Blogging from National, Part 3

Okay, so the RWA National Conference is now a week over, but we had so much to report between it and now that we thought we should wrap things up for you. I was so impressed with the Newport Mansions that I kind of skipped over a few things, like going to the ball.

You see, the RWA National Conference is my Season, just as so many ladies in the nineteenth century enjoyed the Season in London. It’s a time to visit with old friends and make new ones, to dress up in pretty clothes, to see the sights and learn new things, and to feel like a member of the “in” crowd for a short time. And just like the Season, it’s a time to go to soirees and balls. Every major publisher puts on some kind of event to honor their authors, but the very best, in my humble opinion, is the Harlequin party.

This year it was a tremendous crush, my dears, held at the Waldorf-Astoria and themed the Black and White Ball. Everyone dressed in black and white, and some of the dresses were worthy of the red carpet! Here’s my old friend Jenna Mindel (Season of Dreams), new friend Christine Johnson (The Matrimony Plan), me, and Dream (Love Inspired’s talented social media guru) in our party togs.

And a look at the crowded dance floor, with about 198 women and 2 men all rocking out. Too much fun!


Unfortunately, the event was so crowded that only select authors were allowed to bring guests, so Marissa couldn’t join me this year. {pout}

Alas, the Season was too soon over, but Marissa invited me to her very own house party on Cape Cod! After our detour to the Newport Mansions, we arrived in the Chatham area. Sometimes I bemoan the fact that our town is short on history. Most of the homes here date from the 1950s. Imagine my delight in visiting towns started in 1712 or earlier with extant homes still in existence!

What else I learned in Cape Cod:

• Cape Cod houses really come from Cape Cod. They were everywhere! I adore the design and enjoyed seeing all the ways people made them unique, from different shutters and doors to flower boxes and gardens. Then there were the grander homes, like the one at the top of this post, named Hydrangea Walk.


• To sail properly, you not only need sea legs but a sea butt. I knew enough to sit down in the sailboat Marissa’s family owns, but that didn’t stop me from sliding right off onto the floor at the first turning. I decided to stay there. You can still take great pictures from the deck. :-)


• The dark of the moon is really dark at sea. We motored over to Pleasant Bay to watch the fireworks (which were fantastic!). But coming back, with a thin sliver of moon and hazy clouds obscuring the stars, the night quickly turned to pitch. It was extremely disorienting. As I’m currently writing my second book in the Everard Legacy miniseries and my hero is a sea captain, I wondered how he dealt with the absolute lack of sight. I also got to experience how it feels to run aground, when our boat got stuck in the shifting sand bars of the bay and we had to wait an hour for the tide to raise us off.

We are both back home and back to our usual writing schedules. We hope you enjoyed our adventures as much as we did. Look for more of our usual types of posts next week. And please continue commenting. We love hearing from you! Comments through next Tuesday, July 12, will be included in the drawing for an Irresistible Earl prize packet. I’ll announce the winner on Friday, July 15.