Look Who’s Going to RT: Mona Leigh from Paperback Dolls

Can you introduce yourself to my readers a little?
Hi everyone. *waves enthusiastically* I’m a woman of many passions, and one of those is reviewing books for the Paperback Dolls. But the most compelling passion I have is writing. While I write in a variety of genres, I lean more toward paranormal, and I’m working diligently toward publication this year.

At the moment, I’m immersed in writing a young adult urban fantasy that will lead into several others. These will segue into a new adult urban fantasy. For those who aren’t familiar with the new adult classification, it’s aimed at the 18-and-over college crowd, and has more of an edge to it than YA.

Can you introduce us to the world that you have created?
Certainly. My world is set in Houston, Texas and the surrounding area. My seventeen-year-old protagonist, Emerald, is from a small town in California, but moves to Belvieu Bay (outside of Houston) to live with her grandmother.

After moving to Texas, Em learns she may be a witch, vampires and werewolves do exist, and her missing mom’s really an investigator for the national board of witches. She also learns how hate and discrimination affect her new friend, Beck, and not even supernatural beings are immune to it.

To protect her friends and family, Em must discover her true heritage and develop her strengths while accepting and minimizing her weaknesses. As if that weren’t enough, she finds herself falling in love with Asa, a seventeen-year-old guy struggling to control his own hate and prejudices.

Will this be your first RT or are you a veteran? Any advice for those who are going for the first time?
This is my third year to attend, and it’s always a blast.

For the RT virgins (yes, that’s what you’re called), I would advise you to make haste to the RT Convention Virgins workshop Wednesday morning at 9:30. Sahara Kelly and Amanda McIntyre will be there to guide you through the ins and outs of the convention. They’ll answer questions, explain how to get the most out of each day, and generally explain the workshops, meetings, parties, etc. Even if you don’t do anything else this early, DO take advantage of this workshop. Oh, and they also give out goodies.

Aspiring authors, published authors, and publishers should make plans to attend The RT Advantage at 9:30 a.m. hosted by Anne Elizabeth and Jade Lee. You’ll have a blast as they explain how to take advantage of all the programs offered, the best and worst of etiquette, and how to set manageable goals and accomplish everything you want to do while at RT. (I’ve won lots of prizes in here. Hint to winning – They love it when you’re organized!)

Do be considerate of others. You’ll see your favorite authors in a relaxed setting, but remember that, as much as they love their fans, they’re also working. If you want to talk to them make sure they’re not in the middle of a business conversation before you barge in. They will be there all week so there will be ample opportunities to visit with them.

Also, please don’t stalk them or follow them into the bathroom just to get a few minutes of their time. (Don’t laugh. This has actually happened.) Be patient, your turn will come…especially if you’re cheerful and polite. Authors love polite, cheerful fans.

Don’t be late. The lines always form early for the more popular venues. Also, in order to guarantee you’ll have a chair, it’s best to reserve a spot in your favorite workshops before you get there. You can go to the RT Booklovers Convention website, sign up, and reserve a seat in the workshops that interest you. That also helps them decide how much room is needed for each class.

Do take time to meet new authors. There are hundreds of authors in attendance, and they all started out as unknowns. Who knows, you may discover a new favorite that you might have missed out on otherwise.

At the Book Fair on Saturday, do be considerate of the other guests. Nearly everyone wants books signed, but do you really need 200 copies of the Black Dagger Brotherhood or Fever series signed? Do you really want to give your favorite author unnecessary writer’s cramp? This goes back to the “be polite and cheerful” rule. Also, while having a hundred books to be signed does proclaim your affection for the author, it doesn’t automatically endear you to them…especially if their line of fans stretches out the door and down the hall. Remember, hand cramps.

Are you speaking on any panels during RT? Are there any you are looking forward to?
I’ll be in the audience this year, mostly in a volunteer capacity. I do have plans to attend several craft and e-publishing workshops, though, and have printed the itinerary from the RT website to better plot my course.

I’m particularly interested in a YA workshop on Murder, Mayhem, and Madness: YA Action & Suspense. It will delve into the dark side of YA – how far is too far, and how dark is too dark. I’ll follow this with marketing, e-publishing, and meetings with agents, editors, and publishers. As with anything else, networking is everything in the publishing world.

For newbies, please note that many of the workshops you plan to attend may be scheduled at the same time. I suggest picking a first, second, and third choice just in case more people show up than signed up, or if a workshop turns out not to be what you expected.

If someone were wanting to meet up with you at RT, who should they look for?
Oh, wow. Hmmmm. I guess they should look for an older woman with shoulder length highlighted hair who’s dressed in jeans and tees and doesn’t know how to act her age. *snicker*

You can usually spot me striding purposefully from place to place or hard at work stuffing goodie bags, but wherever I am, I’m always having a good time with lots of laughter. When in doubt, just yell out “Mona!” I’ll always answer if I’m close by.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone this year so put on your party hats and let’s have fun. In past years, I’ve interviewed many authors for Paperback Dolls. This year, I plan to relax more and simply visit with them so anything off the record remains that way, but if they have any breaking news they want to share, I’ll be more than willing to help them share it.

P.S. ~ The RT organization is always on the lookout for volunteers. Once you’ve attended and feel comfortable, you may be interested in the behind the scenes activities in the future.