Mar 25, 2013 | Readers, RT Convention, Conference, Celebrations |
This weekend, I met the fabulous Sarah Wendell from Smart Bitches. She came to Birmingham chock full of the most fascinating information. I could spend hours drinking wine with her and talking about books and authors and romance and readers and all the wonderful things that are a part of our romance community. Alas, she wanted to go home instead of hang out with us forever. And we kinda had to let her or, you know, that wouldn't be a good thing.
But amongst all the fabulous ideas she gave me was this one. Sarah suggested I host an informal reader event at RT. And I thought, hey, that is a *great* idea! How cool to get together with my readers for a chat?
If you're going, maybe you'd like to join me for a drink in the bar? This idea is in the planning stages, but it could be lots of fun to meet those of you who are going to be there. I'll look into options — we might meet in the hotel bar, or we might find a bar close by — and we'll get together for an hour or so. I'll buy you a drink! I might even have a specialty drink for the party.
I'll announce it on my Facebook pages, this blog, and I'll send out a special newsletter message. If you haven't signed up for that yet, be sure to do so: you can do that on this page by scrolling to the bottom and filling in the box that says “Subscribe to Lynn's Newsletter.”
I really hope to see you there!
Jul 22, 2012 | General, Conference, Books |
It's been a very hectic few weeks here, friends! First, we had a crisis with our beloved kitty, Miss Pitty Pat. I'll talk more about it when I get home, but she had a blood clot and lost a leg. She's still with us, though every day is a gift because it's her heart that is the issue. Other than the lost leg, you wouldn't know anything had happened to her. She's happy, and we are grateful.
Of course I had a book due during that time, and revisions, and more revisions (even published authors don't always get it right the first — or even second — time!). And then there was all the prep for the Romance Writers of America conference in Anaheim. Since I've had such a successful Weight Watchers run thus far, I had to go buy new clothes. But now I'm all packed and ready to board that plane! I'm looking forward to seeing friends again, to sitting and chatting over drinks and meals, and to just having a great time recharging the creative drive. There are so many workshops I want to attend! And one I'm giving on Saturday morning at 9:45 with Crystal Jordan and Kate Pearce! World Building Made Easy should be lots of fun, so come and see us if you're there.
Also, I'll be participating in the Literacy Signing on Wednesday evening from 5:30 to 8:00 in the Anaheim Convention Center. You can find me at table #807, so stop by and say hi!
I've got a few things left to do, so this is a short post. But before I leave, how about a peek at my upcoming book in the Santina Crown series? This is book seven, THE GIRL NOBODY WANTED, and you are seeing the cover first! I find it highly amusing that the hero is dressed in slacks and a white shirt when for a big portion of the book, he's marooned on an island with the heroine. 😉 But I still think it's a great cover — and obviously they aren't marooned yet since there's a city in the background.
Stop the Press: Jilted Bride Stranded with a Notorious Playboy!
Anna Constantinides, publicly humiliated when her long-time fiancé announced his engagement to someone else, might have thought things couldn’t get any worse…. Until her private jet crash-landed on an uninhabited island, leaving her stranded with billionaire hotel magnate Leo Jackson.
Renowned playboy Leo’s reputation is legendary, and if the smoldering looks they were fighting to contain when rescued are anything to go by, there can only be one question on everybody’s lips: just how long did it take wickedly sexy Leo to undress buttoned-up heiress Anna?
Apr 18, 2012 | RT Convention, Conference
Last week, I was in Chicago for the RT Booklovers Convention. It was, as always, a blast! On Tuesday the 10th, however, I went up to Milwaukee for Barbara Vey's Reader Appreciation Luncheon. That's where the pic of these adorable book cover cupcakes is from! Isn't this a great idea? I loved it, and the luncheon (Barbara's First Annual) was awesome and quite well attended.
People actually paid to sit at my table! I was stunned. One of the lovely ladies who paid never made it, however, and I do hope everything is okay. We kept a lookout for you and never gave your seat away! So sorry you weren't able to make it. :/
The rest of the week passed in a blur of parties, events, and chatting with my writer friends late into the night in the Red Bar. Here's me with the fabulous and funny Megan Crane, aka Caitlin Crews.
