Meet Our 2021 ROSACon Speakers: Harry Wallett

Harry Wallett is the Founder and Managing Director of Relay Publishing based in the UK. Combining his entrepreneurial background with a love of great stories, Harry founded Relay in 2013 as a fresh way to create and publish books. He oversees the creative direction of the company and works to develop an excellent collaborative environment for the Relay team to thrive within. When he isn’t drawing up Relay’s next title, he can be found on the basketball court or trying to catch up with Tamar’s ever-growing list of countries to visit.

Don't miss his presentation on Ghostwriting at ROSACon 2021! Book your tickets today! 

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Meet Our 2021 ROSACon Speakers: Therese Beharrie

 

Therese Beharrie is a South African romance author of several acclaimed novels, including her One Day to Forever series. She takes pride in writing diverse characters and settings, and her books are often recommended for their heart and banter. She lives in Cape Town with her husband, her inspiration for every hero, and two adorable baby boys. You can follow her on social media or visit her at theresebeharrie.com.

Don't miss her presentation Writing Category Romance at ROSACon 2021! Book your tickets today! 

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Meet Our 2021 ROSACon Speakers: Collette Merritt

 

Collette Merritt lives in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa with her husband, two daughters and two feline furbabies.

Collette is passionate about life, people and words, she divides her time between coaching work and writing, where she flirts with fantasy and fiction in her novels, indulging in unspoken secrets and embracing wanton fantasies … all before parents-teachers’ meetings.

Don't miss her presentation Self Care for Authors at ROSACon 2021! Book your tickets today! 

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Meet Our 2021 ROSACon Speakers: Ashleigh Giannoccaro

Bestselling author Ashleigh Giannoccaro writes edgy dark romance and erotic horror, self-published by choice she writes the stories others don’t dare. Currently residing in Johannesburg, South Africa with her two daughters and a menagerie of pets, Ashleigh enjoys writing stories that make you fall in love with the unlovable and leaves you asking questions. When not writing she can be found with her Kindle in a sunny spot reading or taking long walks to nowhere.

Don't miss her presentation BookTok for Authors at ROSACon 2021! Book your tickets today! 

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Meet Our 2021 ROSACon Speakers: Tamryn Iyer

 

Tamryn Iyer is a graduate in Social Sciences from Rhodes University. She’s experienced working as an intern at a rape crisis centre – handling social media and doing empowerment talks.

She worked as an English teacher (educational rockstar) in Vietnam and is part of the Global Shapers Community (a division of the World Economic Forum) and more specifically, the Durban Hub.

Her time and energy is devoted to her startup, Impact17. Impact17 is a startup that utilizes social media as a tool of empowerment and facilitator of social change. From helping an entrepreneur launch their brand through Instagram to working with organizations and giving them content direction, she enjoys the ever-changing interwebs and how we can make the best use of it!

She’s passionate about three fields: CULTURE, ENTREPRENEURSHIP and TRAVEL. 

Don't miss her presentation DIY Social Media for Authors at ROSACon 2021! Book your tickets today! 

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In Character - The First Kiss

 

Welcome to our first official In Character chat! We got together with a few ROSA members and their characters to find out about that all important romantic moment – their first kiss!

Our thanks to Tanya Wilde, Marianne Lomberg, and Peter Barker for letting us get a glimpse of their characters’ lives!

Tanya Wilde writes fun, sassy historical romances inspired to ignite your inner heroine. As we all know, every heroine deserves an adventure! You can find more characters like Ophelia at www.authortanyawilde.com

Marianne Lomberg published her debut novel, Through Your Eyes, in 2021 and hasn’t stopped smiling since. She writes stories about strong, imperfect women with exciting careers and deep longings who find the love we all deserve. You can find Marianne on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MarianneLombergAuthor

Peter Barker has been a member of ROSA for the past five years. He has served on the Executive committee as treasurer. His publications include Cupid Mislaid, a full-length romance novel, and has contributed three short stories to Flambé, A Silk Tie murder, and the Rooibos Baby, a mixed genre anthology that was put out by the Sharp Pencils Writers group. Peter embarked on a writing career after retiring as an accountant in the travel industry. He is married to Audrey.

