Hack! Hack!

Post banking works, but cannot save you from multiple days of sore throats, ear infections, and fevers. Dear friends released books this week that I was meaning to shout out loud to the world, and I managed to not even croak about them. Expect the roar to be appropriately louder when I've rested and recovered.

Petition: Veritas Nominations for 2010

I would like to petition all members of the RWA to nominate Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and Joanne Rendell of Huffington Post for the 2010 RWA Veritas award.

"RWA's Veritas Award may be given annually for the article that appears in print or in another medium that best depicts the romance genre in a positive light." The nomination form is here and nominations for 2010 are taken by RWA through November 30, 2009.

With Rendell's blogs and articles and Wendell's and Tan's blogs, articles, conference presentations, and workshops, these women have put in a tremendous amount of work and countless hours in conveying an insider's perspective of the romance publishing industry to a vast audience. It is time we recognize that nothing equals the passion and committment of these advocates who were and will always be readers and fans first and who believe in the power of the romance novel.

Again, the nomination form is HERE. Go nominate!

Romance in the News

Mainstream media continues to be surprised, over and over again, that romance is the hit of the publishing industry and a positive phenomenon of the current crappy economy. Most of the coverage is snarky, deprecating, and slightly denigrating, while assuring their readers that they're covering this because it's news, not because they're — O Horror! — a fan.

There are innumerable people who should've been given the Veritas award this year, instead it was awarded to Ron Charles, fiction editor and weekly critic for the Washington Post for his October 2008 blog Heating up the Stacks. (The Romance Writers of America Veritas Award is given for "the article that appears in print or in another medium that best depicts the romance genre in a positive light.") I'm not saying that Ron Charles can be bought off with an award, but there's no harm in priming the pump, so to speak; after all this is the WaPo. While his acceptance speech at the awards luncheon was gracious, his follow-up blog, where he declares his award to his readers, goes thusly: "Last week I received an uncomfortable honor, the kind I'm not sure I should include on my résumé."

The other WaPo coverage for last week, included a video interview of Nora Roberts — with the caption: "About 550 women (and four hen-pecked men) filled our auditorium to ask her questions and get signed copies of her new bestseller." — and When Romance Writers Gather, The Plot Quickens — with a description of a typical romance writer: "But if you squint and look for a general appearance trend, this is it: They look like your mom. They look kind, comforting, domestic, as if they are wearing perfume made from Fleischmann's yeast."

A Love Affair With The Romance Novel is NPR's coverage, including an interview with Nora Roberts, asking about "giving away secrets" and "formulas," which La Nora reworded as "constants" and "framework," why there were no men at her workshops, and ending with a laughing "heaving bosoms." Was there a point to the reading from his own horribly written story opener? Carrie Feron, vice-president and executive editor at HarperCollins, put him right in his place; good for her.

For a much more balanced coverage that gives an insiders' view of how business is conducted at this national conference, read the Publisher's Weekly article. For an introduction to how the academic world is studying popular romance, read the Huffington Post article by Joanne Rendell.

For a humorous, laudatory look at the conference, there's AIC FIA RWA by Kieran Shea: "Anyway, she [Karin Tabke] gave me a playful kick and told me to quit fucking around, finish my novel, and send it in. Translation? FIA = Foot In Ass. AIC = Ass In Chair. Anyway, I got the message. Thanks, Karin. Back to work." Top Ten Geeky Things You Don't Know About Romance Writers by Wired says: "They read acceptance speeches from their iPhones," "They take their kids on research trips to the spy museum," "They hold forensic science workshops." Though Wired did get one thing wrong: "The two places to find writers who were not in workshops at RWA National were the bar or anyplace with free wireless connections..." Free Wi-Fi?? Where was that?!?!

Here's innovative marketing: A Romance for Michelle Obama, an article by Emily Cotler for the Huffington Post. How about an Obama Book Club?

Ultimately, the best articles come from within the industry, not without — and that is something that RWA should take notice of. Kudos to Teresa Medeiros for her essay on Squawk Radio on why she writes romance, Teresa Says It Loud and Says It Proud: I Write Romance Novels, and to Barbara Samuel O'Neal on Romancing the Blog on why she loves attending Nationals, As Time Goes By—My Life and RWA Conferences. These are the women whom I go to meet every July and why I can conceive of every monetary economy but missing the RWA National Conference.

Picture Day Friday

Ganked from Susan Wiggs...

Highlights of the Conference

I wait all year for the RWA National Conference and it's over in a flash. Every year, without fail, I laugh, I cry, I talk myself hoarse, and I come away awed and inspired by the generosity and kindness of the professionals in the romance industry.

The theme to this year's conference, on my own terms: Love is power. Laughter is strength. Put it all together to gain individual and collective knowledge.

2009 HIGHLIGHTS

• My conference was made by dear, dear friend and mentor Amanda McCabe—wonderful writer, funny, hard-working, stylish, meticulous, and above all, very thoughtful. (Ms. Wee and I adore her to pieces!)
  
