Top Ten Reasons to Attend ACFW National Conference

10. God has divine appointements for us there


9. Having me time away from the hustle and bustle of real life

8. Oodles of love and hugs

7. Lots of laughter

6. Meeting my writing friends face to face

5. Making friends with agents

4. Getting to know editors

3. Professional training that’s some of the best in the business

2. Because only other writers understand writers

1. Worshipping with my writing friends



Check it out at: http://www.acfw.com/conference

You don't want to be left out of the fun and learning.

Picture #1: Tamela Hancock Murray, Angie Breidenbach, me
Picture #2: Brandilyn Collins, me, Colleen Coble
Picture #3: Karen Ball, Tosca Lee, me

ACFW Conference in Denver Last Weekend

At conference last weekend, I headed downstairs from the mezzanine where I had been taking paid critique appointments. I meant to say, "I'm going to my room to decompress."

Unfortunately, it came out, "I'm going to my room to decompose."

I've been doing a lot of decompressing the last two days. Trying to get into the groove of writing again. All day Monday was spent on laundry and dealing with 500+ emails. Then yesterday, I was back writing my contracted book for Summerside Press.

I've attended every ACFW conference, even the two Texas regional ones before we started the national conferences. This one was the best one yet. Someone reminded me that was what I said every year. And it's been true each year.

The conferences keep getting better and better. I loved the hotel, and the staff was exceptional in both serving us and expressing special care.

I'm really looking forward to going to national next year in Indianapolis. I've already started saving the money for the trip.

Here are a few pictures:

I attended the advances Continuing Education section with Allen Arnold and Karen Ball. Gail Sattler shot this picture of me when I was answering a question.

Then on Friday night, Ted Dekker came to the hotel to hang out in the lobby. He recently joined ACFW, but not soon enough to sign up for the conference. I'd featured him on this blog, so I was glad he was still hanging out when my Barbour author's party was over.

On the night of the Awards Banquet, I hung out with a lot of my friends. The only pictures I have downloaded right now are the ones of me with my friends agent Tamela Hancock Murray and Angie Briedenbach (who is also Mrs. Montana).

Then when we left the hotel on Sunday, my roommate, Marilyn Eudaly, and our friends Anne Greene and Margo Carmichael had a real treat. Marilyn's neice Carol, the one on the right side of the picture, took us to Golden, Colorado, which is a suburb of Denver in the foothills of the Rockies. We ate in this Inn and enjoyed the trip that gave us more sights to see before going to the airport.

Carol's husband, oldest daughter, and granddaughter joined us for the meal. Thank you, carol for the special treat.

Connecting With Publishers at the ACFW Conference

This is my last post about the 2009 national conference in Denver in September:

http://www.acfw.com/ - click on Conference in the left column

This is a picture of me with my agent Joyce Hart at the 2005 national conference.

When I wrote and sold my first two books, I didn’t know much about publishers or agents or anything. We didn’t have an organization like ACFW.

After the organization started having national conferences, that changed in my writing life. I was able to actually meet editors face-to-face. I ate meals with them, and many of them have become my friends, even though they’ve not published any of my work.

Unplanned meetings in the elevator when you can just visit with an editor. Maybe a group casually sitting in the hotel lobby or sharing a cup of coffee. Participating in the Late Night Chats. Perusing the books in the bookstore. There are a lot of places where you can get to know publishers besides at your 15-minute appointment.

The more national conferences I attend, the better I get to know many of them. We are friends and chat amiably. These chance encounters enhance your private meeting about your book, because the editors have seen you in many situations.

This is a picture of me with Chip Macgregor at the banquet at the 2008 national conference.

I try to always be myself wherever I am at conference. Our personalities are what make us unique, and we shouldn’t try to hide them behind a wall.

Remember editors are real people. Editing is their job. They wouldn’t have a job without authors writing books. So connect with the publishers at conference. You’ll be glad you did.

ACFW Conference - Uplifting Worship

This week only, I'll have a couple of extra posts about the American Christian Fiction Writers conferences. There's one coming up September 17-20 in Denver. I'm helping anyone who hasn't attended one of the wonderful meetings to know what to expect. One of my favorite things about conference is the uplifting worship. This is a picture of a group of us who went out to eat together at last year's conference.

From the very beginnings of ACRW, which is now ACFW, God was in the planning and the growing. The founders were told by other people in the marketplace that it was nothing short of a miracle the way the organization came together and grew. I believe that, because God touched the hearts of those who started it and gave them supernatural wisdom.

