Two Steps Forward....

Just a quick update to give myself a proverbial pat on the back.

One month after I came back from the ACFW Conference, I have submitted two proposals to different literary agencies. One was a very detailed, in-depth proposal. The other a quick query letter and sample pages. Yet each took the same amount of courage to push the SEND key!

Whew! It's done and gone.

Now back to more revisions! And try to forget about those proposals!

GRATITUDE!

Today as I cook the small stuffed turkey breast and clean my messy house, I find myself thinking about Thanksgiving Day and what it really means. (For my American cyber-friends - it's our Canadian Thanksgiving weekend).

I used to get so stressed out at Thanksgiving that I didn't enjoy one minute. I'd spend all weekend scouring and cleaning, and cutting and chopping and peeling and cooking, carving the turkey, serving food, then cleaning up some more. I'd have to recuperate all Monday before heading back to work. What kind of fun was that? I wouldn't even have a minute to give thanks for anything (the grumbling overtook everything else).

Even though we now do Thanksgiving differently, (usually we meet in a restaurant for a meal and then come back to my house for my mother's famous pumpkin pie), I still find myself getting a little grumpy. So I decided to take time out to thank God for all the things in my life I'm grateful for.

I'm grateful for ever strengthening relationship with God. I'm grateful for my family (my husband and two great kids), for my health, for my little part-time job which I really enjoy, for my writing, for this beautiful weather we've been having, for my house (even though it's always messy!), for my car with the broken muffler, for this country that offers us every opportunity to do and become whatever we wish, and last but not least, I'm grateful for my friends and all the wonderful people I've met - who've touched my life along the way. I grateful for angels actually, those in bodily form and those in celestial form.

May God bless you and your family on our Canadian thanksgiving. I'm thankful for this concrete reminder to be grateful for every little thing around me. And I'm grateful for YOU!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Some Photos from the Conference!

Finally figured out how to get the pictures off my camera! All by myself without my daughter!! So I thought I'd post a few and share some fun moments.

My roommate Eileen Astels Watson and author Cathy West!

One person I really wanted to meet was one of my favourite authors, Julie Lessman. This picture was taken in the midst of chaos but I cherish it nontheless!

Here is myself, Eileen and Sandra Orchard on the steps of the capitol building. (I'm the 'unstylish' one in green! LOL)

And of course we took some great pictures of the famous Arch!

Next time I'll try to take more pictures of the awesome people I meet. Though sometimes I just ran into them in random hallways or the bookstore and didn't think to pull out my camera. Good thing George Clooney didn't show up! No one would believe me!!

AWESOME CONFERENCE!

I'm back!! Where do I begin to describe the wonderful experience of the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference?

It was my first time at a large writers' conference. Despite sometimes feeling like I was in another reality, like a walking zombie, it was a fantastic experience. Everyone was so friendly and encouraging. I wasn't even nervous at the three appointments I had with agents and editors!

I got to meet the wonderful authors I had wanted to meet, like Julie Lessman, Laura Frantz, Tamera Alexander and Julie Klassen, as well as Patti Lacey, Lyn Cote, Janet Dean, Debby Giusti, Mary Conneally, Cara Lyn James, Sandra Orchard, and many others I can't remember at the moment. (I missed meeting Ruth Logan Herne, Melanie Dickerson, Audra Harders, Myra Johnson, and Pam Hillman & Sandra Leesmith)but saw most of them flitting around here and there.

I loved meeting other friends of Seekerville, like Casey Herringshaw, Pepper Basham and Jessica Nelson, Katie Ganshert and Jodie Hedlund, among others. Such great ladies.

And of course, my awesome roomie, Eileen Astels Watson! She put up with my cold, coughing and even, I'm sorry to say, some snoring. (It's the cold, honest!) Thanks Eileen for keeping my sanity!

Lots of new people crossed my path, too, and for that I am most thankful, since most of them appeared at times when I needed a friendly face!

Key note speaker, Tracie Petersen, was awesome. What a wonderful example of a career to aspire to!

The workshops were inspiring and insightful. The award banquet, with all its glam and glitter, was fantastic.

