Cindy
Okay. I'm back. And I can't believe I promised to stun and amaze. I'm not sure that's going to happen but I'll give it a go. My head still feels like it's stuffed with confetti but the conference memories are starting to jell and I want to share a few with you. So here they are. Cindy's memorable moments. Drum roll please ......
We arrived in D.C. on Monday afternoon, just in time for dinner. Do we know how to plan or what? Across the street from the beautiful Marriott Wardman hotel (which is surrounded by the most incredible gardens!!) is a row of shops and ethnic restaurants. Vunderbar!! Kylie, Roxanne Rustand and her daughter Emily and the inimitable Gennita Low and I trippy-trapped along the street and finally decided on a lovely open air Indian restaurant. Why, you ask? Because they had $3.95 Margaritas. Now these weren't just any Margaritas - they were authentic West Indian Margaritas that only a very delicate palate could discern from the traditional Mexican drink. Since there is nothing delicate or discerning about us, we were in hog heaven. Ole!
Tuesday, we rented a car and drove over 100 miles to Charlottesville, VA, to visit Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's plantation. With Gennita at the wheel we arrived in record time - just in time for lunch (are you sensing a pattern here?) Monticello is a lush, beautiful plantation set in the midst of rolling hills and dense, old growth forests. The main house itself is just stunning. We took a guided house tour and learned so much about Jefferson - did you know he was an inventor, among other things? We also took a tour of the slave quarters. It was a sobering glimpse into a disturbing part of America's past.
After a nice drive back to D.C. we wandered the streets of Georgetown. Did you know there were many cobble stone streets there and it's not wise to wear platform shoes? I learned the hard way when I turned my ankle and went down on my butt. The earth moved, people, but amazingly, except for a bruise the size of Texas on my hip (because my hip IS the size of Texas) I was none the worse for the wear.
Wednesday brought more sight seeing. Kylie and I went to the Spy Museum. Good thing we did, too. You all don't know it but if we hadn't shown up there on that exact day at that exact time to take part in a covert mission we never would have saved the world from terrorists getting their hands on a trigger mechanism for a dirty bomb. We sacrificed, people. We risked our very lives running down dark alleys, dodging bullets, intercepting encrypted radio transmissions - you know, just your run of the mill super spy stuff. No thanks necessary. It was all in a day's work. :o)
That evening RWA held their annual Literacy book signing. What a hoot!!! I met so many amazing people, sat by my usual signing mate, Rachael Gibson, (who also won a Rita sat night - Yea Rachael!!!) and sampled the gorgeous and talented Olivia Gates' s Baklava. Yum Yum.
Afterward, my wonderful agent, Maria Carvainis held her agency dinner at Citronelle, a dining experience I won't soon forget! Double yum yum!
Thursday and Friday were both whirls of meetings with friends I only get to catch up with at National, plus drinks and dinners with the Pocket people and my amazing editor, Maggie Crawford. (You're noticing that I manage to eat a lot, right? Heaven.....) Oh, and Kylie, Rox and I, along with Maria Carvainis and Gennita Low as moderator, presented a panel in the afternoon in which I think we managed to sound reasonably intelligent. Anyway, that's the hope. Oh - and Thursday night, our very own Kylie won the Daphne DuMauer award of excellence for her book Terms of Surrender! Not only that, she won the over all award for all categories. WTG, Kylie. Of course we had to celebrate. By Saturday night one of the staff at the bar knew us on a first name basis :o)
Friday night - yee haw - the Harlequin party. Wow! As always, it's the party of the year and we laughed and danced and got blisters on our feet and - oh yeah - we ate some more. And all of that was after a 3 hour dinner with my editor that I will never, in a million years, forget. I can't even begin to describe the delicacies so I won't try. Suffice it to say it was an out of this world culinary experience.
It wasn't easy getting up Saturday morning but, troopers that we are, we did it and set out for another day of meets and greets with our buddies and, you guessed it, we ate!!! By Saturday night, we were all dragging but managed to rise to the occasion to attend the lavish Rita ceremony and laugh at the incomparable Ann Stuart (aka sister Chrissie) who was a brilliant MC. Golden Hearts and Ritas were the coveted prize for the evening and let me tell ya, NO one was more surprised than me when they called my name for the Rita in Romantic suspense. What a rush!!! Thanks for all the congratulatory posts, you guys. I answered e-mail all day yesterday. I hope I was coherent.
Couldn't resist. Here's a photo of New Rita with Old Rita. The girls are getting along just great!! Also, I just HAD to post the cover for TAKE NO PRISONERS. Thanks to BOI operative, Sam Lang and Abbie for staring in this book!!
Sunday morning, after only a few hours of sleep found Kylie and I standing in the lobby of the hotel. I don't remember why we were just standing there. We had checked out and needed to get a cab to get us to the airport so we really needed to get a move on. But as fate would have it, there we stood and who should approach us but P.J., who posts with us regularly. It was so much fun to meet her!! Even more fun when she handed each of us a bag of home made chocolate. OMG. Ambrosia!!!! Melt in your mouth delicious!!! Mine barely made it home. Thanks again, P.J. You saved our lives.
It was great to get home Sunday afternoon to Margaret, our little Brittany, and Buddy and Sly, our cats, and my dear, dear hubby who was waiting with a dozen red roses and a steak dinner that I didn't have to cook.
So, that's it folks. Thanks for indulging me. It was a once in a lifetime kind of trip where all the stars aligned with a plethora of good friends, good food and good luck!
I'm sure I left a lot of things out so if any of you have any questions about the conference, the authors and the color of my bruises, ask away. Bottom line, if your a writer or a reader, it's a great place to be.
