Pat and I had our picture taken with the famous Romantic Suspense writer Allison Brennan.
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“Gosh, that’s a hard question,” I said to my friend who asked me what my favorite RWA ‘thing’ was, and then I just answered from my heart. It was the one to one conversations I had with authors during book signings, after workshops, in hallways….
I learned so much from the published authors. I asked all my crazy questions and they had answers for me. For example, I now have a clear understanding of the difference between Harlequin Intrigue and Harlequin Romantic Suspense books. It’s a 50/50 versus 70/30 romance to suspense kind of thing.
The national conference offers an array of learning experiences. From the moment you arrive (actually even on the bus to get there) you meet writers and authors who engage you in conversations about craft, best sellers, agents, editors…you name it. All the topics you want so much to learn about. It’s like a little piece of heaven.
And the words they use. Oh my goodness they are incredible. One established writer kept checking on me when she ran into me in the hallways. When my time to pitch neared she said to me, in a beautiful southern drawl that I will never forget, “Now they’re going to be young, but you don’t worry about that. Why I got underwear that’s older than them…” The warmth of that woman stayed with me right through my pitch. I had to work at not thinking about underwear during my sessions. Meeting her became one of my fave RWA12 moment.
Her warmth, encouragement and wisdom…epitomizes my RWA experience
You gotta love the RWA experience.