RWA 2011: New York Is All About...

1) FOOD

I've been eating myself out of next month's food money. EatEATeatEATeat. I'm like that squirrel that can't stop eating. And the food is fabulous, especially at the Malaysian Restaurant I found in Chinatown!

Took Cindy Gerard, Kylie Brant, Roxanne Rustand and her daughter, Emily, to eat Dim Sum, which they never had before. Dim Sum is a special Chinese brunch, that has waitresses pushing trolleys of steamed delicacies, buns, pastries, and meat in bamboo bowls, calling out the dishes to the patrons. You stop them and then pick any dish you want. My guests were confused by all the little dishes and thought that was a LOT of appetizers before the main meal :-). Dim Sum, directly translated, is piece of heart, and I wanted to share a piece of my heart with my good friends!

2) PAIN

Walking in New York. Ow Ow OW! I'm already in pain from plantar fasciitis so my adventures in mapping out Chinatown only elevated that problem. I was feeling so miserable I actually went to try out acupuncture, which I've never done before.

CAN I SPELL ARRGHHHHhhHHhHhh? Holy Cow, did a few of those needles hurt when they went in! And then, electric current is pushed through, and you have to stop them if you feel uncomfortable. Umm. Yeah. When that was all set at the right current, the practitioner said the procedure needed 45 minutes to get the blood flowing and told me to relax, maybe take a nap.

I'll tell you a secret. YOU CAN'T NAP WHEN THERE ARE NEEDLES PULSING ELECTRICITY UP YOUR LEG!!! It stung when he pulled the needles out and there was sensitivity in the areas where the pinpricks were. Made me feel like a sissy because usually I could stand quite a bit of pain (remember when I fell off the roof on my head? Onto concrete? Okay, then).

I was supposed to take a rest my feet after that, but of course I had to walk around and get back to the subway. My feet felt slightly swollen although the usual arch and heel pain had subsided somewhat. Today, I could walk a bit better, so I guess the acupuncture did work some kind of magic. There's still some discomfort, and the practitioner had said that one session wouldn't cure my problem, that it would take at least 3 or 4 times. Would I go back to get the bottom of my feet poked again? ARRrrrGGGGHHhhhHhhhH.


3) Shows and show-offs

I went to catch Billy Elliot the first night I was in town. The musical was simply crazy amazing. The kids were mesmerizing to watch as they danced and sang without missing a beat. The story had everything--tragedy, comedy, ballet (!), drama, satire. I really recommend it.

The day I arrived was also the day after NY signed the new gay marriage bill and there was a gay parade. That night, some of the paraders were still in costume, eager to pose for tourists.

4) Gossip

We're at a big turning point in the publishing world. Every author at the conference is listening to and talking about self-publishing. You'll be surprised at some big names joining the self-pub ranks--Maya Banks, Emma Holly, Nina Bruhns, Leslie Parrish, to name a few--and all are excited. And agents are becoming publishers. And publishers are becoming marketers (for new e-book only ventures). And marketers are becoming lawyers. And lawyers are becoming editors (see Dear Jane announcement). And...and...I'm one confused author. Someone asked me what my newest book was and I confused her even more when I whipped out a book about a cute little squirrel. Yes, it's going to be an interesting conference!

That's all for now--hope you enjoyed the pictures!

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Miles Ahead

I've registered for the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention which will be held in Los Angeles this year from Ap. 6-10.  Here is the list of authors attending RT.   I've met so many of my blog readers at this convention and this year, I have new friends from Facebook with whom to hook up.

Who's going to RT?  Would love for us to say hi over a drink or a bite to eat!

I'm 75 percent sure I'm going to New York this year for the RWA (Romance Writers of America) Convention which will taking place in New York from June 28-July 1.  Yes, with July 4 weekend right round the corner! 

Why 75 percent chance, you ask?  Well, I love New York but the convention is very expensive and NYC isn't cheap either.  What with my having to get a new central air system this past Christmas, I've to really watch my budget.

