"The choices we make change
the story of our life." ©
Monday, July 17, 2006
A Week at CBA in Denver! A Retrospective
Greetings Dear Readers!
I’m back from CBA/ICRS in Denver and my head is still spinning! But first, a special thank you to guest bloggers Connie Pombo and Jennifer Cary. I’m sure you’ll agree that their posts gave us a lot to think about. I encourage you to please continue to comment on postings so we can stay on top of subjects that touch your heart.
Our next scheduled Celebrity Guest Blogger was to be “America’s Teacher,” Vicki Caruana. Alas, Vicki suffered a death in her family and is currently en route to a funeral. Please join me in praying for her traveling safety and that she would have strength of heart during this period of mourning.
Author and speaker, Eva Marie Everson will be our Celebrity Guest Blogger from August 7-13. Until then, it’s yours truly who will once again do her level-headed best to check in on a daily basis. However, I am on an August 1st deadline for novel #2 and I’m doing my best to stay focused. Ha! Easier said than done for an adult with ADHD. –Sigh-
I've decided to share highlights of CBA with you this coming week. But first, I am having one heck of a time referring to CBA as ICRS. Forgive me, okay? I’m afraid it will always be CBA to me.
I attended my first Christy Award Ceremony on Saturday, July 8th. Imagine my surprise when my editor, Charlene Patterson, sat me down at the same table with Gary Johnson, President of Bethany House; Carol Johnson, Vice President of Editorial (Fiction) at Bethany House; and Dwight Baker, President and CEO of Baker Publishing Group. Gulp. I did my best not to gawk and gush, but I’m telling you, I am so like a kid when it comes to rubbing elbows with folks like this. I pretend I’m one of them, and I imagine I don’t look too much like a bumbling idiot, but I want to pinch myself and I continually whisper thanks to God above for the places He puts me!
One of those amazing places was orchestrating my exit from a taxi cab just as Liz Curtis Higgs was walking into the hotel for the Christy Awards. Liz was nominated in the Historical Fiction category for her novel: Whence Came a Prince (Waterbrook Press)
Liz has been one of my most favorite writers for years and years. I have read just about everything she’s ever written. Really. Every time I see her at a CBA event or a conference, she is always gracious to say “yes,” when I ask if I can have my picture taken with her. I am worse than a Paparazzi, it’s horrible. But I’m afraid it’s all a dream and if I don’t have visible proof I’ll wake up and find it’s all been a glorious fantasy. This photo of Liz and me was taken in the lobby of the Marriott City Center Hotel about one hour before her novel was given a Christy Award for Best Historial Fiction. Congratulations Liz! Don’t we look like we’re having fun? We were in full-blown evening gown mode and Brandilyn Collins had something to say about this on her blog – check it out here and make sure to scroll down and read all of her CBA updates.
(Note to Brandilyn: I for one LOVED your green sequin gown. I doubt you left green sequins in your wake as much as I left gold glitter. I felt like Gretel, leaving a trail of golden breadcrumbs to find my way back to my seat. No wonder my gown was on the sale rack at Neimann Marcus! Said gowns are displayed in the photo with the lovely and petite Lissa Halls Johnson.)
Any way, Liz was sitting almost directly next to me at the table next to mine at the Christy’s. Everywhere I looked I saw writing luminaries we have all grown to love—folks like James Scott Bell, Brandilynn Collins, Angela Hunt, Jerry Jenkins, Beverly Lewis, Gayle Roper, Tracie Peterson, and the list goes on and on. I was like a kid in a candy store—praise the Lord and help me not to be a total nincompoop!
NOTE: Bethany House went on to win four out of the seven Christy Awards and I'm honored that my debut novel, A STITCH IN TIME, has been published by Bethany House. Carol Johnson was the key force behind the creation of the Christy Awards and she still serves on the Christy Award Advisory Board.
Click here to read a list of the seven Christy Award recipients.
Stay tuned this week for more updates and photos as I share my CBA week with you. The 4th Annual God Allows U-Turns “Strength of Choice Award” was presented and I can’t wait to tell you who won! Plus, there was the AWSA Golden Scroll Banquet, and the Pearl Girl Tea, and the Women in Publishing event, and the Baker Dinner (WOW!) and ….well a lot happened in one week!
I’ll also be visiting with you about my time spent with Terry Whalin, Heather Gemmen, Eva Marie Everson, and a host of others, including Mark Kuyper, President of ECPA! Make sure to come back. Oh, and please check out our newly revised web site and tell me what you think, okay? God Allows U-Turns has a super new look!
See you tomorrow!
And that’s what’s on my mind today.
I’m back from CBA/ICRS in Denver and my head is still spinning! But first, a special thank you to guest bloggers Connie Pombo and Jennifer Cary. I’m sure you’ll agree that their posts gave us a lot to think about. I encourage you to please continue to comment on postings so we can stay on top of subjects that touch your heart.
Our next scheduled Celebrity Guest Blogger was to be “America’s Teacher,” Vicki Caruana. Alas, Vicki suffered a death in her family and is currently en route to a funeral. Please join me in praying for her traveling safety and that she would have strength of heart during this period of mourning.
Author and speaker, Eva Marie Everson will be our Celebrity Guest Blogger from August 7-13. Until then, it’s yours truly who will once again do her level-headed best to check in on a daily basis. However, I am on an August 1st deadline for novel #2 and I’m doing my best to stay focused. Ha! Easier said than done for an adult with ADHD. –Sigh-
I've decided to share highlights of CBA with you this coming week. But first, I am having one heck of a time referring to CBA as ICRS. Forgive me, okay? I’m afraid it will always be CBA to me.
