Merry Christmas!

Twas the night before Christmas when all through the lair,

not a creature was stirring but some vampires-- and Jane Slayre.

The vampires sneered, all full of derision,

but Jane staked their black hearts with skillful precision.

She brushed dust from her hands, and went back to the house,

smoothed back her hair, and straightened her blouse;

Rochester waited, in his nightclothes.

Jane went straight into his arms, planted a kiss on his nose.

"My dear, you look frazzled. You should be in bed."

"But I couldn't sleep, darling, without you," he said.

"Well, here I am now. And in bed we should be.

Santa won't come if we stay here near the tree."

"You're right," he agreed, heading off to the stairs.

Jane replied, "One minute, I'll be right there."

She adjusted the stockings and checked on the fire,

put out cookies for Santa, and turned to retire.

When a gloved hand reached out, touching Jane on the arm.

Her instincts were roused. She would come to no harm.

She reached in her pocket, for stakes sharper than her fear.

No vamp dare attack her in the home she held dear!

Turning on her heel, she prepared for her strike,

when she realized it was Santa, and his helper elf Mike.

"Oh, Santa." She laughed. "I'm happy it's you!"

She dropped the stake and whispered under her breath, "Phew."

She offered some cookies, but he turned to get busy.

He and Mike worked so fast that it made Jane feel dizzy.

In a blink, presents were delivered and stockings were filled.

Jane was amazed, and in fact, she was thrilled.

"Presents? Why, thank you!" she said, hands on hips.

He winked at her, then, and put his finger to his lips.

"No thanks required," Elf Mike said, "For you work hard, too."

"We're happy to do it. We celebrate you!"

Jane was so touched. Her eyes? They had teared.

But before she could say more, poof! Santa and Mike disappeared.

She heard them exclaim, though they were out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!"

Full Moon Means Wereoprah Book Club!

It's that time again. Wereoprah has come out with the full moon to announce her next Book Club Selection. The first was JANE SLAYRE, of course. And we all know you read and loved JANE, proving that Wereoprah is the go-to source for paranormal picks. The next...

J.K. Beck's WHEN BLOOD CALLS

“A red-hot page-turner!”
—New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole

Attorney Sara Constantine is thrilled with her promotion—until she finds out that she must now prosecute vampires and werewolves. The first defendant she’ll be trying to put away? Lucius Dragos, the sexy stranger with whom she recently shared an explosive night of ecstasy.

When Lucius kisses a beautiful woman sitting next to him at the bar, he’s hoping only to avoid the perceptive gaze of the man he’s planning to kill. But what starts as a simple kiss ignites into an all-consuming passion. Charged with murder, Luke knows that Sara is determined to see him locked away—unless he can convince her that he’s not a monster. And that might mean making the ultimate sacrifice.

We'll have J.K. BECK with us as a special guest to discuss WHEN BLOOD CALLS during the next full moon (Nov. 21). Please read and join us. Waoooooooh!

Kindle giveway, plus gift card.

I'm in a race! Help me win, and you could win, too.

Authors Julie Ortolon, Deborah Cooke, Julianne MacLean, and Lori Devoti have challenged me to be the first among us to add a thousand new members at our fan pages. I'm starting at 391, and I need a thousand more. Just "like" me at Sherri Browning Erwin Readers and we could both win. If I reach my goal first, I get to choose the winner from among my followers.

I shouldn't be telling you, but you could increase your chances of winning by "liking" Julie, Deborah, Julianne, and Lori, too. The author who adds a thousand new members first gets to choose the winner at random from all of her followers. It could be me (tell your friends!) but it could be one of them.

Sherri Browning Erwin Readers

Julie Ortolon, Author

Julie MacLean, Romance Author

Author Deborah Cooke Fan Page

Lori Devoti, Author

More details:

We're racing to see who can add 1000 new "likes" to her Facebook Page. Not the first to reach 1000, but 1000 new likes. The author who wins will draw one name from ALL the people who like her page to pick the winner.

The Prize: A new Kindle Wi-Fi! But wait, there's more...

Bonus Prize: A $50 Amazon Gift Card. The author who wins the race will also draw one name from everyone who subscribes to her newsletter. To subscribe to my newsletter, just put your name and email address in the Newsletter box at the right side top of this page. By signing up, you'll be entered to win both prizes.