But for now, I plan on going.  It's the conference where I catch up on publishers and publishing news from both editors and writer friends.  Besides, I've been going every year since 1998...it would feel weird not being there.  And New York!  Sigh. Chinatown beckons.

Here is the Conference Events/Schedule link if you live near NYC and wish to attend.  The Signing event is a must because the proceeds go to Literacy.  Some of the biggest names will be there--Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, J.R. Ward, just to name a few.

Anyone plan on going to RWA?  Please let me know!

One thing on my mind is my current disenchantment with the airline industry.  Many of you have read about my famous traveling adventures, especially at the Atlanta Hub ;-), but the last few years have been relatively quiet because I've driving.  It was my protest against all the new charges the airlines were adding to the ticket price, as well as my growing impatience with the really long lines and late planes.

Driving has been okay and I enjoyed most of it, but those locations were on the east coast.  This time, RT is in L.A., so driving there would be a long trip, unless I can find a few driving partners, and in that case, we could make it there in 3 days, if we drove non-stop.  And that's barring any delays from traffic jams or car problems.

So yeah, I'll have to break down and fly this time.  But driving to NYC is still on the agenda, or at least, to my sister's near DC where I could park for free ;-).  I just feel that need to try not to use the airlines if possible, you know?  We'll see how I feel.  Maybe they'll have perfected the teleporting device by then and there's that option available.

Are you, like me, finding air travel more and more tedious these days?  That, unless you're super-rich and can afford first-class accommodations and check-in, everything is just a big hassle?  I mean, it even feels as if the flight attendants hate their job when I'm on board.  All that tension, and you might not even save that much time if you add in the 5 hours at the various airports, and that's with NO delays as well as the 2-plus hours on the road to the big airport, if I were to take a direct flight (which I won't be because there's no way I want to drive to Orlando International unless neccessary).

Yes, I used to fly everywhere all over the world.  Easy peazy. I always had a suitcase already packed.  London, Rome, even Asia.  Sigh.  It's old age setting in, isn't it?

Sniff.

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RWA Why Can't I Be The Well-Behaved Author? Huh?

Surrounded by the bestest bunch of famous authors, I have to goof my opportunity to look authorly: Kylie Brant, Roxanne Rustand, Cindy Gerard, Ummmm...., Roxy's daughter, Emily, and Leanne Banks.

Sigh.

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2 RWA 2010 Video/Slide Show

The first is done by moi, a quick story panel of my friends and I having fun at RWA.

Slideshow design made with Smilebox

The second, a video of the RWA Literacy Signing, is awesomely done by Sarah Wendell from the Smart Bitches. She did a great job with the lip-synching!



And that's the week in a nutshell.

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RWA Convention Ahead/Signing Virtually Hers!

RT Book Reviews August issue is out on the stands and they gave Virtually Hers, which is coming out in print in Aug., 4 stars. I liked the last line: "Low is back and kicking butt!" Hee. Maybe I can use that on a book cover. Or get a T-shirt with that line.

I'll be signing Virtually Hers at RWA Convention in Orlando too, so I'm doubly excited. That, and the Mammoth Book of Spec. Ops. Romance. And I'm bringing a load of Big Bad Wolf to give away, so I hope many of you will be at the conference! Orlando is an ideal place to hold one, IMO, because you can bring your family along and they can enjoy Mickey Mouse, Sea World, etc., while you indulge in your own novel fantasies ;-).

It's hard to believe July is almost here. I'm trying so hard to get everything done by then, but you know, I swear the clock ticks a bit faster when I'm not looking! Everyday I wake up telling myself I have to do this, and this, and this, and then...work and bills get in the way, phone calls happen, and I have to go somewhere, and before I know it, I'm home all sticky from the sun and my feet hurt, and the mutant poms are demanding their time and food, and I look at the clock desperately, and it's approaching midnight. Crazy, isn't it?

