Chicago North Spring Fling Conference

I finally get to tell the tale!

XOXO Jaye Shields

In a previous post, I mentioned an elaborate evening of suitcase packing to prepare for my very first conference. I had left no item behind in Alameda, CA that I thought would come in handy. My luggage was packed with every hot shoe I own, hot rollers, four dresses, five shades of lipstick and my rose therapy body cream. If I was going to meet an editor (and I did) I would smell good damn it!

After a rendezvous in the room with my fabulous roommate left me feeling assured the weekend would indeed be epic. After all, a girl with a short pink dress with crystal straps is one after my own heart. I knew she wouldn’t run from me when she woke up and I had hot rollers in my hair ;) Although…I do think she was quite entertained to wake up to Carrie Underwood-height hair.

Okay, enough about my hair. Tee-hee. On to the good stuff. The agent/editor appointments!

Okay, so everyone is guaranteed one appointment. Mine was with an editor from Avon. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to name names, so let’s just call her Foxy Editor #1. I walked in there, red dress billowing behind me like a champ, and took my seat with a please-publish-my-ass smile. :D  I introduced myself and mentioned I was published as Jaye Shields with two erotic novellas releasing this year and went on to tell her that fans of my erotic novellas will LOVE my full-length trilogy. Then I pitched her Secrets of the Sky, my epic tale of a young lady with a back full of enchanted tattoos. I love this book, but the problem is..it’s the third book in the trilogy. I had meant for them to stand alone, but pretty much every crit partner I’ve had had let me know that Sky does not really stand alone and that it’s a bit confusing in the beginning. I guess that’s bound to happen when the last book leaves off at an epic demon war above Alcatraz island. But I digress…So Foxy Editor #1 promptly requested a partial of 50 pages + complete synopsis. Then she told me not to worry if I don’t hear back for six months because that’s about how long it takes. Ouch. Before I was summoned from the room for the next eager appointment, Foxy Editor #1 told me she loved my dress and had noticed me earlier. *Blush*

The appointment I almost had to rumble over.

Okay, so if an appointment chickens out, the slot becomes free. I had high hopes for this to happen with a Samhain Editor. I just had the feeling that my novels were perfect for Samhain since they really have a feel for darker urban fantasies. So, I sat down with Foxy Editor #2, told her I was a huge Samhain fan, and that I am published under Jaye Shields, yada yada. She seemed really excited that I had some erotic novellas coming out about sex demons so I told her that I had originally queried Samhain, but received other contract offers and I didn’t hear back from Samhain in time. And when I did hear back from Samhain, they’d said they didn’t receive my submission. Foxy Editor #2 seemed so bummed by this I was really taken aback. What a sweetheart. So I finally got on to my pitch and she interrupted me to tell me that she loved my title and my heroine’s name. Sweet! Okay, fast forward, by the end of the appointment I was feeling pretty damn good. And she too liked my dress. *Swoon* When she confessed to an addiction with Marilyn Monroe I think I official declared her my editor soul mate. Oh, and we were both wearing nude high heels. Fate much? Needless to say, she requested a full. I can only hope she’s not pissed that I pitched her the third book in a series.

Besides Foxy Editor 1 and 2 I also met a bunch of brilliant aspiring and published authors. Among them was Sarah Anderson would charmed me with her workshop on being a harlequin author. Friggin hilarious. I’m pretty sure I chuckled the whole time. Oh, and I even got some swag. If you want to check out Sarah’s books, you can find them here.

I had the privilege of dining with her, and thank God, because I probably would have gotten myself in deep trouble when the auction came around. Anyone else out there have any hilarious over-bidding stories? After I heard a couple I was a bit timid with the bidding. After all, I’m still a starving artist…

Other highlights:

Meeting Tiffany Reisz at the book signing. Since I just went under contract for a couple erotic novellas, I was stoked to meet another young lady making it big in my genre. She was so adorable, and even signed “Jaye is a babe” in the novella swag I got. *Grin* What a poet. :) I bet she says that to everyone…

Hot Nights Critique…Very fun. But let’s just say that after hearing other ladies reading their “spicy” reads, I realized there wasn’t a room for my FLAMING reads.

Okay, since I’ve rambled on quite long, I’m just going to close on how fabulous the headliners were.

I had the joy to meet Simone Elkeles, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Dianna Love. All of their speeches brought me to tears with their hilarious words of encouragement and tales of triumphs and tribulations. Every time I gave Simone Elkeles (author of  much-loved Perfect Chemistry series) I felt her love and encouragement soak into me. When Dianna Love came around her desk to give me a hug I got teary-eyed. Simone Elkeles through a workshop worth flying from San Fracisco for...but I've been sworn to secrecy not to discuss the contents. Let's just say it was epic.

The support I realized existed between authors is a beautiful thing.

Yep, my first conference will never be forgotten and I want to thank everyone that attended for being incredible.

XOXO Jaye Shields

About Me: Born and raised in the grunge capitol, I took my love of music and poetry from the Pacific Northwest to California. Now I live in Alameda, a quaint island town in the Bay Area. Graduating this month with a degree in Anthropology with an emphasis in Archaeology, I'm just itching to climb some more pyramids. When I'm not in school, I'm either working at VW or taking long walks along the Alameda beach and gazing at the the outline of San Francisco in the distance. Oh yes, and let's all go to Paris...

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The End

 Up next at bat in the At The Beach Round 2 Anthology, talented author Kaylie Newell.
Check her out on Friday at www.kaylienewell.com for the continuation of her own steamy short.

Also up on Friday is Pepper Anthony. Find her yummy beach short at www.pepperanthony.com