Don't Miss Out On The Emerald City Writers Conference!

Every year, in addition to the RWA National Writers Conference, I also attend one of our local writers conferences held here in the Puget Sound area.

The Emerald City Writers Conference is fast approaching and currently has only around 70 available spots left for attendees, and they’re going fast! There is a cut-off of 250 attendees this year, which should make for a great opportunity to network. Whether you attended the National Conference in San Francisco and are already going through networking/learning withdrawals, or you couldn't attend in SF this year and were waiting for a local opportunity, this conference is for you.

When: October 10-12th, 2008

Where: Bellevue Hilton Hotel

Price: $229 for Greater Seattle Chapter members, and $259 for non-members

What: In addition to a variety of valuable workshops to choose from, there will also be a book fair and author signing that is open to the public, lots of raffle baskets to win over the duration of the weekend, pitch appointments with one of the three editors and one of the four agents in attendance, and extra special entertainment planned for Saturday night. You won’t want to miss it!

Go to the conference web site for more information and to register.

In The Spirit Of The Olympics

Somehow I knew my secret Olympic double life would eventually come out. ;-)

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

And The August Book Giveaway Winners Are...

And the winners who will each be receiving a copy of "Live A Little" are:

• Rochael

• Lucia

• Brenda

Be sure to email me at christina@christinaarbini.com with your mailing address and I'll have the books sent out to you. And, again, congratulations!

For those of you whose names I didn't pull this time, remember I have another book giveaway contest coming up in September.

Not that you'll be drifting off too far, I'm sure. Because you never know when I may have some nugget of entertainment or humor to blog about. :-) Thanks again to everyone for entering!

Summer Book Giveaway Contest for August!

Wow, is it really already that time again for another of my summer book giveaway contests? This month's contest is extra special, as I had the opportunity to meet the author -- the lovely Kim Green -- at last week's National Literacy Booksigning that took place at the RWA Writers' Conference in San Francisco. Already the author of "Paging Aphrodite" and "Is That A Moose In Your Pocket?", Kim's most recent release (launch date: 8/15/08) is "Live A Little" and promises to be a witty and thought-provoking read!

Book Description from Amazon.com:
-What do you do if you have two bratty teenage kids who don't give you the time of day?
-What do you do if your husband is more interested in his remote than you?
-What do you do if you're forever being compared to your perfect sister--who just happened to marry your perfect boyfriend?
-And what do you do if you're told you have stage 4 breast cancer?

Well, if you're Raquel Rose, you tell your family your diagnosis, and then you watch them go from treating you like dirt to treating you like a queen. Then you go on to raise unprecedented amounts of money for breast cancer research. You fulfill your early artistic promise. And you find you love this new life of yours, no matter how fleeting it may be.

So when the doctor calls to tell her that there was a mistake and she's actually perfectly healthy, instead of sharing her good news, Raquel can't relinquish the sudden attention and love from her family. Soon Raquel's lie by omission snowballs and the wise-cracking 40-something becomes a sought-after figure on her sister's popular talk show, elevating her "illness" to local rock star status. Her mistaken diagnosis becomes the fated opportunity to fix the glaring problems in her life--her stalled career as an artist, her lackluster marriage, her unappreciative children, and her highly dysfunctional family.
And while she wants to tell the truth, she's afraid to give it all up--would her family go back to taking her for granted? Would the donors rescind their checks if they think she was a fraud? In the end, it's up to Raquel to find her real "cure": an ending that befits the second chance she's been granted.

(Kim Green at Literacy Signing in San Francisco 7/30/08)

Once again, the publisher is providing THREE copies of this new release and I'll be drawing the three winning names from those who leave a comment on this blog post. All you have to do is briefly tell me for what you've been granted (or wish you had been granted) a "second chance" or a "do-over?" Unrequited love? Forgiveness after a spat with your significant other or best friend? Wishing you hadn't told you co-worker what you really think about her new hairdo? Studying harder for that final exam? Exercising, instead of eating that box of cookies? It can be anything -- big or small. :-)

I'll be drawing three names on the morning of Thursday, August 14th, so be sure to leave your comment now! Good luck and in the meantime, remember to "Live A Little!"

RWA 2008 Conference Revisited

Okay, so I didn’t really have the opportunity to blog from San Francisco, but I promise to make up for that now. My feet are still throbbing from all the traipsing about the city during my “tourist” days, and my brain is throbbing from all the fabulous networking, socializing and learning during my conference days.

