Shelli Stevens

Cherry and I, right after I found out I won her drawing for a paid trip to Nationals. The conference fee, airfare, and hotel. Read my last blog entry to see what an emotional mess I was.

Lunch with the Divas and Sha-Shana Crichton. Sha-Shana is fabulous. Read my posts for the scoop!

The waiter who I lusted after.

Shawn and Michelle on the observation deck of the Space Needle.

Nice Italian dinner out with the GSRWA board, Stella Cameron, Vicki Lewis Thompson, Nephele Tempest and Sha-Shana Crichton. In the pic you can see mainly Nephele (black and red), then Sha-Shana (pink), then Stella (gold), Gerri Russell next to Stella.

Nephele and Sha-Shana are wonderful women. I imagine they’d be wonderful agents. I blogged about them below!

Or just look at the cool slideshow I made!

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Sunday of the conference was….I’m still not sure I can even describe it, let alone blog it. But I’m going to try. It was beyond amazing.

Let me start from the beginning of the day. I woke up, tired and with a little bit of a headache from over indulging in karaoke…okay, and beer. So I went down and had breakfast, then almost went to workshops, but decided to hang out in the wi-fi area so I could sell more raffle tickets and check my emails.

Then came lunch. I made it a point to get the divas at one table. Lacy, Shawn, Michelle, Lisa, Jenna, and we had Carrie (who we’re trying to recruit to Divas.) And I have to say how much I love my divas. Then Sha-Shana Crichton came over and sat with us, and once again I realized how fabulously entertaining and nice she is–really great lady, I’m sure anyone who’s met her would agree.

So then comes the mind blowing part of lunch. Last year Cherry Adair was our closing speaker and had us all enter her ‘Write the damn book challenge’ where we wrote down a promise/goal that we would complete a book by a certain date. And this year she closed the conference and asked who’d completed the goals. She still had our names and goals in a box. Then those of us who had completed it, she called up to the front. I did complete the challenge. And then she gave us very cool certificates with our name on it (that she typed all herself.) Then she did the most wonderful thing… but wait, first let me tell you a little about Cherry.

Cherry Adair is a wonderful woman. If you don’t know her, you should and you’re missing out. She’s a wonderful writer and speaker. She recently just made the NY Times Best Seller list. I rarely find an author where I’ll read one of her books, and buy every single one that comes out after, including her backlist. I love her writing. And before I heard Cherry speak, I had never read her. But then a few years ago I did hear her, and her personality made me want to read her. And I was hooked. She’s a local chapter member. She’s supportive, for example. She invites the entire chapter to her wonderful Christmas parties, offers advice when newbies hit her up for it, and she just gives.

She did more giving today. Of those who completed the challenge, she drew 3 names that she would pay the registrations for their Seattle conference fee next year. I wasn’t one of the chosen. Then she drew a name for one more thing. For a paid Nationals fee, paid airfare to Nationals, and hotel at nationals. Maybe it was the divas chanting my name, or the magic dust Sha-Shana was throwing at me…but my name got drawn. I was absolutely blown away and bawling as I went up front to hug Cherry. I’m absolutely amazed and overwhelmed at the generosity and kindness in her heart. She is such an amazing woman.

And I had just been thinking I probably shouldn’t go to Nationals next year. I’m still paying off last year. I’m living off of child support and grammasitting money, and how could I justify paying all that money to go to Nationals again. Though I’m thriving in epubs, I haven’t yet sold to NY. I have a daughter to think of. It would be selfish of me. And then this…absolute blessing. I’m sorry, I’m just still so overwhelmed. So happy and blessed. Everyone was hugging me, some teary eyed, and telling me it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person. And that warms my heart so much. I felt loved and appreciated and…wow, just so hard to explain.

So… it was a good conference. I didn’t really get to see it as an attendee, more of a worker. And I know I helped raise a lot of money for my chapter and our charity we sponsor. But it was more about networking this year for me, and I am fine with that. I don’t regret it in the least. I met wonderful, wonderful people, and helped make this conference a success.

Anyway, the below post talks about Friday and Saturday, both great days as well. I’ll post pictures either tomorrow or tonight. Depending on my energy level. I’m drained.