Well I got to see it! Not full, didn’t want to brave the traffic for Charleston or Columbia, so we headed to Asheville. Beautiful view and no traffic. We did come up a day early to escape what traffic might be in the way on Monday.  We didn’t have a high tech camera but the view through the glasses was spectacular

It’s just the two of us here in the incredible home of friends who are out of town this weekend. It’s like a mini-honeymoon for us. We did come near here for our honeymoon 38 years ago.

Had a pretty good dinner at Asianna a Chinese buffet. We don’t usually do buffets as we can’t do them justice, but this time we indulged ourselves, then came back and sat on the deck watching the sun go down with a glass of wine.

Today we lazed around waiting and watching the clouds roll in. We did get to see quite a bit, but there were a lot of the white fluffy clouds cutting off our view off and on. The temperature dropped a bit (to a very nice degree) and the light got very eerie. The bugs came out as though it was dusk, so I got a lot of mosquito bites but stayed out anyway.

It wasn’t really quiet here, we could hear cheering and horns honking but everyone seemed to be in a good mood.

We’ll stay here again tonight and go by Bat’s Cave tomorrow on the way home. That’s where we actually stayed on our honeymoon, in a log cabin, and we’d like to see it again.

All in all a very nice mini-vacation. Many thanks to T&K for the use of their home!

P.S. Don’t forget Small Changes comes out August 31!  

34th year! Hard to believe we’ve kept it going so long. The attendance varies but we have a super time. 

We were disappointed that Carolyn and Ron Steele were unable to make it this year. She’s also an author, so I was especially anxious to meet her. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for next year! Please check Carolyn out here. Also hoping for Robert and Barbara, and Mada and Lawrence next year. Without David, Robert and Ron not a lot of “Steeles” there.

Having Carolyn would have been three authors attending! Carolyn, my sister who writes as PK Corey and me – What can I say, a talented family. 

Not too many of the next generation there this year. They’re all busy with young families and full time jobs, while so many of us are retired or have accumulated extra vacation over the years. Just so they know they’re always welcome! 

Wanted to share a picture of where it all started – this is Grandmother and Granddaddy’s 50th anniversary celebration.

See you all next year!

I’m home and happily exhausted. The 10.5 hour drive each way took a toll, but look at all the books I brought back. I see contests in the near future.  

Had a wonderful time and mostly stayed inside due to the heat – but it was July in Florida. Plus with so many incredible presentations to attend no time to go out. My only problem was in deciding which of the presentations to see.

Wednesday through Saturday was full. Just some of the sessions I attended included Mark Dawson on Savvy Marketing, Kristen Painter and Roxanne St. Clarie on Self-Publishing in an Ever Changing Market. The PAN Keynote was Faith Salie on the Approval Junkie, a panel on the secrets of self-publishing, and a high energy session on Burnout Prevention with Emily Foster and Amelia Nagoski.

The Golden Hearts luncheon was separated from the Ritas this year which I found to be very enjoyable. A full list of the winners is here – Golden Hearts and Ritas.

Linnea Sinclair, Cindy Holbby and Stacey Kade led Boldly Going: Writing Science Fiction Romance. Got to attend Writing Great Sex Scenes with Patience Bloom, Flo Nicoll and Kathleen Scheibling, but missed Cattle Ranching for Dummies, Unsucky Blurb Writing (need this one!), Indiana Jones in the Ballroom, and How a Lady Does it: Sex in Historical Romance.  Need to clone myself for the next conference.

There was a lovely party given by Soul Mate Publishing for their authors – and one of the best meals I had the whole conference in addition to meeting so many new (to me) authors.  

Also got to see so many authors I admire and follow. Fangirled on Suzanne Brockman and Virginia Kantra. Got to talk a little with Heather Graham – told her that I’d been compared to her on a review of Wraith’s Heart and thanked her for the boost in sales. Saw Katharine Ashe, Samantha Chase, Elizabeth Langston, Sabrina Jefferies, Cyn Haydn, my incredible editor from Soul Mate Publishing, Char Chaffin, and of course roomed with Nancy Lee Badger. 

Beverly Jenkins won the Nora Robert Lifetime Achievement Award and gave the greatest speech.

Lots of  Hearts of the Carolina were there as well – Kate Parker, Davida Samenski, Laurel McMacken, Jennifer Delamere. There weren’t enough hours in the day.

Attended the Leadership Breakfast with Nancy on Saturday and learned a lot more than I had even considered about what RWA does behind the scenes for authors and chapters. Gave me a new appreciation of the work of the organization.

If you haven’t been to a conference yet, put it on your schedule – Denver in 2018. If possible, it’s an incredible experience.

I’m creative in my own way. I mean I am a multi-published author. But then I go see the homes of young women in my family and I get jealous.  

Turns out, I have no decorating gene.

Went to see my niece’s new home this week – she’s been in it less than two months and it’s completely decorated with pictures on the wall and beautiful touches everywhere. 

I cannot say the same for my place. The gene just passed me by.

Visited La Daughter’s new apartment a few weeks ago and had the same feeling. Why don’t I know about these beautiful little touches?

La Daughter-in-law even has a Etsy site where she makes these lovely little touches that add so much. Check it out here – HoneycuttCo

Okay, none of these women write books but dang where they would sit to write them look so good! Not showing you my office, no way. Six months here and pictures still sitting against the wall in some areas rather than being hung. And while I decluttered to a fantastic level, there’s still more I could get rid of . . . Sigh

Oh well, they can come here and decorate for me any time!

At least I have this…