Friday was my busiest day at the conference. I had meetings with both of my editors as well as the big Harlequin party. I got up early for breakfast with my roommate Eve Gaddy. And then had coffee with Mary Louise Wells of Mimi’s Dish fame. Then it was time to meet with Kate Duffy.

We had a nice meeting sitting outside on a park bench and eating (no lie!) the most delicious cream puffs I’ve ever had. They were from a place called Beard Papa’s. We talked a bit about the book business and had a chance to catch up on our lives.

Next it was off to lunch with my good friend Susan Crosby. She wrote some of my favorite Silhouette Desire books and now writes for Silhouette Special Edition.

I’m thinking as you read this you’ll be imagining me as some kind of social butterfly. And to be honest that’s what the RWA conference is for me. A chance to talk face-to-face with all the writers I never see during the year.

Nancy Robards Thompson and I took a walk to find the Four Seasons hotel and then just walked around Union Square catching up. We also made time for another stop at Beard Papa’s. This time I had a chocolate covered cream puff–yummy!

I got back to the hotel still wearing my flip flops instead of the cute sandals I’d planned on wearing for my meeting with my editor Natashya Wilson. But Tashya didn’t seem to mind. We walked over to the nearby Yearba Buena Park and sat in front of a fountain and chatted until 4 when the View on the 39th floor opened. Then we went upstairs and sat at a table with a fabulous view of the Bay. We had passion fruit mojitos which are refreshing and delicious!

I got a chance to say hi to Karen K from Grand Central Press. She used to be an editor for Desire and we had worked together years ago on a project. Then I met Mel Odom. He’s another of Tashya’s authors. I went to get ready for dinner and then met back up with them and Rita award-winning author Stephanie Feagan.

We had a lot of fun at dinner. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant but it was Italian and very good. I had a lot of fresh tomatoes in every dish I got.

We all walked back to our hotel and then hit the Harlequin party. One of the cool things about the Harlequin party is that they take a few minutes early in the evening to acknowledge milestones in writing for their authors. Two of my writing friends Susan Crosby and Crystal Green were awarded 25 book pins. Then Maureen Child another Desire author was awarded one for 50 books. These are books written only for Harlequin.

After the awards it was time for the deejay to start cranking tunes and we all danced the night away. The dance floor was jam packed and I danced the night away. It was so much fun. There was a great feminine energy in the room.

It was midnight way too soon and we were back at the conference hotel. I spent an hour talking to my Orlando girls before heading to bed. My roommates were fast asleep but I did get to chat with them briefly in the morning before I headed home.

I had a great time in SF but it was so nice to be back home with my family. And now I’m back at work on another one of my cursed Italian car makers.

Happy Reading!!!

Kathy