Recapping RWA19 With a Little Help From Some Friends

If you ask most anyone what they like best about conference, the first thing that comes out is usually seeing old friends and making new ones. So for today's recap, I thought I'd ask some friends - old and new - for a little help.

The question was simple: What was your favorite part of being at RWA19?

Here are the answers in no particular order:

Starting with Seekerville's own Debby Giusti:

The National RWA Conference is always exciting and especially so when it’s held in New York City. My daughter traveled with me, and we enjoyed returning to favorite spots that we’ve visited on previous trips to the city. We saw two Broadway shows, found delightful restaurants that catered to our love of all things Italian and mixed and mingled with New Yorkers as we took in the Avenue of the Americas’ Street Market, strolled through Bryant Park and soaked up the ambiance of the amazing New York Public Library. Other fun moments included people watching in Times Square, sipping a cool drink in Rockefeller Center and catching portions of live television shows at NBC and FOX.

When I wasn’t doing tourist things, I took part in the many informative programs hosted by Love Inspired and Harlequin as well as a number of RWA workshops. In addition to the educational aspects of the conference, I always enjoy being surrounded by other folks who love writing and reading. We’re kindred spirits, truly. Reconnecting with old friends provides treasured moments grabbed in the hallways or while riding the glass elevators. We quickly catch up on the past year and promise to stay in touch via email and social media in the days ahead. Making new friends throughout the conference and meeting new readers at the Literacy Autographing are added blessings. Each year after the RWA Conference, I return home tired but happy and ready to start writing again. The 2020 RWA Conference will be held in San Francisco. I plan to attend. Hope to see you there!

Debby sent me so many wonderful photos.

Villager Tanya Agler had this to say:

Do you remember the Lay’s Potato Chips advertising slogan? No one can eat just one. That sentence describes my RWA2019 Conference. Whenever I was convinced I’d narrowed down my conference experience to a favorite moment, something else popped up, and I came to the conclusion this year’s conference was a special confluence of shared moments.

First, I loved spending time with other authors. Meeting my fellow Harlequin Heartwarming authors, making new author friends, and becoming reacquainted with so many authors I’ve met at other conferences helps me appreciate the support we give one another throughout the year. Then, I learned so much from talking to my editor. And finally, the educational opportunities in the craft and on marketing will hopefully go a long way in improving my works in progress.

So unlike other conferences where I can pinpoint one specific moment, this year I’m thankful for the five days I spent laughing and learning with other writers. 

Tanya's new book from Harlequin Heartwarming, The Sheriff's Second Chance is being released in January 2020 and is up for preorder on Amazon.

We have two RITA finalists here to answer the question. I can imagine what the highlight of their conference must have been.

Lenora Worth has this to say:

"My favorite part was being back in NY as a RITA finalist and it was amazing. Although I didn’t win the RITA, I will never forget that experience. It was a highlight of my career!"

Susie Dietze replied:

"My favorite part of the conference was the people! I loved seeing old friends as well as meeting new ones--which I did at the RITA/GH reception, at a workshop, and at the Harlequin party, which was an absolute blast. My main regret was not having more time to get to know some ladies better! Inspy authors are some of the most welcoming, generous, wonderful people in the world, and I'm grateful for opportunities to be around them."

I had the chance to meet up with a longtime friend, Sandra Belle Calhoune, whose Love Inspired Book, An Alaskan Christmas, is being made into a movie by Brain Power Studios. That made Sandy's conference extra special."

"My favorite part of RWA this year was attending a dinner hosted by Brain Power Studios. It was a celebration of all the Harlequin authors who have or will have movies made by the studio. They allowed us to have a plus one and I invited my daughter. Being able to share my writing world with her was fabulous. And having her celebrate this night with me made an unforgettable memory for the two of us."

I had the wonderful chance to meet two LIS friends who I've never met in person before.

Sharee Stover and I share the same editor. This was Sharee's response:

"This year I attended my second RWA conference, and it was my first time visiting New York City. For an introvert like me, conferences can be overwhelming by themselves. So, the mixture was a wild ride. By far, one of the best things about going to any writers’ event is meeting new friends and catching up with old ones. I got the chance to do both, and I am continually grateful for the incredible writing community I am privileged to be a part of. I am also a member of several RWA chapters and this year, the romantic suspense chapter, Kiss of Death, did an entire day with the FBI. It was outstanding! We spent the day learning from FBI agents in the counter-terrorism, bomb, violent crimes, and CJIS units. My pen was sparking flames from my rapid note taking. Hopefully, some of that great information will find its way back into a story in the near future." 

Christa Sinclair is another friend I'd only known online before. Let Christa share her experiences.

The RWA Conference was amazing! I was so lucky to see so many friends I haven’t seen in a while, dance the nights away, and attend some awesome workshops. But there were two things that made this year’s conference special for me. One was meeting my editor for the first time. She’s been working with me on and off for so long as I worked my way up to my 1st book contract (& now as I work on book 2). It was wonderful and it immediately felt like we were old friends. The other special part of conference was meeting in person so many friends I’ve made online in the last two years. To be able to match a living, breathing human with the picture of their online persona was invaluable. Now I feel even more connected.

Dana R. Lynn also writes for LIS. Dana and I met when we were both published through the LIS Killer Voices contest, and we've been friends ever since.

Dana says: "I love seeing friends from all over the country and meeting new people. Whether it was seeing other authors who wrote Amish romance at a special lunch, dancing together at the Harlequin party or getting together to so writing sprints and talking half the time, it was all part of the adventure. Although, I do have to say the adventure started with an eight hour train ride with my friend Lee Tobin McClain. That was a blast."

Dana was kind enough to also share some of her photos from RWA.

Harlequin Book Signing

Amish Authors Lunch

The Famous Harlequin Dance Party

Dana and Lee on the train - for 8 hours!

Another dear friend I made the last time RWA was in NYC is Alison Stone. Even though we hadn't seen each other in 4 years, we picked up the conversation as if it had been last week.

Alison has this to say:

“The best part of the RWA conference was reconnecting in person with my writer friends. No one “gets” writers better than other writers. I also appreciated the opportunity to meet with my editor to learn what’s new in this ever-changing industry. I arrived home with fresh story ideas and renewed energy to write.”

As for me, spending time with all these wonderful ladies and my amazing editor, Emily Rodmell, made the whole conference an experience to cherish.

To help you all feel a part of the celebration, we've got lots of books to give away today. We're offering:
(Note: some books are only available as eBooks, so please let us know if you can't read them.)