The end of September found me in San Antonio for the ACFW National Conference. It’s one of my favorite weeks of the year, as I get to reconnect with many of my writing buddies including several of the women on this blog. It’s such fun and then one way I give back to the writing world that has been so good to me. We also had board meetings where we started planning next year’s conference in St. Louis. Friday night and Saturday of that event will have a reader’s retreat. I’m so excited about what that will mean for our authors and for readers.
Frank Peretti was the keynote speaker. Raise your hand if his novel This Present Darkness changed the way you look at prayer. Yeah, me too. His first speech was a clarion call to return to the truth of the Gospel. The second an encouragement to keep writing truth. Next year’s keynote speaker will be Liz Curtis Higgs! She was fantastic the other time I’ve heard her, and I can’t wait!
We started with First Time Orientation where my friend Ashley Clark (and soon to be published author with Bethany House) along with Bethany editor Raela Schoenherr shared what to expect with editor and agent appointments. I think this is the part that is always the most stressful for first timers.
The conference closed with the Awards Gala. This photo is the attorneys: Rick Acker, James Scott Bell and me.
And a couple of my writing sisters: Courtney Walsh (who won a Carol!) and Katie Ganshert.
And my Indiana writing buddies Kristy Cambron and Sarah Ladd.
This photo should be labeled the women of suspense: Colleen Coble, Carrie Stuart Parks, Robin Caroll, Lynette Eason and yours truly.
So a quick question, if you were to come to a reader event, which authors would you love to spend time with?
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I know a few readers who are anticipating next year’s event! (We may have crashed this year’s event just to get to meet y’all!) The crazy thing is, we’re excited to meet both authors that we love to read as well as new-to-us authors! It’s going to be so much fun!
Yay! We are super excited as well! I know I always love discovering new authors. 🙂
I would love to meet Colleen Coble, Dani Pettrey, Susan Sleeman, Lynn Blackburn, Lynette Eason, Irene hannon and, of course, you. I live an hour from St. Louis, so maybe I will get that opportunity!
It would be so fun to meet you! I hope you will be able to join us!
I enjoyed taking a peek at your photos, Cara! I loved my time in San Antonio. 🙂
It was great to see you, Becky. Just wish we’d had more time to catch up. San Antonio is amazing!
I enjoyed the conference so much! Meeting authors, learning from them, learning about the publishing industry and talking with other aspiring authors. It was a blessing to be in the company of so many wonderful people. I am always amazed at the welcome published and accomplished authors give to those of us who struggle to follow in their paths. It is truly a show of God’s grace.
Rebecca, I’m so glad it was a good experience. I am always humbled by that welcome, too. It’s part of what makes Christian fiction and ACFW so special!
I live about 2 1/2 hours from St. Louis and want to go sooooo much! There are a ton of authors that I’d love to meet, including many in your pictures and Roseanna White, Irene Hannon, Liz Curtis Higgs! etc, etc. I’m trying real hard to get there for CRFF.
I’ll bet it’s tons of fun.