As always, there's at least one picture of me with Kimberly Lang. Here we are at our goodie table for the fan day event.
No photo gallery would be complete without a picture of debut Desire author Andrea Laurence. Here she's holding up a copy of the excerpt book we put together. Doesn't she look excited?!
Now, it's time for me to write like the wind and finish this book I've got going. It's due very, very soon. I'm off to the Alabama Book Festival this weekend, and then in two weeks it's the Heart of Dixie Readers Luncheon and my first annual brainstorming/plotting retreat with the Dixie Plotters. The best part of that, besides the company, will be a certain friend's cooking. Southern yummy, y'all!
And now it's back to my delicious Russian billionaire baby daddy and the woman who done him wrong! 😉
Apr 9, 2012 | Readers, RT Convention, Promotion, Conference |
I'm off to the RT Convention today! It's one week of non-stop fun and partying with readers, authors, and aspiring authors. This is my third RT, and I wouldn't miss it for anything. It's just such a fun time! There will be themed parties (but I'm a party-pooper and have no costumes) and dancing and lots of opportunities for fans to meet their favorite authors. I can't wait!
If you're coming to RT, be sure and look me up. I'll be rolling around a wheelie bag stuffed with books and goodies, and I'll be giving those books away. That's right, free books! I'll be giving them away until I run out, so come and see me and say hi if you want one. (I have to limit it to one per person so I'll have enough to last a couple of days!) I'll also have excerpt books to give away as well.
Don't be shy! Come and introduce yourself. And if you've never been to RT before, be sure to attend the RT Virgin workshop where you'll learn how to get the most out of the experience. I went my first year, and it was helpful! I still have the button they gave me. 🙂
Hope to see some of you there!
Mar 15, 2012 | Writing, Travel, Conference |
I feel like I've been traveling for weeks, but in reality it was only for two weeks. First up, I went to the Caribbean and took a cruise with the family. Then I came home for three days before boarding a plane again and heading to New York City for the PASIC conference. I met fellow Presents author Jennie Lucas in the airport (we've timed our flights that way twice now, and fortunately it's worked both times) and we shared a car into the city. By the time we got to the hotel, I had only minutes to change for the industry reception taking place at Sardi's later that evening. Not because we were late, but because I was meeting my agent first and going over to the reception with her.
So I mad-dashed upstairs, did a quick freshen up, ditched the travel clothes, and slid into a black sheath and sparkly Steve Madden heels. Back down to the lounge where I met my agent and had drinks and conversation for an hour, then off to the reception a block and a half away. Later, after the reception, Jennie and I changed and headed out into Times Square for a quick tourist moment. Here I am enjoying the sights.
I love New York, and I regretted that I hadn't arranged to stay longer. I'm a bit of a Broadway junkie now. I'd love to just spend a week going to shows, but alas there was no time. The conference was two full days of information so good that my head is still spinning from it all. But I did manage to have a fun time with my fellow authors. For instance, here's a group of us running to the Shake Shack for a quick lunch. The restaurant was so crowded we took the food back to the conference room and had a picnic there.
From L to R is Jessa Slade, Angie Stanton, Jenna Black, Moi, Jennie Lucas, and Erin Kellison. Laurie London took the photograph.
Finally, on Saturday evening, several of us got together for dinner and then went to see Alan Rickman starring in Seminar, a play about writers. Here I am along with Jennie and Laurie London at Cafe Un Deux Trois.
Alan was lovely, as usual, with that gorgeous voice of his, and the play was very interesting. Afterward, we took one last look at Times Square, and then it was off to bed for early flights the next morning. I was at the airport by 7 a.m. and home by about 1:30 that afternoon. I'm already plotting another trip to New York so I can see more shows (Ricky Martin in Evita!) and eat more fabulous meals that aren't from chain restaurants.
Finally, if I have a takeaway thought from the conference (for writers), it's this: the times, they are a-changin'. Educate yourself. You can no longer rely on things being done the way they've always been done. Educate yourself.