Now, let the race begin!

Confessions of a Romance Author: The RWA Diaries, Final Day, Final Thoughs

August 1, 2010

Alcohol units: 5 (gasp, really? Yes. But sample sizes.)

Workshops: 0

Ego: Grounded (conference is over!)

7:00 a.m. Awake and ready to enjoy the day! The plan is to shower, dress, finish packing, check out, and bring our bags down to bell services for the day while we (Julie and I) hit the Magic Kingdom and Epcot.

8:00 a.m. Julie has never been to the Magic Kingdom, and I know she's going to love it. I hope she does. What if she doesn't? The bus is on time and we arrive for opening ceremonies. No doubt-- she loves it! We see Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and other characters at the park opening, and we're ready to hit some rides.

Lines are low and crowds are almost non-existent. What a beautiful morning! I take Julie on a little tour, stopping for rides along the way. The theming and details have won her over, but wait until she gets on a ride. We start with Adventureland and the Jungle Cruise, laugh at the corny jokes, and then on to Pirates of the Caribbean, and a surprise-- "no roller coasters" Julie thinks she can handle Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

In fact, she loves it and wants to ride again! But so much to do, so little time. We're off to the Haunted Mansion. A walk through Fantasyland. I convince her to try Space Mountain. Fun, but not on her list of things to do again. It's getting late and we opt to head for Epcot for the rest of the day.

11:00 a.m. Julie has never ridden the monorail, so we catch the resort monorail to the Transportation & Ticket Center and then the Epcot monorail. We're in the park by 11:30, in time for lunch. We're hungry! We meander through Future World and catch the boat across the lagoon to Morocco, close to our destination, France! Lunch in France. We add our names to the list of walk-ins at Chefs de France and shop around France until noon. I buy a beret and French milled soaps for my daughter, extra birthday treats, and we're finally ready to wait to be seated.

Julie has the crepe basquaise, a large crepe filled with smoked chicken. peppers, onions, and a cheese, with a nice French white. I opt for the plat de cote de boeuf au cabernet avec pates, beef short ribs braised in cabernet with pasta, pearl onions, and mushrooms and a glass of French red, recommended by the server, from her hometown. Julie's crepe slightly trumps my beef, but both are delicious and service is wonderful. We finish lunch and step outside, where Julie is instantly enchanted by a little street performance, an adorable Frenchman doing handstands on a tower of chairs.

While Julie is caught up in awe, I pop over to the refreshment stand and buy us each a Grey Goose slush, dessert!

We shop in Morocco, in Japan, and head for Italy. In Italy, the charming server talks us into doing the Epcot Wine Walk, 2 2 oz sample glasses in each country, Italy, Germany, and France for $20. Why not? We take our wine and watch another street performance, this one an Italian clown having a ball with his audience (literally, throwing balls to people, too fun!). Then, on to Germany (more wine) and China (tea!), Norway for the Maelstrom (always too short), and Mexico for the boatride (just right). Time is running out. A brisk walk to France for our final wine samples, and back through the International Gateway for the ride back to the Dolphin to claim our bags and get the Mears Shuttle to the airport and home.

Reflections:

It was a productive, educational, fabulous conference! What I learned: networking with friends can be more informative and helpful than attending workshop after workshop. Publishers want to see more paranormal, historical, suspense, and small town contemporaries. The world is changing fast and with digital sales making up more of the sales pie, brick and mortar bookstores are feeling the crunch. Now more than ever, the author has to be their own promo machine and get the word out.

The Dolphin was a fabulous conference hotel. Great service, well-organized, able to handle a crowd. I wish we could have more conferences at Disney World. One plus is that I got to hang out with friends in a non-business setting, get to know people better as people, not just as authors, and we all had a lot of fun. Big Cheers to everyone who worked so hard for the RWA to make the conference possible.

Looking forward to next year, New York City!

Fun Stuff- Win Books

Agent Extraordinaire Janet Reid is hosting the Slay Me with Laughter: Brains and Janes contest on her blog, running from now until Sunday night. You can win Robin Becker's Brains, Molly Harper's Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs, and Sherri and Charlotte's Jane Slayre. Check it out!