So it’s no wonder that when we come together in a national conference, uplifting worship is an integral part. God is present. The people He has called to write the books He wants written are present, some already published, but some not yet. It’s not His timing for that yet.

When the worship starts, at first it feels just like any service, but as we go along something supernatural happens in our worship. God’s presence becomes so strong, that we really are lifting our worship to Him, glorifying Him.

And He allows us to do it with other people who really understand us. Other authors He’s called together for that specific time.

Some people have been healed in physical ways, emotional ways, and spiritual ways during that worship. And a kinship grows between the authors, agents, and editors that transcends anything in the publishing business. We’re drawn together to worship Him, no matter what church we attend. Our God is the God of individuals. When like-minded people come together, the worship is awesome. And I don’t use that word casually. We understand just how awesome our God really is.

If you'd like to know more about the national conference, go to http://www.acfw.com/ and click on the Conference button on the left side. You'll find all kinds of info about it.

Here's a list of other blogs where you can find more posts about the conference:

June 15: Christa Allan: Evolving Conference Experiences http://www.christaallan.com

June 15: Ane Mulligan: A Few of My Favorite Things... http://anemulligan.blogspot.com

June 17: Margaret Daley: Enhancing Your Conference Experience Through Volunteering http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com

June 18: Trish Perry: ACFW Conference Friendships at all stages of writing careers http://www.TrishPerry.com

June 21: Megan DiMaria: Finding restaurants at conference (visit often for multiple postings beginning June 21. Megan will be posting weekly so check back often for her eye on the best eateries and how to save money eating out as well as how to impress your business associates with excellent food.) http://megandimaria.blogspot.com

June 22: Michelle Shocklee: Help! I'm Shy! How to overcome a shy personality at conference. http://michelleshocklee.blogspot.com

June 23: Dana Mentink: Navigating the conference waters http://www.danamentink.com

June 24: Tiffany Amber Stockton: Pitching with Success http://www.amberstockton.com/blog.html

June 27: Sharon Lavy: Prayer Room http://sharonlavy.blogspot.com http://sharonalavy.wordpress.com

June 30: Kathleen Fuller: Amish fiction, historical romance tracks http://www.kathleenfuller.blogspot.com

July 1st: Deborah Vogts: What You Can Expect at Conference. http://www.deborahvogts.blogspot.com

July 2nd: Megan DiMaria: Dining Options in the Park Meadows Mall (Colorado's only retail resort!) Food Court (AKA Dining Hall) http://megandimaria.blogspot.com

July 3rd: Mindy Obenhaus: Conference Prep-Part 1
http://www.mindyobenhaus.com
http://www.writingbyfaith.blogspot.com

July 2-10: Amish Hearts: Group blog with various conference posts http://www.amishhearts.com

July 5: Jeannie Campbell: Why I chose the ACFW conference: A newbie’s perspective http://www.mindhealingfiction.blogspot.com

July 7th: Annette Irby: What It's All About http://www.annetteirby.blogspot.com
http://www.annetteirbyreviews.blogspot.com

July 8th: Carla Stewart: Ten Ways to Connect at Conferencehttp://www.carlastewart.blogspot.com

July 10th: Mindy Obenhaus: Conference Prep-Part 2
http://www.mindyobenhaus.com
http://www.writingbyfaith.blogspot.com

July 12-19 : Linda Kozar and the Internal MonoBlog- Group blog with various conference posts. http://wwwinternalmonoblogcom.blogspot.com

July 17th: Mindy Obenhaus: Conference Prep-Part 3
http://www.mindyobenhaus.com
http://www.writingbyfaith.blogspot.com

July 19: Tiffany Colter 1: Long-term return on investing in a writer’s conference (multiple posts) http://writingcareercoach.blogspot.com

July 22: Tiffany Colter 2: Investing in your professional development (multiple posts) http://www.TheBalancedLife.com

July 25-31: Writer’s Rest Group Blog: Trusting God to use conference http://writersrest.blogspot.com

July 28: Jennifer AlLee: The Value of Face-to-Face Networking in a Twitter & Facebook World http://jenniferallee.blogspot.com

July 31: Angie Breidenbach: Confidence at Conference http://GodUsesBrokenVessels.blogspot.com

Aug. 2: Deb Raney: "What if I Can't Come to the Conference?" http://www.acfw.com/blog