Hello, I’m Lady Ophelia Thornton, heiress and only daughter of the Earl of Rhodes. By far, my most favorite pastime is to put skirt-sniffing fortune-hunters in their place. I never miss an opportunity to do so!

You can read about my attempts in Not Quite A Rogue.

 

Hi! I’m Akheela. Akheela Edwards. Evolutionary biologist in the sci-fi romance, Where The Light Rests, due for publication in 2022. As you read this, I’m on the moon. Yes. I just said that. I am part of the world’s first civilian mission to the rock that reflects our sun, spending my days studying the tardigrades, tiny, prehistoric animals, found trapped in the lunar ice. And my nights trying to reconcile myself to the fact that I live with a fucking humanoid robot butler who can see everything I do.

 

Hi Penelope, this must be a bit unusual for you, as a journalist. Usually you’re the one asking the questions. Now you’re answering them.

Yes, it does feel a bit strange. I was created in the imagination of Peter Barker or PG Barker as he calls himself. Peter used to work as a freelance journalist while still a high school and university student, so my life experiences are based on that. His genre is romantic suspense. This WIP is slightly different. He has me dealing with the subject of corruption which is quite endemic in this country.

Everyone has a very special, sometimes awkward, occasionally bittersweet first kiss memory. Let’s find out about Ophelia's, Akheela's and Penelope’s! 

My first kiss was, dare I say stolen, on the most trafficked street in London. I, for one, never saw it coming. Had I an inkling of that man’s intention, I’d have surely dashed for the Thames!

Then again, what can an unattached lady do at the callow age of twenty?

  

Peter doesn’t mention anything about my high school love life other than someone I had a crush on. In my back story there is David with whom I had an idyllic romantic relationship.

David was special to me. He was someone I fell deeply in love with. Unfortunately, once campus life was over, David went home to Livingstone in Zambia and I returned to the fictitious town, renamed Amagquma on the East Rand.

Wow, you jump right in, don’t you? It’s okay, Marianne warned me about this.  My first kiss was with the class hunk in 6th grade. His name was Patrick. He was tall and, well, I mean, he was sweet enough, but I only liked him because all the girls were supposed to. Susan kissed him, and so I had to, you know? I mean, my mom always told me the only way a girl with an afro was going to get the same things as the pretty, white girls, was by taking them. So during Shelley’s birthday party, while the movie was playing on the TV in her parents’ lounge. I just slid over to him on the couch and slapped my lips on his mouth. Then I froze, until he put me out of my misery by kissing me back. I mean, that’s the story of my life, really. Jumping in, then freezing and thinking shit.

The kiss wasn’t bad, I guess, as twelve-year-olds’ first kisses go. And I did end up living with a guy who looked a lot like Patrick. So, you know. Maybe he was more than just the boy I kissed because Susan did, after all.

 

That would be Harry Spencer, the rogue Earl of Avondale. By Jove! That jackanape kissed me on St. James Street in broad daylight! Had I not been disguised as a gentleman myself, I might have been thoroughly ruined! And therein lay the shock of it all. He kissed me while I was disguised as a man. Caught me quite off guard!

To this day, the tips of my fingers still go numb whenever I recall that scandalous scene. Though, between the two of us, who was more scandalous at the time, is still up for debate.

Although there can only ever be one very first kiss, every romantic relationship has a moment where you share your first kiss. Let’s explore your present romantic interests! 

I married that scoundrel Avondale. God forbid another reckless youth tries to steal a kiss. I’ve run out of places to hide the duelling pistols!

Any suggestions, dear reader?

 

His name is Geoff Brickhill. My boss sent me to interview the head of the Department of Health procurement division which had been set up in our little town. That person was in a meeting so I got passed on to Geoff who was an official there. I was blown away by his good looks as soon as I met him. He was very passionate about rooting out corruption, and that became the focus of our relationship at first.

After one of our meetings I asked him out of a date. That was something I’d never done before. He was impressed. He thought I was progressive and he liked that. I took him to a new restaurant and at the end of the date he walked me to my car, hugged me and kissed me as we were saying good night. I was surprised to find how electrifying his kiss was, particularly as I had been in a relationship before.

Avondale has been my only kissing partner. That’s not to say we don’t keep matters of the lips thrilling. These days, I have been fantasizing about kissing Avondale while riding atop a horse. I suspect, however, that for the position that I have in mind, I’d be wearing breaches again or drag my skirts above my knees. . .

Heavens, my cheeks suddenly feel quite hot! In any event, the likes of this scene ought not to be painted for the eyes of others! Not from my lips. Let us leave the details to the author.

 

Ugh. You had to go there. Fine. Tom. I kissed Tom. And no, not only because I’m a Star Trek fan and he has dimples and has the same name as Tom Paris from Voyager. Here’s the rub though: our kiss should have been perfect. It should have led to seriously good sex. Because maybe it’s the purified air, or maybe it’s the slightly lower air pressure out here, but orgasms are pretty intense. I was kinda looking forward to sharing one with someone else.

But I couldn’t do it with the bloody android staring at me. I couldn’t even focus enough to tell you if I enjoyed the kiss we’d been building up to for eight weeks when it finally happened.

And the fact that both Tom and the android looked at me as if I was the delusional one, and asked what worried me about a computer with a human shape being in the same room, when I was surrounded by computers while having sex on earth, didn’t warm me to either of them. Arseholes.

Would it be that I had more love interests to compare my husband’s ki—

“More what?”

“Harry? When did you arrive? Why are you glaring at me? Have you been hiding there the whole time?”

Forgive me, dear reader. I should have foreseen Avondale lurking in the shadows of this interview. He put on quite the sulk when I did not invite him to join me today. I’d not have gotten a word in otherwise!

As for the matter of more kissing partners . . . I’ll just leave that for your interpretation.

Not at present, no, but I do declare today has been a delight! Next time, I shall be sure to arrange for a more private setting. For now, I shall be off. A brooding male is waiting to be appeased. And what better way to soften one's spouse than by demanding wanton kisses!

 

YES! I’d like to be able to park the fucking robot butler in a deep, dark closet, preferably one where its energy cells would deplete totally. I never asked to be watched twenty four hours a bloody day!

…

Although. The thing is, my android understands me in a way I have never experienced with any human romantic partner. And no, we haven’t kissed. We can’t. It has sensors for a mouth. But in the middle of the night, when my demons wake me, its arms surrounding me and its solid, humming warmth behind my back makes me wish that we could. That someone who spends every moment of their existence working to understand me, could be human enough for me to be allowed to fall in love with them.

 

I have feminist sympathies and I felt quite proud of myself for initiating the first date. However deep down in my girly of girly heart, it would have been nicer if he had initiated the first date.

Geoff has made up for it. The hugs and kisses are coming at full tilt.

Now that you’ve met some of our ROSA members’ characters and learnt all about their first kiss experiences, share your thoughts in the comments and if you’re feeling brave, share your own experiences of first kisses! 

If you'd like to find out more about creating characters with sizzling chemistry, writing romance that leaves readers wanting more, and have an opportunity to network with industry professionals, join us at ROSACon 2021.

ROSACon 2020 Scholarships

Six days of bestselling authors from around the world, opportunities to pitch to international editors and agents, and a virtual cocktail party. What's not to love about ROSACon 2020?

Well maybe that price tag, especially if you've been hit hard by pandemic-related financial stress. But don't despair, because ROSA is offering a whole lot of scholarship opportunities.

Ikhwezi Scholarships

Several of our guest speakers have donated their speaker fees to create a scholarship for writers from disadvantaged communities. Four full scholarships to attend the conference will be offered. To apply, please send a motivation letter to conference@romancewriters.co.za. The motivation letter should include a little about you, why you want to attend the conference, and any past writing experience you have, to help us understand your situation. 

Applicants should be: 

• Actively pursuing a writing career 
• Familiar with and interested in the romance genre 
• At least 18 years of age 
• From a marginalised or historically disadvantaged community

Partial Scholarships for Members 

Ten partial scholarships will be offered to ROSA members in need of financial assistance. These scholarships will cover one week day and one weekend day per member. To apply, please email a motivation letter to conference@romancewriters.co.za.

Conference Report from Lydia Gittens

Our final post on ROSACon2019 is from one of this year's scholarship recipients, Lydia Gittens. Thank you Lydia for sharing your experience with us!

