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ICRS Wednesday

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.13.2007

My plane was leaving Atlanta at 4:45 pm, so I had a few hours to kill before heading over to the airport. I went and took some pictures of the ICRS floor:




Here’s the Zondervan booth:




On your way down to the conference floor, you have to use four elevators going down to the exhibit hall level. Zondervan made a huge banner for the 2nd elevator, and guess who’s on it with her name even bigger than Karen Kingsbury???









Um, yeah … I kind of took a lot of pictures of MY NAME BIGGER THAN THE SIZE OF MY CAR!!!

Update: My husband mentioned that the above might seem like crowing or bragging. I hope it didn't come across that way. I was just awed and excited at what Zondervan has been doing for me, a mere debut author. I feel very blessed in the publisher God has given to me.

I chatted a bit with Kay Marshall Strom, who is just the nicest person. I also saw Rachelle Gardner (my macro editor), her friend Vicki Caruana, and Jenn Doucette. We had a lively conversation about what to give and NOT to give your children’s teachers for Christmas.

For all you parents, mugs and figurines are OUT. Staples, OfficeMax, Barnes and Noble, Borders gift certificates. Staplers since they have a tendency to grow legs and walk away. Same with three-hole punchers.

I happened to meet up with Ane Mulligan and my new friend Nora St. Laurent, and we had the funnest lunch in the convention center. On the way out, we met up with Andy Meisenheimer (my Z editor who’s not my editor) and chatted with him about drooling mastiffs.

I rode to the airport in the Atlanta Link shuttle and chatted with a couple bookstore owners from Oklahoma. One is a nonfiction writer, and I offered to ask around to find nonfiction Christian writers’ groups that she might want to join.

While waiting in the airport at the gate, I saw the same college guy who had sat next to me on the plane from San Jose. We spent the time waiting talking to each other. His name is Jeremy and he’s just the nicest kid. I want to adopt him. We talked about volleyball more, and knowing God’s will for what you should do.

It was an uneventful flight (thank goodness) and Captain Caffeine met me in baggage claim. My bags were out rather quickly, too!

When I came home, Snickers’ butt was wiggling at 200 wiggles per hour and she wanted to lick every square inch of me—very gratifying to be welcomed home this way. Yesterday, she stuck close by me all day as if she were afraid I was going to leave again.

Guess I shouldn’t tell her about the Oregon Christian Writers Conference at the end of the month, eh?
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Comments

  1. Christina TarabochiaFri Jul 13, 01:36:00 AM 2007

    Can't wait to meet you at OCW.

    As for gifts for a teacher--I've tried something twice and gotten great results both times.

    I bought my son's kindergarten teacher a wheelchair for her birthday. Well...it wasn't exactly for her. I ordered a $13 (or so) wheelchair through World Vision in her name to be given to a handicapped person in a third-world country. Turns out her inspiration for going into teaching was being an aide for a disabled student--who received her first good wheelchair during their time together. I had no idea, but God did. Brought her to tears.

    Next, since that went so well, we ordered drought-resistant, quick-growing seeds. Sent by World Vision to Africa under my daughter's teacher's name. The teacher's daughter is of African descent...really meant a lot to her though I didn't even think of that connection when I picked it.

    Whew...sorry for the long-winded post. Hope I didn't bore you. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Trish PerryFri Jul 13, 06:03:00 AM 2007

    Camy, thanks so much for drawing the ACFWers to your blogs about the conference. I read them all just now and thoroughly loved the experience.

    Girl, you can WORK a conference! I think I would just wander around aimlessly, too shy to meet all of the authors you met and featured. I always think I'm interrupting something very important by "inserting" myself into "famous author" groups, LOL! At ACFW in September, I'd love to get some pointers from you.

    You looked fantastic in your various outfits. And I'm so there with you on the room of one's own. Roomies are fun, but so is a bit of privacy during such a whirlwind week.

    See you in Dallas!

    Trish

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kristy DykesFri Jul 13, 06:28:00 AM 2007

    Thanks for The Camy Tang IRCS Report. Fabulous! Pics, too. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousFri Jul 13, 07:01:00 AM 2007

    Wow, your name is HUGE on the banner... You go girl! :-D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Southern-fried FictionFri Jul 13, 07:09:00 AM 2007

    Your name on that banner was the first thing that caught mny eye as I entered the World Congress Center. I was SO jazzed to see that, girlfriend!!!

    We did have fun at lunch, didn't we? Poor Andy - I'll be remembered forever as the chick with the drooling mastiff. LOL

    See you in Dallas!

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousFri Jul 13, 09:01:00 AM 2007

    Bring her along. : )

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jessica FergusonFri Jul 13, 09:08:00 AM 2007

    Great report, Camy. You really DO know how to work a conference. Maybe you should give a workshop to all us shy ladies. Thanks for the details and the great pics. I loved seeing your BIG NAME. LOL I'm so proud of you and happy for you!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousFri Jul 13, 10:18:00 AM 2007

    Enjoyed the pics, Camy!

    As for gifts for teachers, my parents have been Christian school teachers which translates poor pay! So yeah, the 300th Christmas ornament is nice, but, really . . .

    Things like restaurant gift cards (just make sure it's big enough so they don't have to add more to eat out there!), Target gift cards, American Express gift cards (my mom gets a couple of those each year and loves them because she can buy new clothes she needs or things they need around the house). Any way to increase their income is great!

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousFri Jul 13, 11:06:00 AM 2007

    Thanks for taking us along on your ICRS journey, Camy. I enjoyed seeing ICRS through your eyes--although I was exhausted just reading your posts. :-)

    I'm with Donna--bring Snickers with you. She can be our conference mascot.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mary ConnealyFri Jul 13, 12:14:00 PM 2007

    CAMY!!! Your name was HUGE, how great!
    Thanks for the report.
    That picture with you standing beside that row of your books is just too sweet.
    YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Nowhere but up, darlin'.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousFri Jul 13, 08:56:00 PM 2007

    Now that's just awesome! You go, girl! I know you must be thrilled!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dineen A. MillerFri Jul 13, 09:06:00 PM 2007

    Oh wow! Camy, so cool to see your books and your NAME. I wish I could have been there to see the expression on your face. LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  13. UnknownFri Jul 13, 10:25:00 PM 2007

    I read every page, Camy! I'm so jealous. Wish I could've been there. Kathleen told me all about it, but it's just not quite the same. Great to see all of your photos, and how interesting that my old editor (Jeff Dunn) is now an agent. I had no idea!

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousSat Jul 14, 07:16:00 PM 2007

    Amazing photos and placement. Congratulations! Looks like so much fun.

    ReplyDelete

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