I have pics!  Here they are:

This is me with Teresa Medeiros.  When she saw me and read my name tag, she said, “Missy, my muse!”  She was so sweet. 

I guess I should first tell you that though my name is actually Juanita (Nita for short,) everyone who knows me has called me Missy since I was little.  That’s why my name tag said Missy.  And for those of you who don’t know the story, I’ll explain the “muse” thing.  A few years ago I went to Teresa’s web site for the hundredth time hoping to see something posted about her next release.  I had read everything she’d ever written and had been waiting a year for the next one.  I decided to send her an email and simply ask when her next release would be.  She replied saying that her mom had been ill and she’d had a bit of writer’s block.  She said she couldn’t write a book without having a character first, and she couldn’t create a character without a name.  She then said that Miss Wickersham (yes, for my pen name I shortened my last name, too) sounded like a proper English miss.  Less than six months later she emailed to say that Yours Until Dawn with Samantha Wickersham was finished and would be published soon! If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it.  Okay, maybe I am a little biased, but it won a bunch of awards.  It’s a great story.

Here’s Teresa’s web site: http://www.teresamedeiros.com/website_2b.htm

This is me with Victoria Alexander, another of my favorite authors.  OMG!  I was in heaven just being in the same room with all these wonderful people.  I want to say that Victoria was sooooo nice.  But in all truth, they were all just incredibly sweet.

Victoria’s web site: http://www.eclectics.com/victoria/

This is me with Sherrilyn Kenyon aka Kinley MacGregor.  She had the gothic look this day.  LOL  Nose ring, black fingernail polish.  This picture was taken when she was signing her Kinley MacGregor (historical pen name) books.  I got an autographed copy of Return of the Warrior.  But later that day, she was signing as Sherrilyn Kenyon and I snagged an autographed copy of her Dark-Hunter novel Unleash the Night.

Here’s another pic of her so you can see the black nail polish.  LOL

Here’s Kinley’s/Sherrilyn’s web site:  http://www.kinleymacgregor.com/ You can get to her Sherrilyn Kenyon stuff from there, too.

This is me with Amy Fetzer.  I was so excited to finally meet her.  A couple of years ago she read some of my writing, offered some great advice, and gave me the confidence boost I needed to finish my book and try to get published.  She’s the best.

Amy’s site: http://www.amyjfetzer.com/

Oh, and by the way, I brought home 143 books, 40 or 50 of them are autographed and they were all free!  No wait, not all of them.  I did buy 3 autographed books at the Literacy fundraiser.  How could I not?  RWA raised over $64,000 that night! 

This is me with Elizabeth Thornton.  Yes, I got The Bachelor Trap autographed, too.

Elizabeth’s site: http://www.elizabeththornton.com/

Ok, girls.  Check this one out:

Look what Karen Marie Moning brought along for the conference.  LOL  He kneeled at her side the whole time she was autographing her books.  I didn’t realize that authors could have there heroes come to life.    I picked up an autographed copy of not only Spell of the Highlander, but because I was the 3rd person in her line, I got an autographed advance copy of Dark Fever.  It’s her next book, but it hasn’t been released yet! Picture me with a VERY BIG GRIN!

Her web site: http://www.karenmoning.com/

Here’s a few more, in no particular order. 

 Connie Brockway

 Carla Cassidy

 Karen Rose

 Jo Beverley and Jessica Barksdale Inclan

 Christine Rimmer

 Cindy Gerard

And now, going through these pics, I could kick myself.  I didn’t get a picture of Julia Quinn.  Dang it.  I stood in her autographing lines — very, very, long ones — not once, but twice, and I attended a workshop she gave about writing dialog.  But no picture.  Argh.

I also spoke to Stephanie Laurens twice and got her autograph, but no picture.  Grrr.  I spoke to Julie Ann Long, Amanda Quick (aka Jane Ann Krentz,) and at least 30 other well known authors that I never dreamed I would ever actually meet, much less get their autographed books.  No pictures of them either.  Geez.  I guess I just had my hands full (full of books, of course LOL ) and I didn’t have my camera ready.

Well, that’s enough of the pics for now.  I will also post soon about some of the speakers. They were great.  But now I really need to get to work for a while.

See, I pitched A Real Husband to Tracy Farrell, executive editor of HQN (full length novel division of Harlequin.)  She asked me to send her the manuscript!!! Yep, the whole thing, not just the first three chapters!  WooHoo!  I’m very excited about it and cautiously optimistic.  She really seemed to like the story.  She even commented with an, “I love it!” when I said that it isn’t always the damsel who is in distress. 

But that means that I need to do some serious editing.  The first three chapters are fairly polished and clean, but the rest hasn’t really been completely edited.  That’s only another 350 pages or so.  No problem.  *snort*

Nita 

I’m really getting excited about the RWA conference.  Yesterday I received an email stating that the agent I was scheduled with had cancelled.  My appointment was changed to the agent I really wanted to talk to anyway!  WooHoo!  She is one of the two agents I queried last week. I’m hoping that meeting goes well.  I’m a little nervous.  Okay.  More than just a little.  LOL  But I can’t wait! 

I’ve heard that there is always lots of free books, too!  What romance reader wouldn’t be psyched about that?  LOL  I think I mentioned that in my last post, too.  Can you tell I’m just a little pumped about the free books?  

Oh, and I bought a book on audio to listen to on the way to/from Atlanta.  It’s Heart of a Warrior by Johanna Lindsey.  My CP says it’s pretty good.  I’m looking forward to it.

Nita

Two weeks from today I will be in Atlanta for the Romance Writers of America National Conference.  I’m so excited!  I’ve been working on my itinerary.    You know, picking which workshops I want to attend and everything.  I also have an appointment with an agent and one with an editor. 

I can’t wait till the conference.  It will be so much fun!  Can you imagine?  There you are in the same building with 2,000 other romance writers and industry people!  I may actually have the chance to meet some of my favorite writers!  I’m hoping to meet Victoria Alexander and Eloisa James.  I’ll be spending most of my time with Mary Alice Pritchard, but I’ve promised to buy Amy Fetzer a drink.   

Plus… (And I am totally psyched about this)  Publishers will be giving away a ton of free books!  Many of them will be autographed.  Woo Hoo!!  Free books!!!  I’ve heard several writers say that in years past they brought home at least a hundred of ‘em.   

While I’m waiting for the conference I’ve been staying busy.  I just polished up a query letter to send to an agent, maybe two.  I’ve been seriously researching the agents — checking to see what types of books and authors they represent and making sure they are currently accepting new clients.  It would be a waste of my time and money as well as a waste of the agent’s time if I sent a query to an agent who doesn’t like historical romance.  I’ve also checked Preditors & Editors to be sure they have a good reputation. 

Tonight I’m planning to get back to work on part two of The Roscommon Faerie Tales.  I think I’ve left Breandan hanging long enough.  LOL 

Nita