Welcome Guest Blogger Bella Andre!
Conference Laughs & Thrills
I'm thrilled to be a guest on the Cigars blog (thanks Samantha!). And having just returned from the RWA National conference, it's what's on my mind tonight as I write this blog.
I'm one of the people you see walking around the conference with a constant grin on my face. There's nothing I love more than hanging out with other authors and talking shop all day - and night! To top it off, the conference was in my home town (I live 30 minutes south of the Golden Gate and San Francisco is one of my two main chapters along with the Silicon Valley chapter), so it was a thrill all around to attend this year. Even better, two of my BFF's did good while we were there. Very good. Monica McCarty, my CP extraordinaire, won the National Readers Choice Award for best Historical romance. And Karin Tabke, another fab girl by the bay who is always there when you need her, won the PRO Mentor of the Year award.
This year was extra busy, mostly because I'm currently writing for two publishers: Romantic suspense for Bantam Dell (my first firefighter suspense - Wild Heat - will be out in May 2009!) and Sexy contemporaries for Pocket. Last year there was more time to hang out with my friends, aka my "posse" as my agent has deemed them, but I'm not complaining! ;-) Honestly, the only grumbling I'm going is due to the fact that my feet were killing me by the end of the first day. I took to calling them my "bloody stumps". Pretty picture, isn't it? And far too accurate...but a girl must wear her heels.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention my newest release, Game For Anything, from
Pocket books. It's the first in my Bad Boys of Football series (Game for Seduction, book 2 in the series, is out in 6 weeks!) and when I had the pleasure of signing 100 copies at the Pocket booksigning on Saturday morning (along with giving out free chocolate), I also displayed my Cosmo excerpt in the August issue with Scarlett Johansen on the cover. It was fun seeing people's reaction to seeing the book in the magazine. I still have to pinch myself to believe it's really real!
For those of you who went to the conference, I'd love to know what your highlight was. And for everyone who stayed home, what is your favorite conference moment?
Hey Bella
Welcome and congrats on your Cosmo excerpt!
The conferences sound exciting though I have yet to go to a single one. I have to say, this year my favorite part was Karen Foley's updates and her blog about it.
Also, I noticed RWTTD had a blog up yesterday that was *hysterical* about "conference cleavages" -- too funny.
I'm planning already to make it to DC, so here's hoping. It's drivable, which makes it easier, saves on cost, but I have to admit I tend to talk myself out of it before the event, LOL. I promised I would go next year, though, so I'll hold myself to it.
Sam
Welcome, Bella!
Hi Bella, and welcome to Cigars! I did meet you at the conference, but it was one of those crazy, nice-to-see-you moments in the hallway at the bottom level of the hotel. My roommate, Cathryn Parry, had you on her list of Authors I Must Meet, and was partially through your book before the conference even ended. She was so impressed by the fact that your book was excerpted in Cosmo, and by the apparent ease with which Cosmo agreed to print the excerpt.
Congratulations on your upcoming Bad Boys release! As a die-hard Patriots fan, I love your cover!
Hey karen!
I totally remember meeting you - I LOVE Cathryn. One of my favorite people to chat with every year at conference. And it was very nice to meet you as we all ran from one place to the next. And I'm laughing at the way you put it about the Cosmo cover - "the apparent ease" - who knows exactly how it happened (!) but I'm thrilled however it did. ;-)
LOL, it's probably one of
LOL, it's probably one of those urban legends...I think it's fantastic!
Hi, Bella!
That cover's nice and easy on the eyes ;)
I didn't have a chance to go to the conference, but I am quite sorry to have missed the signing--all those authors with all those lovely new books just waiting to be emblazoned with a signature :) Ah well... maybe next year? ;)
Thanks, Fedora!
I agree, my GAME FOR ANYTHING cover is certainly a drool-worthy one. They found a very nice looking hunk of a man for both that cover and the GAME FOR SEDUCTION cover which hits stores in 6 weeks. Yum!
Hope to see you next year in DC!
Game for Anything
I love the cover - anything to do with sports is great. Always look forward to your books.
Hey Pat!
Aren't you sweet. I hope you enjoy the Bad Boys of Football books! I had a lot of fun writing them.
;-) Bella
Thanks, Sam!
Sam, you have to go next year!!! I promise you'll have a good time. ;-) Although it is exhausting. I'm not going to even pretend otherwise.
And yes, there was much conference cleavage. Not by moi - I don't have anything to cleave - but hey, if you've got it why not flaunt it, right?