Will you be in Orlando? Some Australian readers are coming and I'm excited to meet them; I love my Australians readers--crazy, happy-go-lucky and just plain fun! The proceeds from the giant Literacy Signing all goes to charity and every year RWA exceeds itself. So do plan on coming, if you're able, especially those living near the Orlando/Florida area. A day trip could be fun! I'm not sure if the Harry Potter World will be open by then, but hey, if it is, you can say you met Nora Roberts AND Harry Potter at the same city ;-).

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RWA National Update

For those of you who had planned on going to the RWA Conference (Nationals) which was going to be held at Nashville at the end of July, you'd know that the event has been in limbo because of the massive flooding in the area. The Gaylord Hotel's first floor has water and there is massive damage. If you've been checking out the news, you'd know that the city of Nashville (and Tennessee) is in a state of emergency.

Today, RWA has announced that the conference is taking place in ORLANDO instead:

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that the 30th Annual RWA Conference will be held at The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida, July 28–31.

My heart goes out to all my friends and the people going through the crisis in Tennessee. Having experienced a sudden 14 inches of rainfall over here in Central Florida last year, I know it's going to take a while before everything gets back to normal.

I know the Gaylord Hotel has already started issuing refunds, but I'm not sure how the airlines deal with canceled flights of this nature. You know my current opinion of airlines; I doubt they're going to be of much help, unless some kind soul working for them is quick-thinking enough to just charge a slight fee in the change of destination (plus difference in price). I hope all of you find this person!

Please help out our friends around the Nashville area as much as you can. With flooding everywhere, drinking water is scarce and many people, including the sick and the elderly, had to evacuated to facilities that aren't capable of properly taking care of them. Be careful of online sites asking for money, though. The best bet is to give to the better known charities like Red Cross.

I'd like to hear from you who had been planning to go to Nationals, even for just the booksigning. What are your plans now?

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RWA Quote of the Day: "My feet are killing me"

I'm still recovering from yesterday, especially last night. Who knew dancing all night like that would hurt a roofer's thighs? I must remember NOT to do that split again...;-)

Tonight is the gala so many of the authors will be taking it a bit easier during the day, but there are still workshops and booksignings for the brave and willing. I spotted Jim and Sharon Butcher and got some books. I squeed when I caught Joanna Bourne alone for a few minutes. I pouted because Ann Aguirre ran out of books. I am also totally knocked over when attendees came up to me and told me they were impressed with my moderating skillz. That caught me by surprise. First, most of the time, one remembers the workshop, not the moderator. Second, I always think I suck at public speaking. Must have gotten better at it since my first disaster when I announced a workshop as "The UNconscious Writer" instead of the "The SUBconscious Writer." LOL. Man. Yeah, that one was embarrassing.

I know. I'm babbling and no pics. I'll download those later, when my feet stop hurting. I kept telling myself that I really should go downtown to DC to look at the White House, which I heard was kind of an important place. But my feet. They not happy. They're bitching. And, there's an opening at the spa for a massage. It's such a tough, tough decision. Spa...White House...pamperation...walkwalkwalkathon...work on my foot...more footwork. I just don't know.

Anyway, last night was super fun, even though no trees fell on any romance authors. The Conga Line started early and then everyone did Thriller. Like the deejay yelled out, "Show your claws!" We romance authors knew how to do zombie very well, it seemed.

I rubbed shoulders with La Nora, Jacquie D'Alessandro, Jill St. John, Kylie Brant, Liz Maverick, and so many others. I laughed so hard at Jade Lee leading the Time Warp I fell off my perch by the bar. I was also part of the Hair Brigade with agent Lucienne Diver, who could shake and swing her hair better than Cher in her heyday.

Okay, trudging around the White House is looking less and less attractive.

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Romance Quote For The Day

I have meetings and cocktails from noon to midnight. Honest.

