Shelli Stevens

TUESDAY: I wake up early and, knowing it’s my only free day, want to get out and do something. I call my V.P. (Seattle GSRWA), Heather Higgins, and ask to tag along with whatever she’s doing. We decide on a breakfast at a bakery and walking to the waterfront. (In the pic: Heather Higgins)

On the way we meet up with a couple Romance Divas Shaunta and Sandra who join us on the journey (poor suckers were wearing flip flops and didn’t realize how much crazy walking was involved!) We walked for over six hours! (In the pic: Sandra and Shaunta) From the hotel to the waterfront, stopping at the farmers market, and from basically one bridge to another! Near the end we ran into my Samhain editor Laurie Rauch and her friend Bonnie. Then back to the hotel to greet my roomie Karen Erickson! Here’s some pics! (

In the pic: Me, Sandra, Heather, Shaunta)

(in the pic: me and Alcatrez…how romantic!)

(Fishermans Warf)

(Cupcakes from a shop in Ghirardelli Square)

(in the pic: me and my Samhain editor Laurie M. Rauch aka Grammar Geek)

(In the pic: Laurie, Heather, Bonnie, Sandra, Shaunta)

I also ran into a bunch of Seattle authors hanging out!

(In this pic: Ciara Stewart and I)

in this pic: Judith Laik and Anna Muzzy

(in this pic: Shannon Mckelden and Erin Eisenberg )

(in this pic: YA authors Serena Robar and Heather Davis)

WEDNESDAY: I woke up butt crack of dawn and went to the leadership retreat (used to be Presidents retreat).

(In the pic: Eden and I)

I walked to the bakery and got Eden Bradley and I breakfast, since I knew I had at least one friend to sit with at this six hour event! Six hours! I chose the wrong time to give up caffeine. I did get to meet the incoming RWA President at our luncheon, and I love her already.

After the retreat (and a lunch I wasn’t crazy about) I met up with Loribelle Hunt, Jennifer McKenzie, and Gwen Hayes at a bar across the street for some drinks and overpriced burnt nachos!

(In the pic: burnt nachos. Gwen and I)

(In the pic: Jeniffer McKenzie and Loribelle Hunt)

Then came the literary signing–which somehow I neglected to take pictures of as I just ran around chatting to people. I hear we raised around 55k for literacy. I *think*. Then later that night I met up with members of The Geekery–authors with editor Laurie aka:grammar geek! (In the pic: Laurie Rauch, Loribelle Hunt, me, Christine d’Abo, Shelley Munro.)

After that I went to the RWA Online party (and at some point lost my camera and then found it–the bartender had it)

(in the pic: me, Loribelle Hunt, Jeniffer McKenzie, Ember Case, Shaunta)

(In the pic: Me and Kristen Painter)

(In the pic: Nic, not sure, Jen Rementer, and Louisa Edwards)

Then after the party I hung with a few more Romance Divas in the bar before going to bed. (In the pic: MG Braden, Me, Gwen Hayes, Rhonda Stapelton, not sure)

THURSDAY: Thursday was crazy! So much to do all day! I actually didn’t go to the AGM this year, because I ended up meeting up with my agent, Laura Bradford, to talk about my writing/career/and just basically chat it out. It’s the first time I’ve seen her since I signed with her. It was a great talk. (In the pic: Me and agent Laura Bradford)

Then there was also a luncheon where Victoria Alexander spoke, and she was just a riot. Great talk and funny to listen to. Food was not bad.

(In the pic: Heather Higgins, Me, Karen Erickson, Kate Pearce, can’t remember Lacy Danes)

After lunch I went to a workshop about volunteering at the National level. I’m seriously considering volunteering on committees this year and then maybe in the future running for a National board position. I’m running again for President of the Seattle chapter next year, so not for another year or two though. But I really love RWA and love being involved with it on a board level. This conference made me realize this even more.

Then came the crazy party hopping. First was the Passionate Ink cocktail reception. Sadly, I only got to spend an hour there but did get to hear Susan Swinwood speak about Harlequin Spice/Spice Briefs. After leaving the cocktail party soon after arriving, Lacy and I did a wardrobe change and headed out to the Kensington Publisher party. It was there I got to meet many of the Aphrodisia Authors and other Kensington authors. I had a blast!
(In the pic:Gina Robinson, Lacy Danes, Ann Roth, Me)

(In the pic: Kate Douglas and I, who I’ll be in Sexy Beast with!)

(In the pic: Kate Pearce, me, Crystal Jordan)

Then we ran to the Romance Divas dinner which was held at Buca Di Beppo. Yummy food and lots and lots of people!

(In the pic: lots of Romance Divas)

(In the pic: Karen Erickson and I)

(In the pic: Lindsey mcgurk,me, Angela James, Laurie Rauch, Crystal Jordan)

Then after stuffing our faces, Lacy Danes, Barbara Vey, I took a cab over to the PASIC reception. At this point, we were so tired we basically sat at a table with a group of people and didn’t move. But I loved it. Lots of men carried around desserts that I continued to decline. And I got to know the fabulous Donna Grant very well, and I swear I adore her!

(in the pic: Barbara Vey and I)

(in the pic: The Rotunda at Neiman Marcus where the party was held)

(In the pic: Lacy Danes, Donna Grant, me)

After the PASIC Reception we went back to the hotel, where I promptly ran into a bunch of members from my chapter. Knowing it was a photo opp (have you noticed I’m a photo whore?) I gathered them together and asked the first person I saw to take a pic. Cute huh?
Then my friend took a pic of me and the lady who’d taken our pic. What I didn’t realize–and my friend pointed out the next day–was the person I’d hit up to take our pic was none other than best selling author Heather Graham–whom I love. I’m not the best with faces. *Sigh*

FRIDAY: Well Friday was another busy day! I went to the luncheon with Connie Brockway speaking and she had some interesting stuff to say. Though it was hard to hear her at times and the images she put up were too small to read.

