Please welcome Willa Blair back to the Snarkology with a followup of her July 22nd post: Three Reasons Why Authors Attend Conferences — and You Should, Too
I took my
own advice (see my last post) and attended the
Romance Writers of America’s national convention. I’ll admit it wasn’t a hardship since it was held in
San Antonio, TX, where I live. That made packing easier - no airline rules to
follow. And harder - no limits on what I could contemplate taking except
common sense and my husband’s incredulous expression.
So I got
there without a stampede-worth of longhorns to carry my bags and immediately
plunged in. First up: a meet-and-greet with fellow The Wild Rose Press
authors. For me, that set the tone for the weekend. And gave me the
first reason why RWA 2014 rocked.
1.
New names, new faces. I met a lot of authors. I sat a a different
table for every meal and participated in the ritual passing-around of cards and
exchange of “What do you write?” stories. That’s not to say I didn’t spend time
with friends. I did. Including some new ones. Eventually, I
successfully stalked the one author I was dying to meet, Susanna
Kearsley. I got a picture for proof and even got to spend 20 minutes with
her talking about writing, Scotland and life in general. Score!
Next up was the literacy signing, an RWA tradition that promotes reading. Over
450 authors signed books for excited readers, and the event raised more than
$53,000 for literacy charities. So, the second reason why RWA 2014
rocked?
2. A chance to give back. Authors and publishers donate the books readers
buy. Yes, it’s tax deductible, but it’s also good karma. And while meeting readers is humbling,
sharing an event with so many published authors is awe-inspiring. The talent in
the room can take your breath away. The energy is enough to guarantee everyone
has a great time, whether they sign one book or one hundred.
Over the three days of the conference, workshops covered a lot of topics. Some
seemed too elementary, some hit the mark just right. By the time the last
afternoon rolled around, I needed one of those t-shirts that say “I survived (fill in the blank)…” I’ll admit to feeling rather zombie-like by Saturday
afternoon. I had soaked up all the information, tips and tricks, and new names
and faces anyone could hold. But it was totally worth it.
And then there were parties. Publishers put them on for their authors.
Nook Press did a reception complete with (very good) margaritas. Amazon
did one for all conference attendees, complete with hot cowboys, plenty of food
and an open bar. One person could not possibly go to every party that
weekend. But the biggest party and my third reason RWA 2014 rocked, was
the Awards Ceremony Saturday evening.
3. For published and pre-published authors, respectively, RWA’s RITA® and Golden Heart® awards are the romance writer equivalents of the Academy
Awards. The red carpet may be lacking, but the ceremony is a great excuse to
put on as much bling, sparkle and glam as you can muster. Everyone wears
beautiful gowns or fancy cocktail dresses, especially the nominees. No, I wasn’t up for a RITA® this year (there’s always next year),
but friends won Golden Hearts® for their pre-pubbed
manuscripts, and my stalkee, Susanna Kearsley, won a RITA® for one of her fabulous, difficult-to-classify, cross-genre
books. And, RWA made history this year by awarding the first-ever RITA® to an indie-published book. Amazing.
No doubt
about it, RWA 2014 rocked.
Now, I
wonder what’s in store next year at RWA 2015 in New York City?
Coira MacDugall paid with her life for her attack on the Highland
Healer. But her victim did more than heal Coira’s
fatal wound that awful night. Now drowning in the unwelcome emotions of others,
Coira wonders if her new empathic ability was meant as a gift or a curse.
Logen MacDugall must discover who killed three previous lairds if
he hopes to survive for long in the position. He believes Coira’s new sense can help him root out the
conspirators, but after her disastrous time in the Highlands, the last thing
she wants is to get involved with another laird. Logen must help Coira gain
control of her talent in time to save him and their clan from those intent on
destroying MacDugall.
Can Coira believe this laird truly loves her? Or will her
memories lead her to madness again?
Buy Links:
Willa Blair’s Bio:
Willa Blair is the award-wining author of Amazon and Barnes &
Noble bestselling Scottish historical paranormal romance and a contributor to
USAToday’s Happy Ever
After romance blog.
Her popular Highland Talents series, set in a pivotal point in
Scottish history, is filled with men in kilts, psi talents, and plenty of
spice. Available in ebook, print, and audiobook formats, the first three titles
will soon be joined by more novels of adventure and romance.
Latest Release: The Healer’s Gift (A Highland
Talents Novella, Book 1.5)
I'm so jealous. I really want to go to conference. I'm aiming for NY next year. It all sound so exciting and fun. Thanks for sharing your experience!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Louise! If you can get to NYC next year, it will be worth the trip. That’s close to home for most agents and editors, so it’ll be a great place to meet and pitch to them.
DeleteWilla, I enjoyed meeting another Rose and swapping ideas with you over lunch. This was my 11th RWA and the best yet.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Barrett
Thanks, Barbara! I enjoyed meeting you and the rest of the Roses, too.
DeleteHi Willa! Loved meeting you--another medieval author! I can only concur with your assessment of the great opportunities to connect with old friends and make new--plus take in all the fabulous workshops. This was my third (widely spaced) Nationals, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, too.
ReplyDeleteWell, rats! I was looking for San Antonio authors at the literacy signing and missed you. Bummer.
ReplyDelete