I attended my first Christy Award Ceremony on Saturday, July 8th. Imagine my surprise when my editor, Charlene Patterson, sat me down at the same table with Gary Johnson, President of Bethany House; Carol Johnson, Vice President of Editorial (Fiction) at Bethany House; and Dwight Baker, President and CEO of Baker Publishing Group. Gulp. I did my best not to gawk and gush, but I’m telling you, I am so like a kid when it comes to rubbing elbows with folks like this. I pretend I’m one of them, and I imagine I don’t look too much like a bumbling idiot, but I want to pinch myself and I continually whisper thanks to God above for the places He puts me!
One of those amazing places was orchestrating my exit from a taxi cab just as Liz Curtis Higgs was walking into the hotel for the Christy Awards. Liz was nominated in the Historical Fiction category for her novel: Whence Came a Prince (Waterbrook Press)
Liz has been one of my most favorite writers for years and years. I have read just about everything she’s ever written. Really. Every time I see her at a CBA event or a conference, she is always gracious to say “yes,” when I ask if I can have my picture taken with her. I am worse than a Paparazzi, it’s horrible. But I’m afraid it’s all a dream and if I don’t have visible proof I’ll wake up and find it’s all been a glorious fantasy. This photo of Liz and me was taken in the lobby of the Marriott City Center Hotel about one hour before her novel was given a Christy Award for Best Historial Fiction. Congratulations Liz! Don’t we look like we’re having fun? We were in full-blown evening gown mode and Brandilyn Collins had something to say about this on her blog – check it out here and make sure to scroll down and read all of her CBA updates.
(Note to Brandilyn: I for one LOVED your green sequin gown. I doubt you left green sequins in your wake as much as I left gold glitter. I felt like Gretel, leaving a trail of golden breadcrumbs to find my way back to my seat. No wonder my gown was on the sale rack at Neimann Marcus! Said gowns are displayed in the photo with the lovely and petite Lissa Halls Johnson.)
Any way, Liz was sitting almost directly next to me at the table next to mine at the Christy’s. Everywhere I looked I saw writing luminaries we have all grown to love—folks like James Scott Bell, Brandilynn Collins, Angela Hunt, Jerry Jenkins, Beverly Lewis, Gayle Roper, Tracie Peterson, and the list goes on and on. I was like a kid in a candy store—praise the Lord and help me not to be a total nincompoop!
NOTE: Bethany House went on to win four out of the seven Christy Awards and I'm honored that my debut novel, A STITCH IN TIME, has been published by Bethany House. Carol Johnson was the key force behind the creation of the Christy Awards and she still serves on the Christy Award Advisory Board.
Click here to read a list of the seven Christy Award recipients.
Stay tuned this week for more updates and photos as I share my CBA week with you. The 4th Annual God Allows U-Turns “Strength of Choice Award” was presented and I can’t wait to tell you who won! Plus, there was the AWSA Golden Scroll Banquet, and the Pearl Girl Tea, and the Women in Publishing event, and the Baker Dinner (WOW!) and ….well a lot happened in one week!
I’ll also be visiting with you about my time spent with Terry Whalin, Heather Gemmen, Eva Marie Everson, and a host of others, including Mark Kuyper, President of ECPA! Make sure to come back. Oh, and please check out our newly revised web site and tell me what you think, okay? God Allows U-Turns has a super new look!
See you tomorrow!
And that’s what’s on my mind today.
Comments:
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Welcome back Allison! My body is back in the states, but my mind is still in my new favorite city: Montreal ("Paris" without the jet lag). Why I never put Canada at the top of my passionate to-do list I'll never know.
The "Border Patrolman" scared me to death when he said, "Take off your sunglasses and pop the trunk!" I leaned over to my dear husband and said, "Honey, is the trunk clean?" Mark doesn't have my sense of humor and neither did the man in black (Mr. Border Patrol!).
It sounds like CBA (I can't get used to the new name either), was like the Academy Awards of Writers/Editors/Publishers. Dressing up is my favorite thing, so mention the words: gala, party, and glitter and I'm there!
I will have to live vicariously through your posts to hear more about "CBA," and in the meantime, I will keep sorting through my e-mails from last week!
Living Passionately!
Connie
The "Border Patrolman" scared me to death when he said, "Take off your sunglasses and pop the trunk!" I leaned over to my dear husband and said, "Honey, is the trunk clean?" Mark doesn't have my sense of humor and neither did the man in black (Mr. Border Patrol!).
It sounds like CBA (I can't get used to the new name either), was like the Academy Awards of Writers/Editors/Publishers. Dressing up is my favorite thing, so mention the words: gala, party, and glitter and I'm there!
I will have to live vicariously through your posts to hear more about "CBA," and in the meantime, I will keep sorting through my e-mails from last week!
Living Passionately!
Connie
Allison,
Welcome back! I love your CBA report:-) Yep, it will always be CBA to me--always! I can't believe you are as "star-struck" as you say--so am I and I got that way about meeting you, too! (Can't believe I said that either:-0.) I met Liz Curtis Higgs at the same CBA convention that I met you. What fun!
Glad you had such a great time and can't wait to hear about the rest.
Abundant blessings,
Jenny Cary
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Welcome back! I love your CBA report:-) Yep, it will always be CBA to me--always! I can't believe you are as "star-struck" as you say--so am I and I got that way about meeting you, too! (Can't believe I said that either:-0.) I met Liz Curtis Higgs at the same CBA convention that I met you. What fun!
Glad you had such a great time and can't wait to hear about the rest.
Abundant blessings,
Jenny Cary
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