Still catching up

The RNA Conference last weekend was great, lively, envigorating – and completely exhausting.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that I spend most of my life as a recluse holed up in my cave of an office, blinking as I poke my head out now and again into my version of real life?

Being released from the cave to talk to other writers who totally ‘get’ my passion and what I do, makes me feel like one of those ‘pit ponies’ who were released once a year to spend the coal miner’s annual holiday in a sunny field. Hence much jumping and leaping and shaking of mane- and in my case talking myself hoarse and gesticulating widely.

High on life. Or sugar and e-numbers. Probably both.

Kind friends and colleagues took pity on my pathetic state and talked to me – thank you Fiona Harper and new medical author Scarlet Wilson. Thank you Flo Nicholl for the photo.

Lovely Mills and Boon editors Anna Boatman and Flo Nicholl joined in the fun and made me feel even taller than normal.

Thank you Scarlet for taking the photo.

And of course one had to dress up ‘ just’ a little and have a laugh over dinner.

Although I may have overdone it with the tiara. Many thanks to Liz Fenwick over at the RNA Blog for the photo – and she even captured my sparkly shoes.

Many of the delegates have reported on the excellent range of presentations, and I could not agree more, but for me the highlights included the lovely Liz Fielding talking about ‘Blending Humour with Emotion’ and how MIRA editors Jenny Hutton and Anna Baggaley have seen many category authors ‘ Taking your romance mainstream.’