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ICRS, part 4

Captain’s Log, Stardate 07.18.2006

Blog book giveaway:
My Thursday book giveaway is TANGLED MEMORIES by Marta Perry.
My Monday book giveaway is DIVINE STORIES OF THE YAHWEH SISTERHOOD edited by Michelle Medlock Adams and Gena Maselli.
You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for TANGLED MEMORIES and post the title for another book I'm giving away.

ICRS, part 4 (continued from part 3):

My dear friend and writing mentor Sharon Hinck writes for Bethany House, owned by Baker Publishing, and she invited me to the Baker dinner as her “date.” Yes, in my other life, I am an escort service. Sharon, on the other hand, insists I was snuck in as a Zondervan spy.

Due to my infamous sieve-head, I forgot Sharon's hotel and so I didn’t meet her to get a ride to the dinner. Instead, I paid an exhorbitant amount to catch a taxi to the Denver Center for Performing Arts. After wandering around the massive place and tugging at locked doors, I finally found the place where the dinner was held.

Fortuitously, Lauraine Snelling had been doing something else—some interview, I think—and had just stayed at the Center for the dinner rather than trekking back to her room, and she was in the bottom floor foyer, typing away on her Alphasmart Neo. I spent a few minutes chatting with her. She’s so nice!

I met Sharon’s editor Charlene Patterson. So neat to finally meet the person who’s been working so closely with Sharon this past year.

Sharon and I were seated at a table with T.L. (Tony) Hines, Robin Parrish and his wife Karen, and Dave and Neta Jackson. We were also seated with (I believe she was) one of Sharon’s line editors, Donna Carpenter, who was really nice.

The food was awesome! You know me and food. Or maybe you don’t know me and food. Well, I love it. Passionately. We had spinach salad with strawberry dressing, then sautéed green beans with wild rice, the most succulent salmon I’ve ever eaten (although I’m famous for not knowing how to properly cook salmon), and stuffed chicken breast. And amazingly, I didn’t pig out, I managed to eat delicately and with restraint.

Until dessert, that is. There were dozens of little éclairs and tarts, and who in their right mind can say no to that???

The only bad thing is that the dining hall was vast, cavernous, and freezing cold.

I had a great time talking geeky stuff with Robin and Tony and Sharon. Stuff like Battlestar Galactica and Lost and 24 and Alias and Firefly. I’m such a nerd!

Chip MacGregor tried to get me kicked out, but couldn’t when Sharon pulled her SuperMom persona out and threatened to toss him through the window. Sheesh, who let Chip in? They were probably fired afterward.

I had a great time gabbing with Sharon and her agent, Steve Laube. Although Steve does tease me unmercifully because he’s just a bum that way. Once you stay up all night swapping stories with people at Mount Hermon, nothing is off-limits. He gets away with it because he’s not my agent.

I got a ride back to the hotel with Christy finalist Patti Hill and her husband. Patti’s such a sweetheart. She had a great marketing gimmick for ICRS—she dressed up as a gardener and gave away flower-topped pens to promote her Watered Garden series. Sharon was with her in a SuperMom outfit—fire-engine-red cape and all—giving out little note packets. I have a picture somewhere—I’ll post it later.

Next: Walking the ICRS Floor on Monday and Managing Not to Trip and Fall Flat on My Face.

Comments

Ronie Kendig said…
So, uh, you said "geeky stuff" but then talked about Alias and Firefly, so I'm wondering...WHAT was geeky? *grins* Surely you weren't implying that Alias and Firefly are geeky. LOL

Again, you clearly had a great time!! So glad you did. I wanna go next year. :-D
Sharon Hinck said…
Camy, you were a WONDERFUL date. Thank you. I'll recommend your escort service to anyone who asks.

And Donna is even more important than an editor. She's the one that mails the checks! On my first advance check, she had a little post-it with directions to the Mall of America. LOL! Now she always sticks little notes on my checks.

We were definitely the geeky table, and wasn't that a blast?
Domino said…
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us peons. Your passion for food is something I can identify with. I perked up when you mentioned the salad, salmon, and desserts. I'm glad you had a great time.
Your stories are so much fun! Thanks for sharing with us Camy!
Anonymous said…
Camy, you crack me up!

By the way, did you know you made Angela Hunt's blog a few days back?????
Anonymous said…
Yes, you're so enthusiastic about everything and that's so refreshing. I think I was born serious. (I guess having bombs falling around you and having your mom scared to death half the time does have a lasting effect on your psyche--so psychologists and even nutritionists seem to tell pregnant women anyway.) A few imps of humor are in here somewhere but they take a lot of time getting out. Almost all your stories are so filled with joy that I, and probably most other people, are just infected by your thoughts and smiles. Thank you for that.

Although I have a few food favorites, I definitely eat to live, not vice versa. So far today I've had some canned fruit with Cheerios and other oaty stuff and it's past time for the 3rd meal of the day. Sometimes I literally forget to eat. I think that's how I managed to lose around 50 lbs. since the moving gig began.

It is *not* a good way to lose weight but that's how it usually happens to me.

BTW, Lauraine Snelling, I finally figured out earlier today, was the answer to a quiz where you can win some books. After the first few clues I was pretty sure that it was someone I hadn't heard of before. And it was true--I hadn't. Now twice in a day her name comes up. So she lives in one of the transverse mountain section in CA and has grown sons. It was only by figuring out the name of her latest book and looking that up at Amazon, that I finally got the answer. I also found out that she's written over 50 books for both YA and adults. Oh, yes she lives with her husband and you've said she's "so nice". My total knowledge of her. Actually, most writers I don't even know that much about.
and yet again NO pictures!

I LOVE FIREFLY!!!
Delia said…
Camy girl, you do such a good job telling us about your experiences!

Thanks so much for sharing!
Oh, I'm so jealous! You got to meet Tony and Robin. AND you got to talk about the coolest shows ever! EVER! No geeky, JUST COOL!

Oh, I'm so green...
Anonymous said…
Man, when I went to ICRS last year I didn't get to meet anyone...I want to hang out with you next time I go!

-Alison
blog.alisonstrobel.com

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