This was my FIRST RNA (Romantic Novelists Association) and my first writing conference event in a long time. It’s very easy as a writer to lock yourself away and hang out with your laptop and extensive notebook collection. I have been guilty of this so 2025 is about getting out of my cave.

Friday: I got the train from Newport to Birmingham. It was very hot and I prayed my deodorant lived up to its marketing promises. I did not need to be let down by my deodorant at my first event.

Met my local RNA Chapter on the train – The Cariad Chapter and we all travelled together which was nice. Got to Birmingham and we all stayed at the Premier Inn. It was so hot on Friday but this hotel room’s AIR CON was on top of its game.

I was invited to the Cariad Chapter’s meal on Friday evening which was nice. I wore a green jumpsuit to the meal and prayed my bladder would not get excited as jumpsuits are not easy to wriggle out of in the loo. The meal was a giggle, the food was lovely and it was nice to chat books. Luckily my bladder behaved itself and there was no sweaty wrestle in the loo.

Saturday

I started fan girling early and this was me with my author heroine – Sue Moorcroft near the coffee machines at breakfast.

Got to the event which was held at The Grand Hotel

Really beautiful venue and the pastries were fab.

Now…10 years ago I met this lovely blogger at a blogging event. The one and only Ritu from her fabulous blog which I follow. Look how young and fresh faced we are!

Here we are 10 years later at the RNA event and I got to sit next to her She has got younger so I was asking her for her eternal youth secret.

We sat next to author Laila Rafi who is lovely and we had a fantastic group exercise together.

It was such a beautiful room – look at that ceiling

Then I met another friendly face from 10 years ago – the legendary Shelley Wilson

Had a great chat with Shelley about all the things blogging has taught us for this world of romance writing.

The author below is Fiona Lucas and she’s a whiz on TikTok as well as writing fabulous books.

The WordPress blogging girlies had a selfie

I met two authors who are also with my current publisher Bloodhound Books. I should have got selfies but was too busy chatting. Hello Georgia Hill and Nicola Knight.

I met a fabulous author – Katy Summer who has an audiobook out and we had a giggle about writing spicy scenes.

I write with the door closed right now (no for me) however Katy has basically removed the door ( ) and I was asking her how I open my door

I also had a laugh with Coco Elliot about the same topic.

It was a fabulous event and the talks were so informative and funny.

My only regret – not enough selfies. Too much chatting!

It has inspired me to get writing

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