RWA

 What's everyone doing out there for summer fun? It's now August and my son has returned to his year-'round school. He's glad, because he was getting bored at home with me. It's tough to be nine and soooooo bored. I, however, could never work again a day in my life and never be bored. There are so many things to do! Reading and writing, of course, but there are socks to learn how to knit, handmade cards to make, which of course, requires many trips to the craft store(s), new recipes to try out, gardening, and of course, luxury time at the coffee shop writing and reading without distractions (laundry and dishes). Eek!

The other night I was writing the Nocturne BITE due, uh, tomorrow!  Clean House was blaring on the television in the background. They’re searching for the messiest house in America. Love that show, because it makes me feel good about my house, especially when I’m on deadline. I look at the clutter on that show and chortle, “Ok, now I don’t feel so guilty about my rabbit farm of dust bunnies.”

I’m writing and glancing up to see Niecy Nash in the woman’s kitchen, which looks like last year’s dinner got lost somewhere between the stove and the fridge. Then Niecy sorts through items in the kitchen for the yard sale (there’s always a yard sale to get rid of items the homeowners loathe to part with, but must).  Niecy combs through a box and says, “You have books in your kitchen.”

Last week I attended Romance Writers of America’s annual conference in Washington DC. What a great time! That’s me with my wonderful editor, Keyren Gerlach, and fellow SRS and Nocturne author Karen Whiddon.

I’ve been to maybe a dozen of these conferences before, but this year was extra special due to

What can I say about conference!? It was jammed with activity, of course.  I met friends I only see once a year, talked with HMB editors, went to the Hqn spotlight where my cover was featured in a slideshow, and spent lots of time moving zombie-like through the public areas of the hotel.  After a while, sleep just becomes over rated.

I just got back from the Romance Writers of America (RWA) National Convention in Washington D.C. I brought back with me new friends, new experiences, interesting tidbits from all the authors and publishers, and laryngitis.

So I returned from the wonderful, wonderful RWA conference, and had such a terrific time I'm not sure what to write first. The writer and reader friends, many of whom I met for the first time? The chance to talk all things writerly and romance with so many fantastic people?

Yesterday, I returned from the Romance Writer’s of America National convention and OMG, I am still tired. Still, the decided lack of sleep and making a cross-country trip in a pressurized can aka plane, was worth it. A few of my favorite moments:

Great news from Washington DC! On Thursday, Kylie Brandt won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Best Overall Romantic Suspense Novel of the Year for her Silhouette Romantic Suspense novel TERMS OF SURRENDER. 

Just as exciting was Kathleen Creighton's win in the RWA RITA Awards in the Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure category for DANGER SIGNALS.

And if that weren't enough, Gail Barrett won the National Readers Choice Award for her release, TO PREOTECT A PRINCESS.

Congratulations, ladies!!!

Hi all!!!

Just popping in for a minute to let you know several of us Silhouette Romantic Suspense autors are currently in Washington DC at the Romance Writers of America national annual convention. We have been having an awesome time here, starting out with the fabulous Kiss of Death pre-conference tour on Mon thru Wed, where we spent a day at the FBI Academy in Quantico, then received briefings from the US State Department as well as visited with 20 incredible agents of the US Postal Inspection Service, then on Wed rounded things up with a once-in-a-lifetime tour of the CIA facilities in Langley. 

I am slammed with conference stuff until Sunday, but please return after then to this blog and I promise I will post pictures and some fun anecdotes from our tours, and from the conference itself. :D 

For today's blog, I'm going to mention a variety of items and give just a few quick thoughts. Let me start by wishing SRS Senior editor Patience Smith a HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! If you want to post birthday wishes here, I'll let Patience know to drop by and have a peek.