Aug. 3: Lena Nelson Dooley 1: Uplifting worship http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Aug. 3-9: Writing By Faith Group blog: 6 authors, 1 great God. Aug. 3rd is Belinda Peterson: Relax-You CAN Enjoy Those Editor and Agent Appointments Aug. 4th is Mindy Obenhaus: "Making the Most of Your Conference Experience." Aug. 5th is Angie Breidenbach: Professionalism 101 Aug. 6th is Missy Tippens: Introverts Can Act Extroverted--and no one needs to know. Aug. 8th is Jennifer Hudson-Taylor: TBD Aug. 9th is Christy LaShae-Smith: Don’t Waste Your Pre-Conference Time http://writingbyfaith.blogspot.com

Aug. 6: Cynthia Ructhi: "Novel Ideas--Connecting at the Table" (How to make the most of mealtime connections) http://hopethatglowsinthedark.blogspot.com/

Aug. 7: Lena Nelson Dooley 2: Connecting with publishers http://lenanelsondooleynewsletter.blogspot.com

Aug 9: Ane Mulligan: A Few of My Favorite Things... http://www.noveljourney.blogspot.com

Aug 12: Jill Elizabeth Nelson: http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com/artisticblogger.html

Aug. 13: Cynthia Ruchti: Dealing with Disappointment-What else might God have in mind? http://hopethatglowsinthedark.blogspot.com

Aug. 14: Maureen Lang: "After The Conference. What now?" http://maureenlang.blogspot.com/

Aug 15: Cara Putman: First Timers and Calm Nerves http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com

American Christian Fiction Writers National Conference

I'm breaking into our regular schedule of author interviews to write about the ACFW national conference. Although many of my readers are just that--people who love to read books, and authors are glad they are--some of you are also aspiring or published authors.

I cannot say enough about the value of attending conferences. I joined ACRW, which later became ACFW, in the spring of 2000, soon after it was established. That year, we had a regional conference in the Houston area. That was my first taste of a writer's conference. Here's a picture of (clockwise from left end of back row) DiAnn Mills, Lynn Coleman who was then president of ACRW, me, Kathleen Y'Barbo, and Pamela Griffin. Pamela is a member of the critique group that meets in my home, but this was the first time I met the other women face to face. What a lot of fun we had. Several other people also attended this conference.

The next year, we also had a regional conference in Houston. Once again, I met more people and learned so much about the business of being an author.




At the first national conference in Kansas City the next year, I felt as if I were attending a large family reunion. I'd met most of these people online, but this was the first time face to face. At this conference, I learned a lot more about writing well, but I also realized that editors are people who can also be our friends.




If you want to know the dangers of going into a tavern (in the hotel) for a soft drink with ice during a session, email me privately.

The next conference was at Houston. I really got to know Joyce Hart at that conference. We became friends, and a couple of years later, she became my agent.

One of my all-time favorite books is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. I never thought I'd ever meet her, but she was the main speaker at the Denver conference. I not only met her, but got to visit with her in the lobby a couple of times.

At the Denver conference, we were also blessed with a teaching on Male POV by Randy Ingermanson. It was worth every penny the conference cost us. This was also the year that the conference included Late Night Chats. I was privileged to have one on "Getting the Words Right."

Here I am at the Nashville conference with one of my editors, Tracie Peterson. She and her husband Jim have become good friends who I cherish. At this conference, our book signing was bigger. We also learned what a "goldfish moment" is. I had a Late Night Chat on "Building Your Vocabulary."



The 2006 conference was in Dallas. Our faculty had grown, with many more excellent workshops. More new friends, a better book signing, lots more to learn.

Of course, the highlight for me was receiving the Mentor of the Year award. In this picture are a few of the people I've mentored. (Clockwise starting at the left end of the back row) Khristy Hullett, Lynne Gentry, Jane Thornton, Margo Carmichael, Pamela James, Cheryl Wyatt, me, and Pamela Griffin. God has really blessed me with these people and the others He's brought to my home.

For those of you who didn't attend the 2007 conference in Dallas, here's a picture of Chip MacGregor with me on the night of the banquet. Thank you, Chip.

I attended this conference with my leg in a brace and me in a wheelchair most of the time. I do not recommend this as a way to attend a conference, but I didn't want to miss it. The conference was worth all I had to go through to attend.

Meeting and hearing from James Scott Bell, who hung out with us some of the time. The expanded workshops and sessions, the even larger and better-attended public book signing, and the worship.

Oh, the worship at the conferences will take you to very throne of God and lift you up into His arms. Worship, teachings, encouragement, spending time with old and new friends.

The boost to your writing career through all these connections makes the conference worth every penny you spend. I budget for it all year, making sure I have money in savings so I can go.

And this year, we'll be meeting in Minneapolis, with our book signing at the Mall of America. And the lineup of editors, agents, and faculty is awesome.

Check out all the details by going to: www.acfw.com