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Another GCLS con has gone by, this one the best yet. There were many things that made it fun, but I'll start with the obvious -- the friends. There were dozens of writers there, many of whom I've been bumping into at author events since as long ago as 2002. Same with readers, like Rosa Moran & Lynn Glover, folks who have been around for ages. The best, though, were the con virgins, the 30 or so first-timers who felt like they landed in some sort of dream world, surrounded by smiling lesbians who immediately became their new BFFs.
I've learned after years of taking bad photos that it's best to wait until the real photographers upload their pics to Flickr or Facebook and steal them. ;-) These were stolen from Phyllis, Lainie & Margot. First is the proof of friendship, in this photo taken at the awards ceremony on Saturday. All of these folks met at the Bella Authors forum and descended upon Orlando at the urging of others. They represent the UK, Alabama1, the Netherlands, California, Norway, Belgium, Georgia and Alabama2. (Alabama1 & California are in love!)
Next is a shot that was taken immediately after the ceremony, where Blayne Cooper is holding her award for Stranded, I'm holding mine for Worth Every Step (thank you very much!), Cheri Rosenberg came down from the ceiling to pose with her award for Attractions of the Heart, and Susan X Meagher has her "first-ever" award for Outsiders. As you can see, we were quite pleased.
One of the staples of the GCLS con is the author auction, which raises money for scholarships so more writers can make it to the con. This year, as in years past, authors auctioned off the first dance of the night. Thanks to partners Phyllis & Nancy, who bid against each other for the chance to sway with me. Phyllis won, but she made Nancy dance with me:
If you didn't make it to Orlando this year, you *have* to put this on your list for 2011. It's the most fun event of the year, and I promise you'll make friends for life.
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