PYHIAB Conference

Well, New Jersey certainly knows how to throw a party. My hats off to the New Jersey Romance Writers, they put on a fabulous conference. First let me say, that it was well organized, smoothly run, and they fed us very well. This year's keynote speaker was Lisa Scottoline. What a fun speaker. I want to be just like her when I grow up. She gave a great luncheon speech and then I loved her How To Write A Novel workshop. Lots of energy!

I took 2nd place in the 2008 Put Your Heart In A Book Contest. They did a big awards ceremony with a stage and a big 10 foot screen with our pictures up on it. I was so glad I didn't have to get up in front of 400 people and accept an award. Carol Burnside got that honor. Lucky girl. She gave a lovely speech. I was so happy for her. And so happy for me that I didn't have to do it.

Last minute I scored a 10 minute pitch with the brand new Desire senior editor. It was a total serendipity moment. A woman at our table for breakfast was asking what sort of books Silhouette Desire published. She had an appointment with the senior editor. I asked her what she wrote. She said, historical time travel. I told her Desire published short contemporary. Then they announced that there were extra editor/agent appointments and to check with the coordinator. She decided to go and switch. I followed her. Do I sound like a stalker? Naw, I just wanted to be in the right place at the right time.

But in the end, there was such a mob in front of the check in table that I decided not to be greedy. I had an appointment with the lovely Susan Litman to look forward to and I decided to be content with that. So, I'm chatting with the winner of the Romantic Elements category of the PYHIAB contest and one of the coordinators announces that they've got an open appointment with Krista Stroever. Of course, I jump up and start waving my arms like a mad woman. Appointment card in hand, I dash down the hall with nothing prepared. But it wasn't about pitching, it was about getting a chance to meet her and mention I had a book with Diana. She was very nice, listened patiently while I babbled out my summary. Hopefully she won't hold it against me if Diana likes Bending enough to pass it along to her.

Everything seemed to conspire to make the PYHIAB Conference a great move for me. Serendipity. I'm becoming a huge fan!

As the plane took off and I glimpsed Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty out the window, I thought about my manuscript sitting down there in that big city and couldn't help but feel like I was a little closer to my dream than I had been a year ago.