Diane Kelly writes romantic mysteries featuring feisty heroines, quirky sidekicks, and sexy leading men, with humor that leaves readers laughing out loud.

As a CPA and tax attorney, she also has two decades experience in taxation. Diane will discuss how even new writers with no income can deduct expenses related to their writing business. She’ll  address federal tax forms for a writing business, deductible expenses, estimated taxes, the pros and cons of incorporating, retirement plans for writers, record-keeping, and more.

Diane’s Death and Taxes series includes three novels published by St. Martin’s: Death, Taxes and a French Manicure (November 2011), Death, Taxes and a Skinny, No-Whip Latte (February 2012), and Death, Taxes, and Extra-Hold Hairspray (July 2012).

Her manuscript for Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure won the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart® award. Her manuscripts have received more than two dozen RWA chapter awards as well. Diane’s fiction, tax, and humor pieces have appeared in True Love Magazine, Writer’s Digest Yearbook, Romance Writers Report, Byline Magazine, and various other publications.

Dates: Friday, February 10–Sunday, February 12, 2012

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Please complete the form below to register.

You may use PayPal, bring a check (payable to ARWA) to the next ARWA meeting, or mail a check to ARWA Winter Retreat, 3571 Far West Blvd., #215, Austin, TX 78731.

We look forward to seeing you at the retreat!

Retreat Options

2 nights + meals $225.00 USD 1 night + meals $130.00 USD Saturday + 3 meals $65.00 USD Saturday + 2 meals $50.00 USD Saturday + 1 meal $40.00 USD Saturday no meals $15.00 USD

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Teen romance is hot, hot, hot! Join New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan as she discusses how she took her flair for writing romance and turned it into an internationally bestselling YA series with a movie deal in the works. She’ll dish on how to get the steam into your YA book, including what separates YA from Romance and what elements hold true across markets. She’ll also tell you exactly how hot you can get in YA and how to make that choice. And finally she will share some tried and true tips for getting into the right mindset to write an authentic and believable teen experience.

Sophie Jordan/Sharie Kohler grew up in the Texas hill country where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she’s a New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author published in three genres: YA, historical romance and paranormal romance. She now lives in Houston with her family. When she’s not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes and Diet cherry Coke preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-TV shows.

Shayla Black (aka Shelley Bradley) is the New York Times bestselling author of nearly 30 sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances for multiple print and electronic publishers. She lives in Texas with her husband, munchkin, and one very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

Shayla has won or placed in over a dozen writing contests, including Passionate Ink’s Passionate Plume, Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, and the National Reader’s Choice Awards. Romantic Times has awarded her Top Picks, a KISS Hero Award and a nomination for Best Erotic Romance.

A writing risk-taker, Shayla enjoys tackling writing challenges with every book.

Bestselling author Jo Davis spent sixteen years in the public school trenches before she left teaching to become a full-time writer. Jo currently writes romantic suspense, erotica, and paranormal romance for New American Library under three pseudonyms. She’s been a multiple finalist in the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, a finalist for the Bookseller’s Best Award, has captured the HOLT Medallion Award of Merit, is a two-time nominee for the Australian Romance Readers Award in romantic suspense.

She is currently at work on a new contemporary vampire erotic romance series titled LORDS OF PLEASURE for NAL Heat (writing as Jo Carlisle) and is also busy writing a new paranormal romance series titled ALPHA PACK for NAL/Signet Eclipse, writing as J.D. Tyler. The first book of the ALPHA PACK series, PRIMAL LAW, debuted in August 2011. Jo lives in Texas with her two awesome teenagers.

Vicky Dreiling met her agent by accident at a conference dinner. When the agent asked Vicky what her book was about, she sheepishly replied, “Um, it’s the bachelor in Regency England, minus the hot tub and camera crew.” The agent whipped out her card and said, “Send it to me.” Vicky signed with that agent and sold a trilogy of historical romances to Grand Central Publishing. Her first two books, HOW TO MARRY A DUKE and HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL, debuted on Nielsen Bookscan’s Top 100 romances. She lives in Texas, and yes, she really did set off an alarm in Windsor Castle.

