A Few Photos from the 2011 RWA Conference

A view of Times Square from the hotel

The gang, after seeing Jersey Boys on Broadway

Keli Gwyn and I, dressed up for the Awards Ceremony

The Broadway Ballroom before the ceremony began

Me at the podium, accepting the Golden Heart

Lisa Connelly and I (Lisa won for Contemporary Single Title)

Celebrating!

The Obligatory Shoe Post, or "Wild Times at DSW"

Today's mission was two-pronged.

Objective #1. Find a pair of strappy, dressy heels for RWA Awards Ceremony.

Please. This was child's play. Done.

Objective #2: Buy a pair of cute, but sensible, shoes with a low heel suitable for walking long distances in hotel halls and on the streets of NYC.

Friends, the plan went awry.

The moment I walked through the doors of DSW, I knew I was in trouble. To my ears, the muzak piped through the speakers was a chorus of angels singing. As I roamed the aisles, smelling that new shoe smell, I slipped into a zombie-like trance.

I lost sight of the goal. Decidedly impractical shoes made their way into my shopping bag.





I'm weak. But I'm a happy girl.

Mission accomplished.

The Obligatory Dress Post, or "How Not to Find a Dress for RWA Nationals"

The RITA/Golden Heart Awards Ceremony (being held on July 1st in New York City) is a lovely, glamorous red carpet affair. The occasion calls for a fancy dress and dressing up is something I always look forward to. Until I have to actually find the dress.

This summer’s conference will be my fourth trip to RWA Nationals and therefore marks my fourth attempt to acquire stylish evening wear. In past years I’ve met with varying degrees of success, where success is defined as “not looking like the biggest country bumpkin in the room.”

Interestingly, I have identified my four distinct phases of dress acquisition. They always occur in the same sequence and no phase is ever skipped. I share them with you so that you may learn from my mistakes. We start with . . .

The I’m-Sure-There’s-Something-in-my-Closet I Can Wear Phase. This phase is characterized mainly by delusions. Every year I seem to forget that my closet looks nothing like Jennifer Lopez’s. The closest thing to formal wear hanging in the corner is a black velvet New Year’s Eve gown circa 1993 (remember Elvira?) and . . . oh wait, that’s it. This leads me to shrug and enter . . .

The I’ll-Just-Borrow-a-Fabulous-Dress Phase. My well-meaning sister and sisters-in-law are horrible enablers during this phase. They generously offer up their own fashionable gowns, assuring me something will work, when they know full well that I’m a couple inches shorter than anyone in the family. After a period during which I seriously ponder the question of whether I might be adopted, I turn to . . .

The e-Bay Phase. I’m not proud of this. Well, I was a little proud of this. Whatever. The good news is that Bidding Fever is blessedly short-lived. When the cast-off prom gown for which I paid $18 arrives, I invariably realize that there is no help for it. I must be brave and face . . .

The Trying-On-Real-Dresses Phase. This phase is nothing like the whimsical portrayal in the movie 27 Dresses. No. This phase includes Dressing Rooms with 3-Way Mirrors and Fluorescent Lighting. It is the black moment, involving numerous trips to the racks, tugging, squeezing, and, all too often, ugly crying episodes. Then, just when it seems like hope is lost, I find a dress that’s, well . . . not awful. It could work. With the right shoes and jewelry. You know, it might be perfect.

Coming soon: The Obligatory Shoe Post

The Golden Heart® Call(s)

10:35 Between classes I sneak a peek at my phone. Husband texted a half hour earlier . . . someone from RWA® will call me during my lunch break. Heart palpitations ensue.

10:36 How will I survive today's long division lesson?

12:01 Lunch time! I run to computer to log on to RWA site . . . internet connection is down, dash it all. I will my phone to ring.

12:04 It rings. A lovely RWA board member informs me How to Reform a Rake finaled in the Regency category of the Golden Heart. While she graciously imparts information, I alternately gasp/cry. We hang up.

12:07 In a valiant attempt to avoid splotchy face, I dry my eyes and take deep breaths.

12:08 I call husband to tell him the good news and--What's this? Someone's beeping in. Probably the recorded message about home mortgages, but still . . . I should answer it.

12:09 Hello? It's a different--but equally lovely--RWA board member. Uh-oh. Obviously, there's been a mistake, and they're calling to revoke my finalist status. I brace myself. But no . . . she explains that my other entry, The Proper Miss's Guide to Bad Behavior, is also a finalist. OH. MY.

12:12 Attempts to avoid splotchy face are utterly futile. Happiness!

Dreaming in Words

A long time ago, when I was learning how to speak Spanish, I dreamed in Spanish. Not just the dialogue, but the narration too. Magically, the dreams were never constrained by the dry vocabulary in my Spanish II textbok. I was able to form sentences without stopping to think about conjugation, tense, or prounouns. Best of all--my accent was flawless.

An even longer time ago, when I was learning to type, I dreamed in key strokes. I learned on a Wang (not an euphemism). The interface was primitive--a black screen with bright green, Hal-like characters. In my dreams, though, as long as I typed the action, it played out in vivid color. I was a faceless narrator, clicking away, asdf jkl;, at about 100 wpm.

