The Final Countdown

I got a grand total of 6 hours of sleep Thursday night.  This is actually, I think, a record for me when it comes to my RWA sleep pattern.  6 hours is downright decadent.  That being said, I still woke up feeling like a barely warmed over sea slug.  But I had places to go and people to see, and there was no time for whining.

Friday is the day of conference when people are really starting to feel a bit rough around the edges.  Case in point, I'm starting to work on this blog post Friday afternoon and already my brain is leaking like a sieve.  So for lack of having any brain cells to rub together, I'm going to go with the Ye Olde Make A List route:

• I adore Thea Devine.  I love that woman.  The first romance novel I ever read that could be construed as "erotic romance" was a Thea Devine novel.  I love her misbehavin' heroines, her barely housebroken (hell, who am I kidding - these guys still pee on the carpet) heroes, and when she's concocting an over-the-top, Big Secret, soap-opera-style world/plot?  I'm like a junkie begging for a fix.  She's my guilty pleasure.  Haters gonna hate, but if you've read and enjoyed even one J.R. Ward novel....shut your pie hole.  Don't be hatin' on my Ms. Thea.  Anywho, I got a signed copy of her BRAND NEW release, several hugs, and she was just the sweetest.  Total gushy fangirl squee'ing moment.

• Carrie Lofty slipped me an ARC of her October release Flawless.  I told her I would love it and pet it and name it George.  I'm seriously already looking at my "reading calender" to see when I can justify reading it (and I am trying to not resent the heck out of my current review commitments).

• Jennifer Haymore looked fantastic when I saw her at the Grand Central signing.  As quite a few of you may recall, she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010.  When I inquired on how she was feeling, she said better and stronger every day.  Go Jennifer go!

• I was happy to see that Kensington had a signing this year (this was the first one I've seen them have, and I've been attending RWA every year since 2007).  I was glad I went to see them first though, since they didn't have a lot of books.  I was able to snag a couple of Bravas though (Emma Lang and Sylvia Day) along with a copy of Blue Angel by Logan Belle.  Now, I had never heard of this book, but I took one look at the cover and I was sunk.  I mean, how could I resist picking that up?  The answer was, I couldn't.  It's published under the Aphrodisia imprint, so it falls more under the "erotica" label - but hey, that's hunky-dory with me.  I hope the inside matches the incredible packaging.

• Samhain had a signing this year, they had a ton of books, and a nice variety of authors.  Contemporary, historical, paranormal, erotic, and m/m were all represented.  I also was able to finally meet Heather Osborn, one of their editors, and someone I follow on Twitter, in the flesh.  I had been missing her the entire conference, and I just caught up with her on the last day. 

• Joanna Bourne likes my blog.  Go ahead.  Be jealous bitches!

I ended up shipping two boxes of books home this year.  Big boxes mind you, but that's still downright conservative compared to previous years.  I'll need to sort once I get home, but after dividing up what I got for coworkers, Lil' Sis and the Librarians Day goodies that will go to work?  I don't think I picked up all that much for myself.  We shall see though.  That could be famous last words.

By now it was time to get ready for the RITA/Golden Heart ceremony, so I got myself gussied up in order to meet up with Kristie and Nath.  I'm sure the ceremony has been tweet'ed and blogged within an inch of it's life already, so instead I'll just give a shout-out to a couple of things that "stuck" with me:

• Trisza Ray won the Golden Heart (unpublished manuscript) in Paranormal Romance and I hope someone gives her a big, fat juicy contract.  She was so genuinely overcome, shocked, and in awe - that it was hard for me to stay seated, not rush the stage, and hug the dickens out of her.

• Karen Templeton won the RITA in Contemporary Series Romance, and I was just thrilled for her....even if I haven't read the book (Welcome Home Cowboy) yet because I suck like that.  She writes such wonderful books, and her shout-out to her category writing sisters during her acceptance speech was spot on. 

• Sharon Sala is full of win.  Now, I've read a couple of her books.  A Silhouette Desire I was "meh" on and a romantic suspense where I liked the suspense and the romance?  Not so much.  But I'm telling you, after hearing her acceptance speech for the Lifetime Achievement Award?  I want to run home, dig all her books out of my TBR, and start reading. 

When this blog post goes live I will be scurrying around getting ready to leave NYC for home.  I've had people ask me if I'm "ready" to go home.  The answer is yes and no.  I'm exhausted and miss My Man.  That being said, everyone has been so nice this week - telling me how awesome and wonderful I am - that the thought of going back to reality is a wee bit of a letdown.  I'd consider having my plaque surgically attached to a visible location on my body if I didn't think that would be creepy and wrong.  But hey, that's sort of what this job is about right?  It's not glamorous.  Sometimes it's even a major PITA.  But librarians aren't librarians for the accolades or acknowledgment (although that's pretty nice - gotta say).  We do it because we love it.  We do it because we want to help people.  And I know that I do it because I'm honestly not very good at anything else.  I'm good at being a librarian, and right now a whole national organization of writers thinks I'm a pretty darn good librarian too.  Go Team Me!

