When I told my mother I was going to write books when I grew up, I didn’t think of sitting at a desk. I never once thought of holding a pen, using a computer, agonizing over plots, and wondering about characters. Hey, I was to be excused. I was five years old at the time. All I knew was that I was going to create books. I often carried around a book like a prop — I was particularly fond of Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk because it was blue and dusty and heavy. How I was going to produce these books was a mystery. I just knew I was. I was so certain of it that I often sat on the front steps with my book on my lap, announcing to anyone who walked by that I was going to be a writer. Until, of course, my mother would find me, scoop me up and say: “Karen, what am I going to do with you?” She sent me off to more productive pursuits like sand painting or dolls. Today, I write books, but the how of it still escapes me. Writing seems to be a cross between perseverance and…

don't miss Sharon Chance's "Some Cozies for August Reading… " http://bit.ly/cXP8Km # Sandi Shilhanek is "Reliving RWA In My Dreams" stop by, read, comment, win books http://bit.ly/bxe3Hz what else to do on a Sunday? # we missed you @CandaceHavens hope you make it home without too much extra luggage! # Fresh Pick is INFAMOUS by Suzanne Brockmann 1st paperback original in 6 YEARS! http://bit.ly/dqUrjd # Powered by Twitter Tools

WOW 3,000 followers? Thanks I'll try to be interesting! Honest # BTW it's my Saturday blog at http://bit.ly/bfKUrn and giving away some of the over 600 books we received at RWA10!! Poor Becky & tom! # @CandaceHavens try to enjoy the weather in LA, it's over 100 here for upteenth day! SO HOT!!!! Love Starz btw in reply to CandaceHavens # A picture of the Fresh Fiction team going through some of the books we'll be giving away – http://flic.kr/p/8qgiRP # I posted 35 photos on Facebook in the album "RWA 2010" http://fb.me/GmF7kAsk # @Shannon_Delany one of you. Did I get the name right? Typing is terrible tonight! #RWA10 in reply to Shannon_Delany # Fresh Pick is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE by Kristan Higgins http://bit.ly/12OIV # Powered by Twitter Tools

@thehistorychic yes, tonight at Cafe Express before for dinner then the @rachelcaine signing at 7pm. A last hurrah for @legacy_books in reply to thehistorychic # @Theresa_Meyers ooh, thanks for the FABULOUS bookish #ff tag! We love the company you put us in and we LOVE books! in reply to Theresa_Meyers # RT @BeckyTalks: @FreshFiction how did the book signing go? <- it's tonight! Dinner first at Cafe Express. Join us? # @thehistorychic yup, 6ish for dinner at Cafe Express then head to @legacy_books for @rachelcaine signing at 7pm. It's a date! in reply to thehistorychic # RT @CandaceHavens: Sandra Brown, Harlen Coben, & one of my heroes Sara Paretsky here to chat about Hardcover Mysteries coming on I.D. COOL! # RT @CandaceHavens: Hey @freshfiction and @reelvixen I told Harlan Coben and Sandra Brown you guys said Hey. They said Hey back. 🙂 <- AWWW! # @heidi2524 where are you? at another Leverage con? Richard Dean Andersen, huh? We wanna see photo! in reply to heidi2524 # RT @Cafe_Brazil_DFW: Want to join the family? Cafe Brazil in Addison is hiring bussers, hosts, and servers. <- pls tell me you're open aft 2 # RT @sjreyes: my favorite librarians (not just cause…

thank goodness. Home and in my OWN chair. I missed you chair! Honest! What news too! @legacy_books closing in a week, BN selling self # Cathy Lamb wites about "The Inspiration For Such A Pretty Face" get the scoop from behind the scene! http://bit.ly/daNdrr # Fresh Pick is THE LOST RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS by Barbara O'Neal winner of RITA with romantic elements http://bit.ly/12OIV # RT @ReelVixen Happy birthday a day late to @freshfiction! Here's to 6 years of book awesomeness and working the best job ever!<~thanks # RT @CidWrites @thehistorychic i got one of the Succubus books Tuesday and borrowed the 1st from @sisik – loving it! <~ u'll love 'em # the @rachelcaine signing @legacy_books on 8/6 is last rom signing. Want to make it a party? Show our appreciation? @dfwtea # Powered by Twitter Tools

