Winner!!

Just a quick note to say my manuscript This Crazy Love I Never Expected took first place in the Faith, Hope and Love Chapter Touched By Love Contest.
Missy accepted my award for me in San Francisco.
Thanks!!!

RWA and Other Stuff

This week is the Romance Writers of America National Conference. I am not going to attend. Weddings and work are the priority right now. Working so we can pay for the wedding.
But my cp Missy Tippens is headed to San Francisco today. I know she'll have a great time and see lots of people she gets to see once a year. Conferences are good for a lot of things. Learning, socializing, getting away. Take your pick. Or pick them all.
This year Missy will have to do them all for me.
I'll miss being there, but not to worry. I will be attending the ACFW conference in September. All the F.A.I.T.H. girls will be there. I'm very excited to be together for the first time. All of us. And it's in Minnesota. I've never been there. Not that I'll get to see too much. Of course the book signing is at the Mall of America, so I hope to get a chance to walk around there a bit.
If you're reading this and you are going/or are at the RWA conference let us know how it's going. If you're reading this and are not attending, we'll live it through Missy. If you normally go let us know what you'll miss most about not being there in person.
For me it's attending the RITA/GH ceremony. I love to get all dressed up. And they do such a great job of presenting the awards. They always have something funny happening and/or a great skit to keep us entertained.

Left Behind

For the last month and probably the next two months I've been leaving my home on Tuesday mornings to head up to Oak Ridge Tennessee where I've been working. I'm not a traveling type of person normally when it comes to work, so I'm a little out of my element in all this. I love to travel, but with my hubby and or family. Not myself. My boss is there with me sometimes, but sometimes she's not.
I take my computer and try to make the best of the evenings and early mornings by writing, catching up on email and the blogs I like to viist.
Well, this week I get to the hotel Tuesday night and pull out my computer. I search the bag for the charger and realize I had left it in Atlanta. So I have less than 45 minutes of time on the computer for the whole week.
Bummer.
To top it off I have a spider bite and my leg is the size of a grapefruit. Very uncomfortable. I will not go into the details as they aren't very pretty.
So my week was spent watching a lot of reality TV. There are reality shows for everything. I mean everything.
I had no idea.
So from now on you bet I'm going to double check that bag to make sure I have all I need before I go.
What about you? Have you ever left something behind?

Green Beans or Corn?

We are having an intersting discussion on green beans and corn over at the F.A.I.T.H blog today. Check it out.

Alaska-Day 4-Hubbard Glacier

It's hard to imagine something this massive and beautiful.

These pictures don't do this glacier justice, but trust me when I say it was an amazing experience seeing this creation of God.

The picture with the people standing on the deck of the boat gives some semblence as to how massive this glacier is. We got really close to the glacier and the captain of the ship turned the ship in a circle for about 45 minutes so no matter where you were on the boat you got a really good view of the glacier.
We had absolutely beautiful weather. The sun was out. The temps were a little chilly, but nothing a sweatshirt and a hat oculdn't handle.
This was truly a dream vacation for me. Between the friends, family, scenery, weather and all other aspects I don't see how it could have been better.
Now my dream is to go back to Alaska. But not on a cruise. I couldn't nor do I want to replicate that dream, but I want to go landing. Rather seeing Alaska by land.
I'm looking at 2010 for another dream to come true, but we'll see.

PS..I'm checking the Juneau website every week to see what's going on and how expensive transportation is to the city.

Where is your dream vacation located? In the US? Over seas somewhere?

Alaska-Day Two-Icy Straight Point

The first stop we made was in Icy Straight Point. A very small town of about 876 people. There is one school all the kids go to. The town is very beautiful and scenic. Mountain and water combine for a great view no matter where you look.



There was a very cool nature trail that we walked. It wasn't very long, but it was beautiful and full of shades of green we just don't see here in the Southeast United State.



After being in Seattle and now Alaska I've decided I'm somewhat partial to the Northwest portion of the US. There is a crispness, clearness, I don't really know how to describe it, that envelopes me when I'm there. Maybe it's just because it's so different from where I am normally.

I'm already looking into another trip to Alaska. Not a cruise because we had such awesome weather and such a great time I know nothing could top it. But I would like to go back to Juneau and stay. Wait until I post some of those pics! Wow.

New Month, New Pics, New News!!

Well it's July. A new month!

I have news and pics. News first. My manuscript, This Crazy Love I Never Expected is a finalist in the TARA Writing Contest.

And now for some vacation details and and pics!
We went on a cruise to Alaska. We started in Seattle for a great visit with my brother, then made our way via Amtrak to Vancouver where we boarded a boat with 10 friends and family. We had fun! Alaska is THE PLACE TO BE in the summer. Fabulous weather.

Here is my hubby and his brother and his wife. We have just arrived on the boat and are waiting to set sail.


A view from the boat leaving Vancouver. Beautiful scenery.

Will post more later.