Celebrate Romance - Stress buster

Posted by: Jenna Bayley-Burke

Currently working on: a new chapter 3 for the category partial, polishing the ST

Waiting on: inspiration on chapter 3... more than ten minutes to write

Mood: frustrated, tired

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This month we're supposed to talk about writing stress...but I'm too stressed to do that. Instead, I brought pictures from the recent Celebrate Romance conference, held right here in Portland.

Usually, conferences have stressers of their own - editors and agents abound, so you must be on your best behavior. I don't really have best behavior, so I wind up with bruised ribs from writer friends jabbing me when I run at the mouth...but Celebrate Romance is about readers, not industry, so...my mouth never closed! And I only got jabbed twice. A new record!

Because everyone there LOVED romance, we all seemed to bond over our need for a happy ending. Plus we got to have fan-girl moments -- likethis one here with RCRW Membership Goddess Jessie Smith and the fantastic Rosemary Laurey.

Jessie wasn't completely off duty. She managed to talk Meljean Brook into joining RCRW! Welcome to the group, Meljean!






RCRW Programming Priestess Delle Jacobs enjoyed the event too...except my incessant chatter may have given her a headache. She's too polite to blame. But not too polite to swipe the last piece of chocolate :)

I was excited that Delilah Marvelle was giving her wokshop on the history of sex again...I missed when she did it for RCRW because I was baby crazy. I even took notes!

Celebrate Romance was also a great chance for the authors to catch up. We see one another at signings and conferences, but this was much more relaxed. Lacey Danes came down from Washington for the event. You know, I think RCRW might have to adopt her.

 She'll come to Portland whenever we ask :)