This is just a fraction of the view from our 22nd floor balcony at our hotel in San Diego during the Romance Writers of America conference last week. It was by far the most beautiful view from any hotel at any RWA conference ever, including NY! What a week...
I'm still recovering!
Lots of high points, though--we got in Tuesday evening and grabbed a quick meal at the Tequila Bar on the hotel premises, (and yes, I did have a Margarita...just one!) then took a walk along the bay and discovered that Pokemon Go was a VERY BIG DEAL! It was absolutely hysterical: visualize hundreds of people, every color, every gender, every country (because this is a huge tourist area) and all chasing little Pokemon creatures on their cell phones. Best thing? People were talking to each other, laughing and offering tips and in general just having the best fun ever. My husband has it on his phone and we joined the throng--it was like the world's coolest street party. And yes, I have loaded Pokemon Go on my phone now, but haven't had time to play it. I will, though, at some point.
Wednesday I registered and ran into friends who were just arriving at the hotel, and then I had the ultimate fangirl thrill when I met Nalini Singh for lunch. I've known Nalini for years, though we've never gotten together long enough to just sit and talk, and I am so glad we had this chance. She's even better than her books, if that's at all possible, as entertaining and fun as can be, and that hour we spent will remain one of the high points of the entire conference.
I'm still recovering!
Lots of high points, though--we got in Tuesday evening and grabbed a quick meal at the Tequila Bar on the hotel premises, (and yes, I did have a Margarita...just one!) then took a walk along the bay and discovered that Pokemon Go was a VERY BIG DEAL! It was absolutely hysterical: visualize hundreds of people, every color, every gender, every country (because this is a huge tourist area) and all chasing little Pokemon creatures on their cell phones. Best thing? People were talking to each other, laughing and offering tips and in general just having the best fun ever. My husband has it on his phone and we joined the throng--it was like the world's coolest street party. And yes, I have loaded Pokemon Go on my phone now, but haven't had time to play it. I will, though, at some point.
Wednesday I registered and ran into friends who were just arriving at the hotel, and then I had the ultimate fangirl thrill when I met Nalini Singh for lunch. I've known Nalini for years, though we've never gotten together long enough to just sit and talk, and I am so glad we had this chance. She's even better than her books, if that's at all possible, as entertaining and fun as can be, and that hour we spent will remain one of the high points of the entire conference.
| One minor note--I had to tell Nalini how much trouble she was in--after I read Allegiance of Honor, which is an amazing book that answers a lot of questions as it sets up future stories in the ever-changing Psy/Changeling series, I had to go back and reread Judd's story in Caressed by Ice, and Hawke's story in Kiss of Snow, just because they were in the new book and I missed them. Ergo, it's all Nalini's fault my newsletter is going out so late and I'm still working on copy edits for Dangerous Passions. I had hopes of actually getting back on schedule. |  |
 | I did discover something rather interesting...Nalini thinks American dollars are boring. After she showed me what the money in New Zealand looks like, I have to agree! Not only are they really colorful, but they have beautiful little clear windows with holograms in them. I'm impressed! And she's right. Ours IS boring! As soon as I got home, Rock Wedding came out, the fourth and final book in the Rock Kiss series of contemporary romances Nalini's publishing independently--I usually read paranormal, but I love this series. I finished it but wasn't willing to let it go, so I'm now re-reading Rock Redemption. I know. Hopeless... |
| Wednesday afternoon I met up with Alix Rickloff (who also writes as Alexa Eagan) and Susan Lyons Fox, aka Susan Lyons, Susan Fox, and Savannah Fox, for a pre Literacy Signing cocktail. These two women are part of my support group--I know I can bitch and gripe and get things off my chest with either or both of them, and they don't run screaming to get away from me. We've discovered it's much easier with alcohol...My mai tai worked really well. I was ready for the signing... |  Alix Rickloff Susan Lyons Fox |
I got a copy of Alix's new book, Secrets of Nanreath Hall at the conference, and I highly recommend this to any reader who enjoys historical fiction set around the first and second world wars. It skips between the narrative of a mother and her illegitimate daughter--the mother in first person, the daughter in third who is searching for answers to her own story. It is beautifully told. I literally could not put this book down.
Did not get many pictures on my phone at the signing--was much too busy signing books and talking to people, but if you got any of me doing my thing, please send me a copy! You can IM me on Facebook or send it to me at [email protected] I love to get those up on Facebook! However, the signing was a lot of fun, and thank you so much to those of you who stopped by. And no, I don't post names just in case your significant other thinks you were attending church services or the PTA meeting Wednesday evening! I won't tell. (Though you can leave me a comment!) I'm so horrible at recognizing faces and putting names to them, especially when I only know you online. At least two of you showed up with totally different hair color than I remember, and that's one of the little "tricks" I use to help recall a person's name. So if I forgot, it's like, uh...your fault? Okay. I promise not to hold it against anyone...
