Conference in Colorado – Kandy Shepherd

 Last month I travelled from Sydney, Australia to Colorado, USA for the Romance Writers of America annual conference. I love the buzz of the conference where romance writers and publishing professionals from around the United States and the world gather. Of course a lot of fun and catching up with friends is involved! (Not to mention yummy meals.)

I started the conference with three days in wonderful Colorado Springs with two friends. What an awesome landscape! I need to go back and explore even more.

Then the conference itself—four days of meetings, talks and inspiration. The RITA awards for best romance novels published in 2017 was exciting and I had several finalist friends to cheer. Meeting with my wonderful editors from Harlequin Mills & Boon was such a pleasure—culminating in the amazing Harlequin author party. Catching up with industry news, attending workshops and chatting with fellow authors was inspiring and enervating.

However for this conference for me the highest of highlights was meeting some of the readers who attended the book signings. It was heart-warming to hear them thank me for the stories I write and tell me how my books not only entertain them but have helped them through illness and dark times. As an author, what more could I want to hear?

Kandy Shepherd’s Best Man and the Runaway Bride is a July 2018 release from Harlequin Romance in North America; Mills & Boon True Love in the UK; and Mills & Boon Forever Romance in Australia and New Zealand. 

Kandy Shepherd is a multi-published, award-winning author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She lives on a small farm in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia, with her family and a menagerie of four-legged friends.

Visit Kandy at her website

www.kandyshepherd.com

Connect with Kandy on Facebook, Twitter,Pinterestand Instagram

Grownup Clothes

So, I'm heading to New Jersey Romance Writers conference this weekend and realized yesterday, I have to pack.  Yes, I realized that fact as I sat in holey jeans, a t-shirt and a buffalo plaid flannel shirt.  Let's just say it...I don't do grownup clothes very often.  Hardly ever, truth be told.

I walked to my grownup clothes closet and stared at it.  And then I hit on a plan...
You see, I'm going to New Jersey because I've getting a Hall of Fame Award (you can read about it here).  And two of my books are finalists in the Golden Leaf Awards.

And all the books that are part of that Hall of Fame Award and in the Golden Leaf Award are set here in Erie, PA.  (What, you mean Erie isn't your first thought when you think of romantic cities?? Maybe it should be! LOL) So, if I wore some of my very cool Erie t-shirts (thanks Erie Apparel) I wouldn't be avoiding grownup clothes, I'd be marketing my books.  Yes, that's right, those t-shirts are branding.  And branding is smart and business savvy.  

So, if you see me in New Jersey wearing my t-shirts (and non-holey jeans and a nice cardie) don't think, boy that writer seems less than grownup dressed.  Think, wow, that writer is very market savvy.  She's a branding dynamo.

Uh, did you buy that??

New Jersey here I come!!  And if you're looking for a romantic city...maybe you should be thinking Erie??  You can visit Visit Erie to find out a bit of what we have to offer...or you can pick up a Holly Jacobs' book. (Oh, I think that was more marketing savviness right there!)

Holly

Visit Erie