Dallas Conference Day By Day Diary

Dallas Day by Day: My 2004 RWA National Conference Diary
Jess Michaels

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 -- Day 1 (Sleep is for the weak)

Four in the morning is just too damn early, but I'm up... sorta. My flights are both easy and uneventful, despite a short connection time in St. Louis. In fact, I even sleep most of the way to Dallas, which is rare for me. I'm not a good traveler. Nervousness starts to set in, though, as we touch down in the city of J.R. Ewing and longhorn cattle. What will I get out of this conference? Will I like the people I meet and will they like me? It's silly, I know, but my existence is mostly solitary and most of my professional relationships are conducted online. However, once in a while, I bust out. A terrifying prospect. :)

The ride to the Adam's Mark is fine, made more interesting by the fact that the annual Mary Kay Convention is also in town at the same time and my shuttle is full of Mary Kay representatives. Of course, our hotel is also full. And the convention center. It seems like this would be a good match (Mary Kay and RWA), but the hotel is often ill-equipped to handle us all, especially when it comes to food, registration and room cleaning.

However, I'm lucky in that I'm in Dallas so early that registration hardly has a line at all (later this will not be true and for those of you who stood in line for four to five hours to get your room, my sympathies). After I drop off my things, I take a pass around the hotel, exploring the different areas where conference will occur. When registration opens, I head on over and get my materials. As fate will have it, I pass by the registration area JUST as my roommate and friend Susanna Carr arrives, so we say hi and make plans to meet in the room shortly. We end up having lunch at the food court in the mini-mall that is part of an adjacent hotel. It's so good to see her and we realize it's been two years, since my last conference in Denver. A lot has changed since then. She sold to Kensington and I to Red Sage.

That evening, we meet with the incomparable Jennifer Crump for dinner. If you don't know Jenn, she is the PRO Liaison and has worked tirelessly to create a wonderful program for authors beyond the beginning but not quite published yet. In addition, she's a talented author on the cusp of publication herself. After a long and tiring day, we turn in early, ready for the excitement to come.

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 -- Day 2 (My roommate kicks ASS!)

Susanna and I wake up to realize... hey... we paid for a concierge level room. Where is the lounge? We come to find out we were supposed to receive a pass to the lounge that neither of us got. Susanna, a woman who I've never seen go off on someone, lets the service woman know that we will NOT be standing in a line for two hours to receive an item the hotel did not give us initially and we get two passes. Up we go to the lounge and have a nice breakfast, made even nicer by the addition of Love Inspired author Cynthia Rutledge and Harlequin American author Leah Vale. Though we've never met either one before, both are really lovely women and we have an interesting discussion about the recent changes at Harlequin and writing in general. I love these little moments where we bump into other authors and really say something beyond what we write and how much we love these events. I also find out Leah and I share the same agent and that we'll both be at the Irene Goodman party later in the week. We promise to barnacle onto each other if we find ourselves without someone to chat with.

I head to the Hearts Through History Chapter Annual Meeting where I'm able to put a few faces to names. Shari Anton runs the meeting and moves us through business to the fun part. I was honored and pleased to be given another Chapter Service Award for the different things I've volunteered to do for. In addition, I get a First Sale award from the chapter for the sale of Ancient Pleasures to Red Sage. The recognition is really heartwarming.

Additionally, I speak to several people about volunteering for the new Historical Summit committee I'll be chairing. You'll definitely hear more about this here. It's a plan to talk to the editors and publishers about ways we can help each other sell more historical romances and grow the market. I also talk to Judy, the current Secretary, who is so nice. I only hope I can fill her shoes as I take on the responsibilities of that office.

Finally, we got to hear from the wonderful Lorraine Heath, who spoke about characters and adding emotion to the story through characterization. She read a few passages from her latest book, An Invitation to Seduction, which I vow to buy ASAP (and read on the plane ride home and LOVED).

On the way out, I pass by the Arabella Magazine booth at the trade show section and meet Melissa Wohl, editor-in-chief of the magazine. Although my editor, Sharon Lloyd is not yet there, she shows me some of the visual changes they are doing with the redesign of the magazine. I vow to come back Thursday to meet Sharon. I admit, it was thrilling to see they were giving out my magazine issue and they said it was moving briskly. :)

Afterward, I head back up in time to join Susanna as we wait for the annual book signing to begin. This wonderful event is not only one of the largest book signings, but 100% of the proceeds go to literacy thanks to the generous donations of the publishers. Last year they raised around $47,000, but we were all stunned and gratified when this year we topped out at $61,000!!! I hit all my favorite authors, including fellow Secrets Authors Dominique Sinclair, Angela Knight, Kimberly Dean and Jeanie London (who writes as Jeanie LeGendre and Jeanie Cesarini for Secrets).

