Lynn Raye Harris

This is it, the big week when 2k romance writers descend on a hotel and plot world domination. Well, maybe not world domination, but there will be plotting and there will be fun. There will probably be drama. There will be laughter, tears, and cheers. I wouldn’t want to miss it for anything.

I’m taking my laptop, and I’ll try to blog periodically. Can’t promise daily updates. Can’t even promise *any* updates. But I’ll try. If you’re going to conference, say hi if you see me! I’d love to meet you.

I’ve got last minute packing to do, and I hope like heck I don’t forget anything critical. I have a list. Shoe count at the moment: seven. I might add another pair….

Determination and caffeine got me through this round of revisions. Oh, and a hubby who didn’t mind going to get the takeout every night this week. And who actually did a load of laundry last night. And now, since in another hour I will have been awake 24 straight, I think I better go to bed. I’m too old for all-nighters….

more cat

Still revising, y’all. Someone throw me a rope before I drown…..

Hope to be back Wednesday or Thursday.

Harlequin Mills & Boon are having another contest! This time, the category is Modern Heat. As the happy, lucky, astounded winner of the Presents contest, I can personally vouch for how fabulous it is to win an editor for a year!! It truly is the next best thing to selling the manuscript — the Call is as fabulous and wonderful and life-altering as the First Sale Call you’ve always imagined.

You can find all the details here. The only difference I can see this time is that you are limited to ONE entry. So make sure it’s the best you can make it, the best one you have, and remember they are looking for Voice. Your words on paper (or screen) can and will be changed.

Good luck!

Once again, THE SPANISH MAGNATE’S REVENGE is going under the knife. My lovely editor has suggestions for me, which you know for a fact I’m going to try my darndest to incorporate. Of course I would have loved a phone call that said, “Perfect, wonderful, fabulous — here’s a gazillion dollars!” Ha, it’s called a delusion — I mean fantasy — for a reason.

No, there are things that need fixing. And I mean to fix them. So, I’ll likely be scarce for the next few days. Between this, conference prep, and my silly cat who needs constant nursing and attention, I’m booked solid.

What’s up with you?

I’ve not been a good blogger this week, but I have an excuse. My sweet little cat was spayed last week. And then she decided it’d be a good idea to try and get the stitches out a few days later. So, between vet visits and outfitting her in an E-collar and onesies, I’ve been busy. The little Houdini got out of the E-collar last night, but she didn’t lick the incision thankfully. And the onesie is just hilarious, but she can get out of that too.

So I sit here watching a cat much closer than I’d like and obsessing about my wardrobe for conference. I did manage to do some shopping yesterday, since I had to go out and get the onesies, and today will probably be dedicated to trying things on. And slipping the onesie back on the cat.

For conference tips, check out my friend Marilyn’s blog today over at the Writing Playground. Got any conference tips to share? Leave them in a comment! I can always use a good tip.

We’re at T minus 15 for my conference departure, so the shopping/packing/planning begins in earnest starting NOW. In good news, I realized yesterday that my original GH/RITA dress does indeed FIT! Woo hoo! See, I’d thought that even though I lost the pounds necessary, there was a cup issue in the bust. Noooo, there was a correct brassiere issue. Got the right one, all is good, I shall be wafting around in a teal dress with, I hope, silver sparkly shoes (they are on order, see pic — if they don’t work, I’ll be shopping for something different).

Though it will no doubt horrify some people I know (PC), I’ve just today printed out all the confirmations of events I’m supposed to be at so I can put them in my planner. (Other people did this at least two months ago. Alas, that’s not me.)

I also need to confirm my luggage restrictions. I’m on American, the cheap b*stards, but I bought my ticket before they starting charging for the first bag. Somehow, I have to get at least 6 pairs of shoes, plus a week’s worth of clothes, into one suitcase. Really, romance writers heading to a conference should be given special baggage considerations.

If you’re going to conference, have you planned every minute out yet? Or do you intend to wing it? Are you finished shopping? Have all your outfits planned? (Not me, but close.) If you aren’t going to San Francisco this year, what sort of non-conference plans do you have? Will you be following the conference blogs, or doing one of the online mini-conferences?

more cat pictures

Random thoughts inspired by picture (and a few that aren’t):

1. Oh if only. I am not as organized as I’d like. I haven’t started my conference packing list. I haven’t even considered all the clothes I will need for the various events. Editor meetings, agent meetings, a champagne reception, a retreat featuring agents and editors, etc. Yikes!