Confessions of a Romance Author: The RWA Diaries, Day Five

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Alcohol units: 3

Workshops: 1, or 2 (?)

Ego deflators: 0 (It's a low-key day.)

Ego boosts: 1 (Great talk with my agent, always helps me feel pumped up).

8:00 a.m. No rush waking, but I'm feeling energized. Last day of conference, RITA ceremony tonight. I follow Julie's lead and start packing some things as I get ready for the day.

I'm starting to wonder about attending the RITAs. I love the ceremony, and seeing everyone all decked out. But I'm really missing my dear friend Kathleen Givens, my usual conference roommate and companion. She passed away on January 1, and though I've made it through conference in great spirits, I'm starting to wonder if I can make it through a long ceremony of sitting and contemplating the career paths of my friends and fellow authors without getting weepy (okay, without dissolving into messy sobs) over Kathleen. Losing a best friend is like having a part of your heart ripped out and it has made for an emotional roller coaster of a year.

11:00 a.m. First workshop of the day, another PAN session. I think I've only attended PAN sessions after all this time. I meant to make it to a few other workshops, but the schedule hasn't allowed for it, or I haven't had enough interest. The PAN sessions, though, are great, and this one doesn't disappoint. It's on Career Planning with agents Steven Axelrod, Kristin Nelson, and Karen Solem. The talk is more on the state of the market in general and how they are guiding their authors into it, but it's fascinating and I learn a lot. Social media is key in starting a buzz for most authors now. Facebook and Twitter, check.

12:00 p.m. I meet Dee Davis and Terri Brisbin for lunch at Fresh. It's great to catch up with friends! Terri is a dynamo, and an incredible author. And she manages to pass when Dee and I head up to raid the dessert table. If that doesn't make her an extraordinary human being, I don't know what does.

2: 00 p.m I meant to attend a PAN session on the market, and I think I did, but I don't even remember now if I did or not! Gasp! What does that say about me? Perhaps that I had already started to consider heading to the Magic Kingdom for some time on my own tonight instead of attending the RITAs and my head was already on Space Mountain? Who can say? Why can't I remember?

I do know that I stopped by the art gallery and bought myself some beautiful dolphin earrings, one of a kind, that remind me of my friend Kathleen Givens. They make me smile. I'm so glad I picked them up.

3:00 p.m. Meet my agent for a glass of wine. We're both in good spirits, having a productive time at conference. We have a great talk, and that's all I'm going to reveal.

4:30 p.m. My friend Kathleen O'Reilly calls to suggest we have dinner together. She's not sure about dressing up for RITA either. She might skip the dinner part and sneak in late. But for now, the plan is for dinner at Shula's Steak House. Excellent plan!

6:00 p.m. Kathleen and I meet at Shula's and we're escorted to a lovely table for two in the back of the dining room. It's very stately and male-feeling in decor, dimly-lit, and it's a quiet respite after being surrounded by the high-pitched hum of female voices all through conference. I'm instantly relaxed. And hungry! The menu is written on a football. Nice touch!

But the football thing is really just for show, because next thing you know, one of two waiters (yes, we had two servers for the two of us, it's a very fancy restaurant experience) comes out to present the menu live, with a platter of the beautiful cuts of steak all on display.

At the risk of embarrassing myself, full disclosure, I got the cowboy steak, a 22 oz ribeye. (Hey, I didn't eat it all!). Kathleen got the slightly more demure NY Strip (I think, memory is getting hazy). Both steaks are cooked perfectly to our specifications and are really impressive hunks of meat (exactly what most romance writer conferences are lacking, with the exception of Romantic Times with their Mr. Romance pageant, of course, har har). We started with wedge salads (yummy, iceberg with just the right amounts of bacon, balsamic, and blue cheese). And added sides of creamed spinach and double-baked potatoes. And of course, lovely glasses of fine wine (a cabernet for Kathleen, pinot noir for me). And after all that red meat to rebuild our strength...