Jul 6, 2011 | Books, Writing, Travel, Conference |
It's been a while since I've posted! But I've been so darned busy you wouldn't believe. I finished a book, revised it, and had it accepted. You can read about Adan Al Dhakir's brother Malik sometime next spring (Adan is from Strangers in the Desert, my May UK release). In the meantime, I'm working on another book that's due in about 2 weeks. And in between all that, I sandwiched in the RWA conference in New York City.
It was my first ever visit to the Big Apple — and I'm in love! What a city! I could live there if only I wrote a mega-blockbuster and could afford to have an apartment overlooking Central Park or a townhouse in Greenwich Village. Alas, I think I'm going to have to remain satisfied with the occasional visit. 😉
The Romance Writers of America conference was fabulous, as always. Not that I actually make it to any workshops these days. Before I was published, I loved workshops and hit as many as I could. Now, I seem to be booked up with editor meetings, agent meetings, meeting meetings, author get togethers, etc. I wouldn't trade it for anything, but the result is that unless I'm teaching the workshop, I don't go to any. But I do buy the conference recordings so I get to enjoy the workshops later!
This year, I went a day early so that fabulous Presents author Jennie Lucas and I could go on a Greenwich Village food tour on Monday. We ate our way across Greenwich Village, I assure you. It was wonderful! And I even managed to buy two pairs of shoes. 😉 That night, I went to dinner with several of the Presents authors as well as Harlequin Historical author Michelle Willingham and Desire author Day LeClaire. Another fabulous evening!
The next day, I went on a whirlwind tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and had brunch at author Kate Hewitt's lovely apartment. Later, I met with my editor. That night was the Literacy Signing, where I saw so many readers and friends — and got to meet Jackie Hussein who took the train up from DC for the event, and Pearl from Pearl's World of Romance, who came all the way from Holland and also brought a Dutch copy of one of my books! After the signing, Sandra Marton held her famous pizza party for Presents authors. We ate pizza, drank wine, and talked and laughed. So much fun!
Wednesday was a meet and greet with the editors, lunch, and then tea at the Plaza hosted by the always elegant Jane Porter. Spent a lovely afternoon with Sandra Marton, Janette Kenny, Susan Stephens, and Carole Mortimer chatting in the concierge lounge, and then it was the PASIC party at the Algonquin hotel. Finished up the evening in the rotating bar above the Marriott.
The next day, Thursday, started with a meeting with my agent, the Presents author lunch (in which several of us commandeered a limousine to take us to the bistro) and then an agency party in a very posh suite on the 44th floor of the Marriott! Later that night was the Harlequin Black & White ball at the Waldorf Astoria's very famous Starlight Ballroom. I felt like quite the star to be treated so wonderfully! And I brought home some of the white feathers that decorated the vases in the room. Of course I danced my fool head off, and shouted lyrics until I was practically hoarse — but there's nothing like it and I'm always glad, even with aching thighs and burning calves the next day.
Friday was slightly more subdued. A Harlequin authors' forum, lunch with Kimberly Lang and Faygie Levy (of RT magazine), then cocktails in the bar with several friends. My husband arrived that afternoon and managed to entertain himself for the entire evening since I dashed up to our room and changed for the RITA/GH ceremony and told him I wouldn't be back for a while. It ended up being after 1:00 in the morning when I got to our room, and he was passed out asleep.
Hard to believe the conference went by so fast, but it did. Everyone was leaving the hotel on Saturday when my husband and I were gearing up to go touring New York City. We had a blast for 3 whole days before returning home yesterday. The fireworks on the 4th were incredible. We had a full view from our room on the 42nd floor. Six simultaneous displays going off over the Hudson River. Fabulous!
And that was my week in New York!
Times Square
Carole Mortimer, me, Sharon Kendrick
New York skyline from top of the Met
Sandra Marton, me, Caitlin Crews
Times Square
The Hubby and me on the Staten Island Ferry
NYC skyline from our room
Staten Island Ferry and the Statue of Liberty
Lady Liberty
Just a few minutes before the fireworks begin!
Fireworks over the Hudson!
