Tracey O’Hara and Erica Hayes book signing at Intrigue

It’s not often we get romance author signings, let alone two at the same time, so when Tracey O’Hara and Erica Hayes did a signing at Intrigue Bookstore in Canberra last month, Kate Cuthbert generously offered to do a recap for Book Thingo.

Kate is a reader, writer, reviewer, twitter-er, blogger, and starter of readers’ groups, all devoted (mainly) to romance novels. You can read her Romance Buzz newsletters at Booktopia, check out her sadly-neglected website, email her, or follow her (@katydidinoz).

Here’s a hint: showing up first thing for a signing means you get a couple of extra minutes to hang out with the authors. Of course, you’re up first thing for a signing, but as Intrigue’s sponsoring of brand new Aussie authors Tracey O’Hara and Erica Hayes started at 11am, it wasn’t that hard to pull myself out of bed. Plus I’d read both Night’s Cold Kiss and Shadowfae, loved them, and really wanted signed copies for myself.

A few tidbits picked up from our conversation:

• Tracey’s editor is worried about space vampires. Neither Tracey nor Erica have any plans to put space vampires in their current series, but both think the idea is pretty cool.
• Tracey’s next book is out in September, and I got a sneak preview into the hero’s name in book3 , but I don’t think I’m allowed to share. Go to the next signing (Galaxy in Sydney—see details below) and ask her there. :)
• You can’t see them in the pictures, but Erica was wearing the most incredible shoes.
• Tracey just finished and loved the Courtney Milan short story in The Heart of Christmas and made me buy it (…though, frankly, it wasn’t very hard).
• Both Tracey and Erica are absolutely lovely, and very funny, and you should go and see them whenever you get the chance.
• And you should read their debut novels because they’re both fantastic. Night’s Cold Kiss is an urban fantasy/paranormal romance with family dynasties, vampire hunting training schools, a kick-arse heroine, and a hero who actually listens to her. Shadowfae is an urban fantasy/romance set in Melbourne with fae, demons, long-standing contracts, and desperate hope.

Check out Kate’s Romance Buzz newsletters featuring Tracey O’Hara (August 2009) and Erica Hayes (October 2009).

Tracey O’Hara will be signing copies of Night’s Cold Kiss at Galaxy Bookshop on Thursday, December 10 from 6.30pm. Please RSVP to Sofia if you’d like to come along. You can read a Kat’s review of Night’s Cold Kiss here.