I love attending this conference! I love walking through the lobby or the bar or the meeting room area and encountering friends I haven’t seen in a year. I love meeting friends that I only know from email or the blog. I love the energy and stimulation and excitement the conference creates, making me excited and eager to get home and write. I was in Dallas from Tuesday to Monday. Wednesday was a big day with the Beau Monde conference during the day to the huge Literacy Booksigning in the evening. The Beau Monde conference was devoted to all things Regency. I missed Kalen’s fashion workshop (darn!), but our own Risky, Janet Mullany, gave a very useful and entertaining workshop on servants, and I did get to spend a lot of time with our Risky blogger and friend Keira but I don’t have a photo!!
Here I am at the booksigning with Olivia Gates who writes Mills & Boon Medicals and Silhouette Bombshell. The booksigning raised $58,000 for literacy.
After the signing, I missed the Beau Monde Soiree because Sophia Nash roped me into joining several other authors to go to a Cowboy bar to learn line dancing. Romance Novel TV came along to film the fun. They also interviewed me at the booksigning, so stay tuned to see me on Romance Novel TV!
On Thursday the Harlequin Historical authors including Amanda and me had a Tea at a posh restaurant specializing in desserts. Not only were the desserts fabulous, but this restaurant is the only one I’ve ever encountered that had a TV in the bathroom–showing the cooking channel. Amanda and I and our friend and fellow author, Deb Marlowe went out to dinner with one of the Mills & Boon editors. Friday was the Harlequin Party which was held at the Fairmont Hotel. A group of us intended to share a taxi and wound up in a white stretch Hummer limousine to get there.
Here are Amanda, Deb, and me in the limousine.
Here we are again before the dancing started.
On Saturday I attended a marvelous workshop by Michael Hauge who wrote Writing Screenplays That Sell. He spoke about the essential components of a romance, and I’ll have to talk more about that in another blog someday.
Two Regencies won the RITA in their categories: Julia Quinn’s On the Way to the Wedding for Long Historical and Tracy Anne Warren’s The Husband Trap for Best First Book.
Here is a special photo! Romance Vagabonds Elodie and Manda (seated), me, our blogger, Santa, and Eloisa James!
I’m home now and already missing the new and old friends I saw at RWA!
Any questions about the conference?
Thanks for the report, Diane, and all the great pics! You all look so wonderful — and like you’re having a great time!
And so neat that you met Keira and Santa there! (And yay for the pic with Santa!)
If you think of any more fabulous details to share, please do!
Cara
I’m still brain dead, Cara. Maybe I can show my Beau Monde silent auction prizes next week. I was so lucky to get just what I wanted.
I can say that Historicals are seen as going strong even though everyone was saying Historicals are dead last year. And Harlequin is doing well. Their profits are up this year, even though the other publishers have not done as well.
Great photos, Diane. And I loved the report. There was so much going on that no matter who reports, there are some things that are completely new and different in every report.
Regencies are being sought after by Avon, too.
Oh boy, I’ve been seeing the pics all around the blogs and geez louise, to be there, around all my favorite authors!!!! Maybe one of these days. 🙂
Lois
What a treat it was to finally meet you, Diane, Kiera, Manda, Sara, Amanda McCabe and so many others. I am sorry to say I didn’t get a chance to meet Janet and Jo Beverly whose re-issue of her Trad Regencies I am salivating at the bit for!
Frankly, I can’t see how historicals are dying off since that’s just about all I purchase.
Santa
Who pitched a contemporary romance but whose heart belongs to historicals.
Historicals aren’t dying. That’s a myth (though one with staying power). If you study the numbers you’ll see that historicals are a strong, vital part of the market (and holding steady at about 35-40% of it!), and that there are tons of debut historical authors!
I had so much fun getting to see all the Riskies in Dallas, and I can’t WAIT to host you all in San Francisco!!!
I forgot to say in the blog that I met Janegeorge, too, and she looks nothing like her little icon. She’s gorgeous!
Lois, you MUST come someday! Maybe we can have a “Risky” party at RWA someday–the conference needs more parties 🙂
I forgot to say in the blog that I met Janegeorge, too, and she looks nothing like her little icon.
But does Keira look like her icon? I picture her always wearing a darling little bonnet! 🙂
Cara
Keira looks just a teensy bit different than her icon, but just as cute.
Ammanda must have a photo of her. I remember all three of us taking a photo, only we must have missed my camera
I wish I had went! Looks like everybody had such a great time. And looked so glamorous too!
And you looked so very beautiful Diane!
Maybe one of these days I’ll get to go to one of those parties. 🙂
We definitely need to have a Risky party next year! As Diane says–there just aren’t enough parties at RWA (ha!!)
I will try and post my own pics on Saturday (including one of Keira!), that should give me time to get organized and try to be a bit less sleep-deprived. 🙂 RWA was really fab this year!
Only my second National, and although I’d heard horror stories about the last Dallas conference,(cough-MaryKay-cough)I had a *fabulous* time!
Diane, you’re even nicer in person than you are on-line, if that’s possible. And I warn anyone trying to avoid sleep deprivation not to pick up one of Diane’s novels at 10:30 p.m., like I did! I think I finally dozed off, book in hand, at 3 a.m.
I would love to meet more Riskies next year in SF, my ‘hood!!!
And, okay, I may have to part with Professor Trelawney as my icon and put up a (scary)real pic. But as a techno-idjit, I have to figure out how to separate my first and last names, first!
PS, the Soiree was exceptional. Dancing gentleman were imported! 🙂
Mallory! the conference comes to Washington DC in 2009!
You can see why I think Janegeorge is beautiful. She IS beautiful, but staying up til 3 am to read my book is above and beyond!
I missed the Soiree because of the Romance Novel TV line dancing. I think I would have preferred Regency line dancing!!!!
Argh! My “real me” pic on my website won’t load. I have one of those plug-and-play template sites.
For those who are remotely curious, you can go to my profile and click on My Web Page. There I be.
For now, I’ve captured the more “inspirational” image of Aidan Gillen.
Oh, my gosh, what a great time! It was wonderful to meet so many cyber buddies and hang out with old friends.
Keira is adorable, even without a bonnet! Congrats on your Royal Ascot final, Jane!
I can’t wait to hear what you won at the silent auction, Diane!
Deb, it was fabulous meeting you, too, and congratulations once again.
Amanda, you’re going to “out,” me, hm? Hm!
Santa, is so cool!
JaneGeorge, looked very niiiiice in her soiree outfit as she went up to pick up her Ascot win.
BTW, Jane George, congrats on your placement in the Royal Ascot! Very nicely done!
Cara
janegeorge, you WON the Royal Ascot? Darn. Now I am sorry I didn’t stay at the Soiree.
Thanks, guys! I was very well pleased with second place. And I’ve never had so much fun while acquiring query letter clout at the same time. LOL
Kalen helped with some suggestions to do over my thrift-store, Karen Carpenter, lace concoction. It turned out better than expected. Dress-up was awesome. Am now wanting more Regency gowns!
Yes, Diane, please post about your auction items. There was mucho fabulous stuff. I was outbid for the Carolly Erickson book. 🙁
Okay, next week will be my Regency auction items!
WAAAH I didn’t get to meet Santa. But I did meet Jane George (loved your hat) and Keira. My voice has only just returned to normal after the fierce TX a/c (and talking too much).
Glad you all had such a good time. Next year… I hope!
Janet,
Thanks for the Tim-Tam. I am no longer a cheap English chocolate virgin.
Or something like that…
Your workshop on servant’s was great.