Only seven months to go!! Woohoo! We’re getting so excited for Slam Jam 2009 over here in Southern California. We’re doing our best to make sure you all have a fantastic time in the City of Angels. We’re adding new authors everyday and fine tuning all the details on fun extras. We’ll have a list of activities as well for those of you who’d like to do some site seeing while you’re in Los Angeles. We’ve also welcomed a new member to the committee named Shae Williams. She’s really excited about working with us on Slam Jam. She’s organized many events in the past and is excited to add Romance Slam Jam to that list! Love sharing the joy of reading with others? I know we do, especially with children. Our charity of choice this year is First Book. They supply brand new books for low income children. What a great charity! So, we decided to try and round up as many children's books as we can. We'll be having a couple beautiful raffle baskets to choose from at Slam Jam California. For each new children's book you bring, you get one ticket! So you have a chance to win and you're giving children that chance at the very same time! We'll have more information on the raffle baskets coming soon! One of last year’s first time attendee’s wanted to share her experience with you all. We love to hear stuff like this. Slam Jam is about everyone enjoying themselves and taking in as much knowledge as they can! So give us a holla! Kelley Nyrae RSJ 2009 Committee Chair
Wow, what an experience. That’s what being at Slam Jam was for me an experience I won’t soon forget. I learned a lot about honing my craft as an aspiring writer through the workshops, reader and intimate sessions. I manage to survive the editor/agents pitches. Meeting a lot of authors whose work I’d read and enjoyed over the years was the highlight of the conference for me. I even got a few books signed. The times in between workshops and sessions were the most fun for me. Just hanging out talking shop or sharing life stories with people who thought it quite normal to hear voices in your head. Now I've started on my own writing path. I have a blog and a pen name and I've started writing and actually sharing my work. The best part of Romance Slam Jam was, there were no Divas. Thanks you fellow writers for making this small town girl feel welcome in the Windy City. Brenda Willis/A.M. Wells
Brenda's testimony was fantastic. We'd like to hear from you and see those photos from past Slam Jam events. Don't be shy, send them on to deatri@romanceslamjam.org.
The authors are signing up to have a great time at RSJ 2009 in California. Since the last newsletter, Carmen Green, Evelyn Palfrey, Karen White-Owens, Bettye Griffin and Earl Sewell have signed on. If we ask nicely and say pretty please, maybe we can get Earl to do a little dance for us. If you are now lost, ask someone who attended last year's Slam Jam Karaoke night! Jackie Hamilton, of J.M. Jeffries, is one of the hosts this year and wanted to give you a little preview of what's to come. As you all know, Slam Jam L.A. 09 is approaching. We have some really wonderful talent authors giving us their time and expertise for workshops and intimate sessions. Here is a taste of what you have in store. I hope that all the readers and writers who attend will show their appreciation by attending some of these sessions. Continue Reading...
Tales from a Sistah in Scotland By Zetta Brown I am a cynic. I never gave marriage much thought and had become comfortable with the prospect of being a “cat lady” living with 100 cats . . . and a handsome, young pool boy named Pablo. But the Internet changed all of that. I am now living in a romance novel and have been for over four years. I met my husband, Jim, through an online reading and writing group. We had known each other by pseudonym for a few years prior. He was in a relationship at the time and I was friendly with his girlfriend. Don’t worry. Their relationship had ended long before Jim and I became serious. The one big obstacle between us was that I lived in Texas and he lived in Scotland. But true love conquers all. Where there’s a will there’s a way! You get the picture. After about eight weeks of chatting daily online and calls on the weekend, Jim decided he could stand it no more. He booked a flight to meet me. Five days later, he was gone and I was engaged to be married to a man I had just “met”—at least in person, anyway. To say this was a surprise to my friends and family would be a gross understatement. Continue Reading...  |
• A Word From Your 2009 Committee Chair • My First Slam Jam • Memory Book and Pictures • RSJ 2009 • Love Is Stranger Than Fiction • Romance Slam Jam Blog • RSJ 2009 Registration • RSJ Cruise • Last Words | |||
Yep, you read right. There is now a RSJ Blog, which will bring topics of interest to readers and authors of Black romance! Go on over and check ‘er out. New articles will be posted monthly, so when you receive your RSJ newsletter, hop on over to the blog and join in on the conversation. I’ve been begging for pictures from 2008 RSJ and would like to thank those of you who sent them my way. They have been posted on our blog. If you still wish to send photos, please do so. Even from older Slam Jams, just let me know the dates. Each month Dyanne Davis will be bringing us interviews with some of your favorite authors and industry professionals. This month she interviewed Barbara Keaton (the MC for most of the RSJ Events last year), Kelley Nyrae (the 2009 RSJ Committee Chair), and little ol’ me (SMILE). If you attend a Black romance event and want to add a piece to the RSJ blog, send it on (deatri@romanceslamjam.org) If you know of Black romance events or just have a Black romance topic you’d like to discuss, again, send them on! I'm in good with the person who actually submits the posts and will try to get you the hook up! http://romanceslamjam.blogspot.com/ Be sure to leave a comment so we know you dropped by! | |||
Registration is OPEN!!!! Don’t forget that groups of 5 or more get the discounted rate! You do not have to be an “official” book club for the discounted rate. If four of your other reading buddies intend on attending, give yourselves a group name, select who will be the contact person, have that contact person send a list of the 5 names to Jackie@parker-publishing.com and then pay as usual. The contact person for your group can always add people to the list. Online (credit card) payment though PayPal is coming SOOOOOON! T-Shirts! Folks are asking for additional Slam Jam T-shirts (one comes with your registration for the conference). The RSJ Committee in California heard your cry and have created a Cafe Express shop for you to purchase RSJ 2009 items! http://www.cafepress.com/slamjam Though the conference dates are March 12 - March 15, 2009, the hotel is also giving the discounted rate on Wednesday March 11. When you reserve your room, don’t forget to say you are reserving your room for the Romance Slam Jam Conference.
