Home from GCLS!

Another fabulous conference! Minneapolis was a great host city, despite the intermittent rain. There were lots of new faces, many of them local, and the familiar bunch of friends I look forward to each year. A special shout out to the Europeans, affectionately known as my Greasers. You had to be there. Actually, you didn’t, because I’m sure it will surface soon on YouTube.

I really appreciate all those who stopped by the Bella table to pick up a copy of Rhapsody. I heard from a couple of people that I’d scared them off with my earlier blog post about taking a more challenging route in my storytelling, so let me say an extra thanks to them for taking a chance. I won’t always push you out of your comfort zone, but I’m glad to know you’re willing to go there once in a while.

When I retire from writing, I’m going to follow Jewell Gomez around the country and sit at her feet while she talks about her work. She’s truly an amazing woman and we were lucky to have her at GCLS.

As for the Goldie Awards, can I just say this: YOU LOOK MAHVELOUS! What a great sight to see all those lovely, smiling ladies. Special kudos to Marianne K. Martin, who won the GCLS Trailblazer Award, and Jessie Chandler, whose Bingo Barge Murder picked up the Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award.

Apologies to Linda Kay Silva for literally being “speechless” when she won the SpecFic Award for When An Echo Returns. I already wrote her and confessed because I knew I couldn’t count on 130 people to keep a secret.

Last but certainly not least, a HUGE thanks to all those who reached into their pockets to support the GCLS. For the author auction this year, Lynne Pierce gave a whopping $600 for the privilege of having me walk on her toes for the first dance. Because of her generosity, a handful of folks who can’t afford the trip to Dallas for the 9th GCLS Con will see their ends meet. As a bonus, I’ve promised to add her to my upcoming book, West of Nowhere, due out next year. You’ve all seen those T-shirts that say “Behave Yourself or I’ll Put You in My Novel.” Just sayin’ … 😉