Two More Days

Guys. This week is crazy busy for me. First, tomorrow, my baby girl becomes an official adult. *gulp* And second, I am frantically finishing up details for the release of Birthright. Oh, yes, and also for this:

Please forgive me for being a lame blogging cheater today. But definitely come back on Thursday for the Birthright cover reveal. You won’t be sorry! 

Forcing Myself to Learn

So, you know how my publisher went out of business last fall? At the time, I knew very little about self-publishing. But thanks to the good people at Rhemalda, I knew a LOT more about publishing than I had before I signed with them. They were very good to keep me involved in the process, patiently explaining all the hows and whys of everything they did, and because of that, I learned. And I took that knowledge with me.

Now I’m getting ready to release Birthright, the sequel to Descendant, and I’m really missing my Rhemalda family. Besides the support and friendship, I am realizing all over again how much I have left to learn. Some days it’s overwhelming. But I still know the things they taught me, and I’m adding to that arsenal of experience every day. I have some amazing, wonderful, talented friends who are patient and kind, and who have all contributed in one way or another to my success as an author. Without them, I couldn’t do this. Not the way I need to.

Even so, there’s a lot that I still don’t know. I can’t continue to ask others to help me with certain things, or have them do it for me. I have to figure out how to be a grown up author. And it’s both scary and exhilarating at the same time. There’s a certain feeling of accomplishment with each mountain of frustration I conquer and each new thing learned.  

I’m not going to lie. Publishing a book is hard. That’s why publishing houses hire entire teams of people. But I’m getting there. I’m forcing myself to learn it. Because I have no idea what’s in my future, and knowing these things can only help me grow.

Suddenly, I remember what it’s like to be in high school again, and I have a renewed sympathy for my young adult children who are having to do this kind of learning in every aspect of life. It’s hard. It’s scary. It’s exhilarating.

What about you? What scary things have you learned lately?

One of the many things I've learned this month.

Outside Appearances: The Importance of a Cover

As I’m working on edits for BIRTHRIGHT, I’ve also been brainstorming cover ideas and thoughts on what I’d like to see on the cover for DESCENDANT’s sequel. Since DESCENDANT was released, I’ve had a few ideas in mind, including links to some photos that sparked my interest.

But this week, I had an epiphany. The photos I’ve had in mind are lovely, and would work just fine. They’d even match DESCENDANT’s cover, which is something I want. They’d even sort of go with the continuation of the story. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that none of the photos have stood out as just right because they all look so similar to the book that’s already been done. No one wants a second book that reads exactly like the first.

BIRTHRIGHT may be a continuation of DESCENDANT, but it’s another story entirely, with a completely different objective and a number of different characters. BIRTHRIGHT deserves a fitting cover, and that cover should convey the mood of the ongoing story. It deserves a cover that makes people think, “Oh hey, that book looks interesting.”

Thus begins my search for a new cover concept idea.

This same philosophy can be applied to people and real life. Keeping up outward appearances tends to be a constant battle. A daily one. And then one day, years down the road, we realize that somewhere along the line we’ve changed. We’ve grown, and evolved, and our stories are so different than they were five, ten, fifteen years ago (or months—whatever). Suddenly, the outside cover we’ve fought so hard to maintain doesn’t really fit anymore. We’ve aged. We’ve experienced life. We’ve adjusted our thoughts and beliefs.

Maybe it’s time for a new cover. (Or new hair color, skin-care regime, workout routine, whatever whatever.)

The point is, sometimes life, like a story, is far more interesting when we are able to let go of previous conceptions and think outside the box.

Out of curiosity, what are some of your very favorite book covers?

Summer of Cray-Cray

Oh my gosh. Today, I looked at a calendar, and realized it’s September already. Not just barely September, either. The month is almost halfway over already. I keep looking again, staring at the calendar, wondering how in the heck this happened. How is summer already over?

*shakes head*

Mind boggled. Anyway, this summer has been every bit as eventful as last summer. And that’s saying something big—because last summer was CRAY-CRAY. So yeah. Here’s a short recap.

DESCENDANT was released.

I spent time in Utah conferencing and promoting and visiting. 

We moved. Again. (Still in Texas, different house.)

Did some promoting in Texas.

Due to my first agent’s phenomenal success as an author, I signed with a new agent—who I also love.

Celebrated holidays with the fam.

Spent more time in Utah, this time mostly visiting family and friends.