* * *

A mere two and a half weeks have passed since the Rosa conference and I am still on cloud nine. Ask my poor colleagues they will confirm this.

My personal highlight? Everything. Okay I know that’s a bit of a cop-out. So let’s start at the beginning. The venue was beautiful. I felt like a Cinderella stepping into the prince’s castle. The food and snacks were fantastic.

The goody bag ROSA gave us was like having Christmas in September. The books are great and the treats ... need I say more.

But in all honesty it was the people that made this conference the success that it was. I want to start with my fellow conference goers. You guys are great. As a newbie I learned so much just from our informal chats around tea-times and mealtimes. Being able to network and just getting the nitty gritty (the do’s and don’ts) from those that have walked the hard and often lonely road to publishing a novel. Thank you for your willingness to share your journey with me and for the encouragement and warnings you gave me.

Moving on to the presentations: I can’t single out any presenters they were all very professional, interesting and loads of fun. I learned about things I knew nothing about. Such as: The challenging world of self-publishing. What it means to have an agent and how to obtain one. How to use social media effectively? To name just a few. The presentations literally covered most of the topics I as a newbie wanted to learn about.

I want to give a BIG shout out and a big THANK YOU to everyone at ROSA for gifting me with the scholarship. Making it possible for me to attend a conference that I know has and will impact my writing career from now and into the future.

Lydia Gittens
7 October 2019
(PS Watch out for my name thanks to ROSA CON 2019 you just might see it in the print)

Conference report from Alissa Baxter

Today's post is from long-time ROSA member and ROSACon veteran Alissa Baxter.

* * * 

I attended this year’s ROSA conference this year, and I found the range of topics that were presented very interesting. I particularly enjoyed listening to Whitney Ross give us an insider’s view into traditional publishing in the United States.

Whitney represents middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction across all genres, including historical, science fiction and fantasy, romance, and contemporary fiction.

She joined the Irene Goodman agency in 2018, and before that she worked as an editor at Macmillan for nearly ten years, so she is uniquely qualified to give authors an insight into the mysterious world of traditional publishing.

I was very interested to learn about how many imprints the big publishers have. It can be overwhelming to know where to start looking for a publisher, especially when there are so many imprints in each house. Literary agents act as the gatekeepers of the traditional publishing houses, and therefore, if you wish to go the traditional publishing route, it is important to know how to set about finding an agent who is the right fit for you.

Whitney gave us some great tips on how to write a good query letter, and she explained the role of an agent in terms of the business side of publishing. She also warned us about agents who might not be what they seem (“schmagents”), and she showed us examples of query letters which grabbed her attention, and those that didn’t.

It was a fascinating talk, and it demystified the role of literary agents and exactly what it is that they do for authors. Some agents have more of an editorial focus (Whitney is an editorial agent), but all agents bring a unique set of skills to the table, and it’s important to find one that is a good fit for you – that’s if you decide to go the traditional publishing route. If you would prefer to go it alone, self-publishing allows you to manage the entire publishing process yourself, but that’s the topic of another blog post entirely – and I’m sure someone will be writing a post about Ashleigh Giannoccaro’s fascinating talk about this topic.

Whitney Ross - image courtesy of Suzanne Jefferies

#ROSACon2019 – FOMO

Guest post from Cliffordene Norton. 

* * * 

I rarely experience FOMO (fear of missing out), I am more a JOMO (joy of missing out) kind of girl.

I have a bit of a tradition around this time of the year. I start to get out all my goodie bags from previous ROSA conferences, I reread some books, look and buy the latest books for my favorite authors. I go through all my former notes and I hype myself up – hoping that the conference doesn’t disappoint.

It never does.

The minute I’ve registered at the conference, it feels like the first time I attended ROSA. Equal measures nerves and excitement, happy to be surrounded by a tribe of romance lovers and inspired (and proud) by what my fellow attendees have accomplished in a year.

On Monday, 16 September, I spoke to Didi Potgieter and she said she was preparing for #ROSACon2019 and whoa, for the first time I experienced FOMO.

Yes, I will follow the conference on social media. Yes, I could google all the topics these women talk about. Yes, I will read blog posts afterward – but it won’t be the same.

