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.