Whew. It's been quite the week. For those of you who follow me on social media, you know that I was at the annual Romance Writers Convention in New York. It was crazy and amazing and . . . a tad overwhelming, lol.
One of the best things about the conference was reconnecting with old friends. Most of my close writer friends live in Canada, which is a whole country away. We use conference time to see each other and catch up. Let me tell you, there's nothing more motivating than being with author friends who understand you amd care.
A lot of great projects start at conference as well. This past April, my bestie Lauren Hawkeye and I sat down and plotted the Black Tower series over coffee. Three hours, three books, the first of which was released a couple of weeks ago. This series never would have seen the light of day if we didn't have the chance to get together and work out the fabulous world in which these characters live.
To find out more about this book, and for buy links, go here.
I also had the chance to do a couple of book signings. Let me tell you, these were fun. It was amazing how many people had heard of me and my books. Talking with readers and listening to how they connected with my characters was one of the highlights of the trip! It made me want to do more reader evnts in the future.
Lastly, the best part of the week was watching my close friend, Juliana Stone, win the RITA for best Young Adult Novel. We have known each other for almost a decade and it was so awesome seeing her stand up on stage and receive her award. She has worked hard for it and deserves it. We both cried, and both celebrated, and I'm just so happy that I was able to be there for her.
The gemstone of July is rubies, which are about friendship and love. I have to say that this past week reminded me of how lucky I am to have such wonderful writers as my friends.
How about you? Do you have any friends who are writers? What is the one thing you love the best about having writer friends? Tell me about it in the comments section. I'd love to hear from you!
A lifetime New Englander, Suzanne married her college sweetheart and has been with him for over twenty years. Every summer she drags her husband and two daughters to Maine on a quest for the perfect lobster dinner. Every fall she can be found down in Foxboro, Massachusetts cheering on her favorite football team. In between those trips, she’s a chauffeur, a maid, a chef, an event planner, a hairdresser, a wardrobe stylist, a tutor and a sometimes masseuse. To keep her sanity, she often drinks copious amounts of coffee and stares at the blank screen of her laptop, dreaming of great adventures. Sometimes she even writes them down for others to enjoy.
Suzanne is represented by Deidre Knight of The Knight Agency and writes mainstream romances under the pen name Ava Conway.
Great pictures, Suzanne. I've been to a few RWA Nationals and have had a ball. What I loved most was meeting online writer friends face-to-face. I've developed close friendships with writers I've met online. I have many writer friends whom I meet for regular lunch dates or critique sessions. We love discussing books and writing in general, and the market and changes in the industry.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing like getting together with friends. We all live so far apart so conferences are the perfect place. And with all that creativity...it's a wonderfully inspiring place!
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