Places I'll be in the next few months

Want to know what gets my writer heart a pumping? Writer's conferences! I am going to some that I keep going back to because I love so much, and a couple that I'm excited to go to for the first time ever. If you're looking for some to go to to fill your writing well, you can't go wrong with these!

On March 11, I'll be at Writing for Charity. It's a one day conference that benefits charities, held from 9:30-5:30 on Saturday at the Utah Valley University Classroom Building in Orem, UT. I will be doing critiques, speaking on panels, running the silent auction (which has some fantastic stuff donated by authors!), and participating in the mass book signing.

Except for the first ever Salt Lake Comic Con, I've been to every one in the fall, along with every FanX in the spring, because they're THAT AWESOME. There are tons of writing panels, so many fun fan panels, and great celebrity presentations.Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience is at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, UT. I will be on panels and signing books.

I'm thrilled to be going back to Davis County School District’s Family Literacy Night event on March 20th. This year, it's at Northridge High School in Layton, Utah. This event attracts thousands of students, and is a blast! I will be doing mini workshops, then signing books. This is a family event and very much worth going to.

I've presented at Teen Author Boot Camp before, which is downright incredible. The same amazing folks are putting on a TWEEN Author Boot Camp for kids ages 9-12, and I'm so excited to be joining them for the first time! It's at the Provo Library in Provo, UT. I will be teaching workshops and signing books at the end of the day.

My hands-down favorite conference to go to for learning (so many high quality classes!) and socializing (750 people who are every bit as passionate about writing) is Storymakers Writing Conference. It's held at Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo, UT. I will be leading one of the First Pages Clinic groups on Thursday, will be teaching How to Present Like a Pro on Friday, and will be part of the group book signing on Saturday.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming has a pretty impressive writer's group. They put on a conference every year, and this is the first year they are taking it even further. They've created a writing camp for kids, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it! On June 21, I will be teaching Writing and Brainstorming the Most Fantastical Ideas and Worlds at the Teton County Library.

And then on June 22-24, I'll be at Jackson Hole Writing Conference at the Center for the Arts in Jackson Hole, WY. I will be giving the keynote speech on Friday, teaching a class titled Writing Emotion: Pulling Your Readers in So Fully That They Can’t Let Go, giving critiques, and signing books.

Have you ever been to a writing conference? What are your favorite writing conferences to go to?

Why Writers Should Go to Conferences

I made this video for a conference I love. (Go Storymakers!) It shows why writers need to go to conferences, or at least have writer friends who speak their language. The wonderful people who were in the video are some of the funniest, most awesome people I know. Check it out:



 

Upcoming Events, Conferences, and other cool things

I'm really excited for my schedule the first half of this year, because it's packed full of so many fantastic conferences! If you're in the area, I'd love to see you at any of these. Have any questions about any of them? Just leave them in the comments.

First up, Salt Lake Comic Con FanX! Not everyone knows this, but Comic Con is like it's own writer's conference. There are so many writing panels! Plus: people in costume. If there's any part of you that's even a little Geek, your people are here. And you should be with your people. I will be there THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY:

FRIDAY
●11:00 How to Get Past Writer's Block in Ballroom C

●1:00 How to Write Middle Grade / Young Adult to Specific Audiences in 150G

● 3:00-4:00 pm Book Signing (Shadow Mountain Booth) 

SATURDAY

●12:00 - 1:00 pm Book Signing (Shadow Mountain Booth) 

●6:30 Plotting: The Bare Bones of Fiction Writing in 151G

Life, the Universe, and Everything (LTUE) will always hold a special place in my heart. It's a HUGE event. (Seriously-- something like 1300 people come every year.) There are about a million authors there, on about a million panels. There is so much writing info to soak up, and so many writers to chat with. And it's so inexpensive! Three days, filled to the brim, and it's only $55. And for students, it's F-R-E-E. Can't get much better than that.

The symposium is February 12-14 at the Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Provo, Utah. More info at LTUE's website here.

