I was fortunate to attend the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat yesterday in Nashville! The day was organized by Carrie, Annie, and Bonnie, the fabulous ladies behind the Reading is my Superpower, Just Commonly, and Overcoming with God blogs. Approximately 30 authors and 120 readers were in attendance.
The day kicked off with praise and worship followed by talks from Mary Connealy, Ruth Logan Herne, Julie Lessman and IBL’s own Tammy Alexander. Each author spoke about the writing journey she’s walked with God. It was tremendously inspiring and moving to hear their testimonies concerning the sovereignty of the Lord’s plan for their careers and their lives.
Then we broke for lunch…
Me, author Dani Pettrey, and author Carrie Turnasky sharing a table with readers.
After lunch, we regrouped for author panels, a blogger Q&A time, more worship time, lots of giveaways, and “speed chatting”, during which the readers stayed in small groups and the authors rotated through them. Every reader had a bingo card and each time a new author entered their group, they crossed off that author’s book on their bingo card. As soon as they called out, “Bingo!” they received a free book.
This was one of the day’s highlights! These authors each wore an outfit representing the time period in which their books are set. L to R: Melanie Dickerson, Gabrielle Meyer, Laura Frantz, Pepper Basham, Kristi Ann Hunter, Carrie Turansky
Me, Kara Isaac, and Sarah Monzon, laughing our way through the “Imaginary Friends” panel. Thanks for sharing your photos with me, Sarah!
The event wrapped up with a book signing. My absolute favorite part of the day was the time I spent chatting with readers. Writing is solitary! I spend most of my work hours at home alone. The majority of the time, I interact with readers through social media and email. This rare chance to speak to, hug, and get to know readers was priceless and incredibly encouraging. These ladies KNOW Christian fiction! They’re well read and knowledgeable and passionate about our genre. They were quick to express how much they appreciate and value the books we write. God used the women I met to minister to me. Through their words and smiles I could hear God saying, Keep going. Keeping trusting me. I’m at work through your novels.
Nicole Coley is one of the readers I was able to visit with. She’s a 17 year old singer/songwriter who has the most beautiful voice and creates the most beautiful songs. Check out her music here. Her ‘Nana’ came with her to the retreat. L to R: Nana, Dani Pettrey, Nicole, me. Thanks for sharing your photos, Nicole! God bless you and the way that you’re using your gifts for the Kingdom.
When and if the fearless planners of the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat recover from their exhaustion, I’m very much hoping they’ll be willing to plan a 2nd Annual Christian Fiction Readers Retreat for September of 2017 in Dallas. If they do, I’ll be there. And I hope you will be, too.
Have you attended a reader event in the past? If so, I’d love to hear about it!
Becky Wade
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Well, I have now! 😊
I had the best day and it was just a thrill for me to meet you!
I appreciate the calling you ladies have to write God-honoring fiction and I enjoy reading it.
Now I’m ready for that next book in May!
I’m still smiling over the fact that you happened to sit in the empty chair right next to me, Melissa. It was a divine appointment!
Absolutely!!! 😊
Love your pictures!
Oh Becky, I would love to be part of something like that and meet with readers! Sounds wonderful!
It was, Lynn!
This was an awesome event! It was such a pleasure to meet you, Becky, and so many other inspiring writers.
Thank you for attending, Rebecca! It was a treat to meet you in person.
Wow, it was a great day, wasn’t it?ane I even got to sit next to you all day!! I appreciated the focus on God throughout the day, recognizing that He is the focus of each of your lives. Thank you for sharing and tell Lynn Austin I’ll save a seat for her next to me next year!!
I know! I had you on one side and Melissa on the other. I couldn’t have hoped for better ‘neighbors’. I, too, loved the focus on God throughout the day.
How fun?! I am so jealous that I wasn’t able to attend. I am seeing all of the wonderful authors that I love to read. The sad part… is you all were in my state. So close, yet so far. (sigh) I had a business retreat I had to go to in Texas. Maybe next time!!
Maybe next time, Dana!
Awesome pics and LOVE the fact you said we are FEARLESS! (you mean you didn’t see me shaking behind the scenes?!)
So glad to have met you! My total gaga moment! Thank you for being a part of this first CFRR event! Love you lots!
Nope, I saw NO shaking. If there was shaking you masked it well, Annie. 🙂
Becky!!! It was such a joy to meet you and I can’t wait to do this again!
Ditto!
Loved hearing about this! Oh, I wish I’d been there. <3 Thank you for giving us a peek inside the event.
It was so great to finally meet you in person. To see the woman behind so many of the fabulous books I enjoy, is truly a blessing and I still have a permanent smile on my face. Thank you so much for taking time out of your EXTREMELY busy schedule to be part of this event. It truly was a little piece of heaven interacting with all of you, and praising God for bringing us together. I hope your ears have stopped ringing from my shrill screaming and that you have only minor bruising from my hugs. May you leave Nashville revved up and ready to write more fantastic books (after re-cooping from this humidity).
