RWA 2012- Day Two

I've already met some very lovely ladies! Not that I expected any differently. But being a newbie at this Amazing and Large conference is super overwhelming.  That being said, everyone has been very helpful, kind, informative and friendly.

My first friend is Tracy Brogan from the Dashing Duchesses! We met in the Chicago airport during our layover and she has been wonderful. Guiding me where I need to go, giving me very useful advice. The best of which has been, "Empty your bag frequently, you WILL keep getting free books and promotional swag."

So very right! I already have 12 new books just by checking in!!!!  Can't wait to see what else I come away with.  Got my camera at the ready too!  Hope to update with photos later today!

RWA 2012 - Day One

Packed my bag last night. Yep one bag. VERY heavy.

Got up at 5:45 this morning, Ugh. With a capital U.

Drove the hour to Dayton, OH.Splurged and parked in a luxury valet site, even getting the oil changed in my truck while I'm gone. Very nice to have full service.

Check in was fun. Two separate couples in front of me had the strangest checked 'luggage'. Couple one took over 45 mins to check in with their three children and two unknown animals in their two crates. I never did get a good look but I'm thinking cats or maybe ferrets. I watched at they had to use a drill to put holes in the crates all the way around. That was great for the animals! Then run zip ties through each set of holes. TWO crates, may I remind you. Then, after that task was complete (Which the solitary male ticket attendant on duty did not multi-task like any good woman and usher anyone else through while he waited on the task to be completed.) next came a mountain of paperwork for each crate along with I'm not sure what all documentation needed to be strapped to the crates as well as individual bags of food.  And I'm not even to the good part of the story yet.  Next, he picks up both crates.  I'm thinking, here we go, finally he'll put them on the conveyor belt and it'll be my turn soon; I'm second in line.  Nope, hopes are dashed. He steps over the baggage scale and walks across the lobby to a special door in the corner with a TSA person.  There is another 10 min or so lost while he helps them check the animals there.

SERIOUSLY?

They couldn't have been directed gone over there in the first place?  Has no one heard of efficiency?

While this is going on a second ticket agent has shown up. Poor gentleman has the good fortune of getting the one person who is checking a FIREARM! Really?  This is a post 9/11 world!  Where have you been?????  Best part, it only took them five minutes to fill out the necessary paperwork and turn over the item. That's it.

Here's your lesson. Animals are considered more dangerous on a plane than a firearm. Next time, ship the animals UPS and pack your gun.

Storms are still a brewing in the Dayton, OH area and in Chicago, my connecting flight to Anaheim, CA. I will get to the RWA Conference. I know I will.  And dearest Susan Gee Heino will be waiting with a frosty cold one. I'm going to really need it.



*****11:48am UPDATE******
In bound flight was just cleared to land. Yay! Hopefully, I'll be Chicago bound soon!

Headed to RWA 2012!!!!!

I'm heading out next Tuesday for the 2012 Romance Writers of America Conference in Anaheim, CA.  I absolutely, cannot, wait!  Six days of girl time with my favorite authors.

Last night, I got together with the highly talented historical romance author, Susan Gee Heino and planned my wardrobe for the week. I have picked several very exciting and beautiful dresses along with matching shoes. In my small social sphere I'm well known for my addiction to footwear. See below picture of my must haves!

I can already see that one or two of my favorites is missing.  I really need a taller shelving system, don't I?

So, after planning what I should pack, we moved on to what goals I would like to accomplish during the event itself.  Here is where I might go a bit fan girl crazy. You see, I'm a big, HUGE some might say, Sabrina Jeffries fan. I own every book she's ever written. Even the anthologies.
I buy them on release day.
Always.


Doesn't she just look like a lovely, fun person to know?

I have made it my goal, albeit not a writerly growth goal, to meet Ms. Jeffries during those few days.  That being said...I have also warned dearest Susan that I, in all likelihood, will probably make a fool of myself and bumble my own name.  If I can even spit it out.

I have given Susan the task of getting my picture, if I am still up right and conscious. Sabrina, if you are reading this (which I hope you are!) Please do not be worried that I am one of those crazy fans who is going to stalk you right into the ladies room, nor am I going to jump up and down and scream. Well, at least I hope not, anyway. But, in all seriousness, I have read your stories for all of my adult life.  Some of them upwards of ten times! You are big part of why I have begun the monumental task of putting my stories in front of people who are going to critique my work, judge me. Decide if I can change my official occupation to Writer.

Her kind words of encouragement written on her website to her fans helped me find the gumption to dive into the writing world wholeheartedly.

I realize that I am staring into the face of great opportunity at this conference.  There are important workshops given by amazing authors. Agents, editors, publishers....the list goes on of the who's who in the publishing industry that I will be rubbing shoulders with. I plan to attend everything I can. But, from the heart of a young girl, the most exciting aspect of this coming week is that I'll get to meet someone who's words made my heart leap, sore, dive and love. I can only hope I get the chance to say thank you.

Don't forget to check back in.  I will have plenty of pictures and stories to post!

Blog Noveling

When I was in college, while bored in my Philosophy class in sophomore year, I started writing a story about a girl named Liz McLancy, the second oldest of seven kids.  At the time, I didn't know what I was writing.  I knew the McLancy family was having a reunion.  I knew Liz didn't want to go home for said reunion due to a scarred past.

Other than that...I had no idea.

Fast forward to the summer after graduation and I am still working on that novel, writing almost every day.  I finish it by the end of the summer, and a month or so later I start revising it.  This would become the first novel I would send into the world.

I stopped, though, because a year later, my writing voice and style had changed SO much that it didn't sound like me anymore.  And I also realized that there wasn't a huge market for the story of a radical cult in the YA market right now (on top of that, I wasn't 100% certain it WAS Young Adult).

I've been wanting to re-revise this novel for some time now.  It holds a special place in my heart and is almost constantly in the back of my mind.  And so...I'm blogging this novel as I fix it.

Yeah.  You heard right.

http://www.northebattletothestrong.blogspot.com



I will be posting the novel sequentially, chapter by chapter (or, as it is, parts of chapter by parts of chapter) until you have the full novel.  A FREE NOVEL!  On a BLOG!

I'm very excited about this project!

I'll be posting parts of the novel on Mondays and Wednesdays, and some Fridays.  On other Fridays, I'll be posting little "behind the scenes"-esque posts about the characters, the idea, the research...answering your questions...anything.

Also, if you go and "like" my Facebook author page, you will be certain to get word of the new parts going up as soon as they happen!

I hope to see you around my blog novel and I hope you enjoy it!