ACFW Conference Blog http://www.acfw.com/blog Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:39:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Mall of America Booksigning Photos http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/10/mall-of-america-booksigning-photos/ http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/10/mall-of-america-booksigning-photos/#comments Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:25:09 +0000 Cara Putman http://www.acfw.com/blog/?p=266 Here are some photos from the Mall of America ACFW booksigning held on September 20. It was an amazing event. And these photos taken by Kenny Noble do a great job capturing the energy and flows of people. Thanks so much for taking them, Kenny!

Angela Hunt signingAngela Hunt signing a book.Listening to PanelsSome of the crowd listening to the panels.

Lena Nelson Dooley and Celia Dowdy interacting with readers.
More photos of the crowd.


The signers interacting with people. It was a great vehicle to hand out information about our books and introduce people to Christian fiction. Andy McGuire tells about his delightful children’s book.

Kathleen Kovach and Harry Kraus talk to readers.

Don’t you love these overhead shots? What a cool perspective! Love the birds eye view.

Another birds eye view. You can see the stage in the Best Buy rotunda as well as the two rows of tables with authors.

Angela Hunt, Karen Ball, and Brandilyn Collins forming the back up group to James Scott Bell. I do believe they are singing Hairy Man!

]]> http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/10/mall-of-america-booksigning-photos/feed/ Mall of America Booksigning http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/09/mall-of-america-booksigning/ http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/09/mall-of-america-booksigning/#comments Tue, 23 Sep 2008 01:18:34 +0000 Cara Putman http://www.acfw.com/blog/?p=260 Here are some photos from the booksigning! First up is Missy Tippens. I love what she did with her table. Missy Tippens at her lovely table.Here are Karen Ball and Angie Hunt after their panel. We ran panels in both the Best Buy Rotunda and the Bloomingdale’s Court. Thanks to the authors who willingly spoke and drew people to our signing!

Here we’ve got Susan May Warren and Jill Elizabeth Nelson talking to folks and signing. And then there’s John Olson handing out Dinosaur poop — perfect for Fossil Hunter.

I may post more later, but the event was wonderful! Now back to writing :-)

]]> http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/09/mall-of-america-booksigning/feed/ Planning for 2009 http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/09/planning-for-2009/ http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/09/planning-for-2009/#comments Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:48:05 +0000 Cara Putman http://www.acfw.com/blog/?p=120

MONEY-SAVING MONDAY AND THE 2009 ACFW CONFERENCE


Okay, so what if you know you can’t go for 2008, that the money isn’t there right now? Let’s do our Money-Saving and crunch some numbers. Give or take a hundred bucks, totalling the conference fee, hotel, and transportation can run you about $1100. Since I have no idea how much or where the 2009 conference will be, this is an estimate.

WHERE can you find that $1100 in time for next year? Let’s start now. Registration has just opened for the 2008 conference and you can sign up until August. So for 2009, you’ve got a year to save.

Do you go to McDonald’s on the way to work in the morning to pick up breakfast, say twice a week? Put that $6 in a jar every week, and after 52 weeks you’ll have $312 dollars.

Do you buy a 12-pack of soda/cola/pop every week? Put that $3 in a jar once a week instead of buying the soda, and you’ll have $156 dollars after 52 weeks.

Do you bring the kids for haircuts every two months? Get a set of clippers if you’re brave, and learn to trim hair yourself. For two kids at $25 (we’re talking Procuts here, the cheapo kid cut) every 2 months, and that adds up to $150.

See, we’re already over halfway to that $1100, just by cutting out McDonald’s breakfast twice a week, one 12-pack of soda/cola/pop, and picking up a new skill by trimming your kids’ hair (2 kids).

Get creative, and look at your lifestyle. What are you buying that you don’t need to buy, even if it’s $3 or $5 a week? What are you paying someone else to do that you can do yourself?–save that money and pay yourself to go to the conference. Remember, this is an investment. It ain’t Wall Street, but you’ll definitely see a payoff in time. There are no shortcuts, no matter what anyone tells you.

Lastly, why not clear your house of clutter, have a yard sale, and reward yourself by putting the money in a conference fund? — and I’ll see YOU in 2009!!

Lynette Sowell

]]> http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/09/planning-for-2009/feed/ 2008 Genesis Winners http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/09/2008-genesis-winners/ http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/09/2008-genesis-winners/#comments Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:21:14 +0000 Cara Putman http://www.acfw.com/blog/?p=259 I am pleased to announce the 2008 Genesis contest winners!

