Conference Banquet - The Stay-At-Home Version

On Sunday, September 19th, the ACFW conference was wrapping up. I wasn't able to attend this year for the first time in five years, so it felt a little weird to be staying at home. But it sounds like it was an amazing conference, my friends have been filling me in, I plan on buying the recordings, and the coolest thing is, I got to be "there" for the awards banquet. For the first time, ACFW set up a live blog so we stay-at-homers could keep up with the action.

The banquet is usually pretty incredible. Most people dress to the nines--the majority of the attendees are women. We like a chance to dress up occasionally, you know? And the food...we're talking exquisite-looking salads (even if the gourmet lettuce tastes like weeds), filet-mignon, gorgeous desserts. Amazing stuff. I usually end up taking pictures and texting 'em to my husband to make him jealous. :-)

So I thought to make it fun, maybe we could dress up here at home and eat something we don't usually eat for dinner. Have our own little mini-conference. We decided on an hors d'oeuvres supper. The food didn't exactly go together, but it was all good and it was something different. Homemade chicken fingers, Mexican layered dip and tortilla chips, fruit and dip.

I bought a few flowers for the occasion. As for the clothes...well, I wasn't sure. Dress up or not? I spent the afternoon debating, and then my husband walked out of the bedroom carrying his tux. "You're weird, but kind of fun, so let's go for it." So we dined on appetizers in our living room, keeping an eye on the computer, in our dress up clothes. :-)

It was a fantastic evening. Almost as good as being there, and since Jason has never been at the awards banquet with me, well, that was really special. When my category came up, Jason made a dash for the flip came, and we sat together, peering at the screen while the winner was listed.

Not me, as you already know. That prize went to the very deserving Jill Elizabeth Nelson. Though I haven't read the novel that won it, I read the Reluctant Burglar, and it was a lot of fun! Congrats, Jill!

Some other cool things that happened:

~ Janice LaQuiere, a former critique buddy, won her Genesis category.

~ Some other critique partners and friends were finalists, and though they didn't win, it was awesome they finaled! Some great stuff out there and some stiff competition.

~ Susan May Warren won the Mentor of the Year. VERY deserved. That lady is amazing. She overflows with writing wisdom and thrives on sharing it with others. Besides being an incredible writer (one of my favorites), she is an amazing teacher with a servant's heart. Check out My Book Therapy or her writing craft books or buy a recording of her workshops if you don't believe me. Or even if you do. :-)

~ There was a Lifetime Achievement Award given out for the first time at the conference. It was given to Carol Johnson. She is the lady that the Carol Awards (formerly known as the Book of the Year Awards) was named for. And here's why--many years ago, your options for Christian novels were almost nil. But Carol, an editor at Bethany House, took a chance on a certain author you may have heard of. She fought to have Janette Oke published. And a whole new world of opportunities were opened in the world of Christian fiction. So thanks, Carol. And congratulations on your much-deserved award.  

~ Many friends and admired acquaintances won their Carol Award categories. Jenny B. Jones--who is the first (and only, so far) person whose facebook status updates convinced me to buy one of her books--won two categories. Susan May Warren won the novella category, which is cool, because she has often said that The Great Christmas Bowl is the story closest to her heart. I got to know Christina Berry through Donna Fleisher, who mentored us both. Christina and I got our first contracts the same year, so it's been kind of fun to share the journey with her.

So there you go. It was a great conference, even though I didn't attend. Next year in St. Louis...  

Award Winners 2010

Genesis Awards
Contemporary Fiction: Lynnette P. Horner, The Assistant
Contemporary Romance: Janice LaQuiere, Truckload of Love
Historical Fiction: Brenda Jackson, Principle Engagement
Historical Romance: Pam Hillman, Terms of Indenturement
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller: Rich Bullock, Storm Lake/Storm Song
Romantic Suspense: Valerie Goree, Weep in the Night
Speculative Fiction: Andra Marquardt, Traitors
Women’s Fiction: Jennifer Fromke, Docking
Young Adult: Stefanie Morris, Shyla, Desert Daughter/Shyla, Child of the Desert