Chocolate souffle! One souffle, plenty big enough for two, one of our two servers informed us. Well, it was big enough for four. He spooned it out on plates with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream, and I wished I had more room after all that steak... though I managed a few bites. Yum. Yum. YUM. What a fantastic meal! What wonderful companionship! Kathleen and I talked and laughed and caught up. A really great night. And a really big bill, Shula's isn't cheap. But hey, we're worth it. (And yes, I think it really is the best steakhouse on Disney property, with Canada's Le Cellier falling far short- still good, but more on the chain steak restaurant by comparison, while Shula's is high end steakhouse- and the Yachtsman Steakhouse maybe coming slightly close).

But my night does not end here, dear reader. Oh no! After I get back up to my room, I decide to change and head to the Magic Kingdom.

At the Magic Kingdom, I fit in a ride on my favorite, Pirates of the Caribbean. Then, Haunted Mansion (another favorite, and spookier when all alone). Then I just meander, take in the park, enjoy the sites, the details of Main Street, the smiles on kids' faces, and oh yay! I'm in time to catch the Main Street Electrical Parade! I haven't seen this one in ages. It has been out of the park, in favor of SpectroMagic (which is also good). But the music of the parade fills me with instant joy. So I've missed the RITA awards? I don't have any regrets. The music of the parade is in my head and heart as I head back to the Dolphin from the Magic Kingdom. What an incredible night! Congratulations to all RITA winners, though I was not there to applaud you.

And tomorrow, conference over, headed home... but not until I show roommate Julie around the Magic Kingdom (she has never been!) and World Showcase. Stay tuned.

Confessions of a Romance Author: The RWA Diaries, Day Four

Friday, July 30, 2010

Alcohol units: 3

Workshops: 2

Ego deflators: 1 (no cocktail party invites)

Ego boosts: 1 (out of books early at Pocket Signing- woot!)

7 a.m. A little trouble waking up this morning. The conference grind (late nights, not to mention all the running around Disney World) is getting to me. I wanted to make it to a 9 a.m. workshop, but I think maybe I can sleep one more hour...

7:30 a.m. Julie (perky, sunny Julie) is up getting showered and ready to go. I put the pillow over my head and groan. Yeah, I'm not making the 8:30 a.m. workshop...

8:00 a.m. I manage to sit up in bed. (Applause? Thank you!). And check some text messages. Julia London wants a conference update, and I oblige. Julie seems to be waiting around expecting I will find my perky and join her. I left my perky on the bus. Sorry, Julie.

8:15 a.m. Julie goes off to a workshop and I manage to drag myself out of bed to the shower. Julie calls not long after to report that the workshop was a bust (great workshop, but more suited for a beginner) and that she will wait for me in the lobby and oh, she forgot her earrings, please bring them. I decide to get the "hitch out of my giddy-up." (some TX expression I picked up from Dee Davis, but I am probably using it wrong) and go.

9:15 a.m. I am ready and meeting Julie in the lobby with her earrings. We head to Robert Gottlieb's PAN session on literary agents. Informative, interesting. Julie has to leave early, so I take notes for her.

11:00 a.m. Spotlight on Pocket. I'm a Simon & Schuster author, technically Gallery not Pocket. But it pays to keep up with the buzz, and who knows. I meet up with Molly Harper again. I take notes. Big news: Pocket is launching Pocket After Dark, an online community for romance readers and writers. How exciting! Will check that out. Also, editor Lauren McKenna mentions my bff Julia London's amazing books, especially her latest, One Season of Sunshine. Yay! (note to self: remember to text Julia later). And my agent comes over as the session wraps up to say hi to Molly and me, but we'll catch up more later.

12:00 p.m. Time for lunch! I'm meeting dear friends Virginia Henley, Jacquie D'Alessandro, and roommate Julie for lunch at the Dolphin's Fresh Mediterranean Market restaurant. Jacquie and Virginia are colorful and gorgeous as usual. Of all days, I picked today to wear black! Oh well. We're all happy with lunch, but Jacquie is especially thrilled that there's a dessert bar included complimentary with lunch. When she returns with her dessert bar selections, she declares "This really IS the happiest place on earth!"

2:00 p.m. I'd wanted to hit a 2:oo workshop, but I have a signing at 3 and take some time to go back to my room to relax, freshen up, and call home instead. My husband is picking up his new car today and his excitement is contagious. My new car, he reports, will be delivered on Tuesday after I get back from conference. Yay! New cars all around (if only, having an Oprah moment).