So dwell on the Goddess, Ann Stuart's, wise words from her workshop yesterday:

"It's stupid to make love against the wall and on the floor when the couple is in a bedroom. The bed is default if it's two feet away, 'kay?"

"Killing from far away can be sexy."

"I don't know why handsome, sexy heros warm the cockles of my heart."

"Are they (the dark heros) tamed after the HEA?" (Think Viggo Mortensen in The History of Violence)

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RWA Quote of the Week: Cows Are The Devil's Handmaidens

Hee. Moooo.

That's a classic quote straight from Linda Howard's keynote speech at lunch. It sums up La Linda's great sense of humor and her ability to tell a great a story. She had the whole luncheon crowd guffawing at her anecdotes about her family, whom she called "nuts." Basically, her message is about "hanging on out there," even during nutty times in your life. I can only wish for the same funny outlook in life to keep me going during my times of frustration ;-). Now, if only I could write a story around that wonderful title....

If you are in the DC area and want to take a little side trip, be sure to take one to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson. It's a 7000 acre estate and visiting it gives one a sense of history and an intimate inside look at one of our founding fathers. It's also a beautiful place, like stepping into the world of Gone With The Wind's Tara, and it made the writer in me want to try her hand at a historical suspense.



That Jefferson dude was six foot two. He was kinda smart. Owned a big estate. Great sense of humor. Hmm. Good romance hero stock ;-).

Back at RWA, everything is in full swing. Authors, authors, everywhere. Editors and agents too. I was able to bump into my former editor from MIRA books to give her a hug (I really enjoyed working with her and am relieved that we're still friends), connect with some other editors, and basically network with people in the business. Gossip, advice, pointers in abundance. Romance authors are the most generous writers in the world and I'm so fortunate to have such good friends.

A friend's daughter, Emily, posing with Cindy Gerard and me.

Sylvia Day, Cindy Gerard, and Kylie Brant happily networking ;-).

Lauren Dane and Ann Aguirre laughing it up.

The always-angelic Victoria Dahl.

The impeccable Alison Hart and the irrepressible Goddess Anne Stuart (ck out the little horns on her head)

Off I go to ck out some workshops and signings. Need I also say: BOOKS, BOOKS, EVERYWHERE?!

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Quick RWA Yay

I know, I know, Rooferauthor has been bad, but seriously, I haven't been able to find a block of time to play with the puter at all since RWA started. It takes half-an-hour to an hour to get back to the room (bumping into buddies on the way and then waiting for the elevators) and by the time I get back there, it's time to be off somewhere again!

But I wanted to tell you about a special encounter that put a big smile on my face since last night. At the big RWA signing, I approached the Goddess, the Queen, the One Whom I Worship, Linda Howard. I wanted to say "hi" and mention about my friend, Maria, who had just met her on a previous signing. It's always such a pleasure to listen to Linda's Southern accent and laugh.

When she was ready to sign a book for me, I presented my badge so she would know how to spell my name and she said, "You're Gennita Low?"

I nodded and smiled, "Yes," thinking Maria must have told her some silly story about me.

Linda gave me a big smile and exclaimed, "I love your books!"

See my jaw. See jaw fall on floor. No longer there. Still looking for it. I was speechless. Linda Howard read my books! And loved them! SQUEEEEEEEeeeee.

I'm not sure what I mumbled after that. I must have looked like some dazed fool standing there going, "thank you, thank you, thank you!" Yikes.

I've had this big smile on my face since the signing last night. Big, big, BIG smile. This morning I woke up all my roommates by yelling out, "LINDA HOWARD SAID SHE LOVED MY BOOKS, BY GOD!"

I'm sure my roommates are getting tired of the grin.

Got to go. Lunch and keynote speaker is...Linda Howard! I promise pictures of signings and more author talk later. BTW, you can see how fair she is compared to me in the pic above!