Saturday, 7/26
I arrived Saturday, having flown down a few days early with Shannon. Unfortunately, we checked in, only to discover the power had been out in the hotel since 8am that morning. Thankfully, we were able to get up to our section of the hotel, although, a hotel attendant had to escort us up the one working elevator with a lantern, since it was pitch black inside. After the power and water finally came back on, we kicked off the trip with a ghost tour of the Pacific Heights neighborhood.

(View of the Chinatown gate and St. Mary's church from our hotel window.)

Sunday, 7/27
Sunday brought a hour-long wait in line to jump on a cable car headed for Fisherman’s Wharf. Once down near the waterfront, we ducked in to the Buena Vista Café for their famous Irish Coffee. Yum! And strong! But it was just what we needed to stave off the foggy chill.

(Nothing like an Irish Whiskey to start off the day!)

I think it’s safe to say that we grazed our way down the waterfront. From the Irish Coffee, to gourmet cupcakes at Kara’s Cupcakes to clam chowder served in Boudin’s famous sourdough bread bowls. Good thing we were walking so much or my conference clothes probably wouldn’t have fit once the conference started.

Strolling along Fisherman’s Wharf, we happened upon San Francisco’s “Bush Man” – a street “entertainer” who sits behind branches and jumps out to scare tourists. Kind of funny to watch when it’s not you screaming like a little girl at a growling bush. ☺


Sunday evening, we returned to the waterfront via a sardine can, otherwise known as a streetcar. That was the last time we took anything other than the Muni or city bus. It was painfully – and yes, I mean painfully – obvious that only tourists took cable cars and streetcars. Well, tourists and people who enjoy the feeling of being pressed up on all four sides against random strangers. Sadly, a little more action than I’ve had in a bit. LOL! We escaped the moving sweat box and jumped onboard the boat that carried us out to our night tour of Alcatraz Prison. Oh, and just a fyi to anyone planning to take that tour. When the sign on the boat deck says “Wet Area,” don’t assume it means a mist from the water. No, apparently, the Pacific Ocean recognized me and chose the moment after I snapped a few photos to burst up on deck and fully embrace me. Yes, for any of you on the tour that evening, I was THAT person who was doused right in front of my fellow 300 passengers. Oh well, the best photos are the ones that come with a good story.




The tour of Alcatraz was very interesting (and damp – or, maybe that was still just me). But, being “me,” I barely made it through being locked in solitary confinement (with a handful of strangers) without whispering ominously into the inky blackness, “GET OUTTTTTTT!” But, considering I was already the “wet” one on the tour, I decided to allow someone else to take the title of “freak.” ☺

Monday, 7/28
Monday, we ventured into Chinatown. We bought tea and a couple other souvenirs then ducked down an alley to watch fortune cookies being made, before stopping for authentic Dim Sum.

(Carolynn Estes, Me and Kelli Estes at the Chinatown gate.)

(The Fortune Cookie Factory in Chinatown.)

We wandered on into North Beach (Little Italy), where we scoped out an Italian restaurant suggested by Paul (thanks Paul!) and bought cannolli at Stella Pastry. Of course, I had to visit both St. Mary’s Church (oldest Catholic church in SF) and The Shrine of Saint Francis. We returned later for dinner at “E Tutto Qua” Italian restaurant. Absolutely fabulous and all homemade!


(In the church of the Shrine of Saint Francis)

Tuesday, 7/29
On Tuesday, after taking the Muni out to the Mission District to tour Mission Dolores, Kelli, Carolynn, Erin and Serena arrived, and we began seeing the trickling in of more conference attendees. Tuesday night, Kelli and I met up with Jane Porter, Megan Crane, Liza Palmer and Michelle Rowen for drinks and dinner. I honestly don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. Those women are not only extremely talented writers (hint, hint, go buy their books!), but fabulously hysterical!

(Left to right back row: Me, Jane Porter, Kelli Estes; Front row: Megan Crane, Michelle Rowen having drinks at The View bar.)

(Liza Palmer and Me)

Wednesday, 7/30
Wednesday brought in all the rest of the conference goers and lots of our local writer friends. By that evening, all of the published authors gathered (500+) for the annual Literacy Book Afterward, Kelli and I were off to the Chick Lit chapter party where we got to socialize with the rest of our chapter members, as well as great agents and editors. By the time we hobbled back to the hotel, my feet were basically independent of the rest of my body. Well, aside from the fact that I could feel my pulse beating forcefully in my heels. That can’t be good. We didn’t get far, before meeting up with more writer friends, and ended up staying up longer to catch up.

