Live, from New York….

All right, just to show that I can eat crow when I have to (no, not about the Lammys–no need to eat crow there, they had tons of non-crow food; more later), I will make the confession about our flight up.

You know I don’t enjoy flying. I didn’t plan to come to New York for the Lambda Literary awards. Timmy lives here and Tim was coming, so I felt Timothy James Beck would be well-represented as a finalist even if Jim and I weren’t here. But when Lynne sat me down and we went over all the reasons I’d like to be in Manhattan, the four that came up were: I love to travel with Tim, I’d get to meet Famous Author Rob Byrnes in person for the first time, I really like my editor John and would get to see him again, and IT’S NEW YORK. Have I ever told y’all how much I love Manhattan? Add to that I’d see Greg and many other people whose company I enjoy, and that Timothy James Beck was a Lammy finalist… Well, a little fear of flying seemed a small price to pay. Then, on top of it, Lynne gave me the airline ticket for my birthday. So I decided to come.

The day before we were to leave Houston, Lynne came over. She’d printed out the e-tickets for Tim and me, and she proceeded to give us instructions on everything we needed to do at the airport. Tim said he expected her to run a string through the sleeves of our jackets and tie our boarding passes to us with it. I gave her a bunch of crap about how just because I don’t like to fly doesn’t mean I don’t know HOW to fly. Please!

So Wednesday I ran a few last minute errands, then just as Tim and I were in the final half hour before we needed to leave for the airport, Tom looked at our tickets. Uh, our flight? That we were supposed to take at 3:30? Um, no. We were supposed to LAND at LaGuardia at 3:30. We’d missed our flight several hours earlier.

Cue my total meltdown and profuse apologies to Tim (who’d never actually seen our itineraries). Tom called Continental while Tim told me repeatedly that it was okay. Between the two of them and Continental’s terrifically helpful staff, Tim and I got two seats standby on a PACKED aircraft leaving at 4ish. So we landed six and a half hours after we were supposed to.

WE’RE IN MANHATTAN! Oh, I love love love this city.

Thank you, Lynne, for making me do this. I’m sorry for not letting you pin my name and flight information to my shirt, because you really DO need to lead me around as if I’ve never traveled before. Thank you, Tom, for dealing with Continental and for staying home to take good care of Margot, Guinness, Rex, and Lazlo while I travel with the amazing and forgiving Timothy J. Lambert (who’s even layering on clothes in our hotel room so we can keep the thermostat at polar to allow for my hot flashes nature).

Even though Tim and I didn’t get to sit together on our flight, I flew next to a woman named Laura who turned out to be a lesbian with a novel idea of her own that I WILL NOT STEAL and which she’d better write, because it’s so good. She said she was going to buy a full set of our novels to give as a wedding gift to a friend. Laura, if you ever stumble onto my LJ? Get busy writing, woman, and congrats on the new baby in the family.

Our hotel is great. Today, while Tim traipsed over his old ‘hood and waxed nostalgic then went by Kensington to drop off our galley changes, Timmy came and got me. I spent the afternoon with him and Paul in their amazing, serene house outside the city, and Paul fixed us a delicious lunch. Thanks, guys! I love your home.

And then… the LAMMYS. We didn’t win, but we didn’t lose. Because (1) Timothy James Beck was a finalist for the first time for SOMEONE LIKE YOU and that’s a win, no matter what, and (2) FAMOUS AUTHOR ROB BYRNES won in the Gay Romance category, and I was THRILLED for him.

I got to meet Lawrence Schimel, also nominated in that category (and so handsome and sweet!). Though I didn’t get to meet another of the nominees, Andy Zeffer, Tim did and said he was very nice, so I kind of met him by proxy. Scott and Scott, who were fellow panelists of ours at Saints and Sinners 2006, rounded out the category, though they were unable to attend.

I got to meet Crash, who I’ve enjoyed reading and talking to through his blog/my LJ for so long. I met Ted Gideonse and Rob Williams (Rob’s a contributor to MOONLIGHT AND ROSES), and they were so lovely. Greg and Paul won for LOVE, BOURBON STREET in the Anthology category, and Greg thanked all the wonderful contributors on behalf of Paul, him, and the wonderful city of New Orleans (except he didn’t say “wonderful” as many times as I did, because his vocabulary is more advanced).

I adore our/my editor, John, and Tim and I got to sit with him and his assistant Peter (thanks, FARB). Even though that meant we didn’t get to sit with Timmy and Paul, I loved being able to turn around and see the two of them there, just a little way behind us. I was sad that Jim wasn’t there, but with his uncanny psychic ability, he called my cell phone at the exact time Christopher Rice was reading off the Gay Romance finalists–fortunately, my phone was on vibrate, and I snuck out and called him (following Rob’s dash to the stage after his stop to hug me, Tim, and John before making a heartfelt and happy acceptance speech).

Then there were all the people I got to see again–Carol Rosenfeld, Radclyffe, Marianne Martin (I kept telling people that one day, I’d be introducing my flight mate, Laura, to them when she got her novel written, and maybe they’d be publishing her), Joe from Alyson, David Rosen (who said “fuck” better than a reluctant Midwestern guy ought to)… And I know I’m leaving people out, but it was that kind of night, when there’s just so many people to see and be dazzled by. I’m SO PROUD to be part of this LGBT publishing community, and I look forward to the day that some of the writers whose futures I know will be brilliant are accepting THEIR Lammys or seeing their fellow authors get the recognition they so richly deserve.

Tomorrow, BEA. And soon, photos for all y’all who’ve stuck with me through this longass post. Here’s a little something to keep you going.

Timmy, Rob, Tim, Becky
Three-fourths of Timothy James Beck congratulate Famous Author Rob Byrnes on his Gay Romance win for WHEN THE STARS COME OUT.