Conferences, Conferences, Conferences!

This year is one full of conferences for me.  Fun, yes.  And time consuming!

As I've blogged about here before, I've already attended California Dreamin', the conference given by the four Southern California chapters of Romance Writers of America.  I've also attended the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, not exactly a conference but a writer and reader- related get-together.

This week I head to Bethesda, Maryland, for Malice Domestic.  It's for writers and readers of cozy mysteries, and I'll see some of my fellow Killer Hobbyists there!   Betty has already mentioned that her panel is on crafts.  Mine, as I commented on her post, is unsurprisingly about pets.

And I still have more conferences coming up soon.

The first is the California Crime Writers Conference, which is held sort of locally, in Culver City, California, in June.  I'm on a panel there, too, that's about paranormal stories.  My Superstition Mysteries aren't exactly paranormal, in my opinion, and I'll get to explain the differences there. 

Next comes the Romance Writers of America Conference, in New York City in July.  There, my panel is From White Collar to Red Herring, about using a white collar background in developing mysteries. 

I've unfortunately just turned down another invitation, this time to the second Surrey Mystery Writers Festival in August.  I hated to do so, but I just couldn't fit it into my schedule this year.  I hope to again someday soon, though. 

Is that all?  I think so and kind of hope so, since going to conferences does not make deadlines go away. 

So how about the rest of you?  Any conferences, writing or otherwise, coming up?  Will I see you at any of those I'm attending?

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?

RWA National Brief Recap

I’m home!  I had a wonderful time at the Romance Writers of America National Conference in Atlanta, but it’s good to be back and returning to my regular writing groove. 

I not only networked and met up with a lot of wonderful people, sold and gave away copies of some of my books, and attended a lot of parties, but I also went to workshops.  The program this year reflected the change in the publishing industry.  There were a lot of workshops relating to self-publishing, along with more usual topics like writing craft and promotion--not to mention spotlights on certain publishers.  I had a lot of fun going to Harlequin and Berkley-related panels and events. 

One topic that I focused on more than many of the others was promotion.  I attended several panels on branding oneself, and although I don’t think I have that nailed down yet I doubt anyone’ll be surprised that my brand includes suspense, romance... and animals. 

The other subject that particularly interested me was how to form a street team.  That sounds like so much fun!  What’s a street team?  Well, it’s a group of people who can be friends and fans of a particular writer, who in essence help with that writer’s promotion by reading her work and posting and encouraging reviews, receiving bookmarks and other promotional material and passing them out in bookstores, libraries, and other relevant places, and generally talking about that writer’s work.  In return, they receive free copies of the author’s books and other fun stuff like swag--T-shirts, for example.  And of course they stay in contact with that writer and learn what’s yet to come.

I’m currently considering whether and when to form a street team.  Do you have any ideas?  Do you have, or belong to, a street team?  What’s your opinion of them?  And... if and when I get around to trying to form one, would you be interested in joining??? 

The RWA National Conference--it rocked yet again!

Yet Another Conference

I’m currently in Atlanta for the Romance Writers of America National Conference for 2013.  It’s my fourth writers’ conference this year.  I’m feeling somewhat conferenced out, but I’m intending to have fun anyway! 

I keep an online calendar to tell me what’s happening when.  I’ll be attending the meet-and-greet for librarians and book sellers; the Literacy Signing; meetings with Harlequin, which publishes my Nocturne paranormal romance Alpha Force miniseries as well as my Harlequin Romantic Suspense books; parties by Harlequin; book signings and parties for Berkley, which publishes my Pet Rescue Mysteries; meetings and events with others including my delightful agent; and, yes, I even intend to attend some conference workshops, lunches and other events.  One of these days I have to learn how best to print the pages on my calendar, but I found a makeshift way to handle that. 

I’m sure I’ll return home jazzed and inspired and even more eager to work on the novels and proposals that I was already working on before I left.   Even though I have a smartphone, I’m learning how to use it gradually and remain technologically challenged.  I’m not sure I’ll be able to respond to comments on this blog, but please don’t let that keep you from posting some anyway.  Be sure to mention what you think of conferences and if they inspire you to write or read or perform.better in whatever your day job is.