(Left to right: Simone Elkeles, Dona Sarkar, Me, Heather Davis, Kelli Estes, Theresa Meyers, Pat White.)

(Wendy Toliver and Me)

(Me and Michelle Rowen at Literacy Signing)

Thursday, 7/31
Thursday officially kicked off with workshops and networking.

(Kelli Estes, Carolynn Estes, Me, Shannon McKelden)

Later that evening, we went to the Top Of The Mark bar for drinks and a great view.

(Left to right: Ciara Stewart, Erin Eisenberg, Kelli Estes, Carolynn Estes, Me, Serena Robar and the limo we took to the Top of the Mark bar.)

(Left to right: Ciara Stewart, Serena Robar, Me, Erin Eisenberg, Carolynn Estes, Kelli Estes enjoying cocktails and the view from Top of the Mark Bar.)

(Schmoozing back at the hotel bar. Left to right: Dona Sarkar, Erin Eisenberg, Serena Robar, Carolynn Estes, Kelli Estes, Me.)

(Gathering an even bigger group of writer friends from the Seattle area. Left to right: Dona Sarkar, Erin Eisenberg, Heather Davis, Serena Robar, Carolynn Estes, Shelli Stevens, Kelli Estes, Me, Pat White.)

Friday, 8/1
Friday meant more workshops, more networking, and my agent and editor pitches. I came away with a request for a full manuscript, and three requests for partials (a couple of which were just through happenstance of being in the right place at the right time). ☺ Then there was Friday night. I can now say that I’ve not only met and been entertained by, but also have taken a shot from a “gender illusionist.” Yes, these were ladies, technically born male, but “altered” to be transgender. Never have I gone out for a nice dinner, had a blast being entertained, and left feeling extremely so crappy about myself. Nothing like feeling the ugly duckling among a handful of beautiful, er, men. Sheesh! But, I’d still definitely recommend AsiaSF to anyone visiting the city.

(Left to right: Carolynn Estes, Me, Kelli Estes at AsiaSF Restaurant.)

(Left to right: Erin Eisenberg, Serena Robar, Shannon McKelden, Carolynn Estes, Me, Kelli Estes all enjoying dinner and a "show" at AsiaSF Restaurant.)

(Did I mention the "entertainment" at AsiaSF is a bevy of "gender illusionists?")







Saturday, 8/2
Saturday, brought more workshops and basically a brain ready to implode from all the schmoozing with old friends and new. I shipped home four large Federal Express boxes full of 58 new books I’d received from the free publisher book signings during the conference.

(The 58 new books I'm adding to my "to be read" pile.)

We then gathered that night for the final closure to the conference – the Rita and Golden Heart Awards Ceremony, which is basically the Oscars for romance writers. Everyone dressed in their best and spent the remainder of the night enjoying the dessert reception and final chats with friends – most of whom we won’t see again until next year’s national conference.

(Me and Carolynn Estes at awards' ceremony.)

(Left to right: Erin Eisenberg, Shannon McKelden, Serena Robar, Me, Carolynn Estes, Kelli Estes after the awards' ceremony.)

(Left to right: Lenora Belll, Me, Delilah Marvelle, Kelli Estes.)

(The fabulous Marley Gibson.)

(Left to right: Me, Nadine Dajini, Shannon McKelden, Kelli Estes, Carolynn Estes.)

Sunday, 8/3
Then, finally, on Sunday we jumped aboard BART and returned to the airport to fly home. For as much as I love the national conference every year, it’s always nice to get home, fall into my own bed and catch up on lost sleep. But, all the same, I’m already looking forward to next summer’s conference, which will be held in Washington, DC. ☺ For now, it’s time to focus on my book and put nose to grindstone to send out the requested material. Those requests made it all worth it!

