RWAustralia Conference round-up

 By Cassandra Ssmuels

Greetings everyone, what a month it has been. I had the great pleasure to attend the annual Romance Writers of Australia conference in the picturesque Glenelg in Adelaide.

Fellow Blogger and Breathless member, Enisa Haines and I shared a room, and what an amazing view we had.

Friday night was the cocktail party and what fun that was. The theme was Trope Actually and I must say there were many runaway brides that night. Enisa went as a fortune teller complete with Crystal Ball, and I went as all the tropes - most of which fell off during the night. I got in a quick hug with Hugh Jackman, and enjoyed catching up with writing buddies, and finding out what they have been up to since last year.

Saturday was full of amazing workshops including a key speech from BJ Daniels - "It's never too late to reach your dream". Followed by 50 years of Mills and Boon where Enisa was asked, as a founding member of RWAust, to sit on the panel to discuss her long love affair with Mills and Boon books. She is second in from the left.

I then attended a wonderful workshop on "Success with a Series" by Anne Gracie which was timely as I have a series I am writing.

After a full day of workshops we swapped the jeans for frocks, and attended the HQ and Mills and Boon Gala awards dinner which was fabulous. Having been a bit of a contest addict in my early years, it was so nice to see up and coming authors winning and placing in the same contests. Special mention to one of my fave authors and friend on her Historical Ruby award - congratulations Amy Rose Bennett.

Sunday was again chocka-block full of workshops and key note speeches. "I Don't Just Write Kissing Books" by Elana Johnson was emotional and really made me think why I write what I do.

I didn't get to hear all of Christina Laurens key note, but I heard it was really good, and there were plenty of laughs.

Next year, the conference will be held in Wrest Point in Hobart Tasmania. So if you are interested, check out the RWAustralia website.

I love to love spending time with my writer friends at conference every year.

I love to laugh with my crit partners.

I love to learn  New things and ways of writing

Ain't Love Grand? Yes it is! RWAustralia Conference Round-Up.

By Cassandra Samuels

Is it that time of year again already? August is when RWAustralia has their annual Romance Writers Conference. This year in the picturesque Grand Stamford in Glenelg, Adelaide.

Photo by Cassandra Samuels

It's a time to nervously pitch that story to an agent or editor. To go to workshops and listen to keynote speakers and hopefully, have a light bulb moment or two. It's a great place to meeting old friends and make new ones.

We are very lucky here at Breathless in the Bush to have an inaugural member of RWAustralia as one of our own, Enisa.  Karen is also a member of this group and daughter of the founding member of RWAustrallia Lynne Wilding. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of Romance Writers Australia and how very far we have come from those very early days.


Enisa gave a wonderful speech at the opening of the conference about her friendship with Lynne and how RWAustralia came about. She used a quote from the movie Field of Dreams to express the the founding members hope for the organisation. "If we build it will they come?" The answer, of course, was YES!

Photo by Cassandra Samuels

The cocktail party was a fun event, made even more so by the fact that the First Sale Ribbons were given out this year. Both Karen M Davis and Marilyn Forsyth received a ribbon this year.

Photo by Cassandra Samuels

And I may have picked up a little something myself at the Awards Gala Dinner.

Photo by Cassandra Samuels

The conference keynote speakers were wonderful this year. Here are a few memorable quotes.

Michael Hauge

Photo by Enisa Haines

"You must elicit emotion in your reader"
"Stories at their core, are built on a simple foundation consisting of character, desire and Conflict."




Nikko and Jim McGoldrick

Photo by Cassandra Samuels

"To be a writer you need to be a glass half full type of person."
Nikko writes because, "It's the only time you can kidnap someone and it be legal.
Jim writes because, "In the fictional world we create, good can conquer evil."
Nikko writes because, "If I don't write my life is incomplete."
Jim writes beause, "I touch peoples lives and there is value in that."

Fiona McIntosh

Photo by Cassandra Samuels

Fiona made us laugh and think.
"A clear theme is crucial, especially for marketing."
"Where is the heartbeat of your story?"
"Fall in love with your male character and you'll be on the road to success."
"Write down your goals and then get on with it."
"Stop questioning the universe. The only way to find out if you're good enough is to do it."

One of the workshops that I really enjoyed was the, Honour and Honourable Quarrels - Dueling in the Age of Romance by Nic and Shay. What a comprehensive and informative workshop it was.

Photo by Cassandra Samuels

Love to Love - Catching up with all my author friends

Love to learn - About the business and craft of writing.

Love to Laugh - at the entertaining keynote speakers