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.

Confessions of a Conference Virgin. Part Two

Part Two: Or How I Was Having Far Too Good a Time to Bother Blogging

Sorry, have been terribly remiss again. I've been back from Frisco for almost a week and spurred on by my experiences to get stuck into my latest story (a workshop with Susan Elizabeth Phillips will do that to you, you know) haven't even bothered to download the few photos I actually managed to take.

First up, here's me looking totally petrified before the literacy autographing. Please note my RITA finalists flag which I took home with me and it now has pride of place on my desktop (well, a girl can dream right, you never know I might get nominated again one day).


And here are a few more of my personal highlights: Sightseeing at Haight Ashbury with Abby Green and Sharon Kendricks, going to the Top of the Mark before dancing the night away at the Harlequin party at the Four Seasons (apparently right next to Nora Roberts, but noone bothered to point that out to me, thanks again Biddy Coady, grrrrr), Sandra Marton's lovely pizza party with a lot of the Presents authors and our own Trish Wylie, the RITA awards in my posh frock (which I forgot to take a picture of, I know, what was I thinking), high tea with the Presents editors and authors (and a chance to meet my new ed for the first time face to face) and a really wonderful dinner with Sharon and Sandra and Abby at the lovely Annabelle's restaurant.

And just in case you think I spent my whole time partying and didn't actually bother to do any workshops I did manage SEP's fab talk on how to write a Bestseller ('Follow your instincts, but don't get stupid!'), SEP and Jayne Ann Krentz's one about the Secrets of the Bestselling Sisterhood (are you beginning to see a theme here?), Linda Howard's showcase at the PAN retreat (I'm never keeping Llamas that's for sure) and a chat with Nora Roberts (who I'm glad to say had bickering sons, too!)

Now all I've got to do is keep my fingers crossed that I can go to next year's bash in Washington DC, which I guess means getting back to writing this darn book.