Lately, though, I've been dreaming in words. I see paragraphs and pages of text, and like an interior designer walking into a bachelor pad, I'm tsk, tsking. I want to fix it. I can fix it. Instead of moving the couch, I'm moving a scene. Instead of scouring antique shops for the perfect accent piece, I'm searching for the perfect word--the one that will take a humdrum sentence from whatever to wow. Metaphors, fresh description, and snappy dialogue are indexed and catalogued, like fabric samples and paint chips. When I wake up, I'm stumbling to the computer in my pajamas so I don't forget.

Revisions are going well. In the words of Stephen Tyler, Dream On.

Writing Goals for 2011

Every beginning comes from some other beginning's end.

It seems like just yesterday I was setting my goals for 2010, and here I am, about to set new ones for 2011.

It's been a great year. Highlights: seeing friends at RWA Nationals in Orlando, working (and playing!) with my critique partners, and finishing my latest manuscript. Not everything went as planned, however. Before I move forward with goals for the New Year, here's a quick look back at last year's goals (in blue) and actual accomplishments (in purple).

1st Quarter:
--Revise RaR from beginning to end. (Did this, but I think it was 2nd quarter. In the first quarter, I revised MP instead.)
--Begin outlining my next story, the first in a Regency trilogy. (Wow. Totally forgot that I was going to make it a trilogy. But it's still doable, right?)
--Act as category coordinator for my chapter's contest. (Done. Phew.)

2nd Quarter:
--Work with my agent to prepare RaR for submission. (Got great insight from wonderful agent, but was busy drafting PMG . . . need to return to this in 2011.)
--Draft the first 3 chapters and synopsis of a new book. (Yes.)
--Redesign my website. (Yes, but I cheated a little and hired a tech-savvy friend.)

3rd & 4th Quarters:
--Complete a draft of the new book. (YES!)

Ongoing:
--Work with and support my critique partners. (Loved every minute of this.)
--Enter and judge at least 2 RWA contests. (Check. Entered 3, judged 2.)
--Attend at least 4 WRW (Washington Romance Writers) meetings/workshops. (Only made it to one. *hangs head*)
--Read at least 4 books on craft. (Oh my. How is it possible that I went through the whole year without reading a single craft book? Did read lots of blog posts on craft, though.)
--Attend either the WRW Spring Retreat or the RWA National Conference. (Went to Nationals, had a great time, learned lots.)

Now, for 2011's Goals . . .

1st Quarter:
--Revise PMG from beginning to end.

2nd Quarter:
--Revise RaR from beginning to end.

3rd & 4th Quarters:
--Complete a draft of a new book. (Apparently, it will be the 2nd in a trilogy.)

Ongoing:
--Work with and support my critique partners.
--Enter and judge at least 2 RWA contests.
--Attend at least 2 WRW (Washington Romance Writers) meetings/workshops.
--Read at least 2 books on craft.
--Attend the RWA National Conference in NYC.

There. That doesn't seem too overwhelming. And I promise to be flexible when necessary.

By the way, I'm participating in the Ruby Slippered Sisters Winter Writing Festival (WWF) starting Jan. 10. Our slogan: "Finally! A writing festival that doesn't span a major holiday. (You know women are running it.)" If you want to get a jump start on writing/revising/plotting, please please please come check it out. The company is fabulous (if I do say so myself) and there are are even prizes for participants.

Counting Down to the Golden Heart® Deadline

It gut-check time, ladies. And gentlemen.

I glanced at my calendar today, and saw that on Nov. 24--exactly one month from today--I'd written "mail entries." Golden Heart entries have to be at RWA® by close of business on Dec. 2. I like to mail them before Thanksgiving, though. I save a little on postage and get to have a stress-free turkey day.

It's funny how it always seems to come down to the wire. This will be the 5th straight year I've drafted a new manuscript to enter in the contest. I love having a deadline at the end of November. In December, I plan to goof off. Shopping, decorating, baking, and reading are all on the agenda. Also, catching up on all my TV shows.

This year, I think I'm a little bit ahead of where I usually am. I still have 10K words to go on The Proper Miss's Guide to Bad Behavior, aka The Etiquette of Extortion, aka The Blackmailing Seamstress, but it's going swimmingly. I think this has been my easiest story to write so far. Of course, easy doesn't necessarily translate into good. And I still have days when I want to pull my hair out, and I'll need to do a lot of revising, but the end is in sight.

If you're like me (scrambling to get your GH entry ready), take heart! It can feel overwhelming, lonely, and daunting, but a lot of us are in the same boat. Here are a few of my favorite GH related articles from various blogs that might give you the information or inspiration you need.

A Recipe for Golden Heart Success -- this is by Darynda Jones, super-talented and super-nice author of First Grave on the Right. She knows of what she speaks.

Goal Setting for the Golden Heart and Beyond -- Vivi Andrews, author of eight (8!) paranormal romance novels and novellas gives solid advice on goals.

Golden Heart Rotisserie by the Numbers -- Ruby Sister and GH winner, Jamie Michele, breaks down the numbers behind the categories. Really fascinating stuff.

The Woman Behind the Curtain -- that would be Carol Ritter, RWA professional relations manager. Multiple GH finalist Bev Pettersen interviewed Carol and got some great behind the scenes info.

Nine Nuggets from my Golden Heart Experiences -- if you want to know what it's like to be a GH finalist, this article by my awesome critique partner, Keli Gwyn, sums it up quite nicely.

You CAN Finish your Manuscript in time for the GH -- and avoid a FedEx bill that makes you weep. That's the plan, anyway. This one's by me.

If you have other GH articles you like, please let me know! I'll add them. Good luck to everyone racing to finish and polish their entries. We can do it!