No, not that kind of Diva… a Romance Diva.
I honestly can’t remember exactly how I found RD way back in the spring of 2005, but I’m pretty sure I followed a link from eHarlequin. And I’m willing to bet that link was from my friend Jenna Bayley-Burke, but then again maybe not. Maybe I found her on RD and followed her back to eHQ.
It doesn’t really matter because I loved RD instantly. I had been trying to write for a lot of years, but just kept setting it aside. This time I was determined to follow through. RD helped to steer me in the right direction. Then they crashed. My beloved forum was gone. 
But, thankfully, it came back bigger and better than ever, and I signed back up as quickly as I could once I realised it was back.
I began doing book reviews for the Divas. I learned so much about writing from that. Back then Lisa was my book review editor, now she is a hot shot big-time author and I’m so very proud of her. You really couldn’t ask for a better, most kind and gentle person to lead you into the world of writing. Really writing really putting yourself out there. And when a complicated pregnancy took me away from the Divas for a time, Lisa kept checking in with me, making sure I was ok. I couldn’t believe it. Why would she care? She only knew me from an online forum, and yet here she was making sure everything was all right. I was impressed. More than impressed I was touched. I vowed that as soon as I was able I was coming back and I would help as much as I could.
I didn’t end up helping a lot, although I was able to get through a lot of reviews (I read a lot while nursing a newborn), but I still hung out and learned as much as I possibly could. And mostly I met some of the most amazing people. People I call friends, who I’ve never even met. People who have touched my life, who have taught me, held me up and encouraged me. I need to mention some of these people now:
Vivienne King – you were always so supportive, you taught me so much and I miss you more than you know. You are and have been in my prayers and I hope that you are doing amazingly well and that you are happy.
CC – you are my go-to-girl and the bar to which I strive for when writing reviews, I admire and respect you.
Diva Lisa – You followed up on me when you didn’t have to, you have always cheered me on and comforted me when needed, you are patient and kind and a kick-ass writer.
Immi – without you I wouldn’t be here – period, end of story. You help me look at my writing with fresh eyes, you are honest without being hurtful, you are funny and talented and the day I asked for a CP and you tentatively raised your hand was the luckiest day of my writing life. I hope one day to “drive” to your house my friend. 
There are many other wonderful women (and men) at the Romance Divas, I’m not sure I can list them all, but they have each brought something to me in my writing career. I have learned from them, either by sitting back and reading, or by having private conversations, or by having the whip cracked as I struggled through a twenty-minute challenge.
I am very emotional as I write this. Last year at around this time I changed my name on the Diva forum to Diva MG. I was a Diva, darn it and I was going to prove it. I committed myself to writing and being published and I did it. I sold my first story last Fall and it came out earlier this year. That was followed my two more stories. I have a third under contract and a fourth in submissions. I have been to my first writing conference and pitched to a Harlequin editor. I will be attending my second conference at the end of this month, where I hope to pitch to an agent or two, and where I will meet the lovely Jenna in person, as well as several other Diva friends. I plan on attending RWA Nationals in SFO next year and meeting a lot more Divas – especially Lisa, Kristen and Jax.
My journey with the Divas started almost 2 1/2 years ago, and for me it made a difference. For this writer became an author. Would I have done it without RD? 
Sure, maybe, eventually. Did they kick my butt and set me towards my goal much more quickly? Definitely!
So I have to say thank you Romance Divas. Thank you Jax, Kristen and Lisa – for giving me a place to learn my craft, to feel comforted, to feel supported, to laugh and be silly. A place to be me and the writer I want to be. Thank you for giving me a whole new world of friends and helping me with a whole new career! I love you guys! 
Must be something about that whip cracking!
Hopefully you all will be by to help Sven crack the whip. I have a novella due and another I’d like to complete (my Brava one) in this 70 days. It officially starts tomorrow, but I started my own crack down on Friday. So far I’ve done about 1800 since Friday. Tonight I hope to add, at least, another 700 to 1k. 
I’m going to need all the support I can get. I hope I can count on you to help. 
