What I did at the Conference - a San Francisco photo diary

So if a picture speaks a thousand words - here's a whole book full of what I got up to at the RWA Conference in San Francisco -


On our first morning there - very early on a grey morning! - we went to Alcatraz island so that the BM could do his research of the trip.

We shared the trip with the fabulous Sue Stephens and her beautiful daughters. Sue orgainsed the tickets for us so all we had to do was to turn up. Thanks so much Sue! Even if it did mean getting out of bed for a 7.30 start!

The next day official registration started and I started to meet up with more of my fellow authors. Here's Susan Stephens again and Irish Presents author, Abby Green

I also got to meet lovely Lee Hyat for the very first time - though we had known each other and have been in contact through emails for over 8 year! Lee runs the brilliant Author Sound Relations and has been so helpful to me with publicity and running my contests in America.

Later that day lovely Jane Porter hosted a special afternoon tea for her fellow Presents authors. Here's Sandra Marton with one of our newest published authors - Jennie Lucas

And here's a group photo of all the authors at the tea. This pic was taken by the waiter. Left to right - Sandra Marton, Susan Stephens, Carole Mortimer, Jacqueline Baird, Abby Green. Me

in front - Jane Porter, Jennie Lucas, Sharon Kendrick and Trish Morey.

That afternoon was the Literacy Signing in the ballroom - the pic on the left is just a tiny bit of the queue of readers ready to buy signed books and on the right I'm at the signing with fellow northern Brit, erotic romance author Saskia Walker who was sitting next to me. The whole event raised thousands of dollars for literacy charities.

After the signing Sandra Marton hosted her traditional authors' pizza party in her room where we all ate pizza, drank wine and talked and talked and talked.

Thursday started with a Focus Group to discuss Harlequin's marketing and new ideas after which we all grabbed taxis and headed out to Tal y Tara for tea with the Mills and Boon Editors.

Here are - left to right Jennie Lucas, Abby Green (behind) Trish Wylie Senior Editor Linda Fildew (standing) and seated editor Lucy Gilmour.

I spent the afternoon with two of my favourite Presents authors, brilliant Sandra Marton and fabulous Aussie Trish Morey. (One of the very best reasons for going to RWA is because I get a chance to meet up with friends from the other side of the world.) Here's a pic of Trish at the Lit Signing.

And one of Sandra enjoying the sunshie in Union Square - while we - you guessed it - talked and talked about writing and books and heroes . . . .
Sandra was given an award for her 75th book at this conference - congratulations again Sandra!

Thursday night is the traditional eHarlequin Pajama Party and here's the gang at the event.

At the party prizes are given for best PJs and I actually won Most Resplendent Pajamas (My thanks have to go to t

he Babe Magnet who bought the beautiful silk gown I'm wearing)

And here I am with two of my very favourite people - Danica aka Dream one of the hosts on eHarlequin and Anna Louise Lucia who was of course sporting her first sale ribbon at this conference.

Friday I managed to spend some time with my lovely friend Holly Jacobs while we discussed the differences of the English language as used in the UK and America and so Holly started the great 'knackered debate' that you can see here.

In the evening it was the big Harlequin Party and here I am at the event with two special friends from the Struggling Writers on eHarlequin - Christyne and Trish (Congratulations on that sale Christyne!)

And here's the wonderful Jayne who manages so much of what goes on on the eHarlequin Community message boards.

Finally, to round of a fantastic visit to San Francisco we spent a day in the lovely company of special friends Anne McAllister and her husband The Prof. Both the Prof and the Babe Magnet seem to save up all their talking until they get together so they talked and Anne and I talked - on cable cars, over lunch at Fisherman's Wharf, or - as pictured here - at the Top of the Mark where we could see all of the city spread out below us.

And if you want to know what else the Babe Magnet got up to in San Francisco . . . well - all I can say is watch out for the Pink Heart Society Blog next monday August 18th!