Fun & learning

In just over two weeks I’ll be heading to my favourite writing conference in the whole, wide world. Back to the motherland of my writing journey – the Maine Romance Writers Retreat. Yippee! Can you tell I’m excited? Though short (1.5 days), small (one meeting room), and intimate (attendance capped at 40), the Retreat is jampacked with information and fun. 

Check-in is Friday afternoon, during which I’ll reconnect with wonderful writing friends who I only “see” via Zoom during our chapter meetings. And you can’t really have a good gossip in a Zoom group, can you? And then we start our learning.

Jennifer Probst will host two workshops, Write Big, Write Smart, Write Naked (I hope clothing is NOT optional), and Tips to Grow Your Audience, and we could all use a bigger audience.

Jamie Schmidt will present Pitfalls of Publishing, and one assumes methods to avoid those pitfalls? And, really exciting, Making Friends with AI.  It’s here to stay, folks. I already use ChatGPT to help me fine-tune my back-cover copy and I can’t wait to learn how to use the tool for more of my marketing. (And since Ms. Probst will show me how to grow my audience, I’ll have a huge fanbase, right?)

Last but not least, Ellen Joy will share The Joys of Self-Publishing (see what she did there?). As a hybrid author, I already appreciate the benefits of maintaining complete control of all aspects of my publishing empire (in theory), but sometimes all that control steals the joy of writing. One thing I’m sure to get from Ms. Joy’s workshop, and from the entire Retreat, is a rekindled excitement and optimism about this thing we do.

And I haven’t even mentioned the fun and delicious meals we’ll share or the lobby bar we’ll invade.

Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. She spends her days writing many flavours of romance. When not torturing her characters, she’s in her kitchen baking something delicious. She lives in Nova Scotia with her patient husband and a hen.

Website ~ Instagram ~ Bookbub

Starting The Fall Season In London

by Michelle Monkou

Home Away From Home

Life comes at you fast. This year, my life seems to follow that sentiment as it zooms by on jet packs.

As the Fall season rolls in with much bluster and its crisp mornings, I had the pleasure of sitting at a London café enjoying a latte. I’m here in my birthplace supporting my daughter’s bid to get her master’s. My stay is a brief one, but I’m making every minute count.

Beyond navigating the bureaucratic hoops of international student status, the focus of my visit is to recharge the creative batteries, refill the reservoir, and get the writing juices flowing.

Dinner at my hotel

Long walks are part of my daily routine. As I get familiar with my surroundings, I’m inclined to explore the various side streets and neighborhoods enjoying the restaurants and coffee shops. And as I wander past the older homes, I imagine the families, servants, and the array of visitors that may have walked through the rooms. Who were they? What did they do? How did they see their London life?

Of course, in a place that celebrates history, museums are not in short supply. On previous visits, I did go to many galleries and museums, much to my family’s dismay. This time since I’m pretty much on my own time, I have visited the British Museum and had the pleasure to linger and soak up the various exhibits. While I see the various cultures and the related histories, I think about the stories that I can craft from what I have learned. There is so much to take in of our world, both past and the present.

While most of these activities take place during the day, the best part of London is at night. I absolutely enjoy walking through the quieter part of the day when offices are closed, some retailers are winding down, and the hectic rush hour traffic has shifted to the dinner or theater crowd. There is certain beauty with all the colorful city lights and the occasional sightings of the double deckers. And there is a serene elegance to the many monuments and statues that celebrate British life and history.

Although my visit isn’t over, I feel the stirrings of the creative need to journal and take down my feelings and insights about this trip. There is much more for me to enjoy as I head off to Yorkshire as the next part of this U.K. trip.

Cheers!

On The Way To Being Published--Hilltop House

By Michelle Monkou

Per our theme this month, I'm sure there were many funny things that happened on the way to being published. Alas, I can't remember them. Sometimes the less than perfect things stick in the mind. But I do recall a setting and place that played an integral part of my writing development and eventual publishing success.

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia was the city for Washington Romance Writers' annual retreat. There, we had the hotel - Hilltop House, which overlooked the bluff where the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers merged. It was picturesque and steeped in history with a little bit of the ghostly stuff. But here we gathered each year with editors from the publishing houses, agents, and eager writers in the company of several famous and successful writers for a wonderfully, creative weekend.

In the 90s, I'd come here in the spring for our retreat. We'd park our cars and head for the bar. The lobby would be filled with the laughter and chatter of the attendees. There were no distinctions, we were all in the company of writers and supporters of our endeavors. On the third floor, at the very top, living under the roof, I'd stay with several author-friends. I think it was room #66 and reportedly was haunted by a child. We'd talk into the wee hours of the night, sip on wine, and chat about everything on our minds, including hoping not to see, hear or feel signs of our ghostly roommate. 

On the left in the gray brick section of the hotel was the dining room on the first floor. Food was not 5-star and they didn't pretend to serve such sophisticated cuisine. It was fried chicken and every carb under the sun. Then there would be a table of desserts and a soft ice-cream machine. All buffet style. After dinner on that first night, there was a walking ghost tour, but really you could go upstairs and enjoy a bit of the ghostly presence without the upward charge on the hill. 

Workshops for the entire stay were held on the lower level.

As you can see, we were literally on the edge of the land. And that part of the building on the edge held our workshops and, on the lower level, provided seating close to the scenery once you got your drink from the bar. 

The hotel as far I know was established by the Lovett family who moved to the area after the Civil War. They owned another hotel, but one of the children built this hotel in 1890. Several fires in different years almost demolished it, but the family kept rebuilding until they sold it in the 20s. Notable guests have stayed at the hotel, such as Alexander Graham Bell, Mark Twain, Presidents Wilson and Clinton.

By the early 2000's, Hilltop House was showing its age. Complaints and failing inspections caused us to find other locations for the annual retreat. But there is a soft spot in my heart for this place and the history that it brought to us. Now it's a shell, a broken one, that is abandoned and only serves as a point of discussion for our fond memories. 

I bid you adieu, Hilltop House.
Much laughter and joy blossomed under your roof. You will always be a part of my heart.

Michelle Monkou