Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Wanna win a free room for AAD 2012?

Ahoy boys and girls!

So we here at AAD central have been getting all wild and wooly over 2011 and 2012 and we have decided to get some things going we KNOW you are going to be interested in.

So first, how would YOU like to win a free room at 2012? I knew that would peak your interest. Well AAD has a forum, and in order to win, you have to join the forum! Here’s the info:

Join the AAD forum HERE.

Post 50 posts (IE: Become Active on the boards. this doesnt mean 50 posts over 2 days either.)

Once you have 50, you will be automatically entered for the drawing for a free hotel room in NEW ORLEANS for 2012!

This Contest runs from now until September 2011, that’s when we start all the crazy for 2012! We will be announcing the winner of the free room the day before we open registration and reservations!

Now that the REALLY awesome has been taken care of… We have some other cool stuff to mention! For 2011… AAD now has an APP that goes live next month! We will be talking about it soon, So stay tuned to the blog to get all the info. For you smart phone users and tablet people, this is going to make AAD even more interactive and has been a BITCH to set up!

Next, For those of our attendees that are full figured gals… HIPS AND CURVES, the sexy website, has donated some awesome stuff to AAD this year to be given away as a basket and door prizes… and for you Makeup addicted chicks, LIME CRIME is sending a basket of goodies to be used as well! You guys got HOOKED UP this year!

Finally, and this isn’t anything awesome…. But I know there’s a bunch of people out there that registered and wont ever pay… and that’s ok… But PLEASE contact me DIRECTLY to let me know, so someone else will get a chance to go! Next year we wont have this problem….

Monday, May 9, 2011

Wanted: Giftbaskets for AAD!

Calling all authors, groups, publishers, and industry!

Authors After Dark is looking for gift baskets for their charity auction for the 2011 convention this August in Philadelphia PA! Our charity, Pets Alive, a no kill animal shelter from upstate NY, is our longtime charity, one we feel is more than deserving of our auction!

Pets Alive is an animal sanctuary in Middletown NY that houses around 500 animals monthly and works hard to find them loving and forever homes. They take in animals from all over the country (and Puerto Rico!) and have shut down over 190 puppy mills in the US in the past 3 years! They are working with the Puerto Rican Government to clean up Dead Dog beach, a horrible place where animals have been left to die or tortured. Thanks to Pets Alive, these animals have a new shot at life with people that will care for them.

You can check out all the awesome on their website: petsalive.com

So how can you help? AAD wants YOU to not only help a worthy charity, but help yourself with some amazing promotion! Send us baskets for our charity auction (And send us promo for the goodie bags!) and even though you couldn’t make it this year, you will be there in spirit!

We are looking for anything you are willing to send, Promo goodies, A themed basket of books, An E reader, Gift cards, gift certificates, critiques, ARC’s Anything you think someone will want!

Here are the particulars:

Everything MUST be to the appropriate destination by July 5th 2011.

All donations MUST come with a business card and way for the winner to contact you.

Interested? Please contact Stella Price at blueflamesabove@yahoo.com for info on where to send everything, and THANK YOU for considering!

*permission to forward granted!*

Friday, May 6, 2011

Questions about AAD 2012: Answered.

hey all! I have been getting some questions recently from authors about AAD 2012 and while a lot of the info is in the website FAQ, Some of it needs a bit more elaboration so it seems.

So my most asked question is this: How do I get registered early?

My answer to this is this: Get your publisher to commit to some sort of promotional for the event in 2012. Books (which are preferred), parties, book launches, sponsoring something like badges, bags, glasses (for the welcome mixer). Each publisher that commits gets 4-5 authors guaranteed.

See, AAD is about the readers, about keeping them happy and exposing them to authors in order to have their money spent not on meeting authors and hanging out with them, but on buying books and helping support the authors they love, so we can all keep doing what we do. Which is why AAD is so cheap, so they can spend the money on books, in any format they want. Happy attendees are key, and AAD like to keep them happy with freebies and goodies. And the only way I can be assured that we will have the freebies and goodies is to make sure publishers are on board.

To that end, there's another reason. I don't want there to be too large of an influx of authors from ONE publisher. in the past we have had a HUGE amount from one publisher or another, and that publisher hasn't done anything. That's not fair, because the ones that do participate are being cut short. So this is a means to rectify that.

Now if a publisher is participating, out of the 4-5 accepted they can guarantee only 2 (meaning they can say THESE PEOPLE ARE COMING) and ONLY if they are doing a Book launch or a party for the author/ series. Books do not guarantee any one author anything, unless its 400 copies of ONE BOOK (which we would rather not do... we want people to buy books).

So if you NEED to know you have an early spot, get your publisher to sponsor in some way. Have them contact me (NOT YOU, your publisher, I'm not taking hearsay as conformation)and we can get the ball rolling.

THIS IS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET AN EARLY SPOT BEFORE REGISTRATION OPENS!

Registration opens in September 2011. If you would like the advance Notification, and are an AUTHOR, please click HERE.

Monday, May 2, 2011

For those in the Area later this may...

In Piscattaway NJ May 20-22 the SteamPunk World's Fair is happening at the Crowne Plaza! Why is this interesting to YOU? because a TON of us AAD authors are going to be there! Myself, (stella, duh), Leanna Renee Hieber, PJ Schnyder, A.L. Davroe and several more!

Not sure what we will all be doing, as we havent gotten our schedules yet, but I do know that the Library will be having a release for Leanna's new book!

Now, I know you wanna come and hangout with us, as we are going to be wild and drinking like fishes! So you wanna meet up with us? maybe catch us reading some books, and pick up some books you wouldnt be able to get till AAD Philly? well you can!

