RWA Bound!

 

Happy Monday and long time no post!

Well, construction on the house is complete. Sort of.

It was a bit nightmarish to say the least--hardwood floor refinishing took 3 times as long as it should have and the finish began to peel the next day, if that gives you any idea, but all good right now. Or I should say good enough!

Now we're still waiting on the powder room and guest bath renovations and we'll be set. Until the next house project! LOL

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In other news, I'm completing the last (hopefully last) set of edits for WEDDING DATE FOR HIRE and then I'll be off to New York City for the annual RWA convention!
It's been a few years since I've gone but I really feel it's time to be with some colleagues, hear what's going on with the industry and get my act in gear.

I'm so extra excited! And here is why:
1) it's NYC
2) I'm going to meet my editor
3) I get to see meet some of my critique partners
4) I get to party with fellow Entangled authors (thank you Entangled for generously supplying food and drink)
5) I got invited to a Montlake Romance author party too (I'm wearing my swanky black jumpsuit to that!)
6) I'm looking forward to a recharge with my writing and also attending some great seminars
7) Weather looks great for walking around

Whew!

Still need to pack. Still need to finish my edits.

It's going to be a busy week. But good busy. :)

Will anyone be going to RWA? If so, we need to meet!

More This and That

IN THE NEWS: Wife Chops Off Husband's Penis, Throws in Garbage Disposal. Read more HERE. (Oh. My. Gosh. Crazy nuts.)

Hey, all!
I found another summer drink in addition to my pineapple chili margaritas I usually make. It's called a Stoli Doli.

(Yes, I apparently like pineapple drinks)

Well, I took a fresh pineapple and sliced it up, layered it in my ice tea jug and then poured vodka over the pineapple pieces. You need to let it sit for at least a few days but no more than a week to let the pineapple infuse into the vodka. Then take a shaker and fill it with ice, put some pineapple vodka in it, and a just a little bit of actual pineapple juice and a splash of orange juice. Shake it up and serve in a martini glass. They are SO good!

You're welcome. :-)
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In other this and thats...
I forgot to mention what my kiddo said to me the first time I called home when I was in NYC for RWA Nationals.

Me: "Hi, sweetie!"
Kiddo: "Mommy, all I hear is party party party! When are you going to workshops?!"
Me: (laughing) "The parties are at night. All day I'm in workshops. Honest."
Kiddo: (still sounding petulant) "Oh."

I have to admit I had to wonder just what my hubby was telling our daughter while I was away. LOL
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And lastly, my author friend, Melissa McClone will be on my blog this Monday for her blog tour. Melissa writes for Harlequin Romance and has a new book out:
Not So Perfect Princess.

Melissa will be giving way a $20 Amazon gift certificate to one commenter at the end of the tour. She will also be giving away, at each stop, a set of three trading cards from this book to one commenter. So stop by if you have the chance!!

**FYI: I picked up her trading cards at RWA Nationals and they are lovely! I use them as bookmarks.

Whew! That's it for me.

Have a great weekend!!

RWA Pics! (finally)

Yay, I'm finally caught up on emails (and laundry)!
So now for some RWA poop:

My first night in town I met with some Liberty State Fiction Writers. We ate at Becco on 46th st. (Honestly, if I didn't want to make a good impression, I would have totally licked the plate) It was THAT good. It was so awesome getting to know authors I already knew as well as meeting new writers. So much fun!

Wednesday morning I was able to make the Samhain author breakfast (which was AWESOME) and sat down right next to head editor Heather Osborn, who I had a lovely chat with. While I was there, I saw Sourcebooks editor Leah Hultenschmidt walk in with literary agent Kristin Nelson (they must have been invited) but didn't have the nerve to say anything to them.

Yeah, I'm a weenie.
Speaking of acting like a weenie...

After breakfast, I met up with my roommate. The two of us where alone waiting for an elevator when a woman comes up and stands there with us. I'm looking at this woman, thinking, Hmm, how do I know her?

Then I look at her name tag and I see it's SUSAN ELIZABETH PHILLIPS. (um, just my all-time favorite author. No biggie) :-)

Well, she turns to us and my friend starts talking to her (TALKING TO HER!) while I say NOTHING (nothing!!!!), standing there in an upright coma.

So finally my friend turns to me with a smile and says, "Jennifer, do you know who this is?"

I'm like, "Of course, I know who this is! She's only like my favorite author ever!"

So Susan is like, "Well, next time you could show some enthusiasm." (Which totally cracked us up since I basically stared at her like a deer in headlights)

Fortunately I remembered I had my camera with me and asked for a picture, but then our elevator came. So we all got in and Susan says, "I'd like to see you try to get that picture now."

<---Not one to back down from a challenge, I snapped this picture. LOL


But then she was totally gracious and kind and allowed me to take a proper picture after we got out of the elevator. (LOVE her!!)

Wednesday night I had THREE parties set to attend.

The first one was the Avalon author party which was at Avalon Books on Madison Ave. A bunch of us authors took a cab over together.

This is me with author Carolyn Brown, author Julie Stone and on the right end, my editor Lia Brown.

My book, GEORGIE ON HIS MIND (green cover) on Avalon's shelf. --->






Julie Stone and I had such a good time, we decided to grab dinner together after the party, so I ended up blowing off my roommates and one of the parties. (sorry, ladies) Dinner was yummo and Julie's company was fun so it was worth it. :-)

But I did end up shooting over to the Harlequin Pajama Party for a tiny bit and met in person some of the authors and writing friends I've known online there. It's funny to meet authors and have them say, "I already know you. We're Facebook friends." LOL

Here I am with Harlequin Romance author (and P90x Twitter buddy) Donna Alward.