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Road to RWA Part Two

The rest of the drive was marred with rain and road work/slow traffic. The radio was a good friend. Virginia was exactly how I remembered the last time I drove through. And I only made one bad turn in DC itself, around that circle that reminded one of the Chevy Chase "Vacation" movies. The hotel is just off Connecticut Av., so quite near to the heart of DC.

Finally I am here at RWA, tired and eagerly looking forward to the hotel room. Then I found out that parking at the hotel wasn't free! $35 freaking dollars a day! Gah. So, tomorrow, I've to look for a cheaper parking lot because man, $35/day?!

My roomies were already here and we went to dinner at an Indian restaurant nearby. As you can see below, we nourished ourselves with some Indian Drinks called Maga Reethas, an ancient delicious brew that tastes tangy and heady.

We chatted and giggled and bantered and generally made a lot of noise. The food was delish too.

Catching up with writing friends is one of the best things at RWA. Tonight is still the quiet before the storm. The 2000+ attendees aren't storming the place yet. Tomorrow the noise begins. Watch out, DC!

And oh, I need a foot and butt massage. All that driving is just not normal for a roofer girl.

(Hey, those of you who are meeting me before the signing on Weds., we're having drinks at the lobby bar and I'll be holding an informal signing there too for BBW. See you there!)

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Road to RWA Part One

A hundred miles, a hundred miles, a hundred miles, a hundred miles...

I wonder why that particular earworm always invade my head when I'm driving a long ways. Never fails. I'll hum that song even with the radio blasting.

The drive today was fabulous. Not too much traffic, cops in good mood, and great weather. The GLow Mobile happily sped toward DC, stopping a couple of times for refreshments. The strangest sight was this place that had a thousand billboards advertising it for miles and miles: South of the Border. It was dark when I saw it, lit up like a fair, a giant sombrero right in the middle, like a Ferris Wheel, with firework stalls in the back. I pulled in to get gas and there were only two or three other cars there; the whole place was EMPTY. It was the eeriest thing, standing there filling up my car in this bright, BRIGHT place with no one around.

I'm going to call Fayetteville (or half an hour outside it) the Billboard City from now on. If you ever drive here, you'll see what I mean. Both sides of the highway have billboards thirty feet high, facing both directions, and after miles of trees and sky, it's really very Vegas-like, even down to the ads that scream out 24-hour topless cafes (Cafes?! As in, order a latte from the EEE-cup waitress? Do they offer free Internet? Heh).

Fayetteville is also where Fort Bragg is, as well as some Civil War historical battlefields and museums, so I'm quite tempted to dawdle here for a few hours before resuming my drive to DC. It'd be great research for Viking Dude, don't you think? ;-) A time traveler like him should know a lot about Civil War facts.... As you know, Fort Bragg is home of the Airborne and Special Ops. Corp. I feel I should at least do a drive by ;-). Jed and Killian would approve.

'Kay, Part One ends here. Oh, one more thing. Best billboard sign ever: EXIT HERE (you can get) BRASSIERES TO CHANDELIERS. I don't know why that struck my funny bone. I had coffee all over my steering wheel. Truly, laughing like that while driving alone isn't normal.

REMINDER: You can still ask questions about VHERS in the post, So Many Chores, below.

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But Look! I Fit Perfectly!

REMINDER: Still answering your VHERS questions in the post titled "So Many Chores" below.

I'll be on the road today. Furbabies will be under the gentle care of Alpha males and elves, Lord help them.

If I can, I'll update with some tweets (above the blog) and on Facebook with some pics of the road adventure. Alpha Males are already betting on how many times I'm going to get lost (have they no idea that I, a woman, ask for directions? And I, a savvy woman, has my puter with me?).

Below, my Furry Bad Boy is trying to convince me to fit him into the luggage. He isn't happy with me right now.


"Look, I promise I won't pee on your things. Let me go, pleeeassse, mommy!"


"Hee, hee, hee, you can't go if I don't move."

Sigh. I wish I could take him with me. But the hotel (and my roommates) will never survive him.

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VHERS Has A Date!

