Jul 17, 2007 | Uncategorized |
How was it? It was a whirlwind. Meeting people, going to parties and gatherings, having dinners with friends, workshops, banquets and awards ceremonies. Holy cow. This was my first conference, but it won't be my last. I even managed to write, believe it or not. One night, when I'd finished dinner with friends but my roomies were still out, I sat down and started typing an idea on my Alphasmart. I still don't know how many pages I wrote, but I think it's pretty good stuff. We'll see when I download it to my computer whether I'm deluded or not. Probably deluded, since lack of sleep was a serious issue. 😉
I finally got to meet several online people! I met Allison Brennan, who was there with her mother. They are absolutely adorable together and so sweet and nice. Allison also gives a fabulous no plotters allowed workshop which was one of the better ones I went to. 🙂
I met Carla Cassidy and Kathy Carmichael finally, after knowing them for many many years. They are wonderful women and I'm honored to have known them for so long.
I met Nalini Singh in the coffee shop! After flying as far and as long as she did, she still recognized me and said hello. We sat together for a little while before she had to get ready for lunch with her agent (or editor, I can't remember which).
I talked with the dynamic and lovely Jane Porter, a fellow Aloha Chapter member who shares my bittersweet love of Hawaii. She still travels there frequently, and I do envy her that.
I met so many other writers that I can't name them all! I spotted Nora Roberts walking through the coffee shop one day, and attended a chat session with her that was fantastic. The best speech I heard was by Sherrilyn Kenyon, who is a doll and so inspiring. Lisa Kleypas gave a great speech as well and I picked up an armadillo keychain before I left Dallas in honor of what she said. 🙂
I also sat in the bar at least twice with the fabulous Heart of Dixie women, including the very talented Linda Howard, Linda Winstead Jones, and Beverly Barton (that “very talented” designation applies to all three). Kelley St. John and Rhonda Nelson, also immensely talented and sweet, were there the second time we gathered.
One of the most fun things I did was have a reunion with people I first met in Hawaii. Morag McKendrick Pippin, Carol Burnside, and Sally Sorenson are all so wonderful to sit and talk with for hours on end. I'm just sorry I didn't have more time with them!
Oh, and I met Stephanie Tyler and Larissa Ione and got an ARC of Riding the Storm, their Sydney Croft release. In fact, I got tons of books and had to ship home a Fed Ex box of them. And how could I nearly forget that I met Loribelle Hunt!? She was in front of me in the coffee shop line (are you spotting a theme about writers and coffee?).
Whew, and now I have to wind up this post and get to work. Because, as Nora said, I have a job to do. 🙂 I'll post more conference tidbits later, and maybe even think up a contest or two. 🙂 If you went to conference, what was the most important thing you learned? If you didn't go, what did you do while the rest of us were suffering from lack of sleep and, in some cases, serious jet lag?
Jul 10, 2007 | Writing |
I'm off to Dallas tomorrow for 5 exciting days of non-stop writerly stuff. 🙂 Just spent a week with company, finished a class, and now the conference. I'm prepared and unprepared. I've shopped till I've dropped, done the mani-pedi and hair routine, and now I have to get up bright and early for the drive to Birmingham for my flight to the Big D. I've packed way too many pairs of shoes, and I'm still trying to decide which dress to wear for the Ritas on Saturday night. *sigh*
If you're going, I hope to see you there!
(Mark, if you read this, I know I owe you email and sorry I missed your call.)
Jun 22, 2007 | General |
Not ignoring the blog, just busy trying to finish up loose ends before the inlaws arrive next week. Right after they leave, I head for the RWA National conference in Dallas. The next couple of weeks are busy, busy.
Today, I'm waiting for a mattress delivery. Not fun, but the inlaws need a bed to sleep on, so I have to do it. 🙂
Yesterday, Prez. Bush was in Northern Alabama. People lined the streets near the airport to watch for Air Force One. I used to live within a mile of AF One's hangar on Andrews, so seeing it wasn't a big priority for me. I remember when the 747 was new, in fact, and they built the hangar to accomodate the bigger plane (there are 2, I think, maybe more now).
I did see it leave, not on purpose, but simply because I walked out of a store and saw it climbing. It is a beautiful plane. My second thought was to call my hubby and tell him he could take the highway home. Some folks are glad Bush came here, others don't care, and yet others managed to protest his policies. I'm just glad he was here and gone in the space of a few hours. I don't miss living in Washington for anything.
Jun 11, 2007 | Blogging, Writing |
Saturday was the Heart of Dixie RWA meeting. Have I said how much I love HOD? This is a committed, enthusiastic, sharing group of women (and one man). The group boasts more than one NYT bestselling writer as well as some fabulous authors who will get onto that list someday I am certain. And I can't forget the unpublished writers who are dedicated and professional and who will also sell books and have careers because they won't give up on their dreams. A talented, inspiring group to say the least.
Saturday, our guest speaker, a computer professional, talked about websites for writers. Very informative! I learned a lot. (My website, for instance, is in serious need of revamping. I'll have to work on that.)
But you know what he said that had me thinking? He said that blogs are a timesink and not usually worth the trouble (I've talked about this before, but hearing it from a pro made me think about it even more). They can be, when the author has a clear purpose and a goal (such as promoting upcoming releases, holding contests, etc). As daily diaries, not so much. They take away from the writing.
And then I started looking around that room at those NYT bestselling writers. Not one of them has a blog. So I thought about the other published authors in the room. Only one that I know of blogs. The rest do not.
Other NYTBSWs do blog, so that's not necessarily a definitive example. But it's something to think about. Writing comes first. (And I've already spent at least half an hour editing this post. Things that make you go hmmm.)
Jun 8, 2007 | Reading, Writing |
Long before the world heard of USBs and plug-n-play (well, okay, early 90s — not too long ago, but still), I would walk upstairs to Waldenbooks on my break with a fellow sales associate who also loved books. Inevitably, I'd stand at the window and say, “I wish I could just plug my brain into this store and have all these books inside my head instantly.” He agreed, but since that wasn't possible, we'd go inside and find our favorite sections. Mine were romance and writing and his was sci/fi and fantasy. After spending as long as we could, we'd head for the register with at least one book, sometimes several.
And, dammit, I still can't plug in and download. I have way too many books, and not enough time to read them all. I'm trying to update my Books Read section, and it's really not as pitiful as it looks. But I can't remember all the books I've read since I last updated and so I'm stuck plugging them in piecemeal.
I'm also looking at what I still have to read and wondering if I'll ever catch up. New releases happen all the time, of people I like and want to support, and I hardly ever read the book immediately. If you are published and I've linked to you, believe me I have a book of yours to read. 🙂
Today, I'm reading a book about teaching, a romantic suspense novel, and a vampire romance. What are you reading?
