RWA Conference, Digested
Fabulous Jennie Lucas and me after the RITA ceremonyThe RWA Conference in Dallas was glorious, as all RWA conferences are. Now that almost two weeks have passed since I arrived home, the stories and news are coming out of the woodwork. On Tuesday of this week, the incomparable Trish Milburn got The Call! Penguin Putnam is contracting her for two YA books. This followed fast on the heels of both her Golden Heart win and her action-packed year as PRO Liaison.
Just today, I heard the news that another '06 Packer friend of mine, Trish Cerrone, has also sold! But her offer came
at conference from the acquiring editor who apparently gushed over her work. She described it as being surreal and stunning and said she stared a lot and told the editor, "I love you". *g* I'm sure I would too! But she didn't spread the news until she secured an agent, the agent negotiated the deal, Trish accepted, etc. Two weeks! I could never hold it in that long. She deserves sainthood!
I have heard stories of deals being brokered, contracts offered, anthologies plotted and volunteers recruited at conference. Actually, I was recruited. I offered to serve as RWA Bylaws Committee Chair for the coming year. I served on the Bylaws Committee this year, so I know (sort of) what it entails. But it's a little terrifying to think they are entrusting this to me. I'm sure all will be well - really! Now I simply have to recruit some people to serve on my Committee (heh, heh, heh).
I also made sure to mail off my requested partials last week. Hopefully they will be among the first that hit the editor's and agent's desks. While their eyes are fresh, they will be delighted and request more material. With glee, they will realize that
I am the author they have been looking for. Ah, conference. Always good for refueling my dreams.
So what was the best take-home from the RWA conference for you?Labels: Conference, industry news, RWA
24-Hour Party People
It will not be surprising (given my penchant for discussing cows and strudel) that I am not really a
party person. Except, that is, when I am at the
RWA National conference. At conference, we all get to be someone else. Our public persona for a magical few days. I did that last week and had a fabulous time.
In the picture above, I was heading out to
The Golden Network's annual Dessert Reception. There, I had the great pleasure of watching as my dear friends
Jennie Lucas and
Deb Marlowe were
booted out - which is an honor! That is what we do to previous Golden Heart finalists once they are published. Believe me, I look forward to the boot!
And here I am dressed for the RITA/Golden Heart awards ceremony. It's rather like the Oscars, in that everyone dresses to the nines and there are teleprompters and larger-than-life pictures flashed on huge screens. Last year, it was thrilling to see my own image flashed on the screen. This year, I got an even bigger thrill:
My dear friend Deb Marlowe won the Golden Heart in Short Historical! It was an incredibly wonderful time for all of us who know and love Deb. I hope not to qualify for the Golden Heart next year. But if I do still qualify, I can only hope to have as joyous a time as Deb had. Congratulations to all the finalists and winners!
Does anyone have conference highs or lows to share? A great story? A triumph? Do tell!Labels: Conference, RWA
Cow Story Was True
In case you doubted the veracity of my statement Re: Cows marching through Adelboden, here is a picture:
I took this picture while sitting in a cafe/bakery in downtown Adelboden. Now, Adelboden is a village, but it has a decent downtown area with many nice stores and a large Co-op. The last thing I expected to see while we were there (resting after a day of hiking and rock climbing) were cows marching through downtown. I suppose it's the quickest way to get them to the high pastures.
Here is another herd of cows, which also came through town while we were there. This herd belonged to a different family, though:
In case you're wondering about the bells, apparently the size of the cow's bell reflects on the prosperity of the farmer. We visited a living history museum called
Ballenberg and saw the whole range of cowbells. The largest were so enormous you couldn't possibly lift them and the leather straps holding them on the cow's necks were at least 12 inches wide. It was amazing! But I felt a bit sorry for the cows.
Know any interesting cow trivia? I heard global warming is causing certain Alpine flowers not to bloom, which could change the taste of the cow's milk and, therefore, the Alpine cheeses. How's that for unintended consequences?Labels: Vacation
Adelboden Versus Dallas
Raleigh skyline (at night, which is cheating)Adelboden, Switzerland and Dallas, Texas could not possibly be more different. They do have some things in common, though. For one, I returned from Adelboden a couple of weeks ago and will head to Dallas a week from today.
For another, both are quite different from my hometown. Adelboden is full of mountains (that people fully expect you to
hike up and down) and Dallas is flatter than the proverbial buffalo pancake. Raleigh, on the other hand, is situated between the rolling foothills of the Appalachians and the sandhills of the east coast. Rolling hills is what we have. Ones that are easy to hike up and down, might I add.
Oey, near Adelboden (this is close as they get to a skyline!)Also, Adelboden is a place of cold, snowy winters and cool, gorgeous summers. They believe it is warm when it is 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Ha! Dallas, on the other hand, can be icy and treacherous in the winter (on rare occasions) but enjoys temperatures above 100 degrees F many times during the summer. Raleigh is somewhere in between these, but leans toward the Dallas side on the heat scale.
A big difference between these towns and Raleigh is the great public transportation. Raleigh is trying hard, but it is far behind the fabulous transportation system in Switzerland and also the getting-better-all-the-time rail, light rail and bus system in the greater Dallas area. We used public transportation exclusively while in Adelboden and I plan to do the same thing in Dallas. I love public transportation!
Dallas skyline (our hotel is adjacent to the ball-topped tower)Raleigh looks much more like Dallas than it does Adelboden, but Raleigh is prettier, if I say so myself. Still, my excitement in visiting Dallas at least equals that of Adelboden, because Dallas is hosting the
RWA national conference this year. As I say every year, I love conference! I will once again be rooming with my dear friends
Sabrina Jeffries,
Claudia Dain and
Deb Marlowe. We are fortunate to have Laura Maldonado rooming with us this year, the fabulous President of
Heart of Carolina Romance Writers.
I can hardly wait until the conference next week. Catching up with my writer friends, attending great workshops and parties, pitching to an agent and an editor. Onto the merry-go-round once more! So, as different as this trip will be from my last, it should prove to be just as exciting. But probably slightly easier on my feet!
Anyone else going to conference? Or just on a great trip? Let me know, I love to travel vicariously through others!