After the signing, I ended up in the bar with Stella Cameron, Sheri Brooks of Purple Papaya, a marketing company for authors, Jayne Ann Krentz and, for a brief bit, my spouse. But, since we kept talking and it was noisy, he bailed at a decent hour. I don't know why I think I can stay awake all hours at a conference, but I always at least try.
Thursday was a really full day. Doug and I started out having breakfast with author Jessica Scott. Jess is one of the smartest women I know, an instructor at West Point Military Academy, an army captain currently working on her Phd with service in the Middle East as part of her resume, she can definitely explain what's going on in this world better than I ever could. Since my husband is a history buff and news junkie, I just sat back and listened. The two of them kept me entertained (and upped my understanding of a lot of what's going on in the world) for the next hour or so.
I had some actual conference business before the Kensington Publishing book signing--and that was really special. I haven't written for Kensington since 2012, though my last book came out with them in 2014--but they had copies of that one, Dark Moon, so that I could sign with the other authors, knowing full well that I was using the signing to promote my now indie published Spirit Wild stories.
Did not get many pictures on my phone at the signing--was much too busy signing books and talking to people, but if you got any of me doing my thing, please send me a copy! You can IM me on Facebook or send it to me at [email protected] I love to get those up on Facebook! However, the signing was a lot of fun, and thank you so much to those of you who stopped by. And no, I don't post names just in case your significant other thinks you were attending church services or the PTA meeting Wednesday evening! I won't tell. (Though you can leave me a comment!) I'm so horrible at recognizing faces and putting names to them, especially when I only know you online. At least two of you showed up with totally different hair color than I remember, and that's one of the little "tricks" I use to help recall a person's name. So if I forgot, it's like, uh...your fault? Okay. I promise not to hold it against anyone...
After the signing, I ended up in the bar with Stella Cameron, Sheri Brooks of Purple Papaya, a marketing company for authors, Jayne Ann Krentz and, for a brief bit, my spouse. But, since we kept talking and it was noisy, he bailed at a decent hour. I don't know why I think I can stay awake all hours at a conference, but I always at least try.
Thursday was a really full day. Doug and I started out having breakfast with author Jessica Scott. Jess is one of the smartest women I know, an instructor at West Point Military Academy, an army captain currently working on her Phd with service in the Middle East as part of her resume, she can definitely explain what's going on in this world better than I ever could. Since my husband is a history buff and news junkie, I just sat back and listened. The two of them kept me entertained (and upped my understanding of a lot of what's going on in the world) for the next hour or so.
I had some actual conference business before the Kensington Publishing book signing--and that was really special. I haven't written for Kensington since 2012, though my last book came out with them in 2014--but they had copies of that one, Dark Moon, so that I could sign with the other authors, knowing full well that I was using the signing to promote my now indie published Spirit Wild stories.
 | This picture was taken at the Kensington signing--I'm with editor Martin Biro, who was my editor's assistant when I was still with that house. He's also Susan Fox's editor, and she was a Rita finalist at this year's RWA. I'm sorry she didn't win--her series is absolutely wonderful. After the signing, I had time to clean up a bit and Doug and I walked over to the Culinary Wine Institute across the road from the hotel for the Kensington party. |
So much fun to see a lot of old friends, many of whom still write for Kensington. Doug and I ended up at a table outside where it wasn't as noisy (who could ever guess the decibel level a group of women can achieve!) and we took a lot of pictures--I've posted a few on my Facebook page, but I really like this one of my husband getting approval for one he'd just taken of Jackie Ivie, Zuri Day, and MingMei Yip. Jackie's one of the few women who can meet Doug eye to eye! He's tall and so is she.
Friday was another busy day with a book signing at one for St. Martin's Press, and then a chance to have a glass of wine with author Sylvia Day. Doug joined us, and it was so much fun to chat with Sylvia, especially now with all her success. I'm a huge fan of her Crossfire series, but Sylvia and I go back to our early days with Kensington and the Aphrodisia imprint. Now we're both at St. Martin's Press.
She's done amazingly well, and the best part is that every bit of her rise in the publishing world is well-earned--that girl can write a beautiful story! I told her I still wanted more about the characters in Crossfire, and she said they'll appear in a new series she's working on, the Blacklist series, set in the same world as the one Gideon and Eva inhabit. It's not finished yet, so not on the schedule, but Sylvia thinks it should be out in early to mid-2017.
