when you realize that someone actually read a part of your book ...AND LIKED IT!

Not your critique partners or your beta readers. But someone of note. Say...like an editor of a big publishing house?

Last night I found out that I was the winner in the Fantasy/Urban Fantasy category for On The Far Side Contest for Unpublished Writers hosted by FF&P RWA.  I had to read the email several times before it REALLY sunk in. I won. HOT DIGGITY -- I WON!

My entry was read and ranked by an actual publishing editor and for this one, brief moment in time, I was the winner. How awesome is THAT?!

Pretty freaking awesome, I'd say. Pretty. Freaking. Awesome! Go me!

DO THE CARLTON! 

I'm over here dancing wildly! Madly! Insanely!

Sorry that's a lot of "ly" words but it's okay -- I'm allowed.

In June I found out the Hidden One finaled in two great contests - On The Far Side, a contest hosted by the Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal Special Interest Chapter of RWA and The TARA, hosted by the Tampa Area Romance Writers. I'm giddy beyond belief!

So, yeah. This is a shout out to myself. GO ME!!

Since I posted links to help you figure out what to do, what to wear and how to enjoy RWA Nationals, I figured I'd share a few tips I've picked along the way too:

1. You'll Need Power: Buy an external battery pack for all your electronics. In prep for RWA13 I purchased this charger from Amazon. There are smaller and cheaper versions but this size will work for my entire family when we're on the road. There are two charging ports and I can charge a cell phone and a tablet at the same time. I'm ready!

2. Know Where You're Going: Once you pick up your registration packet, map out the locations of your selected workshops against the hotel map. Knowing where to go when you leave your room will help save time and frustration if you're running late.

2.1 Load Up Your Calendar: If you have a Android phone - put all of your workshops in Google Calendar and set reminders. This way you'll have the same info at your fingertips. It will save you from flipping through the booklet every hour. :)

3. BYOWB (Bring Your Own Water Bottle):  I would suggest that you bring a CASE of water to the hotel -- but that's not  "green." Just pick up a 32 oz water bottle and carry it with you. Use the water stations that will be set up all over the hotel to replenish as you need. Make sure it's a "slender" style bottle that you can slip into the side pocket of your Registration bag for ease of transport.

4. EAT BREAKFAST!: I know this sounds weird. But really. EAT A GOOD BREAKFAST every morning. Even if that means getting up at the butt-crack of dawn to head down to the hotel restaurant or walking across the street to the local fast food joint. Just do it. You will be running 100 miles an hour the moment you leave your room. You'll need the calories to sustain you.

5. Bag It Up:  Free books will be tossed around like candy the entire week. I'm serious. FREE BOOKS. Don't think that you'll be able to fit the books in your Conference bag. They won't fit. Don't believe me? Look at the photos below.

Pack a few of the reusable grocery tote bags to help carry your loot. The collapsable kind that you can carry around in your Conference Bag would be helpful. You can pick up several at your local grocery for less than $2.00 in most places. Or better yet. Connect with a good friend who's at the host hotel and ask for "storage rights" for your books. Meaning you can stash your books in their room periodically throughout the day so you don't have to carry them around everywhere.

6. Tablet or Paper?: Not every meeting room will have a table for you to set up your Ipad so you'll need to think carefully for how you plan to take notes. In some cases you'll only have your lap to rest your Ipad on so keep that in mind. I recently upgraded to a Samsung Note II cell phone. It has a larger screen and comes with a "pen" for writing. I'm currently testing it out as my sole electronic device for Nationals. We'll see how it goes. I'm bringing my IPad as back up - just in case :)

Well, that's my brain dump of ideas for next week. What are yours? Any tips to share? Will what I've mentioned work for you? Let me know!

It's that time of year again. It's RWA Time.

As many other romance authors have done, I've geared this post to what's occurring in Atlanta within the next two weeks.  Romance Writers of America's Annual Conference. Where over 2, 000 romance writers gather for a week of networking!

This will be my second time attending RWA Nationals. My first experience occurred in my home town, New York, New York. I thought since it was my hometown, I'd blend in like a native New Yorker. Ummmm nope. My mind was blown WIDE open.

Every day started at 7am and ended at 2 am. You moved from your room to the workshops to the meeting rooms to the bar. Not necessarily in that order. Sleep was a luxury you couldn't afford -- because let's face it. TWO THOUSAND romance writers in one hotel creates an energy flow that's impossible to plan for. You simply go with it.

I've been debating on whether or not I should do a post on "What to Bring to Nationals" or "What to Expect" at Nationals. But so many authors have done such a great job. I figured it would be easier to list their posts :)

I've pulled these from the latest RWA Conference email that came out today. Several links may require you to log on to my.RWA for access:

What’s nearby?

• Things to do in Atlanta
• 50 Fun Things brochure
• Dining options
• Morton’s Steakhouse “steak and seafood” menu and pricing especially for RWA2013 attendees
• Savings in the City card

Need more information?

• How to Survive and Thrive at Conference by Jane Porter (RWA member login req.)
• RWA Countdown: Getting the Most Out of RWA—Some Tips for Newbies by Angela Quarles
• Getting Down to Business: Conference Etiquette by Donna Alward
• Atlanta during the 2013 RWA Conference: Random Thoughts from ITP by Jennifer McQuiston

So - are you ready for RWA? Are you a first timer? A Vet? What are you looking forward to?

To say that I had an absolute blast at the 2013 Reader Author Get Together this year would be an understatement. I had a HUMONGOUS BLAST at RAGT.

Where can you find a gathering of authors and readers so intimate that you truly feel like best friends by the end of the three days?

I'm proud to say that my second RAGT was my most productive conference as as writer --even though I attended as a reader. My goal was not to focus on my writing, but to simply soak in the glow of fangirling all of my favorite writers. Take a peek below and see who I managed to bump into! 

So let me tell you a little about Robyn Peterman. Remember when I said I was going to attend RAGT as a READER? Well Robyn and her fabulous group of author buddies offered a workshop to help authors with their Pitch. I had no intention on attending. But I did. Robyn welcomed me with open arms...and then proceed to rip me and new one for not having a pitch ready LOL. But as the gracious role model that she is -- she gave me and another lady homework. We were to draft our pitch THAT WEEKEND and find her and run it by her. What? Like This. Weekend?

Well I did it. And Robyn did it too. I can honestly state that Robyn Peterman saved my Pitch life. She worked with me one on one and helped my fine tune my written ramblings into a spunky kick-azz pitch that had me glowing from the inside out! I mean she took my words and gave them life and gave me the confidence I needed to really bring out my story to potential agents and editors. I was on Cloud 9 for the rest of the weekend!

It just goes to show that sometimes - even when you have the best intentions to do one thing - something else comes along and totally flips your world. Thanks Robyn! I'll never forget your kindness!