Back from RWA National

I'm home!  I returned a day early from the Romance Writers of America National Conference this weekend, but I was there long enough to have a great time.

I arrived last Wednesday in time for a party that included librarians and booksellers, mostly those who were local to the venue of this year's conference, San Antonio, Texas.  I said hello and schmoozed a bit, then got ready for the next event: the Literacy Signing.

If you've never been to RWA National or haven't been to a Literacy Signing, you've missed one huge, wonderful book sale!  Authors are set up mostly alphabetically in a big room, and all of them sign books that are sold to each other and the local public, mostly copies that were donated by their publishers.  The proceeds are then donated to organizations that support literacy.  Hey, if people don't know how to read, how can they enjoy our books?  I sold copies of my most recent Harlequin Nocturne: UNTAMED WOLF.  And I talked to a lot of people, both other authors, conference attendees and local readers who came in to buy books.

The next day was Thursday, and although I had a few events scheduled I actually got to attend a few workshops and panels, as well as the official conference luncheon. 

Then there was Friday.  Talk about a busy day!  I had breakfast with one of my Harlequin editors and others who write for that series: Harlequin Nocturne.  Then I went to the Harlequin book signing, where there was a giveaway of the 2-in-1 version of UNTAMED WOLF combined in one volume with Alexis Morgan's Nocturne IMMORTAL COWBOY.  Lots of other authors signed their books, too, in this giveaway to conference attendees to acquaint them even more with our work.

Next, I had lunch with another Harlequin editor and some authors who write for the other series I also write for: Harlequin Romantic Suspense.  I had to hurry and leave early, since next I got to sign copies of my books for the Berkley giveaway: TEACUP TURBULENCE, fifth in my Pet Rescue Mystery series.

Later that afternoon, was the panel I had put together: Multiplicity Rocks: Writing Concurrently in Multiple Genres or Subgenres.  Four of us, including two other authors and my wonderful agent, discussed the pros and cons of writing in more than one genre at a time.

That was followed by the Berkley cocktail party, then the Harlequin party which was as wild and delightful as ever.  Imagine hundreds of women (with a few men among them) dancing in the middle of a dance floor to songs like "It's Raining Men!" and you'll get the general idea!

I was exhausted after that.  But on Saturday I did get a chance to do some sightseeing before leaving for home, and sightseeing in San Antonio is definitely fun--although at this time of year it's also miserably hot and humid.  Even so, I got a boat tour along the river and also got to visit the Alamo.

I'm glad to be home now.  My dogs are glad I'm home.  But as I said, I definitely had a wonderful time.

By the way, I returned to a deadline.  The manuscript for my first Barkery and Biscuits Mystery is due on August 1!  That's also the publication date for my next Harlequin Nocturne, LOYAL WOLF.

So what did you do while I was enjoying my latest conference?