Back from Miami

What I'm reading: Final Jeopardy by Linda Fairstein

What I'm writing: cover letters for agents

Fun in the Sun in Miami was a good conference. Friday afternoon they opened with workshops and a booksellers' panel. Very interesting to compare the big chains with the small independents, and what works for each, not to mention how authors can help get noticed.

Workshops all day Saturday, although I had to miss a couple because of agent appointments. I met with three agents, and all requested at least a few chapters of Rescued Hearts (although I'm still working on a more compelling title. It was my first conference as a published author and although I still don't have anything in print to sign, I got to see my own promo materials on the tables.

I enjoyed the workshops on brainstorming and secondary characters, the latter especially since my characters seem to want their own books when I finish a manuscript. The agent/editor panel on Sunday morning gave a real wake-up call to how hard it is to make it in this business. There were 2 page cold reads and the agents gave their honest reactions to the works.

On a more personal note, my husband came along to make sure my birthday was special (he done good!). We also took the 'long way' down to the turnpike on the way home and marveled at how much has changed since we lived there. Of course, that was about 20 years ago, but the conference hotel was in an area of high rises that didn't exist when I used to hit the mall with the kids.