Back from Conference!

And what a fabulous conference it was! It was so great to meet up with Sara and Amanda again and catch up with writer friends I only ever get to see once a year. I also met the very lovely Shelley Munro for real this time!

I do have photos, and they may well be incriminating, but much to my disgust the damn camera cable has gone missing so I can't upload anything. My husband said it's on his desk but since his desk is in an even WORSE mess than mine, it's like looking for the proverbial needle. I live in hope he'll be able to put his hand on it when he gets home!!!

Anyway! Back to the conference. Our room was fab as Sara got us a suite (although no strawberries and chocolate were in sight, yes Suz I am looking at you!!!) And for once it wasn't raining when I arrived in Auckland! In fact it was sunny!! What a difference the weather makes.

On Friday best selling author Mary Jo Putney took three workshops including one on brainstorming that sparked lots of ideas in the witches, ie that we should get together in cyberspace and actively brainstorm!! Nalini Singh also took a couple of workshops, one on Friday on world building (I love world building) and the other on Sunday, on writing the paranormal. I had a major light bulb moment at that one, not so much that I hadn't thought about the point raised but that I had kind of poked it into a corner and tried to forget about it. Well, that won't work!!! So lots of brainstorming in my immediate future (see above. Yeah I'm crafty!!)

Agent Melissa Jeglinski from the Knight Agency gave an illuminating talk on the role of an agent and Mary-Theresa Hussey (aka Matrice) Executive Editor for Silhouettte Books talked about the various Harlequin lines.

Oh and one last thing before I go search for the cable again. On the back of my placemat at the Saturday night Awards dinner I was lucky enough to get a pic of the gorgeous Hugh Jackman in all his (sem-) naked glory! Yum!

Countdown to Conference!

I've just heard back from my wonderful agent on the novella, and she loves the erotic scenes (phew). I'm now working on some revisions which I'm very excited about, and have sent her a partial of another wip for her feedback.

I realised this afternoon that in four weeks and one day I'll be off to the New Zealand conference! I can not BELIEVE it was a whole year ago since the last one. It only seems like four or five months! Can't wait to catch up with everybody again and of course hang out in the real world with two of my CPs!

Free Giveaway

Next up on my To-Do list is writing a couple of synopses. *shudder* Not looking forward to tackling them! It's been ages since I wrote one and I think I've forgotten how.

In happier news I've booked my flight for the Romance Writers of New Zealand conference in August so am very excited about that!!

If you have a moment I'd love to see you over at Sarita Leone's blog, where there's a copy of Foretaste of Forever up for grabs for someone who leaves a comment on my post.

***Link Fixed Now!!!***

A Place of Healing - Jean Adams

Please welcome my special guest today, Jean Adams, whose Champagne Rose novel, A Place of Healing, has recently been released by The Wild Rose Press!

Jean is the founder of the Romance Writers of New Zealand. Please tell us a little about yourself, Jean!

RWNZ was founded in September 1990. Ten or so people met in the back bedroom of my house and shared what little we knew about romance writing. It was enough to judge the level of interest which was high. We decided on a meeting date and RWNZ was born. The first conference followed four years later, in June 1994. I'd never organised anything like a conference before so the whole experience was a learning curve for me. Some very special people attended, including Daphne Clare, Robyn Donald, Susan Napier, Rosalie Henagan and the wonderful Gloria Bevan. We were even honoured by a letter of good wishes from Essie Summers. Since those early days, RWNZ has gone from strength to strength and I'm sure it always will.

Can you tell us a little about your book, A Place of Healing?

Holly Spicer is a cop with a tortured soul, being responsible for the murder of her police partner. Now she wants revenge and plans to go away for month to a secluded beach in the Bay of Islands to get her head together and make her plans for vengeance. She'll go through with it -- even if it kills her.

But she doesn't bargain on sexy Adam Benedict, psychologist turned movie mega star, using all his old skills trying to keep her alive.

How did the idea for the plot come about?

LOL. It actually evolved over a period of years, in between writing other things. It was written and re-written several times until finally I'd had enough of it and submitted it to The Wild Rose Press who loved it.

I love sale stories (ok I am just nosy!!) so can you tell us about your road to publication - and your call story?

My road to publication has been a bit bumpy and Healing wasn't my first call story. In fact I didn't get "calls" at all. I got emails. Not as noisy (as in screaming down the phone) but equally as exciting.

We are all about the love here, so please share your fave books, movies, TV shows or current fantasy squeeze (it's all in the line of research!)

My favourite romance of all time is Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale. And anything by our own Helen Kirkman. I have all her books, and in fact discovered the other day that I have two copies of one book. The movies I like aren't romances at all, but they have romantic themes in the adventure sense. Lawrence of Arabia, The Man of La Mancha, that kind of thing. TV? Let's not go there. There's nothing worth watching at all, except maybe for some of the programmes on UKTV.

What are you working on now?

I'm tossing up whether to send two further books that The Wild Rose Press has requested. I am also developing a trilogy set in ancient Egypt which I would like to get published one day but I have other priorities now. I run a very lucrative home-based business which is much more important. Never thought I'd ever say that, but there you go. And I get to travel to exotic places for fun. What more could there be.

How can readers keep up with your writing and books?

Just watch my sig line. Eventually it will change but I suspect not in the near future.