But what about sandy beaches and cabana boys?

Deborah, if they've a book, I'll be there to report it. :)

I think you should come to FL, to speak to my chapter. lol

Kristen, just tell me where and when and I'll put it on the calendar. And please make it during winter. :)

Come to Archon in St Louis -- Oct 08. It's a sci-fi con, but the Guest of Honor is Laurel K Hamilton. I know Linnea Sinclair was there last year, but I'm new enough to the area that I didn't find out about it until the whole thing was over. And October in St Louis is really nice.

You should come to the Heart of Dixie readers luncheon in May! Alabama in May is perfect, not to hot and not to cool. And we have a ton of local and guest authors. Our guest speaker this year is Roxanne St. Clair. She is absolutely fabulous! And I get to host my first author table :-)

Come to Sleuthfest in Deerfield Beach, Fl, in February! We'll all need some warmth then! I'll be there - and there will be tons of romantic suspense writers among the mystery authors. - Clea www.cleasimon.com

Sela, St. Louis is really good. October is my birthday and I could visit the grandkids at the same time.------Kira, I love the idea of a reader's luncheon and I've never been to Alabama (I'm starting a map with push pins to mark where I've been)----Clea, February in Florida...enough said.

Barbara, sweetie, of course you must go to RWA! Not only is San Francisco a fabulous city, where else are you going to find so many romance writers all in one place? I'm even emerging from my writing cave for that one (first time I've been to an RWA national in about 13 years) and would LOVE to see you there! Oh, and as a bonus, it's one of the few places in the country you won't be sweltering in July!

Barbara, you give such a warm personable face to Publisher's Weekly and your blog adds just the right personal touch to what has always seemed to be a publication extremely distant to romance and to your everyday reader, that I think you should go everywhere possible. You close that gap and reinterest everyone in what Publisher's Weekly has to say. So definitely everywhere there is a large gathering of writers YOU NEED TO BE THERE. Romantic Times, RWA National, and BEA are a absolute must each year and then I think going to several and Major Regional Confrences such as Moonlight and Magnolias, Florida's Fun in the Sun, New Jersey's, Virgina-DC's Conference would be a plus, but those you could alternate. WE NEED YOUR UNIQUE SPIN ON THE ROMANCE WORLD!!!!

AND LOL that have a huge bookfair in LONDON and GERMANY every year!!! And of course There is a chapter of RWA in Hawaii.

Also if you're really into the Sci-Fi Star Trek thing then you have to go to DRAGON CON in Atlanta. And then there is Novelist INC. They have a conference every year that writers of all genres and not just romance attend.

Barb it looks like you will be on the road a good part of the year, so when you need that place to rest in the winter, my door is always open...hey I could even do some of those FL things with you.

I hope you have Moonlight and Magnolias in Atlanta on your list! We love you in Hotlanta! The New Jersey conference is awesome, and the BEA is a must. How about the Maui Conference? It's for all kinds of writers. If you ever put together a PW Blog Cruise, I'm there.

Isn't the Maui conference where Jennifer Cruise and Bob Mayer began their collaborations? Important stuff can happen there.

I'm hoping you still have Ohio on your list of places to go. While it's not very exotic, you'll be warmly received by the romance readers that patronize my public library. If you hold that April date open, we can get it firmed up soon. See ya then!

You should try the Novelists Inc. convention in NY in March. Crappy weather, but all kinds of women's fiction and maybe you'll find your naked, unconscious guy.

Oops, sorry I missed JoAnn in there, but it will be great to catch up with you at RWA. July just seems so far away.------Joysannoh, I think you are right about the Crusie/Mayer collaboration starting in Maui. And I could get lei'd while I'm there. ------Amanda, I'm always up for a trip to NY, I'd just dress warm and I'd be very concerned if I found my naked, unconscious guy in NY in March. Brrrr

You could come to the WisRWA conference in Green Bay in May. Or would that be too tame? Jennifer Estep might be at Comic Con. It sounds like something she'd go to. You could look her up.

I hear Moonlight and Magnolias is excellent. Sandra

My suggestion is Love is Murder in Chicago (Feb 1-3). It's a mystery convention chock full of seriously excellent mystery, suspense and thriller authors. There's all sorts of very handsome types there (Barry Eisler for one) and from what I hear this convention is a blast. No, I've never been, but will be next year. They're doing a scotch tasting (one of the reason I'm going, besides the Master Class with Lee Child).

Barbara you need to come back to New Orleans and KCon again ! We would miss you if you were'nt there . And don't forget the beignets !

I don't really have a suggestion on where you should go but I have a suggestion on who you should bring if you need a friend to tag along... wink wink

I've heard that both Lori Foster in June and Lora Leigh (August?) put on great gatherings for readers AND writers. I'm hoping to get my act together in time to attend both. Will let you know what I learn!

Hey, Barb, I recently learned about this from one of your fans; have you heard of it? It looks pretty neat to me: 2008 READERS AND AUTHORS GET TOGETHER in Cincinnati - lorifoster.com/community/readergettogthr.htm

Edie, Green Bay is nice and close, so that's a possibility.---Jana, the Moonlight and Mangnolia conference this year was incredible and I'd go back in a heartbeat.---Missy, it's amazing how many have volunteered for that position. :)---Kate, I'll check them out.---Joyce, I did look at this site and it looks like a lot of fun.

I second Kira's invite to Alabama in May. We have a *great* time and would love to have you!

Hello Barb! I vote for San Francisco & China--we enjoy your blogs whether you're travelling or reading! Keep up the good work!

There's Kate. Hi Kate! You're the one I learned about the Lori Foster event from. Thanks again. Barb, that's driving distance from here too, as is RT. I'd sure make a good administrative assistant to accompany you. The places not within driving distance too, like Maui.

I would love to see you go to China. You give the best reports and take awesome pictures. If I can't go, I'll live vicariously through you.

Barbara, I would love to have you cover Romantic Times 2008,this event that bring readers, authors, publishers, and cover models together for a magical week. A one of a kind and so much fun! Hope to see you again THERE!