RWA 2012: News From Anaheim

RWA 2012 began early yesterday for Lynn Spencer and me; we started the day at Disneyland (first time for her, umpteenth for me). Only one thing could tear me away: The annual literary signing. I only got to ride Space Mountain once, but I did get to catch up with lots of authors and find out what they’re up to. Here’s what’s new and exciting:

I caught up with Tessa Dare first. Her latest Spindle Cove book (featuring Kate and Thorne) is out in August. After that, there’s one more…featuring Pauline, the serving girl at the tavern. I asked if she’s really a serving girl. Instead of, you know, a secret countess or something. Yep, she’s the real deal.

Kate Noble’s next book is about Bridget, the sister of If I Fall‘s heroine. But she’s also working on The Lizzie Bennett Diaries, a modern web video and interactive adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Sounds like fun.

Carrie Lofty has several balls in the air. She still has a couple of books to write in the Christie series, but is also collaborating on a contemporary erotica series with fighter pilots in Las Vegas. They’ll be released under a new name – Katie Porter. I couldn’t help asking whether her unusual historicals were a hard sell. She said she had a supportive editor at Pocket who enjoyed unusual settings (and signed both her and Meredith Duran). Vive la Difference! (And if you’re not reading her books yet, you should be).

And speaking of unusual settings and characters, Delilah Marvelle’s next project has a heroine who stutters and a bare-knuckle boxer hero. It’s called Forever a Lord. after that she’ll turn her attention to the French Revolution, with a series of books set in both England and France.

Molly O’Keefe is looking ahead to a contemporary series set in a small Southern town. I had to ask whether anyone marries the sheriff…apparently not. So you can write a small town series sans sheriff. I knew it! I told her our reviewers fight over her books, which is true.

Victoria Dahl’s new series is set in Jackson Hole, with cowboy heroes. Apparently they all live in an old farm house that’s been turned into an apartment building and appropriately named The Stud Farm (because of the landlady’s propensity to accept only hot tenants). Obviously, this apartment building should be closer to my house. And yours.

Courtney Milan is writing the Brothers Sinister series – about three men who are all left-handed (maybe I can convince my left-handed teenage son that he needs to read them). The idea came from the famous “I am not left-handed” quip from The Princess Bride – a joke that was supposed to make it into one of the books but never did. Still, now you know. Also in Courtney Milan’s favor – she gave me a shot glass that said, “Yes, It’s THAT kind of conference. And yes, it is.

Lauren Willig’s next Pink Carnation book features Miss Gwen – an older, somewhat crabby, atypical heroine. Sounds like fun to me. She also has a new non-Carnation book coming out for St. Martin’s next April. She describes it as Downton Abbey meets Out of Africa, and it takes place in 1999 New York, 19-teens England, and 1920’s Kenya.

I stopped by to talk with Kristen Callihan because I’d just read and enjoyed her latest, Moonglow. The next book features already married Winston and Poppy, in what she describes as a “deal with the devil” story.

Elizabeth Hoyt’s next book, Lord of Darkness, is out in February. She’s still enjoying the Maiden Lane books, and still has ideas for several of the characters.

Cecilia Grant (whose A Gentleman Undone is my current front-runner for best book of the year), reminded me that we met at a cocktail party at the 2010 conference in Orlando. I’m so glad I ended up liking her books. her next project is a novella out in December that is a prequel to the other two books.

Lynn and I headed over to the blogger bash after the book signing, and were able to meet several So Cal bloggers – they have a fun group here. And yes, we did discuss all the latest romancelandia controversies.

And you might ask, who is crazy enough to go back to Disneyland and ride the Matterhorn at 11:40 pm? Pretty much just me and a bunch of teenagers.