President’s Letter
From the writing desk of Nicole R. Locker
Dear CRW Members,
Happy July! Summer is in full swing here in the good ol’ USA, and that means one pretty big thing for CRW: our summer virtual conference! Details are included below, so read further and be sure to get registered if you haven’t already. CRW Members get to attend the main conference for free, as well as get a discount to attend the add-on Masterclass the day before conference starts if you attend the conference and masterclass. Keep reading for details, as well as some additional programming we have for you this month!
New Members
Please join me in extending a big, warm welcome to our newest members of CRW:
- Vivian King
- David-Matthew Barnes
- Candace Lucas
- Holly Poss
- Roxanne Blackhall
- Tara Horne
- Tammy Schubert
- Lulu Sylvian
- Laura Beeby
- Terry Gene
- Elizabeth Seckman
- Kimberly Kennedy
- Janice Morgan
- Karen Renee
- Lisa Rabey
- Laurel Osterkamp
- Tracy Brody
- Meg Napier
- Trisha Loehr
- Michelle Reede
- Liz Gelb-O’Connor
- Carla Smith
- Jennifer Fujita
- Morgana Bevan
- Nova Walsh
- Deb Allard
- Karen Pinco
- Liz Lincoln Steiner
- Sarah Carroll
- Reina M. Williams
- Maureen Ewing
- Cara Dion
- Ginny Moore
- Katta Kis
CRW Virtual Conference 2023

When: July 29 – 30, 2023 (free for CRW members)
Optional Masterclass add-on: July 28, 2023 – Metrics Aren’t Scary with Celeste Barclay (discounted for members who attend conference + Masterclass)
Register: https://contemporaryromance.org/virtual-conference-member-registration/
Conference Session Moderators Needed!
We’re looking for session moderators! This is your chance to network with the presenter(s) and to help the summer conference go smoothly. Time commitment is a couple hours the week before the conference (between July 21-27) for training and a practice session with the presenter, then 90 minutes during the conference (July 29-30) to moderate the session. Contact Michelle programs@contemporaryromance.org if you can help!
Donate a Session Door Prize
If you have swag, signed books, gift cards, favorite craft books, services, or any other Door Prize you would like to donate for a conference session, please fill out the form here: https://contemporaryromancewritingconference.org/donate-a-door-prize/
July Camp NaNoWriMo
From Katrina Marie:
Hey everyone! It’s time once again for Camp NaNoWriMo. It’s probably my favorite one because you can set your own goal. If you want to participate in check ins and cheering, join this slack channel: https://crwmemberforum.slack.com/archives/C030GL7FLAD
If want to join the group we have on the NaNoWriMo, send me a friend request: https://nanowrimo.org/participants/katrinamarieauthor
July Writing Challenge

Be sure to join in on the monthly Writing Challenge. You set your own word count goal for the month and report your new word counts at the interval of your choosing (daily, weekly, hourly, etc.). We’ll tally the overall goal at the end of the month, but you can see the progress as updates are reported throughout the month. Encourage other members to hit their goals and get encouragement from them!
Coming Up in 2023…
Here are a few things to look forward to this year as a CRW Member!
- July: Camp NaNoWriMo
- July 29 – 30: 2023 CRW Virtual Conference
- September 1: Spring Mentor Program (applications September 1-14, working in pairs September 15-November 10)
- October 1 – 15: Taking Nominations for 2024 Board Elections
- October 16-31: 2024 Board Elections
- October 15: NaNoWriMo Group Opens
- November 1 – December 10: A Novel Celebration submissions open
Writing Sprints
Join in on our CRW-led writing sprints. We share reminders in the member Facebook Group and Slack.
Every Tuesday: 9am ET | 8am CT | 7am MT | 6am PT
Sprints with Tanya on Zoom
Every Wednesday: 5:30am ET | 4:30am CT | 3:30am MT | 2:30am PT
Sprints with Cheryl on Zoom
Every Friday: 11am ET | 10am CT | 9am MT | 8apm PT
Sprints with Dayna on Zoom
Every Saturday: 12pm ET | 11am CT | 10am MT | 9am PT
Sprints with Michelle on Zoom
Want to run sprints at a different day/time? Let us know!
Upcoming Workshops
Invest in your own growth as a writer this year! Here is the lineup of workshops we have for August 2023. Members attend at a discounted price! (There are no workshops in July, but don’t forget to register for the conference!)
Workshop Track | CRW Member Price | Non-Member Price |
---|---|---|
General Track (Craft, Business) | $20 CRW Member | $30 Non-Member |
Advanced Track | $30 CRW Member | $40 Non-Member |
Members Only | FREE for CRW Members | N/A |

August 1 – 31
Creativity and Inspiration
Zara West

August 1 – 31
Do You Want to Write a Sports Romance?
Cassandra Carr

August 12 – 1 PM PST/2 PM MST/3 PM CST/4 PM EST
A Deep Dive Into Developmental Editing
Sue Toth

August 19 – 1PM PT | 2PM MT | 3PM CT | 4PM ET
Across Generations
Jenna Grinstead

August 26 – 4 PM ET / 3 PM CT / 2 PM MT / 1 PM PT
Introduction to AI for Authors
Elizabeth Ann West
Member New Releases
Have a new release? Share it on our site and in an upcoming Member Newsletter here, and be sure to take a look at all the new books from CRW members published in 2023.

Author: Valerie Pepper
Release Date: April 11, 2023
Author Website: https://www.authorvaleriepepper.com

Author: Jen Trinh
Release Date: May 1, 2023
Author Website: https://www.jentrinhwrites.com

Author: Charlene Groome
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Author Website: https://www.charlenegroome.com

Author: Ruby James
Release Date: May 9, 2023
Author Website: https://rubyjameswrites.com/

Author: Lauren Connolly
Release Date: May 11, 2023
Author Website: https://www.laurenconnollyromance.com/

Author: Deanna Roddy
Release Date: May 17, 2023
Author Website: http://deanna-roddy-romance.com

Author: Carla Luna
Release Date: May 23, 2023
Author Website: https://www.carlalunabooks.com/

Author: Anne Stone
Release Date: May 26, 2023
Author Website: http://www.authorannestone.com

Author: Maria Lokken
Release Date: May 28, 2023
Author Website: https://marialokken.com

Author: Lynda Rees
Release Date: June 1, 2023
Author Website: https://www.lyndareesauthor.com

Author: David-Matthew Barnes
Release Date: June 6, 2023
Author Website: http://www.dmatthewb.com

Author: Liz Lincoln
Release Date: June 13, 2023
Author Website: http://lizlincoln.com

Author: Michelle McCraw
Release Date: June 16, 2023
Author Website: https://michellemccraw.com