• Touring DC's monuments with Anna Campbell and Christine Wells
  
• Rooming and chatting after 'lights out' with Amanda McCabe and Andrea Pickens
  
• Meeting both the Smart Bitches in person together
  
• Watching Pam Rosenthal and Joanna Bourne win their RITAs
  
• Congratulating Louisa Cornell on her Royal Ascot and Daphne wins. (Somebody buy her already, for the love of God.)
  
• Being the always marvelous Diane Gaston's date for the Harlequin Party (didn't crash it, nope, nope)
  
• Attending the six-figures workshop and seeing how much Helen Breitwieser and Kristin Nelson adore their 2009 debut authors, Tessa Dare and Courtney Milan, respectively
  
• Being impressed by the posh and bright person that Joanne Grant is
  
• Falling in love with Sherry Thomas, and wisely running away before gushing it all in front of her
  
• Catching up with Deb Marlowe—always cheers me up
  
• Michelle Buonfiglio bowing to my bag
  
• Pitching at a shout at the Harlequin Party and getting a request. In fact, all of my pitches happened at parties and I got requests on all. Perhaps that should be my modus operandi at future conferences
  
• Hugging Romance Novel TV reviewer PJ
  
• Having the fabulous Mary Jo Putney and Victoria Alexander recognize me and say how pleased they're to see me, and having the incomparable Anne Gracie asking various people where she could meet me and being thrilled once she did
  
• Meeting fellow Twitterers in person: Sarah Wendell, Angela James, Jane Litte, Sarah Frantz, Malle Vallik, Kassia Krozser, Dominique Raccah, Don Linn, Pam Spengler-Jaffee, and Barbara Vey
  
• Hugging PJ
  
• Chatting with and raving about Kim Castillo, who's not merely an author's best friend, but a powerhouse in your corner
  
• Watching La Nora kick up her heels at the Harlequin Party. Also seeing Jo Beverley, Stephanie Laurens, Katherine Smith, Jacquie d'Alessandro, Olivia Gates (bellydancing), and Julie Cohen (ooh, can she dance!) let their hair down. (Noticeably missing: Julia Quinn!)
  
• Tearing up over and over during Eloisa James's speech. I've known her through her message board for years, and know of all the individual incidents that have charted her life, but hearing it all put together and realizing her courage and conviction through it all was simply WOW. (I'm even more in love her if that were possible!)
  
• Hand-delivering a note to Julia Quinn from a fan (De Paul professor Eric Selinger's young daughter) and seeing how pleased she was to receive it
  
• "May I take a picture of you?" I asked over and over again. "Of course" and "Sure" said the writers, dropping everything they were doing to pose with smiles at the ready. Graciousness personified.
  
• Meeting the oldest debut author at 76, Pearl Wolf, and buying her book at the Literacy Signing
  
• Watching how fast the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance is gaining in popularity and membership. (Kudos, Sarah Frantz!)
  
• Hugging PJ
  
• Eloisa James Julia Quinn Tea, Beau Monde Soirée, Banditas Bash, Smart Bitches Bootleg, Samhain Extravaganza, and the crown jewel, the Harlequin Party
  
• Anne Stuart as the emcee of the RITA/GH ceremony was the right blend of humor and speechifying. Her various guises were absolutely hilarious
  
• A thumb-drive with conference handouts and Harlequin art
  
• Meeting new-to-me authors
  
• Thriving in the constant hubbub of like-minded individuals
  
• Adult conversations (didn't have to be X-rated for enjoyment)
  
• Not dozing off in the 8:30am workshops
  
• Two boxes of books (oh, yeah!)
  
• Free eBooks by Books on Board
  
• T-Shirt by Quartet Press
  
• Being only a few blocks away from Obama, breathing the very air he was breathing
  
• Meeting up with my cousin for dinner the night before I left DC as the perfect coda to a near perfect conference

2009 BESTS

• Bookmark — Tessa Dare
  
• Excerpt booklet — Tessa Dare & Courtney Milan
  
• Postcard — Sara Lindsey
  
• Pin & Pen — International Association for the Study of Popular Romance
  
• Swag — Harlequin's 60th anniversary cover art goodies
  
• Cookies — Tim Tams by Anna Campbell
  
• Chocolates — Handcrafted by PJ
  
• Snack Goodies — Home-baked by Kim Castillo at the Eloisa James Julia Quinn Tea
  
• Party Outfit — Amanda McCabe at the Beau Monde Soirée
  
• Wardrobe — Every single outfit by Michelle Willingham
  
• Shoes — Silver nothings by Diane Gaston at the Harlequin Party
  
• Purse — Julie Cohen's Mills & Boon book cover from the 1960s
  
• Drink — Lemon drop with lime by Christine Wells
  
• News — Kathryn Caskie's engagement

(Photographs in the next post.)

Stone Age R Us

I'm leaving for the Romance Writers of America National Conference in half an hour. For the next eight days, I will not have access to the Internet, and my phone does not have a data plan. So the only way to get in touch with me is to find me through the hotel's phone system or to call and text to my cell phone or to run into me. I'll be back with gossip, photos, and news.