Monday, July 31, 2006

Monday evening updates

Updated updates :)
Check out the Cherry Forums where there are multiple boards on Writing Craft, Writing Life, Publishing, etc. And even a thread on the conference -- scroll down to the later posts to get to the actual conference stuff (so THAT'S where you guys have been gabbing!)

Anna Louise: 1 | 2
A Low Profile (updated from earlier)
The Bandwagon (updated from earlier)
Gena Showalter
Tanya's Tangents
Nephele Tempest

Updates from earlier this evening
Allison Brennan
Amanda Ramblings -- an astonishing list of requests
Being Bonnie Vanak
CJ Barry and Samanta Graves
Ecclesiastes 12:12
Jill Monroe
Margaret Daley
Megan Crane
Mel-O-Drama
Murder, She Writes
No rules. Just write.
Patti O'Shea
Pub Rants
Randy's Random Rants, Raves and Ramblings: 1 | 2 | 3 -- Nora SMOKES??
Risky Regencies
Romance Worth Killing For
Sasha White
Shanna's Journal
Squawk Radio (a gabillion photos in something like 6 new posts)
Tanya's Tangents
Write Minded
The Writing Playground

Lifetime Achievement Award

Gayle began her introduction to the Lifetime Achievement Award with a slideshow of Susan Elizabeth Phillips in costume and narrated the slides as if they were the true story of Susan's life with great drama.

"Susan was raised in a convent by nuns ..... escaped and taken in by a kindly minister .... the minister conceived a lust for Susan and took cruel advantage .... she escaped to Paris where she took up with a wealthy man ...."

Gayle Wilson

Nora marched up on stage and pretended to be exasperated by Gayle's melodramatic and patently false tale. (larger)

Nora Roberts Gayle Wilson

They milked it for all it was worth. :)

Nora Roberts Gayle Wilson

(larger)

Nora Roberts Gayle Wilson

(larger)

Nora Roberts Gayle Wilson

(larger)

Nora Roberts Gayle Wilson
(larger)

After a revised and truthful slideshow tracing the real life of SEP, Susan got up and gave one of her lovely and funny talks.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Presenters, winners, and more

God knows who did the voiceover, but his voice had all the iconic bombast of the Oscars announcers. Great fun. UPDATE via Laura Hayden in the comments: The voiceovers at the awards ceremony (the intros and the "Peachtree Road" parody) were done by Steve Meredith of MeWe Productions. He was the gentleman in the production booth calling all the production cues. (Thanks Laura!)

The mistress of ceremonies was Nora Roberts. The pic I took of her at this point was too horrendous, even for me, to post. She was funny, sexy, with the voice and presence of a 1920s chanteuse. They then switched to a movie made for the evening called "Fact or Fiction," which traced the evolution of stereotypes about romance authors, agents, editors, publishers and fans to their depiction in the movies.

The movie opened with cops racing to an old mansion where they discovered the body of an old stereotype floating in the pool.
Body of a dead stereotype

Then they showed clips from movies featuring writers including the much beloved and loudly cheered, Romancing The Stone
Romancing the Stone

And Paperback Hero (that's the back of Hugh Jackman's head, curse me!)
Paperback Hero

And now, without further ado, here are photos of the presenters and winners of the Golden Hearts and RITAs (I am sure I mixed up half of the photos, names, and categories, so please correct me, but be gentle :) )

GOLDEN HEARTS
P: presenter
W: winner

ABF: winner not present, accepted by friend
NPA: no picture available (or it's one of the mystery photos)

Best Short Contemporary Romance (P: Nina Bruhns, W: Yvonne Harris ABF Kathleen Long)
Nina Bruhns and .....

Best Long Contemporary Romance Manuscript (P: Gail Barrett W: Laurie Kellogg)
Gail Barrett

Laurie Kellogg

Missing pics of the paranormal presenter and winner for now, will post later (long story about me and my idiocy with cameras)

Best Inspirational Romance (P: Myra Johnson W: Lora Bale) larger pic

Myra Johnson Lora Bale


Best Short Historical Romance (P: Chris Merrill W: Christine Diehm NPA)
Chris Merrill

Best Long Historical Romance (P: Victoria Dahl W: Donna MacMeans)
Julie Ann Linker (?)

Donna MacMeans

Help me with the next bunch please.

Mystery Photo #1
Presenter for ????

Heather Koenig, winner of GH for Young Adult Romance
Presenter for ????

Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements (P: Gemma Halliday W: Kathleen Beaver)
Presenter for ????

GH Winner of?

Holli Bertram
Presenter for ????

Jo Robertson, winner of the GH Romantic Suspense categoryWinner

Best Contemporary Single Title Romance (P: Lorelle Marinello W: Donna Meier ABF/NPA)
Presenter

RITAs

Best Traditional Romance (P: Nicole Burnham W: Marion Lennox NPA?)
Nicole Burnham

Best Short Contemporary Romance Novel (P: Barbara McCauley W: Liz Fielding ABF/NPA)
IMG_0307

Best Long Contemporary Romance (P: Inglath Cooper W: Dianna Love Snell)
Inglath Cooper

Dianna Love Snell

Best Paranormal Romance (P: Lori Handeland W: Linnea Sinclair)
Lori Handeland

Linnea Sinclair

Best Inspirational Romance (P: Gayle Roper W: Beth Pattillo)
Gayle Roper

Beth Pattillo

Best Romantic Novella (P: Christie Ridway W: Alesia Holliday)
Christie Ridgway

Alesia with RITA

Best First Book (P: Susan Crandall W: Stephanie Feagan)
Susan Crandall

Stephanie Feagan

Best Regency Romance (P: Sophia Nash W: Diane Gaston)
Sophia Nash

Diane Gaston

Best Short Historical Romance (W: Christina Dodd P: Jodi Thomas)
Christina Dodd

(Jodi was also inducted into the RWA Hall of Fame for winning her third RITA in the same category)
Jodi Thomas

Best Long Historical Romance (P: Madeline Hunter W: Liz Carlyle NPA/NBF)
Madeline Hunter

Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements (P: Evelyn Vaughn W: Barbara Samuel)
Evelyn Vaughn

Barbara Samuel

Best Romantic Suspense (P: Linda Howard W: Nora Roberts w/a JD Robb)
Linda Howard

(Click on Nora pics for a little more commentary)
Nora Roberts writing as JD Robb

Nora Roberts writing as JD Robb 2

Best Contemporary Single Title (P: Jenny Crusie W: Susan Wiggs ABF)
Jenny Crusie

Awards ceremony

Mystery babe
Can you identify which Cherry sported a little rhinestone bling in an eyecatching place? The photos to be posted below will provide the answer to the careful eye.

One of the most beautiful dresses I saw at the awards. She even had an adorable 1920s type hairstyle, but of course my photos are cr*p.

Jennifer Evans in full splendor from the front.
Stylish babe from the front

From the back (the upside-down V at the bottom was sheer, very jazzy)
Stylish babe

Here is a shot of SOME of the 25 or more Cherries who gathered together for the awards ceremony. All looking babe-a-rific. From L-R: Marissa Cherry Bling(?)Molly Heidi Sue Kari and ?? (we talked a half dozen times, but my mind is a sieve)

Cherries!
Better size

The ballroom before they let us in, impossible to capture the sea of empty chairs.

Awards dinner

large | medium

Candace Havens who was nominated for a RITA for Best First Book in a very dramatic Romance Diva outfit. She was supernervous, poor thing. The man with her, whose name I did not catch, laughed uproariously at all my jokes. I felt tres witty. (He laughed just as hard at everyone else's quips too -- this is the kind of guy who could make a fortune for hire as a sitcom audience member.)
Candace Havens

Pat E. in a glittery blue confection
Pat E.

Brooke draped over a chair back and looking tres glam
Draped

larger size

Jill, Chandra, Cory, ForgetName, Beki in line for awards ceremony
Standing in line for awards ceremony

larger size

Heidi looking luminous
Luminous Heidi

The three women who were in the front of the line for the central doors to the award ceremony
Most on-the-ball women at National

Holly looking beauteous (and Katie's beautiful auburn hair)
Holly

Marge and Barbara
Marge and Barbara

Someone and Beki
Beki and .....

Cherries in a row (all told, there were about 25 of us in three rows)
Cherries in a row

One of my favoritest photos ... since I didn't manage to make Sue or Molly look orange or like recovering stroke victims
Sue and Molly

Jude: Hey Katie, can I take a picture of you in your gorgeous dress?
Katie: Sure, want me to stand up?
Jude: Okay, thanks . . . Hey Sue, I am trying to take a photo of Katie.
Sue (sqooshes closer to Katie)
Jude: Sue, get out of the photo! I have enough of you!
Sue: You want a piece of this?!
Jude (snaps photo)


Sue and Katie

Molly, Brooke and Chandra were snapping pics of each other, then laughing over the results (larger)
Molly Brooke Chandra

Brooke and Chandra were having a raucous good time in the back row of Cherries (larger)
Brooke Chandra

Trying to show the size of the crowd and failing (larger: 1 | 2)
One small portion of the crowd

One small portion of the crowd 2

Jill Cory Marissa in front, The Cherry visible in back with Anne Stuart (larger)
Jill Cory Marissa

Anne Stuart and The Cherry
The Cherry and Mystery Blonde

Sue, Chandra, passerby, Brooke
Sue, Chandra, passerby, Brooke

The first half of all rows in the center sections were reserved for nominees, their guests, and presenters (can you believe they did not admit Blogging National's ace photographer???)
Guardians at the gate

(I think that is all I have to post for this post; the next batch of photos will be in the above post of the presenters and winners)