If You're Going To San Francisco, Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair

Or so, the song suggests. :-) Yes, it's that time again...time for the National RWA Writers Conference, and this year I won't have to travel too far. Just a quick two hour flight down to San Francisco. I'm flying down a few days early (leaving tomorrow) to play tourist a bit before the conference formally gets underway, as I have (believe it or not) only been there once ever. That trip was part of a summer family road trip during my Junior High years when we cruised down there in '80s style -- the big brown suburban assault vehicle, better known as the family station wagon. In fact, I was famous during that trip. Somewhere spread out across the vast continent of Asia, my sister and I reside in A LOT of travel photo albums. My family was playing tourist down at Fisherman's Wharf and we were stopped by a couple busloads of Asian tourists who all wanted their photos taken with us. Apparently, we fooled them with our blonde hair and tan skin. Little did they know that their "California Girls" were really fake-baked Washingtonians. LOL! And so, I return -- no longer fake-baked, as I actually care about how my skin looks all these years later (temporary "tan" replaced by Jergens tinted lotion), but still blonde. I've got plans to once again visit the Wharf and Ghirardelli Square, venture through Chinatown (Dim Sum!) and North Beach (yay, Little Italy means authentic dishes and REAL cannolli!), I have tickets for the night tour at Alcatraz, plan to hit up a local ghost walk/tour (of course!), venture out onto Golden Gate Bridge and whatever other wanderings tickle my fancy.

Once the conference kicks off on Wednesday night, my days will be filled with attending fabulous and informative writing workshops, pitching my newest humorous women's fiction novel to a great editor and literary agent (yay, I lucked out with two one-on-one appointments, instead of the dreaded "group" appointments), and my nights will include attending industry parties, dinners out with my fellow writer friends, and all culminating with the glam RITA and Golden Heart awards ceremony next Saturday night with the rest of the 2,000+ conference attendees. It's unbelievably inspiring to be surrounded by so many creative minds all gathered together for three days.

Now, I just need to get through the nightmare otherwise known as packing tonight. Somehow, I've managed to accumulate an abundance of black clothing, so I should be easy to spot. Look for the vampire lurking in the shadows -- oh, wait, that's just Christina! :-) And, if you don't recognize me from that, you'll spot my infamous "My Flat In London" tote, complete with dangling crystal bee.

Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to post blog entries -- well, at least not photos -- while I'm there. I might be able to post short text entries via my BlackJack. But, I'll make up for that with lots of photos from the trip once I return the following week. So, that's all for now. If you see me in SF, be sure to come say hi! Off to get through the rest of my work day, then home to pack, oh, and pick up some flowers for my hair. :-)

And The July Book Giveaway Winners Are...

And the three lucky winners of the July edition of the Summer Book Giveaway contest, and who will each be receiving a copy of "I'm With Stupid," are:

- Thotlady

- Allesssandra

- Star Seeker

Please email me at christina@christinaarbini.com with your name/address. For those of you who didn't win this time, be sure to pick up your own copy of this new release (launch date July 24th).

And, don't forget to come back and enter next month's drawing -- contest to be announced in just a couple weeks! Also, don't wander off too far, because after next week, I'll be posting photos and comments from this year's RWA National Writers Conference that I'll be attending next week in San Francisco. :-)

Congrats, again, to the winners!

Summer Book Giveaway Contest for July!

What do New York bars and African safaris have in common? Well, you'll find out when you read the hilarious book entitled, "I'm With Stupid", by Elaine Szewczyk.

Yes, it's finally THAT time again! Time for the "July" summer book giveaway contest. This month, I have another great "5 Spot" book to be won -- or should I say, THREE copies of the book? Once again, I'll be drawing three names to receive a copy of the book, "I'm With Stupid", on Tuesday, July 22nd.

Book's Description:
"A hilarious tale of girl meets boy, girl falls in lust, girl discovers boy is not playing with a full deck...

When Kas meets William, while on safari in South Africa, he seems perfect - a gorgeous park ranger, both kind and brave (he saved the tour from certain death by water buffalo). Her two best friends, Max, an endlessly scheming personal trainer, and Libby, a jobless bombshell, would like to get their hands on William...but he's only interested in Kas, an editorial assistant at a struggling New York literary agency who thinks William is out of her league. The two have a fling, and Kas returns home to New York, wondering if she'll hear from William again. So, when he finally sends an email, she's delighted. 

Until she opens it. 

The email is not quite the love missive Kas expected. Did she misjudge William? A miscommunication ensues, triggering a rapid-fire series of comic developments that, within days, bring William to New York, now under the impression that Kas has offered him a place to live. As he unveils his big plan to take Manhattan by storm and make his fortune, Kas finally recognizes how limited William's intellectual capabilities are: He makes Kevin Federline look like Albert Einstein. 

Readers are along for the outrageous ride as Kas copes with her new roommate's eccentricities, including a preoccupation with the Psychic Friends Network and a passion for collecting Big Apple-themed souvenirs, and the realization that her dream man is a comic nightmare.

"

Entering this contest is simple. Just leave a comment on this post, telling me which wild animal best describes your worst date? See? Simple AND entertaining...well, maybe entertaining for the rest of us. ;-) And, I suppose you'll want me to start, right? Okay, the wild animal (using that term loosely here) that best describes one of my worst dates is the leech. Need I say more? LOL!

Remember, you have until end of day Tuesday, July 22nd to enter. The three winning names will be announced on the morning of July 23rd. Good luck!

A Bluetooth Is Not Something You Get From Eating Blueberries

With the new handsfree cell phone law having gone into affect in many states recently, I'm amazed at how many people I'm still seeing driving around with one hand on the steering wheel and one hand up to their ear. Unfortunately, unlike California and some other states, in Washington State it's not a primary infraction to talk on your cell phone while driving. You only get nailed if they pull you over for something else. So, of course, this means there are still some yahoos out there who think they are safe to chatter away in their own little death box on wheels, while swerving into my lane or following too close from behind me. So annoying! Last night, it took everything out of me to not purposefully slam on my brakes to get the attention of chuckles the idiot who was laughing hysterically to something his equally moronic friend was saying over the phone. But, since I love my car and it's paid off, I opted against playing demolition derby.

But in the spirit of this new law, check out this hysterical poke by comedian, Skyler Stone. LOL!

My Life In A Sauna...Or How I Spent My Weekend

Well, as I mentioned in my blog entry on Friday, summer seems to have finally found its way to Seattle, and it’s apparently making up for lost time. In a very un-Seattle-like manner, the thermostat hit low 90˚s on Saturday and the same on Sunday, including something we rarely see – humidity. Ugh. Now, mind you, I totally feel for all of you Easterners with the humidity, but that unfortunately goes with the territory there, right? Here on the west coast, we don’t often experience that kind of fresh hell. So, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how much I enjoyed my weekend. You see, another thing we don’t have much of here, at least not in residences, is air conditioning. So, I spent my entire day, save for a couple brave errands run in the morning before the heat really kicked in, inside. Not just inside, but inside a 86˚ house. It’s one thing when you purposefully seek out a sauna. It’s another thing when you literally are half comatose, lying on your couch and slowly sweating the “shroud of Christina” into the fabric. Thankfully, my brother and sister-in-law saved me in the evening, by 1) calling to make sure I was still alive, and 2) inviting me down to their air-conditioned house for dinner. Had I been thinking, I would have just spent the night there, as then had to endure the rest of the night in the same sweltering heat.


This morning was a successful respite to recover a bit. A friend and I went to the golf club just up the street from me for brunch. It was already the low 70˚s when we got there and again a bit humid, but still comfortable enough to sit outside on their patio and enjoy the beautiful view of not only Mercer Island, Bellevue and Lake Washington, but also the Seattle skyline and the mountain ranges further off along the Peninsula. Gorgeous!



We treated ourselves to a morning Bellini (me) and Bloody Mary (my friend) then spent the following two hours leisurely tasting nearly every delicacy offered…or so it seemed by the time we had to drag our overly stuffed bodies back to the car.


I’d considered grabbing my laptop and heading down to Starbucks to write, but realized they would probably frown upon it, considering I’d stripped down to my tank top and underwear as soon as I said good-bye to my friend and closed the door and blinds behind me. So, after positioning three floor fans directly toward me on the couch, I spend a fairly comfortable afternoon writing, despite it getting up to 86˚ again INSIDE. Oh, and I also began a very sordid “relationship” with my refrigerator. More times than I care to admit to during the afternoon, I sauntered over to my kitchen and became one with my refrigerator. No, I didn’t eat, especially not after that brunch. It was more of a “merging,” as I opened both the fridge and freezer doors and practically climbed into the big box. Yes, I’m aware of the energy wasted by leaving the doors open for short spans of time, but it was still cheaper than investing in an AC unit that I’d only use a few weeks (at very best) out of the year. So, there you are. The sad truth. I’m having an affair with my refrigerator. But, it’s not so bad. Unlike me, who tends to get stressed about things, “Ref” stays cool in any situation, and he always welcomes me with open…er…doors. Hey, considering how hot it’s been lately, I’ll take what I can get!

Hope you had a less sordid, more pleasant…or at least air-conditioned…weekend!