My RONE Awards Result!

I can’t believe I forgot to post this: the award I received at the InD’Scribe conference!

So you know how The Trouble With Dying finalled in InD’Tale’s RONE Awards (Suspense category) this year? Well, it didn’t win. <sobs> But . . . it got First Honourable Mention! OMG! As in, second! Yay! <shrieks> <happy dances>

It was exciting for my latest novel to receive such high praise. It was surreal to actually be at the event (in Palm Springs, USA) for its announcement.

Here it is!

2015 RONE Award

A-Conference-ing We Will Go . . .

It’s been a busy couple of months for me. In August I went to the Romance Writers of Australia conference in Melbourne, Australia. Then September saw me in Palm Springs, California for the InD’Scribe conference. There was an author signing room at both conferences, so I spent the lead-up to both events neck-deep in designing giveaway items.

A sample of the promo items I gave readers.

There is soooooo much more to being a writer than the actual writing. I thought I knew that already, but every year the learning curve just keeps getting steeper! Turns out it helps to have some quick’n’dirty graphic design skills. And it’s handy to have research skills for finding the cheapest and best-quality promo gadgets.

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Critical “To Do” List Before Conference

I’ve just realised with something close to horror that it’s now only one teensy month until the Romance Writers of Australia conference 2015. Which is very exciting (can’t wait!) but also rather nervewracking (won’t know many people) and a little bit panic-inducing (too much to do, too little time).

So . . . it’s time to write the critical To Do list. I’m nothing if not a list girl. Feel free to adapt for your own list-y purposes. :)

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InD’Tale conference/dinner

Here’s your Sunday laugh – I’m thinking of going to the InD’Tale conference/dinner 😀 and was looking at flight options from NZ to Palm Springs, USA . . . Well! Imagine my shock when a pal pointed out the Palm Springs I’d been trying to get to was a whole DIFFERENT Palm Springs to where I was meant to be going! I was looking at PS in Florida (B in the pic) but I need to get to PS in California! (A in the pic) 😮 That was almost a bad mistake . . .

RWNZ Conference

What a busy time it’s been! The RWNZ Annual Conference was held in Auckland last month, and as usual it was brimming with a-ha! moments.

Useful to writers across the board, in my book it’s an unmissable event for any writer on the road to publication. Catching up with online buddies was fantastic, and pitching to agents/editors was wildly exciting. But this year was also tinged with tragedy, and what stood out for me was the way we all came together and supported each other while ensuring the conference remained a success.

I’ve returned home to day-job deadlines, the usual kiddie clutter, three manuscript requests to send off, and a writing competition to enter. Best I get on with it!