I will be there on Friday and Saturday, and I'm on the following panels:

● Friday at 3:00pm Queries: When and How

● Saturday at 9:00am Common Grammatical Errors
● Saturday at 3:00pm Your Writer’s Group

Sidenote: In order to keep it free for students, LTUE would love donations! If you're in a position to help, Here's LTUE's Donation Page. And I think you're awesome.

I am so honored that Sky Jumpers is on the Beehive List this year. The incredible folks at the Children's Literature Association of Utah are the ones responsible for the Beehive List. They have teamed up with the Orem Public Library for a special Sky Jumpers family event. I will be speaking for a few minutes, then there will be tons of games and activities that are all Sky Jumpers -themed. It's going to be so much fun!

It all happens on Monday, February 23rd at 7:00pm at the Orem Library in Orem, Utah. Get more info at the Orem Library's Website.

Writing for Charity is an amazing one day event, where nationally published authors teach and critique. Some very amazing agents are coming, too! It's a great place to learn more about writing craft and have your work critiqued by experts.

I will be on a couple of panels (TBA), and I will be doing critiques.

It all happens at the historic Provo City Library in Provo, Utah on Saturday, March 21. You can find out more at the Writing for Charity website.

If you are a teen writer, Teen Author Boot Camp (TABC) is the place to be! Not only do you get to hang out with 500 teens who are passionate about the same things you're passionate about, but amazing authors come. Brandon Sanderson and Jessica Day George are the keynote speakers this year, and there are an impressive lineup of author Drill Sergeants.

Saturday, April 11th at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. I will be on two panels:

10:20 am Writing Habits

2:35 pm Out of this World

Get more information at the Teen Author Boot Camp website.

I am so thrilled / honored / crazy excited to be at the Texas Library Association's annual conference in Austin, TX on April 14-17! It's a massive conference filled with some of my favorite people-- librarians! Sky Jumpers is on the Bluebonnet list, so I'll be taking part in the event "Speed Dating the Texas Bluebonnet Books" from 4:00-6:00 on April 14th. I'll be signing books at the event, as well as participating in a lot of really fun activities / social events / bookish things. If you ever get a chance to go to an event like this, take it!

Cavalcade of Authors West is in it's debut year, and they are set to make a splash! They are a young writer's workshop in the Puget Sound area of Washington state. I, along with 14 other authors from around the country, will be teaching workshops and panels, doing signings, and visiting schools.

The conference is on Saturday, May 2.

If you're in the Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) area in Tacoma, Washington, check it out! It's an astoundingly inexpensive $15 for registration. Find out more at the Cavalcade of Authors West website.

Storymakers is probably my very favorite conference to attend, because the level of instruction there is unbeatable. The conference is Friday and Saturday, May 15-16 at the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo, Utah. There's also a Thursday Boot Camp or Publication Primer, both of which provide fantastic feedback. My schedule:

●  Thursday,  I'll be a Boot Camp instructor
●  Friday at 10:00 am Panel: What to Expect From Publication Pros
●  Friday at 4:40 pm Class: When Your Mojo Is Lost and You Can’t Seem to Find It
●  Saturday at 9:30 am Panel: The Perfect Publishing Path
●  Saturday at 10:30 am Class: Unraveling the Query Process
●  Saturday at 4:15 Book Signing

Get more info at the LDStorymakers website.

I don't have any details yet, but I will be teaching an afternoon class at the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers conference. This is a very immersive week-long conference (June 15-19) that I got so much out of as an attendee when I first started writing. I'm excited to be going back!

Are any of these conferences on your To Go To list? If not, do you have other conferences you like to go to? I want to hear about them!

Some Great Upcoming Conferences

Before we get to the conferences, are you thinking about pitching to an agent or an editor this year? I wrote a post on the Writer's Digest Blog Guide to Literary Agents about 7 Tips for Pitching to an Editor or an Agent at a Conference. It's all stuff I wish I would've known before I went to a pitch session.