See you back in Cali!

Limp Noodle

Thursday at conference signified two things for me 1) the start of the publisher book signings and 2) the Awards Luncheon.  Now, I want to be clear - I'm actually OK with public speaking.  Especially when it's a topic (oh, let's say romance novels for example) that I'm really comfortable with.  But public speaking in a room full of 2000+ people?  Um, yeah.  But before I got to that small panic attack, I hit the Avon and Harlequin sponsored signings.

Harlequin is the only publisher signing where I still pick-up random books I know nothing about, and that's because I tend to impulse read/buy category romances.  I just do.  I figure if the book ain't my bag baby, I'm not out much time or money.  So I wandered around the room and picked up every single category they had.  For single titles?  I was way more selective.  I think maybe I picked up one?  Lots of paranormals (which I'm not really reading right now) and single title contemporaries (which I'm not really reading right now). 

The Avon signing was where I got books for everybody other than me.  I cleaned up for two coworkers and my Lil' Sis.  There is a very healthy contingent of YA authors at conference.  Of course I think all the YA titles I've picked up so far have been paranormal woo-woo, but Lil' Sis ain't choosey.

After that, it was up to the room to get ready for the Awards Luncheon.  It went....well, it went.  I wrote out my speech because I was afraid of forgetting people, rambling and going on too long.  At any rate, I didn't forget people.  I was sitting at my table, and I literally had just hit send on a text to Rosie (which word for word was "I want my Mommy") when Dorien Kelly launched into the first introduction.....which was mine.

Gentle blog readers, I'll be totally honest.  My first reaction to learning that I was first on the hit parade was "Holy #&*! they're making me go first?!?!?!"  But I got up there, read my speech, and didn't pass out.  I consider this a success for all parties involved.  Once I got back to my seat, I felt like my bones were melting.  I think that's what is called relief.  The adrenaline just poured out of me.

After lunch, there were two more publisher signings: Sourcebooks and St. Martin's.  I wandered around St. Martin's first, and got yet more YA for Lil' Sis.  I also picked up one or two historicals for myself.  Sourcebooks I think I walked away empty-handed.  Mostly because what was available that looked interesting to me?  I already own. 

I had one invitation last night, and that was for a party hosted by St. Martin's.  I really wanted to see the Flat Iron Building, plus I knew that I could probably connect with people there I kept missing around the hotel.  I ran into Michelle Willingham there, who writes for Harlequin, and was chatting with her agent.  Here we are at a romance conference and what do we talk about?  Her son pitching in Little League and my nephew, The Flash, playing T-ball.  I also got to meet the lovely Lisa Kleypas, and spied Mary Kay Andrews and Lisa Lillien, the Hungry Girl. 

As I had hoped, I ran into Megan Frampton and Heather Waters, who were both there representing Heroes & Heartbreakers (which is part of Macmillan, just like St. Martin's).  Megan invited me back up to her room for the now-annual Donut Party she hosts with Carolyn Jewel.  I finally was able to connect with Kwana (from Kwana Writes, H&H and Twitter-dom) and Limecello.  I also had a carrot cake donut which was fantastic! 

Then it was off to the bar for a few minutes, where I found Kristie, Nath, SarahT and Kim from Hawaii chatting up new historical author, Ashley March.  I treated myself to a virgin strawberry daiquiri because by this point my voice was slipping, and the last thing I needed was another glass of wine.  We hung out for a few minutes before my brain and feet started screaming at me to Go To Bed Stupid.  So I did.

Friday is the last day of conference, which caps off with the RITA ceremony tonight.  I hope to get one last blog post in before I board the plane home on Saturday.  Let's see how successful I am.

The Acceptance Speech

This is the gist of it.  I did ad-lib some things that weren't in my notes.  You all are getting "just the notes."  Because frankly it's easier for me to copy and paste than try to remember all the blathering moronic things I probably said in front of 2000+ people.

Enjoy the insanity below:

+++++

Mrs. D, my high school librarian, and the reason I hit upon the career in the first place.  Sign up to do a work-study in the media center, or suffer through another semester of geometry?  The choice was easy. 

DT, director of The Library That Gave Me My First Professional Job, for taking leave of his senses and hiring a very green 23-year-old fresh out of college, who had no idea what she was doing.  I couldn’t have asked for a better first boss in this profession.