Now to take all that energy and enthusiasm and channel it into my writing! Maybe a day or two to recuperate first!!

Prepare, prepare, prepare!

Preparations for attending a major writing conference is a lot more work than I had anticipated. It has been a bit overwhelming, but piece by piece, the details are coming together.

I managed to get my flight through Airmiles and only had to pay the airport taxes and fees. That was a huge help, saving me over $500. The only drawback is traveling alone (I don't like going into new situations by myself) and having to transfer planes in the busiest city in the USA (Chicago O'Hare). Having to carry all my luggage alone with my hubby to lift the heavy ones - that will be a challenge. But I'm sure I will get through it.

I researched the transportation to the hotel and booked the shuttle. Hotel reservations have been made (thanks to my efficient roommate!). Now to remember all the little things to bring, what to pack where, and what airlines allow on board these days. Thankfully American Airlines has an excellent website with the information detailed in an easy to read manner. Who knew you had to pay a fee to check a suitcase in?? I guess you're supposed to travel without luggage! And food!
But I digress...

What I didn't figure on was the homework required. Not only polishing your manuscripts, preparing one-sheets, verbal pitches, ordering new business cards (with a photo so people will remember you), but advance homework for the courses I'll be taking! Whew. Almost finished all that.

The worst part was ... don't faint now ... dress shopping!! Horror of horrors. I have not bought/worn a dress in over twelve years. And have not worn any sort of heeled shoe since then. I was hit with a major culture shock when my daughter and I headed to the dress stores! Thankfully, after trying many outfits which regaled my daughter into fits of laughter, I found a dress I didn't look horrible in. But now I have to take it to the dressmaker to get it adjusted. It never ends!!

However, I did manage to find the exact type of shoes I was looking for - silver sandals with small heels that I can hopefully walk in!

This has been a whole lot of work! I'm sure hoping it's worth it all!

Will let you know - after I recover from the excitement! (end of September or so)

Until then, I need a nap!

Life Interrupted

Hey all. Sorry I've been so lax at posting, but between my daughter's Grade 12 prom and Graduation in late June, company visiting from the States, family events on my husband's side, I got behind. Now life has been interrupted in a most unexpected and serious way. On Sunday, my mother had a stroke and has been in the hospital ever since.

She drove her car to my house in that state. It's a miracle she didn't have an accident. I knew right away something was very wrong and called an ambulance. She had lost the ability to speak, so I had to remain at the hospital to be her voice. From Sunday afternoon until 5 am Monday morning, I sat in a chair in the ER and waited, and waited. Time slows to a standstill when you are in a situation like that. One minute seems like an eternity. Especially since Mom couldn't talk to me. Finally the doctor said I could go home for a while. I drove through pouring rain and lightning that illuminated the entire landscape around for miles, and dropped into bed for a few hours rest. Only to start all over again....

We have been lucky in our family to never have had really serious illnesses to contend with. This past May my mother was hospitalized for the first time in her life with pneumonia. After 5 days she was released and bounced back in an amazingly short amount of time.

With my brother out of the country on vacation, my husband and I have been handling everything and trying to keep a positive outlook. Mom's speech has come back almost totally - except she can't remember a lot of words and gets very frustrated. The worst thing for her is not being able to drive for at least 3 months. Mom is fiercely independent and this has thrown her for a loop.

I know that God is with us and will help us all persevere through this trying time.

In the meantime, I am still trying to prepare for the ACFW Conference. It has taken a bit of a backseat, but I will try to post about it over the next few days.

Until then any prayers would be appreciated!

ACFW Conference

I'm so excited that this fall I will be attending my first really BIG Writer's Conference. The American Christian Fiction Writers are holding their annual conference in St. Louis, Missouri this year, and I have made the bold step of registering for it!

It's amazing how the universe works to make things happen sometimes. At first I thought I'd be going alone - a newbie out in a sea of pros. But as luck would have it, a former critique partner is going also and asked me to be her roommate! Though we'll probably attend different lectures and workshops, it will be nice to know there's a friendly face in the crowd!

And I get to meet some special authors that I've been reading, as well as many on-line friends I've talked to in cyber-land.

Super exciting! Now to save my pennies...