My very first office in our Haddonfield, New Jersey Apartment Yes, this was how I spent my first advance– on a PC.  You’ll notice there’s no printer yet.  I still couldn’t afford one. But I tucked our breakfast set into the corner of our dining room and made shelves out of whatever I could find.  The fire escape was right outside that window, and in winter, it became my office fridge.

RWA 1990, San Francisco  — My first-ever RWA conference From left, buddies Lyn Gray (then prez of Kentucky Romance Writers, my home chapter), Teresa Medeiros (isn’t she cute?), me, and buddy Valerie Kirkwood (who wrote the best time travel ever, TORCH SONG).

My best friend went on a cruise, and all I got was a photo of waiters reading my book.

A glorious day, in spite of the weather. With great, great friends Barbara Samuel and Christie Ridgway on abeach in San Francisco in February 2000.  Other great, great friend Teresa Hill took the photo and I wish she was in it.  We’d gone to SFin part for a brainstorming retreat, and it ended up being one of the very best weekends I ever spent anywhere in my life.

At the STAR conference in Melbourne, FL inJanuary 2002 Can you spot the historical authors in the bevy of category and contemporary authors? From left, Julie Elizabeth Leto, Stephanie Bond, me, Karen Hawkins, Teresa Medeiros and Leanne Banks.

RWA 2003, New York City From left, buddies Christina Dodd, Susan Kay Law, Christie Ridgway and moi.

RWA 2003, New York City Arriving in style for a dinner cruise around New York Harbor are, from left, Rachel Gibson, Kayla Perrin, Cathy Maxwell, Christie Ridgway and me.

RWA -2003, The Lush Life. Yes, that’s me inside the stretch limo, and looking quite as if I’m inmy milieu, if I do say so myself. (That’s Cathy Maxwell and part of Christie Ridgway, too. Rachel Gibson and Kayla Perrin–with camera–were at the other end.)

RWA 2003, New York City On the dinner cruise, a really great group! Not to mention a wonderful time! Back, from left: Selena McElmore of Avon, Christie Ridgway, Kelly Harms of Avon, me. Front, from left: Dara Joy, Cathy Maxwell, Lucia Macro (our fabulous editor), Rachel Gibson and Kayla Perrin.