If you live in or anywhere around Utah, there are some fabulous conferences coming up in the next three months!

Where:   Provo, Utah (At the Provo Marriott Hotel)

When:   February 13-16 (That's in just 2 1/2 weeks!)

Price:   $45. (Might be more if you register after Jan 31.) 

For 3 DAYS of conference!

Link:   http://ltue.net/

What:   Tons and tons of panels, and over 1,300 people

who love writing just as much as you.

Why:   Because there is seriously something for everyone. 

This conference has an incredible variety. I've gone every

year since I learned about it 6 years ago.

Where:   Orem, UT (Utah Valley University)

When: March 8

Price:   $49 (if you register by Feb. 8)

Link:   http://teenauthorbootcamp.com/

What:   A writer's conference just for TEENAGERS! How awesome is that?

Why:   Because there are awesome people presenting (hello! James Dashner

and Ally Condie! Plus a ton more), and they (okay, I should say we)

are all doing presentations specifically geared toward teens.

Where:   Provo, UT (At the amazing and beautiful Provo City Library)

When:   March 22

Price:   $50

Link:   http://writingforcharity.blogspot.com/

What:   A one day writer's conference where all of the proceeds go to

a charity that provides books to shelters and hospitals for children in crisis.

Why:   Every single panelist is nationally published, and the panels all

fall within five tracks-- Beginners, Picture Book / MG / YA, 

Advanced / Professional Writers, Craft & Technique, 

and The Business of Writing.

Where:   Layton, UT (Davis Conference Center)

When:   April 25-26, with boot camp / publication primer on April 24

Price:   $185 (by Feb. 20)

Link:  http://ldstorymakers.com/conferences/2014-conference-2/

What:  Many workshops and presentation on all areas of writing, for

all age groups and genres, attended by top agents and editors.

Why:  This conference has an incredibly high quality of instruction

by published authors and agents and editors that are the top in their

field. This is my favorite conference. 

It's the one I make sure to never miss. I highly recommend it.

Have you been to any of these conferences, or are you planning to go this year? Do you have any others that are a favorite in or out of Utah? I'd love to hear about them!

2014 Events!

It looks like for the most part (except for some signings and another one or two events I'm still waiting to hear about), my 2014 events are planned! I'm incredibly excited for this coming year, because I'm going to get the opportunity to participate in some events that I've never been to before, and go to some that I've been to and love. Here's the (mostly) complete list (and, of course, all of these are on my Find Me in Person tab at the top):

January-February 
• Lots and lots of school visits. My favorite. :)

January 28
• Book signing at the Orem Public Library in Orem, Utah at 7:00 pm, in the Ship's Cove in the children's area.

February 13-15
• Life the Universe and Everything in Provo, Utah. I'll be on panels (TBA) and part of the group book signing. Have you ever been before? It's a three day symposium attended by around 1300 people, (so of course there are tons of workshops and panels on a huge variety of subjects), and is only $45 for all three days. Even though that seems like an insanely low price, no-- that wasn't a typo.

March 8
• Teen Author Boot Camp at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. I will be teaching a class titled “When ideas are stuck in your head and they can’t find their way out” at 10:10, I'll be on a panel for junior high writers at 2:40, then signing books at 5:20.

March 22
• Writing for Charity: Provo City Library, Utah. This is a one day conference at a great price, the proceeds benefit charity, and will be many kinds of awesome. I'll be doing critiques, be on a handful of panels throughout the day, and participate in a mass book signing at 4:00. I'll post more about this as everything gets finalized. It will definitely be worth looking into!

March 24
• Davis County School District’s Family Literacy Night: Davis High School in Kaysville, Utah. I will be doing workshops, then signing books. This is a family event.

April 8-11
• Texas Library Association's annual conference in San Antonio, Texas. More details to come. I'm kind of sort of insanely excited about this one. I'll also be doing some school visits and a signing in Texas with the ever awesome Polly Holyoke while I'm down there. 

