Today was the first day of the 2008 Emerald City Writers Conference. I met writing friends for breakfast, picked up an editor from the airport, volunteered at registration for five hours, met Cherry Adair, was motivated by Susan Mallery‘s welcome speech and ate too much cake. Tomorrow: Julia Quinn and the Book Fair. I’m verra verra sleepy and still have to blog over at the Desert Island Keepers Blog (come visit me!).

To tide you over, here are some pictures from Cherry Adair’s welcome tea. This year I’m planning to sign up for her “Write the Damn Book” Challenge.

What’s better than a kid in a candy store? A book lover in a book fair! Meet your favorite romance and urban fantasy authors and help raise money to support the Domestic Abuse Women’s Network (DAWN) at the Emerald City Writers Conference Book Fair. DAWN works to end domestic violence by empowering survivors and fostering communities where abuse is not tolerated. We have a fabulous line up of local and national authors participating.

WHAT: Emerald City Writers Conference Book Fair
WHEN: Saturday, October 11, 4-6 PM
WHERE: Hilton Bellevue Hotel, 300 112th Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA 98004
WHO: You and…

I’ll be there taking pictures for those of you who can’t make it. I also have a flip cam, and I’m not afraid to use it. *evil chuckle*

PS: Bring cash if you want to stand in the shorter line. Credit is accepted, but takes much longer to ring up.

Last night I had the pleasure of celebrating Lauren Dane‘s year of Über productive writing, meeting irreverent zombie author Mark Henry, and catching ghost orbs with Christina Arbini. What better place to discuss faucet erotica, flesh-eating heroines, and dinner theater hangings than Buca di Beppo?

Lauren Dane was a writing fiend this year, penning two 100-word novels, two 60-word novels, and a bunch of shorter works. She has many books in print and quite a few series. I recommend her Cascadia Wolves series featuring hawt alpha werewolves from Seattle. What’s not to love?

FATED

Just because Fate brings you your perfect mate doesn’t mean it’ll be easy.

Cascadia Wolves series

Could there be any worse fate than a road trip from Seattle to L.A.—with one’s mother—to attend a wedding? Why yes, when one isn’t married yet, like Megan Warden. Toss in a grandmother and a carload of already married sisters and it’s a recipe for sneaking sips of “special” coffee while someone else drives.

Shane Rosario has better things to do than attend a wedding where his father’s relatives will be at him nonstop about getting married and having children. If it weren’t for seeing his anchor bond, Layla, he’d have taken a pass on the entire weekend. It would be easy, since he’s become adept at hiding who and what he is.

When the two weren’t even looking, Fate steps in and before they know it, their bond is sealed. Bonded pair, married in the eyes of their people. Two people tied together in every way. Trouble is, Shane’s not sure he wants all that comes with Megan. And Megan’s certain she’s not willing to live outside her pack, pretending to be human.

The distance between them is more than geographical. It’s a widening gulf rapidly filling with resentment…an emotional divide only acceptance could bridge. Can Shane can accept himself to cross it? Only if they let love take control.

Mark Henry writes humorous zombie Urban Fantasy. His publication story is one in a million: He pitched to an editor without having written a single word. The pitch: Sex in the City meets Dawn of the Dead. Editor asked for 50 pages by the end of the month. Mark chained himself to his computer and wrote 50 pages. Editor read it, asked for the entire book. Mark chained himself to his computer and finished the book. Book went up for auction. Book is currently optioned for a tv show. Book 2 comes out in February. Whew! And now I must get my hands on a copy of the book. “Prepare to be insulted” only makes me want to read it more. He is a blogging addict, and can often be found at the League of Reluctant Adults with fellow Washingtonian author Caitlin Kitridge.

HAPPY HOUR OF THE DAMNED

Seattle. One minute you’re drinking a vanilla breve, the next, some creepy old dude is breathing on you, turning you into a zombie. And that’s just for starters. Now, the recently deceased Amanda Feral is trying to make her way through Seattle’s undead scene with style (mortuary-grade makeup, six-inch stilettos, Balenciaga handbag on sale) while satisfying her craving for human flesh (Don’t judge. And no, not like chicken.) and decent vodkatinis.

Making her way through a dangerous world of cloud-doped bloodsuckers, reapers, horny and horned devils, werewolves, celebrities, and PR-obsessed shapeshifters-not to mention an extremely hot bartender named Ricardo-isn’t easy. And the minute one of Amanda’s undead friends disappears after texting the word, “help” (The undead-so dramatic!) she knows the afterlife is about to get really ugly.

