Okay, I couldn’t resist the title…lolol…I feel like Janelle did last night! It’s 10pm and I just remembered I need to blog.
So here’s a bit of my own this-n-that.
First, please excuse me for being a little brain dead. Remember last Tuesday when I was picking up Brenda from the airport & taking her back to my place? Well, it was wonderful, we had a great time, but that night didn’t exactly go off without a hitch. My daughter’s boyfriend is here and last week, he was in the e.r. a grand total of 3 times. One of which was late Tuesday night while Brenda was here!
Talk about stressful…but as always, Brenda went with the flow, joined me in a couple of wicked margaritas, then a glass of wine, and watched me try to decompress from a solid 6 weeks of company under my roof. ACK!
We took the train into D.C. Wednesday morning, arrived at the conference hotel and went out for a great lunch with the other Plotmonkeys. Then that afternoon we got together and plotted–for the first time including someone other than the four of us. Brenda got an up-close and personal, interactive experiencing with Plotting with the Monkeys. I think we wore her out! There’s so much jumping around, throwing out ideas, spinning off into wild, unexplored territories, that we probably drove her a little crazy. But it was great having her help out with Julie’s wonderful new Blaze-adventure trilogy.
After that…more plotting Thursday. Lots of meetings and appointments and parties Friday night. Then the train home Saturday. Whew!
So did anybody else here go to the RWA conference? I’d really love to hear about other experiences.
PS: Loved running into Elisa and Paula and Silver! Sorry I wasn’t around to see and hang out with more of you!
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The winner of Janelle’s giveaway yesterday are:
Christina T. (Comment #25)
Emmanuelle (Comment #40)
Congrats to the both of you! Please contact Janelle at janelledenison @ sbcglobal.net with your snail mail address, and your choice of book you’d like: Bad Boys on Board (anthology), Surf’s Up (anthology), or Wild For Her (single title).
Leslie Kelly used to say she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up, but then she discovered Nancy Drew books. Being a flashlight-under-the-covers-nose-in-book reader throughout her childhood, she couldn’t think of anything else she’d rather do as an adult than continue to lose herself in fictional stories. Her real life marriage of 20 years to the man of her dreams is a constant reinforcement that happily-ever-afters really can happen…and that they’re worth writing about. Living in Maryland, Leslie spends her non-writing time laughing a lot with the above-mentioned romance hero and their three daughters. Though an author of more than thirty sexy, contemporary comedies, she has recently branched out to write dark romantic suspense under the pseudonym Leslie Parrish.
ANOTHER WILD WEDDING NIGHT
Hard to Hold
Love Me If You Dare
Wild For Him
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I didn’t go this year, just lived vicariously through others, and was pea-green with jealousy LOL. I had actually taken the week of because I intended to go, then changed my mind, so I was lazy, read, watched t.v. got together w/ friends and didn’t spend much time online, at least not all the blogs I normally visit. I had a life for a week *g*
Next year I’ll go for sure.
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Okay, the gravatar thing didn’t work for me! Will try again later…
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Testing, trying gravatar again……
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I did the same as Stacy although I had to work a few days. But I have enjoyed all the blogs and tweets about the week.
Jealous, I am.
and now I am going to do the same thing with ComicCon this week.
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OMG! Comicon is INSANE! SD is always a zoo around that time. I worked it last year and saw a lot of interesting things
The costumes were ridiculous…I can’t believe how many people go all out for it. I got to see more of the behind the scenes stuff since I was there through set up and take down. But it was so crazy, I’ll never work it again…I’d love to experience it just once as an attendee. The energy is amazing in there and there is so much to see. Seriously though there are so many bodies that you can hardly move! And since I’m not a comic fanatic I didn’t understand most of the get-ups/booths.
I’m definitely going to do my best to stay away from downtown this weekend…
<3 J
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I didn’t get to go this year either, but can’t wait for everyone to come to Nashville next year. I tried to keep up with all the fun on twitter and blogs.
I’m off work this week with my 5 year old niece(her first time away from home by herself), and we are heading out to see Ice Age 3.
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Congrats to Christina and Emmauelle…Leslie, I just got my anthology with your story in it (it’s in the TBR pile waiting at the top). I didn’t go to the RWA…your visit with Brenda sounds like fun.
