Signs it’s not going well…

I actually wrote the following:

He paced the room alternatingly running his hands through his hair and clicking his tongue ring against his teeth.
“I can’t talk about it anymore,” he said.
“Why?”
“Because this is a short story and I can’t dwell on backstory.”

*Sigh*

Okay, so I’m not, but the blog is.

I’ve got a July 1 deadline and too much to write. I may check in a bit or I may just see you in July.

I’m pretty sure this will be the final part.

The luncheon speaker (after lunch - I had yummy chicken and dessert was chocolate mousse) was Maggie Crawford the Editorial Director at Pocket Books.

She was a great speaker and said something I’m thrilled about…

SEX SELLS!!

She had a true/false quiz prepared and the question was.

“You don’t have to have sex in your book to sell it.”

While people in the group tried to argue it was true, she said FALSE!!

She didn’t think that, even thought the market is cyclical, we’d ever really get back to the days where sweet romances rule the roost. She seemed to think that hot romances (maybe not super erotic, but still hot) are here to stay!!

Woo hooo for me and Passionate Ink, lol!!

She said some other things too, but well, I don’t remember, lol.

A few other representatives from other publishing houses spoke too.

Dorchester is looking for just about anything. If it doesn’t fit in anywhere else, send it to Dorchester.

Harlequin now accepts just about everything. They’re really excited about Nocturne. Next is going to start moving in a more romance-y direction.

Agent Meredith Bernstein is looking for good books!!

Pretty much everyone said to check their websites for more info.

After speakers there was a little bit more time to mingle (but not a ton). I very briefly met Angela James from Samhain.

Then I came home.

I didn’t pitch anything ’cause I didn’t have anything to pitch, but I think I learned a lot and didn’t make any enemies, which is a plus!

Thursday Thirteen tomorrow!!

So, we were sitting and eating.

Hilary showed us a lot of coverflats for upcoming books (not just romance, all of Kensington). She took our names and addresses and said she’d send us books (whoo hoo!!) She said the sexier the better in terms of selling.

This was the first time I’d “met” her, but I have to say having now met several people from Kensington, I think it’d be a really fun place to work. And I feel like the editors I’ve met from Kensington are all very much tell-it-like-it-is people. If they think you’re writing is crap, they’re going to say so (okay they may sugar coat it) but no one from Kensington is going to say anything nice about your writing (or even request it for that matter) unless they are really interested.

I find that nice to know.

Donald Maass is like my height (ie short) but he’s got great hair that makes him look taller. He was very soft spoken and I don’t know why that suprised me.

His agency is looking for the Breakout Novel (hence the title of his book). Jennifer Jackson hadles the romance for them.

Loose Id is looking for…whatever. She said she’s got a lot of m/m lately and are kind of overloaded. She said things go in waves and it seems like one month they’ll get a ton of Rom Susp, the next month m/m, the next month….whatever.

My personal favorite part of things like this is (not pitching) learning more about what agents/editors/publishers do. We (okay, they, I just listened) talked a lot about foreign sales and foreign rights and stuff, which I find really interesting.

And I love listening to people who just very obviously love books!!

Shall I turn this into a three parter? Hmmm, yes, I think I will…

Right…I was supposed to do this today. Let’s see what I remembere…

I arrived at the place and immediatly met my Dallas roomie Debi (who I was going to link to but she either took down her blog or it isn’t working for me or I’m an idiot)!!

I had taken cold medicine in the morning, just in case, and so I was feeling a little fuzzy. Plus, my head was still clogged and it was loud so I couldn’t hear right and then I found the champagne punch (just one small glass, it was tasty). Anyway, I’m a hermit anyway so all th epeople we making me a big uncomfortable but mostly just ’cause I don’t like roomfuls of people. Everyone I spoke to though was really nice.

I talked to Racy Li (who writes Kickass Ninja Smut, how cool is that) and she convinced me that I should sit at the table with Donald Maass (you know, Writing the Breakout Novel Donald Maass). I was scared, but I did it anyway.

But before I sat down it was mingle time. I didn’t have anything to pitch so I was more or less just chatting. I chatted for a while with Rose Hilliard from St. Martins.

Okay, she’s just super sweet. We talked Erotic Romance and Passionate Ink (she said she thought PI was probably the most fun chapter - we’re the steamy chapter - except because of above head cloggedness I thought she said we were schemey at first). She’s all in favor of an Erotic Romance Rita!

Anyway, I thought this was odd…but while we were chatting, several people came up and pitched to her. I wasn’t sure what proper ettiquete called for, was I supposed to walk away, I was in the middle of a conversation?!?! It happened 3 times during our chat!!

Anyway, after mingling, it was time to sit down.

Along with some of my fellow LIRW’s the “important people” (not to say that my fellow LIRW’s aren’t important, but the “official important people”) were Treva Harte from LooseId (who I met at my last MRW meeting last August), Hilary Sares from Kensington and the aforementioned Donald Maass.

Hmmm…you know what, I’ve decided to drag this out. I’ll tell you more tomorrow!!

Today I’m going to the Long Island Romance Writers Networking Lunchone.

Many NY (and non NY) editors and agents take a half day and come half lunch with us.

I have nothing to pitch. Oops. I’m just hoping to have some fun, meet some interesting people and maybe come back with some helpful info.

And I’ve already tossed extra hand sanitizer in my purse. I feel much better but I don’t want to be remembered as the one who got everyone sick.

Hopefully I’ll be back with some info, if not, at least I’ll hopefully have some stories to tell!

Okay, only one reason that I’m not doing TT…

1. I’m still sick.

Ok, that little picture is a bit gross, but I’m sick and it makes me laugh so deal with it.

So, my hubby’s birthday is coming up next week.

My mom sent him some Omaha steaks. They came yesterday. They were packaged in a big styrofoam container with a bag of dry ice.

The steaks went right in the freezer.

The dry ice was hours of entertainment.

First he broke some of it up into small pieces and put it in jugs of water turning our backyard all eerie and foggie. Then he sprinkled water on some more. The rest we left outside for some poor little woodland creature to hurt itself on - sigh.

Anyway, for further reference, I think I’ll just get my hubby dry ice and skip the expensive meats.

Of course I guess I shouldn’t talk. I was totally the one who loved the boxes more than whatever came inside.

What about you?

And I’m already off the wagon.

But I have an excuse. I’m sick and I slept in late today. And then I laid in bed even longer reading. And i finally got up but I still wish I were back in bed.

If I didn’t have a dying laptop battery I’d probably try to spend the day in bed, but as it is, I’ll probably be on the couch (still plugged in) instead.

One of the things I did yesterday was catch up with my MySpace.

If you think this blog has been neglected, you should see my poor MySpace. I had pages worth of comments and messages and friend requests.

But…you know I need to write some time. And if blogging and MySpace have to take a back seat, well, I’m okay with that.

But for now I’m going to go sit on the couch and whine.

Really.

It’s Monday, and I’m jumping back on the blog bandwagon. I’m going to write this and then actually visit and comment other blogs. Yes I am.

And also I’m getting back on the writing bandwagon. This is kind of important considering I’ve got a deadline at the end of the month. Still, I’d be excited to write anything. And I’d be extra excited to write anything that I’m actually excited about running.

I’ve got absolutely nothing at all to do this week until Friday which means it’s write, write, write time for me.

Well, until someone calls with something else to do.

How do you keep yourself writing (and blogging) when everything in you is desperate to do anything but?