So If you wanna meet up and hangout, we are getting a group together, Post here and I'll get in touch with you about when!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Happy to be MC because...


Why am I delighted and hugely flattered to be Master of Ceremonies for AAD2012? Because it’s all about the readers! Under the FAQs page of the new site, the very first question states the focus of AAD as: “The reader-author relationship through education of titles, genres and books in general. It is a true reader con, putting readers’ wants and needs at the forefront, and caters to all types of readers of romance, fantasy (including urban fantasy) and horror.”

They mean that shit.

Excuse my language, but I felt the quote that’s been used in various movie venues with such great effect applied perfectly here. When the first AAD was launched a couple years ago, I attended with moderate expectations. I knew it had good people organizing it, but it was a first year conference, and that’s often fraught with mishaps and disorganization, just because it’s part of a new con’s growth process--figuring out what works and what doesn’t. I was amazed to find myself at an incredibly well-organized event with a plethora of panels, events and giveaways, almost all of which were reader-focused. As an author, when I’m deciding how to spend my annual con budget, that’s the quintessential element that determines where I’ll go and how those dollars will be spent. I want the opportunity to spend time with new and existing readers, get to know them better, be inspired and guided by their insights and love of reading.

What’s the icing on the cake about AAD? This type of con tends to attract authors who are also very reader-centered, which means it ends up being one big love fest for books, where I come away with wonderful new friends, a lot of happy fuzzy time with old friends, and a creative adrenaline charge that will spur my writing for the next three manuscripts.

At AAD 2009 and 2010, not only were huge amounts of books and prizes given to the readers, the panels were arranged and themed according to reader interests – vampires, werewolves, historical, BDSM, military romances, et cetera. Readers were given the entire panel time to ask whatever questions they wished about the panel authors’ stories, the genres themselves, etc. That was a lot of fun for me as an author, and readers seemed to love having the chance to play 100 questions with the authors. Ask me to prepare a presentation, and honestly, if I passed out Nyquil at the beginning of the workshop, it would have the same effect. Plus, so many of us authors have trouble with public speaking (hell, if we could speak worth a damn, we’d probably be in politics or sales, not writing – laughter). But answering freestyle questions about my work, satisfying readers’ curiosity about the how, why, when and what’s next, and getting the chance to hear the reader’s perspective as well – that’s a blast. And a big plus – I don’t have to throw up in my hotel bathroom right before, like I do when I have to get up and string together something meaningful for 30-45 minutes.

Now, on top of those panels, AAD throws in some great parties and chances to socialize with these same authors and other readers in a very relaxed, informal environment. We get to play dress up, drink and eat badly, so it’s like a weekend long slumber party.

So in short, when I was asked to be MC at AAD 2012, I took about two seconds before saying yes, despite my horror of public speaking or actually being noticed in public at all (laughter). You all will help me get through, I’m sure. I fully expect this AAD to be the very best yet. For one thing, being held in New Orleans, how could it be bad, even taking into account the stammering MC who has no public speaking skills? And even that will be kind of fun, because you’ll get to heckle and fluster her more - lol.

Okay, obviously we’re still in the early stages, but here are some things planned for 2012. Even if they change a bit as we go on, they’ll be evolving into even more fantastic ideas which, since they’re already pretty amazing, only means more wonderfulness.

There will be a masquerade, the Echoes of New Orleans, where you can come as a character from your favorite New Orleans-setting story, or a past historical figure or ghost of New Orleans – any thing inspired by this sensual city that fairly screams pleasure, intrigue, danger – all the best aspects of paranormal romance, and romance in general. Let your imagination run wild.

The entire con will have the whimsical theme of “Authors After Dark Summer Camp”, with a macabre Dark Carnival flare, because of course this is New Orleans. A small group of authors will be your “counselors”, offering events and parties, and field trips. Your counselor might take you to a special bar in New Orleans, do a cemetery tour, visit a jazz club, etc – giving you a chance to enjoy the culture of the city in the company of an author(s) and fellow readers. Throughout the weekend there will be smaller “getting to know you” parties hosted by other authors. We’ll of course have a book signing, and there may even be a pool party, since the hotel has that as well. And yes, there will be tons of giveaways and opportunities for informal discussions with authors and other booklovers galore.

Did I mention that, because we reached a certain level of bookings at the hotel, the whole place is OURS?! No worries about disturbing other guests or having hotel security come down on you for your room party that goes into the wee hours. How awesome is that?
So let’s recap – an exclusive venue for our event, reader panels, reader parties, reader outings, lots of giveaways, lots of interaction with your favorite authors…have you signed up yet? It’s going to be a total book-high, offered in one of the best cities to celebrate romance. Can’t wait to see you all there!

Today is the day! the AAD 2012 unveiling!

Hello Everyone! Today is a grand and glorious day as today is the day we unveil the new Authors After Dark 2012 website, forum and twitter!

so first... If you haven't yet... Start following @aadconvention on twitter! its out AAD informational twitter that will be giving updates for this years event, and hints about next years!

Second... Join AAD's new Fan Forum! We will be taking the Yahoo groups out of the equation for 2012, because so many will not join one and don't seem to get all the information they need so a forum is a one stop shop for everything, including interaction with authors and attendees!


Last but not least... Authors After Dark have a new website from Now on, and it will start with the 2012 year for our new incorporation! The company site will be online soon, but for the convention... may I present the AUTHORS AFTER DARK 2012 WEBSITE! I know you guys have all been waiting to see it... and I'm so excited we are able to show you now!

ooh and an added bonus... our fantastic and amazing Master of Ceremonies for 2012, Ms. Joey W. Hill, will be blogging here today! That's right shes got some stuff she wants to tell you guys that will get you all excited! So? Who cant wait?????