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ABOUT US

Past DARA Presidents

2016 - Virginia Boylan

2015 - Angela Hicks

2014 - Addison Fox

2013 - Sylvia McDaniel

2012 - Kathleen Baldwin

2011 - Phyllis Middleton

2010 - Angela Cavener

2009 - Vicki Batman

2008 - Suzanne Welsh

2007 - Sandy Blair

2006 - Lorraine Heath

2005 - Lorraine Heath

2004 - Anita Learned

2003 - Anita Learned

2002 - Julie Benson

2001 - Nancy Haddock

2000 - Nancy Haddock

1999 - Vickie Spears

1998 - Lou Ann Harris

1997 - Theresa Zumwalt

1996 - Dora Brown

1995 - Alyson Brown

1994 - Diane Anderson

1993 - Barbara Harrison

1992 - Judy Christenberry

1991 - Karen Wilbanks

1990 - Paula Baldock

1989 - Doniece Knowles

1988 - Doniece Knowles

1987 - Denise Little

Founding DARA Members

  • Dianna Aguilar 
  • Dora Brown 
  • Pepper Durcholz 
  • Alberta Gentry 
  • Nancy Haddock 
  • Barbara Harrison 
  • Susan Heimann 
  • Yvonne Jocks 
  • Doniece Knowles 
  • Denise Little 
  • Danna Middleton 
  • Holly Newman 
  • Diane Stuckart 
  • Marty Tidwell 
  • Carolyn Williamson

Recipients of the 

Robin Teer Memorial Service Award

The award is given to DARA members for a body of volunteer work.

2016 = Anita Learned

2015 – Lorraine Heath

2014 – Sylvia McDaniel

2013 – Kathleen Baldwin

2012 – Phyllis Middleton

2011 – Liliana Hart

2010 – Vicki Batman

2009 – Suzanne Ferrell

2008 – Sandy Blair

2007 – Addison Fox

2006 - Tracy Garrett

2005 - Julie Benson

2004 - Rob Preece

2003 - Lorraine Heath

2002 - Nancy Haddock

2001 - Vickie Taylor

2000 - Shelly Kuehn

1999 - Judy Christenberry

1998 - Victoria Chancellor & Brenda Cox

1997 - April Huffstutler

1996 - Tammy Hilz

1995 not awarded

1994 - Cathy Spangler

1993 - Guy Prater

1992 - Dovie Jacoby

DARA HIGHLIGHTS

1987-July 23

 

Founding Members meet at Denise Little's apartment after RWA conference

1987-August 22

1st meeting; 30 people attend

1988-January

1st meeting at Wyatt's Cafeteria; Katherine Sutcliffe speaks on characterization

1988-May

DARA Bylaws completed

1988-July

Announcement of winners of DARA's 1st Chapter One contest

1988-September

1st anniversary celebration with a silent auction

1989-September

All-day seminar with Harlequin editor Valarie Hayward

1990-August

Dora Brown's Harlequin Temptation sale is a 1st for an unpublished DARA member

1990-September

Avon editor Maggie Lichota's all-day seminar; 1stbarbecue at Dora Brown's house

1991-May

"Rogue" Newsletter name change polarizes membership

1991-June

All-day seminar with Linda Shaw

1991-July

1st DARA RWA wins: Laura Kinsale wins RITA; Michele Wyan wins Golden Heart

1992-September

All-day seminar with Linda Jenkins-Nutting, Barbara Dawson Smith, and Susan Wiggs

1993-January

The 1st Robin Teer Memorial Service Award is presented to Dovie Jacoby

1993-February

Dora Brown and Karen Morrell become 1st DARA finalists for Janet Daily Award

1993-September

All-day seminar with Rosalyn Alsobrook, Heather McAllister, Pat Kay, Nina Romberg, and Susan Wiggs

1994-February

Editor and founding member Denise Little presents a workshop

1994-May

All-day seminar with Pamela Morsi, Janis Reams Hudson, Emma Merritt, and Jan Hudson

1997

Critiquing possible contest entries is begun as a fundraiser.

1997-November 

City Slickers Horse Seminar; DARA joins other Texas Chapters to sponsor a booth at the Texas Book Festival in Austin.

1998-January

DARA moves its meetings to the Holiday Inn Select, Richardson.

1998-January 13, 14

1st DARA mini-conference

1998-April

Waldenbooks brings the monthly meeting its 1stbookfair.

1998-Fall

DARA members participated in a Writers' Retreat held in Mineola

1998-November

DARA joins with other Texas Chapters to sponsor a booth at the Texas Book Festival in Austin. DARA members Victoria Chancellor, Elisabeth Fairchild, and Lorraine Heath serve on a romance panel at the invitation of Laura Bush.

1998-December

Debra Dixon brings her Goal, Motivation and Conflict seminar to DARA.

1999-January 22, 23

1st official Dreamin' in Dallas conference.

1999-January 30

The DARA loop is established to facilitate networking among members between monthly meetings.

1999-May 8

A Day of Heroes

1999-June

DARA's website is launched at www.dara.romance-central.com

2000

DARA obtains a new address: P. O. Box 852185; Richardson, TX 75085.

DARA holds a T-shirt slogan contest. Winning entry, provided by Nancy Haddock, is "Warning: What you do may appear in my next book."