Got reacquainted with my boat, which still lives in Utah for now.

Also visited Jackson Hole (and Yellowstone) with my besties. Hey, it’s research!

 Attended WorldCON in San Antonio (which, by the way was PHENOMENAL for networking, and rocked a 15 on a scale of 1-10).

Finished drafting book 2 in the DESCENDANT series. Yaaayy!

My publisher announced they are closing. (BOOOOO!)

(Also, still no definite decisions made yet—but no worries, you’ll all be the first to know as soon as I do.)

And now school has started, and people are gearing up for fall. And I? I don’t know what I’m doing for sure, but I do know one thing. It’s time to write another book. (And hey, maybe someday I'll get one of these all my own!)

So yeah. That’s my plan. What about you? What’s your goal now that summer is over?  

Where I Was Standing

Word is spreading about my publisher’s recent announcement that they are closing. I have only had days to process, and because there are a lot of details and options to sift through, I can’t tell you with any certainty what will happen next with my newly released baby, DESCENDANT. (But don’t worry—I won’t let it just disappear!)

I’ve remained relatively quiet about this news because frankly, I’m a bit in shock. Less than a week previous to receiving this notification, my publisher and I discussed details about me turning in the sequel to DESCENDANT, which is about finished. Also, the way I found out was… less than ideal.

You see, I was at WorldCON, a science fiction and fantasy convention which happened to be held in San Antonio this year. It was midnight, and I was attending a social gathering, surrounded by other authors, fans, readers, and generally AWESOME people. At some point, amongst our giggling and chatting, I pulled out my phone to friend one of my new acquaintances on Facebook and my eye landed on a notice in the private Rhemalda Authors Facebook group. I won’t go into details, but I will just say the notice was lengthy, detailed, and devastating. And yes, I saw it first on Facebook.

Standing in a dark room, surrounded by excessively happy people, the floor fell out from under me. And for a few very long seconds, I couldn’t breathe.

I don’t remember exactly what happened next, but I handed my phone to a friend, who whispered something to my brother and cousin (who both awesomely accompanied me to the Convention—along with my awesome friend), and then all these arms enveloped me in a giant group hug while I cried.

When the fog lifted and the arms were removed, a swarm of supportive people joined in. Not just my family, but so many other supportive people, some of whom hardly knew me at all, but who were genuinely concerned for my welfare and happiness. Everyone in that place hugged me at some point, even though few of them knew why.

I received support from a woman who works for a company specializing in publicity, from a number of successful authors, from a Hugo winning artist, and also an editor. I was serenaded with a Monty Python sketch, and saluted, and cheered on, and held up until the tears turned to laughter, and my feet somehow found the floor again.

That night, a friend reminded me that there are no mistakes, only happy accidents. And by the time he said it, I knew that no matter what road I choose from here, I am going to be okay. My career is still moving forward, and I can still look forward to celebrating enormous success.   

The world righted itself because I realized that no matter what happens, I will never have to stand alone.

In the days that followed, I received more proof in the form of messages, phone calls, texts, and emails and so much verbal support I almost can't keep up with it. 

There will be news in the future, and soon I will go through the painful process of making decisions and figuring out details. But for now, I am more than okay. I am amazing and wonderful and zen. I’m happy with all my future possibilities. And I attribute that in large part to where I was standing when I got the news, and where I continue to stand daily. Completely surrounded by love.

Why Are You In It?

Every once in a while, the publishing world breaks out in highly publicized debates about big publishing versus small publishing versus self-publishing. It’s not a new argument. Not a new debate. And most people in the industry have super strong opinions one way or another about whatever roads they deem worthy or unworthy or right or whatever.

And I get it. We’re all entitled to our feelings and our opinions and our ways of thought. I have some of my own even. The thing is that we are all here to survive a different journey, and we are so much better off for the many available choices of roads. I could share my opinions and experiences and whatever whatever, but the thing is, it doesn’t matter. Because even though I’m writing with building a career in mind, that career isn’t necessarily the reason I create.

I write because I love it. It frees me. It makes me think deeply and notice the small things and observe people and situations and places. And also, it clears my head of all the voices. And those voices are the thing that make me believe that I was absolutely put on this earth to create, so it’s like a vicious cycle that boils down to this: I write to stay sane.

So there. I said it. Doesn’t matter which path I choose or how I find my success. The point is that I’m sane, and that’s what matters. And I’m proud of the quality of work I’m learning to produce. I’m successful in so many little ways, and I plan /expect/ am working toward more success in the future. So I’m going to take the advice of Caitlin at All the Write Notes and make my excited face as often as I can, and I’m going to remember how many successful roads have been traveled by Jennifer Armentrout, and be grateful for my publisher and my agent, and all the other people working hard to help me make good things happen, and I’m going to stand up and dance. Because people, I’m in it for the insane-sanity of the thing.  

And really, I don’t know of anyone who can argue with that. So tell me, why are you in it?

It’s HERE! The Descendant Cover Reveal.

AAAAHHHHH! Can you believe this gorgeous cover? Seriously. I know I’m a teensy bit biased. I mean, LOOK! That’s my name. That character? I created her.

Um. Forgive me. I believe it’s possible I’m overexcited. But still. This is it. The cover for my first published full-length YA fiction novel. This is a day for which I have been waiting for a very, very, way-too-long time.

And now I will stop gushing and let you read the cover copy (which may not actually end up on the cover—but it works for now).

Descendant

Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson is Gifted.

Blessed—or cursed—with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he’s a missing piece of her own soul.

Before Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she’s not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it’s not just Abby’s life at stake.

Now, just FYI, there is no purchase link yet because this book isn’t released until May. You will be able to preorder it sometime in the next few weeks, but if you’re interested and want to keep track, you can always add it to your Goodreads “want to read” list. Talk about it, send yourself reminders, whatever. And also, keep checking back here, where I will be posting teasers and contests and other exclusive activities you won’t want to miss.

Thanks for celebrating with me!    

Find Descendant on Goodreads.

**UPDATE** 
Interested in joining us for the blog tour in May? Sign up here!

One of the Herd: Post 1

Last weekend, I visited a small town in the mountains near my home (well, my Utah home). While I drove, I thought about the direction my life has taken, and how I stumbled upon this path in what felt like an abrupt turnabout.

Except, really, it wasn’t abrupt. I wrote for years before I finally sold a manuscript to a publisher. And I queried for years before I signed with my agent. And believe it or not, my husband applied for more jobs than we can count, for what felt like a ridiculously long time, before he was offered this new one.  

In all these cases, it was very much about having applications / queries / submissions in the right hands at the right time.

I know what you’re thinking. You’ve heard this advice a thousand times, and you’re trying, right? I know, because I’ve had this thought so. Many. Times. I promise, I’ve been there. It sounds impossible. But in both my case, and my husband’s, we decided to set a goal, and then do whatever we could in order to reach it.

How did we do it?

We got rejected. A LOT. So much I won’t even admit numbers. But they’re ridiculously high. It’s not embarrassing though. Wanna know why? Because for each of us, ONE thing hit the target. One submission. One query. (And yes, my submissions and queries were separate books going out at the same time, I broke a few rules—so shoot me.) One application.

One publisher. One agent. One fantastic job.

One.

I was thinking about all of these things, still driving, and then, I saw something cool, which I will tell you about in my Friday post. So you will definitely want to stop by again.

(Gah, don’t you just hate it when someone leaves a to be continued post? Sorry! I hate when my posts are too long. Also, given my crazy busy moving schedule, one subject = two posts= golden.)

The Next Big Thing!

So, I’ve been tagged. Twice. Once by the energetic and always beautiful Debbie Davis, and once by the fantastic Rachelle Christensen. So I figured that even though it’s been a super long time since I played along with games like this, I probably ought to jump in and answer lest I break my string of good luck or something else dreadful.

So here you go. The answers to your most curious questions about the book I just sold to Rhemalda Publishing. (To be released May 1^st, 2013.)

What is the working title of your book?

Descendant

Where did the idea for the story come from?

A long time ago (like, 7 years or longer) I attended a workshop about holistic and energetic healing that involved chakras and crystals, and I thought, “What would it be like for a teenager who had healing powers to live in today’s world?” And then, I drew from memories of my own teen years, how big and huge and heavy everything felt back then. Also, I added in a lot of romance, because I’m a sucker for that kind of stuff, and I think kissing scenes make every story better.

What genre does your book fall under?

Young Adult Contemporary Paranormal.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Okay seriously, I should pay better attention to the actors who are this age, but I just don’t have any idea. That’s why I’m not a casting director. But I’ll tell you what they’ll look like, okay?

Abby, the main character, is really small, about a hundred pounds, with long-ish auburn hair and blue-green eyes.

