The 2014 Romance Writers of America (RWA14) conference in San Antonio is a few days away. This will be my first time attending, and I’ll be going in style as a Golden Heart® finalist (a contest for unpublished authors). Last year was the first year I was even aware of the conference, and it was right down the road from me in Atlanta. I went to one event—my brand-new agent’s cocktail party. Since she lives on the west coast and I live on east coast, I thought we might never meet face to face, so I took advantage. I remember wandering the hotel floor feeling horribly out of place. As I passed a writer of a book I had recently finished on the way to the bathroom, I had the thought that I wasn’t a ‘real’ writer.
But, pour a couple of drinks down my gullet, and it was all good. Except for the fact, I couldn’t find my car later, but that’s a different story…
This year, my calendar is jammed packed with workshops, coffees, dinners, parties. Not only will I be a GH finalist, but both manuscripts that finaled have been contracted by Samhain Publishing and will be released next year. Contrary to my strange dreams of mom jeans and dancing like Elaine Benes amongst So You Think You Can Dance contestants, I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and socializing.
I’m ‘helping’ my fellow Badgirl Elizabeth Michels at the Literacy Signing, and by the glory of alphabetization, she’ll be next to Courtney Milan. Not to mention all of the other authors in the room. I’m going to try to be cool. Probably won’t succeed. Don’t judge if you see me babbling incoherently and being escorted out by security!
In addition to the signing and seeing my agent again, I’ll meet a couple of the other Badgirlz (Jeanette Grey, who is up for a Rita!, and Brighton Walsh) from our Badgirlz blog, AND I’ll finally get to meet the other Golden Heart® finalists.
With the scoring changes, we are about half the size as groups of past years. I like the intimacy of the Dreamweavers. It’s tradition for each GH class to pick a name—my fav, Chicks with WIPS didn’t make the cut:). We have a yahoo group that we post to regularly. We cheer each success and commiserate when those inevitable rejections roll in. I’ve been truly inspired by their life stories. An added bonus has been the expansion of critique partners from the group. The experience has been a lovely and wonderful.
On the night of the awards, someone will be named winner in each category. Although, I don’t think any of the rest of us will feel like we ‘lost’. All I’ve done is gain from being a finalist, and I believe all the other Dreamweavers would say the same. In fact, my fingers are crossed one of the other historical finalists will have their name called Saturday night. Perhaps, the winner will hook an agent or nab a publishing deal from one of the final judges.
And, I have another confession to make…I dislike jewelry. Not on other people, mind you, just on myself. I’ve had a weird aversion since childhood. Here, let me stretch out on the couch. See, it all started when my dear mother forced me to wear a necklace to church…
Well, it’s neither here nor there how it started. I don’t like metal. I don’t have my ears pierced, my watches have always been sporty, plastic watches, and in fact, the only jewelry I own/wear is my wedding ring. When I told my wonderfully supportive college girlfriends that the ‘prize’ for winning the GH was a necklace, they busted out laughing hysterically at the irony. Which only cements the fact that someone else should win. Someone who will want to wear the lovely necklace. I’d honestly prefer hanging the runner’s up certificate on my wall and congratulating the winner on getting a book deal.
Now on to packing and making sure my family has something to eat while I’m gone. See you in San Antonio!
But, pour a couple of drinks down my gullet, and it was all good. Except for the fact, I couldn’t find my car later, but that’s a different story…
This year, my calendar is jammed packed with workshops, coffees, dinners, parties. Not only will I be a GH finalist, but both manuscripts that finaled have been contracted by Samhain Publishing and will be released next year. Contrary to my strange dreams of mom jeans and dancing like Elaine Benes amongst So You Think You Can Dance contestants, I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and socializing.
I’m ‘helping’ my fellow Badgirl Elizabeth Michels at the Literacy Signing, and by the glory of alphabetization, she’ll be next to Courtney Milan. Not to mention all of the other authors in the room. I’m going to try to be cool. Probably won’t succeed. Don’t judge if you see me babbling incoherently and being escorted out by security!
In addition to the signing and seeing my agent again, I’ll meet a couple of the other Badgirlz (Jeanette Grey, who is up for a Rita!, and Brighton Walsh) from our Badgirlz blog, AND I’ll finally get to meet the other Golden Heart® finalists.
With the scoring changes, we are about half the size as groups of past years. I like the intimacy of the Dreamweavers. It’s tradition for each GH class to pick a name—my fav, Chicks with WIPS didn’t make the cut:). We have a yahoo group that we post to regularly. We cheer each success and commiserate when those inevitable rejections roll in. I’ve been truly inspired by their life stories. An added bonus has been the expansion of critique partners from the group. The experience has been a lovely and wonderful.
On the night of the awards, someone will be named winner in each category. Although, I don’t think any of the rest of us will feel like we ‘lost’. All I’ve done is gain from being a finalist, and I believe all the other Dreamweavers would say the same. In fact, my fingers are crossed one of the other historical finalists will have their name called Saturday night. Perhaps, the winner will hook an agent or nab a publishing deal from one of the final judges.
And, I have another confession to make…I dislike jewelry. Not on other people, mind you, just on myself. I’ve had a weird aversion since childhood. Here, let me stretch out on the couch. See, it all started when my dear mother forced me to wear a necklace to church…
Well, it’s neither here nor there how it started. I don’t like metal. I don’t have my ears pierced, my watches have always been sporty, plastic watches, and in fact, the only jewelry I own/wear is my wedding ring. When I told my wonderfully supportive college girlfriends that the ‘prize’ for winning the GH was a necklace, they busted out laughing hysterically at the irony. Which only cements the fact that someone else should win. Someone who will want to wear the lovely necklace. I’d honestly prefer hanging the runner’s up certificate on my wall and congratulating the winner on getting a book deal.
Now on to packing and making sure my family has something to eat while I’m gone. See you in San Antonio!
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