2000-March 1

DARA Bookmark loop is established to reach out to area booksellers, librarians, and readers.

2000-March 31, April 1

Dreamin' in Dallas features keynote speaker Maggie Osborne; also features Laurell K. Hamilton, Rick Miller, Darlene Graham, Eve K. Sandstrom, Jane Archer, Ann Leslie Tuttle (Harlequin/Silhouette); Christine Zika (Berkley/Jove), David Duperre & Ginger Norton (Down Home Distinction, the Sedgeband Literary Assoc. of Ft. Worth). Kick-off book signing raises funds to benefit the Family Place.

2000-August

"Celebrate DARA" Beach Party

2000-December

Name of DARA Newsletter is changed from DARA Newsletter to DARA News.

2001

New slogan contest yields "Write Brained" submitted by Cheryl Leo.

2001-March 30, 31

Dreamin' in Dallas, co-sponsored with NTRWA, features Dara Joy and Suzanne Brockmann; also features Amy Garvey of Kensington, Allison Lyons of Silhouette, Lucienne Diver of Spectrum Literary Agency, Paige Wheeler of Creative Media Agency, Dr. Kevin Steed, Sgt. Frank McElligott, Francis Ray, Steve Straus, Hebby Roman, Shelley Bradley, Jane Graves, Jennifer Miller, Catherine Mann. Kick-off book signing raises $687.50 to benefit Ronald McDonald House.

2001-October

DARA adopts a new logo. 

2002-April 5, 6

Dreamin' in Dallas, co-sponsored with NTRWA, features keynote speaker Judith Ivory; also features Shelley Bradley, Dee Davis, Kathleen Givens, Kristen Kyle, Alicia Rasley, Julie Kenner, Sergeant Frank McElligott, Kathleen O'Reilly, Julie Ortolon, Pattie Steele-Perkins (Steele-Perkins Literary Agency), Mary Sue Seymour (Seymour Agency), Monique Patterson (St. Martin's Press), Laura Shin (Harlequin Books). Kick-off book signing raises funds to benefit Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Dallas Affiliate.

2002-June

1st silent auction to raise money for DARA's Scholarship Fund

2003-January

DARA begins transitioning into all-electronic delivery of the newsletter

2003-March 28, 29

Dreamin' in Dallas, co-sponsored with NTRWA, features keynote speaker Mary Jo Putney; also features: Jeff Crilley, Kathleen Givens, Kristi Gold, Susan Grant, Terri Griffis, Heather Hays, Dovie Jacoby, Julie Kenner, Kara Lennox, Catherine Spangler, Evelyn Vaughn, Jennifer Green (Harlequin Books, Canada), Lauren McKenna (Pocket Books), Elaine English (Graybill & English Literary Agency), Pattie Steele-Perkins (Steele-Perkins Literary Agency). Kick-off book signing raises $818 to benefit Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Dallas Affiliate.

2004-March

DARA obtains its own domain www.dallasromanceauthors.com

2004-April

Day of Heroines features Jane Ann Porter.

2005-January

DARA establishes a DARA-PRO Liaison

2005-April 1, 2

Dreamin' in Dallas features keynote speaker Sherrilyn Kenyon; also features: Susan Grimshaw, Bob Mayer, Joseph Paglino, Mike Spradlin, Selina McLemore (Avon Books); Abby Zidle (HQN Books), Sha-Shana Crichton (Crichton & Assoc.), Miriam Kriss (Irene Goodman Literary Agency). Kick-off book signing raises a little over $1600 to benefit Genesis Women's Shelter of Dallas.

2005-June

DARA's website is upgraded to include a Members' Only Area.

2005-July

DARA website takes 2nd place in professionally-designed category of RWA National's 1st Chapter website competition

2005-November

DARA holds its 1st electronic election.

2006

DARA changes to the President-elect system

2006- March 26

DARA hosts a booth at the Plano Book Festival

2006-April 1, 2

Dreamin' in Dallas features keynote speaker Linda Lael Miller; also features: Film Producer Marilyn R. Atlas, Jacquie D'Alessandro, Mary Kennedy, Deborah LeBlanc, Rhonda Rose, Shanna Swendson, Cindy Hwang (Berkley Publishing Group); Demetria Lucas (Silhouette), Hilary Sares (Kensington), Lucienne Diver (Spectrum Literary Agency), Kristin Nelson (Nelson Literary Agency), Nephele Tempest (Knight Agency). Kick-off book signing raises a little over $1500 to benefit Genesis Women's Shelter of Dallas.

2006 - April

The Golden Heart Critique is renamed The Go For the Gold Critique

2006 - May

DARA products are made available through the DARA Shop at www.cafepress.com

2006 - December DARA hosts a booth at the Northeast Texas Library System Vendor Fair
 
2007 - March All day workshop with Margie Lawson

2007 - July

DARA receives 2nd place in RWA website contest

2007 - August

20th Anniversary with special guest Founding Member Denise Little

2007 - November

DARA switches to a Nov. 1 to Oct. 31 operating year; dues are raised to $45

2007 - December

DARA hosts a booth at the Northeast Texas Library System Vendor Fair

2012 - January

DARA initiates the Race for the Roses program

   
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