Hi! 

First of all - the winner of the Amish faceless doll and cookbook is....drum roll....  MARSHA PRAY!  Marsha, email me at author@bethwiseman.net and I'll get your snail mail address.  Congrats and enjoy!!

Amy posted some great points about conferences.  I have been to a couple of big conferences - RWA (Romance Writers of America) and ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).  There is a definite 'high' when you get together with a group of writers who share your passion for the written word.  Particularly at ACFW, there is a sense of fellowship that goes along with that.  I'll be attending the ACFW Conference in September, and I can't wait to see members of my publishing team, fellow authors, inspiring authors, and other members in the industry.  My agent, for example, will be there, and I've only met her in person one time. 

I have a story about my first conference.  I was attending the RWA Conference in Dallas a couple of years ago.  I wasn't published yet.  I didn't know anyone who was going to be attending, and I was traveling alone.  I was nervous, but excited to attend the workshops, meet authors, and to meet my agent for the first time. 

When I was in the airport parking lot in Houston and catching a flight to Dallas for the conference, I couldn't find the elevator.  There was another woman walking alone in the parking lot.  She was struggling to hold onto her beverage, balance her purse, and tote her luggage.  I asked her if she knew where the elevator was, and she told me to follow her.  I offered to carry her drink since she looked like she was about to drop it.  I told her I wasn't the most worldly traveler, and she laughed.  She said she was traveling alone, too...to a conference.  I took a shot and said, "Not to Dallas by any chance?"  She spun around, her face lit up, and she responded with, "Oh my gosh!  Are you going to the RWA Conference?"  "Yes, Yes!!" I said.  Then she squealed, we hugged, and that was the beginning of one of my most treasured friendships!  As it turns out, Carol Voelkel's dad lived in my small town, my son worked for her brother, and she was equally as passionate about writing as I was.  We spent the entire trip together.  She is a very special part of my life.

In a split second, I could have turned the other way to look for that elevator, and I would have never met Carol Voelkel, and what a shame that would have been.  No doubt in my mind that God gave me a nudge. 

My point - you just never know who you might meet at these conferences...even before you get there!  It is a networking experience like no other.  The workshops are invaluable, the food is good, the speakers are always excellent, and you get free books and other items.  You reconnect with old friends, and ALWAYS make new friends.  I'm really looking forward to going to Colorado in September!

Waving to my friend, Carol Voelkel!  God continues to bless our friendship!

In other news - Book #4 in the Daughters of the Promise series, Plain Paradise, now has a cover!  Visit my blog to see the cover and read the synopsis! 

Peace Always, Beth