Kye, Abby’s love interest, is tall, just over six feet, wiry with well-defined muscles, wavy dark-blond hair with sapphire blue eyes and a heart stopping smile.

Is that good enough?

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson never suspected her Gifts of Healing and Sight came from an ancestor who was killed by a demon, and she especially didn’t understand that the same demon army might someday try to kill her.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Descendant is represented by Brittany Howard of Corvisiero Agency, and will be published by Rhemalda Publishing, May 1^st, 2013.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

This is a really hard question, because the drafts have been so drastically different, that a few times, I pretty much dumped the whole thing and started over completely. The very first, 000 draft, took me a month (NaNo anyone?) but being that it was a complete train wreck, it took me another 18 months or so to rewrite and recompile into a semi-quazi real first draft. (3 ½ more years of editing, too, BTW. And now I will edit even more. Oi.)

What other books within your genre would you compare to your story?

I’m thinking it’s a little like The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller, a little like the TV show heroes, and a little like Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My aunt, and good friend Tova Heaton taught the class (mentioned above) so she played a big part in inspiring me. Also my own unending need to try to help people, try to fix the things wrong in the world, whether it’s within my power or not.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

How about the most recent blurb? (Probably not the cover blurb, but it’s something!) No cover yet, but soon, my pretties. Very soon.  *rubs hands together*

Descendant:

Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson is Gifted.

Blessed—or cursed—with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he’s a missing piece of her own soul.

Before Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she’s not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it’s not just Abby’s life at stake.

I think I'm now supposed to tag other people. I'm not sure how many, but I'm going to guess five, because, well, that sounds like a good number. So I hereby tag Elana Johnson, Jenn Johansson, Karen Hoover, Windy Aphyrath, and Heather Moore because I can't wait to hear about their next big things.

Something about Appearances

Not long ago, a friend and I were discussing what it takes to “make it” in the publishing industry. This friend argued that getting accepted isn’t always just about the quality of writing, but sometimes about “a pretty face.”

I responded by asking him why, if that were the case, do I know so many beautiful people who are seriously good writers without agents or publishers?

And we went back and forth a bit over that. Him insisting that appearances can make a difference, and me insisting that it’s all about the writing. The conversation stayed with me for several days, as I contemplated his words, until I found the middle ground that my friend and I had somehow missed.

I still don’t think authors are accepted because of how they look. But I do think that those who take care to look professional, and for that matter, act professionally, probably have a better shot at landing that agent or publisher (or both). It’s kind of like when you interview for a job. If two people who are equally qualified show up, the guy wearing jeans and a T-shirt will find himself at a disadvantage to the one wearing a suit and tie. The same kind of thinking goes for social networking and blog posts. And especially for jacket cover photos.

So maybe my friend and I were both a little right. It is about the writing. It’s absolutely crucial to have good writing with all the necessary story elements. But being an author is also about appearances. Especially when it comes to self promotional efforts. (And just to clarify, by appearances I mean showing up clean, groomed, with combed hair and well-fitting appropriate attire.)

What have you done to make yourself appear more professional?

The Professional Face

(Here I go again, blogging about writing. I realize that I blog about this more than anything else. It’s what I do. Even if you’re not a writer, I hope you realize there is wisdom for all professions within the writing industry, and keep reading anyway.)

You know that whole first impression cliché? I’ve been thinking about that, and I kinda want to talk about an important part of our image as professionals.

When first we encounter someone in our industry, chances are it will be online, rather than in person. Not that the in-person part isn’t important—because I cannot stress enough HOW big it is to have that personal contact—but realistically, when we submit work to agents or publishers it’s generally cold. That means first impressions are formed solely on the quality of our query and sample pages.

If you’ve ever read an article on submitting, you should already know how important it is to send only your very, very best work. So I’m going to skip that lecture. Also the query lesson. (But if you need help in those areas, you can look here or here.)

So we work and work and work on our sample pages, and then we work and work and work on our query, and then we think…ahhhh. Now we can submit, right?

Actually, you’re just getting started. I mean, yeah, you can submit, but if you want to make a good impression, it’s also important to do some research first. I know, I know, we write fiction to AVOID research.

So what do we have to research and why?

1. First, research any potential agents/publishing houses to find out if they represent or publish the type of work you have.

2. While you’re there, look to see if they have something on their list similar to yours so you can mention that in your query. Trust me, it looks good for you.

