I am back in Northern Virginia after traveling to the beautiful city of Los Angeles for the Romance Slam Jam (RSJ) Convention last weekend. I was an RSJ virgin until now! I would definitely add this convention to my list of conferences to attend again. I truly enjoyed the workshops that were offered, sharing my experience in the Writer Beware workshop that I co-presented, the opportunity to network with other authors, readers, and aspiring authors, and the chance to visit the following additional cities over the course of three days – Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Inglewood (for Sweetie Pies Restaurant).
I met this group of ladies, while at the conference:
(From left to right) Moi (me 🙂 ), Rina Gray, LaQuette, Siera London, and Xyla Turner.
If you love reading romance, these women will have you covered. They all write different romance genres that are intriguing and worth picking up. I highly recommend you find their books online or in your bookstore. Get to know a new author, if you haven’t already read one of their books!
(RSJ Book signing with Rina Gray)
I also met this great group of gals from South Africa and Mexico, while on a California tour…
(Picture taken at the Farmer’s Market)
It’s amazing how you can link up with people from around the world and enjoy an experience together in a short period of time. Who said you can’t travel on a tour by yourself? I did and had a marvelous time!
Yes, this was an enjoyable trip!
If you’re an aspiring author or already published, definitely plan to attend a writer conference. It’s a great way to learn about the industry (the publishing industry is always changing) and hear real-life experiences from other authors, agents, publishers, and even readers. Yes, readers have a say as well because they are ultimately going to be the ones who buy your book. As I’ve said in a previous post, learning what not to do can be just as important as what to do, due to the time and money it could save you in the long run.
As always, happy reading, and I look forward to sharing “what’s on my bookshelf” shortly with you!