My former supervisors at My Current Employer – GW for getting me in the door, and JT for giving me my dream job in collection management. 

My current supervisor, SQ, for being incredibly supportive, and all-around awesome.

The local RWA chapters I’ve begged and pleaded with over the years to do my library’s annual Literary Event.  Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Diego.  Your members have taken pity on me, and made me look good to my bosses.  Thank you.

To RWA, yes for this wonderful honor, but for also not having this conference during the baseball trade deadline.  Seriously, 2008 in San Francisco almost killed me. 

Dede Anderson and her staff at The Romance Reader for being the reason I got hooked on the genre in the first place.  My first Nora Roberts trilogy, my first category romance, my first Maggie Osborne, Susan Wiggs, Emma Holly, Megan Hart – yeah, all their doing. 

To all the fine folks I’ve met online and out in cyperspace thru the years.  The Scandalous Ladies for all the coffee klatch’ing, all the SoCalBloggers for the fabulous book talk, with a special shout-out to Rosie.  The first official meeting of our group was just the two of us, and now there are over 20. Sybil who exploits my category romance addiction for her own nefarious purposes, KristieJ for slapping me upside the head every now and then over all the great books I still have languishing in my TBR.  For the record, no Kristie, I still haven’t read Connor’s Way, Sugar Daddy or any of Patricia Potter’s westerns.  I know Kristie.  Yes, I know.  I suck.  And now everybody in this room knows it too.

My parents who have loved and respected each other for 40 years, for raising three relatively well-adjusted daughters – for supporting us, loving us, and most importantly, letting us go off on our own, even if they thought our “plans” were a disaster waiting to happen.  Some of them were, some of them weren’t – and we all turned out OK.

My two sisters for being more of everything I wish I was.  When I grow up, if I’m half as awesome as they are, I’ll consider myself rich beyond words.

And finally to My Man.  For being persistent, tolerant of the book mountain range growing in our apartment and loving me when it wasn’t always easy.  Thank you.

Hit The Ground Running

Wednesday at RWA turned out to be my busiest day so far.  The morning started with meeting Harlequin Historical author, Christine Merrill, for breakfast.  I actually won lunch with Christine back in March, during Operation Auction, which was held for Fatin and her daughters in the wake of her husband's death.  We opted instead for breakfast, because between her schedule and mine, it was pretty much the only time we could squeeze in.  It's always nice to chat with a fellow librarian, even if these days that entails a lot of crying in our beer (or tea and Diet Coke as the case may be).

After that, I hit the Goodie Room, where I snagged some more Romance Trading Cards for one of the So. Cal. Bloggers, and even a few books for myself.  Of course upon arrival back to my room I discovered that I already had a box to ship home.  People, I'm not even really trying this year and I already have a box to ship home!  This does not bode well for the rest of the conference.

I lazed about a bit, killing time before the Keynote Luncheon. The food was....well, conference food. Honestly, as long as it's edible I'm pretty happy. Madeline Hunter gave the keynote this year, and what I heard of her speech was very good. There were technically difficulties with the speaker system on my side of the ballroom. But luckily they got it working, so I was able to at least hear the meat of the speech.


After lunch I attended the Avon Spotlight. These publisher spotlights are very good to attend for those of us who are "non-writers" because often times upcoming books are discussed. Also, any trends or specific sub genres the agents may be actively looking for.  Well folks, the end of the world as we know it just might be here.  For the first time, in a very long time, the Avon editors said "Sure!" to historical westerns.  I know, try not to fall over from the shock.  I honestly think a large part of this might be the start of their new digital Avon Impulse line, but this was a welcome step in the right direction if you ask me.  So if you're a writer, and you've written a good, solid western romance - don't automatically dismiss submitting to Avon!

There were more workshops after this, including a spotlight for Carina Press - but I had to get back to my room and put on my party duds.  After slapping on a dress (and even some make-up ::shock::), I headed down to the Harlequin Blogger Tea.  Refreshments were served, and fascinators made by the Harlequin folks were distributed.  It was a good chance to meet the Digital Team in person, and for bloggers to pass around business cards.  This was also where I finally was able to connect with Megan Frampton, who I have met in previous years past, but it was lovely to see her again, in the flesh.

I cut out of that early because RWA was hosting a VIP reception for their award-winners and board members (past and current).  Yeah, since I AM the Librarian Of The Year (maybe you've heard?), I figured it might be a good idea to go to that.  So I headed up to a very high floor of the hotel room and introduced myself in person to many of the board members.

