Heidi Rice: RWA a go-go!

Wednesday, 19 January 2011

RWA a go-go!

Very excited this morning as I have just signed up for the RWA conference in New York and booked my hotel room on Times Square. Had an absolute blast at my last conference in 2008 in Frisco when I was RITA nominated. Course I didn't get the prize, which was probably a good thing as I had purchased these ridiculous diamante-studded sling back high heels to go with my crimson Marilyn Monroe dress and I couldn't actually walk in them... Hobbling up onto the podium or worse doing a face plant on the stairs would not have been a good look! I shall be purchasing much more sensible RITA awards ceremony shoes this year, just in case I get another nomination (there, now I've comprehensively jinxed that possibility and will have an excellent excuse when I don't get one!!).

So my big question is, anyone else planning a trip to NYC in June this year? Gotta be the most accessible conference in years so am hoping they'll be lots of new faces to see. I will of course be at the book-signing (books willing) so I'm also hoping some more people than last time purchase a book. I only managed to flog about six in SF, which I have to admit was a little disheartening after sitting there for two hours with my little RITA nom flag (sorry, have I mentioned that already!!). And just to add to the trauma, being a Rice I was depressing close to Queen Nora and her three-mile queue!

All right, back to my current pineapple... Need to get this darn book written so I actually have a career to plug when I get to NYC.

11 comments:

Abby Green said...: Seeing as I'm your room-mate I'm sure we'll be able to console ourselves with lots of lovely cocktails in the revolving restaurant at the top of the hotel...! x Abby; 19 January 2011 at 00:49
Rachael Johns said...: Am very jealous and wish I was going but alas, unless a miracle occurs...

So, I'll be hoping that you blog on it and I can live vicariously through you and others :)

PS. I'd queue to buy your book!; 19 January 2011 at 00:54
Sharon Kendrick said...: I gather there's a petition circulating, asking that you and Abby Green be moved to the far end of the hotel away from the other authors - and into a specially sound-proofed room!

Ha! Not really. I had a blast in San Fran as well and I've now booked for this conference and am VERY EXCITED!

X; 19 January 2011 at 04:09
Kimberly Lang said...: Yay!! We are doing dinner/drinks/something, right? :-); 19 January 2011 at 05:52
Heidi Rice said...: Ah yes, Ms Green, was going to keep it under my hat that we were sharing a room, so as not to scare off everyone else (like Sharon, snort!)... But now you've gone and outed us! Cocktails at the revolving restaurant sounds like the perfect plan...

Oh Rach, will be keeping my fingers crossed for a miracle... And if you do make it you'll be glad to know there's not a chance in hell you'd have to queue to buy one of my books!

Sharon, had a total blast in SF too. Still remember our trip to Haight Ashbury and the cocktail hour on Nob Hill. So glad we can all do it again. Am thinking there should be lots of opportunities for mischief in NYC!

Of course Lang, am counting on drinks AND dinner and a dance round the handbags at the Harlequin party at the very least.; 19 January 2011 at 06:23
Caroline said...: Would love to go, but unless I win the Lottery.....no! LOL - Caroline x; 19 January 2011 at 10:15
Jackie Ashenden said...: Yeah, I'd love to go too but sadly Melbourne is as far as I get to go this year. Sniff. Have a fab time you lucky thing! :-); 19 January 2011 at 11:22
Heidi Rice said...: No worries Caroline and Jackie, will keep fingers crossed for you guys too... You never know, something amazing might hapen!

Next year's conference is in Anaheim California (right next to Disneyland I do believe, so I'm getting pressure from my little cupcakes already) So is that closer to Oz/NZ or further away?

H x; 19 January 2011 at 12:12
Lacey Devlin said...: Your Marilyn Monroe dress and sling backs sound incredible! Are you sure there wasn't an alpha male at hand to carry people onto the stage? That's something for the suggestion box... ;)

I'm planning on winning the lottery this year so I'll be there :); 19 January 2011 at 20:05
Fiona Harper said...: I'm all booked up and coming, Heidi! Sharing with Donna Alward. Maybe they'd better make that *two* specially sound-proofed rooms...; 25 January 2011 at 06:55
Unknown said...: Wish I was coming! I have my fingers crossed that I can make it, all up in the air at the moment.; 28 January 2011 at 12:11

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My Book Recs!

Dirty Secret by Mira Lyn Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So I know absolutely NADA about ice hockey, I'm a Brit after all. But when I saw my old writing mate Mira Lyn Kelly had written a series of HAWT hockey romances I hit the insta-buy button because I know what a fabulous writer she is – and I had a week-long holiday in Spain with lots of lounging-around-a-pool time to fill. I'm happy to say I was not disappointed. Because this book hit all my sweet spots hot hero, smart savvy heroine, snappy dialogue and deep deep emotion wise.... (Although I still know nada about hockey I feel I can now talk quite knowledgeably about how hot ice hockey players are at least!)

Dirty Secret is the first of the Slayers Hockey team stories (although Greg and Julia feature in Dirty Player, in another series, which I will sooo be checking out after I finish this series). Anyway Dirty Secret features team captain Greg Baxter's arch rival Vaughn Vasser and Greg's little sister Natalie, who is absolutely OFF LIMITS to the rest of the team. But most of all to Vaughn, who recently threw a punch at the cap, is not much liked by the Chicago press, the Slayers fans or nearly all of his teammates either, and has his sights set on a trade back to Oregon ASAP...

But what Vaughn does not know is that the "Allie" he had an uber hot one-night stand with eight months ago in Vancouver, and who ran out on him without leaving a number and who he cannot forget is none other than the guy he hates little sis. Natalie is so busted when Vaughn turns up at her door, after discovering who she is... And that she knew who he was all along, and that's why she was using an assumed name. To say he's pissed is putting it mildly, but the truth is he is also hurt. WTF was she thinking, leaving him in the lurch like that after pretty much the best night of his life? Ofc, it's only a matter of time before pissed gives way to provocative, because these two really cannot keep their hands off each other, or any other crucial parts of their anatomy tbf. But while the secret sex scenes are the perfect blend of explosively intense and toe-curlingly spicy, the real secret in this book is that the hard-nosed (and hard everything else) Vaughn, is actually a really sweet guy. But only Natalie ever gets to see that side of him...

Not all that surprisingly, given their explosive chemistry, it doesn't take long before their under-the-radar romance is impossible to keep under the radar (or anything else for that matter).

Once Greg finds out that his rival is secretly dating his kid sister, all hell breaks loose, leaving Vaughn's career in the crosshairs and Natalie having to deal with her big brother's ego explosion. So how is Vaughn not gonna blow up his career and get over the girl he can't have but still wants all the damn time? How is Natalie gonna get her big bro to back the hell off and give her space to figure out that Vaughn is the guy for her? Which is a big ask for her, because she spent her whole life living in the shadow of Greg's career. And she does not want to risk living in the shadow of another man's career - however right he seems....

I'll leave the answers to those crucial questions for you to find out, but I was rooting for them both throughout the fallout, even when they made mistakes. I loved the underlying theme,too, that love is never easy, that chemistry can be dangerous as well as delicious but that ultimately it's the compromises you make and the secrets you are brave enough to share about who you really are, and what you really want that give you the greatest rewards.

What a terrific start to this series, I'm already three books in and I am TOTALLY ADDICTED which is good because I'm now back in a cold and rainy London, and some Slayers Hockey heat is the perfect antedote. So thank you Mira Lyn for giving me my summer back, I appreciate it.

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Wednesday, 19 January 2011

RWA a go-go!

11 comments: