Not so much...

Okay, so I leave for the airport in a little less than two hours.  Am I packed?  Not completely.  I used to be the kind of person who was packed and ready to go DAYS before I actually had to go.  Now?  Not so much. 

I'm off to Dallas for the RT Booklovers Convention.  It's my first time going and this is going to be my first national convention.  I AM TOTALLY SCARED.  I'm normally a fairly outgoing, cheery person.  Now?  Not so much.

Hubby is at work.  Son is at school.  Dog is looking at me with those big sad Pug eyes and I don't want to go.  I'm discovering I'm really more of a homebody.  All those years we were too poor to travel and I remember thinking that when we could afford it, I would.  Now?  Not so much.

It's totally confusing.  I don't get why I'm suddenly a procrastinator.  Or why I suddenly don't want to go anywhere.  It's a little mind boggling.

I have everything I need.  I've made sure hubby, son, AND Pug are all taken care of while I'm gone.  But right now I just want to be in my yoga pants, eating a muffin and know that I'm staying home.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME???

I'll be signing with something like 800 other authors.  There's supposed to be like 2,000 people there.  Maybe more.  Most of the events I go to have less than 100 authors and maybe 300 readers/ticket holders.  I think one event sold 500.  Those events, I can handle.  The thought of being in this big of a crowd?  It's terrifying.

Anyway, wish me luck.  I'll be in Dallas if you need me.  And if you are in Dallas, come to the Hyatt Regency on Saturday from 11-2 and say hello!!

Serious fan-girl moment coming...

Okay, imagine if you will how you would feel if you had the opportunity to meet someone who seriously influenced you in your life.  Not a family member.  Not a co-worker.  Not a friend.

Are you with me so far?

I started reading romance books in the 7th grade.  Harlequin.  My lab partner used to read them all the time and she got me hooked on them.  As I got older, I continued to read and I enjoyed them but it wasn't until I picked up a Sandra Brown book (back when she was writing romances) that I took a step beyond hooked.  Her stories transported me, mesmerized me and made me want to be a writer. 

Well, fast-forward to current day and I have found out that my idol, the woman who
inspired me to really want to write, is going to be at the same convention as me in May.  I KID YOU NOT.  I seriously almost hyperventilated when I saw her name on the roster and in the promotions.  Me.  In the same building - possibly the same room - as Sandra Brown!

What the WHAT???

So when I just ran around the house yelling that to my husband, he was like "You're looking at this the wrong way.  Sandra Brown is going to be in the same building as YOU". 

God I love that man!

So I may have to let my editor know that there is a very real possibility of her having to shoot me with a tranquilizer dart at some point during the convention.  If she's at the book signing and it's any kind of alphabetical order...well...let's just say that B and C are NOT that far apart. 

Can you just imagine how giddy I'm going to be?  Practically bouncing in my seat!! 

And don't even get me started on the fact that Jill Shalvis will be there too.  Love, love, LOVE her too!!  I go through her books super fast because I can't put them down!  I've lost many a night's sleep because I had "one more chapter" syndrome.  But she's an S and I'm a C so I won't be anywhere near her at the signing.  Dang it. 

I may spend a bulk of the time breathing into a paper bag. 

In case I didn't mention it, I'm talking about the RT Book Lovers Convention in Dallas, Texas!  If there is any way you can get there, you totally should.  I have never gone before - this will be my first year.  I've heard it is amazing and now that I see who is going to be there, I will be having my own little countdown calendar in my office crossing off the days until I can be there! 

Such a fan-girl opportunity.

And did I also forget to mention (or remind) that RT Book Reviews has me as their cover story for their March issue?  "Return to You" - the newest in my Montgomery Brothers series - is the feature story.  Well, they talk to me too, but primarily the article is about the book and the characters but I get some time in there too.    I do believe that I'm crushing on them too.  I may need therapy by the time the convention is over.  

If you're coming, bring your camera.  You can document it.  :) 

Date Night

I remember how much I used to love to go out on a date.  When my husband and I first met, we'd go out several times a week.  When we were newlyweds, we would try and go out once a week on a date night.  By the time the kids came along, we were lucky if we made it out alone once a month.

