Book Lovers in New Orleans!

Last year marked the end of RT Booklovers Convention, and this year marked the beginning of the new Book Lovers Convention! I attended the RT conference in Reno, Nevada last year, and it was my first-ever convention of the sort. Before then, I had never attended a reading or writing convention in my life.

St. Louis Cathedral

This cathedral sits on the edge of Jackson Square, which is right next to the Mississippi River.

I had so much fun last year. I met some amazing fellow authors, a whole bunch of wonderful readers, and I learned a ton! Even after the announcement that RT (Romance Times) would no longer be involved with the conference, I knew I still wanted to go if there was a replacement conference, and I’m so glad I did! It really didn’t hurt that the conference was to be held in The Big Easy, either, as it’s a city I’ve never been to, but always wanted to visit!

I attended both conferences with my friend Kirsten Osbourne, and I’m so glad she invited me to tag along again this year. New Orleans was all that I hoped it would be and more! The food was incredible, the history was fascinating, the music was everywhere, the vibes were just as eerie as I had hoped, and I can honestly say there is nowhere else on earth like it.

As for the actual conference, I was so impressed with how wonderful it turned out with it being their inaugural year. Of course there were a few hiccups, but overall I felt that things went fabulously. I attended several events and workshops, and I always felt satisfied with the quality of each experience. It is truly wonderful to be around bookish people, and I felt inspired and uplifted by the other authors and industry professionals in attendance.

One of the biggest perks of the new conference was all the delicious food! Last year I think there was only one meal included with my ticket, but this year breakfast and dinner were included every day! Plus, the food they served was delicious! I’m so grateful to the reading community for attending events like this and to those who put them on to bring us all together. I’m very happy I went, even if I ate way too many beignets.

And now for the million pictures I took: