Get Your Jammies On!

Cue the siren! Today—Friday, Sept. 20—is the last day to make hotel reservations for the OCC/RWA Birthday Bash. The festivities start on Friday, Oct. 11 with Make-Your-Own Mask and a Write-In, but the major parties take place on Saturday, Oct. 12. (Pure coincidence, btw, that also happens to be my birthday!)

The morning speaker is the amazing best-selling author Victoria Dahl, and in the afternoon we’ll have Heather Bennett from Decadent Publishing.

On Saturday night, don’t forget to pack your pajamas – cute, sexy, comfortable – the style is totally up to you. We’ve got an amazing assortment of authors hosting “Pajama Parties” where they’ll share a little bit of their expertise.

Here’s the line-up (in alphabetical order … times need to be set):

Skylar Kade & Jennifer Bernard         "Put on Your Big Girl Panties"

Linda Carroll-Bradd                            "Writing to Publisher Calls for Submission"

Elena Dillon                                        “Self-Publishing” 

Tara Lain                                             “Putting the Mmm in Marketing”

Deb Mullins                                        “Creating Conflict from Character”

Louella Nelson                                    “Scene Design”

Nikki Prince                                        “Interracial and Multicultural Romance”

Beth Yarnall                                        “Point of View”

Attendees do not have to stay the night. The cut-off for lunch reservations is Monday, Sept. 30, but for planning … sooner = better.

To register and for more information, please visit the Orange County Chapter of RWA.

Tossing confetti!

Hope to see you there …

Louisa Bacio

http://www.facebook.com/louisabacio

http://www.twitter.com/louisabacio

Break out those Jammies! OCC/RWA Birthday Bash

We all know that writers stay home in their pajamas all day long, right? And, if you happen to write erotic romance, those nighties turn silky and sexy! Well, break out your cute & comfys because the OCC/RWA Birthday Bash on Saturday, Oct. 13 is bringing back the pajama parties.

Here’s the line-up:

Track One (starting at 7 p.m.):

Jane Porter & Megan Crane: Writing Category Romance in Pajamas

Lou Nelson:  Hooking in Pajamas: Writing Dynamic Opening Lines and First Paragraphs

Jenn Wyatt: Music in Pajamas: Using Music for Inspiration

Beth Yarnall:  The Blackest Black in Pajamas: What’s THE WORST That Could Happen? Is your black moment black enough?

Track Two (starting at 8:30 p.m.):

Debra Mullins: Conflict and Incorrect Core Beliefs in Pajamas

Louisa Bacio: Passion in Pajamas

Debra Holland: Self-Publishing in Pajamas

Erin Pryor: Plotting in Pajamas

** Parties are included with registration with for the Birthday Bash. You must make a reservation for this meeting, a “do not miss” event. The price is $35 for all attendees, includes lunch, and the deadline for the event reservations is Oct. 5, 2012

http://www.occrwa.org/birthday-bash.html

Highlights of the Day

10:30 a.m.            Special Guest Speakers:  Jane Porter & Megan Crane

              “Writing Bestselling Fiction: Using Emotion to Power Up the Story”

An award-winning novelist with more than 5 million books in print, Jane Porter is still a small town girl at heart, never feeling too far away from her roots in central California's golden foothills, oak trees, and miles of farmland.             

After sixteen years in Greater Seattle, Jane has returned to California, and is now making her home in a historic Ole Hanson home in San Clemente, with her surfer husband and three active sons. When she's not on the beach or speaking to writers, she's at her desk working on her next novel. In September 2012, Berkley Trade released her new book, The Good Woman.

* * *

USA Today bestselling author Megan Crane writes women’s fiction, chick lit, work-for-hire YA, and a lot of Harlequin Presents as Caitlin Crews.  She also teaches creative writing classes both online at mediabistro.com and at UCLA Extension's prestigious Writers' Program, where she finally utilizes the MA and PhD in English Literature she received from the University of York in York, England. She currently lives in California, with her animator/comic-book artist husband and their menagerie of ridiculous animals.  For more info visit her at　www.megancrane.com or www.caitlincrews.com.   

2:00 p.m. Afternoon Speaker: Courtney Miller-Callihan 
Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, Inc., Literary Agent

 “The Author/Agent Relationship in Today’s Changing Literary World”

Courtney began her career in publishing at Random House, where she spent a number of years in subsidiary rights sales and in contracts before joining Sanford J. Greenburger Associates in 2005. A member of the Romance Writers of America, she is seeking new voices in women’s fiction, romance, historical novels, and literary fiction. Courtney also looks for non-fiction projects on unusual topics, science, personal finance, business, pop culture, lifestyle books, and craft books.

Just added: Heather Bennett, Executive Editor, Decadent Publishing

OPPORTUNITY RAFFLE: $500 gift card to Apple, Toshiba Excite 10 Tablet, SoCal RWA Conference registration, view the various baskets, critiques, lunches and other prizes. Buy your tickets and enter for the items that you want to win.

3 Pitch Appointments with Courtney Miller-Callihan & Heather Bennett

For more information, visit http://www.occrwa.org/birthday-bash.html

Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012
Embassy Suites

900 East Birch Street

Brea, CA  92821

Doors open 9 a.m.

Hope to see you there!