Tuesday 16 July 2013

UK MEET WEEKEND - FUN, FABULOUS & FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC!

I spent last weekend 12-14 July with a group of people, some of whom I'd already met, others that I had only spoken to on Facebook. Can you guess where? Go on... just one guess... one teeny, tiny--oh for God's sake, look to the left!!! Well done you - I was at the UK Meet for LGBTQ Fiction, and a bloody good time was had by all.

The whole thing was organised by Charlie Cochrane, Josephine Myles, Clare London, Jamie Merrow and the lovely Liam. The hotel was great and the staff couldn't be more accommodating, keeping us all fed and watered (even if the waiter at lunch on the second day looked so hot that going down to the bar to get me a diet coke was obviously the last thing on earth he wanted to do, but toddled off anyway). And while we are on the subject of lunch! The food was gorgeous. When you go to these things and they say there is lunch, you expect a buffet but the hotel did us proud with hot food each day - sending some of us up for extra cheesecake (not mentioning any names Petronella Bond) They even managed to convince me on day two that rhubarb is not the root of all evil!

I drove down with Petronella Bond, an avid reader of m/m, five hours on the way down and 7.5 hours on the way back on the carpark known as the M25. I had been booked to attend the last three years running, but this was the first time I actually made it and I'm glad I did.

I met lots of authors I admire and will now be able to associate their names with a face, rather than just a book cover, lol. I also met the most important part of our genre--the readers!  Even signed a couple of autographs - felt a bit odd in a fabulous way - I'm used to standing in front of people waiting for their autographs, not signing them, but I must confess - I quite liked it, teehee.

Friday night's entertainment was brilliant. We all trotted down to Canal Street in Manchester to a bar/restaurant called Taurus. Again, beautiful food and wonderful company, getting to know the names and faces. I sat opposite a very nice lady Sue Brown and I were chatting to who I pointed at maniacally when she'd put her badge on, because she was an FB friend of mine!

Saturday we were in the Richmond Tearooms just up from Canal Street. It was like walking into Alice in Wonderland it was fabulous, if a little snug and hot, but we weren't silly, we grabbed the seats by the open window and refused to move! lol.

The panels were well thought out, informative and entertaining, giving both aspiring and established authors plenty of ideas on marketing, cover design, reviews and lots, lots more. I was a little apprehensive about attending, I won't mind admitting it, because having seen some of the authors there, I really am a very small fish in a big pond; but sitting in a room of like-minded people and listening to them describe the same trials and tribulations you have also encountered is invaluable. And hearing what the readers want was so helpful.

So well done to the Fabulous Five for all their hard work and everyone else involved and all I can say is "roll on next year!" I urge you all to keep your eyes peeled for details of next year's event in Bristol. Visit the BLOG, join the GOODREADS group or check out the WEBSITE to find out what's happening before it happens and hopefully I'll see you there!

2 comments:

  1. Now look, if the hotel is kind enough to PROVIDE 3 different desserts if would be rude not to sample them all!!!! And can I point out also a bit pot calling kettle black from the woman who ate BOTH slices of bannoffee pie from Wonderland!! :-*

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  2. Fab Five? :)

    You were a delight. Glad it worked so well!

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