It'll be great to meet you next year, Sam.
San Francisco
Hi Bella,
I look forward to reading "Game For Anything." The excerpt in Cosmo has whetted my appetite. I know book 2 is only 6 weeks away. How many books are planned for the Bad Boys of Football series? I love San Francisco. I've only been there once but it left quite an impression. I wasn't able to attend the RWA conference, but I had a great time looking at the numerous pics people have taken at the events.
Jane
Thanks for checking out the excerpt! I have many more Bad Boys of Football books in my head now my agent just needs to work out the details. ;-) And I agree with you, the pics everyone took are fabulous! I've had a lot of fun looking at them too. Hard to believe all 2000 of us were in one place at one time.
;-) Bella
My favorite SF moment
Hey, Bella - great cover!
I had a couple, LOL. I have a rather weird, self-mocking sense of humor, so my first favorite was walking out of my editor pitch appointment going "I'm not sure what happened just now...was it good? I think it was good...maybe it wasn't...?" I've since been assured it was...just not what I expected, LOL. My second favorite moment was a spur-of-the-moment dinner with two very profane, hilarious historicals writers. My third, and maybe top, favorite moment was walking the labyrinth at Grace Cathedral every morning.
Oh, and Julia Hunter's workshop on federal law enforcement was excellent...and not recorded. Julia's about 5 feet tall, maybe, but when she yelled "Get on the ground!" in her deep, I'll-kick-your-ass-if-you-don't voice, let me tell you, I almost dove for cover. Great workshop - if you can hear her at another conference, do it!
I'm right there with you
Booklover - Trust me, we all feel the same way. Even with your editor or agent sometimes you wake up the next morning and ask yourself, "Did I act like an idiot?" ;-) And then pray that you didn't.
Grace Cathedral is amazing, kudos to you for going every morning. I'm impressed!
Finger's crossed on your editor pitch. May she buy!!!
;-) Bella
Well, unless you're me...
Then you know you probably did act like an idiot, but somehow it works, LOL.
I'm still embarrassed by the first time I called my current agent to find out if she'd be interested in seeing work -- a friend pushed me into calling instead of putting in a query, and when I tried to speak I was so choked with nerves she had to ask me to speak again, she couldn't understand a thing I was saying. Who are you? LOL I was so happy to speak with her a few days later and prove I could actually talk like a normal person... mostly.
Then there was the crying the entire time I tried to leave the message for my former editor about the Rita nom... poor woman was concerned, because she knew I was sobbing, but had no idea why....
Just a few examples, but just goes to show, you can be an idiot and it's okay... LOL
Also rooting for you, BL. ;)
Sam
Hi Belle--It sounds like you
Hi Belle--It sounds like you and your BFF's had a great conference! My highlights were (a) having my daughter there and (b)the Harlequin Party. I love dancing all night. I also really enjoy meeting with my editor. She's lots of fun and I learn so much from our short meetings. It was a great conference. Jeannie
Dancing the night away
Oh yes, I peeked my head into the Harl. party this year and it was definitely hopping!!! I left some of my BFFs to the dancing and booze and had a sedate drink at the top of the marriot with a couple of friends instead, then went to bed by midnight. I'd danced up a storm at the party the year before and knew going into it this year that I didn't have it in me. ;-) Maybe next year! I'm glad you had a fab time. And yes, it's always fantastic ot meet with our editors. Adds another layer to the phone and email.
I'm Game!
Whew, a sizzling cover, I love it! Can't wait to see the firefighter covers and books! They will be a yummy read too!
Congrats to Monica and Karin!! I so wish to go some day to one of the conferences! They just have to come closer to me since I hate to fly and you can't get me on a plane, LOL. I know that when I go, I do so look forward to the big signing. There is so many I'd love to meet, including you!, that I know that it wouldn't be enough time for me! So when I get to go, thats where I'll be!
Caffey
Leaving on a jet plane
Caffey - I'm not a big flyer either, so I know how you feel! ;-) I love to travel, though, so I pop a couple of dramamine and bury my nose in a magazine until we land! Can't wait to meet you at a future conference.
Game for Anything
I picked up GFA yesterday; cant wait to read it.
THANKS!
Pat - I'm so glad you got a copy of GAME FOR ANYTHING! I hope you love it! I had so much fun writing the book. And my editor just passed on the good news that we've already gone into a 2nd printing (thanks to you!!!). ;-) Hooray.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by. It was wonderful to chat for the day.
;-) Bella
hot cover. love football.
hot cover. love football. congrats ont he books