And we were so busy talking, I forgot to get a picture!
When I spend time with authors who are so amazingly successful, it really makes me feel good, to know I'm part of such an amazing cadre of strong, intelligent women. There is a powerful sisterhood in writing, one of the few occupations where your competition will do whatever they can to help you succeed. It's really special.
We ended the evening--our last night in San Diego--with the St. Martin's cocktail party and then another walk along the bay--and more Pokemon Go and fun conversations with total strangers. I loved it! This was my first trip to San Diego and I hope it's not my last. It's such a beautiful area, with the long promenade along the bay, the view of Coronado Island and the U. S. Naval Air Station and the Navy SEALS training center. We could sit on our balcony in the evening and hear the sound of taps as the sun went down, though I managed to sleep through Reveille!
She's done amazingly well, and the best part is that every bit of her rise in the publishing world is well-earned--that girl can write a beautiful story! I told her I still wanted more about the characters in Crossfire, and she said they'll appear in a new series she's working on, the Blacklist series, set in the same world as the one Gideon and Eva inhabit. It's not finished yet, so not on the schedule, but Sylvia thinks it should be out in early to mid-2017.
And we were so busy talking, I forgot to get a picture!
When I spend time with authors who are so amazingly successful, it really makes me feel good, to know I'm part of such an amazing cadre of strong, intelligent women. There is a powerful sisterhood in writing, one of the few occupations where your competition will do whatever they can to help you succeed. It's really special.
We ended the evening--our last night in San Diego--with the St. Martin's cocktail party and then another walk along the bay--and more Pokemon Go and fun conversations with total strangers. I loved it! This was my first trip to San Diego and I hope it's not my last. It's such a beautiful area, with the long promenade along the bay, the view of Coronado Island and the U. S. Naval Air Station and the Navy SEALS training center. We could sit on our balcony in the evening and hear the sound of taps as the sun went down, though I managed to sleep through Reveille!
I'm doing something different with my contest this month--I did not bring home a lot of stuff from the Goody Room this year because I just can't deal with it right now. I'm trying to finish Dark Terror so I can get a new Spirit Wild book out to you guys, and that requires a bit of simplification in my life. With that in mind, I've got a different sort of prize. There will be only one winner, and I'm not giving away books I've written.
Instead, I went through my stash and pulled out the duplicates, copies of books I've bought and then ended up with a duplicate--they're often given out at conferences. There are two books by the wonderful J. Kenner--her erotic romances are amazingly well done! Reborn is the first in CC Hunter's wonderful YA vampire "spin-off" series, and Melissa Shroeder's book is one I had bought and then got a couple years ago at a conference, so I'm including the extra signed copy.
I have just removed five contest entries left in the comments section below--they were deleted for your safety. NEVER put personal information where the world can see it--there is a contest entry form to the right of the post--enter there where it's private. If I can recover your email I'll try and notify you to enter again, but please use the form that says CONTEST ENTRY FORM!!!
Instead, I went through my stash and pulled out the duplicates, copies of books I've bought and then ended up with a duplicate--they're often given out at conferences. There are two books by the wonderful J. Kenner--her erotic romances are amazingly well done! Reborn is the first in CC Hunter's wonderful YA vampire "spin-off" series, and Melissa Shroeder's book is one I had bought and then got a couple years ago at a conference, so I'm including the extra signed copy.
I have just removed five contest entries left in the comments section below--they were deleted for your safety. NEVER put personal information where the world can see it--there is a contest entry form to the right of the post--enter there where it's private. If I can recover your email I'll try and notify you to enter again, but please use the form that says CONTEST ENTRY FORM!!!
So, all you need to do to enter is fill out the form on the right with your name and MAILING address--no, email will not get print books to you, and you can't imagine how many entires still come with nothing but email. I do not gift digital copies of my books at this point. Because of other commitments, I must have your entry by Friday, July 29.
That's it for now. I need to get to work on my book. Just finished edits for Dangerous Passions, the final story in my Feral Passions series. I'm not sure when it's due to release--will let you know as soon as possible. I hope you're not melting where you live--I know the heat has been horrible across the nation. It's been hovering around 100 here, which is very unusual. Unusual enough that we don't have air conditioning because we so rarely need it! Trust me...we need it. Unfortunately it's NOT in the budget!
Take care and be well, and always make time for a good book. (You have to admit, reading a good romance sure beats politics about now.)
Take care,
Kate
Take care and be well, and always make time for a good book. (You have to admit, reading a good romance sure beats politics about now.)
Take care,
Kate
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