Romance Writers of America Conference 2009

Imagine taking a workshop with Nora Roberts where she shares writing wisdom, or Jayne Ann Krentz and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, or Virginia Kantra or Joan Johnston or...well you get the picture. Well I could do all of that and more at my first Romance Writers of America Conference held in Washington D.C.

Nothing better to get those creative juices flowing. In fact, I wrote 40+ pages of a new contemporary romance about a young woman trying to throw off the shackles of a domineering father and find love again with an independent-minded cowboy who'd she'd been married to once upon a time for all of 48 hours. How does it sound so far? :)

I also pitched my historical, In the Hands of a Texan, to an agent and got a request. Yay! I love this story of a scandalized Saratoga Springs debutante who enters into a marriage of desperation with a war-hardened Texan and nothing is like either expects. Sort of Age of Innocence meets Unforgiven.

And the conference was so much more than I expected--overwhelming, enlightening and fun! Above are some pictures.

Hook 'em with Your Best Shoot

What do authors Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, Eloisa James, Rachel Gibson, Linda Lael Miller, Jennifer Crusie and Elizabeth Lowell all have in common—besides best sellers?

Great openings. But could you tell who wrote which great hook?

Check out Liberty States Fiction Writers' Blog Read Around the World and see if you can match the author to their opening paragraph—I’ve included the answers at the end of the article so you can check yourself.

And to celebrate the release of Return To Wayback today—I’m giving away a free copy of the book to one lucky person who leaves a comment today. So share your own favorite opening—or just tell which of the above author’s hook you liked best—or just say hi! Hope to see you there.