Something sinister is at hand. Someone or something is hellbent on turning Seattle’s undead underworld into a place of true terror. And this time, Amanda may meet a fate a lot worse than death.

“Gruesome, ghoulish, and utterly groundbreaking. Mark Henry is daring and scathingly funny.”—Jackie Kessler, author of The Road To Hell

Lauren Dane, Mark Henry, Christine Feehan, Julia Quinn, Cherry Adair, and many more Pacific Northwest authors will be at the upcoming Emerald City Writers Conference. The book signing is Saturday, October 11, 4-6 pm and is open to the public. Stop by and say hi to our talented local authors!

Emerald City Writers Conference Book Fair
October 11, 2008: 4 pm – 6 pm
Bellevue Hilton
300 112th Avenue SE,
Bellevue, WA – 98004

The finalists for the Emerald City Opener writing contest, which judges the first seven pages of a manuscript by non-published authors, were announced this week. Congrats all!:

Single Title
Whatever It Takes, Louise Ahern
Passages, Marion Spicher
A Son By Any Name, Shirley Ann Wilder

Series Romance
Redeeming Claire, Merilee Larson
The Mechanic’s Dream, Catherine McClain
The Bet, Darlene Panzera

Romantic Suspense
Presumed Guilty, Meta Carroll
Catch Me if You Can, Kathy Coatney
A Touch of TNT, Petrina Green

Paranormal
Three Days to Love, Celeste Deveney
When the Earth Moves, SG Shellabarger
A Sweet But Deadly Desire, Laurie Thompson

Historical
From the Ashes, Lecia Cotton Cornwall
A Very Patient Man, SG Shellabarger
The Reluctant Widow, Judy Wiebe

YA
Starstruck, Ruth Kaufman
Asking for It, Shannon Kennedy
Hanging by a Thread, Christine Lashinski

October 10-12, 2008: Emerald City Writers’ Conference, Bellevue Hilton

Registration for the largest annual romance writers’ conference on the west coast is now open!

Emerald City Writers’ Conference

DETAILS

When: October 10-12, 2008 at
Where: The Bellevue Hilton in Bellevue, WA
Reserve Hotel block held through September 17

SCHEDULED SPEAKERS

• Welcome: Susan Mallery
• Key Note: Julia Quinn
• Closing: Allison Brennan
• *Write the DAMN Book!* Challenge: Cherry Adair

AGENTS

• Kim Whalen – Trident Media Group, LLC
• Barbara Poelle – Irene Goodman Literary Agency
• Carolyn Grayson – Ashley Grayson Literary Agency
• Kevan Lyon – Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

EDITORS

• Leis Pederson – Berkley Books, Penguin Group (USA)
• Angela James – Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
• Deb Werksman – Sourcebooks, Inc.

COST

• GSRWA member – $209 (After August 16 – $239)
• Non-GSRWA member – $229 (After August 16 – $259) (but you should join and be one of the cool kids)
• Regular Registration Closes September 30, 2008

For more info visit: http://www.gsrwa.org/conference.php

Contact Conference Chair conference_chair@gsrwa.com with any questions.

I’ll be there!

Julia Quinn, New York Times Best Selling Author and 2008 RITA Finalist, is the Queen of dry wit and laugh-out-loud dialog. Her books are some of my very favorite Regencies. My favorites: The Duke and I, The Viscount Who Loved Me, An Offer from a Gentleman, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, and The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever. I heart Julia. (And she lives here in Seattle!!!)

Tomorrow is the release date for her latest book, The Lost Duke of Wyndham, which looks to be a gem. Harper Collins is sneaky and put three whole chapters online for free. How could I resist? Now that I’ve read them I’m completely sucked into the story and impatient for more. What? You mean your TBR pile is already too big? Well join the club da’ling and add one more to the top of your list. Just remember that the next time we choose for the island, Jack is MINE biyatches.

Haven’t read Ms. Quinn yet? Read her and love her and want to reread the goodness that is The Duke and I? Well the entire book is available for free for a limited time to read online through Avon’s look-inside program. Check it out here and spend the rest of your memorial day cuddled up with your laptop and a yummy romance novel.

Julia will be giving the key note address and holding a workshop on dialog at the Emerald City Writers Conference in October.

Workshop: Dialogue: It’s More Than What You Say
Dialogue affects every aspect of your novel, from plotting to pacing, characterization to voice.
Join New York Times bestseller Julia Quinn to learn how you can make dialogue shine.