In the brave new world of publishing, it’s the best of times and the worst of times. Two-time RITA Winner, USA TODAY Bestseller, and RWA Hall of Fame member Pamela Morsi will share what little she knows, as well as the even less she understands about the future of the book business and what she imagines for herself and other writers. Come and share if you dare.

Pamela Morsi is a bestselling, award-winning novelist who finds humor in everyday life and honor in ordinary people. A mom or stepmom of six, she lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband and daughter.

Susan Mallery’s Writing More Workshop: Wednesday at 6 pm

Arrive early for conversation, wine, and hors d’oeuvres.

New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery publishes about four new books per year. Writers ask Susan all the time how she keeps up such an intense publishing schedule, while also managing to have an actual life outside her work. In the Writing More workshop, Susan shows how every writer can set specific daily and weekly goals, so that she can accomplish more than she ever thought possible. She can honor her deadlines, take weekends off, have regularly scheduled breaks, take a nice, long vacation, and even find time to write the book of her heart. This is a hands-on, practical workshop that will leave you feeling energized and ready to write more!

Susan Mallery has entertained millions of readers with her deeply emotional and laugh-out-loud funny stories of women and the relationships that move them. Her witty and sexy stories appear consistently on the New York Times and USA TODAY bestsellers lists. She has won many awards, including the prestigious National Reader’s Choice Award. Her books have been named to the Top 10 Romance Novels lists of 2007, 2008, and 2009 by Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association, and she was the only author on the list all three years. Because her degree in Accounting wasn’t very helpful in the writing department, Susan earned a Masters in Writing Popular Fiction.

Susan makes her home in the Pacific Northwest where, rumor has it, all that rain helps with creativity. Susan is married to a fabulous hero-like husband and has a six pound toy poodle…who is possibly the cutest dog on the planet.

Plotting with Theme – Theme will enrich a book faster than any other single element. Theme is a tool that drives a story on a deeper level. Think of theme as like the love in a marriage. It’s the core reason your story exists. Implications of theme colors and shapes everything in the story. It permeates character and the plot. Theme speculates on a possible truth. It is not an answer or law, but a supposition, a questioning, an exploration of potential.

~~ This course seeks to teach you how to plot your story from the standpoint of theme first, story events second to produce a cohesive blueprint that will make building the backbone of your book easier.

~~ Topics covered include: ~~
1)The tyranny of theme
2) Theme defined
3)Characters and theme
4)Plot and theme
5)Props, symbols and motifs
6)Closed themes versus open themes
7)Make your story sing through theme

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lori Wilde has sold fifty-six novels to four major New York Publishing houses. She holds a bachelors degree in nursing from Texas Christian University and a certificate in forensics. She volunteers as a sexual assault first responder for Freedom House, a shelter for battered women. She has also served as the RWA National conference workshop chair and PAN retreat chair. In 2007 she was honored by her local college as alumna of the year. She is an instructor for a company who provides online community education to over 2600 colleges and universities internationally. Lori is a past RITA finalist and has four times been nominated for Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. She’s won the Colorado Award of Excellence, the Wisconsin Write Touch Award, The Lories, The More Than Maggie, the Golden Quill, The Laurel Wreath and The BestBooks of 2006 Book Award. Her books have been translated into 22 languages and featured in Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Complete Woman, All You, Time and Quick and Simplemagazines. She lives in Texas with her husband, Bill.

You asked for it, now you’ve got it. The number one request for a workshop this year was a Q&A with your own PAN’s. Come armed with your questions because March our very own published authors will be at your disposal.

Authors joining us:
Robyn DeHart
Louisa Edwards
Laura Griffin
Jan Hudson
Julie Kenner
April Kihlstrom
Emily McKay
Jane Myers Perrine
Farrah Rochon
Sherry Thomas
Skylar White
Tracy Wolff