Blind Items from RT

A few not entirely blind items:

Rumor has it EC Cavemen behaved like cavemen, with the exception of a gentleman who lived up to that term by the name of Rodney. At least three authors that I know of resorted to physical response to their grabby tactics – a physical response that involved a slap and no tickle. As of Friday evening, no cavemen in sight – they seem to have suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. At least, they’re not wearing their official EC gear and traveling in a pack, and the EC staff seem to have departed as well.

And speaking of EC, a few other authors reported that editors were apt to shoot down EC writers’ careers at point blank range by saying to the author’s faces that their careers had entered rigor mortis with no hope of recovery.

An erotica and paranormal romance author was approached outside the hotel while enjoying a little lung candy. Seems a local fan stopped by the convention, snapped a photo of said author, and then used that cell phone photo for some personal inspiration – but not just for himself. For himself and his wife. He had to stop by later and tell the author all about it To her credit, the author rose to the occasion with panache.

And a certain conference attendee walked straight up to John DeSalvo, who was waiting in the hotel lobby for an RT person to greet him, and introduced herself by saying, “Hi there! I’m so pleased to meet you and I promise not to grope you.” Oh, how the environment so quickly alters one’s sense of conduct and behavior.

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Romantic Times

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  1. Am I just stupid? Because I don’t understand this one:

    And speaking of EC, a few other authors reported that editors were apt to shoot down their careers at point blank range by saying to their faces that their careers had entered rigor mortis with no hope of recovery.

    Do you mean the EC editors told the EC authors that the EC authors’ careers had died? Or that the editors think their own editing careers have died? Or that editors from other houses are telling EC authors that the authors’ career have died?

    I’m really confused! I’m sorry!

    Oh and YUCK about the men behaving badly. They should be fired, IMO.

  2. I’m glad you asked, because I’m confused, too. I thought of all three of those versions, too, with the third being pretty skeery.

  3. Chrissy says:

    Me three.  But I’m not a big EC fan. 

    I know RT is supposed to be more fun and sillier, since it’s geared toward readers, but I guess Nora had a point about professionlism.

    I hope nobody who was inappropriately touched let it slide.

    used55—creepily ironic

  4. Lorelie says:

    Another vote for confused by that blind item. 

    and I promise not to grope you.

    I dunno, that sounds like very controlled to behavior compared to some of what’s going on.  Perhaps he appreciates your restrained candor.  😉

    (My spamguard is private24.  Why yes I did meet about 24 Army Privates last night.  They were all hitting on my friend.)

  5. Wryhag says:

    Hey, I thought this was supposed to be one big lovefest, where everybody goes to meet, greet and squee over everybody else.  EC staff, by the way, seem to think the week went splendidly well.

    That’s all I know.

  6. Jesbelle says:

    I have a quick question! I don’t understand are the EC Cavemen the same guys competing for Mr. Romance or is it two different man-titty factions?

    need23 – Hmm, so many possibilities, I choose not to go there. 😉

  7. Karmyn says:

    Why would anybody want to grope John DeSalvo? He’s so not hawt.

  8. Poison Ivy says:

    Not fair to swipe at DeSalvo, an innocent bystander in all this—whatever it is.

    Please translate for us ignorant people. EC to me means 1950s horror comic books and a Congressional investigation.

  9. Charlene says:

    I haven’t a clue as to what any of this means.

  10. I, too, was told by a close friend of an EC author:

    The EC author’s editor told the author she no longer had a career with EC and no manuscripts would be accepted from said author.

    And it was like Sarah said as far as how it was worded. The editor put it in a way to the author that it devastated the now former EC author.

    This is secondhand, but from a very good friend of this particular author who was shot down.

  11. Jody W. says:

    What in the world did this EC author do to deserve the face to face dissing—write something without a menage? 🙂  Ok, I’m just being a twit, ignore me.

  12. kate r says:

    I think having someone say “sorry, your stuff isn’t working for us,” is far more acceptable than stone, cold silence (or I bet even worse, standard slush pile form rejections)… I’ve had both silence and goodbyes and I prefer honest goodbyes. They are horrible and hurt, but it’s like breaking up with someone. In the long run there’s a right and wrong way to part ways and being honest (and friendly and polite, naturally, and not vindictive) is the more professional method. 