3. Finally, (and people, this is the BIG one, I think) check their submission guidelines. Every company and every agent is a little different. Some want just a query, some want five pages, some ten, some three chapters, etc. Some have questionnaires, some want just a twitter pitch.

There are a bazillion different quirky things these professionals might expect. If you do it right, you have a chance. But if you don’t, it’s possible your submission will be deleted unread.

The good news: the majority of publishers and agents have websites where you can go to find the pertinent information. Really, truly, there is no need to email them individually to ask (although, in extreme circumstances, that might be okay, depending on who it is—most agents prefer not) because the frequently asked questions are generally covered in one section or another.

Your query package is the first part of you these people will get to meet. So IMO, it’s uber important to put on your proverbial conservative makeup, spray down your “stray hairs”, and wear something nice to the party. Make a good impression, and you will NOT be sorry.

Have a great time at the query party. And hey, while you’re there, find me and say hi.

Happy Friday!

Taking up the Anti-Bandwagon Banner

In case you ever wonder, no, I’m usually not a bandwagon jumper. Tempting though it may be from time to time, I have chosen to not spend my valuable writing time on blog-hop flash fiction (since I’m really more of a novelist). I am currently NOT joining a great many of my friends in the self publishing “revolution.” And I write what I do because it speaks to me—not because I think it will sell better than something else.

Don’t misunderstand, though. I am a fan of trends. Crusading bloggers? Magic steam-punk vampires? Mass self-publishing push? All great ideas. Brilliant in some aspects. And I wish all the best for those who are brave enough to take such risks and move forward on these uncharted paths. I applaud them. Admire their guts and spunk and bravado.But for now, none of these paths feels like the right one for me.

In other words, I am choosing the road less traveled by. Or maybe less recently traveled by? Or by fewer of my immediate friends, at any rate. Because it’s what I believe is best for my family and my future.

And that, my friends, is what *I hope* will make all the difference.

What recent things have you chosen to do differently from others?

Growing Trees and Publishing Books: Which Takes Longer?

Last week at a conference, Christopher Robbins from Gibbs Smith Publishing said something that I thought—at first—could be true. However, after thinking about it for a few days, I think I might have to respectfully disagree.

Christopher said something along the lines of, “It takes longer to grow a tree than to publish a book.”

Well. Okay. That is possibly true for a pine or an oak, and if you’re comparing to a short book that was written in a flash. Maybe. Or maybe not.

It all depends on the book, the author, and the kind of tree.

For instance, I started writing (secretly) right about the time my family and I moved into our current house. Since we built this house, when we got here we had zero yard. Nada. Zilch. In fact, our first major purchase—after the house—was several truckloads of dirt. Dirt, people! (Let’s not get me started discussing why anyone should have to pay for dirt.)

After the dirt, we proceeded (slowly) to plant several baby-sized trees, some grass, and other various plants.

I’ll give it that most of our trees started as actual trees—probably a year or two old. Let’s say two. We have lived in this house for six years, and I’ve been writing for that many years. In the past six months, I’ve had two books published. Books of the shorter, smaller-market variety.

Now, let’s discuss my apple tree. If it was two years old when we planted it, and it started producing apples (more than two or three) last fall, then I believe we have something of a tie. Well, okay, I might have been a tiny bit faster in this case. But.

I also have a national market book, for which I am currently seeking an agent. This book has taken me much longer, and quite a bit more work than my others (partly for length—it’s at least twice as long). And if by some miracle I happen to find that agent in the next six months, it will then likely take me another three to six months of edits before my agent will send my book out on submission (okay, just a guess—not necessarily all true). Then, IF we sell this book to a publisher, up to a year (sometimes more) will likely pass before that book is in stores.

So, I’m looking at two years, if all goes the way I hope.

It’s entirely possible my apple tree will be OLD by then. So will my other trees. Including my maple, which is almost fully mature.

So, does it take longer to grow a tree than to publish a book? Not always. Not when you look at it from the author’s perspective.

Maybe we should as a tree for an opinion?

(This blog is done in fun and not intended to offend any publishing officials—especially Christopher Robbins—who is not actually the character from Winnie the Pooh.)

Cedar Fort Conference Rocked!

By Nichole Giles

On Saturday, June 6th, I had the opportunity to go to a writer’s conference put on by a local publisher, Cedar Fort—otherwise known as CFI.