I won’t see everyone’s sincerity. I won’t listen to Rae Rivers voicing my (and I suspect everyone else’s) fears in a manner that makes them more manageable and carries me through the last stretch of 2019. I won’t experience Elsa Winckler and Marie Dry’s warmth when they speak to me. Or Romy Sommer’s genuine pleasure that everyone is enjoying the conference, even though she is running on little to no sleep.

I am experiencing real FOMO and the one benefit it has had; is that it has given me a kick under the butt. Because I want to be there next year and it should be with a manuscript!
Enjoy everyone!

5 Reasons to love ROSACon

Today's guest post is from Anthony Ehlers, who has not only attended every ROSA conference to date, but has been a guest speaker at almost all of them too.

* * *

This year, we celebrated five years of our ROSA Conference and, as usual, it was a success. To mark this milestone event, here are five reaons you’ll love ROSACon if you’re a romance writer.

① You’ll network. Every writer at the conference is at a different stage of their journey – some are multi-published, others just starting out. Everyone has different skills, contacts and insights. It’s a great place to meet people who will support you – and where you can support others.

② You’ll stay ahead of trends. The conference is a great place to know what trends are coming up in English and Afrikaans publishing – discover what agents and editors are looking for and what self published and independent authors are doing to write, market and sell their books.

③ You’ll learn. From learning more about the craft of writing to the business side of being a writer, from the pyshcology of staying positive and motivated to the insights you gain from how other writers work and live, ROSACon has it all.

④ You’ll experience fellowship. It’s always good to go back and be part of one’s “tribe” – and ROSA is about meeting up with people who don’t share your interest but your passion for love stories.

⑤ You’ll be (very) inspired. Writing isn’t easy – it’s often lonely and hard work. But we do it because we absolutley love telling stories. It’s always inspiring to see other writers living their dreams – some of it is sweat, no doubt, but most of it is pure glow!

Don’t miss next year’s ROSA Conference – you’ll fall in love with the love of romance writing (for the first time, or all over again!)

Peter Barker on #ROSACon2018

Today's post is a guest post from author Peter Barker on his experience at the ROSACon 2018 conference held in Johannesburg in September.

* * *

When I signed up for the 2018 ROSA conference I was a bit apprehensive that I would be hearing a lot of the same stuff again. This was the third conference that I have attended and the second one where I have attended the entire conference. My apprehensions were set aside. I discovered that there is always more to learn.

What did I learn? Where there were concurrent sessions I of course did not attend the alternate presentations. I left the conference a great deal wiser on:-

• Portraying Emotional conflict in writing
• The wonders of an internet product called Wattpad
• The market for Christian and other inspirational literature
• The legal and business side of writing
• Goal setting
• The latest and greatest in writing trends
• The status of marketing books in SA and abroad
• How to write a synopsis
• The secrets of market related copy writing
• Overcoming self defeating behaviours
• What to do with difficult heroes
• Advertising on the Internet

Those of you who couldn’t make it this year, see what you missed! Don’t make the same mistake next year. Be there!!

What I also appreciate about attending the conferences is the opportunity to talk about writing with like minded people. When I get excited about an aspect of writing around the dinner table at home I notice eyes rolling and yawns being stifled. It was wonderful to sit down at meal times at the conference and at the banquet and have a really good in depth discussion about our beloved craft.

Jayne Bauling on #ROSACon2018

Today's post is a guest post from author Jayne Bauling on her experience at our recent ROSACon 2018 conference for romance writers in Johannesburg.

* * *

Closing the laptop and hanging out with other writers for a couple of days at festivals, fairs or conferences is always a pleasure. Of the seven book and/or writing events I’ve attended this year, ROSACon 2018 is in the top three for excellent organisation, so congratulations to Romy and her team. I love it when things run smoothly.

The other six were ‘work’, so the ROSA conference was a treat I decided to give myself, where I had nothing to do except listen to other people being informative and entertaining. I came home feeling updated and in touch – and so refreshed.

Melrose Place was the ideal venue, a comfortable and relaxing setting. The programme was well-balanced, with a stimulating variety of speakers and topics. There really was something for everyone, and sometimes something new: for example, I read very little paranormal fiction, romantic or otherwise, and will never attempt to write it (wait, never say never), but Sharonlee Holder’s session on Writing Paranormal was so much fun.

