The Blue Ridge Writers Conference

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Blue Ridge Writers Conference in Blue Ridge, Georgia about "What to Do When the Story Finds You." What a lovely conference with top notch speakers!
     It's held in the restored courthouse, now home to the Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association. Of the several speakers I had two faves...

     Claire Cook, author of MUST LOVE DOGS (made into the movie with Diane Lane and John Cusak) was the keynote speaker and awesomely nice lady to boot! We ended up munching lunch together in the kitchen and she couldn't have been any more down to earth and easy to talk to.

     Jennifer Jabaley, author of LIPSTICK APOLOGY and CRUSH CONTROL gave two talks - one about finding ideas and the second about building tension. I learned SO MUCH from her I can't even tell you! And my agent will be happy to hear Jenn helped me flesh out my next novel. Shhhhh!
     Michelle Moran gave a one-day workshop called "Overcome Your Blocks to Find Your Unique Voice." Along with being a great writer, Michelle owns Harvest on Main, the BEST restaurant in Blue Ridge, Georgia. I recommend the scallops.
     I gave my first formal talk on A BIRD ON WATER STREET, and while its always a bit nerve wracking that first time, as I figure out how long the slideshow will take and how long my stories will take to tell, the response was fantastic and there were several locals in the crowd who knew the history of Copperhill all too well. Happily, I answered all their questions accurately and passionately and they all bought the book. In fact, the store sold out again! That's the second time - wow!!!
     Thanks to Carol Crawford, Kay Kendall, and all the BRMAA staff and volunteers who made it such a great event. If you ever need a creative mountain getaway, I must recommend the Blue Ridge Writers Conference!!!