Post-Conference Buzz

What a great weekend!

Just got back from the NJRW Put Your Heart in a Book conference. It's the first one I've ever been able to attend and let me tell you, that chapter really knows how to put on a conference. Of course, there's nothing like a group of Jersey girls getting together, but when we're all authors - look out! Great workshops, great speakers, great hotel, great everything! My brain's still buzzing with everything I've learned in the past two days.

Victoria Alexander was one of the guest speakers and she was phenomenal! I've never read anything by her, but buh-leeve me, I'm going out tomorrow to get at least one of her books! She's a terrific speaker and I think I'll enjoy her historicals as well.

I've found quite a few of NJRW writers have made my top ten list of faves - they're a great group and I feel no little pride about belonging to the same chapter as so many talented women (and a couple of guys, too. Don't want to forget them.)

And the best part of the weekend was that I a) actually remembered my pitch and b) received a request for a partial. Now, I'm trying real hard not to get too caught up in it, but I would love to sell the manuscript to this house. And the editor was someone I can see myself working with for a long time to come. So it's up to me now to polish this manuscript until it's the absolute gem I want it to be. Wish me luck.

I received my first fan letter a few weeks ago, which was a thrill. It's nice to hear that someone really enjoyed something I worked so hard on. And it came out of the blue, so it was a wonderful surprise. It's weird to think that something I wrote prompted someone to write to me and let me know. How cool is that???

And while I did enjoy myself, I don't think I got as much out of it as I should have. I'm not surprised, since I've been sick for the last week and it's hard to network when you feel lousy. I'm not exactly the world's most outgoing person, either. Top that off with the fact that I sound a little like Rita Cosby (when my throat didn't completely frog out) and you get one non-networking, non-schmoozing little person. And it was real tough being away from my kids - especially at bedtime - which makes me a little bit of a weenie, I guess. But it was the longest I've ever been away from my son - who's not even a year old yet - so I can handle a little weenie-ness. My daughter has spent nights away from home, so it wasn't so odd being away from her. That weirdness happened a few years back, when DH and I went to Baltimore for a wedding. She was eight months old and it was the first time I'd left her. I was a wreck the first night, but okay by the second.

But I digress. Now, I have to get to work with the polishing. And I'm already making my plans for next year. It will only get better!