I knew I was going to enjoy the Historical Novel Society Conference that took place in San Diego last weekend (June 17-19). Seriously, a whole weekend dedicated to historical fiction? What's not to like? What I didn't expect was how much I was going to *love* the HNS conference. There were so many amazing panels, so many great speakers, and some great mingling events.But far and away the best part of the weekend was connecting with so many people who share this same crazy passion for the past. Some I already knew, some I knew from social networks and was meeting for the first time, and some were just lovely people I had the privilege and pleasure of sitting next to during a dinner or breakfast or the book-signing, or chatting with while we stood in a line, or hanging out with in the hotel lobby, where we talked and laughed like kids at summer camp.
I was having such a great time, I rarely remembered to snap a picture, so there aren't many. But here are a few:
Michelle Cameron (The Fruit of her Hands) and I sharing a book-signing table Saturday afternoon.
Michelle Moran (Madame Tussaud, Nefertiti, Cleopatra's Daughter, The Heretic Queen) and I at Saturday book-signing
The Saturday night fashion Show of historic costumes. (My camera wasn't up to the task on this one. Trust me, these costumes were awesome.)
Michelle Cameron, Patricia O'Sullivan (Hope of Israel), and me at the Saturday banquet.
Elizabeth Kerri Mahon (Scandalous Women), Christy English (The Queen's Pawn, To Be Queen), Sherry Jones (Jewel of Medina), and, yeah, surprise, that's me again, basking in their loveliness.
Want to see the hotel where all the magic happened? Sure you do -- here it is: Holiday Inn San Diego On The Bay. And it really is. The water was just a stone's throw away...
The next Historical Novel Society conference will take place next year in London. If you're interested, details will be announced soon at http://www.historicalnovelsociety.org/conference.htm.
