Inspirational Books,  Life in General,  The Writing Life

A Gathering of Readers and Writers

Sandra Ardoin @sandraardoin

This past weekend was a new experience for me. I attended the 2019 Christian Fiction Readers Retreat in Rockville, Maryland. With around one hundred readers and thirty-eight writers from all over the country, it was a whirlwind of activity and, as my husband noted as he passed the area of the banquet room, loud conversation.

We started with a Meet and Greet on Friday night. Let me be honest, talking to strangers is not my strong suit, but I was determined I would not be one of Jen Turano’s wallflowers. So, I buckled on my belt of courage and marched into the fray. Of course, I met some very nice people, none of whom had ever heard my name. 🙂 But that was okay, because we got to know one another a little.

Saturday brought everyone together for a day of author panels, small groups, speakers, and GIVEAWAYS…lots and lots of giveaways. And laughter. Seriously, we have some hilarious people in the Christian fiction realm.

More books and a new coffee cup?
Woo-hoo!!

The previous hosts are stepping down and from now on the retreat will be hosted by American Christian Fiction Writers. It will be held at the same time/same place as the ACFW conference. That means, in 2020, it will be in St. Louis in September. If you’re interested in attending, as a reader or author, sign up here to receive email notifications.

And in case you wanted to know what I wore…

Really? I’m not even safe when I have a camera in my hand.
(Honestly, my knee is not that big.)

By the end of the event this introvert was exhausted, so I’ve retreated (pun intended) back to my writing cave, not to be seen in public again until…???

Have you ever attended a reader retreat? How was your experience?

As an author of heartwarming historical and contemporary romance, Sandra Ardoin engages readers with page-turning stories of love and faith. Rarely out of reach of a book, she's also an armchair sports enthusiast, country music listener, and seldom says no to eating out.

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