Yes, LAST Thursday. I’m finally getting around to blogging about my crazy couple of days.

Thanks to everyone who sent me RITA® congrats the past few days. I have to say, Thursday was one of those whirlwind days that will live in my mind forever. Most days I get up, throw on sweats, write, take care of kids, write some more. Being an author isn’t the glamorous lifestyle most people think it is, but Thursday was that day for me.

It started at 8:15 in the morning when the phone rang. I was in bed, watching the Today Show, drinking my tea, ignoring my kids because it was spring break and no one had to be up and out of the house anywhere early. The only people who call me in the morning are my mother (who was out of town) and my running partner (who was also out of town). But I still didn’t expect anything. I mean, odds were good the call was for my hubby, not me. Even when my man handed me the phone and said “It’s for you,” I still didn’t expect anything. And then I heard the news – STOLEN FURY was nominated in the RITA® for Best First Book. After nodding a lot (which poor Terri Brisbin with RWA couldn’t see on the other end of the line), I hung up, quickly explained to the DH what the call was about, then flew downstairs to find my cell phone and call my CP.

By the time I got off the phone with Joan, I had to be up and moving because I was scheduled to speak at the Public Librarians Association Conference in Portland, OR later that day. I sent off a couple of quick emails – to my agent, to my editor, to my close friends – and twittered. (Who could forget that?) Then I jumped in the shower and gathered all my stuff to take up with me to Portland. I was just about to walk out the door around 10:30 when I got the second call. This time when the caller said, “I’m with RWA,” I about fell over. I don’t remember the caller’s name. Don’t remember what I said. I do remember shaking just a little when I found out STOLEN FURY was also nominated for Romantic Suspense, but that was about it.

An hour later I was sitting in the RWA booth at PLA signing copies of STOLEN SEDUCTION and still trying to absorb it all. Allison Kelley and Stephanie Fry (“womanning” the RWA booth) were very sweet and excited when they heard my RITA news – they didn’t have wifi in the booth and hadn’t seen the final lists. I think they told just about everyone who came up to the booth that I was a double RITA nominee.

After my signing, I caught lunch with fellow author (and 2007 GHer) Kristina McMorris where we celebrated with wine and chit chat. Then it was back to the Convention Center for my 4pm workshop, What’s Love Got To Do With It? put together by John Charles of Booklist/Chicago Tribune and fellow authors, Christina Dodd, Elizabeth Boyle & Niki Burnham.

The panel went better than expected and we had a full room. A great recap of the presentation can be found here. My editor arrived right before the workshop panel and was as excited about the RITA noms as I was. And little did I know, my husband snuck into the back of the room and listened to the presentation as well. Afterwards, we had a group signing event where I went through another case of STOLEN SEDUCTION and then all of us went out to dinner at The Portland City Grill.

The day is still a blur in my mind, but the excitement hasn’t diminished at all. I have to thank John Charles for putting together a wonderful workshop and inviting me to participate. And also for announcing my RITA news to everyone in the room. I remember my very first RWA conference, in Reno in 2005. I sat in the back of the Hilton amphitheatre with a smile on my face as I watched the RITA/GH® Awards ceremony and I thought, “Someday I want to be there.” I really had no idea it would happen quite so soon.

I didn’t get a chance to see the full list of nominees until nearly 11pm that night when I got home, but I have to send a big shout out to my fellow Dorchester authors who were also nominated for a RITA® – Gemma Halliday, Alissa Johnson, Marjorie Liu & Joy Nash. I’ll be cheering for you all in Nashville! And to my 007 Bond Girls up for RITAs as well – Carla Capshaw, Beth Andrews, Deb Marlowe & Bronwyn Parry. You ladies rock!

And to my 007 Bond sisters up for the Golden Heart again – Kimberley Howe, Laura Graham Booth, Maureen McGowan, Elizabeth Stock, Donnell Ann Bell & Shelley Coriell. Can’t wait to see you all at RWA!

And finally, a GREAT BIG shout out to my dear friend Kendra Elliot, who finaled in the Romantic Suspense Category of the GH. Squee! I’m so excited for you, Kendra!

Things are pretty much back to normal here at my house. The kids don’t care about my big news, and I’m back to working on TEMPTED. Next up on my to-do list though…finding a killer dress for the awards ceremony. I’m thinking orange. What do you think?