April 17-19
• Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience: Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. More info TBA. (Side note: Last year's SLCC was the first, and it blew records out of the water. This year, they're expecting attendance to top an unbelievable 100,000. It sounds like it's going to be a blast!)

April 25-26
• LDStorymakers Writing Conference: Davis Conference Center in Layton, Utah. I'm kind of in love with this conference. I'll be doing two presentations on writing middle grade– “The Parent Problem in Middle Grade” at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, and “Getting Inside the Head of a Middle Grade Kid” at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. I will also be a boot camp instructor on Thursday, and will be part of the mass book signing on Saturday.

April 30-May 2
• Utah Library Association's Annual Conference at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy, Utah. More details to come.

May 6
• I'll be attending the book launch for Jessie Humphries' KILLING RUBY ROSE in Las Vegas, Nevada. Woot!

June 26- July 1
• American Library Association's annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. More details to come.

August 21
• Professional Writers Series: The Pleasant Grove Public Library in Pleasant Grove, UT. I'll be moderating and participating on a panel about writing for the middle grade audience. I'm thrilled to be doing the panel with Jennifer A. Neilsen (The False Prince trilogy), and an unconfirmed but amazing third panelist.

September 25
• The Forbidden Flats Launch Party! More details to come.

October 16-18
• And I think I may be going to the Vegas Valley Book Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. Details to come.

Do you have any fun writerly events planned this year? Will I get to see you at any of these?

Awesome things to check out

First lines are hard to write, no? Want a bunch (oh, say..... 49) as-current-as-it-gets examples? At the Lucky 13s, 49 of us share our first sentences of books we have coming out in 2014. Okay, seriously-- is there anywhere else where you could get that many examples of books so current they aren't even out yet? And from all different genres? Trust me: the list is FASCINATING. I keep reading it over and over-- it's that good. Definitely worth checking out.

The Lucky 13s First Lines

I just registered for my very favorite conference yesterday-- Storymakers. Why is it my favorite, might you ask? For one, they bring the most incredible agents and editors. (This year it's Josh Adams, (Adams Literary), Daniel Lazar (Writer's House), Laurie McLean (Forward Literary), Eddie Schneider (Jabberwocky Literary), and Melissa Frain (TOR books).) And incredible presenters (Like the keynote speaker who's also doing an intensive workshop, Orson Scott Card, and Brandon Sanderson (also doing an intensive workshop). Plus amazing attendees. I've met some of my favorite writer friends there! I'm also thrilled to be presenting two classes this year-- The Parent Problem in MG, and Getting Inside the Head of a MG Kid. If you live in Utah, I highly recommend it. If you don't and a trip to Utah in the spring (pretty!) is doable, I highly recommend it.

LDStorymakers Conference Website

Since you're here, I'm guessing you love books. And I'm going to assume that you love free books even more, especially if they just show up at your doorstep. Sound good? 43 of the Lucky 13s, myself included, are participating in a MASSIVE GIVEAWAY of epic proportions, including autographed books, advance copies, swag, critiques, and more! There's some seriously amazing stuff. Join the group now, and then Jan 1-7, there will be 6-7 giveaways A DAY. 

The Lucky 13s New Years Bash

And just for fun, this:



And then when you finish dying laughing, watch this:



All the laughing should boost your immune system for a good week or two. ;) Merry Christmas!

Website! Launch Party! Signed Copies! Events!

I swear that I will get time to do non-Sky Jumpers posts soon! But that day isn't today. ;) Today, it's time for updates!

Website

I realized recently that I never told anyone about my website! (Perhaps because there's still a "Coming Soon" section that I had hoped to have time to finished before now, and I was waiting for extra time to come along. :))

 But anyway, here it is! It's chock full of good stuff, even some fun Sky Jumpers extras. Just click on the image, or go to peggyeddleman.com.

Launch Party

I am lucky enough to live near a library filled with the most incredible, supportive librarians ever. I love it there. So that's where I am having my launch party! If you live in Utah, it's at the Pleasant Grove Library on Thursday, September 26, at 6:30 pm. I'm going to speak for a bit then start signing books, while activities are going on all around. And cookies! Yes! There will be cookies galore! I think it's going to be a ton of fun, and I'd love to have you there! The King's English Bookshop (an amazing indie bookstore) will be on hand with a truckload of books to sell. Speaking of The King's English....

Signed Copies

If you can't come to the launch party, but want a signed book, you can order it directly through The King's English. I'll sign it (and personalize it however you'd like), and then they'll mail it out to you! You can order by calling (801) 484-9100, or email them at books@kingsenglish.com. I'm also doing a signing at their bookstore (1511 South 1500 East Salt Lake City, UT) on Friday, October 4 at 6:00 pm.

Professional Writers Series

Tomorrow night (Thursday, Sept. 19) at 7:00 pm, I'll be speaking at the Pleasant Grove Library Professional Writers Series on the topic 10 Things You Should Do if You Want to Get Published. If you're in the area, come join us!

School Visits

There's a LOT of things to worry about around a launch. I've got to say that school assemblies take home the trophy. Guys, I am visiting 9 schools in 5 days (three days right before my launch and two days right before my SLC signing), giving presentations to auditoriums full of 3rd-6th graders. All I have to say is that if you have any extra good vibes hanging around and want to send them my way, I won't protest. :) :)

And if you haven't gotten a chance to check it out, my blog tour is going steady, with lots of interviews with creative questions, and several giveaways! You can find the blog tour stops here.

Whew! That's more than enough about me. What's been going on with you? Anything new?

Storymakers!!

Tomorrow, I'm headed off to one of my very favorite conferences-- LDStorymakers. This is an incredible conference that so many fabulous agents attend every time. (My agent said it's her favorite conference she's ever been to.) And there is nothing like hanging out with hundreds of people who have the same obsessions interests that you do. If you've not been the conference-going type before, I highly recommend starting! It'll change your life. (Imagine me saying that in my most non-cheesy voice.)

Plus, I get to do a presentation! (Okay, so maybe I'm only 50% excited on this part, because the other 50% is filled with nervousness.) But but but! I get to talk about this:

Getting Inside the Head of a Middle Grade Kid. For anyone wishing they could jump into the head of an 8-12 year old to write MG, we’ll talk about the five elements kids crave in an MG novel, what kinds of things are most important to an MG protagonist, how to have your MG characters respond emotionally, and what your main character needs for MG readers to root for them.

And that kind of thrills me.

Especially because in my presentation, I get to use animated gifs. And just because I'm cool like that, here's a bonus one. (Well, that, and because they just make me laugh.)

http://gifs.gifbin.com/122010/tn_1291664377_camouflaged-cat.gif

Have you been to conferences before? If so, which is your favorite? If you're going to Storymakers, let me know! I want to make sure I see you.



Thank you once again to Deanie at Thoughts and Ideas from Deanie Humphrys-Dunne for awarding me the Shine On Award and the Super Sweet Award. Yum!

Beat it out!! Because it will change your life. Seriously.

I recently got back from an amazing conference where sickness made me a total social recluse, I had to leave early the first day because my son turned thirteen (happy birthday!!), and I had to leave early the second day because I got deathly ill. But amidst all that, I learned something life changing. Now in case you don't know this already, and because I love you guys, I'm going to share it, too. Honestly, I wish I had known this years ago.

Okay. Let's start with the three-word version: READ THIS BOOK.

Now I can't say I've read this book. But I can say that I've ordered it and it's on its way to my house. I went to a class taught by the incredible Elana Johnson (who is as amazing a teacher as she is a person) on how to "Beat out your novel," and it was based on Blake Snyder's SAVE THE CAT. I'm not kidding when I say it was life-changing.

