Confessions of a Romance Author: The RWA Diaries Day One

Julie Ortolon, Sherri, and Dee Davis.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Alcohol units: 1 margarita, 1 wine flight (three 2 oz glasses).

Social gaffes: 1 *appearing at conference in disarray.

Ego Deflators: 2, not recognized by bigger authors in the room. Put off for seating at Kouzzina (do you know who I AM?!).

3 a.m, my bedroom. Radio alarm goes off. Tainted Love. I try not to take it as a sign... at least it isn't Bad Romance.

5:30 a.m, Bradley Airport. Have cleared security after five scans of carry-on bag. Who knew eyelash curler could be confused with a deadly weapon? March to gate and prepare to board plane. Flash smug grin to suckers who did not sign on to Southwest early enough to score prime A21 seating number as I have. Choose window seat in front of wing. Wonder if the Lost crew would approve my choice.

8:30 a.m. Orlando. Smooth flight, easy landing. Now to find ground transportation to whisk me to the Dolphin Resort, site of the Romance Writer's of America 2010 Conference, the 30th anniversary of RWA. At Mears counter, run into fellow romance authors. End up in motor coach with 5 women en route to RWA, and one lone businessman who looks very scared indeed. "Please drop me off first," he begs the male driver, as he moves from the back into the front passenger seat. The men will stick together. Safety in numbers. "I have appointments. And stuff."

9:00 a.m. I'm going to Disney World! I can't really see anything out the windows of the motor coach from my middle seat, but excitement builds. Especially after we drop off our businessman. Almost there!

9:30 a.m. At the Dolphin at last! I glance around the lobby as I head for the check-in line. It's beautiful, with whimsical decor and a large Dolphin fountain at the center. Disney theming, check. Though, technically, the Dolphin is a Starwood property, located at Disney, and not a Disney hotel. As I realize when they let me check in and my room is ready (actually ready!) before 10 a.m. (this almost never happens on Disney property for me). I check in, check my 10th floor view (of the Tower of Terror, yes!), fix my hair, hope I won't look like too big a dork in the lobby in my park clothes around other romance authors (navy polo dotted with Mickey silhouettes, tan shorts, white socks and Asics running shoes), and head out.

All clear, no authors spotted. I sprint past the Dolphin fountain to Guest Services to buy my park pass. My new publicist calls to discuss our PR plan. Not now, Tom, I'm in Disney World! But of course, I talk with him. He's sorry he can't make it. He would have been at conference if it had stayed in Nashville as originally planned. We'll have to meet in person some other time.

10:15 a.m. Time to get my ride on! I'm supposed to meet friends (authors Dee Davis, Dee's daughter, and Julie Kenner) at the parks, but I can't seem to get in touch. We discussed possibly meeting at the Animal Kingdom, so I head there on the bus. Halfway there, a text message. They're at Hollywood Studios. I get off the bus at Blizzard Beach (a water park, one stop before the Animal Kingdom) and change buses to go back to Disney Hollywood Studios. I wish I had managed to connect with them before bus. The Studios is an easy boat ride from the Dolphin. But-- I'm at Disney World! All is well.

11:14 a.m. By the time I arrive at the Hollywood Studios, my friends are on to the Great Movie Ride. I decide to wait at the ride exit so I don't miss them. (How did we survive before cell phones and easy texting?) I sip a frozen lemonade while I wait. Good stuff. I've been in Disney World for over an hour and I still haven't ridden anything! I'm sweating and I start to panic. What if I miss my friends and wait here all day while they are having fun? What if they think my park outfit is dorky and unprofessional? What if they notice the pounds I've gained and they all look fit and trim? What if... They come out and end my torture. They look the same as they always do to me (adorable and welcoming-- they're my friends! And also in park clothes and sweaty, yay! Hugs all around.)

11: 42 a.m. But everyone is hungry, so we head to the Backlot Express. It's air-conditioned, bonus. Dee's daughter grabs a table. The rest of us order and bring the food. I have the double cheeseburger (though I only want a single) with fries. Dee's daughter has chicken breast nuggets with fries. Dee has the grilled turkey and cheese with arugula and red peppers with fries. And Julie has the Southwest Salad with Chicken, mixed greens with tortilla strips, black bean relish, avocado, and cilantro vinaigrette. We all agree our food is okay, meets but does not exceed expectations with the exception of Dee's turkey sandwich, that she declares really good. The addition of the red peppers moves it beyond the ordinary. I remove a patty from my cheeseburger. It's just too much food. Even if I wasn't painfully aware of every pound I have gained since last RWA conference.

12: 30 p.m. After lunch, we head for Star Tours. Julie claims it as her favorite ride. I don't reveal that I get nauseated on Star Tours. Usually, I do better with a full stomach and the lunch was fairly filling. I think I will survive. And I do. Star Tours has a minimal wait, maybe ten minutes in line. We get the front row. I've ridden many times, but have never been in front. We all agree that the ride is dated and could use some updates, but it's still a lot of fun making our simulated journey to Endor that goes awry.

1:00 p.m. After Star Tours, we split up again. My friends have FastPasses to Rock n Roller Coaster and I decide to browse the Star Tours gift shop for a gift for my editor, a suspected fan of Star Wars. I find something that she probably already has, but pick it up in the off chance that she doesn't, and meet my friends outside of RnRC. We opt to ride Twilight Zone Tower of Terror next, and I'm thrilled. One of my favorite rides! And it does not disappoint.