It’s Romance Slam Jam’s Crystal Anniversary! Our theme is Back to the Future with Rochelle Alers as our keynote speaker! Everyone is Welcome To Join the Romance Slam Jam Crystal Anniversary Celebration Cruise departing from Miami, Florida, Saturday April 10th, 2010. We will be embarking on the five day Carnival Cruise to Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands on the “Destiny” Fun Ship.  We are accepting bookings now! Deposit is $50 split into 2 payments; $25 by September 17, 2008 and $25 by November 20, 2008. After your initial deposit, you will have until October 12, 2009 to pay $150. Final payment is due by February 9, 2010. Payments are per person and are completely refundable up until February 8, 2010, one day before final payment is due. To book a spot, call 866-721-3225, referencing group number 62BF31. Because we are booking so far ahead, things are a bit flexible so you don’t need to know your roommates or type of cabin at this time. Think of the initial deposit as just a placeholder with more concrete decisions to be come later. The rates include gratuity, taxes and fees: Interior Cabins 1st and 2nd persons $544.43 3rd and 4th persons $389.43 Ocean View Cabins 1st and 2nd persons $614.43 3rd and 4th persons $409.43 Cabins with Balcony 1st and 2nd persons $714.43 3rd and 4th persons $429.43 We will celebrate our past and toast our future with some of your favorite romance authors, fun in the sun, cocktail party, relaxing by the pool, Karaoke and island adventures! Let’s not forget the Emma Awards! And we’ve only begun to plan. Also, since we do not have to pay for events to be catered, the conference registration fee will only be $50 to cover the Emma’s, T-shirts, tote bags etc. RSJ 2010 Conference registration starts April 2009. We will be holding book discussions on some of our favorite Black romance novels over the last fifteen years. So dust off your oldies but goodies. I’ll send out a request for a reading list much closer to the conference. To book or if you have questions call 866-721-3225 and reference group number 62BF31. Angelique (Angelique@romanceslamjam.org Deatri here—Did you notice the price has all ready gone up $10 in just a month? Inflation is the reason we decided to reserve our space now. Don’t miss out. You can always change your mind later. I plan on paying $25 a month until my reservation is paid in full. Yeah, you heard right. I’m putting my cruise on layaway. LOL. Be sure to bookmark the Cruise information link below. It will contain any updates. RSJ 15 Year Anniversary Cruise Information
Yeah, we had a ball at the 2008 RSJ. Don't take my word for it, check out this little snippet on You Tube. Dyanne's husband, Bill, is dangerous with a camera (SMILE). There is quite a bit more video available, including the keynote speech by Alice Wootson! I'll give you more information when it's available. I know
each of you have been keeping a list of Black romance books you’ve
read since January 2008 so you can make informed Emma Nominations.
We need judges! Soooo, if you attended the conference last year or
will be attending this year, please consider being a judge. Each year the Romance Slam Jam is able to keep it’s registration fees low by acquiring sponsors. If your company or you know of a company that would like to sponsor one of the Romance Slam Jam events, please contact deatri@romanceslamjam.org. How did you like the Souvenir Program last year? Simply BEAUTIFUL if I do say so myself (SMILE). We are taking orders for this years ads. Please refer to the website for details. That's it for now. If you have questions, I'm here deatri@romanceslamjam.org Peace Deatri King-Beyhttp://www.romanceslamjamconference.com |
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