After the Release Party

Saturday was the Roll the Dice Release Party. Needless to say, writing this blog post was about all I did Sunday. I was tired. Drained. Exhausted. Wiped. Pooped. Well, you get the idea. Don’t get me wrong. It was a blast and well worth it. And yes, I’m ready to do it again––when the next major book of mine comes out. For now, I’m going to get back to the keyboard and finish the Fan Girls series and Come Halloween.

To be honest, we probably should have held off on it, but with the four of us attending ARC NOLA this week, I wanted Roll the Dice out. So we pushed it…and pushed it. Late nights were had as we stayed up making the teasers and graphics, putting games together and quizzes, and making an agenda so we would know what was happening when. Cut and Paste is awesome. If you participate in these events, I highly recommend that you use this system. Put what you want to do down on paper, assign times to it, and then it’s just a matter of you cutting it and pasting it into the status box. This frees up so much time, allowing you more breathing space to enjoy the interaction going on in the threads. Anything you can do to make it easier, do it. I had a folder on my desktop labeled Release Day filled with graphics, games, and the agenda. Life was easy.

We also had some great authors show up and takeover for an hour each, bringing their own fans, sense of humor and style to the party. A giant thank you goes to Hilary Wynne, Stephie Walls, Ella Emerson, Christa Lynn, Barbara S. Stewart, Misha Elliott, Lainie Suzanne, Jacquelyn Ayers, and Amanda Bianco & Stacie Jacobs for helping us survive our first Facebook party. We really had no idea what to expect, but it turned out fantastic.

And it got wild at times. Wow at how I was worried about saying too much in the erotic vein. These ladies that hung out with us had me laughing and raising my eyebrows. As in everything with the erotic romance world, I was greatly out-numbered by the ladies. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. Not at all. There were only a couple of other men popping in and out – a fan of the Mess, William Randy McCall hung out the entire day and kept me from being the total odd man out.

What all was involved in an online party? I know it may sound weird to some who have never been, but it really is a fun way to meet people you would never have had a chance to shake hands with before and share a little about yourself. We played games, such as caption this picture, share a favorite song, and even what’s your favorite sexual position. Nothing was taboo at this event or off limits. Stephie Walls gave the challenge to make her blush and everyone tried, until William finally succeeded.

It was also a great way for people to win free books––both eBook and paperbacks––as well as swag packs and gift cards. People learned about new writers and bloggers. And a giant thank you to the bloggers that helped us get the word out. Over thirty bloggers helped share the event as well the release of Roll the Dice. That is humbling in and of itself, to me.

All in all the day was a great success. Yes, we sold books, but the real win was the people we met and friendships we made. It was almost like attending an author event in person. Will I do it again? Oh yeah. In a heartbeat. And if you get the chance to attend one, I highly suggest you go. They are well worth the time and effort. You just never know what you might learn at one of these events or what you could walk away with. Perhaps a new author or even a new friend.

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Until next time, keep chasing your fantasies!