When I come to RWA, I'll be honest, my dance card is usually fairly manageable.  This year, with the award, a few invitations happened.  I had a couple for last night, and had the best of intentions, but I only managed to make it to the cocktail party hosted by Harpercollins/Avon.  It was at the Central Park Boathouse with its lovely view.  I ran into the All About Romance contingent, we chatted quite a bit, mostly about books (of course!), I met several agents and a bookseller, and was briefly introduced to Loretta Chase (lovely woman!).  On the way back to the hotel I sat with Rose Fox, from Publishers Weekly, and we had a wonderful conversation about our work, books and New York City.

After that, I went back to the hotel where I, of course, hit the bar.  I chatted with KristieJ, Rosie, SarahT, Nath, and the world famous authors, L.B. Gregg and K.A. Mitchell for longer than I probably should have, since today is a rather big to-do for me.  Yep, it's Awards Luncheon time, where they'll slap me upside the head with my plaque for Librarian Of The Year.  But hell, I was having too much fun last night.  Who needs sleep?

Pictures: The lovely Nath and KristieJ wearing their fascinators at the Harlequin Blogger tea.  Yes, that's my ugly mug next to Fabio's ugly mug at the Avon Cocktail Party.  How could I not want a picture with such an iconic, bodice-rippin', clinch cover?

Say Goodbye To Wendy's Brain

I don't know why I always think that I'll be able to write semi-coherent blog posts while I'm at RWA.  I mean, it's not like I'm sleeping.  Also, every time I attend, no matter that I've been to these conferences several times, I always seem to hit Sensory Overload, and my brain starts to slide out of my ears.  I know Wendy Losing Her Brains isn't all that surprising (you're thinking, "Wow, Wendy has brains?  Who knew?) - but yeah, the conference really hasn't even started yet, and I've already hit maximum danger levels.  This doesn't bode well for everybody concerned since the Awards luncheon (did you hear?  I'm Librarian Of The Year!) isn't until Thursday.  Oh well, let's get crackin' and hopefully this will make some sense.

I hit the ground running yesterday with Librarians Day.  RWA always does a nice job planning this, and I'm not just saying that because I was presenting this year.  My topic du jour was Harlequin 101.  The best way to describe it?  Harlequin For Dummies.  Me and one of the editors, Mary-Theresa Hussey, talked a little bit about the history of the company, and then proceeded to walk through the category lines and talk about them step by step.  So for example?  The variety of settings in Harlequin Historical.  That Harlequin Intrigue is a wee bit heavier in the suspense department than Harlequin Romantic Suspense.  And, oh yeah - that the Silhouette name has gone bye-bye. 

Mary-Theresa and I were prepared, but I had never met her before, and she had never met me before.  We chatted over e-mail and got our ducks in a row, but when you're on a panel, without a moderator overseeing things, you never know if your styles are going to "mesh" well.  But I thought we did just dandy, and people seemed to like us.

The luncheon speaker this year was Julia Quinn (that's her in the picture), who did a lovely job.  She was funny and told us all a story about a reader letter she once received that made me cry.  I ate lunch with the lovely Trinity Feagen and Lifetime Achievement Award Winner this year, Sharon Sala.

After all this hulla-bullo, it was networking time!  I picked up quite a few items in the Librarian Goodie Room, which was picked clean within a matter of minutes.  I also got a chance to talk to several authors, like Michelle Willingham, Vivien Arend, K.A. Mitchell, HelenKay Dimon, Leslie Kelly, Jill Shalvis, and a whole host of others my brain is blanking on right now.

I then hit my room to drop off my stuff, then to connect with KristieJ and Nath who had arrived at the conference hotel.  Our grand plan this year was to avoid the line at the Literacy Signing, which went out the door of the hotel and down the street.  We hung out in the bar for a few minutes, then went down to the ballroom.  Now, we were in a ballroom - but it wasn't the world's biggest ballroom considering the hordes there (hence, no pictures, because I suck like that).  I picked up a few things for colleagues and myself - but there were a bunch of folks I missed just because of the sheer madness of the place.  I was very happy to meet Karen Templeton, live and in the flesh, and also Megan Hart. 

After all that it was time to hit the bar and hang out with folks for the second Blogger Bar Bash.  People came and went, stopped by to say "Hi!", and by midnight I was too pooped to party.  So back to my room where I managed to fall into bed.

Today is a big day for me, and hopefully I'll take some more pictures!  It was so nuts at the Literacy Signing that my camera never left my purse.  Sigh.  But I am having a great time, and enjoying the Librarian Love Fest, even if my brain is sliding out of my ears. 

(Note: sure enough, as the week wears on I get lazier.  Linkage on this post will happen....uh, after the fact.  I know, I suck.).

Lions, Beatles, And Bar Bashes, Oh My!