3:00 p.m. Show up to sign books at the Pocket Authors Signing. The publisher gives books away, which means lines are long and crowds get crazy, but it's so fun! Fortunately, my worst fears (that people will not even want my book for free, ha!) are not realized. In fact, I'm out of books in less than twenty minutes. I'm the first author to run out! (I had two boxes, forty books. I'm not going to think about how many other authors had and that they probably had more... I will just take my George Costanza "I'm outta here!" grand exit).

3:30 p.m. After the signing, I'm free for the day. All of my other friends are headed to cocktail parties and grand events, but I am free. I stick around to watch people get dressed and see who I can catch in the lobby. I love to see the fancy outfits. But also, it's a good time to catch up with rest, relaxation, or maybe I will head to the Magic Kingdom. Decisions, decisions.

I spend some time in the room alone, then some time catching up with Julie. I watch Julie change and leave, and then just relax some more and change and head to the MK.

I haven't been to the Magic Kingdom yet, and though I have been having a great time at Walt Disney World and at conference, it never feels like I'm really there until I see my favorite resorts (the monorail resorts), the Seven Seas Lagoon, and Cinderella Castle. As the bus pulls up to the MK surroundings, and I see the Contemporary Resort, I am recharged. At last, I'm really here!

I never get tired of the Magic Kingdom. I have a fantasy that I could live at Disney World and vacation for a few weeks at a time in the real world. I manage to fit in a ride on the newly improved Space Mountain (fun!) and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. I must be fueled by competitive drive, because it's just not the same alone. I score a measly 9600 (embarrassing!). My friends call. They're leaving the Harlequin Party and heading over to see me at the MK!

But when my friends (Dee Davis and Julie Kenner) get to the MK, we decide we're all hungry, craving sushi, and opt for a change of plans. We head for the Polynesian. My first monorail ride of the trip! I get a good glimpse of my favorite resort, the Grand Floridian, where I spent my honeymoon nearly twenty years earlier. My excitement builds when we're stopped briefly at the Contemporary, at the Transportation and Ticket Center, and finally, at the Polynesian! We check at Kona Cafe, but the wait is long. There are seats available at the Kona Cafe Sushi Bar, and that's what we're after anyway. While waiting for our sushi (volcano roll for me), we decide to skip the Magic Kingdom and do a monorail pub crawl, a drink at every resort. At the Polynesian, I get a Lapu Lapu (drink in a pineapple, winner!). We sip slowly, get our sushi, and laugh and talk. The volcano roll, delicious, with a creamy spicy sauce. We tell the server, no dessert, thanks. We have other pubs to visit!

Next stop, the boat launch to the Grand Floridian. This involves no wait, as the boat is at the dock, and a slight detour to the Magic Kingdom first before we can head back to the Grand Floridian. But it's beautiful on the lagoon at night, lights twinkling, and a wonderful ride.

When we arrive, I show off the Grand Floridian as if I am showing off my home, and it feels like it. And my friends are impressed. They seem to love it as much as I do. I wish I could show them to a room, and open all the shops, but I'm afraid Disney does not consider the Grand Floridian to be my home quite as much as I do. (Writer in residence, Disney? Call me!). We head to Mizner's Lounge, where we all order the Magic Glow Cocktail (I don't remember the official name, but the drinks are pretty!). We toast each other, yay us! And we keep our souvenir glowing "ice" cubes. You never know when they'll come in handy. Then back to the monorail, headed for the Contemporary Resort.

At the Contemporary, we know we want to go to the California Grill, but the attendant is not at the desk. We walk around a bit, then go up anyway. The woman at the desk tells us that we can go on to a table in the bar. We're all pleased with the view. But the server eventually comes over and tells us last call already happened. We're too late. But if we hurry, we can probably still get service at The Wave. Off we go!

After some poking around in the Contemporary Resort, we find The Wave. The bartender is friendly and welcoming. We order drinks (mine, the Ecotini, comes with a bracelet, cool!). We feel so pleased to have had such a great time together and decide to do a pub crawl at the next RWA. Watch out New York City! Cheers!