thank goodness. Home and in my OWN chair. I missed you chair! Honest! What news too! @legacy_books closing in a week, BN selling self # Cathy Lamb wites about "The Inspiration For Such A Pretty Face" get the scoop from behind the scene! http://bit.ly/daNdrr # Fresh Pick is THE LOST RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS by Barbara O'Neal winner of RITA with romantic elements http://bit.ly/12OIV # RT @ReelVixen Happy birthday a day late to @freshfiction! Here's to 6 years of book awesomeness and working the best job ever!<~thanks # RT @CidWrites @thehistorychic i got one of the Succubus books Tuesday and borrowed the 1st from @sisik – loving it! <~ u'll love 'em # the @rachelcaine signing @legacy_books on 8/6 is last rom signing. Want to make it a party? Show our appreciation? @dfwtea # Powered by Twitter Tools

Book signings are complex things. They can be wonderful or they can be . . . well, very bad. Let me give you an example of the “very bad.” My husband and I drove three hours to a signing. It was at a large chain store in a well-populated area, so you would think it would be a fairly successful event. When we arrived at the store, the manager appeared happy to see me. “I’ve got you set up back here,” she said. She led me through the store to the video section where there was a table and some chairs. She smiled and looked at me expectantly. I smiled, wondering why in the world I’d been placed in the videos. “Great,” I said. “Thanks.” One of the best parts of book signings is meeting and talking with new people. I met three new people that day, including the manager of the store. I pretty much only conversed with one new person, a boy who told me his favorite movie was “Lean on Me.” The other new person was a young man who wandered by and spoke. The manager didn’t really talk with me, other than to ask if I’d…

Refuel stop of day. Missed the Thrifty Peanut apparently it moved & forgot to tell @patcatbooks — at Walmart http://gowal.la/r/ZGRJ # And there are another 1000 coming # Thank you we're in Texas. Last sprint to Plano for #ffrwa10 — at Rest Stop http://gowal.la/r/ZJcT # We are sorry to hear the closing of @legacy_books on 8/14. @dfwtea # Powered by Twitter Tools

Fresh Pick is WHAT HAPPENS IN LONDON by Julia Quinn congrats on the RITA historical win http://bit.ly/azJYtd # JEAN BRASHEAR talks about "The Power of Women" http://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=2745 Comment to win a copy of her latest book # Have you seen our August contests? Wow!!!! Lots of good stuff to win, but you gotta enter! http://bit.ly/13zrSL # Cafe au lait + books what a deal! Faye recommends, she's so good. Great way to start a day final — at Books For Less http://gowal.la/r/ZtF7 # Photo: Boulder Creek Cafe portion of bookstore — at Books For Less http://gowal.la/r/ZtFE # On the road with coffee and diet coke, charged phones and an iPad. Texas here we come #ffrwa10 # What do you do when you need to stretch your legs on a roadtrip w/ @patcatbooks? Hit the flea mkt. Has — at Flea Mall http://gowal.la/r/ZwkM # @candacehavens thought you meant Donal Logue # Was on True Blood (Donal Logue) sorry confused by @candacehavens # Missed all my @dfwtea ladies. 2 weeks without you not good! Do have lots if books & news for you # Omg @patcatbooks made it to checkout. Only 2 stacks of books including Jodi Rhomas & Suz Brickmann classics….

What is it that draws readers to romance fiction, keeps them coming back to favorite books and authors again and again, year after year? Whether readers prefer their romance sweet or steamy, I think what we all look for is the passion, that heady sense of falling in love and finding a perfect soul mate. If we have been lucky enough to discover this in our own lives, we love to revisit the magic; if we haven’t yet encountered our own Prince Charming, we sigh over stories of heroines who do, stories that renew our hope that we, too, will find our Happy Ending. So what could be better (or at least as good) as that wonderful story with its satisfying ending? How about attending a conference of more than 2000 writers whose business it is to craft those stories every day? How about being able to rub shoulders with some of the best and most successful authors in the business, like New York Times Bestseller Debbie Maccomber and Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jo Beverley and Christie Ridgeway and