2:00 p.m. We're all hot and tired and ready for a break. But, we're disheveled and a bit sweaty. Dare we walk through a hotel lobby of romance writing professionals? We call it our new Walk of Shame and brazen on through, of course running right into Teresa Medeiros, Christina Dodd, Emily March, and other professionally-attired authors who eye our appearance with suspicion, but manage warm and friendly greetings. Except, no one seems to know who I am. Perhaps that is best in my current attire. The worst has happened. We have been spotted in our natural park-going state. After picking up our registration packets, we might as well head for the lobby bar.

We run into my conference roommate, author Julie Ortolon, who is all checked in and of course lovely in fresh citrus colors and crisp white. Trademark big hair, chunky jewelry, and no sign of perspiration. Julie! She'll get to stand out in comparison to the rest of us. "Look, we do clean up nicely. When we clean up."

Claire Delacroix aka Deborah Cooke joins us at the bar and Eloisa James pops in to introduce her friend Laurie Kahn, who is producing a documentary on the romance genre. Julie O. and Deb get into a heated discussion of... well, what happens at the RWA bar stays at the RWA bar.

4:00 p.m. We all head to our rooms to unpack, refresh, and get ready for dinner. I feel much better after a shower. We all choose park clothes that will be acceptable for a casual restaurant, with plans to hit Epcot after the meal.

7:30 p.m. Julie Kenner, Dee Davis, Dee's daughter, Julie Ortolon, and I meet in the lobby and proceed to meet Whine Sister and friend Jacquie D'Alessandro at the Dolphin's sister resort, The Swan. Jacquie is, of course, adorable in peach sweater and skirt. We walk across the Boardwalk to Cat Cora's Kouzzina, admiring the sights and stopping for pictures along the way.

At Kouzzina, check in does not go smoothly. They mistake me for another party. I correct it on the way to the table. We return to the hostess desk and wait some more. They give us a buzzer so that we can wander around until our table is ready. The buzzer buzzes. They find my name, but try to seat the 6 of us at a table for 4. We return to the desk and wait some more. Finally, we're seated and eager for a great meal.

We opt to share some appetizers. Crisp Calamari and Lemon - Coated in Three Flours with Spicy Yogurt and Garlic Yogurt. Spanakopita - Traditional Phyllo Pie of Spinach, Feta, Leeks, and Dill. And some sort of grilled goat cheese served with thick crispy toasts. The calamari is the big hit. Yum.

Some of us order wine flights with our meal, like the Cat Flight, 'Cat Flight' - Cat Cora's Own "Coranation" Wines $17.00

Coranation, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley - Well structured, with ripe apple, blood orange, spice and pear notes that are juicy and refreshing, with terrific focus.

Coranation, Chardonnay, Russian River - Cat Cora designed the perfect Chardonnay for her cuisine with tropical fruit, vanilla, and spice.

Coranation, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast - Cherries, cranberries, cinnamon, clove and rose petals with clove, vanilla, and roasted pecan nuances.

Yum, yum, and yum. All good. We toast our absent sisters, Kathleen O'Reilly (joining us tomorrow), Julia London, who could not make it to conference this time, and Kathleen Givens. But the big highlight of the evening, besides the love and laughter that flows faster than the wine, is the food at Kouzzina. Once the food arrives, we all sample each others and the conversation ceases except for occasional exclamations like "OH." "Ohhhhh." and "Oh my gosh." I joke that we were having foodgasms. Yes, the food is that good. Jacquie and I have the Fisherman's Stew - Scallops, seasonal Fish, Shellfish, Fennel, Grilled Bread, and Ouzo Butter. Julie, Julie, and Dee's daughter have the Slow-cooked Lamb Shank served with Oven-baked Gigantes Beans and Pepper Sauce. Dee orders the Kouzzina Trio - tasting size portions of Pastitisio, Char-grilled Lamb Burger, and Cinnamon-stewed Chicken with Orzo, and the lamb burger was the biggest surprise of them all. Not your ordinary burger. Well worth a try.

And finally, dessert. We decide to split the traditional Baklava, and it's amazing, served warm with a scoop of pistachio ice cream. We linger and say our goodnights to Jacquie, who will not be joining us in parks. (I don't know how she could pass it up).

10:00 p.m. We fight off our urges to descend into food coma bliss and move on to Epcot, where the Cast Member (Disney employs cast members, not mere employees) at the gate goes above and beyond the call of duty to make our night extra special (I can't say more, but yay for CMs who go above and beyond). It's just after IllumiNations, and the crowds are headed to the main entrance. Epcot is open till midnight for Disney resort guests only. It's dark and the countries are all lit up and twinkling. I enjoy showing Julie O (who has never been) all the sights and she is obviously impressed, as we all are, by the beauty of World Showcase at night. But we're here to ride and Test Track awaits.

The standby line at Test Track advertises a 40 minute wait, but we don't have long to enjoy the park. We opt to break down the group to take advantage of the much shorter Single Rider line. Great idea! We're on the ride in 10 minutes. Julie K and Julie O (our first timer who declares herself scared of roller coasters) get to ride in a car together with a really sweet family. The rest of us are all broken up. But it's so fun! I love the rush of that last high speed ride around the track. Julie O says "Can we do it again?!"

But no, we're off to Spaceship Earth. The animated ending and Judy Dench narration is new to Dee and daughter, and they laugh when they see their future selves. After Spaceship Earth, we decide to wait in the long line for Soarin. It's a half hour to park close, so why not give it a go? And no one is disappointed. The wait is just about the whole half hour followed by one excellent ride (even though we end up in the bottom row). After a wonderful time, we drag our way back through World Showcase, keeping each other from falling down in exhaustion along the way, to the International Gateway, straight onto the boat, and to our beds.

Tomorrow, it's the Animal Kingdom, the big booksigning, and maybe more time at Disney Hollywood Studios at night.