Death of a Chapter and New Beginnings by Suzanne Rossi

Hi everyone.

I normally try to keep my blog posts upbeat, but today that isn't going to happen. I'm angry and sad. You see, as of September 1st, my RWA chapter, River City Romance Writers, disbanded. Our chapter number was #23. That's right--23--which means it had been around for a lot of years. For the past year, we tried to keep things going, but to no avail.

I've been a member since 2008. Even though I lived in Florida, I knew that eventually I would return to the city I called home. We have family here and there was always something about the Memphis vibe that appealed to us. We moved back in September of 2016.

Long distance membership can put you at a disadvantage regarding personalities and the month to month workings of the meetings. Our chapter information loop was taken down about four years ago, so any negative news often didn't filter down to me.

I should have known something was wrong when our once highly esteemed contest, Duel on the Delta, folded in 2015. The explanation was it was too hard to find judges. This I believed. I always volunteered to judge. It was my way of giving to the chapter because I couldn't attend meetings. That last year, I had sixteen entries to judge covering numerous sub-genres.

I could tell by the rosters I received that our numbers were steadily declining. Part of the blame lies with the board of directors. I've been a member of several chapters and have seen both good and bad leadership from micro-managing to weak follow-through on fellow board members. RCRW's main problem was a couple of board members who went rogue. I later learned (from numerous sources) the two of them made decisions and implemented policies without notifying other board members or the general membership. Nobody brought them to task about it. One of those decisions was to tell RWA the chapter was disbanding. They took it upon themselves to do this with no input from anyone else. When they returned from Nationals in 2016, they informed the rest of the chapter of their actions. That's when the you-know-what hit the fan. Finally, someone was calling them to accountability, but the damage was done. The toxic personalities had spilled over to include a cold-shoulder to guests. Valued long time members quit, no longer willing to put up with the drama. The two rogues disappeared shortly afterward.

I was asked to fill out the board in 2017 as Secretary, and again in 2018 as President-elect. I agreed, but knew it was hopeless. Oh, we tried. We spent what little money remained in the treasury to bring in well-known speakers. People would come to hear what they had to say, but no one joined. The poison had spread via word of mouth.

I also place a lot of blame on the shoulders of RWA. The rules regarding how long a person can sit on a chapter board and the insistence that board members be PRO or PAN just don't have the best interests of small chapters at heart. Sometimes the most enthusiastic leaders come from the ranks of beginning writers. Many of our members, including past RWA President, Patricia Potter, loyally attend the national meeting, but when they brought up the subject during the general session get together, they were brushed off like so many flies at a picnic.

So, we reluctantly made the decision as a group to put an end to our suffering. We had twelve members left, but due to RWA's ridiculous rules had no one who met their criteria to fill a complete board of directors. We turned in the proper paperwork and sent off what remained in the bank to RWA, which ticked me off no end. It was only a couple hundred dollars, but why should they get it? It was our dues. I'm sorry now we didn't blow it on one terrific farewell dinner for the final twelve.

But as with many things, there is a bright side to this. We aren't giving up. We simply formed a new group, Writing in the Bluff (Memphis is known as the Bluff City). We will eventually have a new board and collect dues for bringing in out of town speakers. But the biggest weight off our shoulders is that we will no longer be required to follow the rules and regulations of a national organization that obviously didn't care about us. Our first official meeting will be in November when Deb Dixon (one of RCRW's founding mothers) will give a presentation on deep POV.

We can do this. We will survive.

Suzanne Rossi

Finally Summer, and Bon Voyage From Susan Sheehey

Finally, summer!

Summer is my favorite season, yes, even down here in Texas where it's a billion degrees and we can cook eggs on the sidewalk (not the best recommended flavor). But it's the season where I can go swimming with my boys, their most favorite thing in the world. I also have my most fruitful plotting sessions in the pool.

More importantly, summer is when most of my novels are set. 

Royals of Solana series in the South Pacific, the Knights of Texas novella series in Texas, and the Sweet Escape series in various tropical resorts, or at least by a beach.

What do you have planned for the summer? Any interesting trips or experiences planned?

