…by Senior Editor Victoria Curran
Even though today is Aug. 1—yay, new month of books!—it
still feels like “the week after the RWA national conference” to me. The
romance writing community packs so much into those handful of days that authors
and editors are running full-out the whole time, even if running full out
sometimes means knocking back a glass of wine at a bar (hurt me, Roz, hurt
me!). The intellectual and emotional stimulation can be inspirational as well as
overwhelming, and I always come back with my battery recharged at the same time
as I’m utterly drained. And can I just complain about one thing: Why does it
feel like summer’s about over after RWA? Shades of back to school once we make
it past the conference, for me anyway. (Am I alone in this?)
It was so great to meet with the Heartwarming authors who
were able to attend (we missed those of you who couldn’t be there!) and the
readers who lined up around the Marriott to get their favourite authors’ signatures
at the literacy signing last Wednesday. What a great opportunity to network and
compare stories and get advice and feedback…and just be a fan girl when writers
we idolize jot down their personal opinion on which epic fantasy we should be
reading next (thank you, Eloisa James!).
Heartwarming authors are amazing. I’ve said it before and
I’ll undoubtedly say it again. What an active, intelligent, supportive group.
It’s almost intimidating, how on the ball you guys are with social media
marketing notes for one another, launching book chats on GoodReads (I popped in
last night to hear what Dana had to say about Return to Pelican Inn, but I was off by half an hour, oops!),
deciding how to best speak directly with your readers. Thank you for everything
you do to help one another be better and stronger and more visible.
Catherine Lanigan, who posted yesterday I believe, gets to
see Heart’s Desire, her second book
in the Shores of Indian Lake series, come off the presses. We missed you in San
Antonio at conference, Catherine; you have such a great energy to your writing
about small-town interconnected community, it would’ve been wonderful to match
the author to the stories in person! Maybe next year in New York. I hope everyone has a chance to click to the
USA TODAY blog to read her interview…I think it went live at midnight. (O, tech
guru, Dana Grimaldi, do we have a link to this post?)
And, hey, we also missed Syndi Powell at conference (hm, the
August authors seem to have had a busy summer without us…). Her book, Risk of Falling, touches on the serious
issue of seniors and hoarding and, for the daughter of a hoarder, having to
cope with letting go emotionally and physically. Such a powerful story.
Marion Ekholm was in Texas! I had the pleasure of discussing
storytelling with her and getting a better understanding of the kinds of things
she wants to write about. This month, her second Heartwarming, An Act of Love, tells the story of a
fake engagement that evolves into something just a little more…it is a romance,
after all! Congratulations, Marion, on getting a glowing review in The Library Journal, which I hope Dana
Grimaldi can help me attach a link to here…? [Sorry, Victoria. It's not online just yet! --DG]
Last but in no way least, Melanie Mitchell’s second
Heartwarming, The Nurse’s Bodyguard,
completes the August lineup. Melanie’s written an interracial love story, set
in Seoul, South Korea, and relies heavily on her personal experience in the
medical field…and in having lived overseas. There’s a lot of
authenticity to the exotic world she shows us, and quite a strong suspense
thread woven through it.
Good reading, everyone, and enjoy the rest of summer!
Victoria
How did August just sneak up on me like that! How rude! Definitely still recovering from RWA, but also feeling energized (Brookhollow book five's overhaul is underway:))
ReplyDeleteThe August releases look beautiful-Marion's cover is fantastic and I'm a sucker for a fake engagement story...so I know what I'll be reading soon:)
Congrats to all of the August authors on their releases, beautiful covers, and fantastic reviews and interviews!
And Victoria-thanks so much again for everything last week at RWA:) Miss you already!
You're welcome, Jen! Miss you, too. Glad to hear Brookhollow's overhaul is underway (gives me a reprieve on one of my late reads...!)
DeleteOh, Victoria, I popped onto Goodreads last night, too. And, yes the dreaded time zone change caught me. I signed on earlier and was too early, and the next time I had a chance, it was too late.
ReplyDeleteHoarding fascinates me. I hoard books ACK
Texas was great n Heartwarming authors did the conference in style.
I saw that you'd popped in by the time I finished scanning through Dana Mentink's Goodread chat, Pamela! Glad to know I wasn't alone. There were also probably more intentional lurkers in there, as well.
DeleteI hoard cats. Sadly. (I want #4 indoor rescue. Note to self: stop buying cat food at local pet store that brings in rescue cats!!!)
