Many of our great IBLF Blog buddies got together at lunch on Saturday.
Like many of the authors here on the Inspired by Life and Fiction blog, I had the honor of attending the ACFW conference in St. Louis, MO last week. What a glorious time of learning, fellowshipping with other authors, meeting new friends, and giving back to the organization that has done so much to bless my personal writing journey.
In my previous post (which you can read here), I shared the story of how God and ACFW came together in 2007 and 2008 in such a way that led to my first publishing contract. Every year, the blessings continue to abound.
Me and Kristi after the Bethany House Spotlight
Some of the highlights for me this year included meeting new friends who I felt an immediate connection to. Authors like new Bethany House acquisition, Kristi Hunter who I not only got to meet while she was dressed in her regency finery at the genre dinner, but who I also got to sit with at our publisher’s dinner and who sang with me in the conference choir. God kept throwing us together, and I loved every minute of it.
Jody and I teaching on how to write a bestselling romance. We even had two men in the crowd. WooHoo!
I also had the opportunity to teach with dear friend and fellow IBLF blogger, Jody Hedlund. We were slated for the last workshop session of the last day, and we worried that people would be too tired to come to our session. But by the time we were underway, our room was nearly full! What a blessing that was. Working with Jody is always a treat for me. Especially when she didn’t shoot me for running long on my portion of the material. (Oops! Sorry, Jody.) Overall, though, the session went well. We had great participation and afterwards, so many people took the time to stop and encourage us with words of blessing. Jody and I felt a bit like rock stars when several people in a row stopped to get their pictures made with us.
One of the highlights, though, was seeing people dressed up at the genre dinner. My favorites were of course the historical costumes. I sat at a table next to a lady dressed in roaring 20’s style. So beautiful and fun. No one could beat our own Julie Klassen and the always spunky Regina Jennings, though. Julie looked so elegant in her pink regency gown, and Regina wore the actual dress that her cover model wore on Caught in the Middle. She even got the boots in there. Love it! One of these years, I’m going to have to get me a dress like that.
Julie looking ever so elegant
Regina showing off her boots and book cover
Book cover in question
At the gala event on Saturday night, we even found time to snatch a picture of the four of us who will be partnering up for a novella collection in the next year or so. Regina Jennings, me, Mary Connealy, and Melissa Jagears.
- What is your favorite thing to do when you get together with friends you haven’t seen in a year or more?
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The workshop you and Jody gave was terrific! Full of great information.
My favorite thing to do with friends I haven’t seen in awhile is simply to VISIT. If the visiting and talking and laughing can be done over coffee or dessert or a meal, all the better!
Thanks, Becky!
And you’re right about the visiting. Doesn’t matter where, and food doesn’t even need to be involved, though it’s always fun when it is. It’s amazing how the time apart seems to slip away and we reconnect as if we’d never been separated. Just by chatting. Lovely!
So good to see you at ACFW! You were one of the friends I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with. 🙂
When we finally get together again we talk and eat and talk! Maybe we should try something different?
I don’t know, Jen. Talking and eating sound pretty great. Sometimes if there are kids involved we try to work in an outdoor activity. Mainly so the kids will have something to do and we can do more talking and eating. 🙂
It was so great to meet you and so many other authors! It was really funny how I just kept running into you all weekend. I was kind of worried i”d be stuck in limbo land between the published and unpublished writers, but y’all were all very welcoming. 😉 Glad you had safe travels home.
Thanks, Kristi. I loved being able to get to know you better. I think you became my designated conference buddy this year! Hope you got all the kiddo hugs you were looking for when you got home. My whole crew picked my up from the airport on their way home from church Sunday night, so I got to love on them all right out of the gate. Perfect homecoming. 🙂
I managed to get home to tuck them in to bed, so that was good.
Love it! Thanks for sharing 🙂 I can’t wait for your novella collection! 4 great authors in one collection…awesomeness!
It should be another fun one, Crystal! It’s a brand new contract, so it will be a while before it makes it to the shelves, but I know these ladies will be a joy to work with. They already are!
Hi Karen!
It sounds as though you all had the most marvellous time together in Saint Louis.:) Apart from the info sessions being first rate,I’m sure the”social” scene was equally inspiring!.
I personally find it is always so much fun to catch up with friends at a conference,especially when you’re from all over the State or O/S. There can be so much bonding and friendship which lasts a life time. I have some beautiful O/S friends and I love everyone of them:) Our reunions are so special and leave us with some beautiful memories.:) I often think about our time together and I can hardly wait for the next reunion.LOL
I wish I’d known about the live blog because I would have loved to have watched it. I’m about to email Kav as I know she did enjoy watching and maybe she knows if there is a link to which I can still connect and view some of the action. I’m sure there was plenty of it…. Better late than never,as they say.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience Karen.:)
Wish you could have been there in person with us, Rosie! I remember last year when Rel Mollet made the trip over from down under to join us at ACFW. It’s a huge investment to travel so far, but she did such a great job of interviewing authors and working the marketing angle. I was super impressed.
LOVE seeing all the pictures here on the blog today!! It was such a FUN time! I especially loved all the talking and laughing. Karen, you always put a smile on my face with your humor! 🙂 And it was such a blessing to teach the workshop with you. I’d do it again in a heartbeat! Thanks for always being so warm and sweet and inviting to all those who cross your path, including me! Rock on! 😉
Thanks, Jody. We made a great team. When filling out the faculty survey yesterday, I mentioned that we’d be glad to expand and return for a repeat performance. 🙂 Always great to see you in person and be a part of your team!
So happy that you all had such an awesome time Karyn! I know it was one of the big highlights of the year for most of you. I am been enjoying everyone’s great pictures! Thank you for posting about this great event.
It was surely a time of blessing. I’m always amazed at the way God throws new people into my path at these conferences. Such great friendships have been started here.
Karen, I do apologize to you for misspelling your name in the previous message above. I have a friend whose name is spelled with a y instead of an e and I just slipped up. I’m so sorry!
Ha! No problem. I had a friend growing up who spelled her name with a Y too, so seeing that spelling just made me think of her. A nice little detour down memory land. So, thanks! 🙂