Rainbow Con Tampa follow up with a Prize Bags Giveaway

I'm back from my trip to Tampa for Rainbow Con 2015 and it was definitely a Walk On The Wild Side! I got to reconnect with a ton of great authors and friends I haven't seen in a while, and meet even more new people to add to my friends list. 

I arrived on Wednesday and headed straight for the bar, of course, it was a 2 hour flight and I was parched. Within an hour I'd met Jamie Lynn Miller and Gareth Owens and invited them to join us. That evening we took our first trip of several out into Tampa for a Magic Mike XXL research field trip, or at least that is what Leta Blake named it. There were ten of us and it was so much fun.

{left to right/bottom to top... Morticia Knight, TM Smith (moi), Jamie Lynn Miller, Rory Ni Colieain, Leta Blake, WT Prater, AE Via, Nicole Dennis, Sara York and Gareth Owens.} 

The next day the fun began so we got up early to register and set up our tables. The day was full of panels, book signing and meeting even more people! 

Greg Meir and his hubs Scott Burkett, owner of GGR Review. 

Great guys let me say. Scott sought me out in the dealers room and as I stuck my hand out to shake his I was embraced in a hug instead. We sat on a great panel together and then he and Greg came to support me for a panel that turned into a fiasco, so it was nice to have them and Jamie there for moral support while I looked like a deer caught in the headlights! 

Matt Ortiz (he is such a bear!) and his ever so patient husband, Tim Marsh.

Matt is such a character. We've been facebook friends for several years now, but this was our first time meeting face to face. He's a BIG boy and at one point he picked me up off my tiny feet and gave me a big ole bear hug! I couldn't resist wrapping my arms around his neck and legs around his waist. 

His husband Tim was just a breath of fresh air. So nice and friendly and taking Matt's stories about little things he does that drive his husband insane in stride. I can't wait to hang out with these two again in the future.

This gal here was SO much fun! Miss Sloan Johnson.

Cards against Humanity, dinner with the drunks, dragging someone we won't mention out of the men's room at the bar (first, you know who you are, second, it was a she!) and a brief moment of mutual fondling when we received a bit of unwanted attention at the bar. Ah, memories! 

My friend, editor and fellow reviewer, Zane Kage (Hope Vincent).

Let me just say, Gay for Pay would be a sloppy mess of typos, misspelled or missplaced words, run on sentences, out of context sentences... you get my meaning. She literally poured over it more than once, helping me make it the masterpiece it now is. I just adore this woman! So much fun and don't let that shy smile fool you, she is far from shy or reserved. Can't wait to see you in New York next year Hope! 

But it wasn't all work and no play, there were some fun times at the nightly events (Dinner and a Drag show, Masquerade ball, multiple trips to Ybor City, a very late night that ended at 4 in the morning at a tattoo parlor.)

Myself with Morticia Knight, Viktor Alexander and AE Via.

Me and WT Prater, we were being naughty.

It wasn't all work and no play, that much is for sure. But there was some work while I was there. I sold a ton of books and got to meet more readers and fans of my books. Someone even asked when the next Opposites book was coming out, they were anxious to see what happens after that ending in Appearances. I sat on  some great panels, my favorite being 'What Authors want from Bloggers' with Scott Burkett of GGR Review. As always though, I never really felt like it was work. It was more of a family reunion, getting to hang with old friends and meeting new ones. Talking, visiting, embracing those that are loyal to the LGBT community. So much fun I was sad to leave. 

I did, however, manage to snag a ton of fun stuff while I was there so I thought I'd do a giveaway.

What I have are 3 goodie bags full of swag from various Authors that were in attendance at Rainbow Con. There is only one requirement to enter this giveaway, you had to have NOT attended the Con to enter. If you were there, you had the opportunity to grab your own goodies, this giveaway is for those that missed out on all the fun. 

Just leave a comment below and tell me which prize bag you'd like to win, or say you'd be happy with any of the 3. Be sure to leave your email with your comment or I won't be able to contact you if you win. This is a US only giveaway, sorry all my international friends, I'd have to sell a kidney to pay for shipping, and with all the drinking I did in Tampa I really need to hold on to both of mine. 

Prize Bag #1 

{this bag includes bookmarks, rack cards, fantastic and unique jewelry for a couple different authors unique to their books and much more. It will come with a cool bag that has been signed by over a dozen different Authors from the Con}

Prize Bag #2

{this is the Rainbow Con bag that was handed out at registration stuffed full of random swag included hand sanitizer, rubber bracelets, more unique jewelry, pens, bookmarks and more.}

Prize Bag #3

{this bag holds pens, rubber bracelts, buttons, condoms, bookmarks and a lovely Brenda Cothern koozie along with some more book themed jewelry.}

Remember, leave a comment and let me know which of the 3 prize packs you'd like or all 3 along with your email so I can contact you when the contest ends on 8-1-15. 

Good luck everyone, and thanks for stopping by!