Sharonlee Holder's session on Writing Paranormal

There wasn’t a single session I didn’t enjoy and benefit from, out of those I attended. Thank you, everyone!

Something that struck me repeatedly was how supportive of each other all the ROSA writers were, published and yet-to-be alike. That’s something I appreciate about the South African writing community generally, but it was especially evident at the ROSA conference.

Thank you again, everyone, and congratulations to the Imbali and Strelitzia winners and finalists. Oh, and the goodie bags were amazingly generous!

Some of the goodie bag goodies

ROSA's 2017 Award Winners

On the evening of Saturday 21 October, at the ROSA gala dinner in Johannesburg, winners were announced for the various contests run by ROSA this year.

Conference Scene Contest

The first prizes awarded were for the Conference Scene Contest. This is a contest open exclusively to delegates attending the annual conference, and this year's theme was That One Night. We received seven entries. One entry, a scene from Rae Rivers' book Declan, received an honorable mention for its excellent and engaging writing, however since this book has been professionally edited, I decided to take that out of the running.

Which left three entries that were not only well written, but also matched the theme requirement. The prize was therefore split two ways, and a third prize, donated by Tule Publishing, was also awarded. The winners, in no particular order, were Elaine Dodge, Cliffordene Norton and Gene Mathey.

Strelitzia Award

We then announced the winner of the inaugural Strelitzia Award. This contest, open to unpublished authors, received seven entries. One entry stood out head and shoulders above the rest, and the judges were unanimous in their decision.

The winner was announced as Melissa Volker, for her complete novel Shadow Flicker. As Melissa was unable to be present, the award was accepted on her behalf by last year's winner, Suzanne Jefferies. We wish Melissa the best of luck and hope she has great success with Shadow Flicker.

In the coming weeks, ROSA will be announcing the revised guidelines for next year's Strelitzia Award, as well as feedback from this year's judges to help aspiring authors prepare their entries - so watch this space!

Imbali Award - Afrikaans

The other award making its debut this year, was the Imbali Award for best Afrikaans romance novel by a South African author, published between January and December 2016. We received eight entries for this category, all of which were of a very high standard.

The winners were announced as:
Winner - Sophia Kapp for her novel Moelikheid met 'n Meermin
Runner-up - Dina Botha for her novel Vind Mekaar

As Sophia Kapp was unable to be present, the award was accepted on her behalf by ROSA's outgoing Deputy Chairperson, Rebecca Crowley.

We were also very honoured to have several of the Afrikaans Imbali judges present at the gala dinner and prize giving. The Afrikaans judges' support was incredible!

Imbali Award - English

The final award to be presented was the Imbali Award for best English romance novel by a South African author, published between January and December 2016. We received nine entries in this category, some traditionally published and some self-published.

The winners were announced as:
Winner - Rae Rivers for her novel Ethan
Runner-up - Natasha Anders for her novel A Ruthless Proposition

Rae accepted her award and made a short but heartfelt acceptance speech.

Check back here on this blog in coming weeks for tips from the judges as well as the announcement of next year's contests.

Top three things I learnt at ROSACon 2017 by Suzanne Jefferies

Do you think you might have missed something important from ROSACon 2017? You know, because it’s two whole days of talks and workshops with romance writers, editors, agents and publishers? Because it’s all about romance writing? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

The top three things I learnt at ROSACon2017

1. An imposter lies in all of us (see what I did there?)

Rae Rivers spoke about imposter syndrome
and was the Imbali Award winner

He/she/it lies about your ability, your talent, your ideas, just about everything. It will tell you that you can’t write, shouldn’t write, have no right to write. Your imposter is a lousy, stinking, lying toad, catching your insecurities like flies and belching them back to you. Chain him up, banish him back to the river, or regard his remarks with the disdain they deserve. Even Neil Armstrong feels like an imposter. Neil Armstrong. His toad’s a total dick.