The slightly-longer-than-three-words-to-better-convince-you version: This a book on screenwriting, but it's really all storytelling. He says that every great story hits fifteen "beats." Different moments that need to happen for the story to have a satisfying, complete feel. Those movies that you want to go back and watch over and over? They hit all fifteen every time. Those ones that were good, but after watching once, you're done? They didn't hit all fifteen.

So, basically, your book can be really good even if you don't hit all of them. But if you want it to be GREAT--- if you want it to be a book people feel like they have to tell other people about--- you have to have all fifteen.

The book tells about what each of the fifteen are (or if you were lucky enough to get into Elana's class, she taught about each of the fifteen). Then you can go to Blake Snyder's site (www.blakesnyder.com), print out his Beat Sheet, and fill it out for your novel, to see if you are missing any of the fifteen. Or, when you're plotting a new book (if you're the plotting type), you can use this to help direct you. And, and, AND! If you write a sentence in each of the fifteen about what how your book hits that beat, you can string them all together and voila! You have your synopsis!

Oh, my gosh, guys. I can't even tell you how PERFECT and exactly RIGHT it felt to hear about this. Like it's what I had been searching for all along, but didn't know it existed. Like everything suddenly makes perfect sense. I cannot wait to "beat out" my book 1 before it goes into final revisions to make sure I didn't miss a beat, and to "beat out" book 2.

I kid you not. Yes, it stunk to have to miss so much of the conference, and I didn't get to see half the people I wanted to, but if I had only gone to this one class, it was entirely worth it.

A Package, An Offer, An Embarrassment

Three things today.

#1
While at that writing conference last weekend, I got a package in the mail! It was my edits from my editor. She printed out my entire ms and wrote notes all over it in her cute handwriting. So cool! And it came with a nine page editorial letter. And lemme tell you. My editor is a freaking genius! I'm not kidding. I won't lie to you, though. Getting a list of suggestions from a genius is a little intimidating / overwhelming. I've been told it goes away after a few days.... I'll have to let you know on that one. ;)

#2
I may have mentioned before that I took a college writing class from Brandon Sanderson. Brandon is incredible, and is hands-down the author I have learned more from than any other author. Or possibly from all other authors combined. Not only is he brilliant, but he knows how to teach what he does in a way that makes so much sense. He's every bit as brilliant a teacher as he is an author. Anyway, he invited me to come talk to his class tonight about my publication story! I get to go into the same room I learned so much in, and stand at the front and speak to writers who are experiencing the magic I experienced in his class. I'm a little [read: a lot] giddy.

#3
I love conferences. It's quite possible that after having so much fun for days, by the last day the fun spills over. And it's quite possible that the fun might cause me to embarrass myself.

I had to leave early on the last day of LTUE. As I told my conference buddy Erin Summerill goodbye, we realized we hardly took out our cameras the whole conference! So she came up with the idea to photo bomb famous authors [sneak up and pretend you're in a picture with them when you're really not]. "Great!" I said. (Fun spilling over, and all.) So, we ran around to find as many famous authors as we could.

First, we ran into Bree Despain [The Dark Divine], who is amazing and lovely. We told her our plan, and she played along. (Note to self: if you tell them your plan first, you embarrass yourself less.)

Then we ran out in the hall, in a hurry because next panel was starting soon, and we had to make sure we found people. Aha! Brandon Sanderson was standing in the hall, speaking with someone. Click!

Yes, it's blurry. That's what happens when you are laughing so hard when you click the button.

Then Erin spotted L.E. Modesitt Jr. at a signing table, chatting with a girl.

A little about L.E. Modesitt Jr. He's the author of over 50 books, twelve of which are in my hubby's all time favorite series. I love his books, too, and I was so excited to meet him three years ago. He is a classy guy. He always wears a three piece suit, looks impeccable, and I'm not sure, but in my mind, he's been knighted and you should bow down to him. Three years ago, it took FOREVER before I got up the guts to talk to him. He's an incredibly nice guy, though--- I really had nothing to worry about. It's just that he's so regal! And even if he looks like "Sir" should precede his name on his covers, I still managed to burst out "You are so cool!" three years ago when he gave me a gift to give my hubby.