Mentor of the Year

Susan May Warren

Member Service Award

Fay Lamb

Editor of the Year

Sue Brower, Zondervan

Agent of the Year

Sandra Bishop, MacGregor Literary

ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award

Carol Johnson

Carol Awards

Contemporary Novella: Susan May Warren, The Great Christmas Bowl
Historical Novella: Janet Tronstad, Christmas Bells for Dry Creek
Short Contemporary: Mae Nunn, A Texas Ranger's Family
Short Contemporary Suspense: Jill Elizabeth Nelson, Evidence of Murder
Short Historical: Dan Walsh, The Unfinished Gift
Young Adult: Jenny B. Jones, I'm So Sure
Long Contemporary: Christina Berry, The Familiar Stranger
Long Contemporary Romance: Jenny B. Jones, Just Between You and Me
Mystery: A.K. Arenz, The Case of the Mystified M.D.
Suspense/Thriller: Terri Blackstock, Intervention
Long Historical: Allison Pittman, Stealing Home
Long Historical Romance: Mary Connealy, Cowboy Christmas
Speculative: Kirk Outerbridge, Eternity Falls
Women’s Fiction: Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay, Never the Bride
Debut Author: Dan Walsh, The Unfinished Gift

A huge congrats to all the winners! And all the finalists, too!

My Carol Award Finalist Speech

The ACFW conference awards banquet was held last night. I didn't win in my category, but some of my friends won in theirs. SO COOL! I'll post a list of winners when I can find an official list. And I'll write about our mini banquet at home while we kept up with the live blog. But for now, since all the thank yous still apply, I thought I'd post the speech I didn't have to give...with a few tweaks to fit the occasion. :-) So, deep breath. Here we go.

As much as I miss being at the conference, giving speeches by proxy is the way to go. So first I want to thank the classy lady who can share my words without needing a water bottle to get her through without breaking down. Tamela, you’re a wonderful agent and a blessing. Thank you.

Thank you, Emily Rodmell, for seeing potential in my work long before I sent you something publishable. Thanks for patiently showing me how to make Double Take better. It’s a pleasure working with you.

Thank you, Cathy West, for being the best critique buddy. You’re stuck with me forever, because who else can offer free lodging in Bermuda?

There is something amazing about the bonds between Christian writers. Those who mentor, critique, encourage, and promote; offer a listening ear, prayer support, and friendship. There are too many of you in my life to list, but know that I appreciate you more than words can say.

Thank you, contest coordinators and judges for all your hard work. I’m so glad to be part of this incredible group, and so honored to be a finalist.

The coolest thing about Double Take being a finalist is that you all helped it happen. Not only through the things you taught at past conferences and the questions you answered on the loop, but through the Genesis contest feedback. Two years ago my judges helped take this very story to the next level. So a big thank you goes to Gina Welborn and the others who judged the entry called Déjà Vu.

Finally, thank You, Heavenly Father, for the stories You’ve planted in each of our hearts. Use them to draw us and our readers closer to You.

Pitching Lessons

With the announcement of the Carol Award finalists, I'm thinking about the ACFW conference. The one I'm going to miss this year...Sigh. Anyway, with that in mind, I thought I'd rehash the wonders of pitching by reposting something I wrote for my friend Lynda Schab's blog last year.

For those of you who have never had an agent or editor appointment, let me give you an idea of what it’s like. First, let me give you an illustration, because my husband was a ministerial student and I still get illustrations for everything...

Pitching is like cleaning a Jacuzzi—awkward. All gangly legs and cramping muscles and odd grunts. Believe me, I know. I’ve cleaned many Jacuzzis and hurt myself in about a dozen ways. Either by slipping on water while I’m straddling the thing as I try to climb out, or falling into the waist-deep tub as I try to scrub the other side, or conking my head on the faucet, etc. There have been other uncomfortable moments as well. Like when I’m crouched in the middle of it, cleaning the little jets, when my employer walks in. Stares in shock. Then laughs sheepishly. “I thought you were taking a bath.” Um, yeah. I’m one of those stop-and-smell-the-roses-or-take-a-dip type people.

So, that’s kind of what it feels like to pitch. For those of you who must have specific details, here ya go:

Step one: After months of hammering out your pitch, you wake up early the morning of the appointment, unable to fall back to sleep as your mind races a mile a minute. What if they ask about possible endorsements? Does your mother count? Should the serial killer really be the brother? Or should you make him an alien, just to go for that unique hook publishers are always looking for?

Step two: You make sure all your notes are handy, in some semi-organized fashion in your notebook so you have all possible answers at your fingertips. The conference already supplied your name-tag with your name and genre plastered in big bold letters across your chest. That could come in handy, just in case you forget.

