Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A dual purpose post...

First, I’m going to interrupt the advice we are dishing at the moment and brag. And Squee. And lead the Happy Dance Conga Line around the swingset.


I’M A MAGGIE FINALIST!!!!!


If the Ritas are the Oscars of the Romance world, then the Maggies are up there with the Golden Globes. It’s a big deal to final. And I’m just tickled pink to be able to say that The Secret Mistress Arrangement is a finalist in the Short Contemporary category.

TSMA was my first book, and therefore it will always be very special to me. The fact it’s now a finalist in the NCRA and the Maggie just makes me love it all the more.

And, again, Anonymous Blogger Who Called It Lame: pppppbbbbbbbbtttttt.


So I’ll be headed to Georgia in October for the award ceremony.
I’ve never been to the GRW Moonlight and Magnolia conference before, but this seems like an awesome year to attend.



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Now, for those of you who tuned in for nuggets of conference wisdom, I’ll get on with it.

1) Realize that you cannot do it all. You can’t attend every interesting workshop, hit every book signing or party, or meet every online friend for a drink. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day for that. Accept it, do the best you can with your schedule, and then give yourself a break about it. Not only will you burn yourself out, you’ll ruin your overall conference experience. And remember, things are going to pop up and your carefully constructed schedule might need to go out the window. That’s okay too. Enjoy it.

2) When you’re in the elevator (or anywhere) with someone you recognize – a favorite author, a blogger you read, a reviewer for a site you trust – speak up. No author I can think of ever gets tired of hearing someone liked their book. Bloggers and reviewers like to know someone is reading what they put out there. I’m still constantly amazed that anyone has heard of me – much less likes my books – so in my case, you’ll make my day (and possibly be my new best friend).

And for our Honorary Playfriends who will be attending --- please come say Hi. We love to meet you. Kira and I will be at the big book signing and Kira, SP, and I are also doing workshops (our workshops are also a great place to find the other Playfriends, too, as they show up for moral support). Don’t be shy – even if you are. We’re safe and friendly.

Now, back to the Conga Line...

PC

16 comments:

Scarlet Wilson said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Scarlet Wilson said...

I should really check the comments for mistakes, shouldn't I?
Congrats on the Maggie, fabulous news x

Jane said...

Congrats, PC.

Cheryl said...

Congratulations PC! I love the book! The M & M conference is fabulous and you will enjoy it! So very proud of you!

Christine said...

Congratulations! We'll be cheering you on!! I loved the M&M last year. You'll have a fabulous time.

Stephanie said...

Way to go, PC!!

I am hoping to get to Moonlight & Magnolias now there is extra incentive. I had a GREAT time when I attended a few years ago.

Congrats!

Angel said...

Squeeee!!!! So awesome! Enjoy going to the dinner.

You know, speaking up is getting easier the more I do it. At first, I was very hesitant to say anything when I saw an author I loved, but then I realized that simply saying, "I love your books" is more than enough. :)

Angel

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

SQUEEEEE!!! I'm so excited for you, PC. But then we've always known you were fabulous and destined for greatness! (maybe you'll listen to us now... :-D).

And I second PCs comments. Stop me and tell me you're a fan...you have no idea how much that's going to make my day. I've seen my royalty statements and know that there are copies of my books out there in the world but it still surprises me that someone has actually read them. Talk about a mental disconnect but sometimes it's easy for it not to be real for us because we're not sitting next to you on the sofa as you enjoy our words. We LOVE to hear that you like us.

Instigator

Playground Monitor said...

As a funny aside -- when PC got the call Saturday she tried to call all of us and none of us were answering our phones. So she sent a text saying "Nobody's answering the phone, dammit. I'm a Maggie finalist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Well, I may have added a few more exclamation points than she did, but you get the gist of things. ::grin:: I answered the text and explained I was with divorce group friends having lunch, and I called her once I was through with them.

And when I explained why I was texting during lunch they were very impressed about the Maggie final. So to Anonymous Blogger Who Called It Lame, I repeat pppppbbbbbbbbtttttt.

Yes, please do say hello at conference. I don't have books out but I know a number of RWA members also write for the confessions magazines, so let me know of you're one of the Trues gang and we can talk about that.

Congrats again, PC!

Crystal said...

Congrats, PC! AWESOME! Will miss you guys at conference (will be here, breaking ground for house additions...FINALLY!), but will enjoy the conga line here.

Lynn Raye Harris said...

LOL, and when she tried to call me, I was on the phone booking a cruise -- which took over an hour! So she had to wait for me to call back too. And then she had to listen to my excuses about why it took so long before she was able to tell the good news.

Big SQUEE! I was already thinking about M&M, so this is a great reason to go. :)

Problem Child said...

Thanks y'all! The happy dance continues...

robertsonreads said...

PC,
Many congratulations on your nomination!

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

Chiming in late.

Squee!! And congrats. And for the record, I was sitting on my couch playing solitaire on my phone when I got your text message and it never rang. I love AT&T.

And yes, please come see us. I'll be participating or moderating in three workshops Saturday and would love friendly faces.

LA said...

I'm doing the boogie dance in the kitchen just for you, kiddo!!!! Congratulations!

Denise said...

Congratulations on being a Maggie finalist!!! I love TSMA!!

Hope you all have a wonderful time at the RWA conference! =)