No Stampede Required

As RWA's National Conference looms on the horizon, I've been having recurring nightmares about fondly remembering some of the remarkable behavior I witnessed during the three I attended. You never realize just how charming and endearing your own gender can be until you assemble two thousand of them under the same hotel roof with only three working elevators.

Aside from the grabfests in the goodie room, the con committee deadbolting the press room, and the impromptu booze-soaked cirque du soleil every night in and around the hotel bar, I think the stampede to get to the tables at the guest speaker luncheon was always the defining moment of the conference. Seriously, you have not lived until you've watched hundreds of grown women run and dodge and tussle with each other in an insane version of musical chairs as they try to grab the most desirable gratis hardcovers and paperbacks set out on the seats.

Being a handicapped person caught in that, well . . . you know that running of the bulls thing they do in Spain? This is scarier.

Still, I wanted to do a little personal tribute to RWA and everything I remember about going to their enormous con, so when I saw this today at the book store I thought "Ah, perfect."



For a chance to win a copy of what I predict will be the most desired and fought-over hardcover at RWA National (no stampede required) in comments to this post name the title of a book to be published in the near future that you are anticipating most (or if you're not waiting on anything to hit the shelves yet, just toss your name in the hat) by midnight EST tonight, Wednesday, July 8, 2009. I will draw four names at random from everyone who participates and send the winners an unsigned hardcover copy of Burn by Linda Howard. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.