Only a few days to go before setting off on the big adventure to the GCLS Conference in New Orleans. I was inputting my schedule for the five days into my phone’s calendar and it’s looking like a very busy programme indeed!

On Wednesday, after registration and the Conference Welcome session, it’s straight into the Con Virgins meeting followed by the Meet ‘n Greet Ice Cream Social. Hopefully time for a lie down before I meet up with the Affinity team for dinner.

On Thursday I’ll be attending some of the panels and author readings before taking part in the 3:10 panel entitled: “Do I have to go outside? Research at the desk and in the field.” My speciality is “the field” – more specifically – what is the story that lies behind a visit to this mystery building?:

I’m just thrilled to be involved with this amazing group, Stacia Seaman is moderating and the other panelists include Cheyne Curry, Rachel Gold, Sandra Moran and Justine Saracen—all, no doubt, all talking up a storm.

Friday, I will be a nervous wreck until after about 10 o’clock. That’s when I’m doing a reading. The session starts at 9:40 and Elaine Mulligan Lynch, our moderator, has kindly put me up to bat second. The other readers are: Pat Cronin, Lee Lynch, A. I. Duncan, Riley Adair Garret and Baxter Clare Trautman. Reading over, I’ll relax and enjoy the rest of the day.

Later on there will be quite a group of Affinity authors available for the Author Autographs session: J M Dragon, Erin O’Reilly, T J Vertigo, Ali Spooner, Renee McKenzie, Annette Mori, Lacey Schmidt, Erica Lawson, and myself. So a great opportunity to stop by, have a chat, buy a book…and have it signed!

This cartoon represents how I think the Author signing will go:

Saturday is another busy day with great sessions all day, plus the Keynote speaker, Dorothy Allison. I’m on another panel in the afternoon at 2:00pm. This time talking about the idea that sparked my debut novel, Starting Over. I’m sure this is going to be great fun with the other authors and Karin Kallmaker trying to keep us in line. We’ve already been threatened with physical restraint if we stray from the assigned topic. And the concept of herding cats comes to mind as we have a lively group with Kris Bryant, C. d. Cain, Sandy Dugger, A.I. Duncan, and Laina Villeneuve.

Then it’s onto the evening festivities with the Awards Ceremony and dance. It’s going to be a busy time and I’m sure Sunday morning will come around all too quickly – we’ll be saying goodbye, promising to keep in touch, and looking forward to the next time we can be together.

Wishing everyone who is going to the Conference, safe travels…and looking forward to meeting so many of you there.

Romance abounds in these two books:

Arc Over Time – available from Affinity eBooks /Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk / Bella Books / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords / iTunes

Starting Over – available from Affinity eBook Press / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Bella Books / Smashwords / iTunes.