Author's After Dark Book Convention highlights in Savannah, GA

As some of you may know, Colleen Houck was in Savannah, Georgia last week for the Authors After Dark Book Convention. It was a whirlwind of a week with lots of workshops ranging from mythology to world building to zombies to self publishing, reading panels, tea parties, belly dancing, vampire balls, and last but not least, meeting the fans at the book signing! We got a chance to venture out a little and try a couple exciting restaurants and it was fun spending time sharing stories, networking, and laughing with other YA authors! 



Check out some of the highlights from the book convention and some of the crazy going ons that we experienced. .



The first thing we did was fly out from Portland, Oregon with a connecting flight in Atlanta with our final destination being Savannah, Georgia (I flew out from Tucson, Arizona and caught the second plane with Colleen and mom).



Savannah airport





We took a taxi to the Marriott Riverfront where the convention was held.  We had just enough time to settle in our hotel room, yes, just one room. It was a rather tight pinch with three of us. :-) It's been awhile since we've had to share one bathroom with two other girls! And, we had two double beds which no one wanted to share. 



The view from our hotel room,



[image error]



We headed to the lobby area where there was an informal meet n' greet where they served somewhat less than appealing appetizers. We attended the welcoming ceremony and there were a lot of free romance books and swag decorating the tables that we could help ourselves to. Colleen, my mom and I looked at each other and thought, score!!!  There were lots of giveaways where attendees could win lunch with an author. Again, score!!!



[image error]



After that, we headed back to our hotel room and ordered room service. We were starving and tired from all the travel (did I mention we lost three hours on the east coast?). Funny side note, when I called my two little boys on the phone to check in and say good night I explained to them that when I flew to the east coast I lost three hours and my younger son, now seven, asked where the hours went. :-)



Thursday morning we attended various panels/workshops featuring various YA and romance authors. There is a pretty new genre getting more and more popular called new adult. We slept in and unfortunately missed the waffle breakfast, which sounded super yum. We were hungry when we went to lunch and had sandwiches and salad. After lunch we attended a YA blogger meet and greet. It was fun to see what it was like reading and writing reviews from a blogger's perspective. I was amazed how much they read!  Definite heavy weights! Colleen took a group of YA authors out to the famous Paula Deen's restaurant, the lady and sons.  Some of the girls included: Sophie Jordan, Mary Lindsey, C.J. Redwine, Jennifer Estep, Lia Habel, Jessica Sauders, and more. Here's a pic of some of us waiting for the shuttle ride.



[image error]



The smell of Thanksgiving hung on the air when we walked through the doors of the lady and sons. We were very excited to eat hot chicken, potatoes and gravy, pulled pork, fried... well.... everything, biscuits, and don't forget the butter. Our cholesterol shot up just at the smell and sight of the food around us. :-) 



Colleen ordered the chicken pot pie. The philo crust was buttery and flaky, it melted in your mouth like cotton candy. The creamy chicken pot pie underneath was delicious but in my opinion, there was not enough underneath the pastry goodness!



[image error]



Mom ordered the buffet and we all shared some fried okra and fried green tomatoes. The biscuits were obviously delicious. You could taste the buttery richness.



[image error] 



See the big biscuits being delivered by the waitress? They actually served it with a hotcake or pancake too.



[image error]



Connected to the restaurant was a store with bunches of mixes, spices, sauces and dishes. But let's not forget the ooey gooey cake mixes and the butter ornaments. Classic!



[image error]



Thought this apron was AWESOME!



[image error]



[image error]



Those are butter cube ornaments! When I saw this I thought, "that's what I've been missing on my tree!"



[image error]



Paula Deen seems shorter in real life ;-)



[image error]  



Lots of fun!



Another highlight from Thursday was the YA pajama party. There were chocolates, book giveaways and  finger nail painting. It was fun and silly. I brought my Tiger Ren and Kishan  t-shirt!



Friday morning we had a light breakfast with fruit and bagels. We didn't want to miss breakfast again! Sadly though, no waffles or bacon. Afterwards we attended the YA reading featuring Knight, Harris, Colleen Houck, Hieber, Caida, and Smith-Ready. It was an event you fans would NOT have wanted to miss. Colleen shared a sneak peak reading of her new Egyptian mummy book she's currently working on. The best I can give you is a pic,



[image error]



I just have to say, it was sooo gooood! And, I'm not saying that because she's my sister!



We also scheduled to attend panels including Dragons and Other Magical Creatures, Post Apocolyptic and You and The Unlikely Hero. We attended the YA Chocolate Party and I must say we were in need of a little pick me up by that point. One tiny complaint, there was not enough desserts at this convention. There, I said it. :-)



[image error]





We also had a lot of fun at the Steam Tea event. The host let us pick out or very own tea cup and saucer to keep. Check out the fun centerpieces and costumes!



[image error]



[image error]  One of the steam punk authors



[image error]  one of the attendees.



When we had some free time we headed down to the prize area where the very talented Jessica Crutchfield was selling her custom designed corsets and evening wear. Check out her website, www.tiesthatbynde.com. You'll be amazed at the quality of her work!





[image error]



Our mother is a costume fanatic and she just couldn't resist trying on a bunch. In fact, if she could, she probably would have tried all of them on. :-) She bought one for her personal costume collection.



[image error]



[image error]





Colleen and mom talked me into trying one on and I have to admit, it was quite an experience. OK, is it just me or is that one crazy tiny waist? I think she's holding her breath in that pose what do you think?