    I have no idea if that’s what happened in those particular cases, no clue and not even rumors of who’s said what to whom. …. It’s just that editors sitting down with authors and giving them the facts doesn’t always mean editors are behaving badly, even when the news sucks horribly.

  13. What in the world did this EC author do to deserve the face to face dissing—write something without a menage? 🙂 Ok, I’m just being a twit, ignore me.

    Can’t ignore—freaking hilarious.

    Have to agree with Kate R that an honest goodbye would be preferable to the increasingly cold shoulder, but professional courtesy needs to count for something. I hope the term “rigor mortis” was a literary embellishment on Sarah’s part.

  14. CJ England says:

    I met Rodney back at my first convention in 2006 and he is a class act.  We’ve stayed in touch over the last few years and I’m not surprised that he is one of the good guys! 

    Well done, my friend.  You will be remembered fondly.

  15. Wryhag says:

    The EC author’s editor told the author she no longer had a career with EC and no manuscripts would be accepted from said author.

    And it was like Sarah said as far as how it was worded. The editor put it in a way to the author that it devastated the now former EC author.

    I really hope the severance didn’t come down that way, Chey.  If it did, it’s unforgivable.  I’m not even going to get into the reasons why it’s unforgivable; they should be self-evident.

  16. Diana Hunter says:

    Hey all :). Am now home from RT (since I’m only 5 hrs away, I drove home right after the book fair to save a night’s lodging. Love the convention, but economy DOES need to come into play at some point!).

    Not all the EC staff had to get back to work…several remained through the weekend to help authors at the book fair. But the upper management did leave Friday after our EC brunch to go back to minding the store.

    No, the EC models are NOT the same as the ones who compete for Mr. Romance, however, one of the models who has modeled for several EC covers DID compete. John Fish (an extremely polite gentleman, at least in every conversation I had with him) was among the Mr. Romance competitors. Rodney (whom I adore…CJ’s absolutely right about his charm and panache) is another of the models who got his start with EC, won the Mr. Romance contest in 2006 and has gone on to model for many.

    Hope that clears up some confusion 🙂

    (my verification is “held31”…heck, I didn’t even hold ONE!

  17. Now what says:

    And speaking of EC, a few other authors reported that editors were apt to shoot down EC writers’ careers at point blank range by saying to the author’s faces that their careers had entered rigor mortis with no hope of recovery.

    I took this to mean NY editors. I heard something like this a little while before the conference. I really, really hope its not true.

    fear99- how ironically apt

  18. Seressia says:

    Ah, here’s my devil’s advocate hat!

    RT has had a reputation of fans behaving badly, attempting to grope male models and pass out room keys, etc.  Some of the EC cavemen are/were dancers and having visited a few of those establishments for bachelorette parties, etc, male dancers interact with the female audience in ways that female dancers don’t. 

    Perhaps they (the EC cavemen) look at RT in much they same way they would being in a club?  Perhaps they were told to be “friendly” and each interpreted it with that mentality?

    Not saying that the behavior is pardonable from either camp, but given the mentality and history, it’s understandable.

  19. Jesbelle says:

    Thanks Diana! 🙂

  20. Ann Jacobs says:

    I don’t recall any EC editors even *being* at RT, so I have my doubts about any EC author having been told her career at EC was over. Not that I know everything, mind you…

    The Cavemen are separate from the Mr. Romance contestants. I’ve had the pleasure of chatting (at RT or one of the signing events in Ohio) with several of them. I can’t say enough nice about Rodney or John Fish, both of whom have been EC candidates for Mr. Romance, and both of whom have always been gracious and helpful to me…besides, they’re so hot their presence on covers makes books jump straight off the shelves!

    I doubt many of the EC cover models would make unwanted advances toward women at RT. They probably spend most of their free time fighting OFF the advances of women looking for a little ego stroking from a hot young stud.

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