Confessions of a Romance Author: The RWA Diaries, Day Three

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Alcohol units: 4

Social gaffes: Probably 1 or 2, as usual when I am in a more formal social situation.

Ego deflators: 1 (no Jane in Barnes and Noble conference bookstore).

Ego boosts: 1 (amazing dinner for Pocket authors).

7:00 a.m. Wake up refreshed, relaxed, not in need of a wake-up call. Ready to face the day! But there's no rush. The first event is lunch at 12: 15 with Nora Roberts. Enjoy a leisurely morning with Julie, who makes us coffee and shares her granola bars (what a sweet roommate!), and a call home to check in on husband and kids. It's my daughter's birthday, and I want to make sure she gets cake. Birthdays mean must have cake. After a pleasant morning, with a view of the sun shining over the Tower of Terror out my window, I shower, dress, and get ready to hit the workshops.

11:15 p.m. Julie and I head for the lobby and meet up with dear friend and fabulous author, the legendary Virginia Henley. Virginia is gorgeous, decked out in bright colors, as she always is, and she thinks I've lost weight. I do love Virginia Henley. Virginia and I catch up while Julie heads to Barnes and Noble to check out the Nook. I've been telling Julie about my Kindle, and she is torn between e-reading devices. Julie takes so long looking at the Nook that Virginia and I browse around the Barnes and Noble conference bookshop. No sign of Jane Slayre (hmph) but we find Virginia's anthology, Lords of Desire.

12:00 p.m. It's close to lunch time. We finally wrench Julie away from the Nook display and head for lunch. We end up at a table with delightful women, like Regina Jeffers. Regina and I have just met, but we realize we have something in common: we both write with long-dead well-respected women. Regina writes paranormals that play on Jane Austen's works. I've written with Charlotte Bronte. She tells me about a panel she was a guest on at the Smithsonian with Seth-Grahame Smith and Ben Winters. Ben signed a copy of Android Karenina for me, so I am a fan. Very cool! So glad I got to meet Regina.

Nora's lunch speech is fabulous, hits all the right notes for me. She talks about her dearest friends, women she met while attending RWA conferences, and I think of my dearest friends, and I miss Kathleen Givens so much. I wish Julia London had been able to attend. But I'm thankful for all my friends, for Dee, Julie K, Kathleen O'Reilly, Jacquie, Virginia, Julie O, and so many more. The friends I have made at RWA conferences give me incredible support and make my life so much richer. They're not just my conference friends or my writing friends. They're my circle, my community, the people I count on day after day even though we all live far away from each other. Thank goodness for email and cheers to RWA! So glad I joined and met all these great people, and meet new ones all the time. If you write, go to conferences. Join writing groups. Network! You won't be sorry.

The meal at lunch is not so bad. Chicken, yes, but not quite the rubber chicken we usually get at conferences. It's baked with a crumb crust and juicy, not dry, served with crisp veggies. I only have a few bites of the dessert pie. Too much good food so far at WDW.

2:00 p.m. After lunch, I attend my first workshop. Lou Aronica opens the PAN (published authors network) sessions with a talk on The State of the Industry, and it's what I expect. Good news and bad news, with an emphasis on the growth of the digital market and what it means for us, the authors. I learn a lot from Lou's talk and he leaves me with much to consider.

4:30 p.m. I meet a friend for coffee at Picabu, the Dolphin's 24 hour buffeteria. Lisa Mondello. Lisa and I met at our local chapter RWA in 1998, the year we'd both sold our first books. We've kept in touch through the years and it's great to catch up. Lisa has brought a friend, CJ Eernise Chase, another familiar face from the New England Chapter of RWA. Networking. So important, and so rewarding.

5 p.m. Unfortunately, I have to dash off to get ready for my very special publisher dinner. Pocket Books is taking their authors out to dinner, and I'm very excited. Can't wait!

6:30 p.m. Meet in the lobby of the Swan for transport to Epcot's The Living Seas, the location for the evening's festivities. I talk to Karen Hawkins and meet Molly Harper at last. So excited to meet Molly! We share an agent, Stephany Evans at FinePrint Literary Management, and an editor, Jennifer Heddle, and we've guested on each other's blogs. Then we all get on the bus to take us to the Living Seas.

