Simply Ali's Authors After DarkAfter Party!!

Welcome to Day 2 of
Simply Ali's
Authors After Dark
After Party!!

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Today we bring you more fun adventures from
AADNola!!
Video Interviews, slideshows and our own
Simply Ali
tells us about her AAD experience!

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Simply Ali's AADNola
by Ali

Last month I got to attend Authors After Dark in NOLA. This was my third year attending, and as I’ve mentioned before, Authors After Dark is one of my favorite conventions to attend. It was another year of fun, friends, and great memories.

I know that Miranda, Jessica, and Eli already did a great job telling you about their experiences at AAD in NOLA, and I don’t want to repeat anything they’ve said, so I’ll just give you my Top Ten of AAD NOLA (In no particular order) :)

1. Joy! Once again, I got to see my con roomie, Joy (@JoyfullyReviewd)… Fun is always to be had when Joy is around… except when she takes pictures of me sleeping to post on Twitter… one day, I will follow through on my threat to find a new con roomie, lol

2. Miranda! I got to spend time with Miranda (@RandaWrites). OMG, people, Miranda is a master genius! She knows what I’m thinking before I’m even thinking it, lol. Seriously, though, she’s brilliant and has so many great ideas for Simply Ali :) I’m so glad I have her help to help me with Simply Ali… she’s one of the bestest! I actually first met Miranda at Lora Leigh’s RAW… but, um, it may have been the fact that this was after going to the bar with Joy, but I scarcely remember it, eek. This time, we had fun going to events at AAD together and getting to chat.

3. Eli! This year, I drove to New Orleans and got to do the road trip with Eli (@i_am_eli), my loveable cousin. This was her first AAD convention and she loved it. I was glad we were able to drive there and back together. We didn’t get to do as much sight seeing as I wanted to (luckily, we had already been there in December) but we did have fun bar hopping with our group ;)

4. Panels? Okay, I’ll admit it… I don’t actually think I had a chance to attend any of the panels, eek. I don’t know where the time went, but between the events for bloggers and book clubs and then my little breaks, time just flew. I did have a great time at all the events, parties, and get-togethers I was able to attend, though.

5. Book Club! One of the Book Club events was a round table discussion. I actually got a lot of useful information out of this for my own book club and have already started to implement some of the ideas :).

6. Authors! I loved getting to see some authors I’ve already previously met, and meeting new ones :) It’s always fun talking to different authors and especially when you get to see some of your favorites. For the first time, I got to finally meet author TJ Michaels! I started reading her years ago, when I first started on ebooks, and it was great to meet her in person. She’s fabulous and so much fun :) . I had a chance to speak with author Cynthia Eden (who is as sweet as can be!) and I was just surprised that she remembered meeting me back when Romantic Times was in Houston. Let me tell you, right now, I’m still shy and scared to talk to people… but, back then… it was even worse, lol. There was even a moment that I had to hide for about three hours. But, I do remember trying to put up a brave face and go up to Cynthia Eden during the RT signing and telling her how much I loved her stories :) . She’s as wonderful now as she was then.

7.Readers! It’s always, always, always fun to talk to other romance readers. I know for many, sometimes, there aren’t many outside of the internet that we can share our love of romance books about. It’s one reason I love attending so many different conventions. It’s fun to be able to share and listen to other readers about their favorite books, authors, series and knowing what they don’t like, what made them want to throw a book at the wall. It’s great getting to meet a new person and realizing that you share the same taste in books. There were some readers I already knew, like Felicia (@thegeekyblogger), Brandy (@Brandy_W), Tina (@TiDubb), Pam (@SpazP), and readers I got to meet for the first time, like Jessica @jessangil(who won registration for AAD here on Simply Ali :) ) and Jackie @nursejackie32.

8. The Interviews! Okay. Honestly? The interviews were not my favorite part during actual said interviews, lol. I’m a very shy person… and if you ever meet me in person, please don’t take it the wrong way if I’m hiding in a corner, lol… I tend to be a nervous wreck and while most say I’m good at hiding it… trust me… I’m shaking and I’m scared I’ll make the biggest fool of myself. But, in the end, I am glad that Miranda pushed talked me into doing the interviews, lol. I hope that everyone watches and enjoys them. There was a lot of hard work done behind the scenes to put them together. Big THANKS to Miranda for taking this project on. If this goes well, I hope to do it again at future cons… only if Miranda is there to hold my hand, of course, lol.

9. Open Bar! This event was sponsored by authors Melissa Schroeder and Kris Cook. C’mon, free drinks? How was this not going to make my list? Lol There were lots of readers gathered for this event, and both Melissa Schroeder and Kris Cook took time to chat with everyone. Even Mr. Melissa Schroeder was there for the fun, hehe. I saw everyone have a great time and there were goody bags given away to all. I, for sure, enjoyed my hurricane drink ;)

10. The Bookies: Biggest Friend to Romance winner Joy! One of the best parts about attending this years AAD convention was definitely being there as Joy was announced as the winner of Biggest Friend to Romance. Joy, from Joyfully Reviewed, definitely deserved this award. If romance novels were a drug (and they are addicting), she’d definitely be a dealer and pusher, lol.

