Catch the Wave Writer's Conference!

 

 

 

Hard at work at the conference!

One of the first things seasoned writers advise beginning writer's is to attend writer's conferences. I've been doing this for about ten years now. Long before I finished my first novel. This past weekend I believe I attended the best conference I've been to.

Georgia Christian Authors Guild sponsors the Catch The Wave Writer's Conference in Atlanta, GA once a year. This year a fellow author and friend Jennifer Hallmark rode to the conference with me. She was a great navigator. Thursday evening we arrived and settled in our rooms. Then we went to the evening meal and listened to a couple of speakers. After the speakers all of the staff was introduced. Terry Burns an agent from Texas was there along with his wife Sandra. (in picture below)

 



The next morning we gathered for a devotional and signing. Then the fun began. We had classes taught by some super authors: Fay Lamb, Terry Burns, Tracy Ruckman, and Lin Johnson just to name a few. Some of the topics were on Deep POV, Creating memorable characters, magazine writing and speaking. There were other topics I didn't have time to hear. When evening came I was tired, but in a good way. Several of us got together for a game of Banana Split (something like scrabble). When my eyes got to tired to stay open it was off to bed for me.

 

We got up Saturday morning and started all over again. What a day! On both days there were agents and publishers available for appointments and they were busy with authors pitching their writing projects. I didn't come prepared to pitch anything but wound up pitching an idea for a magazine article and it was excepted by Lin Johnson. So I've been busy writing a how to article for writing cozy mysteries. I'll be sure and let you know if and when it is published.

 

If you've never been to a conference and you are interested in writing then get yourself to one. I know some of them are very expensive, but there are many that are not so expensive and some that are only for one day that are affordable. I have gathered much information from these conferences. You don't have to go broke attending. There are also scholarships with some of the conferences. Check into these. Well I guess this week I'll spend coming back down to earth and getting back into the routine. I can't wait to write! Thank you Cynthia Simmons of the Christian Author's Guild for a great conference!



Fun and Fellowship at Fox Tales Book Shoppe

I'm thrilled to tell you about the wonderful book signing I was involved in at Fox Tales Book Shoppe located in historic downtown Woodstock, Georgia. There were eleven authors who brought books to sale and the customers could walk around and mingle with the authors. Fox Tales is an independent book store owned by three lovely ladies. I was told six years ago they met at a writer's conference and decided to open the store and it has been going strong ever since

 

 

I remember not so long ago when I was the one going to author signings, writer's conferences, anything that had to do with books or authors. It's been ten years since I started writing for the historical magazine "Georgia Backroads." I remember mentioning that someone should write about a historic building in Trion, GA. and my boyfriend said why didn't I write it. So I did! And that was the start of my writing journey. Not long after that I started on my first book "Death in Dahlonega", but life got in the way and the going was slow. I have a beautiful daughter, Niki, that is disabled and I needed to take care of her. When I was able to finally get caregivers to help it freed up some time for me to write and that's when I was able to finish "Death in Dahlonega."

 





 

 

The story of "Death in Dahlonega" is interesting in and of itself. I knew I wanted to write Christian Fiction, but didn't know what it was called at the time. So when I discovered American Christian Fiction Writer's and online group of Christian authors I signed up. It was the best thing I ever did. There is support from other authors, writing classes, critique partners, and much much more. I was able to study the craft of writing as well as writing Christian Fiction. I did have to go back and re-write "Death in Dahlonega" but it was well worth it. I found a floppy disc the other day with "Death in Dahlonega" written on it and it was dated 2002. It was actually published in 2011. So it took ten years from the beginning to the end. Of course, I wasn't writing the whole time. LOL I appreciate all of the people that follow my blog and all of my readers. Why write if there are no readers!

 

 



 

 

 

Me at Fox Tales Book Shoppe



 

 

 

Two of my new fans!

 

 

 

I even have little fans!