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 |
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| 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.)
