Blogging From National, Day 1

I’m sitting in a large ballroom at the Dolphin Resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.. There’s a pair of musicians, guitar and flute, playing gentle, melodic music that I know I’ve heard before (I have, as it turns out--it’s used in the Pride and Prejudice miniseries). Rows of ladies who just happen to be writers of Regency romance in real life are arrayed in rows, listening to the directions of a period dance instructor as she talks them through the steps of a dance that was popular back in the 1820s.

And did I mention that most of them are wearing wonderful costumes like this (doesn't Regina look lovely?):
And this?
And this? (That's Regency author Shirley Marks and her charming daughter Kimberly):
You guessed it--it’s the annual meeting of The Beau Monde, the Regency special interest chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Regina and I have been busy since eight this morning, attending workshops and giving our own (on current markets for “sweet” Regencies…of course I waxed long-winded on writing young adult!), drinking tea, and now, dancing and enjoying the fun.

What else have we done today? I signed Bewitching Season and Betraying Season at the enormous Readers for Life book signing and got to meet some other on-line YA-writing acquaintances face to face. And speaking of meeting on-line friends face-to-face, Regina and I were delighted to meet frequent Nineteenteen commenter Gillian Layne, who by the way is up for an RWA Golden Heart award in the Regency Historical Romance category...stay tuned for more reports from Orlando.

And ohmigosh, we get to see the fireworks from our room. How cool is that?