Romantic Times and Hyatt Target Romance Writer
It’s important to know who you spend your money with. Before you spend money with Hyatt Hotels or Romantic Times, please read the facts of Laura Baumbach at the Romantic Times convention.
Here’s some of the story:
By Thursday afternoon my promo was gone. I write gay erotic romance and fiction. I write in a RWA accepted genre. I’m at a romance conference. My writing wins awards. My books are on best selling lists on both Amazon and B&N. My work is good! I own a small press that print publishes only gay erotic romance and fiction, MLR Press. But I couldn’t find my promo and that of the other gay work I represent anywhere. ..
Sharon (Murphy, RT staff) denied RT involvement but they certainly didn’t do anything to support an author attending their conference. Instead they willingly, immediately consented. I paid almost $500 registration to attend this conference and promo my work, $1325 to be part of a special promo event, and hundreds of dollars on flights and hotel expenses but my tame, tasteful promo was removed!
First Sharon tried to blame in on the promo being on boxes and not the table but I pointed out that EPIC promo replaced my promo and was currently still on the boxes, so the placement was NOT a legitimate issue.
Then she said it was thought that it was more risque that anyone else’s. Sandy produced other promo items that included a naked woman on her knees in front of a naked man, a woman with her naked buttocks pressed to a man’s naked groin and other items that had bared male chests, bared male thighs and such just like ours. None of our promo had male couples on it except a few bookmarks and since they are yaoi it hard to tell what the sex of the characters. The same bookmarks were not removed from further down the tables. So appearance wasn’t a legitimate issue.
Apparently at a loss for an explanation that would satisfy me she expressed an opinion it was gay related, but that didn’t explain all promo with my name on it being removed, even the postcards for my single mainstream thriller.