Emerald City Inspirations by Jennie Lucas

Last weekend, I attended the Emerald City conference in Seattle, Washington. A lot has changed for me since last year’s conference. I got the Call, had a new baby, wrote three new books, and I've lost almost 70 postbaby pounds!

But Emerald City always inspires me to try harder and do better. Here are are my Top 3 Inspiring Moments from the conference:

1. Jane Porter’s luncheon talk about why we write romance: to empower women.

Here’s a picture of us right before her speech. (Jane’s on the left, I'm on the right.) Her speech left the whole room in tears—and rising to their feet for a standing ovation.

2. Susan Mallery’s workshops on Writing More and how to fix the dreaded Sagging Middle!

I had a big deadline, so spent much of the weekend drinking coffee in the hotel bar while I finished up book #4. But I knew there was one workshop speaker I couldn’t miss: Susan Mallery. She is such a charismatic speaker, and always inspires me! I couldn’t resist taking her photo in the middle of her workshop like some crazed paparazzo. (Sorry about all the flashes, Susan!)

3. The Cherry Adair Challenge.

Cherry Adair is a true original—stunning in her generosity. She’s an NYT bestseller, and could legitimately just focus on her own fabulous career, but instead she invests huge amounts of energy and money and time to encourage other writers. Every year at Emerald City, she challenges attendees to write down the date they’ll finish their book.

The next year, all the writers who’ve met their goal receive a certificate, a cool pin and a congratulatory hug from Cherry. She also gave three lucky people a scholarship to attend next year’s Emerald City, and one writer even got a full, all-expenses-paid trip to attend RWA National in San Francisco! WOW!

This year, the line of writers who’d made the previous year’s goalswent halfway around the Bellevue Hilton ballroom.

Here’s Cherry hugging a very happy writer who made her goal! (I didn’t get the writer’s name—if you know who she is, please tell me!)

Last year, my flight forced me to leave in the middle of Cherry’s presentation, so I never turned in my challenge. But here’s what I wrote on the paper I brought home:

GOALS: Have baby, lose weight, write another book…and (I know I’m not supposed to wish this but) please please please let me sell.

When I told Cherry that I’d made my goals, she insisted on giving me a certificate, a pin and a hug. Cherry Adair—you rock!! (Here's a photo of me beaming with her!)

Have you ever attended a conference or read a book or met an author who inspired you to do something bold? What (or who) has inspired you to reach for your dreams?

Jennie Lucas’s first book for Harlequin Presents, The Greek Billionaire’s Baby Revenge, is out in the U.S. in December; her second, The Spaniard’s Defiant Virgin, is out now in the U.K. and will be in the U.S. in May 2008. Enter to win a rare Jane Porter romance (along with some Godiva) at www.jennielucas.com.