Chick lit, mom lit, lady lit Category:
1st: Erica Vetsch, Pam On Rye
2nd: Lynda Schab, Mind Over Madi
3rd: Tiffany Kinerson, Stand On My Own Two Hands

Contemporary Fiction Category:
1st: Dan Case, The Voice
2nd: Christina Berry, Undiscovered
3rd: Jim Rubart, Book of Days

Contemporary Romance Category:
1st: Annalisa Daughety, Love is a Battlefield
2nd: Kathleen Haynes, The Quarterback Club
3rd: Cara Slaughter, Joanna’s Treasure

Historical Fiction category:
1st: Mona Hodgson, A Thimble’s Worth
2nd: Rachel Moore, A Trail of Waves
3rd: Lori Benton, Trouble The Water

Historical Romance category:
1st: Patty Smith Hall, Flights of Freedom
2nd: Karen Witemeyer, Cloud by Day
3rd: Erica Vetsch, Marriage Masquerade

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category:
1st: Jane Thornton, Menace
2nd Donna Alice Patton, Wrestling Demons
3rd: Janice Olson, Don’t Look Back

Romantic Suspense category:
1st: Jenness Walker, Deja Vu
2nd: Dani Pettrey, Quest
3rd (tie): Kelly Ann Riley, A Cowboy’s Prayer
3rd (tie): Jane Thornton, Be Anxious

In the Science Fiction/Fantasy/Allegory category, the finalists are:
1st: Chawna Schroeder, Metamorphosis
2nd: Lynda K. Arndt, The Song of Blood and Stone
3rd: Valerie Comer, The Girl Who Cried Squid

Women’s Fiction category:
1st: Heather Goodman, 50 Things To Do Before I Turn 30
2nd: Cynthia Ruchti, They Almost Always Come Home
3rd: Kristian Tolle, When Autumn Comes

Young Adult category:
1st: Carla Stewart, An Unexpected Journey
2nd: Stefanie Morris, The Dragon of Delarest
3rd: Kasey L. Heinly, Broken Glass

Thank you to all the entrants and judges who helped make the 2008 Genesis contest such a success!

]]> http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/09/2008-genesis-winners/feed/ 2008 Book of the Year Winners http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/09/2008-book-of-the-year-winners/ http://www.acfw.com/blog/2008/09/2008-book-of-the-year-winners/#comments Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:20:45 +0000 Cara Putman http://www.acfw.com/blog/?p=258

Debut Author

  1. Sushi for One? (Camy Tang) – Zondervan, Sue Brower
  2. Bayou Justice (Robin Miller writing as Robin Caroll)
  3. In Between (Jenny B. Jones)

Contemporary Novella

  1. Finally Home (Deborah Raney) – Barbour Publishing, Susan Downs
  2. Moonlight & Mistletoe (Carrie Turansky)
  3. Remaking of Moe McKenna (Gloria Clover)

Historical Novella

  1. Love Notes in Love Letters Anthology (Mary Davis) – Barbour Publishing, Rebecca Germany
  2. Beyond the Memories (DiAnn Mills)
  3. The Spinster & The Tycoon (Vickie McDonough)

Lits

  1. Splitting Harriet (Tamara Leigh) – Multnomah Books, Julee Schwarzburg
  2. Sushi for One? (Camy Tang)
  3. One Little Secret (Allison Bottke) & The Book of Jane (Anne Dayton & May Vanderbilt)

Long Contemporary

  1. Within This Circle (Deborah Raney) – Steeple Hill Books, Krista Stroever
  2. Like Always (Robert Elmer)
  3. Autumn Blue (Karen Harter)

Long Historical

1. Veil of Fire (Marlo Schalesky) RiverOak, editors Jeff Dunn/Jon Woodhams

Where Willows Grow (Kim Vogel Sawyer) Bethany House, editor Charlene Patterson
2. Fancy Pants (Cathy Marie Hake) & Then Came Hope (Louise Gouge)
3. Courting Trouble (Deeanne Gist)

Mystery

  1. Your Chariot Awaits (Lorena McCourtney) – Thomas Nelson, Amanda Bostic
  2. Death of a Garage Sale Newbie (Sharon Dunn)
  3. Sticks And Stones (Susan Meissner)

Short Contemporary

  1. The Heart of Grace (Linda Goodnight) – Steeple Hill Love Inspired, Allison Lyons
  2. Heart of the Family (Margaret Daley)
  3. Wedded Bliss (Kathleen Y’Barbo)

Short Contemporary Suspense

  1. Caught Redhanded (Gayle Roper) – Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense, Krista Stroever
  2. Pursuit of Justice (Pamela Tracy)
  3. Nowhere to Hide (Debby Giusti) & Her Christmas Protector (Terri Reed)

Short Historical

1. Canteen Dreams (Cara Putman) & Golden Days (Mary Connealy)

–Barbour/Heartsong Presents, JoAnne Simmons

– Barbour/Heartsong Presents, JoAnne Simmons

  1. A Wealth Beyond Riches (Vickie McDonough)
  2. A Time to Keep (Kelly Eileen Hake)

Speculative

  1. The Restorer’s Son (Sharon Hinck) – NavPress, Reagan Reed
  2. Demon: A Memoir (Tosca Lee)
  3. DragonFire (Donita Paul)

Suspense

  1. Black Ice (Linda Hall) – WaterBrook Press, Traci DePree
  2. Coral Moon (Brandilyn Collins)
  3. Abomination (Colleen Coble)

Women’s Fiction

  1. Remember to Forget (Deborah Raney) – Howard Books/Simon & Schuster, Philis Boultinghouse
  2. Watercolored Pearls (Stacy Hawkins Adams)
  3. A Promise To Remember (Kathryn Cushman)

Young Adult

  1. In Between (Jenny B. Jones) — NavPress, Jamie Chavez
  2. Sara Jane: Liberty’s Torch (Eleanor Clark)
  3. Saving Sailor (Renee Riva)


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