Small (Press) Fish in Big RT Sea

Hello, RT!

For those who don't recognize my name, I'm Tawny Taylor, erotic and paranormal romance author... and RT costume geek. Today, as I wind through crowd-packed hallways and wedge my body into overloaded elevators, my "hello-I'm-friendly-talk-to-me" smile in place, I can't help but marvel at all the amazing talent we have packed into one hotel. OMG, talk about fangirl moments! I've met, talked to, and even hugged authors I've been reading (dare I admit--worshipping?) for years.

In a way, all this phenomenal talent makes me feel like a little guppy, lost in the ocean. Outsized, and maybe a little invisible. I'm swimming with the big fishes. Eek!

Like many small press authors here, I've launched my career with indie presses and electronic book publishers like Ellora's Cave, and have been slowly building from there. I attribute a fair amount of the success I've achieved (not that I'm this "big thing" yet, LOL) to the Romantic Times Conference.

This is my third RT conference, and every year I go home on fire, excited about all the new friends I've met, new projects I want to tackle, and new opportunities I see on the horizon. It's a huge thrill to sit down and talk to a New York bestselling author about her next book over lunch, to chat with my dream agent in the elevator, to sit next to an editor at the bar. This year's RT has just started and already so much has happened, I couldn't begin to write it all down. But it's not all about business.

What makes RT even more special for this little guppy are the bookstore owners, reviewers, and readers who know my name. Who smile and say, "I know you. I've read your books."

I am incredibly honored and flattered. You may not realize this, but those words make this little guppy feel a lot less *little*.

So, what's RT mean to a guppy like me?

Lunch with Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love.
An agent approaching me in a hallway and handing me a card.
An impromptu breakfast with an editor.
Dinner with Angela Knight.
A guy in a vampire band wearing a t-shirt advertising DARK MASTER, my new vampire novel.
One night feeling like a princess, dressed in peacock feather gowns and ornate headdresses that would make a Vegas showgirl green with envy.

And last, but most definitely not least, a hug from a reader who loved ANIMAL URGES and can't wait for my next book to come out.

Thank you, RT!

Tawny Taylor