That was nothing compared with this year. I snuck behind him for an unplanned-with-the-author photo bomb.

He noticed Erin taking the picture, though! He stood up in his chair, quick as can be, and offered to take a real picture with me. The girl he was chatting with scooted out of the picture, and Erin snapped a new one, with me laughing so hard I could barely breathe.

And after the picture, I realized I had been RUBBING HIS BACK THE WHOLE TIME. It's just that his jacket was so soft. And then I realized the picture was over and I was STILL rubbing his back. In an effort to explain myself, I said, "Wow. Your jacket is SO SOFT!"

A little cough, and a quick sit-down. "It's cashmere."

I looked at my hand and thought, Oh, my gosh, Peggy! Are you seriously still rubbing his back?! Even after he sat down?! Move your hand! Move your hand!

"Do people rub your back all the time at signings when you're wearing this jacket?"  

Nice one, Peggy. And seriously? STILL with the rubbing?

He cleared his throat and just looked down at his pen on the table. "Um, no."

REMOVE YOUR HAND! And possibly think about running away!

That time I actually did listen to the voice, and somehow managed to stop rubbing his back. Note to self: When the fun spills over, look for taking pictures like these instead. You embarrass yourself less.

A bunch of us at lunch on Friday, including Rob Code, Julie Daines, Elana Johnson, Nichole Giles, Rachelle Christensen, Jaime Theler, Erin Summerill, me, and Leigh Covington.

Erin, Melanie Fowler, Chantele Sedgwick, Ruth Josse, Katie Dodge, Shallee McArthur, and me.

Me, J.A. Bennett, and Shelly Brown

Chantele Sedgwick, Ruth Josse, and Katie Dodge

Taffy Lovell, Erin Summerill, Melanie Fowler

Me and Erin

Moral of the story: Go to conferences. They're fun.
Alternate moral of the story: Watch out for writers en masse. They become crazy.

Going to LTUE? Let's hang!

First off, don't forget to scroll down and see the poll graphic from The Way We Are post below. I loved reading everyone's answers! And just so you know, Character is in the lead. If you'd still like to put in your two-cents, please do. I'll update the graphic. (Especially if your two-cents involves using the word *cough*SETTING*cough*. ;))

I've been so excited on so many of your blogs that you are going to LTUE this week! (If you wondering what the heck it is, it's kind of like a conference. Except that there are only a few traditional presentations / classes like normal conferences, and a ton of panel discussions with a ton of authors. Oh, and editors and agents generally don't come. But it's cheap! Go to ltue.org for more info.)

I love you all online, and I would love even more to meet you in person! Erin Summerill and I are going to have lunch in the food court, and would love to have everyone who can to come join us! It'll be a party! And then we can see how much we look like our pictures, and sound like our blog posts. :o)

(For the record, I look EXACTLY like my picture. ;) Well, except for the Multiple Hair Color Disorder I have. I can never decide if I want it the blonde of my youth, the brown of my now, or the dark dark brown of my... never. Or somewhere inbetween. Or! If it weren't a) considered socially unacceptable or b) almost reaching the point of being cliche for authors, I'd go for an unnatural color. Like a deep purple. And now that I've written it out loud, I SO want a deep purple underneath, where it can hide if I want to! Who cares about being socially accepted and non-cliched? I want purple! Sigh. And... End tangent.)

But really. Come join us! If you live near UVU and aren't going to LTUE, just sneak in for lunch.

Friday, February 10 at Noon in the food court (first floor, but we may eat upstairs).
Saturday, February 11 at Noon (same place).

And I've stolen their map and added a big red arrow, for your directional enjoyment.

For those of you not going to LTUE, I'm shedding a tear. And I hope we meet at another conference. (If you don't live near me, I speak to come to your state / country! ;o))