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Good morning jungle buddies…
Les, I really enjoyed seeing all of you guys together again…I was actually staying at the hotel, and I got a totally unique perspective as a non-romance writer about the conference…there was so much high energy, and it was like a kick in the pants…my long dormant creative juices, for writing romance, started flowing again…I actually wrote 90% of a romance novel when I was around 14, but I think it lacked too much…my opinion…others seemed to like it, but I didn’t feel the emotions were authentic enough…I started working on a new project and did some editing on some others I had started before going to DC…I plan to be a full participant in the conference next year though…
Silver is an amazing woman…her one-liners are golden…I hung out with her a couple of times, and I had a ball…
I also got to meet and take pics with Nora Roberts…I have loved her since forever, and J.R. Ward…that was awesome…this year wasn’t as scary for me…I was able to control myself and not go crazy every time I saw you, Janelle, Carly and some of my other fave authors…I didn’t see Jules again after the gift shop…I was able to tame my inner fangirl in your presence, but I totally freaked when I was alone…
Did you guys get my note?
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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Paula — I meant to send you an email thanking you for the note. My bad! Thank you! You’re incredibly sweet!
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I am glad you liked the note…hey did you check out my gravatar? I took this pic in Korea last summer…this was taken in honor of you guys, the plotmonkeys…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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Oops…I neglected to congratulate yesterday’s winners…
Congrats Emmanuelle and Christine T.
I am happy you guys won…but, I am sooooooo jealous too 
…you guys get to read Janelle much sooner than me…enjoy…
Have a wonderful day…will swing by later…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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Hi!
So thrillling to hear about RWA. I am a tad jealous, of course until I started following ya’ll so intently I had no idea there was such a huge conference of writers.
I am so glad everyone had such a great time. Been following here and at Silver’s.
Have a Terrific Tuesday!
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I didn’t get to go this year but it’s great to hear all about it from the Plotmonkey’s pov. What fun to have Brenda join you guys in a plotting session. I’m sure she enjoyed it and gave her some time to de-stress a little. I look forward to reading all of the new projects you guys plotted.
As always, it’s great to hang around the Jungle
Cher
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This was my first time to a Literary signing, and I was like wow…. Of course it didn’t help that I was so unprepared for an event like this. Since my time was cut short, I didn’t get to see many authors. I only saw the Plotmonkeys (minus Janelle), Roxanne St. Clair, and Nora Roberts. I also stood in line with the ladies from Fresh Fiction for the Literary signing.
Next year looking forward to attending the one in Nashville.
Leslie, I found a new place and hoping to rent it out by next month. I so definitly need to leave the house with mold issues.
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Congrats Christina, & Emmanuelle!!!
I have not had the pleasure of going to a convention or literary signing… everyone always seems to have a blast!
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I have so enjoyed reading around the blogs about RWA. It was fun to see all the pictures posted by various authors and bloggers. It sounds like everyone had a great time, but they came back totally exhausted!
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Congrats Christina & Emmanuelle!!!
Like most people I didn’t get the opportunity to see the conference live…but I’ve loved hearing about all the excitement by everyone who attended! =)
<3 J
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Leslie, it sounds like you had quite a week with Brenda & the Plotmonkeys! I bet Brenda never forgets being involved in your plotting!!
Six weeks of company! Wow, lady you are a marvel! I’m lucky to handle 3 days!!
Elisa, I know what you mean about not being prepared for the Literacy signing. I got to go last year!! It became overwhelming, mostly due to the noise of so many people in a big room!!
A lot of conversation all going on at the same time. Meeting the Plotmonkeys was the highlight & they were all so kind and welcoming.
Congrats to the winners of Janelle’s books. Enjoy them.
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Ah good! I got my picture corrected!!
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Wish I could have been there. It sounds like a lot of fun. Maybe next year.
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Glad everyone is back in the Jungle and that you all had a great time!
Pat Cochran
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Paula, we did get the notes, thank you so much!!
Elisa–good news! We had our own mold emergency yesterday. We realized the a.c. unit had been leaking in the basement, apparently for quite a while. Had to tear out some carpet and wash down the baseboards and throw out a bunch of boxes that had been stored under the stairs. UGH!
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I was at the signing Wednesday night. I was thrilled and overwhelmed. It was hot and crowded.
I had my Plot Monkeys book mark but every time I found one of the names, the person was missing.
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Congrats ladies on winning! Woohoo!
No, I didn’t go to the conference but one of these years I will! I am glad you all had such a fun, fantastic time!
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PaulaR, you are an amazing woman and I can’t wait to read your poetry. I enjoyed visiting with you and I’m glad I kept you entertained. Enjoy the rest of your travels this summer.
Liza, I can’t wait to see you in Nashville. Sorry we decided to take the northern route home so we couldn’t hook up this trip.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around all the people I met, the things I learned, and the sheer energy flowing at Nationals. But its nice to finally get back here to the Jungle and catch up.
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Thanks Silver! I can’t wait until your book Faerie Fate comes out. And, your other stories sound incredible…I could have listened to you all night…Thank you for helping to make this trip extra special for me…you helped me more than you know…I am looking forward to sharing more “bar and people watching time” with you in Nashville. I hope you got enough rest now…See you later…
Peace and love,
Paula R.