Originally, I wasn’t sure I’d take the time. I go to conferences pretty regularly and since (up to this point) I didn’t have any specific plans to submit to this publisher, I wasn’t positive I was willing to give up my Saturday to go.

The cost for the conference was minor. They only asked $25 to help cover expenses. But a lot of my friends were going and I love socializing with other writers. Still, I’ve had lots going on and could think of several other things I could do with my day. In the end though, I decided I should go because every conference has something to offer, I’ve never regretted going to one, and I am not so over confident in myself that I believe I have nothing left to learn. So the day before we left town for a family vacation, I stuck a check in the mail and registered.

Let me just tell you that I have never in my life got so much out of $25. The conference started at 10:00 am—with plenty of drinks and snacks provided—and the speakers were amazing.

First, Doug Johnston made us feel sincerely welcome as he introduced the first speaker of the day, Acquisitions editor, Jeffery Marsh.

Jeffery gave us several tips on how to write a publishable book including writing to an audience, learning the art of storytelling, and writing in order to teach and touch many people. After his speech, Jeffery spent the rest of the day in pitch sessions with anyone who was willing to sign up for a time. (A huge undertaking, I understand.)

The next speaker, Author Abel Keogh, author of Room for Two, talked about starting a website, writing blog entries, and the hows and whys of both. He was interesting and informative, and by the time he was finished, I was excited to go home and figure out how to make my website more interesting. Plus, before I left, I HAD to buy his book. (I started reading it when I got home that night—so far it’s awesome.)

Janet Jensen, author of Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys, then taught us about marketing, putting her emphasis on creating an attractive media kit. Now, most of us write just for the sake of writing. We don’t necessarily have a clue what it takes to actually sell our book—which is why this conference was so informative and wonderful for so many of us. I’d bet that more than half the people in the room didn’t have a clue what a media kit even is. But Janet made sure we all knew, and by the end of her speech, we had some ideas about what we needed to do to help sell our books—as well as ourselves as authors.

Let me tell you a little bit about Doug Johnston. He’s the publicist for CFI, and also a member of our writing group, Author’s Incognito. He was the driving force behind the entire conference, from setting it up, to advertising, to arranging speakers and lunch—Doug was the MAN of the day. On top of everything else he had going that day, Doug gave an incredible lesson on publicity—complete with a PowerPoint presentation with an endless supply of lists. For his speech, I was ultra, way, so super glad I had my laptop booted up because he was short on time and there is no way I would ever have gotten all four pages of notes I took as he spoke. (I could have gotten more except he ran out of time and had to skip over a few things.)

Did I mention lunch? The box lunches were catered—I believe the company was called Apple Spice Junction—and I don’t know about anyone else, but I was thrilled with the different choices offered. I chose whole grain bread with a mix of sandwich meat, a fruit salad, and a chocolate chip cookie. I noticed that they offered several other bread and salad choices to accommodate the wide range of people in attendance. And I have to send out a huge thanks—Doug must’ve read my mind—because in one of the many coolers filled with drinks I found a can of Dr. Pepper, which is something I’ve never seen provided at any other conference. Woo hoo! Candace Salima and I both cheered.

The last speaker of the day was author and motivational speaker, Eloise Owens. By the time it was her turn, I fully understood why they left her for last, and gave her a four-hour time slot. Oh. My. Gosh! She was fantastic. I realize that she is a professional motivational speaker, and that is what she’s trained to do. But boy, she does it well. I was so inspired by the things she said, by the stories she told, and by simply being in the room with her. Not only did I come away having decided to someday learn how to surf (to figure out this part, you’ll have to read her book, Get Off The Beach!), but also I walked out of that place absolutely determined to be uncommon. Different. And in Eloise’s words, weird.

A few of Eloise’s words of wisdom: “You always go where you look…We are writers. We have the opportunity to move people. In topics where you might never expect it, to impact people in profound ways. Get clear…get excited…tap in…write from the right!”

After an entire day of learning and being motivated, we were gifted with our very own copy (part of our conference fees) of Eloise’s book, Get Off The Beach!

WOW! Okay, let me say that again. Wow! That was a great conference. It was an excellent value for my money, lunch was good, the speakers were informative and motivational—not to mention entertaining—and books were provided too. I went home hoping to someday get to work with that publishing company. Way to go, CFI (and Doug). I’m already wondering when you’re planning to do it again.

To learn more about CFI visit their website at: www.cedarfort.com