More than curiosity and the convenient Atlanta location motivated me to attend my first GayRomLit. Yes, I wanted the visibility and to make a good impression. But I couldn’t wait to meet other writers — especially the friends I’ve made through author message boards, guest appearances on my blog, and conversations on Facebook and Twitter.

GayRomLit confirmed what I’d observed over the last fifteen months. I’ve yet to meet a writer in the genre who was anything but nice. Really. You couldn’t ask for a friendlier, more helpful bunch of people. We share fans, because nobody can write fast enough to satisfy the voracious appetite readers have for more books. The atmosphere is cooperative, not competitive.

Charlie Cochet and Eden Winters, both mentioned in earlier posts, were high on my list of “must see” writers. In different ways, they’ve bent over backwards to help me. As Philip Potter would say, I’m forever in their debt and was thrilled to spend so much time with them in Atlanta. They’re both delightful, talented women. Running around and hanging out with them was a blast.

Frankly, for me the program was overwhelming. There was something going on every day from nine in the morning until eleven at night — and that was just the program. From what I hear, some hit the town until the wee hours of the morning.

Unlike them, I skipped the late night parties. Staying up past eleven is a rare event anymore. Ditto sleeping in much past six. So I was delighted bright and early Friday morning to receive a text message from another early riser, my good friend, Tali Spencer, asking me to join her for breakfast in the hotel restaurant.

Visitors to my website know Tali and I have swapped guest posts on each other’s web sites. We share a love for cannoli, and for more than a year now, have exchanged long emails and even talked on the phone a couple of times. We’ve also engaged in some highly creative and perhaps a wee bit suggestive conversations on both Facebook and Twitter. Unfortunately, the badass M.A. Church — a frequent guest here and a contributor to our titillating online discussions — wasn’t able to join us. I hear she’s coming to Rainbow Con in Tampa, which Tali has to miss. I’m not sure there’s a con in the world that could handle the three of us together.

The bulk of the program for GayRomLit revolves around three different kinds of sessions, each featuring a panel of three authors. One is an open Question & Answer session, another features each author reading from a recent work, and the third are Story Teller Spotlights that revolve around different themes. The need for a nap forced me to miss out on some of the more unusual sessions, such as a fundraiser involving the painting of hot boys sponsored by J.P. Barnaby and the invitational cockwalk art show.

For dinner with an author, I was handed a number when I walked into the banquet hall and told to find the corresponding table. As luck would have it, I landed next to the fabulous Z. Allora, who I’d met online via our mutual friend, Eden Winters. Z has been a guest here, and we’ve often exchanged emails and naughty comments on Facebook, so I was thrilled for the opportunity to get to know her better.

The cocktail party was a quieter, more laid back event than the black-light jukebox party. Note the PLAID shirt with a POLKA-DOTTED tie, which I’m happy to report, elicited a lot of positive comments. I was especially thrilled to meet Zahra Owens, a New Zealand resident and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I know dozens of new writers appreciate her encouragement, support, and advice just as much as I do.

Next, the final segment of my GayRomLit series, including pictures from the masquerade ball.