“I hope your ears have stopped ringing from my shrill screaming and that you have only minor bruising from my hugs.” I’m grinning, Amy! I left the event encouraged and inspired — not a bruise in sight. 🙂
It was so nice to meet and talk with you! It was such a fun day! I think the panels the speed chats and praise and worship were so great! Interaction with so many fabulous authors in one room was amazing! Can’t wait until next year! Nicole and her Nana are so sweet!
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you, Nancy!
I love reader luncheons and retreats. I hope to be there next year. I’m at ACFW and just talked to the amazing ladies who organized this event. This is much more fun than sitting at a lonely book signing!! Glad you had s good time!!
This was the un-loneliest reader even and book signing I’ve ever attended!
Wow! After all this time I just caught the word READER! I have always thought WRITER! Yes, this sounds like a wonderful day! Guess I will think about this in a more personal way in the next year. 😀
Jen, they held the *reader’s* retreat the day before the American Christian Fiction *Writer’s* conference — so I can completely understand what you’re saying. The fact that this event was geared toward readers made it special and unique.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and pics. It’s been so much fun living vicariously through the posts and pictures from blogger, author, and reader friends. I would have dearly loved to go this year but wasn’t able to make it. I’m hoping for next year if we can talk Carrie, Bonnie, and Annie into planning another one. Maybe we should wait until they recuperate for a few weeks before we besiege them with our begging. From the pictures and posts, I can see they did a fantastic job!
“Maybe we should wait until they recuperate for a few weeks before we besiege them with our begging.” I’m thinking the same thing, Winnie. 🙂
Yes please 😉 lol
This looks like it was an amazing event! I’m so glad you felt encouraged and validated by the love you felt from the readers! I really hope another event is planned for next year! If it’s closer to San Diego I will definitely plan a road trip or use some airline miles 😉
“I’m so glad you felt encouraged and validated by the love you felt from the readers!” I definitely did, Heidi.
I have attended RomCon in Denver for the last several years. Recently more Christian authors have been attending so that is wonderful for those us who prefer Christian romance. It seems to be a good outreach to meet new readers plus maybe meet some who read “sweet” romance. My daughter and I have really enjoyed meeting some new Christian authors.
I didn’t know about RomCon! It sounds great. I’m glad to hear that more and more authors of Christian and sweet romance have been in attendance, Cindy.
Becky, thank you SO MUCH for sharing what it was like to be at the first every Christian Fiction Reader’s Retreat!! For those of us that couldn’t be there, it’s great to hear about who was there and what the day was like. I am so hoping the event will occur in Grapevine next September in connection with ACFW. That seemed to work well for so many authors and bloggers. My daughter and I will be THERE if it happens. In fact, I’ve already got the event on my calendar for 9/20/17 in hopes it does happen!
As for attending reader events, I have attended several beginning with the first annual (and turned out to be only) Christian Fiction Expo which was held in Dallas about 10 years ago. And I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you at a local ACFW meeting. 🙂
I love that you’ve already put the 2017 Reader’s Retreat on your calendar, Staci! I definitely hope to see you and your daughter there.
I’ve never attended a readers anything, but I sure wanted to go to CFRR!!!! I’d so totally go fan-girl over all the authors in attendance….well, more like be so nervous I’d be shaking…lol!! Authors are HUGE to me, like celebrity huge 🙂
I am so jealous over all the pictures posted on Facebook…haha!
“I’d so totally go fan-girl over all the authors in attendance….well, more like be so nervous I’d be shaking…!!” I do think that a few of the readers were a bit nervous to speak to some of the authors. I get it! I’ve talked to a few of my favorite authors over the years. While we chatted, I was pretty busy being dazzled and thinking, “This is who wrote XYZ!!” over and over.
The ‘speed chatting’ component of the CFRR was super smart because it really did give readers a structured opportunity to meet most of the authors.
Looks like it was a fun day!
I would love to attend something like that! Oh my, my heart longed to be with you. My daughter and I would love to attend next year. I hope there are wheelchair able facilities. Your ministry, yes it is a ministry, fills my days and I thank you.
You’re so welcome, Sandra! Several authors were able to tour the LifeWay headquarters during our time in Nashville and the staff there told us that many of their store patrons aren’t interested in non-fiction or devotionals. The only way LifeWay can minister to those readers is through fiction.
Becky, thank you for your beautiful post on CFRR, I’m ecstatic you were inspired and encouraged by CFRR – that was one of our objectives for everyone attending. I can’t thank you enough for your encouragement and support of, and participation in – the first CFRR!! Hugs and blessings – it was such a pleasure and honor to meet you!!
“I’m ecstatic you were inspired and encouraged by CFRR – that was one of our objectives for everyone attending.” You met that objective, Bonnie! Thank you for including me.