Day 3 of 12 Great Authors and Great Books - Brynn Paulin

On day 1 I talked about the first person I met at what was then the Grand Rapids Area Romance Writers of America. The second person I met was then president Brynn Paulin. At that time Brynn was writing feverishly (and still is) but was also giving her all to the organization. I remember my first retreat and Brynn spent more than 18 hours talking about writing a book and the various stages of a hero’s journey. I couldn’t believe how she had broken it all down and made it seem achievable, even easy. I took her method and finished my first book. I couldn’t have done it without Brynn’s easy step-by-step directions. Should I mention she did this all for free to help all the new writers in the group? Brynn always helped struggling writers with seminars and was often a speaker at meetings.

Brynn is a prolific writer and now a book editor. Her books have one rule: Always a happily ever after. I can guarantee all her characters have goals, motivation and conflict to keep you turning the pages. Check out her steamy romances at:
http://www.brynnpaulin.com/Brynn_Paulin_Home.html

I should also mention that I owe Brynn’s mother a huge depth for telling me to forget romance. I was taken aback at first but realized she was right. The mystery was primary and the romance secondary. I would have spent a lot of time spinning my wheels if it wasn’t for that honest evaluation of my manuscript.

Chicago's Spring Fling A Great Carer Move

Just returned from Chicago where I attended Spring Fling sponsored by the North Chicago Romance Writers of America. What was I doing at a Romance conference? Learning. I write mysteries but when I first started my first novel I thought it would be romance so many of my contacts and friends are romance writers.

I must say the North Chicago RWA group certainly knows how to put on an event. They had headliners, like the outrageous Cherry Adair who took pictures during several of her presentations to send to her husband at home and the humorous Julia Quinn, whose homespun humor was so easy to relate to. Of course there was lots of chocolate and great sessions on craft.

My favorite sessions was “Getting it Done” by Allie Pleiter (www.alliepleiter.com). She gave a very specific recipe for figuring out how long it takes to finish a book and keeping you on target every step of the way. Great job Allie. You have helped me so much (Today’s chunk: only 310).
Another good session was Sarah Wendel from Smart Bitches Trashy Books blog. She had great suggestions on keeping your name on the internet and top five lists for websites and to get noticed.

Another cool thing was the book signing on Saturday afternoon. By luck of the last names, I was able to sit next to Simone Elkeles who just made it on the New York Times Best Seller List. She was so gracious and a consummate marketer. Watching her with all the teens who were such fans was amazing. She is helping to create a whole new generation of readers!

Thanks Chicago North members who were very friendly and enjoyed each exchange. See you in 2012! Special thanks to my great friends at the Grand Rapids Region Writing Group who never allowed a dull moment. Thanks Kim, Cheryl, Mary, Cindy, and Andrea. You’re the best!