As a massive severe thunderstorm rages outside, I finally (FINALLY) meet my editor Judith Pich for the first time in person. We have dinner and discuss writing in general, as well as her revisions for the two manuscripts I submitted back in April/May. Although I'm going to have to do some serious work on both before we talk contracts, her comments are as insightful in person as they are on the phone and in letters. I'm definitely learning a lot from the Red Sage experience. I head to bed pleased with how the day went and ready for my busiest day... Thursday.

Susanna Carr	Dominque Sinclair
Kathy Greyle/Jade Lee	Jeanie London

Thursday, July 29, 2004 -- Day 3 (You can run, you can hide, but you can't escape kismet)

This morning comes early and I head down to the PRO Retreat. I almost missed it in exchange for sleep, but I'm glad I didn't. Not only was Jenny Crusie hysterical (when is she not??), but the editor panel is actually helpful! Sometimes they are glorified commercials for their house authors and books, but this time they talk about elements they want to see in a selling manuscript and where they believe the market is heading. I think a light bulb moment for me was when they talked about the four basic emotions a romance can involve: Sad, Scary, Sexy or Funny. Once you commit to one (or more), you have to go whole hog. It's not enough to make a reader or editor sniffle... they need to sob. You can't make them anxious, you have to terrify them. You can't just titillate them, you have to make them squirm in their chair. And you can't make them smile, you need to make them laugh until their stomach hurts. And you don't have to utilize all four in one book (in fact if you tried, it wouldn't work), but you have to know which one you're going for and go for it with everything you have.

You'd think this would be a pretty easy concept, right? Or that I'd heard it some time in the last five years? Well, you're right. But there was something abut the way it was stated that made lights, bells and whistles go off in my head. I think I'm going to put Sad, Scary, Sexy, Funny on a sign above my desk.

Afterward, I pass by Arabella's table again and meet Sharon, my editor. A lovely woman (just as I'd expected). Then it's downstairs to meet the other Secrets Authors and Judith for our lunch. Here is where something happened. Something GOOD happened. I'm not able to get into yet because it's not finalized, but I will give details if it pans out. I know, I'm a tease, but I can't do anything else for you. :) Our lunch is wonderful. The Seventeen-Seventeen restaurant at the Dallas Art Museum is lovely and the food is delicious. It's really fun to decompress outside of the hotel with authors I really like and respect.

I no sooner get back to the hotel when I have to run upstairs for the Irene Goodman Literary Agency party. This was one of the things I admit I was most nervous about. It turned out I didn't need to be. First, I walk through the door and Irene Goodman herself greets me. I think I was a little more fangirl about Irene than any author. She knows my name instantly and personally walks me over to introduce me to Miriam. Who hugs me. Okay, I'm happy. My agent is soooo nice, along with being knowledgeable and we have a lot in common since we're close in age. A scary lot in common actually (I know you agree with me on this, Miriam), so I'm really looking forward to our lunch on Saturday. I also have the chance to meet other clients, like Carrie Bebris, who writes the Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mystery series I've heard so much about. And Helen Kirkman, who writes historical romance for HQN. I also see Leah Vale again and say hi to Blythe Gifford, one of the nicest people I know. Her publicist is Nancy Berland, co-hostess of the party.

Jess (l) and Shelley Bradley (r) at the Tiffany Rose bar.

Pleased (and a little toasted thanks to the bartender who was extremely generous with the alcohol in the Pina Coladas), I head off to the welcome reception and eventually to the Moonlight Madness Bazaar. Luckily, I end up bumping into one of my very, very, very favorite people in the world, Shelley Bradley. We end up talking and giggling at the bar with Susanna Carr for several hours. I've been lucky enough to be in a plotting group with Shelley and Jennifer Crump for a number of years and they have so helped me when I'm stuck or just in need of a shoulder.

Don't ya just love RWA???

I go to bed flushed with happiness (and alcohol) and so ready for whatever comes next.

Friday, July 30, 2004 -- Day 4 (Food is overrated)

Wake up, it's Friday. Of course, by this time I have lost all sense of day, time and even place. All I know is that the Central Tower elevator will take me to my room and the South Tower takes me to the Concierge level lounge. I find one of the first workshops of the day, Brenda Hiatt's well known "Show Me the Money". Although I've seen the handout for this workshop several times (and I have a link to it here), I've never worked out the timing to see it live. Hiatt is great and covers a few contract clauses that effect money as well as the way she designed and maintains the listing.

Lunch is next and I call it lunch lightly. What is it about these conferences that they cannot manage decent food? They give us a slab of white meat. Is it pork? Chicken? Turkey? A debate ensues but no good answers are found. When I cannot manage to cut my slab, even when I try in several places, I give up and eat a little rice, a few soggy veggies and a lovely piece of cheesecake. This is the award luncheon, so we honor the Bookseller and Librarian of the Year (the Librarian made me laugh and cry), as well as present the check from the literacy signing to the local and national organizations that will benefit. I sneak out early and find myself face to face with Lye, the publisher of Arabella. What a nice guy! We had a good talk and I am pleased that I've now met the entire Arabella staff at conference. I also stop to take a picture of the Blue Moon Communications poster at their Trade Show booth. Why?

