The RWA conference this year was a real blast. Having it in Washington, DC -- my back yard -- certainly made it special for all of us. We were able to have an open house for our authors, their editors, and other special friends. It was great to show off the offices and everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. Sadly we held it on the hottest day thus far in the year and very little of the food was touched – I’ve been on a steady diet of Middle Eastern spinach and meat pies every since.
I also learned that Naomi, Miriam, Lindsay and Katherine (my assistant and interns) have talents far beyond anything I could have imagined. I knew they were very fast readers and excellent at analyzing submissions and preparing cogent readers’ reports. But little did I know that their baking skills could rival those of Martha Stewart and the White House pastry chef combined.
For us, the open house set a great, positive tone for the conference. But as the weekend continued, it appeared that all conference attendees (even those not partaking in our festivities) seemed to be really enjoying themselves. The weather was wonderful. The hotel was beautifully landscaped. I understand the food was good and the market news that romance sales remain strong put everyone in a positive frame of mind.
It’s really invigorating to take part in such an event. The energy which seemed so taxing at the time stays with you and easily becomes a force spurring you on to do more – to find that great new book and to push those existing projects to greatness. We’re ready for those women’s fiction, YA, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance projects, so bring them on!
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