"My" Conference

Our New England SCBWI conference doesn't officially begin until this afternoon,

but four writer friends decided to come to Springfield a day early to have our own little writing retreat. Tami Wight and I drove from Maine, Val Giogas from MA and Denise Ortakales from NH yesterday "retreating"! After the update chit chat, we pulled out our computers and stretched out and immersed in our own manuscripts.

Then our friend Joyce Johnson came by and talked writing and shared her newly released book...

You can check her out at thewritejoyce.blogspot.com. And...when we looked inside, she gave us, her "Schmoozer" critiquers acknowledgement!!!! I'm humbled.

 The inside of our hotel-looking down and all around-     The sign that lets the world know who's here!

Our room view is the mini apple orchard on the roof next door.

 And this, well it's Denise after a very special presentation from Val, The Rosemary Frye Award.  Rosemary has a long story but the short of it is that each year,  the Rosemary muse and journal is passed on from one deserving children's writer to another, to see them through their writing journey for a year. Congratulations Denise!!! You're special.

Now a quick note to my Zumba girls before I  get back to story writing....I've been reading your updates and singing and dancing- in my head. I shared the first video with my roomies and I danced again -in my head! So dance dance dance on your feet and I'll see you soon!!!!