My first time at a romance writer's conference, and I have to say, the Emerlad City Writers' Conference committee as well as their volunteers, hosted an outstanding conference. To the warm welcome at the registration desk to the talented speakers and workshops to the prizes, book fair, and bash--it was a roller-coaster ride of great learning and good fun.
I attended with three friends, two of whom attended a writing retreat at Hedgebrook with me earlier this year. I ran into two other friends: Nikki McCormack, who had a table at the Saturday book fair to sell her new book, Girl and the Clockwork Cat, and Liv Rancourt, who just published, Between The Sheets.
It was a great experience, I'd recommend it to other writers wanting to dip their toe into the romance genre, and I'm definitely going again next year. All the writers I met were so supportive and willing to give of their time and expertise. The venue, Westin Bellevue, too, was an excellent choice. They served us two good lunches and one delish dinner. The hotel is a great location with plenty of restaurants and good shopping nearby.
I brought home a dozen free books, all giveaways. What a great way to read some good romance and pick up some tips on how to write it better when it comes to my own work. Conferences are great for rejuvenation, for inspiration, and for the motivation to try something new or to inject some new life into your existing projects. The ECWC did all that for me and then some. Highly recommended.