Well... check out the second cover from the left at the bottom of the poster. Yes. That is the cover for Secrets, Volume 11. Woohoo! Several people told me they saw it and it was so cool. I felt slightly idiotic for asking the Blue Moon rep if I could take a picture of her poster, but she seemed to understand. Thanks Judith Jaastad! :)

The cover for Secrets, Volume 11 is the second cover from the left on the bottom row.

I head to one of the small restaurants in the hotel and meet with Charlotte Featherstone, the newest addition to the Secrets family and a lovely person I knew when Passionate Pen once had a discussion loop long ago. She's just as sweet in person as she always was online and I'm so glad she's going to be writing for the same publisher. I'm even crossing my fingers she'll end up in one of the same volumes I'm in.

Afterward, I head upstairs and lay down. I learned in Denver that I don't have to do everything at once to enjoy my conference experience. When I get tired, I try to rest. Besides, I want to be bright eyed and bushy-tailed for my dinner with Susanna later. When she returns from her own literary agency's party, we head to a terrible Italian buffet in the hotel (I do NOT recommend it) and have a ghastly dinner. But dessert in the concierge lounge really takes the edge off. So does bed.

Saturday, July 31, 2004 -- Day 5 (Miriam is not a Mutant, at least not in a 'XMen' sort of way)

I start off the day bright and early with Stephanie Bond's "Career Planning: Some Assembly Required". She is a font of great info and I really think this workshop should be two hours next year. I have so many pages of notes that my hand starts to go numb. Right after that, in the same room, is the presentation by Irene Goodman "An Agent's Hot Tips From the Front Lines". She gives out even more great info. During question and answer, Miriam points me out to proclaim that though she reads very quickly (hence the Mutant part of Mutant Miriam), she will not get back to you in three days on a full like I mentioned on my website.

Let me reiterate: Miriam probably will not get back to you within three days on a full request. Mine is a fluke. There you go, M. Hope that helps! <g>

She and I meet for lunch shortly thereafter and though we have a little adventure trying to find a restaurant (who knew no one in Dallas ate lunch out on Saturday), we do eventually find one and it is great. Not only does she tell me I'm on to something with an idea I pitched her, but I give her some info that may help us with the editors we're still waiting on for current projects. Plus, like I said earlier, we just have a lot in common. So when the notebooks get put away and the business is done, we can actually talk like human beings (or mutants, whichever you prefer. Personally, I think being a mutant is fun).

I return to the hotel in time to see Susanna off. She returned home Saturday afternoon, leaving me to my own wicked devices. Um, that mostly included taking a nap, talking to my Mom on the phone about everything that had happened while in Dallas and getting ready for the RITA/GH ceremony. I was lucky enough to bump back into Shelley Bradley and a few others and sat with them during the ceremony. If you want to see a list of the winners of the RITA click here and here for GH winners. Afterward, there is a dessert reception. Unfortunately, some people feel the urge to fill their plates with four or five desserts so many receive none. Shelley and I blow out of there in lieu of a drink at the Sports Bar. And who should wander in? Miriam! Needless to say, yet another nice night of conversation and Shelley offers to drive me to the airport the next day. I pack up and head to bed early, pleased beyond measure with how well my conference experience went, but looking forward to getting home.

Final Thought:

I think the theme of my Dallas adventure was kismet. As I said in my overall description of Day 3, you can run and hide from it, but you can't escape it. It seemed like forces were working to bring things together for me this year. And that one thing I'd done, even months ago, lead to another and another to get me to where I was. For example, I found out Miriam researched the Goodman Agency using this very site. Then when my query and first chapter came in, she recognized my name and that certainly probably helped me get a faster read.

I also tended to bump into people when I really needed to see them. Like seeing Susanna Carr the first morning. I had intended to walk a different way, but ended up changing my mind and voila! There she was. This happened with many other people, including Carrie Bebris, who I met the evening of the Goodman Agency party. I ended up on an earlier flight and decided to take a walk through the St. Louis airport just as she was heading for her own terminal. I saw her and got the chance to tell her how much I was enjoying her book (Pride and Prescience), which I was reading at the time. It turned out we were waiting in the same terminal and got to sit together for a brief time. I made a friend through chance, I think. Or kismet. :)

And there's one other piece of kismet from the conference that... again... I can't really talk about much yet. But hopefully I will before the week is out. Stay tuned.

Once again, I am in awe of how much I got out of my conference experience. I left feeling excited and ready to work. Like I'd made new friends and remembered all the wonderful things about old ones. I know my agent now as a friend and my editor as the wonderful woman she is, as well as some of my fellow authors at Red Sage. I heard good news and plotted changes to works. And I lived and breathed writing entirely for almost a week. If I met you, I'm so glad I did. If I missed you in this description, don't be offended. My brain is on information overload and trying to recall all the events and wonderful people is so hard.

See you next year in Reno! I am already counting the days.

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