2. Writing is a journey more fraught with pitfalls than an episode of Stranger Things.

Just when you think you’ve got it worked out and you’re on track, something will turn everything upside-down. Contracts get axed, publishers disappear, agents mushroom up with promises of fairy lights and otherworldly reach, and you’re left trying to figure out if this isn’t perhaps some sort of conspiracy. Do we stop writing? No. Do we stop trying? No. Do you put on your boots and confront the demagorgon, sorry, challenges? Hell to the yes. Think of it as a curiosity voyage, and writing as the paddles (with apologies to the Duffers).

3. Heeltyd heeltyd speeltyd.

Looking to write for the US market? They’re looking for hard bodies and hot story lines. But writing sexy scenes requires a few glasses of wine, and a euphemism-free vocabulary. Here are some words you might want to consider editing out of your dicktionary: love muscle, throbbing member, cruise missile, hot meat injection, love sword, eight inches of blunt fury or deep-veined purple-helmeted Spartan of love. Just a suggestion…don’t take my word for it.

Did I say top three? There were about twenty four thousand five hundred and a million other things I learnt. Roll on, ROSACon 2018.

- Suzanne Jefferies is a ROSA committee member and fellow author, read about her here.

If you did miss out on RosaCon 2017, don't forget that the Western Cape Writers' Retreat will be taking place 3 - 4 March 2018. Email: romy@romancewriters.co.za

Elaine Pillay shares...'What I gained from the ROSA Conference'

                              

It was with a heavy heart that I attended the ROSA Conference this year. Not for any other reason but that I felt as though my own book that was published was not seeing the light of day or not being read by the audience it was intended for.

Nevertheless, Romy Sommer had asked me to speak at the conference and so I attended. Boy, was I glad that I did, at the end of it.

I learnt so much from the writers who presented that day. I was in awe of the women who presented. They were so in charge of their dream and their craft. So in sync with what they were doing. At that point I almost wished one could bottle and buy that kind of energy at the conference.

Image credit: Joanne Macgregor.com

Joanne Macgregor (Author of so many books, her latest being “Rebel”) was up first and she had a lot to say. Joanne is eloquent and very matter of fact about her experiences and her job. I am an introvert by nature and as such the thought of marketing my book has always been a daunting task which would explain why my target market had never seen it. I wanted to write a book that would sell itself. That, I learnt, does not happen. Joanne talked about how, if you wanted to sell your book, then you need not take yourself so seriously. “Get over yourself,” she said, “if you want to sell your book.”

She mentioned how if one was ever serious about being a writer, then one had to have a website. That too was something that I didn’t want to do. Not sure why but possibly the introverted thing rearing its ugly head again.

I love writing and I have always believed that all one did was write in a tiny room with a beautiful view. That’s the picture I’ve always had in my head. Me writing in a small room with the view of a lake and there’s a steaming mug of coffee next to me. Quiet moments. Silent reveries. Not the website and the hustling at conferences and standing with the mic. Those things terrify me.

But now here was Joanne with her business like attitude about books and writing telling me everything I didn’t want to hear about writing. Speak. Turn up at writer events. Hustle, hustle, hustle. At the end of the talk I watched her pack up, toss her hair and walk out of the venue to have a cup of coffee.

Lord, let me be like her, I said silently.

Next up was Rae Rivers, Harper Impulse Author of “The Keepers” series. Rae is quieter but by no means less of a powerhouse. Rae woke me up in a different way. Due to my not knowing how the sales of my book were going, I refused to write. Not refused out loud but in my manner toward writing. I hadn’t written in over a year. I had many excuses why not, ‘tired’ featured most prominently, together with, ‘I need to re-decorate the study’. I avoided the study at all costs and just went in to usher the dogs out whenever they managed to wander in.

Rae spoke of the fear of writing. At first I thought good gracious me, whoever would suffer from that? But as she spoke in her quiet, convincing way, I thought of how that was applicable to me. I was afraid to write because in my mind, writing a book and getting it published wasn’t everything I had dreamed it to be. In fact, up until then, it had turned out to be the biggest waste of time. An indulgence. But Rae made a lot of sense. She related her experiences to the topic and suddenly it all made sense.

There are very few people in the world insane enough to have the illusive dream of being a writer, there are an even smaller number of us who dare to believe that we can make a living of it. And because we are so far and few very rarely do we meet to discuss the psyche of writing and therefore many times we suffer the “evils” of writing in solitary confinement.