Whew! That was all the FUN bits. Well, most of them, anyway.

More to come I'm sure. :-)

Happy Fourth!!!

Hey, all!!

I'm finally back from NYC and the RWA Conference! WOW, I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say...

it was THE BEST CONFERENCE EVAH!!!

So much to talk about but so little time because of the holiday, so it'll have to wait. (Plus, I haven't quite unpacked or downloaded my pictures yet)

Gosh, I have so much to say! Things I can't wait to share:

*my office was painted red while I was away and I LOVE it.

*I got to meet Susan Elizabeth Phillips in person. (FUNNY story about that to come)

*I've become a new fan of Sourcebooks

*I'm feeling SO refreshed and recharged and ready to create a business plan for my writing.

*I've come away with a new perspective on social media

*I know there's more but I can't think...

Anyhew, I've missed you all! My Internet was acting up this weekend so this is the first chance I've had to check in. Today I'm hitting the beach and taking one of my MANY free books I took home from the conference.

Did I miss anything while I was away? Please share and give me some gossip. :-)

Getting Ready for New York City!

Well, all this week I've been getting myself ready for the RWA National Convention that is next week in New York City!

I've been to writer's conventions before but this is my first National one, so I already know I'm going to be constant mental overload. But who cares? I'll look good at least!

Toenails are painted.

Hair is trimmed. (Although not colored and now I'm mad at myself for not coloring it because my roots are taunting me.)

Nevertheless I'm really excited about the Avalon Books party I was invited to on Wednesday night. Since Avalon is located in NYC, they're having the party there so I'll get see what my publishing house actually looks like and meet my editor in person! Exciting!
I'm wearing this cute black dress that I got at Marshall's for $12.
Ooops. I probably shouldn't admit that but my girlfriend was quite upset at my find because she bought a similar dress at Anthroplogie for at least six times the price.

And check out these shoes I'm wearing with my dress:

I'm already 5'8 so don't ask me why I decided to buy 4 1/2 inch heels.

But...what the heck. You only break your neck once. LOL

I volunteered to help out with registration on Wednesday morning. So of course that means I miss the Samhain breakfast. (figures) And then I decided to be extra nice and volunteer to help out with editor/agent appointments Thursday afternoon and as a result I'm missing the ONE workshop I really really really...REALLY wanted to go to. (Again, figures) But that's okay. I'll live.

I guess...

Anyhew, I skimmed the workshop schedule a few times and already have a good idea of what I plan on taking (although I'll probably change my mind a few times from now until then).

So if you'll be at the RWA convention, be on the look out for the amazon wearing the animal print shoes and stop me to say HI (or catch me if I start to look wobbly). :)

Have you ever been to Nationals? What's your favorite writer's convention?

A to Z Blog challenge: R is for...

Oooh...we're so close to finishing this challenge I can taste it!

R is for: RWA!

RWA is the Romance Writers of America.

As one of the largest writers associations, Romance Writers of America leverages its influence and credibility to advocate for improving business conditions in the romance publishing industry. Also, RWA promotes the romance genre through outreach programs for librarians and booksellers.

I've been a member since 2005. My membership was actually a Christmas gift given to me by my hubby. I had wanted to join before that but was afraid of investing the money in a membership I wouldn't use or had no business having. But the hubby surprised me and thought it was something I should have if I really wanted to be a writer. It was the first time that I really felt he had taken my interest in writing seriously and he wanted to me to grow and do well with it. What a sweetie. *sniff sniff*

The RWA has been good to me. It's given me lots of resources and writing information and I've met wonderful writing friends through it too.

Although I do belong to my local state chapter and have attended conferences before, this year I'll be attending my first National Conference in NYC this summer. WOO-HOO! I'll actually get to see Nora Roberts, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Meg Cabot (among my other writing idols) up close and in person and just... absorb it all.

I JUST registered so I'm very excited!

What about you? Do you belong to any writing organizations?
Do you belong to the RWA? Are you going to Nationals too?

I'm Baaaaaack!

Hey, all!

I'm back from my little bloggie break and feeling recharged, relaxed, and re--ok, tan.
I was in lovely sunny Florida since Sunday!! Here to be exact: Bonita Springs.

We were visiting the in-laws at their vacation club condo and had a FANTASTIC time!
So fantastic that it was hard to leave 86 degree weather and come back to cloudy and cold New Jersey at a whopping 39 degrees.

What a slap of reality that was!

This post is brief since I'm still so tired and have done nothing with pictures in my camera yet. Why does traveling wipe me out all the time? It was a two hour plane ride (where I slept for half of it), I was mainly pool or beach side the entire vacation, yet I'm beat.
How does that happen?

Well, anyhew, I need to food shop today, go through the 500 (at least) emails I had while I was away, and visit all of you and see what I missed this week.

Anything exciting happen while I was away?

PS: For those of you concerned and/or curious, my P90x routine was hardly disrupted on my vacation. I was at the gym every day and ate extremely healthy.

PS2: A hardy congrats to all the entrants of the GH and RITA! The RWA will be announcing the finalists this morning! I hope my favorites and/or friends made the list. :)