I have a lot planned this summer. Between RWA Convention in Colorado in July, followed by a writer's retreat with friends at Lake Conroe, I'll be busy chauffeuring around my boys to various appointments and summer camps. They are both on the Autism Spectrum, and require a lot of intervention (literally, appointments every single day for both of them).
So, I think I'm going to invest in voice recording software for the frequent hauls in the car. That's the only way I can keep up with my writing schedule. Not to mention, I always carry around my notebook to write while I sit in lobbies.

Unfortunately, for those reasons, I have to bow out of my contributions to Smart Girls Read Romance Blog.

Thank you all for following me here. I've greatly enjoyed being a part of this wonderful blog, and sharing with you. The authors on this page are fantastic, and you're in good hands with them! I'd like to extend a special thanks to Caroline Clemmons, a true gem!

Keep reading, keep loving, farewell, and God bless you all!

Royals of Solana series

Dry Spell - Sweet Escape series

Knights of Texas series

Susan Sheehey writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense and adventure, and women's fiction. Water is a crucial element in all her novels, and she's a strong advocate for Autism awareness and acceptance. Follow her on her Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, Amazon, and BookBub. Join her newsletter here for monthly goodies!

Romance Reader Conventions: What You Love Most

Readers, how appealing are major reader conferences to you? Conferences such as RT Convention (RomanticTimes), RWA Conference (Romance Writers of America), and RomCon (RomanceConference)?

For those of you who have never been to one, or don’t know what they are, they are massive conventions where readers can not only have their books signed by the authors, but you get to mingle, party, and become friends with these authors. Most of the time they are a Saturday or Sunday event, sometimes a full weekend, or even a week-long event in large hotels with events going on all day and into the evenings. There are huge giveaways, free swag, great food, and even plenty of chances to meet a bunch of cover models, depending on which one you attend.

Susan Sheehey at RT Convention 2015, Dallas, TX

Last year was my first RT Convention in Dallas. The year before, was my first ever RWA Conference in San Antonio. I loved both conferences tremendously. It was a huge bonus that I was a published author by then, and could participate in the book signings.

As a brand new published author, though, I was an unknown. Therefore I didn’t sell many novels at either, so the cost of the conference registration alone put me in the red. But bottom line, I’d never had so much fun at an author event ever.

For those who know what they and have been to one, do you think the registration fees or ticket prices are worth it? Do you like to bring in your own books to have them signed, or do you like purchasing brand new books on the spot? Do you attend these events for specific authors, or are you that avid a fan of the genre, and love the opportunity to meet new authors and find new characters to read?

Swag from RWA Conference 2014

As a fairly new published author, I don’t have the budget to attend all of the events I’d like to in a given year. I normally have to pick 1 major conference a year, and then attend small signings more local to home. I LOVE interacting with readers, making new friends, and of course I always love an excuse to party! Not to mention all of the fabulous books! This year I’ll be attending RT Convention again, this time in Las Vegas in April.

Here are some of the major reader conventions coming up throughout the year. Can you add more that I’ve forgotten? Let me know which ones you’ll be going to!

The Novel Experience Event, Atlanta, GA – April 7-11^th, 2016

RT Convention, Las Vegas, NV – April 12-17^th, 2016

Book Con, Chicago, IL – May 14^th, 2016

Romance Novel Convention (RNC), Las Vegas, NV – June 1-5^th, 2016

Fresh Fiction’s Boas & Tiaras, Allen, TX – June 11^th, 2016

RWA Conference, San Diego, CA – July 13-16^th, 2016

Authors After Dark, Savannah, GA – August 3-7^th, 2016

Historical Romance Retreat, Spokane, WA – Sept 22-25^th, 2016

RomCon, Denver, CO – Sept 30^th-Oct 1^st, 2016

InD’Scribe Author & Reader Con, Burbank, CA – October 6-9^th, 2016

Fresh Fiction’s Readers & ‘Ritas, Allen, TX – Nov 11-13^th, 2016

Susan Sheehey writes romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and women's fiction.She lives and laughs in Texas with her husband and two boys.  Water plays a crucial element in all of her novels, and she is a huge advocate for Autism Awareness. Follow Susan at SusanSheehey.com, on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, and Amazon.