Monday, March 05, 2012

More as promised...






More on the 2012 NOLA STARS conference as requested! (which is the North LA chapter of the RWA - Romance Writers of America)


Here's a pic of me with Connie Cox and Amy Liz Talley, both locals and fellow authors with multiple books. Amy is President of the local chapter.







As I said before, we had about 70 people come and a great line up of speakers, editors and agents, including editors from Bantam Dell and Sourcebooks. The big time!

Friday night we had an invitation-only "President's Tea" for the speakers and staff and editors/agents, an opening ceremony for all attendees, two workshops, an editor/agent panel (which was really fun and funny!) and then an evening finger-food reception where I stayed up late having a fabulous conversation with another woman - one of those God-ordained appointments. Love those! It's so neat to me how God can show up in unexpected places (a secular romance conference!) and bless your socks off.

This is me with Judy Christie and Janice Hanna Thompson, but fabulous CBA authors.





After I crashed and actually slept well in the hotel bed (after making a nest of six pillows and a folded-in-thirds-for-thickness decorative bedspread coverlet to ward off the cold since there wasn't an extra blanket in sight), Saturday started off with a granola bar and Diet Coke in my hotel room (this sounds terrible but was actually a relaxing way to start my day lol) and opening remarks in the Board room. Then several more workshops, a fancy lunch and awards ceremony, workshops, a multi-author booksigning, and closing reception with more heavy finger foods (which I actually skipped to go have a dinner date with my hubby and Little Miss!)


A pic of me Friday night before the festivities. I wanted to document my new purple shirt I now adore, but had no one to take a pic for me yet. LOL.





I taught on subtext, and it was a great class. I had about 30 participants and everyone contributed via questions and the exercises I had prepared. One author of over 45 books joked after the class ended "well I guess I need to go back and rewrite all my books now". haha! As if ;) It was a great time, and of course, I handed out chocolate as rewards ;) (and maybe kept a little for myself....)




My name card reservation seat at lunch for being a speaker :) It's the little things...








This is me with Lenora Worth, author of over 45 Harlequin novels (mostly Love Inspired) and a New York Times Bestseller. She's such a sweetheart and we've been friends and were nearby neighbors for a long time!








I also learned a lot. I loved Janice Hanna Thompson's class on humor, and Amy Liz Talley's on finding your voice and developing it as an author. No matter how many books you have under your belt, you are never past learning more!


So all in all, the NOLA STARS really know how to put on a good show! I think everyone left a little drained and tired but at the same time, inspired and ready to incorporate their new writing skills into their manuscripts! Several also got requests for submissions from agents and editors, and we all had fun. Not a bad weekend :)

Booksigning with Janice and Karen Witemeyer, a writer for Bethany House of historical fiction :)








How was yours?

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