Not only is she one of two owners of Joyfully Reviewed (where you can find great reviews of recent and previous novels by their fantastic team of reviewers), but you’ll also find Joy on twitter, tweeting about new releases and talking to other readers and authors about everything from books to the fact that she seems to be watching a marathon of Snapped… all this when she’s not tweeting pics of me sleeping or sharing goofy facts about me, mind you, lol.

Not only is Joy a great friend to the romance community, but I’m glad to be able to call her my best-friend. She’s helped this once extremely shy person become a semi-shy person… a great feat, if I say so myself, lol… and I love her for that and more. All in all, I had such a fantabulous time at AAD: NOLA… and already, I’m looking forward to next year! Savannah, here I come :) I hope some of you will be able to attend, whether you’ve gone before or it’ll be your first.

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Simply Ali & Friends @AADNola

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AAD Love by Joy Harris

When Ali asked me to write a post on my Authors After Dark 2012 experience my immediate reaction was complete panic (lol) but when I really sat down and went to write what I wanted to say, one thought came to mind, why do I attend Reader Conferences? So that is what I am going to share with you.

I attend Reader Conferences because I enjoy the genre of Romance to infinity. My first AAD Conference was three years ago and I attended with one of my best friends and conference/travel mate, Ali of Simply Ali. AAD was only in its second year, I was so impressed with the event that I spread the word amongst my fellow romance readers and authors that this was the conference to attend/get involved with. Why, because the romance reader is the focal point of AAD.

The genre of romance has seen me through good times and bad, so it is an immense pleasure for me be amongst like minded people, like readers and bloggers as well as the authors who write romance. Authors After Dark has grown tremendously in the past three years, for the better. It was an extra special conference for me because so many of my peeps (Melissa Schroeder author, friend and fellow Capricorn), Miranda (JR Reviewer/Web Asst.), Melissa (my co-partner in Joyfully Reviewed), my sister Natalie, Eli (Ali’s cousin), Nikki (JR Editor), Brandy (friend and Melissa Schroeder’s PA), Shannon (fellow rabid romance reader), (Authors) P.J. Schnyder, Jessica Jarman, Stephanie Julian, Judi Fennell, Samantha Kane, Sylvia Day Leanna Renee Hieber, Jess Haines & Kris Cook, just name just a few, were going to be in one place at the same time.

Attendees had started arriving on Sat, so I was able to get a feel of what to expect from New Orleans from their tweets/pics/blog posts. I couldn’t wait to get there. I drove down with, Melissa Schroeder, her husband, Les and Buns (JR’s Mascot). We arrived on Monday, dropped our bags, met up with Kris & proceeded to explore Bourbon St immediately. I never got off of Bourbon St during the entire conference, so I will be visiting New Orleans again in the near future (haa).

The conference was full of tons of new attendees to AAD which was very exciting for me. I ran into/partied/broke bread with fellow readers, bloggers and authors all week long. Authors After Dark is about community. Everyone is equal, when I say that I mean, we are all celebrating what gives us joy. Readers meeting other readers, authors meeting their fans, bloggers meeting other bloggers and at AAD, we all mingle cohesively.

The atmosphere is relaxed, what other conference can you not only get a tattoo but be fit for a corset by an expert?

My highlights:

Winning the 2012 Book Award for Biggest Friend To Romance!!! I was truly stunned. I don’t know how I made it through my acceptance speech, I really don’t. Running Joyfully Reviewed is very hard work but I am proud of how far we have come in 7 years. To be recognized for something that not only gives me pleasure, bringing readers & authors together, but to know that people really do appreciate my sincere love of romance overwhelmed me. I left the podium, gathered up Ali, ran into my sister’s arms & burst into tears.

Seeing Joey W Hill (to with whom I will bear children for, HA!) again.

The Blogger Event whereby I met with almost every blogger I have contact in some form or fashion, including JoJo, Jennifer, Damaris, Tina, Robin, Spaz, Obscured Vixen, Mandi and so many more wonderful ladies who share their love of Romance in all of its genres.

The Costumed Events were to die for. To see everyone, all dressed in such a wide array of outfits just made my heart sing. Some were made, some were bought but everyone looked absolutely fabu!

The Open Bar hosted by Melissa Schroeder and Kris Cook, NEED I SAY MORE! MWAHAHHAHAHAHAAH

The special events hosted by the publishers and authors during AAD are always a blast.

Face time with Barbara Vey. We have seen each other at various Conferences & Conventions over the years but we really got to spend some time together, share our views, etc. Good chat Barb!

Brunch with the very generous, down to earth and naughty, self-published author, Kallypso Masters. It was it a pleasure to spend time with other fans of Kallypso’s and watch her in action, working her mojo (lol). I look forward to seeing more of her in the future. (Get your minds out of the gutter! For shame)

Down time, you know this is something we don’t get much of when attending these conferences & it allowed me to mingle quite a lot.

