Arriving at the Hyatt Regency St Louis At the Arch, St Louis, Missouri (building on the left)
Last week I attended my 7th American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference in the historic city of St Louis, Missouri, the same location as the 2011 ACFW conference. Same city, different window view. And lots of friends and writing peeps which is truly what makes a gathering of this sort memorable.
First off, I'd like to thank the Books & Such Literary Agency for the bright blue B&S luggage strap which really helped me see which bag was mine when mixed in with all the other green/black ones.
First off, I'd like to thank the Books & Such Literary Agency for the bright blue B&S luggage strap which really helped me see which bag was mine when mixed in with all the other green/black ones.
My suitcase with the Books & Such Literary Agency luggage strap at the Delta terminal in Minneapolis, MN
For the second year in a row, the opening meal of the ACFW conference was the Genre Dinner. Last year I went in Edwardian garb to celebrate my 1911 York County, Ontario story, Riding on A Christmas Wish found in A Christmas Cup of Cheer (CoCC) . This year, however, my CoCC story, Here We Come A-Wassailing is a contemporary set on a stormy Christmas Eve in Divide County, North Dakota. So, I went dressed with a toque, polar fleece wrap, and magic gloves. In the photo below you can just barely see my toque before it slides off my head. This was my own fault as I grabbed the first one I saw at home when packing and it happened to be a mite too small.
ACFW 2014 Genre Dinner, L-R Gina Welborn, Lisa Richardson, Jennifer AlLee, Anita Mae Draper
Amanda Barratt was one of the lovely ladies dressed in exquisite historical costume who caught the eye and interest of writers and readers alike, as well as photographers like me.
Amanda Barratt dressed for the Genre Dinner, ACFW 2014 St Louis
This is the 2nd year in a row that I had a chance to attend a Guideposts author event due to having not only one, but two stories in GB's A Cup of Christmas Cheer. The following photo shows several Guideposts authors enjoying a Dessert Special hosted by Editor Jon Woodhams. Thank you Guideposts!
Guideposts Dessert Function, RED Kitchen, Hyatt-Regency St Louis At the Arch; L-R Pat McCallister, Rebecca Barlow Jordan, Connie Lounsbury, Editor Jon Woodhams, Kelly Ann Riley, Sarah Forgrave, Ashley Clark, and Anita Mae Draper (photographer).
Here's a close-up of the Key Lime Pie I enjoyed at the Guideposts Dessert Function above. Several food photos including those of the Awards Gala meal will be featured over on my Recipe blog.
Key Lime Pie, RED Kitchen, Hyatt-Regency St Louis At the Arch, Sep 2014
The Awards Gala is where everyone appears in their finest to see who will receive the prestigious Carol Awards. The programme included the menu, Carol Award Finalists, and ACFW award info.
2014 ACFW Awards Gala programme
2014 ACFW Awards Gala program, Hyatt-Regency St Louis At the Arch, St Louis, Missouri
Here's a selfie of me and my Inky blogmates after the Awards Gala, followed by one taken by a nice lady who happened to be passing and volunteered to take one of us in our finery.
Inkwell Inspirations blog mates in St Louis, Missouri at the 2014 American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference. L to R: Lisa Richardson, Jennifer AlLee, Anita Mae Draper, Gina Marie Welborn
Inkwell Inspirations blog mates in St Louis, Missouri at the 2014 American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference. L to R: Lisa Richardson, Jennifer AlLee, Anita Mae Draper, Gina Marie Welborn
With Saturday night being the Awards Gala, Sunday was filled with hugs and farewells. As my plane took off from the St Louis airport, I took my final shots of the city, hoping I'd capture the Arch, but not sure it worked until I got home and zoomed in. Although you have to look close, it's definitely the St Louis Arch.
St. Louis, Missouri, Sep 2014
Above the clouds over southern Saskatchewan, Sep 2014
And with the sun setting, I landed in Regina, Saskatchewan and the ACFW conference was over for another year. In the coming weeks I'll be adding more photos to different pages on this website. Watch my Facebook Author Page for details of when they're posted.