BREAKING NEWS!

My editor sent me an email announcing that Virtually Hers is scheduled to be out mid-October, 2009.

I'm still doing edits but everything looks good so far. Once I turn that in, I'm going to concentrate on giving you some updates on the FYEO blog. It was tough to keep it going when the books were on hold because you would have been way, way ahead of the timeline by now! So, give me a couple of weeks to get this project done.

Boy, it's so good to be able to give you a definitive answer. And right before RWA too, yeeha!

Any of you going to RWA? Any of you planning to get Big Bad Wolf? Because if you are, you'll have to say so here or email me so we can all set up a meeting place (drinks, chat, group hug) so that you can get BBW. Why? Because RWA doesn't allow BBW to be part of any signing, even one FOR DONATION to a good cause ;-P.

So...who will be at RWA? Please let me know!

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RWA 2008: An Uber Pictorial Story

Last week, I went on a fantastic journey.


We sat on a magical chair.




As we approached the magical place,




magical beings suddenly appeared.



They weren't afraid of us at all. One of them gave us the secret password, which transported us to the heart of the island, with beautiful houses...




We were met with many women (and a few men), who were called Huntresses. They were the eternal keepers of the Happy Ever After.



I bowed at the altar of The Goddess, the queen of many HEA, the sacred Black Ferret Keeper, and the creator of Roarke, the Man of All Future Men.


After that, I got to meet many favorite magical beings, the ones who could transport people to far away places with just words:


The fabulous and inimitable Jade Lee, the Queen of Tantric Sex and Special Massages.

The fabulous Meljean Brook who was laughing here with me because Joanna Bourne took a picture of her own face by mistake when she was pointing the camera the wrong way. Meljean writes epic paranormals--layered, deep, powerful--and her covers are to die for. Besides Marjorie Liu, she is the other woman I want to assassinate.

Speaking of the Tall One, my photo with her didn't come out and she flew off to THE OLYMPICS before I could get her to smile with me again. So if you're reading this, Marjorie Liu, not only do I want to kill you for being in China without me (again), but I also want the photo of us taken with your special $5,000,000 camera.


This is Joanna Bourne, who was so gracious even when I laughed at her, and whose unexpected close-up will be kept in my secret file for later in her career, when she runs for office or something. Oh yes ;-). Joanna writes stand-out historicals that just make me reread again and again. Her heroines are unique. Her heros are alphas. And...not one reference to the "ton" to boot!


Kylie Brant and I go way back. She's quiet but lethal. Reserved but dangerous. And she has a weakness for anything green. Kylie writes romantic suspense and I love her sexy style.


This group of ladies belong to a sect called The Kiss Of Death. Yes, we worship the Big Lips. We adore the Big Lips. Every year, we pay homage to the Big Lips. The priestesses of the KOD sect safeguard the secrets of suspense and intrigue; we can kill with mere words. Ann Voss Peterson, standing by me, can maim with her dancing moves alone. Every year, the KOD priestesses duel each other for the most powerful of all amulets, the Daphne du Maurier Amulet. The price is wanted by us all, but there can only be one left standing. This year, the honor went to Nina Bruhns.


Ah well. The only way to console a loss of the Amulet (again) is to attend the Party of the Year. It's hosted by the House of Harlequin, where many, many magical writing beings have started their career and flourished. I immediately headed off to the food table, where I stopped to admire the orchid ornament before devouring Chinese Dim Sum. Notice my loose gown so I could fit all the calorie intake.

At the Harlequin party, I danced the night away with friends. Below are special people with other magical powers. They are the Reviewers and Booksellers, two groups of magic-wielders who love to drink the elixir of Romance. They also came from many different lands.


I love Michelle Buonfiglio, that sexy, glossed-up and bewitching witch from Romance B(u)y The Book. Michelle can make me laugh by just giving me a look. Also, she gets the best interviews, so that's why I stick close by her. Michelle also promised me her daughter.