Absinthe, with authors Laurie London & Shelli Stevens. Tequila Shots with author Sasha White. Hurricanes galore with my gals.

Book Club Get Together: Ali and I got a lot of tips, ideas from our Hostess, Kat.

Being behind the scenes, watching Miranda & Ali in action while they did the Author Interviews. Hilarious isn’t the word. I was very proud of them for doing them, even though it was the first time either of them had done something of that nature.

Meeting new to me authors, like Vivi Dumas The Royal Sonesta Hotel: Wow, great location, ambience and staff. I would definitely return here when I come back.

Experiencing Bourbon St, I can truly say as a New Yorker that I was comfortable amongst the revelry, crowds & outrageous sights that I ran across. I also ate my way down Bourbon St as well, it is not every day that you see alligator being offered as an entrée, although I was not brave enough to partake : O

I want to thank the VERY hard working staff that bust their humps making sure that things go as smoothly as they can when dealing with 500 people!

I could go on and on and on for days but I shall conclude by saying that I had a great time and will continue to attend Authors After Dark as long as it continues to be the fun filled conference that I experienced this year and in the past.

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AAD Nola from Buns POV
We had a little fun in Nola with Joy's Joyfully Reviewed Mascot Buns!
See the hilarity below! :)

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Welcome Joy Harris

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Welcome Erin Kellison

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Fire Kissed (Shadow Kissed)
by
Erin Kellison

Fae Fire

It is Kaye Brand's power to wield. But outcast from her kind, she's been selling herself to the highest bidder - money for her survival in exchange for a magic glimpse into the flames of the future.

Angel Ice

One of the angelic Order, Jack Bastian has no use for a female like Kaye, as provocative and unexpected as her blazing beauty. Yet he has no choice but to hire her to uncover the secrets of his sworn enemy and her former fiance, Ferrol Grey.

Magekind

War is inevitable between the defenders of the Order and the mage Houses who threaten to engulf the world in Shadow. For Jack, mage-born Kaye is off limits, no matter how hot the impossible attraction between them. But in the coming darkness, beset by danger and desire, everything is about to change...

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Welcome Jessa Slade

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Dark Hunter's Touch
by
Jessa Slade

Book 1 of the Steel-Born

Yearning to be free, Imogene has fled the idleness and cruelty of the phae court to hide in the sunlit realm of humans. When the Dark Hunters find her—and they will—she will face the Queen’s wrath.

But she is tired of running, and after a chance encounter with a seductively handsome stranger named Vaile, Imogene embraces the earthly passions within her, if only for one night. But has she fallen for a man—or an illusion?

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Welcome Stella Price

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The Assassin, the Djinn and the Hundred Year Wish (Duvall Inc Series, Book One)
by
Stella and Audra Price

As a Djinn, the most powerful race of genies, Nicodemus Marsh is sent in to deal with a fiery Janey Duvall after she refuses to help the exiled demon prince get rid of the problems in a business endevor in the east. Oozing with sex appeal, Janey can barely resist him and after a very erotic encounter, she finds out shes bound to him, and has three wishes to make. The bargain? Three wishes and shes his sexual slave for 100 years.

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Love Like Clockwork Anthology (A Hellion of the Skies)
by
Dagmar Avery & More

Andrew Rawdon has spent the past five years searching for the love of his life, Lady Sarah Worthington, the daughter of the Duke of Casmarin. When she vanished without a trace, Andrew threw himself into his work, hoping that his travels with his airship company, the Perpetual Aether and Cargo Company would bring him news of the woman he lost just before they were to be married.

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Authors After Dark 2013

SAVANNAH!!

With AAD 2012 in the books we can officially start getting excited about 2013 in Savannah!! Take a look at some of the authors and events AAD Savannah has in store for attendees!

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

MARY JANICE DAVIDSON!!

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RIVERBOAT DINNER

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ELEMENTAL MASQUE

Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit. The 5 elements are what drives and shapes the known (and unknown) world. Join us for a night where the physical manifestations of the elements come out to play.

Snow Queens, Fire Faeries, Mermaids, Dryads, Slyphs, Poltergeists and more… Come as your best elemental rendition and possibly win a prize!

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Other events include: VAMPIRE BALL, the BOOKIE AWARDS, BDSM BINGO & REDNECKS & ROMANCE Stay tuned more events will be added soon!!

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Now doesn't that just whet your appetite for
AAD 2013
SAVANNAH!!

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We at
Simply Ali
hope to see you there!!

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GIVEAWAY!!

Daily Prize

One Official AAD Nola Bag filled with goodies!

Grand Prize

One Kindle & One Simply Ali T-Shirt!!

Open Internationally

Comment below to win and please leave your EMAIL

Contest ends Saturday, Sept. 15 @Midnight

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We hope you have enjoyed
Simply Ali's
Authors After Dark
After Party!!

Thank you once again to Stella Price and the AAD staff for hosting such a wonderful event!! And a BIG Thank you to all of the authors that did interviews with us!! It was a ton of fun and we really appreciate it!!