Step three: You head down to breakfast, but can’t really eat because the butterflies are morphing into bats as the minutes march onward. You sing during worship time—you think—but, by the looks of the people around you, were probably in the wrong key. Or maybe just off rhythm, since all you can hear is your sporadic heartbeat thudding in your ears.

Step four: You follow the crowd to your first session, but don’t hear a word of the lecture that you had figured would be worth the entire conference fee. Thirty minutes into it, you scramble out of there in time to grab a dozen Tylenol, a bottle of water, and run over your cheat sheet one more time before your appointment.

Step five: They’re running a little late, so you stand in the hallway guzzling your water. Of course, by the time you’re up, you need to run to the ladies’ room. But you don’t.

Step six: You step inside the little room, gulp as the wanna-be author before you runs out sobbing, and sit at the table. You’re itching to take out your notebook, because you’ve just come up with the next best-seller—a handbook to all the symptoms of nervousness that are humanly possibly. Let’s see, there’s chattering teeth, fluttery tummy, nervous twitches, shaking limbs, strep-like tightness in the throat, hot flashes, cold flashes, oh, and you really, really need that trip to the girls’ room.

Step seven: Sinking into the chair, you try to remember what you’ve been told and find yourself silently chanting, “Editors are humans, too. Editors are humans, too.” The editor (Big E from here on) smiles at you expectantly, and you stumble through an intro, ending with a half-whiney, “I’ve never done this before” or “I’m really bad at this…” Though Big E probably wants to nod in agreement, he holds his smile and asks what you’re working on. Working on? Suddenly you can’t remember what you’ve spent the last year and a half agonizing over. Your hero that you’ve fallen in love with…what was his name again? In desperation you grab for your one sheet and shove it across the table. “Here.”

Step eight: Big E slips on his reading glasses and pretends to read your little summary. It’s witty, succinct, fascinating. A best-seller for sure. He “hmms” a couple times, then looks up. You take a deep breath, hoping he doesn’t hear you wheeze, and itching to jot that down as another symptom to put in your non-fiction book. But you’ve finally remembered why your story is so awesome, and you’re ready to answer any question he might throw your way and then sign the contract he’s surely going to shove across the desk. He opens his mouth—here it comes—and asks, “Did your co-author really survive a plane crash?” Um…yup.

Step nine: That final, telling moment. You’ve already passed your Dove chocolates across the table. Will that be enough? Or should you have splurged for Harry and David’s instead? Big E taps the paper a couple times. Then requests that you send your proposal. Or doesn’t.

Either way, they eat your chocolates. But they don’t eat you.

Moral of the story: Remember, sitting across from an agent or editor is kind of like being caught cleaning the Jacuzzi. So, if you are going to pitch, my advice would be to maintain your sense of humor, pray you’ll keep your balance, and be ready for anything.

Disclaimers: Chocolates are not actually required. Not all writers react the same way. Some of these facts may have been embellished. A bit. Maybe.

Conference Highlights

I survived the devotional:

Yes, I cried. Not deep racking sobs or anything, but I got choked up enough to not be able to talk for a few moments. Long enough that a friend considered running up to finish it for me. I made it through with God’s help…but there was a back-up devotional in place just in case. :-)

I learned a lot:

I took the Donald Maass early bird session. Incredible. I could have gone home after that and felt like I’d had an entire conference, minus the dressing up. Got some great ideas for my work-in-progress.

I figured out that group pitching is the way to go. When I panic and go blank, someone else who believes in my work can pick up the pieces and give me time to breathe and figure out what to say next. Thanks Betsy and Lori.

I sat through another of Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck’s classes. They are so fun and down-to-earth. Love those ladies. I also went to a marketing class and a few others.

I got to know quite a few people better:

Sandra, my roommate for Wednesday night, who managed to score a complimentary plate of cheese and something that looked suspiciously like caviar.

John, who looks like Spock on his blog profile picture, and who nearly laughed out loud when he heard I was going to give a devotional. He had a right to laugh. If I hadn’t been crying, I would have been laughing.

Andrew, a newbie who bravely told the whole table about his story while we laughed. Dude, your story idea has stuck with me. You made an impression!

Lori, another of my roommates who is a total blast, and her writing is amazing. If you don’t believe me, ask the editor who dragged her over to another editor’s table during her appointment and told the lady, “You have got to read this.”

Betsy, a.k.a. The Writing Machine. My other roommate and a great writing bud. I’m still trying to figure out how all three of us got up, showered, dressed, presentable, and down to breakfast in one hour.