Kris Alice is from Germany. Rosemary Potter is from Australia. They are two of my closest friends in the writing world. It's amazing how a small conference brought people from so many countries together in one spot.

This is Olivia Gates, who is from Egypt. She won, hands down, for best-dressed woman at the RWA Island Resort.

Sylvia Day and Jordan Summers were there too. We joked about trying to wake up in the mornings.

And that's all folks. These are two very important icons of the Romance World--Miss Jane Austen (that little purse behind her is mine) and William Shakespeare. My friends and I gave them a toast before the last of the magic disappeared, and I was transformed from this:

back to this the next day:

Ah, well. It was so much fun while it lasted.

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Post #2: Squee! Bumped Into A Goddess On A Delta Flight!

Tired, yo. But I'm now in waiting hell. So, of course, out comes the IV. Drip, drip, drip, some puter juice please.

Guess who was sitting in the first class of my plane? The sweetness and not-so-light Dark Huntress, Sherrilyn Kenyon! She looked totally fab and relaxed, unlike someone else with straggly hair and tired eyes. She waved to me and told me to come up to say hi later, so a couple of hours later, I strolled up from the tuna seats to the goddess to ask her about her new book, you know, the one coming out at midnight about some dude named Acheron.

She complained that even she wasn't allowed a "real" copy of the book, that was how tightly the street date was enforced. There was just going to be one grand book launch and that's it till Tuesday morning when the rest of us masses can get our hands on it. Boo.

So did she relent and give me a few secrets about the book? Like, oh, who the heroine was? I leaned closer and was getting the goodies when a burly guy tapped me on the shoulder.

"Sorry, you aren't allowed up here," he growled disapprovingly.

Alas, I was forced out of first class, back to tuna class, just when I was getting the most delicious detail of all. I'm sorry. I didn't fancy being tied up by security for the next few hours for disobeying orders. So I flopped back among my fellow tunas and we tossed left and right till half an hour ago.

If things magically run smoothly (meaning no delay), I should be home before midnight EST. That will, yes, make me an extra tired tuna.

And then...yeeha! My Very Own Bed. No more sharing space with seven other women. That was a first for me; I don't think I have had seven roommates since my dorm days in college, and you know what? The experience hasn't changed one bit from those days either ;-). Only, instead of spending our free time wining and sharing secrets, most of us seem to opt to be a bit too literal about our "slumber" parties.

Before I post off, I thought I'd let you enjoy one more pic of Cindy Gerald and me doing a plotting workshop:

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RWA: Then A Tree Fell Down In Front Of Me

I'm not able to post any more photos (resizing them takes time and time seems to be a problem during this conference) but here's the update of the Harlequin party. I'll post the fun pictures when I'm home, okay?

First, the Harlequin party is about the most looked forward to event of RWA. The publisher knows how to throw a party. This year, it's held at the Four Seasons, in a banquet/party hall that was beautifully decorated with lush orchids and trees. There was a massive dance floor and before you know it, it was filled with dancing authors jumping up and down to the beat of "It's Raining Men."

The food was just out of this world--dimsum tidbits. I couldn't get enough of the barbeque dumplings because you know, I'm sort of addicted to good Chinese food. Dancing took up a lot of energy, you know.

Everyone loves this party because it's on Friday, the last night before the Gala, and everyone sort of unwind and let loose the inner dance demon. I've never seen such beautiful ladies, in sequins and ballgowns and dancing frills. Many showed off impossibly sharp-spiked highheels; I have no idea how they stayed on them all night.

You know you had a good party going when the stories that come out the next day include a tree toppling over some enthusiastic dancers and a conga line that snaked in four different directions. Needless to say, this morning, everyone who's limping a little back at conference has attended this big party.

The wonderful party animals Kayla Perrin and Ann Voss Peterson kidnapped me after the party was over and we stayed with Heather Graham and her group at a nearby bar where the party DJ decided to regale us with some great piano and singing. Nothing like a group of RWA ladies and gentlemen screaming out Hotel California at the top of their voices at the posh Four Seasons in the middle of the night, I tell you.