Photo: If Mercy Thompson was a pinup girl.

So you may have noticed that I have a gazillion ideas and sometimes I fail to follow through with them. There simply isn’t enough time to do everything, so sometimes I’ll announce “upcoming” and you will never see anything come of it. It doesn’t mean I don’t try to do everything I say I am going to. Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.

1. New Design: Most of the pinup girls in the header are by Gil Elvgren. The chick on the broom represents wanderlust. That’s right. My other car is a broom. What do you think?

2. Upcoming Guest Post: I finally got one of my friends to read a romance novel and talk to me about it. My friend Scott has agreed to write us a book review of his impressions of DARK LOVER, the Black Dagger Brotherhood Crack sensation by J.R. Ward. Stay tuned.

3. Aspiring Romance Author Book Club: Our next meeting is June 7, discussing THE DUKE OF SHADOWS by Meredith Duran. I have heard fabulous things about this book and am looking forward to reading it.

4. Mercer Island Library Writing Workshops: Join us for a series of free writing workshops that will spark your creativity, get you organized and guide you through the publishing maze. This series is co-sponsored by Pacific Northwest Writers Association

• The Original Idea—The Core of Writing and Selling Your Book and Idea: Presented by Bob Mayer Mercer Island Library, Wednesday, June 04, 7pm. Can you say what your book is about in 25 words of less? This is essential to both writing a tight book and selling it. We will discuss ways to find and state your original idea so that you stay on course while writing the book and excite those you tell when trying to sell it.
• Get Organized–Get Writing!: Presented by Alexis Morgan. Mercer Island Library, Wednesday, June 18, 7pm. Best selling author Alexis Morgan shares tips on how to get organized to write. Learn how to set both long and short term goals that will help you achieve success in your writing career. Alexis is published in several sub-genres and her paranormal romances feature warriors charged with defending humans from an ancient threat. This August she will release her seventeenth full length book, Dark Warrior Unleashed, the first book in her Talions series, as well as her first short story.

5. Emerald City Writers’ Conference registration is now OPEN! Conference dates are October 10-12, 2008 in Bellevue, Washington.

Scheduled Speakers

• Welcome: Susan Mallery
• Key Note: Julia Quinn
• Closing: Allison Brennan
• “Write the DAMN Book!” Challenge: Cherry Adair

Agents and Editors

• Carolyn Grayson of Ashley Grayson Literary Agency
• Angela James of Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
• Kevan Lyon of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency
• Leis Pederson of Berkley Books, Penguin Group (USA)
• Barbara Poelle of Irene Goodman Literary Agency
• Deb Werksman of Sourcebooks, Inc.
• Kim Whalen of Trident Media Group, LLC

My RWA chapter, the Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America, has announced the opening of this years contest, which is associated with our Emerald City Writers Conference in October. (Also known as the Geographically-Challenged Writers Conference, since it isn’t actually held in the Emerald City.) So wipe the cobwebs off your manuscript and polish up your first seven pages!

We are now accepting entries for the Emerald City Opener Contest!

Your opener is the hook that attracts an editor or agent. Polish the first seven pages of your manuscript and enter the Emerald City Opener Contest. Detailed scoresheets provide feedback, and judges (published or Golden Heart finalists/winners) are encouraged to write comments on your entry.

Entries that final will be judged by editors and agents. Plus you’ll get a private appointment with an editor or agent at the Emerald City conference.

Entries must be postmarked by midnight June 15, 2008

Entry fee: $12 for members, $20 for nonmembers

For more information and entry form, visit www.gsrwa.org/contest.php

This weekend is the 2007 Emerald City Writers’ Conference (incidentally, not held in the Emerald City, leading me to suggest “Romance Writing for Geographically Challenged Folks” as a new name), hosted every year by the Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America, held every year at the Bellevue Hilton. If you aren’t a writer but an avid fan, make sure you check out the Bookfair featuring some of my favorite authors, including Julia Quinn (pictured left), Katie MacAlister, Jenna Petersen, Stephanie Rowe, Elizabeth Boyle, and Alexis Morgan.

Down-and-Dirty FAQS:

When: Saturday, October 27, 2007 4 – 6pm
Where: Skyview Ballroom, Bellevue Hilton, 300 112th Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA
Why: Many fabulous Romance Writers will be there
Why2: A portion of the proceeds from the book sales will go to DAWN, Domestic Abuse Womens Network of South King County.