Sourcebooks Casablanca Romance Authors

Enormous shout-out to all the authors who attended RWA Nationals this year and made it the BEST EVER! That includes our Sourcebooks authors, who are incredibly enthusiastic and full of energy. At our hosted signing, every single author ran out of books. We were thrilled to welcome some of our newest authors into the house at our author dinner, where the food was fabulous, the good cheer was flowing (and there was a conga line to prove it), and the ride back in Cinderella horse-drawn carriages was the highlight of a truly fabulous evening. We are grateful to all the bestselling authors who brought their wisdom, experience and valuable information to share with the entire community. And, we loved meeting aspiring authors who came to learn, to grow, and to perfect their craft. The Sourcebooks team had nonstop meetings with buyers, reviewers, agents, editors and industry professionals from around the globe, exploring innovative ways to connect ...

My youngest child turns 21 today. Which is no excuse for my forgetting that it's my turn to blog (oops). She's working in New York City and I won't get to see her on her special day. Bummer! But I am thinking of her. And not much else since my brain is still in a fog following the annual Romance Writer's of America conference. Elissa, then. Elissa, now. The sweet girl actually called me at her time of birth. "Hooray, I'm really 21!" And I remembered holding her for the first time all those years ago. And I remembered turning 21. It was the year I graduated from college. And got married. Same year. Which seems kind of crazy looking back, but it worked for me then. I'll celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary next year. For my daughter, it's also the year she will graduate from college-- and she wants to work in publishing! She's currently an editorial intern, a job she loves, and I hope she lands her dream job following her graduation....

Yesterday was a day of celebration for our authors! Romance Writers of America (RWA), the trade association for aspiring and published romance fiction authors, announced the finalists for the 2014 RITA ® Awards. The RITA — the highest award of distinction in romance fiction — recognizes excellence in published romance novels and novellas. Congrats to all our finalists! Darius by Grace Burrowes The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley The Bridesmaid by Julia London Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker We'll be cheering for you at the awards ceremony on July 26 at the 2014 RWA Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas.