Publisher Party

FIRST OFFICIAL: Publisher Party!

Thanks to my Casa-sisters for providing the pictures below from our party on Friday, October 1. Driven in limos from the SF Marriott to Ghiradelli Square, to the restaurant Ana Mandara with our publisher Dominique Raccah, editor Deb Werksman and her husband, and publicist, Danielle Jackson, about a dozen and a half Sourcebook authors had a GREAT time!

(back, L-R) Michele Ann Young, Linda Wisdom, Dominique, Gloria Skinner/Amelia Grey, Beth Cornielson, Sharon Lathan, Danielle (FRONT L-R) Deb, Robin Kaye, Marie Force, Malena Lott, moi, Loucinda McGary

my editor, Deb Werksman and my publisher, Dominique Raccah

The Party’s Over…

Last night was the awards ceremony for the Rita and Golden Heart awards, always a bittersweet time. Of course, the finalists are thrilled, their friends and chaptermates are just as thrilled for them (at least, one would hope so!), but THE END looms in sight. All the camaraderie we’ve shared all week, the informative and interesting speakers who have shared their knowledge, maybe those fan moments (hi Jill Barnett!!!), “aha!” moments, of other “moments,” getting together with friends you only see at National…the awards ceremony signals the slide to the finish line.

I, for one, can’t wait for next year.

Vicki Lewis Thompson was kind enough to allow me to hold her Rita. I wasn't allowed to go far, but I did get to hold it all by myself.

Anne Stuart also let me hold her Rita.

Jo Beverly looking lovely in her dress at a post-awards ceremony party.

Anne Stuart didn't quite like the ratafia Jo Beverly had us all try. I thought it would have been better on ice.

Names and Faces and Tshirts

The internet makes it possible to meet people from all over, but rarely do you get a chance to take it to the next level and meet in person. This trip has been a bonanza on that front and here are a few more of my online friends in a face-to-face:

The Gather 3: Starr Ambrose, Meredith Duran, Moi

 

Fellow First Chapters entrant, Terry Molina

 

The VFRW Raffle Winner, Nancy Naigle of Virginia

These are the “Priceless” tshirts my chapter sells. I bought mine last year – and it “worked”!!

Me and Daria. See http://www.vfrw.com to order these shirts.

Stars and Wombats

Today is Day 2 of the conference and here are a few of the stars of our world. Throw in a few Wombats (who, in my book, are DEFINITELY stars – why, one of them is even NAMED Starr…) and you’ve got a winning bunch, or as the Wombats like to say, a winning Wisdom of Wombats. Here goes:

Valley Forge Romance Writers: Robin, Daria, Nellie (honorary!), Judi, Sharyn

 

American Title 3-ers: Judi, Raz Steel, Linda Thomas-Sundstrom

 

Writing Wombats: Judi, Starr Toth, Gina Robinson

Judi and FCR-er Melinda Stanley

The Debutante Ball: Denise, Eileen, Jenny, Jess, Lisa

Stephanie Laurens, Judi, Julia Quinn

Conference Day 1

Yes, I got my pink FIRST SALE ribbon! Woo hoo! It feels goooooooooooood! I hope everyone gets to have this feeling and SOON!

Technically, it’s arrival day at the conference for general attendees, but chapter presidents and some special interest groups schedule meetings. I had a meeting with my agent, met the publicist for Sourcebooks and had an agency party to go to in between the presidents’ retreat (renamed Chapter Leadership Seminar, but that takes too long to type. Henceforth, I’m calling it Pres. Retreat).

me and my agent, Jennifer Schober of Spencerhill Associates

It’s also the day of the Literacy signing; where all money raised from the sale of books (donated by the publishers) goes to charity. We should find out today or tomorrow how much we raised this year.

Jenny Gardiner, author of Sleeping With Ward Cleaver

Michele Ann Young, another Sourcebooks author

 

Robin Kaye, 2007 Golden Heart winner, Sourcebooks author, with her first book!

Robin didn’t know her books (ARCs) were going to be here and she’d never seen them before someone told her there was an author here with the same name. She went over and voila! her book!!! I still have the message on my cell phone where she’s screaming with happiness. That was a great moment to share with her!

 

Robin signing my copy!

The Beau Monde and Hearts Through History chapters have fun stuff going on – complete with a regency-set dance in the evening. I’m not a member, so I don’t have pictures of this fun event but my roommate always has a great time. They did, however, provide some fun for the rest of us with the Roman soldiers wandering the lobby. Gotta love that!

San Fran by Foot

The past two days have been full of walking and seeing the sights. And some more walking.

 

Did I mention walking?

 

Plus I worked out in the gym here at the hotel. I think I’ve bought myself about five years’ worth of working out credit from all the walking we’ve done. The public transportation is pretty crowded if you don’t get on at the beginning of the line, so I’ve walked back from the wharf twice. Once is enough.

 

Monday was spent in Chinatown with Jenny Gardiner, author of Sleeping With Ward Cleaver. We had lunch at the Oriental Pearl Restaurant, which the concierge at our hotel said was off the beaten tourist path. Um….no. Still, it was good food and good service.

 

Tuesday was spent with Daria Yanez on Alcatraz Island. The weather was beautiful, if a bit windy, on the bay and I highly recommend taking one of the ranger tours. We took one on the escape attempts from The Rock. Our guide, Al Bank, was very entertaining and knowledgeable. Those men had to be desperate to get into that water. And it seemed like they all took their clothes off to do it. More naked men…go figure.

 

Judi and Jenny do Chinatown

My hero’s last name in In Over Her Head is Tritone. Couldn’t pass this up!

Then we went to The Rock: