Tomorrow’s the last day of school around these Canadian parts, and I’m so excited to sleep in now and again, to hit up some new parks and hikes with my kids, and to spend some unfettered hours with my work-in-progress (which, given I’m in the middle of submissions, is getting ahead on writing Mackenzie and Andrew’s serial – I just wrote the auction scene, and I love it.)
But aside from the day-to-day glory of getting a break from teaching about Canadian history, three big things have had me marking off calendar days for a while now. I love travelling, and my upcoming trips have me jazzed about July and August.
3. Quadra Island, BC: My family’s lakeside cabin on the largest northern Gulf Island is the picture of idyllic (and the inspiration for a project my agent is shopping around at the moment.) Getting to spend a couple weeks of the year here never fails to provide rejuvenation and some solid family time. S’mores, swimming, and sunshine abound.
2. New York City: Aside from Vancouver (okay, and London and Paris), my favourite city to visit is hands-down New York. I love the architecture, the energy, the FOOD… My husband and I wear ourselves out on museums and historic walking tours all day, and then graze on deliciousness all night. (And breakfast, lunch, happy hour…) And as much as I adore my kids, I’m all over a child-free trip. We’re going to do a bike tour around Brooklyn this time, and I’ve been rereading a few Brooklyn-based romances so I can geek out, picturing some of my favourite characters in DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights. Also, I get to meet my Harlequin editor, Carly Silver, for the first time in person, and tour around the Harlequin offices! This whole published-author business is all feeling very real.
1. RWA NATIONAL IN DENVER!!
I promised myself that once I had a book in print, I’d make sure to attend the national Romance Writers’ of America conference, so making this happen is a big check off the goals list. And the fact I get to do it with my writing wife/critique partner-in-crime, DJ Holmes, makes it eight times better. I can’t wait for the networking (must remind self not to fan-girl too hard around favourite authors) and the learning, as well as some wine now and again.
So that’s my summer – what are you up to? Let me know in the comments, and if you’re coming to Denver, say hello!
~Laurel