Well, Victoria and Pamela--now I feel better. I was two hours late to Dana's chat! Read the book, LOVED the book, was so excited to talk about it.... I'm still not sure how I managed to be so off on my time. Anyway...excited about these new releases and am determined to be on-time to the next chat about whichever of them will be featured!
ReplyDeleteRWA was a blast and so inspiring for me. I can't believe I'm only going to get to see (some of) my lovely Heartwarming ladies once a year? Ugh, seems cruel...
I think Karen Rock is going to have to spell out the different time zones for the next chat! We're word people, after all...
DeleteSo glad to meet you, Carol! Have a great weekend.
Great recap and covers as always, Victoria! It was so great to see you, Kathryn and all the Heartwarming authors who made it to Nationals. I miss you all already! I love all the Aug storylines. I've only read Catherine's so far (wonderful) and can't wait to read the others!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I agree, Nationals is like the high point on summer's bell curve. I feel like we're zooming into fall already!
I sure hope we have some summer left... It's a long weekend in Canada (civic holiday Monday), but I hope to get in some Heartwarming reading on one of the days. Don't want to go through withdrawl, after all!
ReplyDeleteIt was great meeting you, Kathryn and the other Heartwarming authors in person in San Antonio. The August releases look terrific. Thank you for introducing them!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the long weekend, and watch out for those people-eating deer flies!
Lovely meeting you, too, Kate! I wish we'd been able to snatch Laura Barth away from her American Romance author dinner to join us... maybe next time. (Deer flies? Uh-oh.)
DeleteHa! I met Laura at the Harlequin party. She is sweet and gorgeous!
DeleteWe're at our cottage. Deer-flies are--sadly--front of mind.
BTW, keep shopping at that pet store!
I had such a great time meeting all the Heartwarming authors. Now I can put a face to most of the numerous (hundreds!) emails on the Heartwarming network. Great seeing Victoria again and learning how to make my stories better.
ReplyDeleteHi, Marion. I took a break there (summer hours in the Toronto office) to go for a walk on the boardwalk at the Beach downtown. Unfortunately, I was wearing high wedges. I'm now nursing two blisters on the balls of my feet...this instead of being glued to the blog. Karma.
DeleteSuch lovely releases...I can't believe it's August already! I was sad I missed all the RWA fun, but I agree with Victoria - Heartwarming authors are the best. I love you guys! :)
ReplyDeleteI sure hope we get a chance to meet you at some point, Cerella. Ever come up to Toronto???
DeleteI finished reading last month's books on my plane trips, so I'm really ready for this month's subscriptions to arrive. All of the covers are enticing. Dang, I should be writing. But I have family visiting. However I got revisions yesterday for my next Heartwarming. I will work as the family sleeps in. Victoria, a lady has to take a break with a good glass of wine and for r and r with a friend. Thanks for the lovely dinner. I so enjoyed it and meeting the writers I haven't met before. I always say at the end of conference I'm not going the next year---then I can't resist.
ReplyDeleteBut...New York! One has to go to New York. (Along with Boston, my favourite U.S. city to visit.) I think last RWA in NYC my friend came down to join me and we saw five shows in two days. Thanks for the great conversation over wine, Roz!
DeleteI just finished 'shopping' on the Harlequin website for a couple of the newest releases and one from a previous month. Next month my subscription to the Reader Service should start and I won't have to order (tho it is Freebie Friday on the website).
ReplyDeleteI must say how I love how the authors comment on each others' posts. So supportive of each other.
And I must say the covers are gorgeous and from the HW's I have read - the inside of the book is as great as the covers!
Yay, Marcie! A subscriber!!! It's so encouraging to hear that you're enjoying the storytelling as much as the beautiful covers. Our jobs here are done. (Ha.)
DeleteYou ARE alone in thinking Fall is here. (Rula, you stop it, too!) In Oregon we live for the light rain months, and this summer has been gorgeous! We still have August and September to enjoy. So, please. Keep thinking summer. You do have a lot of company, though, is thinking all the August books look like must-reads, and all our HW authors are wonderful women. Wish I could have met all of you. New York is probably out for me, but maybe San Diego! Happy weekend! (Go get that cat, Victoria.)
ReplyDeleteI could look at Marion's cover forever. Love it and can't wait to read all the August books. It was so great to meet you in San Antonio. It was an amazing first timer experience for me. I realized Heartwarming is the place to be. No better group of people for sure!
ReplyDelete