Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Field Trip

Years and years ago (2003 to be exact), I went to my very first RWA (Romance Writers of America) conference in New York City.  At this point in my career, I'd written a couple of historical romances for a small publisher, and I was thisclose to getting my Nina Quinn series published. An exciting time, for sure.

This conference represented a lot of things for me. The first time I was away from my family, my first professional conference, the first trip with my critique partners (we shared a room to save on costs--which we continued to do over the years because it was just plain fun). We were all pretty new to the business and went with eagerness and a good dose of anxiety.

While there, we became aware that Janet Evanovich was having a local book signing. As she was a favorite of all of ours, we decided to venture out into the city and see her in person. It was quite the experience! And we all loved every minute of it. My signed copy of To the Nines sits proudly on my keeper shelf. That little field trip away from the conference is something I'll never forget.

So, in honor of how long our little group has been together, and in honor of Janet, we're taking another field trip tomorrow to see One for the Money, which is based on Janet's first book in the Stephanie Plum series. We're all looking forward to the show--and to the popcorn--and just being together. Can't wait! I hope the movie lives up to the book--truly one of the funniest things I've ever read.

Are you planning to see the movie?

PS: On that trip I also got food poisoning and rode in a limo with a hooker. You just can't make this stuff up.

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DreadTread: 2.0 miles, 32 painful minutes

10 comments:

  1. Heather, my 14 year old daughter who doesn't read a word even wants to see the movie. While I will admit, I haven't read any of Janet's books, I do plan to start. If the book is anything like the movie, I'm sure I'll be reading each and every one of them. I am going to see the movie before I read the book. Used to do it the other way but was always disappointed with the movie.

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  2. I fell in love with Janet in college about 6-7 years ago. She is an amazing writer who eventually led me to finding cozy mysteries. I have read the whole series about 4 times at least! I have since introduced her to my mother-in-law and her sister-in-law. We are all going together! I can not wait!!

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  3. I am definitely going! I marked the opening on my calendar months ago. I've even convinced my S.O. (Gordon) to go with me. (I lured him in with promises of girls, guns, and an explosion.) ;)

    I'm curious to see how they will do some of the more serious (I don't want to give anything away here) scenes with Lula. Some were a bit graphic in the book, and the movie looks like it's more "light-hearted." But, I'm really looking forward to it!

    (By the way - I'm reading It Takes a Witch now. I'm right in the middle. Love. It. :)

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  4. Umm. A limo ride with a hooker? You cannot leave us hanging here. DETAILS!

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  5. The early books were so good! I want to see it, hopefully my daughters will want to go because husband is not interested at all. lol

    Sounds you had quite a time. Great fiction springs from experiences like that.

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  6. If the movie does well, the 12 sequels will be exactly the same.

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  7. I know the story of the limo with the hooker ;)

    I'm going, I'm going!

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  8. The early books were so transforming--one of the first mysteries I read that combined a LOL funny, sassy female protagonist and a mystery. With that first book, I don't think I've ever laughed that hard while reading.

    The hooker story stays in the vault, right, Dru? ;) And I WISH it had been Lula. She's my fave character in the books.

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  9. I was waffling on the movie until I saw the previews. I'm still not enthused about the casting, I had my own ideas in my cranium as I read the books. But the movie looks good, so I'll go.

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