Here I am, once again - blogging when I should be sleeping.  Seriously, this cannot continue.  So let's see how brief I can keep this blog post.  Will it be coherent?  Well, you decide.

After a morning of lolly-gagging, Rosie and I headed out in the afternoon to do some sightseeing.  On the agenda today, a trip to the corner of 5th Avenue and 42nd Street - which is where you will find the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building of the New York Public Library.  Or as everyone else seems to call it "Ooooh, the one with the lions!"  Yes, folks - the one with the lions.  It was a fabulous visit, of course.  There were tons of displays, which made me long for that brief moment in time when I entertained the idea of becoming an archivist.  The idea got scrapped when I realized that with my luck I would probably end up destroying some priceless treasure I was put in charge to protect.

After that I had to get my Beatles geek fangirl fix on, so Rosie and I hit Central Park, where we landed in Strawberry Fields.  It was quite a hike, but we made it, and then strolled around the park for a bit.  After that we had a little mini-discussion on how to get back to the hotel and my legs decided they were done.  So we hailed a cab, and got back to the hotel in time for Rosie to pick up her registration materials. 

After a nice dinner, we hit the bar where the first Blogger Bar Bash got underway.  It was a pretty small group of us, but by 9:30PM the bar was full.  It gave me a chance to wander around and chat with several people, new and old acquaintances alike.  Sylvia Day, Molly O'Keefe, Pearl, Kim from Hawaii, Magdalen, SarahT, Angela James, Smart Bitch Sarah, and a whole host of other folk.  Hanging out in the bar is probably my most favoritest thing about these conferences.  Everyone is always so nice, friendly, and willing to chat with total strangers.

I then called it a night, because Librarians Day is tomorrow....uh, and I'm presenting.  Which means I should be in bed and not blogging...but this is how much I love you all.  I know, gag!  Oh, and hey!  I have more pictures up in my Flickr account.

The City So Nice, They Named It Twice

Hello from New York City!  Rosie and I made it to the Big Apple relatively unscathed.  She forgot her Kindle (OMG!!!!) and My Man got himself in a car accident on his way back home after dropping me off at the airport.  The good news is that Rosie has something else to read, and My Man escaped the accident unharmed.  His car?  Uh, another story entirely.  But needless to say I spent most of yesterday worried out of my mind about him.

After all that excitement, I was greeted at JFK by my limo driver.  Yes, limo driver.  Apparently being Librarian of the Year makes me pretty hot stuff!  It also means that I got my flippin' registration bag EARLY!  It was waiting for me upon check-in.  Behold!  That little blue flip dealie is actually book light, and I'm guessing the weird Harlequin pouch is some sort of eco-friendly water bottle?  But yeah, that's the swag.  In other news, the conference tote is very nice, as are the name badge holders.

After I got checked-in, Rosie and I met for a quick bite to eat and drink downstairs.  There we ran into Magdalen and SarahT (who had just arrived from Switzerland and boy was she jet-lagged!).  We had a nice nosh, a few drinks and lovely conversation.  Always good to chat with fellow bloggers and romance addicts.

When I got back upstairs, what did my little eyes spy?  Another goodie for being Queen Librarian of the Universe!  This lovely bottle of wine.  Which I couldn't drink because I'd already had my limit.  So I saved it for tonight, and I'm enjoying it now while typing this blog post.

Today was my one totally free day, so I was able to catch-up with my former college roommate, who lives in Queens, and who I haven't seen in 10+ years!  Patty was totally up for doing "tourist-y" stuff, so we made the trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  We only did a few little parts of Ellis Island, because holy cow, my legs were jello by that point - but it was still a really great day.  Oh, and the tourists!  I told My Man, I know we live in California.  I mean, it's not like we live in White Bread, U.S.A. - but the international flavor of this city is really a trip.  I heard more languages spoken today then I think I have in my whole life.

After a nice healthy dinner of pizza and cheesecake, I'm back in my hotel room - soaking up the outrageously priced wifi and chillin' with my wine, Rosie, Nath, and Nathie's sister.  On tap for tomorrow?  Not sure yet.  I suspect Rosie and I might end up in Central Park, and then it's the first Blogger Bar Bash in the evening.  I'm going to do my best to blog every single day - and hopefully I won't do my usual RWA madness, which is blogging at 2AM (seriously, I've done that more than I care to admit).  I also plan on taking more pictures.  These are just a small sampling.  Want to see more?  Keep an eye on the special album I created on my Flickr account.

The 2nd Annual RWA Blogger Bar Bash!

Where?: The Atrium Lounge at the New York Marriott Marquis (the conference hotel)

When?:  It's so nice, we're doing it twice!  For you early arrivals, Monday June 27 @ 7PM to uh, whenever.  A repeat performance will happen Tuesday June 28 after the Literacy Signing to uh, whenever.

