was a good conference but tiring. 5 sessions in a day make for a very loong day. Friday we arrived at 1p.m. and set up our tables, those of us authors who had requested one. Then we had the Welcome and a workshop late afternoon before the meet and greet. Saturday started early with breakfast and the Keynote before launching into the first sessions. A little over an hour for lunch of our choosing from the surrounding restaurants then the next set of sessions. The conference bookstore was open all day and after the last session we had an hour for signing there before we broke down our tables and got ready for the dinner. After the dinner they announced the winners of the door prizes(I didn’t win this year as I didn’t buy a lot of tickets this time) and launched into the evening’s entertainment. I watched the magic show but left soon after the music started. My brain was tired but brainless TV watching was not in the cards, the cable was out for my room. But I was also too tired to fall asleep right away. Rain pounding on my window woke me early and I couldn’t get back to sleep so I got up and wandered down to the lobby. Another goer had been awaken as well and we spent some time talking before I went up to get ready for breakfast. We had one last workshop after breakfast and they announced the winners of the conference contests. My parents were waiting for me when I left the conference room. They had driven me up and were picking me up to go home.
Now the conference is a two hour drive one way from home so I stayed at the hotel. I don’t mind the extra expense of staying there. It’s nice to get away completely from your normal routine and not have your normal worries or any worries for that matter bothering you. I just wished it was a longer stay, like another night or two–that is if I didn’t have to pay more per night for those nights. The conference stayers get special rates(about a little over 1/2 price). I can handle that on my limited budget but not full price. Not to mention Dad would have a cow. For different reasons.
Anywho. I’m back now. I’ll have to get on those ‘projects’ Dad wants me to do for the trailer. Some things need to be taken care of and he ain’t going to do them any more. He’s getting older and Mom says they can’t do things like they used to. He does his ‘projects’ and I help him some with some of them but a lot of them he has to do himself cause he knows what he’s doing and I don’t so I can do some of my own ‘projects’ since I’m a responsible adult. Guess I’ll have to whether I want to or not.
Should get my new glasses next week. These old ones are causing eye strain but that’s way better than being blind. At least I can drive with them and see things clearer with them on. Big blurs can be dangerous.
Need to finish Emergent, the Time-Lost book. It needs to be done before the 20th so I can get it out by August. And I need to update my Vellas. I’ve been slacking cause of the conference. But now that it’s over I need to knuckle down.
Have you read A Playground of Bones yet? It is a mix of paranormal murder mystery and paranormal women’s fiction. She is not a 20 something nor is she in her 60’s but she is an woman in her late 30’s, early 40’s with some life experience behind her. I added a bit of local history to the mix of folklore I used for this book. If you’re looking for your next read, try out my book, A Playground of Bones.
What are good names for a pair of female ravens? I have placeholder names for now for the ravens in my Bone Whisperer series. I still haven’t figured out names for them. I need to before this second book comes out.
Still running the naming contest for book 5 of Elemental Voice series. My Muse is as I said being fickle and only giving me bits and pieces right now. Which is going in the book bible. I am looking for inspiration into their personalities through names. Are they pompous, pretentious, practical or precocious? My muse is givin’ me some vague ideas right now. I’d like to flesh them out a bit. If you got a good name for a vampire matriarch, her vampire PA, her vampire head of security, a human villain, or a morally grey vampire assassin give it a try. You may win a signed book or a signed bookplate whichever you choose as well as being mentioned in the author notes. So put your email and the name(s) in a comment if you think of one. One writer gave me some names at the conference and I may use one for one of the characters but I still need some more names.
Stay tuned for the next installment.
T.L. Riffey 
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