First Word

That's one crazy pirate! Once more reporting from the floor of the last day of the RT Booklovers Convention. The big book fair with the likes of mega author stars like Charlaine Harris, my favorite book series Sookie Stackhouse, and Anne Rice among others are here signing today. Also, among the crowd of interesting characters, we have a pirate running around posing for pictures. Since I could barely look at him without cracking up, I couldn't bring myself to pose, but I did snap off this funny shot (enjoy). Other crazy characters are running around, too, and there are over 600 attendees running around. We are hoping to get at least 20% of these readers to purchase my book California Girl Chronicles so we come home empty handed. I would also go get the new Charlaine Harris book except I would have to stand in line with like 200 people, and I'm just not quite devoted enough. Although it would be great to have her new book to read on the plane ride home. I am also excited...

I am once more reporting from the RT Booklovers Convention floor, and people openly and freely talk all around me. Here are two classic lines overheard in a really loud conversation. "I have always married older men," and "We were out with a bunch of swingers." I am telling you friends, I am so vanilla wafer, and as Bo now says, "VW". Since when is it commonplace to discuss multiple marriages and swinging like I said yesterday it's what you ate for breakfast? And since it is breakfast time here in Chicago, this was their actual breakfast conversation. I don't know whether I'm shocked that they said it all blase or that they discussed it in their booth space ... loudly. Whatever happened to boundaries or just why are we talking about such personal information so out in the open? I am just saying ... totally VW. And here I thought that being a somewhat liberal Californian that I was adventurous and fun. Hmm ... maybe not so much. And these people...

So I am at the RT Booklovers Convention, and I am laughing and listening and taking it all in. I am surrounded by authors and readers, and friends the things I've heard this week ... where do I get started? Okay, here is today's funny, "Every writer needs a pirate dictionary." All right I had no idea that as a writer I needed a pirate dictionary. What have I been missing out on all of these years? Now I must rush an order on Amazon for sure. "One pirate dictionary, please." Then I ran into two guys in the lobby yesterday where one was teasing the other about his "Texan" friend texting him so much. He says, "Yeah, ride 'em cowboy!" I was leaning over getting coffee and glanced at them. The guy says, "Oh no! She heard us. He's straight." Yeah, right! Like my dear friend texted me, "Like a wet noodle!" Speaking of friends, don't you love it when your friends are funny, too! Lots of funny texts going back and f...

I have heard about the "cons" or conventions. I knew from an episode of Entourage of ComiCon, which was a pretty interesting episode. We had all sorts of "characters" running around down to some hot porn girls and some "toys"! With the release of California Girl Chronicles , my awareness of conventions increased. My right-hand PR and marketing chick Victoria Andrew encouraged me to do the convention circuit to sell books and products. I figured why not? It looks, if nothing else, pretty interesting. So I am traveling to Chicago next month to participate in the Romance Times Book Lovers convention. I am imagining all sorts of fabulous fun with committed romance fans. Now California Girl isn't exactly your typical romance book. In fact, it's more of a fun romp into a single girl's professional and personal escapades. If you have a great book, the conventions offer an opportunity outside of the bookstores to get out in sell your book face to face...

I spoke yesterday at Women's Success group in Roseville at Crush 29. Whenever I get out and about an away from the confines of my desk or seriously just out of my own head, I am very pleased to realize the progress in our media campaign for California Girl Chronicles and in general. A couple of super fun moments I want to share. First, notice my outfit in the picture. Just for the record, the clothes got more attention than the presentation LOL. Between comments about the chic shoes you cannot see in the photo and the admiration of the outfit, I had to laugh. I had one woman at the evening event I attended tell me I looked "glamorous". I'll take it. Here is the amusing part. I went into White House Black Market, saw this outfit on the mannequin and just made it easy and bought the whole thing. The presentation went very well (aside from a sad, little spectacle we observed that believe me was met with a lot of head shaking and confusion over such blatant insecurity),...