Attending the conference was fruitful for me because two things happened: Unbeknownst to both of them, Rae diagnosed my writing illness and Joanne kicked me into action.

I took what Joanne said to heart, not because of what she said but because of how she said it. Joanne has an incredible vibe. When she speaks, she is books. She is her business and somehow, she made me believe that I was my business too.

After returning from the conference, I started up my website. As difficult as it was to do, I realised that if I hid, then my book was hidden too. I had to come out in public and show who I was and what I do. I also realised that I was the only person who could sell my book. I knew what I wrote and why I wrote it. Joanne Macgregor made me see that if I wanted to be taken seriously, then I had to be serious about what I did.

Thanks to Rae Rivers, I also started writing again. Not in front of a lake or in a newly decorated study.  Rae’s talk unblocked the sludge of excuses. Rae quietly smacked that sludge off me. My self-worth as a writer wasn’t based on the royalties I received or the accolades I got for the book. It was based on what I believed my purpose was. On what I decided my life would be about. It is and always has been that writing is who I am. It is what I was born to do.

So, should you attend the conference next year?
My question is, how can you afford not to be in a room with dynamic people who understand the insanity of your dream?

Elaine Pillay

Carlyle Labuschagne on Branding for the Brave

Image credit: Marie Dry

At ROSACon2016, successful local YA author Carlyle Labuschagne presented a talk on Branding for the Brave.

She opened the session with an exercise, getting us all to think about our own brands: what is the end result we desire from our branding? What are our core values? Who are our role models, and why?
Only once we have a grip on who we are, and what we stand for, can we establish our author brand.

Carlyle shared some excellent advice for author branding:

• offer value to your readers
• Put out a clear, simple message
• Be consistent across all media and platforms

She also shared concrete, specific tips on how to run giveaways and contests, use graphics and teasers, and how to use social media features such as Teaser Tuesday. She recommended collaborations between authors and bloggers as a great way to spread awareness of our brands.

But perhaps the most valuable piece of advice she shared was that authors must show passion for their own brands. If you are not enthusiastic and excited about your own work, and your own brand, how can you expect anyone else to be?

#ROSACon2016: Inspiration to be an authorpreneur

Walking into a room of women with impressive writing CVs can be both intimidating and inspirational. This was my experience when I attended the second day of the ROSA Conference 2016.

From my very first moment I was astounded with the amazing sisterhood, but business-minded attitude that existed between these writers. 

Though I was there because I’m an aspiring writer, it felt like hanging out with your tribe – while still learning by being in the company of Romy Sommer, Joss Wood, Joanne MacGregor, Rae Rivers and Rebecca Crowley.

Joss Wood’s workshop gave me ideas and inspiration for all the books I haven’t written. (I mean, just being in her presence makes you create heroines for you books: Both sassy, fun, strong and kind – Joss is the heroine we aspire to write and be). Romy’s showed me where to looked for research for your book and how small details make your story seem more believable. It was also during Romy’s session that I realized how research and using all research tools makes your characters more real to yourself and how it can translate to the page.

Joanne MacGregor intimidated the living daylights out of me, but boeta, the woman inspired me to become an authorpreneur.

To be a writer is viewed as a creative process. You are an artist who creates a world out of twenty six letters. But the writers at the ROSACon 2016 showed me they are also business women.

In the words of Joanne MacGregor: “If you want to be a traditional torture writer selling no copies, then write in that dark corner. But if you want to be selling author, you have to hustle!”

And hustle I shall!

This rang true to me because writers of romance have to juggle a lot of different roles, while receiving a huge amount of disrespect from the literary community. Yes, these writers create a great product, but they are also the marketers, their own CEO’s and their own financial managers. All the while working other jobs - and the proof is in the sales, because romance sells!   

Rae Rivers’s talk about fear, was especially touching and it’s a workshop every writer should attend, because the fear of failure is universal. To control your fear is a great accomplishment and Rae gave easy, useful guidelines on how to turn your fear-enemy into a trusted ally.  

I walked out of ROSACon 2016 wishing it was a week long and feeling inspired, but more than that my whole perception of writing changed.

Cliffordene was also the winner of the Three's Company writing conference contest this year.