This morning, one of my roommates pulled out the ironing board to get ready for her meeting. I swear, I thought the creaky sounds of the contraption was my back and legs protesting. That's how sore I am now. This roofer had a thorough workout on heels last night indeed.

I have to get ready for the gala tonight, where we find out who won the best books for different categories. Cindy Gerard promised to buy me dinner so I can't be late ;-). Tomorrow, yes, it's FACE THE EVIL ATLANTA HUB time again. I won't be back in my own bed till 11pm EST and I know I'm going to be numb from exhaustion.

I hope you guys are having a great weekend. Lots of good books at the conference--I can't wait to show you the loot! Are you going to be jealous. I have other news but let's wait till I get back.

While I'm at the airport, I'll be checking the blog to pass away the long hours. Entertain me with what you have been up to the past week. Any interesting read?

And oh, wish me luck for the Atlanta Hub. I pray for no delay (hahahahahahahaha, right). It would be nice to get home before midnight, you know? Okay, your turn!

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RWA: LiteracySigning

See what you're missing? Crowds and crowds of readers!

Me with my books. So many wonderful people stopped by to say hi and to ask that inevitable question: WHERE IS VHERS? Argghhh.

But I love y'all for being such caring fans and friends. Thank you so much for your support!

Here's Barry Eisler with his newest book. He was enjoying his first RWA Literacy signing.

An old buddy of mine, Kathleen Dante.

Caught SBSarah while she was walking down the aisle. She was interviewed for the Today Show!

The Literacy Signing made over $60,000, all of which goes to literacy charities. The leftover books are also donated.

After the signing, hungry authors went in search for sustenance. My friends and I took another side trip into Chinatown and ate at a Hunanese restaurant. There were fishheads! And I made them eat them ;-). And yes, they admitted fish with fish heads still on them taste fiiiine.

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RWA: Roadtrip! Adventure! Shopping!

Before RWA officially started, Cindy Gerard, Kylie Brant, Susan Connell, and I decided to take a roadtrip to Sonoma. It was just a beautiful, beautiful day--no fog or whipping winds at all. Susan drove in our hired Infiniti (yup, we travel like Queens) and we didn't even scream at all when she was winding the car up and down the narrow one-way streets of San Francisco.

This is the view just past the SF Golden Bridge (we couldn't take a nice pic of that from our speeding car). Isn't it pretty?

This is our first wine-tasting stop. It belonged to a family who has been in the business for a long, long time.



So here we are, 10 am, with our first sip of the day. Num Num. We tasted and gave our opinion, making each wine description sound like a man.

"Oh, this has a delicious golden tone to it, with a little sexy snappy after taste."

"Oh, this one's just so strong. Too oaky for me."

"I like this. Extra nice after taste. I can have it all night long."

"What a smooth one. Damn, give that to me again."

Heh.

The next one is a Tuscan Villa. It was sooooo beautiful. In fact, I'm packing my suitcase and moving here.

This would be my view as I eat breakfast with my smooth male companion.

This is the "other" side of the view--my villa and the fountain in the courtyard.

Even my statue of Neptune would look hip.

The happy authors, happily inebriated, happily waved from one of the windows from another beautiful winery. After that we went straight to Sonoma, a shopper's paradise. We had a great time going in and out of the little stores. We ate at an Italian restaurant that looked like it had been transplanted from Italy itself. The food--simply devine. Yes, that was the wine talking.

On the way home, we saw these giant chairs at the roadside. Now, we needed pictures to prove that we really saw giant chairs so we stopped the car in the middle of the highway, made a U-turn and then climbed onto them. Wheee! We liked these chairs. Where's my laptop?

Me and Kylie were way too comfortable.

Cindy is just a silly kid.

I really liked this chair!

More later...

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