Be still my Disney Geek Heart! We're taken in through the back way, an employee-only area. Ladies and gentleman, the backside of World Showcase! And Test Track. And somehow we end up behind the Land Pavilion and then, ta-daa, The Living Seas (Now also known as the Seas with Nemo and Friends, but we won't be seeing Nemo today). In back of the Living Seas. An area I never thought I would see. My excited reaction to the view of warehouses and back streets surprises some of my fellow authors. Don't they understand? People usually don't get to see this side of WDW! Before we're allowed off the bus, we have to have our bags searched. We'll be entering the park. It's procedure. Cool!

After the search, we're given the go-ahead to leave the bus. Escorts are waiting to bring us into the park through a door behind the Living Seas Pavilion. We walk in, by the seagulls (Mine, Mine, Mine). A kid asks his mom who we are and why we're all dressed up (there are about 20 of us in cocktail attire). I say we're on a special mission to ride Test Track. The mom does not laugh. Oh well. We go in through a side door to a banquet facility in the Living Seas. Sweet!

We're in a reception room surrounded by the tanks, fantastic view. Sea turtles, fish-- four divers! They come to the window by turns and wave and make gestures at our food and drink. There's pita with hummus. Champagne. Neat little name tags with our book covers. And after a second bus load of authors arrive, dinner!

We're seated at tables with an aquarium view. There's Sonoma goat cheese ravioli with sun-dried tomato nectar, shiitake mushrooms, and basil. Salad with candied pecans, apple, blue cheese, and dried cranberry vinaigrette, a palate cleanser of fruity ice. For dinner, service is family style. A platter of oak-fired Tanglewood chicken breasts with fregola pasta, applewood smoked bacon, almonds, sultanas, arugula, and sherry chicken au jus. Slow-roasted Atlantic salmon with herb gnocchi, wild mushrooms, and mustard-chive cream. Sliced oak-grilled beef tenderloin with roasted fingerling potatoes, caramelized onions, and teriyaki barbecue sauce. Wow, decadence! Red wine or white? I'm torn, and choose red.

Dinner is a little hurried, due to timing issues. We have a private viewing area set up for dessert at IllumiNations and we need to get us all out there in time for the 9 p.m. show. Escorts with light-sabre like red posts lead us through the crowds, from the Living Seas to the International Gateway gift shop. The area behind the shop is roped off, for our use only. We draw stares, of course, all those vacationing families wondering who we are and why we're getting special treatment. And there's an amazing dessert bar and an open bar. I feel like royalty! A new Disney princess.

I sample a few desserts and a drink. I'm in awe, as usual. The fireworks, staging, soundtrack, lighting, and flames of IllumiNations always leave me breathless. We all watch and ooh and ahhh. And as soon as it ends, we're led back to the waiting bus, this time around the back of the old Odyssey restaurant. I'm still in a daze of happiness as we take off for the ride back to the Dolphin. A Disney Geek's dream come true. Thank you, Pocket Books!

Confessions of a Romance Author: The RWA Diaries, Day Two

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Alcohol units: 0

Social gaffes: 0

Ego boosts: 3 (I have a line at signing! People claim to have come in specifically to meet me! My publisher notices I have a line and tweets about it on Twitter!)

6:00 a.m. The phone rings and wakes me with a start. Ugh. The wake-up call I ordered before we went to bed at two a.m. Sleep is for wimps, I tell Julie. The Animal Kingdom awaits!

7:30 a.m. Julie O. and I are showered, dressed, and ready for adventure. We meet Julie K, Dee, and Dee's daughter at the bus stop. The bus never comes. But aha, author Jessica Scott, waiting with her adorable family, saves the day by suggesting we all share a cab. We're at the AK by the 8 a.m. opening.

8 a.m. Julie O. doesn't like big coaster rides. The rest of us can't wait to encounter the Yeti at Expedition: Everest. We split up, Julie heads to the Kilimajaro Safaris with plans to meet us at Dinosaur later. As we walk along, we're all truly overcome with the beauty of the park and Disney's painstaking way with details. Well done!