Who?:  The only reason I call this the Blogger Bar Bash is because I'm a sucker for alliteration.  Anyone is welcome to attend.  Readers, Bloggers, Published Authors, Not-Yet Published Authors, Editors, Agents, Fabio, Cowboys, Sheikhs, Virginal Secretaries, Navy SEALS, Werewolves, Vampires (but keep those fangs to yourselves!), Sailors on shore leave etc. etc. etc.  If you're not registered for the conference and only attending the Literacy Signing?  Hey, stop on by!  No conference registration required for these wing-dings.


Why Then?:  If this is your first time attending RWA, you won't understand this yet - but the later in the week it gets, the more brain-dead you'll become.  Trust me, it's just going to happen.  We'll have two gatherings to snag as many people as possible.  The Literacy Signing tends to "signal" the official start of the conference, and as the week wears on dance cards start filling up with other commitments. 

Why A Bar?:  Because I'm a lush.  There, I said it.  Actually, the reason is that I'm a terrible planner and hostess.  I like "low key."  No need to plan, no snacks to buy, no booze to stock up on.  Plus, a bar pretty much has everything.  Munchies if you want them.  Booze if you need want it.  Non-alcoholic offerings if you're a teetotaler.  There should be something for everyone.

Lastly: This is a relaxed affair.  If you can only stop by for a few minutes?  That's fine!  If you want to hang out for a couple of hours?  That's fine too!  I know how busy some folks are during this week, so feel free to come and go as you please, as other commitments/appointments/invitations come up.  No pressure, only fun!  A chance to connect some names with faces prior to all the hoopla getting underway.  I hope to see a bunch of you there!

(Please feel free to tweet this, post it on your blog etc.  Let's get the word out!)

2011 RITA Nominations!

The Romance Writers of America have announced the finalists for the 2011 RITA awards.  Winners will be announced this summer at the annual conference in New York City where, incidentally, yours truly will be crowned 2011 Librarian Of The Year.

You know just in case you hadn't heard about the news (I'm thinking of putting it on my business cards right under Wendy The Super Librarian, Supah Genius).

Ahem, anywho, before we dissect the nominations, a couple of things.  First, here are the official rules.  And second, the most important thing to remember is that authors must submit their books (and pay a contest fee) in order to be eligible.  So author no submit?  Yeah, no chance in hell they'll be on this list.  I also see a lot of chatter (typically) from readers online that they haven't heard of half the nominated books.  Well, that's where I'm here to help.  So away we go.....

Best First Book:
The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells (YA)
Firestorm by Kelly Ann Riley (inspirational suspense)
Enemy Within by Marcella Burnard (science fiction romance)
I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan (YA)
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (YA)
Pieces of Sky by Kaki Warner (historical romance)
Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts (chick lit/mystery)
A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer (inspirational historical)
When Harry Met Molly by Kieran Kramer (historical romance)

• I've read Pieces of Sky, which I liked but was mildly disappointed in because I wanted to lurve it and have babies with it.  I chalk this insanity up to Neglected Romance Sub Genre Guilt.  Still, it was a good solid read, and this debut western got a B- from yours truly.  And wow, three YAs?  Really?

Contemporary Series Romance:
Dare She Date the Dreamy Doc? by Sarah Morgan (Mills & Boon Medical Romance)
Breaking the Sheikh's Rules in the Summer Sheikhs anthology by Abby Green (Mills & Boon)
Christmas Magic on the Mountain by Melissa McClone (Harlequin Romance)
Christmas with Her Boss by Marion Lennox (Harlequin Romance)
Red-Hot Renegade by Kelly Hunter (Mills & Boon Modern Heat)
An Unexpected Father by Lisa Ruff (Harlequin American Romance)
Welcome Home, Cowboy by Karen Templeton (Silhouette Special Edition)
Zoe and the Tormented Tycoon by Kate Hewitt (Harlequin Presents)

• Sigh.  The McClone, Lennox and Templeton are all in my digital TBR.  I suck.

Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure:
The Moon That Night by Helen Brenna (Harlequin Superromance)
The Baby's Guardian by Delores Fossen (Harlequin Intrigue)
Case File: Canyon Creek, Wyoming by Paula Graves (Harlequin Intrigue)
To Catch a Killer by Kimberly Van Meter (Silhouette Romantic Suspense)
A Cop in Her Stocking by Ann Voss Peterson (Harlequin Intrigue)
 Meltdown by Gail Barrett (Silhouette Romantic Suspense)
Perfect Partners? by C.J. Carmichael (Harlequin Superromance)
Renegade Angel by Kendra Leigh Castle (Harlequin Nocturne)

• The Brenna is in the digital TBR.  Other than that?  I got nothing.  Although I find it really interesting there's a Nocturne in this category.