(In this pic: Heather Higgins, Marni Donnelly-Folsom, Ciara Stewart )

And I constantly ran into another northwest girl, Lenore, who I know from the blogosphere. She’s as charming in person as online! But the highlight of my Friday? (Que angels singing) The Harlequin party. O.M.G. I came as a guest, and boy do those ladies know how to get down. I danced. I danced. And I danced some more. Well, and chatted briefly again with my agent and then Cherry Adair. Cherry, whom I adore,offered to hold my purse while I danced! Sadly, I have no dancing pics because I was so busy dancing!

(in this pic: Saskia Walker, me, Portia Da Costa, Karen Erickson)

(In this pic: Cherry Adair and I)

(in this pic: Laura Bradford and I–pretty in pink!)

I left the Harlequin party early to go do karaoke with the Divas. It was a mistake. Not that I don’t love my Divas or my karaoke, but I went from dance, dance, dance, to stand still for an hour in a crowded room and wait for them to call our name. I think I was just too hyped to do it. So I took a taxi home and went to bed. But not before…I took a few pics!
(in this pic: lots of Divas a’drinkin’)

(in this pic: Gemma Halliday and I)

(In this pic: More divas a partying)

(in this pic: Gemma Halliday and Jax Cassidy)

Saturday: Saturday I woke up early and went to the Samhain breakfast. I was wearing one of those really cute long dresses from Gap (you know, spaghetti strap and cotton/flowy). Anyway. I almost died. No really. The escalator tried to eat me. It sucked in my dress and I got to the bottom and it kept sucking. I couldn’t walk away. Those silver teeth kept sucking me back and more and more of my dress. Until I screamed a frantic, “Karen, help me! Just rip me loose!” So she did. Sadly, my dress is…a bit shorter now. Good thing I bought it on sale!

(in this pic: Loribelle Hunt, Crystal Jordan, Ann J. Evans, me, Karen Erickson, Laurie Rauch, Angela James, Gwen Hayes)

After breakfast I went to a workshop by Karen Rose about romantic suspense and learned a ton! LOOOVED it. Then we tried to do a big group lunch at the hotel, but it was just too packed. So we hiked out butts to Denny’s for some good old fashioned food.

(in this pic: Loribelle Hunt and I)

After lunch I just hit up all the publisher signings and got a ton of books! Like a TON! I had to walk my butt to Ross to buy a backpack to bring them all home in. I’m set on my reading for awhile. And I picked up some books for gifts. And I ran into NZ Diva Nalini Singh!

Then it was time to get ready for the Ritas/Golden Hearts ceremony. It was pretty low key with Karen Erickson, Kate Pearce, and I getting ready in Kate’s room. We ordered in room service (Kate bought, she’s so sweet!!) and just relaxed. It was really nice.

(in this pic: Kate Pearce, me, Karen Erickson)

The awards were really heart warming and fun, and I stayed through the whole thing and never got bored! Suzanne Brockman did a kick butt job mc’ing. And now here’s lots of pretty pics of people in their finest!

(In this pic: me and Bonnie Edwards)

In this pic: me and Heather Higging (my. V.P.)

In this pic: Gemma Halliday and her mom!)

(In this pic: lots of pretty Divas!)

In this pic: Jackie Barbosa, me and Karen Erickson)

(In this pic: me and Karen Erickson)

(In this pic: me and my agent Laura Bradford)

(In this pic: Loribelle Hunt, me, Jeniffer McKenzie)

In this pic: Rhonda, Gwen Hayes, Kate Pearce)

(In this pic: Jen McKenzie and Kate Pearce)

(In this pic: lots of pretty divas)

(In this pic: Golden Heart finalist Amanda Brice!)

Sunday:

I woke up pretty much exhausted and a little sad that the conference was over, but ready to go home.

I missed my kid and I knew she was missing her mommy. Oh and not to mention she’d be demanding her souvenirs I’ve accustomed her to getting.

So after one last breakfast with some Divas, I hauled butt onto a Super Shuttle and arrived at the airport.

My vision of writing another 5 pages like I did on the flight down died quickly as many a Seattle RWA chapter members and Northwest area writers got on my plane. After that it was chat, chat, chat!

I sat in first class (again since I’ve got friends in airline places) with Jane Porter, Julia Quinn, Serena Robar, and my conference chair Julie Revell Benjamin. That was just first class. The rest of the plane had a ton more writer friends–we did indeed take over the flight. And I knew our flight would be safe..for fate would never deem a plane to crash with Jane Porter and Julia Quinn on it.

My daughter and my parents met me at the airport. My daughter ran into my arms, squeezing the life out of me…and I realized how much she means to me. Love the little gal so entirely much. Almost as much as she liked her souvenirs! Home again…for another year.

Being a writer is a bit like being a fish out of water. It’s scary, it’s isolated. But we survive through little droplets of water throughout the year. Droplets being: im’ing with other writer friends, local RWA chapter meetings, writer forums, local conferences, the conversations on the phone. But once a year we have this conference, and we all get to swim in the same big pond. And when I’m in it, it feels so darn right. So much peace and happiness. This year was no different (though I will say the social scene wasn’t as big as it has been in the past. I think the crazy expensive prices put a kink in that.)

It was another great conference, and now I wait for another year to go by and survive on droplets. Yes. I am random much.

Hi, everyone! I’m back…and still recovering

I plan on doing a big summary with pics tomorrow or tonight, but for now if you want a mini sneak peek, I put up a few pics at Naughty and Spice.

http://naughty-and-spice.com/