Liz, a fellow LIS author. And so many others…

The hotel staff was great:

During the break before my devotional Saturday morning, I headed out to the lobby to find a quiet spot to try to calm myself down. Hugging myself, I started to walk past the hotel restaurant. The hostess saw me and asked if I was cold. I said no—nervous. She gave the kindest smile and said, “You’ll do fine.” That afternoon I passed her again, and she asked me how I did.

The first face I really saw after I finished my devotional was a server’s. Beaming, she smiled sweetly and wiped away tears, and I figured I must have done okay.

Some funny stuff:

Jenny B. Jones won an award for one of her books. She wasn’t there to accept it, so her agent, the great Chip McGregor, took the stage, decked out in his kilt. And proceeded to direct us all in the wave, as per her instructions.

Keynote speaker and best-selling author Debbie Macomber read some of the reader mail she’d gotten over the years. Like, “Your books are the macaroni and cheese of my life…” and a few others not quite so flattering.

Jamba Juice…Harry Kraus informed us that in Africa, this isn’t something you’d want to drink. Ever.

Some Denver stuff:

My uncle gave me a tour of Denver. I saw the cool buildings downtown. The mountains…oh, and some more mountains. Some elk on a golf course. The blue horse statue with the creepy glowing red eyes. The crazy Mexican restaurant that was like Rain Forest Café on steroids. The zoo that was really awesome except for the meerkat. Yes. One lone meerkat. With no sand to dig in. AND I saw it snow…while I was wearing flip flops.

Some writing stuff:

I didn’t get any invites to send anything, but that was okay. The project I was pitching was very different. Instead, I did make some good contacts, and I got some great advice how to make my different story more saleable. I’m definitely going to be working on that.

ACFW is such an amazing conference. The atmosphere is full of love and a desire to please God. The worship is great—Rachel leads with such a sweet spirit. The big-shots don’t act like big-shots. We’re all there to learn and to serve and to help each other and pray for one another. If you want to write fiction, join the organization. It’ll be one of the best things you ever did.

Conference!!

So, it's that time again. Tomorrow I'm leaving on a jet plane waaaayyy too early to fly to Denver for the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers' conference. Yeah, the place where I'm giving a devotional. I'm back in the state of denial again. It's all written out, so if I can just forget about it until I actually have to give it...Nah, that ain't gonna happen. But it's going to be a great conference anyway.

And...that's it folks. Sorry. Too tired to write anything remotely witty. So I think I'll just go ahead and go to sle...

Need Serious Help

Okay, so I've been quiet again. You've been taking bets on how many months I'd go without blogging this time, haven't you? Actually, you probably didn't notice, but anyway. Here I am again. And I'm trying not to freak out.

The conference is next week. NEXT WEEK!!! I'm so excited in a way. It's my conference. My beloved time with other weird people. We come together, inviting each other into our private little fictitious worlds. I get to meet little old ladies who write twisted mysteries. Men who are looking for advice how to spruce up the POV of the women in their stories. Women who pretend they understand women and try to give the men advice. Lots of authors, tons of books, and no one cares if you stand in the elevator and plot a murder. Okay, the hotel staff gets a little freaked out, but anyway...

In a way, though, I'm as freaked out as the staff. I agreed to do a devotional. 10 minutes. In front of a few hundred people. Many of them are speakers as well as writers. What was I thinking??!

So tonight was my local writers' group meeting. I took my little devotional, and even with only THREE of us there, the butterflies had a war going on in my stomach. I read it to them, with many disclaimers and breaks to guzzle a gallon or two of water. And still I cried. I cry when I'm nervous. Once again...What was I thinking????!!!??

Another problem of mine is the tendency to forget all but my name once I get in front of a microphone. So this devotional is written word for word. Maybe that in itself is the key. I have the speech. I just need someone to pretend to be me. Anybody out there five-foot-two-and-a-fourth, a bit on the plump side, with long brown hair and blue-grey eyes? Come to Denver next Saturday and we can work something out.

I make a mean white chocolate cheesecake. :-)

Conference Report

I blogged about the conference on my website. Check it out at www.jennesswalker.com. You'll find it under "Ramblings."
Have a great week!

Conference Pictures 5

Tracy at the Mall of America. The non-shopper actually did some pretty serious shopping!

The sweet Christina Berry. It was fun to see her and her mother again this year.

Georgiana Daniels, who is one cool chick lit/romantic suspense writer. Looking forward to reading her stuff!