Contemporary Single Title Romance:
One Fine Cowboy by Joanne Kennedy
Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts
And One Last Thing by Molly Harper
Lead Me On by Victoria Dahl
Not That Kind of Girl by Susan Donovan
Nothing But Trouble by Rachel Gibson
Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis
Still the One by Robin Wells

• More vast sea of nothingness.  I just don't gravitate towards single title contemporaries.  Yes, I'm aware this makes me "part of the problem" Save The Contemporary fans.  It's just I choose to "save the contemporary" via category romance, uh where it doesn't really need much saving.

Historical Romance:
Countess of Scandal by Laurel McKee
Last Night's Scandal by Loretta Chase
The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne
His at Night by Sherry Thomas
A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James
A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl
One Wicked Sin by Nicola Cornick
Open Country by Kaki Warner

• The Thomas, McKee and Warner are in the TBR.  I still need to buy that Cornick trilogy, as well as the Bourne. 

Inspirational Romance:
A Convenient Wife by Anna Schmidt
Doctor in Petticoats by Mary Connealy
Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang
Finding Her Way Home by Linda Goodnight
The Wedding Garden by Linda Goodnight
In Harm's Way by Irene Hannon
Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist
Shades of Morning by Marlo M. Schalesky
Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander

• I read the Gist and thought it was quite lovely.  Gave it a B.

Novel With Strong Romantic Elements:
The Search by Nora Roberts
Stormwalker by Allyson James
Killbox by Ann Aguirre
Blood Vines by Erica Spindler
Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn
On Folly Beach by Karen White
Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts
Welcome to Harmony by Jodi Thomas

• I listened to The Search on audio, and while I liked it, I OD'ed on all the "dog stuff."  But then, I'm not a huge dog person, so there you go.  We got an ARC of the Raybourn in at work, and I saved it for myself, but yeah.  Haven't read it.

Paranormal Romance:
Rebel by Zoe Archer
Sins of the Heart by Eve Silver
Enemy Within by Marcella Burnard
A Highlander's Homecoming by Melissa Mayhue
Marked by the Moon by Lori Handeland
Water Bound by Christine Feehan
Immortal Sea by Virginia Kantra
Unchained: the Dark Forgotten by Sharon Ashwood

• Mileage varies on this if you read all the online chatter, but Rebel was actually my favorite out of that Zoe Archer series.  Other than that?  I got nothing.  Paranormal burn out folks.

Regency Historical Romance:
His Christmas Pleasure by Cathy Maxwell
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean
Provocative in Pearls by Madeline Hunter
To Surrender to a Rogue by Cara Elliott
When Harry Met Molly by Kieran Kramer
Twice Tempted by a Rogue by Tessa Dare
The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig
The Wicked Wyckerly by Patricia Rice

• The Dare is in the TBR.  That's it.

Romance Novella:
"A Dundee Christmas" by Brenda Novak in That Christmas Feeling (Harlequin Superromance)
"Friendly Fire" by Jill Shalvis in Born on the 4th of July (Harlequin Blaze)
"Blame It on the Blizard" by Jennifer Greene in Baby, It's Cold Outside (Harlequin)
"Love Me to Death" by Maggie Shayne in Heart of Darkness (HQN Books)
"Mistletoe Magic" by Sandra Hyatt in Under the Millionaire's Mistletoe (Silhouette Desire)
"The Wrong Brother" by Maureen Child in Under the Millionaire's Mistletoe (Silhouette Desire)
"Mountain Rose" by Cheryl St. John in To Be a Mother (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical)
"Shifting Sea" by Virginia Kantra in Burning Up

• Dude, Harlequin owns this category.  The Novak and St. John anthologies are in the TBR. 

Romantic Suspense:
Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb
Love Me to Death by Allison Brennan
The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks
Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden
Edge of Sight by Roxanne St. Claire
Silent Scream by Karen Rose
Kill Me Again by Maggie Shayne
Two Lethal Lies by Annie Solomon

• I think I have the Karen Rose in the TBR.  Other than that?  Yeah, nothing.

Young Adult Romance:
Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder
The Clearing by Heather Davis
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

• I am shocked by how many of these I've actually heard of.  I don't buy YA for work (not "my job") so I tend to be fairly clueless when it comes to these nominees.  That said, I've heard of the Clare, McCahan, Kagawa, Elkeles and the Howells.

And that, is that.  So folks, who has read what here?  Any recommendations for me?  Anything here that you weren't all that impressed with?  Time to dish!

