I'M BACK!

So sorry I am late with my blog this morning. For reasons that are too boring to expound on, our plane was four hours late last night. I came home, ate Indian food, and fell asleep in my chair.

I am turning into my father.

I am glad to be back with all of you and Cheryl. We are not leaving without her again.

I know how fortunate I am to be a member of the Heart of Dixie chapter of RWA but being at conference with these astonishing women always brings it home. It is a time to bond and celebrate. We shore up each other up when it's time to pitch or present a workshop and we put glitter powder on each other when it's time to dress up. And, always, we ask each other, "How did it go?"

We've learned from the best of the best. I refuse to drop names but there are three of our chapter mates who have great big fish to fry—the New York Times Bestseller variety of fish. But, always, always, always, they are there with a hug and a, "How did it go?" and a "That's good; you said exactly the right thing." And best of all,if you said the wrong thing, they would say so.

There's no place like the Romance Writers' National Conference. We have many pictures to share and we will tell you more in the coming weeks but here are some my personal highlights:

Our own Katherine Bone placed third in the Hearts Through History contest with her manuscript Pirate By Night. Much celebration followed.

Our good friend Harlequin Presents author Lynn Raye Harris and her book, Cavelli's Lost Heir, were featured at the Harlequin Spotlight. I already knew the wonderful things they said about her but I admit I got a little teary-eyed.

Our good friends Kimberly Lang and Rhonda Nelson won Harlequin Readers' Choice awards. Kimberly writes for Modern Heat and Rhonda writes for Blaze.

As RWA Leadership Development Chair, Stephanie announced the slate of national officers at the Annual General Membership meeting. We were so proud of our chapter mate Linda Winstead Jones, who is a candidate for President Elect. She is a great lady and will make a great president elect and president. And Stephanie looked fabulous in her new Lucy Ricardo shirtwaist dress and kelly green shoes. Her feet paid for those shoes later but it was worth it.

Stephanie and I met another writing team and we absolutely loved them! It was so much fun to talk to Stacy and Sarah and compare our writing processes. We already have promised we are going to stay in touch and get together at conference next year.

That's only a sample of many of the wonderful things. But the best part was coming home to The Guy. Let me tell you what he did.

Back-story and I'm not even going to try to weave it in: I love Eloisa James's books. I always buy them the day they come out. but A Kiss at Midnight was released last Tuesday, the day I flew to Orlando. I intended to get it at the literacy signing on Wednesday but it didn't happen.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch: A postcard announcing the book's publication came in the mail and when I went to bed last night, that book was on my pillow.

Who wouldn't want to come home to man like that? One of this year's Golden Heart winners said in her acceptance speech that she couldn't write a better hero than her husband. As my mother would have said, "She said a mouthful."

Did you go to conference? What was your best experience?