All Aboard

This time next week I’ll be in hot and sweaty Atlanta instead of hot and sweaty Los Angeles. (By the way, this is not intended as an open invitation to the Southern California thug population to pillage and plunder chez moi--not that I figure the riff raff has time to frequent the blogosphere in between muggings, robberies, and road rage, but just in case...)

Anyway, yep it’s that time of year again. The Romance Writers of America conference where 2,000 (mostly female) authors at all career levels gather for five days of workshops, social events, agent/editor appointments, and…oh, yes…a little sightseeing.

To say I need a spreadsheet to keep track of my schedule this year tells you something, huh?

Wednesday looks to be the busiest: CNN tour in the morning, ACME lunch at noon, Rebels drinks at three, literacy signing at 6:30 and the RWA Chick Lit chapter party at nine. Whew. I’m tired already. And somewhere on that day, my cousin (who lives in Marietta) is jumping on the bandwagon.

Thursday is mainly workshop day with an RWA lunch or Triskelion lunch at noon. Then during the annual political fiasco (better known as the general membership meeting) I’m ducking out to tour the aquarium—hey, it’s the largest in the world, I wouldn’t miss it for anything! Thursday night is free but with two options on the table: a Marta ride into Buckhead for dinner or a walk up the street to the Westin where they have what looks like a fabulous revolving restaurant with breathtaking views (you can see to Alabama!).

Friday is more workshops, panels, and spotlights (that’s where you learn that nobody’s buying the genre you’re writing anymore). The evening is reserved for the kinda parties you get invited to if you’re published by one of the NYC houses—which I’m not, but *evil grin* I have my ways of crashing. (Shhh…you didn’t read it here, but I’m picturing myself at a gala event being held at the Ritz Carlton!)

Saturday is more of the same and another RWA lunch…then primping for the awards ceremony. Let’s just say that based on last year’s debacle, this one oughta be interesting!

Finally, on Sunday, I have a flight at 10 in the morning which means…ugh…checking out at the crack of dawn.

Yikes, is it over already?? That went FAST!!