RWA Librarians Day 2011

Romance Writers of America has posted the schedule for this year's Librarians Day at the annual conference in New York City.  If you're a librarian, and will be in the area on Tuesday, June 28, I encourage you to sign-up.  It's the insane bargain basement price of $25 for the day (and no, you don't have to be attending the whole conference - you can just do this one day!), they feed us lunch, and the separate Librarian Goodie Room is, traditionally, off-the-hook.  Seriously.  Off-the-hook.  Plus, you're already on site for the ginormous Literacy For Life Autographing that's the very same day, from 5:30-7:30PM.  Here's the tentative schedule with RWA Librarian Of The Year (modest, thy name is Wendy) commentary: 

7:30 – 8:00 a.m.
Registration/ Badge Pick-Up

• Plus a tote bag!  With books in it!  Squee!

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Focus on Communities in Romance Speakers: Lara Adrian, Robyn Carr, and Jayne Ann Krentz
Romance authors are experts at creating communities in their book series, whether these communities are geographic, familial, or even species based. Join three New York Times best-selling authors as they discuss the challenges and rewards of writing connected/community-based books, why readers love them, and how librarians can recommend them to their own romance reading communities. 

• Seriously, huge trend right now - and a great mix of authors.  Adrian has been writing a paranormal series, Carr is taking over the world from Virgin River and Krentz is Queen Of Writing Series.  This should be great.

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Harlequin 101 Speakers: Wendy Crutcher, Collection Materials Evaluator, Wendy's Employer
Did you know that Harlequin publishes nearly 110 new titles every month? Yet, somehow, category romance remains a misunderstood and often-dismissed member of the popular fiction family. Materials Evaluator Wendy Crutcher will help solve the mystery of category romance and provide insight into this juggernaut of the romance genre.

• Oh look!  It's me!  Presenting by myself!  Argh!  Actually the event coordinator is trying to scrounge up a warm body from Harlequin to join me - but right now it's looking like I'm flying solo. ::gulp::  Now to find time to rework this particular presentation of mine (I've given similar talks twice now - to various colleagues here at work).

10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Break sponsored by Brilliance Audio  Stretch your legs and enjoy some refreshments, but don’t wander too far! We’ll be hosting a fun romance trivia during the break and handing out prizes to librarians who correctly answer questions about the genre.

• Snacks!  Coffee!  Chit Chat!  More free books!

10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
You’ve Got Romance in My Mystery! No, You’ve Got Mystery in My Romance! Speakers: John Charles, Leah Hultenschmidt, Judi McCoy, and Deanna Raybourn
For more than a decade, genre blurring has been one of the strongest trends in fiction and a powerful force affecting both collection development and readers’ advisory service in libraries. A librarian, an editor, and two award-winning authors will talk about how library staff can use the power of genre blurring to successfully cross-market their romance collections to new readers.

• Charles is a former Librarian Of The Year, and you know how I am with westerns and category romance?  Yeah, he's big on genre blurring, readers' advisory, and luring non-romance readers over to The Dark Side.  Hultenschmidt is now an editor with Sourcebooks (and awesome!), McCoy has romance roots and is currently writing cozy mysteries, and Raybourn writes historical mysteries for Harlequin (Mira, I believe?).  Should be good stuff here.

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Publisher Preview Speakers: Lucia Macro, Executive Editor, Avon Books; Wendy McCurdy, Executive Editor, Berkley Books; and Shauna Summers, Executive Editor, Ballantine Bantam Dell
What are the latest and upcoming trends in romance fiction? Which titles will have miles-long holds list this fall? Executive editors who publish some of the biggest names in romance fiction will tell you what’s hot now and what is going to be the next big thing.

• OMG - who doesn't love hearing about new stuff?  Books, books, books - tell me all about the brand new and the shiny.

12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Librarians Luncheon featuring New York Times best-selling author Julia Quinn

• Food!  And Julia Quinn!  Plus me and Trinity Feagan sitting together at lunch heckling Julia Quinn!  (Inside Twitter joke....). 

2:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Librarian/Bookseller Networking Event with Authors Come to this fun, informal meet-and-greet with your favorite romance authors, and leave with free goodies and more!

• ZOMG - The Librarian Goodie Room.  Free books!  Free promo goodies!  Chatting with authors!  Passing out my business card!  Woot!

It's also during this stretch where I hightail it up to my room, dump the insane amount of goodies I got out on the bed, and hightail it back downstairs for more mingling, and waiting for the Literacy Signing to start.  Again, if you're a librarian, and are going to be in the area, I encourage you to check it out.  It's always a fabu time.  You get lunch, free books, and you get to hear people say really nice things about how awesome-sauce librarians are.  You can't lose!