Networking
July 6, 2009 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston, Writing: It's a Business tagged as Berkley Prime Crime, Linda O. Johnston, Silhouette Nocturne
Writers are a solitary lot. We have to be, at least to some extent. It’s not possible to be surrounded by people all the time and still create our stories. I, at least, can’t write with other people’s voices interrupting my thoughts.
But we need other people around sometimes–including other writers who understand what we’re going through during our creative process.
That’s why I’m really looking forward to our upcoming OCC meeting. The afternoon session of the meeting is all about networking with published authors. Whether you’re published or not, talk to us! Especially if you’re attending the upcoming RWA National Conference in Washington, D.C.
I’ll be at the National Conference. I hope to attend some workshops. But mostly, these days, I go there to network–with other writers, editors at the houses that publish my books, my agent… as many people as I can. It helps to inspire me.
How about you? Will you be at OCC? The RWA National Conference? Both? And what do you hope to get from them?
Linda O. Johnston
http://www.lindaojohnston.com/
http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/
Linda O. Johnston is the author of 16 romance novels and several novellas, including a Nocturne Bites, with at least one more Nocturne upcoming. She also writes the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime.
Grumbling and Conflicts
June 6, 2009 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as Berkley Prime Crime, Linda O. Johnston, Silhouette Nocturne
As I mentioned in that posting, I won’t see you at OCC this month. Instead, I’ll be at the California Crime Writers Conference in Pasadena, a joint program between the local Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime chapters.
The Los Angeles Romance Authors meeting, which is usually the third Sunday of the month, was moved to the same weekend, since it otherwise would occur on Father’s Day. That means I’ll miss another meeting I’d like to attend.
I blogged a few days ago for the Mid-Valley Willamette RWA Chapter’s blog site. My theme was my multiple personalities, which I cultivate because of writing in two very different genres: dark paranormal romance and light cozy mysteries. And then there’s my lawyer side.
There are times, like the second weekend of this month, that I wish I didn’t only have multiple personalities, but that I could clone myself, too, and participate in more than one event that I know I’d enjoy.
Okay, I know I’m grumbling. Part of life is having to make choices, and I’ve done so.
But I’m going to miss my romance writers’ meetings, especially this month when my Silhouette Nocturne BACK TO LIFE has been released! It’s definitely a romance, although there’s a mystery to it, too. And a very special K-9 cop heroine who has Valkyrie powers that allow her to bring some people back from the brink of death… people like the really hot SWAT-team member whose life she saves at the beginning. She becomes romantically involved with him, then realizes she might have inadvertently passed some powers along to him, too.
I’ll be at the July OCC meeting before heading to RWA National in Washington, D.C., and hope to sign BACK TO LIFE and my latest Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery NEVER SAY STY at the meeting.
I won’t be grumbling then!
By the way, today is D-Day. My hugs and kudos to those who were there. My dad landed at Normandy Beach a couple of days later.
Linda O. Johnston
http://www.lindaojohnston.com/
http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/
Linda O. Johnston is the author of 16 romance novels and several novellas, including a Nocturne Bites, with at least one more Nocturne upcoming. She also writes the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime.
So Many Writers’ Events, So Little Time!
May 6, 2009 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston, Writing Conferences tagged as Berkley Prime Crime, Linda O. Johnston, Pets, Silhouette Nocturne
April was especially busy with events relating to books–partly, but not entirely, because of the publication of my seventh Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery NEVER SAY STY. I did some signings for STY and also gave a talk at the Writers of Kern.
More recently, I attended both days of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, signing at a couple of booths and also sitting at the Mystery Writers of America booth to promote the organization.
I also attended the Melody of Words, an event at a local high school to encourage students and members of the community to read… and write. It was a lot of fun, too.
I usually attend Malice Domestic around now, an event celebrating cozy mysteries that’s held in Washington, D.C., followed by an event hosted by the Mystery Lovers Bookstore near Pittsburgh, PA, where I grew up. However, this year my older son and daughter-in-law were visiting L.A. from Chicago on the same weekend, and since RWA National is also in D.C. this year I didn’t necessarily need two visits there so close together. So, I stayed home and had a great time with family.
Next month, the local chapters of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime are co-hosting the California Crime Writers Conference, which I’m looking forward to.
And I of course love to attend OCC meetings! I’ve had to miss some lately because of some signings and other events–and the June meeting does, unfortunately, conflict with the California Crime Writers Conference.
You’d think I wouldn’t have time to write with all these meetings and events going on… But somehow I manage!
What are your favorite writers’ events?
Linda O. Johnston
http://www.lindaojohnston.com/
http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/
Linda O. Johnston is the author of 15 romance novels and several novellas, including a current Nocturne Bites, with 2 more Nocturnes upcoming. She also writes the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime.
0 0 Read moreAnticipation
April 6, 2009 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as Berkley Prime Crime, Linda O. Johnston, Pet, Silhouette Nocturne
My next Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mystery, NEVER SAY STY, is officially published tomorrow! Yes, its lay-down date is April 7. A few stores put it out on the shelves before the official date, but all the ones that will carry it will most likely have it out tomorrow.
This is the seventh book in my Kendra series. NEVER SAY STY will be my twenty-second published novel. I’m also looking forward to my next Silhouette Nocturne, BACK TO LIFE, which will be published in June.
Do I ever get blasé about the publication of a new book? Never!
So… as of tomorrow, welcome to NEVER SAY STY!
What exciting event are you currently anticipating?
Linda O. Johnston
http://www.lindaojohnston.com/
http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/
Linda O. Johnston is the author of 15 romance novels and several novellas, including a current Nocturne Bites, with 2 more Nocturnes upcoming. She also writes the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime.
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So Many Choices
March 6, 2009 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as Berkley Prime Crime, Linda O. Johnston, Silhouette Nocturneby Linda O. Johnston
There are a lot of conferences for writers every year. I always try to attend at
least a couple. My recent favorites have been RWA National and Malice Domestic. But this year, with the economy as it is, I had to think about what to do and where to go.
My son and daughter-in-law made one decision easy. They live in Chicago but will be visiting LA the same weekend as Malice. As a result, I’m staying home!
Instead, I’ll attend the brand new California Crime Writers Conference in June. It is a joint conference by the Mystery Writers of America SoCal chapter and the Sisters in Crime Los Angeles chapter, and it’s local to LA.
And I will attend RWA National in Washington, DC, this year. Looking forward to it!
How about you? How do you decide which conferences to attend?
Linda O. Johnston is the author of 15 romance novels and several novellas, including a current Nocturne Bites, with 2 more Nocturnes upcoming. She also writes the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime.
Visit Linda at http://www.lindaojohnston.com/ or http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/
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