By ten, we've conquered Everest twice, met back up, and rode Dinosaur twice. Julie O. and I separate off to make lunch reservations and grab FastPasses for the safari (Julie's second of the day) while the rest of us ride Everest again (it's that good). We meet back up, go on safari and see all kind of animals (giraffes, elephants, hippos, warthogs, lions, hmm no zebra, must have been hungry lions.). The ride ends with a capture of some nasty poachers (some guys never learn) and we're off to lunch at the Yak and Yeti.

Among us, we have many tasty dishes: Seared Ahi Tuna, sesame crusted, with wasabi aioli and sweet chili slaw. Crisp Lettuce Cups filled with minced chicken breast, chopped vegetables, and a maple tamarind sauce. Tempura Shrimp with chili-plum sauce, coconut-ginger rice, and stir-fried veggies. Crisp Honey Chicken with broccoli and carrots. And Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp, marinated skirt steak with tempura shrimp, jasmine rice, chili-plum sauce, and stir-fried veggies. The veggies are crisp and delicious. The steak is tender and flavorful. The shrimp, yum, and that dipping sauce is a great touch. Everyone is very happy with their meals. After a wonderful, but filling, lunch, we all waddle like the ducks that wander around the park back to our bus. So much accomplished, and it's barely after noon!

It was pretty hot in the AK and an air-conditioned bus ride is not quite enough to undo the damage of a day in the heat. We're all looking scroungy. Fortunately, not many people are milling around near the elevators for the walk of shame back to our rooms. It's time for some R & R before the big multi-author RWA autographing to raise funds for literacy efforts in Orlando and Nashville (where the conference would have been if not for major flooding).

4:00 p.m. My dilemma begins. What to wear? What to wear? I ask my roomie Julie. Batik sundress with sweater? Or black cardigan with patterned white-black-green dress? Julie chooses the one I wasn't going to wear. It looks more "author of Jane Slayre." Though, none of my clothes actually look like "author of Jane Slayre." Hmm. Julie recommends I develop a signature style. Food for thought. (Fortunately not actual food, since I am still stuffed from our amazing AK lunch).

5:30 p.m. I went against Julie's recommendation and chose the batik print sundress. I feel good. Have a little trouble finding the autographing room. Go wrong way down hall, feel overwhelmed by huge line of waiting book fans, finally turn around and find my place. I set up and expect to have a few hours of sitting and watching the crowd line up for other authors, with the occasional buyer stopping to look at my book (my usual RWA signing experience).

Surprisingly, I stay on my feet awhile. People keep coming, stopping, not just walking by. People say things like "I saw this at the airport." (Yay!) Or, "I bought this last week." (Love it!). One woman (Colleen) has the book, loved the book, came in to the event hoping to meet me. (So cool!). And it's all a blur for a bit because people keep coming and picking up the book. (An actual line!) Then Linda and Gene from MA introduce themselves. They were vacationing at WDW and saw that I would be signing. (Wow, fellow MA residents meeting me in FL!). Then a line again. And Suzie Townsend from FinePrint Literary Management (I'm with Stephany at FinePrint) apparently recommended my book to a few people (xo Suzie, Thanks!). It's an incredible signing for me and I am overwhelmed by the turnout and the number of people who picked up Jane Slayre.

7:30 p.m. The signing is wrapping up and it finally feels quiet enough to leave. I sign the four books left just in case anyone comes in or wants them afterwards.

8:00 p.m. Julie, Dee, Dee's daughter, and I change clothes fast and head to Disney Hollywood Studios park. We can't get enough. The line for Rock n Roller Coaster is too crazy, but we manage to ride Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, and Great Movie Ride plus grab a bite before park closing time. (Thank you, evening Extra Magic Hours). I tried the chicken and ribs with baked beans and coleslaw at Fairfax Fare. The beans are good, though not the New England style I prefer. The cole slaw, not bad. The chicken and ribs, though, have a fake smoky taste and are not that good. I recommend giving Fairfax Fare a pass. Dee and her daughter fared better with a cheese pizza and a hot italian deli sandwich at Catalina Eddie's.

We head back and I get to bed just after midnight. A good thing, because Thursday is the first full day of conference and I expect a busy day. But before bed, at midnight, a phone call to my daughter. It's her birthday! She's turning 17. And yes, I am at Walt Disney World without her, but I know she forgives me. "It's business." :)