Tuesday, July 29, 2008

And They're Off!



Okay, Bandita Buddies. This is it. The Big Ticket. Our Annual Event.

The Banditas have left the Lair.






For the next five days, if you're looking for us, you'll find us at the Romance Writers of America's Annual Conference in San Francisco. We'll be stalking agents & editors, hanging out with old friends at the bar, attending workshops, hanging out with new friends at the bar, stalking our favorite authors, hanging out with total strangers at the bar...

You get the idea. :-)

Hope we see some of you there! But if San Fran wasn't in your budget this year, keep visiting us here in the Lair this week. The Romance Bandits have your back. We have cameras & internet access, so check this page over the next couple of days for breaking news, interesting tidbits, the latest gossip & possibly some of the coolest shoes ever. (That'll make sense in a couple days, promise.)

And stay tuned also to RWA's website on Saturday night, where the winners of the Golden Heart & RITA awards will be posted in real time. Anna Campbell is a double RITA finalist, Susan Seyfarth is a double Golden Heart finalist & Kim Howe is a Golden Heart finalist. Our own Louisa Cornell has a horse in the Golden Heart race as well, so keep an eye on this site: www.rwanational.org

See you all when we get back!

23 comments:

jo robertson said...

Whoot! I got the rooster and I weren't even tryin'.

jo robertson said...

Don't forget that at this RWA Conference the winners of the Daphne du Maurier Award for suspense, both published and unpublished are announced. We have TWO Banditas in the running -- Nancy Northcott and KJ Howe!!

Yay!!!!!

I think the last of us Banditas are off Tuesday morning so we'll see ya'll in The City by the Bay!!!

Helen said...

Congrats Jo He may need to be warmed up it is freezing here in Australia still I can't believe how cold it is I am loving though.

I will be popping in all the time to get updates and I am really eager to hear about the shoes !!!

Again good luck to everyone

Have Fun
Helen

Nancy said...

Jo, quick! Lock him up! (and congratulations *g*)

Thanks for the Daphne nod. Just a few more days, and we'll know how all of this comes out.

Helen, do check back for that shoe thing. It promises to be major fun. I'm sorry your weather isn't starting to warm. Ours isn't starting to cool. I expect climate change shock when I step out of the airport in San Fran.

I should be in bed since I have to get up in a few hours. I'm so excited, though, and such a paranoid packer *g* that I don't know how much sleep I'll get.

Keep the lights on for us, y'all. Back soon.

Jane said...

Yay, Jo.

Good luck at the Golden Heart and RITA awards, Banditas.

Carol said...

Jo...better keep him locked up! he's getting a lot closer to SF. He'll want to give a presentation on bad boy heroes if he gets lose at the conference...

Meanwhile back here at the party in the lair..I'm whipping up some of these!

Blue Margarita
1 teaspoon coarse salt
4 ounces Tequilla
2 ounce Triple Sec
2 ouncees freshly squeezed lime juice
2 ounces blue Curacaco
2 teaspoons superfine sugar
2 1/4-inch slices star fruit for garnish
1 lime, cut into wedges

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Place Tequilla, Triple Sec, lime juice, blue Curacaco, and sugar in the shaker; shake hard for 30 seconds.
Fill the prepared glasses with ice cubes. Strain the margarita into the salt-rimmed margarita glasses. Garnish each with a slice of star fruit or a lime wedge.

NOTE: To create a salt-rimmed glass, take a lemon or lime wedge and rub the drinking surface of the glass so it is barely moist. Dip the edge of the glass into coarse or Kosher salt.
Makes 2 serving


http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beverage/BlueMargarita.htm

Bandita's enjoy the Conference and each others company!

Cheers Carol
(Ps have to figure out the html for links)

Gillian Layne said...

Have fun! Win lots of awards! Send us back bunches of pictures and lots of gossip! ;)

Carol, you make staying home a pleasure.....

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

So cool, I wish I could go, I would be crazy getting autographs and bankrupting myself.

Congrats on the GR Jo, try to keep him in so the Banditas can enjoy their trip instead of making sure the GR isn't practicing his covert operations.

Buffie said...

Raising a Blue Margarita to all those in the running for awards. CHEERS! Delicious recipe, Carol!

Christie Kelley said...

Carol, I told my husband about the pomagranate margaritas yesterday and he can't wait to try them. I think I'll make some on Friday when my mom gets in town.

Terri Osburn said...

I'm so excited!!! I leave VERY early tomorrow morning (from East Coast) and by the time I get to the hotel, I will have been running for 12 hours. And I'll still have at least another 8 to 10 hours to go. I'm going to be dead before Thursday!! LOL!

But it'll all be worth it. Can't wait to see the shoes and hang out in the bar and stalk the Banditas. See you all tomorrow!

Though it looks like the drinks around here are going to be even better.

Joan said...

Ok,.....I'm in the bar waiting {taps foot}

Seriously, I am starting to feel the force of the Banditas beginning to form....a force to be reckoned with. A force to be placated with margharitas. A force forming in the distance...no wait.
That's FOG!!!!

Can't wait to see my fellow Banditas and meet our BB's!

Now, off to knock manically at Bandita doors....

Joan said...

Oh, btw...for those BB's left in the lair remember...we've tagged teh cabana boys and they must be accounted for when we return...

I'm just sayin'

limecello said...

Bye Banditas! I hope you all have a fabulous time at the conference! And good luck for all those in the running!

Elyssa Papa said...

Have lots of fun in San Fran!!! Good luck to all the Banditas in their respective categories. I'll be checking that site to see who wins what.

pjpuppymom said...

Hope all of you in SF have a terrific time! We promise to clean up the lair before you come home.

Carol, that Blue Margarita sounds delilsh! I'll have to go whip something up in the kitchen to go along with it.

Did y'all notice that Joan said the cabana boys had to be accounted for when she returns but there was nothing said about what condition they're in? I'm thinking gently (or not so gently) used cabana boys would would still meet her rules, don't y'all agree?

...Rubbing my hands together and grinning with glee.

Terri Osburn said...

PJ - she didn't mention the gladiators at all. Or Sven for that matter.

Be gentle, ladies. LOL!

Helen said...

We are going to have so much fun with the Cabana Boys the Gladiaters and Sven, Carol is supplying us with wonderful maragita receipes, PJ is going to whip something up from the kitchen and we can celebrate all the awards that are won by the Bandits
Let the party begin

Have Fun
Helen

Pat Cochran said...

Hello to all,

Los Angeles is celebrating the arrival of the Banditas in CA, they
have had a 5.4 earthquake! They
really didn't have to go all out!
A mere 2.8 would have been enough
for this celebration! Just so it
doesn't go all the way to SF!!

Congrats Jo! Keep the GR close!
Blue Margaritas sound great- It's
Party Time!!

Pat Cochran

Carol said...

Pj...wonderful tidbits to go with our drinks...
oops...sorry that was a cabana boy!

(These guys are so inventive when let loose!!! slipping the tag...so to speak!lol)

Cheers Carol

Unknown said...

Have a great time ladies!!!

Christie Kelley said...

Joan didn't mention the gladiators because she knows they'll be at my house painting. Although, they were a little lax today and didn't get as much done as they should have.

Joan said...

Although, they were a little lax today and didn't get as much done as they should have.

Uh, Christie just don't bring out the whip to try and spur them on...you won't like them then...

Or maybe you would? :-)

All I have to say is Thank God I brought Demetrius with me!