2. I bought a beautiful filing cabinet recently that I intended to organize with all my important papers, both writing and household. Uh, no, haven’t done it yet. It’s a purty thing, but it’s disorganized as h*ll.

3. What the heck is that cat wearing?

4. How is it my husband can play World of Warcraft for three hours straight, but not be able to think of a single thing to talk to me about when he gets home from work?

5. Alabama is HOT. My yard needs rain. My sprinkler system costs too much to run on a regular basis.

6. I successfully talked the hubby out of declawing the cat at the last minute. She went for a spay only. I don’t like declawing cats. I don’t think it’s natural and I didn’t want to put her through the pain even though my vet does laser surgery. Regular trimming of nails, training to use a scratching post, and we’re good to go. Besides, the cat who *really* could use his claws out is too heavy to get it done.

7. Waiting for news on submissions is HARD. Checking the mail is cringe-worthy. The relief one feels not to see a white self-addressed envelope is ridiculous.

8. I think all those people who for the last several years have been tolling the death knell of paranormal romance because it was over-saturated are WRONG. Wish I’d realized it 3 years ago. Vampires, while a bit overdone, are still appearing at an alarmingly regular rate.

9. Wish I knew what the next big trend was. Not just writing, but in general. It’d be nice to be on the leading edge of something for a change instead of running flat out crazy in an effort to catch the train.

10. What’s on your mind?

How about useful, interesting, or fun links for today’s topic? I can be quite behind the times, so I just found some of these things. Leave a link in the comments!

1. TinyURL.com — shorten long links in email. Also, these never expire (so they say). How often have you pasted a long link into an email only to have it arrive broken on the other end? Or how many times have you received broken links and then have to do all sorts of weird copy+paste stuff to open the page? This useful thing prevents those kinds of problems.

2. Photo Stamps — want to turn the cute kid into a stamp? How about Fido or Fluffy? Go to this site and you’ll soon be on your way to having personalized stamps.

3. Cure Writer’s Block. A site with nifty links and some fun stuff.

4. Thank you notes. Seriously, this link tells you how to write them — and it was kind of interesting!

5. 50 Great Widgets for your blog.

6. Audible.com. Download and listen to books. Useful if you’re traveling. There is a fee, but often you can sign up for a limited amount of time and get a free book or get half-price books as incentive. Cancel at any time. Great for those long flights coming up to San Francisco….

7. The Goth-O-Matic Poetry Generator. Okay, maybe not useful, but fun. Want to be dark and tortured and write poetry? Here’s my effort, complete with brooding statue:

Night Ritual

Around, all around, the sinister creatures gather.
My dread grows as the angry hand of Heaven falls against my naked soul.
It slays me, and darkly my
essence drips
to the cold, uncaring tombstones.
In abject fear I cry out
while oblivion laughs cruelly.
Now alone, my cry of mercy falls upon uncaring eyes.

This is my doom

What is it? It’s that feeling you get when you go shopping and you suddenly feel, somewhere during the process, like you want to run home, close all the curtains, and cower in the dark. I don’t know why this happens to me, but it does. I think I get wigged out by all the choice, and the necessity to make a decision. That and not having a perfectly rail thin size zero body. *sigh*

Not that I’d want to be a zero for real, but the way those clothes drape on the kind of women who have nothing to poke out or bulge anywhere — it just makes me wish I could wear anything I want. Oh, I’m plenty happy when I discover something that looks great on me. But the crap I have to slog through first. Oy.

These days, I know the kinds of things to go for in a way I didn’t when I was twenty-something. Must have fitted busts and waists — long flowing things only make me look fat or pregnant. Ruffles are never, ever a good idea for a D cup.

And, holy hell, WHO invented the bubble dress and WHY? I saw bubble dress after bubble dress on my shopping trip yesterday. Nothing but a sheath with a huge bell at the bottom and then it fits against your thighs. Why oh why?

If I wore one of those things, you could get me size 50 shoes and send me to the circus. Not pretty, not at all.

Yes, I shopped yesterday. I tried stuff on, which I hate to do, and I discarded far more than I bought. One pair of pants, one markdown microfiber skirt, and one shirt. This is not a portentous start to my conference shopping….

Do you get shopping anxiety? Do you like to shop? Hate it? Find it easier with friends than alone? If you’re going to San Francisco, have you finished the conference wardrobe shopping? What’s your favorite bargain find?