[image error]



It's AMAZING how many inches it takes off your waist and how beautiful you look in them. It would definitely take some getting used to though. It was a little hard to breathe and your ability to move is quite restricted. For a moment, I felt a little like Scarlett O'Hara. I almost bought one  myself. Perhaps, I will.



[image error]



Some of the other happenings included the mythology panel,

[image error]





and the shifters panel,



[image error]



And the chocolate and book giveaways! Definitely one of my personal favorite panels! C.J. Redwine did an amazing job hosting! 



[image error]



and then there's the elemental ball. Colleen was earth, I was water and our mom was fire. We kinda ended up with the three witches from MacBeth kinda look but, it was lots of fun to play dress up and do crazy make up! The head pieces were really fun.



[image error]



[image error]



[image error]



Check out some of the other costumes and the line to get in.



[image error]



Here's a pic of some of the door prizes. Always love masks. One day, the book convention should host a masquerade ball with the big ball gown dresses, masks, and done up hair dos. We just need our handsome princes there to ask us to dance. :-)



[image error]







[image error]



[image error]



After the elemental ball, we crashed one of the YA author's hotel rooms and had a little after party, there was some heavy literature readings and lots of laughs! Disclosure, what happens in Author's After Dark, stays in Author's After Dark. :-)



[image error]



Then, the best part of the whole convention was Saturday, teen day and book signing!!!



[image error]



[image error]



[image error]



[image error]



Colleen LOVES her fans!!!



[image error]



[image error]



[image error]



One more fun excursion out on the streets of Savannah was a little stroll in the rain to a restaurant called Pirates' House. It's supposedly one of the oldest homes and is located in one of the most historic spots in Georgia. Real pirates frequented there along with a visit from George Washington and James Madison!!



[image error]



Look at the beautiful tree lined sidewalks!



[image error]



[image error]



[image error]



Some background of the area. When General Oglethorpe and his little band of colonists arrived from England in 1733, they came ashore near the present City Hall on Bull and Bay Streets, approximately seven blocks due west of The Pirates' House. There they pitched their tents to found the City of Savannah.



A suitable site of land was chosen and an experimental garden was developed and dedicated as Trustees Garden in honor of Oglethorpe's men whom he considered the Trustees of the New Colony. 



[image error]



Botanists were sent from England to the four corners of the world to bring plants for the new garden project and they included vine cuttings, fruit trees, flax, hemp, spices, indigo, cotton, olives and medicinal herbs. Their greatest hopes were centered in the wine industry and in the Mulberry trees which were essential for the production of silk. But, both of these crops failed because of the soil conditions and weather. They soon discovered however that peach trees and cotton thrived under those conditions and gave Georgia the peaches and cotton as a great major commercial crop.





[image error]



Here's some fun history about Pirates' House. See web for complete history at www.thepirateshouse.com/index.htm.



The Pirates' House first opened as an inn for seafarers and fast became a rendezvous for blood-thirsty pirates and sailors from the Seven Seas. Here seamen drank their grog and discoursed, sailor fashion, on their exotic high seas adventures from Singapore to Bombay and from London to Port Said.



There is a chamber called the Captain's Room where at one time, negotiations were made by ships' masters to shanghai unwary seamen to complete their crews. Stories still persist of a tunnel extending from the Old Rum Cellar beneath the Captain's Room to the river by which these men were carried, drugged and unconscious, to ships waiting in the harbor. The unlucky lad would find himself at sea on a strange ship bound for a port half a world away. As one legend claims, there was a Savannah policeman who stopped by for a friendly drink and awoke on a four-masted schooner sailing to China from where it took him two years to make it back to Savannah.



[image error]



Hanging on the walls in the Captain's Room and Treasure Room are framed pages from an early, very rare edition of the book Treasure Island. If you've read this book, you might remember that Savannah is mentioned several times by the classic author Robert Louis Stevenson. In fact, some of the action supposedly happened in this very place. Tis' said that old Captain Flint, who originally buried the treasure, died here in the upstairs room. So the story tells, his faithful mate, Billy Bones, was at his side when Captain Flint said his last words muttering "Darby, bring aft the rum". Even now, many swear that the ghost of Captain Flint still haunts the Pirates' House on moonless nights!!



[image error]   [image error]



Captain Flint, a classic image of a pirate!



[image error]



Thanks to Sophie Jordan who recommended this restaurant because it did not disappoint! We had the most delicious pork fried rolls for an appetizer and amazing pecan crusted fried chicken. The ambiance was truly authentic and felt like we were on a pirate ship. The weather added to it too! Apparently Savannah is known to have lightning and thunder storms and flash floods every evening in the month of August. So, as we sat their enjoying our food the rain poured down on the rooftops, allowing constant pounding of water falling outside the windows. It truly added to the experience!!



Here's the fried chicken, mmmm mmm good!



[image error]



Then for dessert we had the local pecan pie with ice cream and homemade peach ice cream pie with a graham cracker crust. Trust me, it was worth the calories!



[image error]



[image error]



We checked out the upstairs rooms where they had a souvenir shops. Great food, amazing ambiance, ghost stories, thunder storms, and shopping made for a perfect night out in Savannah!



Well, that about wraps up the highlights of our trip! I hope you got to vicariously experience Savannah and the book convention through us. Stay tuned for a blog all about Dragons!!!



Till next time! ~



Linda Louise Lotti