Well, the kids are pretty much old enough to be left alone.  Okay, they're 23 and 15.  And the 23 year old doesn't even live at home, so yes, it's safe to say that they are grown and that we should be able to have a grown up night out - or date night - like we did when we were newlyweds.

Yeah, not so much.

Why?  Believe me, it's not MY choice.  Whenever I suggest a date night, my husband looks at me as if I've asked if he'd like to have a root canal or a prostate exam.

It doesn't make me feel good, I can tell you that.

So when the RT Book Reviews magazine came out the other day, I wanted to go out and celebrate.  Nothing big - I just thought that we could go out for dinner and our son was completely on board.  Actually, he approached my husband and suggested it (so I would be spared the look of horror).  Well, the son got the look.  And the excuses - "I'm tired", "I have a headache", blah, blah, blah.  My son came downstairs and said, "Sorry, Mom.  I tried."

Gotta love that boy.

So tonight, we went out.  Furniture shopping.  Not the most exciting thing in the world, but it was just the two of us and we did end up going for a late dinner.  But here's the funny part that shows just how much things change.  In our twenties, we would just be leaving to go out at around 9 p.m., in our forties, we were freaking out that we were eating at a pub at 9 p.m. and there was a band setting up to play!  We were both like, "Oh, no.  Quick!  Get the check!  Get the check!  They're starting to tune up!!"

Sad.  Very sad.  The good thing about it all though?  Is that it made us laugh and even though we don't go out like we used to and our ideas on what is cause for a celebration don't seem to match, we still spend a great deal of time with laughter in our home and deep love for one another.  Neither of us has any idea about what movies are playing or when there's a good concert coming to town, but we're caught up on every episode of "Law and Order" and spend a great deal of time getting decorating ideas while watching HGTV.

Throw in a bowl of ice cream and that's a pretty sweet date night too! 

Chas-ing a Dream - RT Book Reviews

Okay, I know I mentioned it yesterday, but I'm still giddy about it today.  I am the cover story for RT Book Reviews Magazine for the month of March!!!  How exciting is that??? 

And thankfully they didn't use an unflattering head shot of me for the article.  Whew!  Dodged that bullet!  Subscribing to RT Book Reviews is super easy and next week it will be shipping out to book stores (select ones that carry it - so check with your local book stores and B&N!).  Click here to go directly to RT's page to subscribe. 

So here's the thing - this was something that was so completely not on my radar.  I always thought about what it would be like to be an author but I never thought of some of these cool things that go with it.  I mean...a magazine cover!  Wow!  So cool!  And with that I get to meet some really amazing readers and fans and bloggers and it's all just been such an amazing experience that I don't even know how to describe it!  All I can say is thank you so all of the readers who have made this possible!

For those of you who go to the big conventions and are planning to be at the RT Convention in Dallas, Texas in May, I will be there!  I would love to meet you!!!

Tears of Joy, Smiles of Sadness...

If you're a fan of "The Big Bang Theory", chances are you recognize that phrase.  When Raj said it in an episode a couple of years ago, I thought it was hysterical.  And then I forgot about it until my husband summed up my mood with that phrase.

Today was a BIG day for me.  RT Book Review Magazine's March issue (the digital copy) came out today.  And guess who has the cover story???  ME!!  The only reason I
was aware of this was because I was scrolling through my newsfeed on Facebook and there it was!  My heart started racing and I jumped up from my seat and immediately picked up the phone and called my mom and then my husband and was just giddy!

And then I cried.

I mean I cried a LOT.

At first, they were totally tears of joy.  I made it!  I've hit a milestone in my career that I never thought possible.  And then...I was crying because someone special wasn't there with me.  My grandma.  She was a lifelong reader of romances and she died before I started self-publishing.  There are times when something really exciting happens in my career and I think "Grandma would have loved this!"  I know she's looking down at me and smiling and I like to think that she's proud.  But I miss her.

So when my husband got home from work today, I pulled up the article and showed it to him and shared how I felt earlier when I read it.  He looked at me and smiled and said, "Tears of joy, smiles of sadness".  I know he said it to lighten the mood and it did.  I did smile, but I was still a little bit sad. 

The grandmother in "Return to You" is totally based on my grandma.  I just wish she was here to read it.