RWA Recap - Pancakes with Susan Wiggs and Camaraderie with the RomVets

Last Saturday, I enjoyed a pancake breakfast with Susan Wiggs and the Avon Romance publicity team to celebrate the upcoming release of FAMILY TREE, available August 9 from William Morrow (link).

Then I prepared for my final panel:

Reporting for Duty: An Intimate Chat with the RomVets (RESEARCH)

Speakers: Grace Adams, Heather Ashby, Julia Day, Kim Lowe, Anna Richland, and Tamara Worlton

Air Force veterans, Navy veterans, an active duty Navy surgeon, and an Army veteran share their military experience to ensure military characters are accurately portrayed in romance novels. The panel will teach writers how to decipher military acronyms, identify ranks from the five services, and safely carry a weapon. 

It was a powerful discussion of how military duty impacts the entire family.  Tamara, a Navy surgeon, responded to my question, "Why do you read romance?"  To paraphrase her, "In 2004, during the Battle of Fallujah, the bodies arrived at the hospital .... (tears began to well in her eyes, then mine) ... I just want read about happy endings." 

Thank you, my sisters in arms, for educating our fellow writers on military life.  

Authors - find someone who bought the conference recordings and listen to this panel.

After our panel, I made my final run to the post office - I gave the post mistress an extra conference tote bag plus a copy of FAMILY TREE. 

Blueberry Pancakes

Image by Jeffrey W (link)

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash, including FAMILY TREE, to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about pancakes - how do you like to eat them?  With syrup? Fruit? Powdered Sugar?  I enjoyed chocolate chip pancakes at Susan's breakfast - yum, yum!

2. Comments are open through Saturday, July 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 31.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Celebrate Romance Every Day - RWA, Joy of Writing, and RomVets

This past week, I realized how lucky I am to be part of the romance community.  Kimberly from Book Obsessed Chicks (link) nominated me as a romance "cheerleader".  I lunched with Kati from Romancing Rakes for the Love of Romance (link) - we enjoyed Polynesian food at the Taste of Aloha (link). I made lunch plans for next week in Washington, DC, with Melissa, a librarian extraordinaire.

I also received confirmation the Romance Writers of America (RWA) accepted two proposals I submitted for this year's national conference in San Diego (link): 

The Joy of Writing with Cathy Maxwell, Anne Elizabeth, and Julie Rowe

Romance publishing offers exciting opportunities for self publishing, small press, traditional publishers, and a combination thereof to cater to the individual author. The romance industry can also be a cut throat business from negative reviews, stalled sales, and an oversaturated market. Three author stand out as perpetually positive by focusing on the Joy of Writing. Bestselling and award winning writers Cathy Maxwell, Anne Elizabeth, and Julie Rowe share how they focus on their passion for romance while drowning out the negativity which creeps into every author’s life. Each author came to romance publishing by a different road yet they share the same appreciation of the Joy of Writing. Moderated by book blogger Kim Lowe, the authors will engage in a round table discussion of looking beyond book sales as a measure of success and celebrating the creativity process that is the Joy of Writing.

Reporting for Duty - An Intimate Chat with the RomVets: Grace Adams, Tamara Argyle, Heather Ashby, Elizabeth Langston, Caroline Lingaitis, Kim Lowe, and Anna Richland

Military characters dominate romance novels. They have stormed romantic suspense, moved into small towns, battled paranormal creatures, and defined history from Medieval Times to Victorian Era to WWII. A group of women veterans have turned their swords to pens to write romance novels – the RomVets, www.romvets.com. Three Air Force veterans, two Navy veterans, one active duty Navy surgeon, and one Army veteran/Rita winner will share our military experience to ensure military characters are accurately portrayed in any genre. RomVets are also military spouses, brats, and parents, so we offer an extra dimension into the lives of those who serve – airman, marine, sailor, seaman, and sailor. We will teach writers to how to decipher the military’s acronyms, identify ranks from the five services, and safely carry a weapon. 

As the Pointer Sisters sang, "I'm so excited". I am truly blessed to be a romance reader! If you met any of the above bloggers or authors, what would you ask them? One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash. Comments are open through Saturday, February 13, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Sunday, February 14.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Celebrating Romance Every Day

Lucky guards my convention stash