And Amy Lindberg, an ACFW conference newbie who brightened the place with her smile.

Conference Pictures 4

Once again, trying to take a pic of myself. This time, before the awards banquet on Saturday night. Obviously, my abilities have not improved. But my hair has...a little.

Tracy, all beautiful in the elevator.

Tamela, my agent, looking all pretty in red. Thanks for all your hard work and encouragement!

Three members of my former critique group. Jennifer Taylor (left), Rebecca Yauger (middle) and Cathy West (right). It was great catching up with them! Lynda Schab, a member who couldn't be there, placed second in her category. You go, girl!

This is Dan Case, also a former member of our critique group. He made quite a splash at the conference, winning an award, bringing down the house when he gave his speech (in spite of having to shout over the wedding reception music from the connecting banquet room), and catching the eye of multiple agents. Congrats!

Conference Pictures 3

Some of my favorite writer people. :-)

My lovely, sweet conference buddies, Tracy Bowen (left) and Cathy West (right).

One of the coolest people out there - Susan May Warren, encourager and writer and brainstormer extraordinaire. And her hat's pretty cute, too. :-)

Cathy West is from Bermuda and had never been on a school bus before. She was excited until we hit our first pothole...

Rachel Hauck is Susan's best writing bud, a talented worship leader, and a very sweet lady. Plus, she lives in FL!

Conference Pictures 2

Of course, you have to get a picture or two of the Lego station. :-) Pretty awesome stuff. As for the floating head...I got the brilliant idea to take a pic of myself with the amusement park in the background. Unfortunately, I turned out looking like a balloon head, and you can hardly see the rides. :-) But it was fun, anyway. The Mall of America...and all I bought was a root beer from Cinnabon...

Conference Pictures 1

Mall of America booksigning. On Saturday, we rode a school bus to the Mall of America for a booksigning with over 100 Christian authors. Amazing. Unfortunately, most of my pics were too dark or blurred from the author panel, etc., but I did get a cute pic of three lovely ladies: (from right to left) Camy Tang, Trish Perry, and Rene Gutteridge.

That Time Again...

This week I’ll once again travel to the ACFW conference. Tracy, my writing partner, is going with me, and we’re pretty excited. On Friday we’ll be attending a pizza party hosted by Rachel Hauck and Susan May Warren. On Saturday, there’s a book-signing at the Mall of America, with over 100 authors scheduled to be there with pens ready.

There’s also a banquet, where I may, possibly, you-never-know, be up for an award. This year I even wrote a little tiny speech on the off chance I place first, since last year it was probably very wrong of me to pray against the top spot since I hadn’t prepared anything. Me, a microphone, and no printed words would probably equal tears. Lots of them. Not a pretty sight. Fortunately, though I placed, it wasn’t first. Unfortunately, that was the story written with Tracy, and she probably didn’t appreciate my prayer.

Angela Hunt is the keynote speaker this year, and though I doubt she’ll lead the crowd in a rousing chorus of Jacob Was a Hairy Man like James Scott Bell did last year, I’m looking forward to hearing her. The author whose slogan is to expect the unexpected. Hmm. Maybe she’ll whip out a silly song after all.

I have my clothes all picked out and tried on a dozen times. I decided to wear black everyday so I can bring fewer shoes—last year I had to tote the left clunker around in my carryon to save myself from the overweight baggage fee. Unfortunately, I still can’t bring myself to narrow down my selection—three pairs of black shoes for the conference. A pair of flip flops for the trip home…But at least this year if I have to carry a shoe around the airport, it’ll actually fit in my shoulder bag. I think.

I love writers’ conferences. There’s just something about being in a huge room filled with people who all hear voices in their heads, the ones who feel naked if they find themselves without paper or computer or pen. Meeting the people who’ve typed the stories that have transported me around the world and through time and space, and find out they’re quirky and almost-normal…like me. If you factor all that in, along with the gourmet food and gorgeous hotel rooms, and, of course, the chocolate party, it’s about as close to heaven on earth that a writer can come.

So this week is my heaven on earth week…as long as my plane doesn’t go down and I walk through gates of splendor instead of gates of airport security. Hopefully I’ll come home safe and sound and fired up to do some more writing. Stay tuned for news, and for more author interviews. I have another one my sweet friend Trish Perry and one with the amazing Sharon Hinck all ready to go, and I’ll try to line up some more while I’m there.

Until then…read a good book. I might just be hanging out with the author.