We had a great session yesterday at the Florida Romance Writers (http://www.frwriters.org)
meeting in the Fort Lauderdale Airport Sheraton Hotel.  We listened to a panel of speakers on technology topics, something authors need to learn these days.

Melanie Heywood, our webmistress, told us where to find free web hosting and inexpensive domain name registration.  She offered tips on website design and how to keep readers interested in coming back.  Keywords, meta tags, and search engines were some of the terms she introduced.  Melanie could have held the forum with all the valuable information she had to offer, but other speakers needed their turn.  We wish her luck with her new classifieds website: http://www.listasaurus.com.

Mary Stella, our infamous Florida Keys resident and dolphin research guru, shared tips on the blogosphere, while Rhonda Pollero and Traci Hall boggled our minds by discussing podcasting and book trailers.  We need another session to encompass so much data.  Some of this requires a hands-on approach to truly learn, but I think I’d just hire someone for the job. Rhonda is a techno nut anyway.  She keeps notebooks and organizational charts and taught herself how to podcast.  I don’t know how she can have such an analytical brain and be a best-selling author as well.  Personally, I have enough trouble learning the features on my cell phone. (See Links and Friends to visit Mary, Rhonda, and Traci online).

Our other members shared their news.  I’m envious of Aleka Nakis who is spending the summer in Greece, and I’m happy for Karen Kendall who finished her books on deadline. Kathleen Pickering always wears the most beautiful jewelry, and I admired her ring.  Too bad Cynthia Thomason couldn’t make it and Lisa Manuel was home ill, having caught her husband’s flu bug.  They missed our announcements about Stephanie Bond presenting an all-day workshop on Saturday, September 8 in Fort Lauderdale.  This seminar is open to nonmembers.  Please keep watch on our website for the notice.  Also, Heather Graham (http://www.eheathergraham.com) will be doing her writers conference in New Orleans again over Labor Day weekend.  This brings much needed revenue to the stricken city.

So we learned a lot and came home inspired.