January 2003 brought a new Noble Theme Contest Coordinator. Sandra Moore took the helm and announced the guidelines for the 2003 contest to the members.

Meanwhile, the Expert List was expertly being kept up to date by Robin Bayne. As membership increased so did this valuable resource to its members.

February brought change as Linda Mae Baldwin handed over the baton as Birthday Greeter to Kaye Dacus. Kaye added her own special touch to the greetings with a poem for each announcement.

By May excitement regarding the National Conference in Houston was building. V.P. Rachel Hauck named Patty Hall as the Publicity Coordinator for the event and in June Secretary Lynette Sowell announced the first ACRW Conference Scholarship program. Ten scholarships would be given out to applicants chosen by their expressed need.

By August 16, ACRW membership had increased to 366.

Thanks to the increase in membership, which in turn increased the number of e-mail loop participants, a new e-mail loop called Fun & Fellowship Loop was started. The Free Day Saturdays were abandoned as all such e-mail would take place seven days a week on the F&F loop. The regular loop would be for writing and prayer-related posts only.

On September 18, the Operating Board and Advisors met jointly in Houston, prior to the beginning of the National Conference.

On September 18-21, 2003, the Second Annual ACRW National Conference convened in Houston, Texas at the Marriott Hotel located next to Bush International Airport. Keynote speaker, Robin Lee Hatcher, inspired attendees to fully commit their writing to God and ACRW board members and others were there to pray individually with those who wanted prayer.

The conference coordinator was V.P., Rachel Hauck and her assistant was Allison Wilson. The committee consisted of: Tammy Alexander, Sandra Moore, Carrie Turansky, Diana Urban, and Martha Rogers

As the year before in Kansas City, the BTY and Noble Theme award winners were announced to the expectant crowd.

Lynette Sowell announced 2003 Book of the Year winners:

WOMEN'S FICTION
HISTORICAL –
1st – Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller – DAUGHTER OF THE LOOM
2nd – Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller – A FRAGILE DESIGN

CONTEMPORARY
1st – Deborah Raney – AFTER THE RAINS
2nd – Sharon Dunn – ROMANCE RUSTLERS AND THUNDERBIRD THIEVES
3rd - Brandilyn Collins – CAPTURE THE WIND FOR ME

LONG ROMANCE -- 80K AND UP
HISTORICAL
1st - Carol Umberger – CIRCLE OF HONOR
2nd - Tracie Peterson – SHADOWS OF THE CANYON
3rd - Tracie Peterson – ACROSS THE YEARS

CONTEMPORARY
1st - Susan Warren – HAPPILY EVER AFTER

2nd (tie) -	Linda Windsor – ALONG CAME JONES
	Deborah Raney – SCARLET CORD

SHORT ROMANCE 45K to 75K
HISTORICAL 1st - DiAnn Mills – MAIL ORDER HUSBAND
2nd - Colleen Coble – RED RIVER BRIDE

3rd (tie) -	Tracey Victoria Bateman – EMILY’S PLACE
	Robin Lee Hatcher – PROMISED TO ME

CONTEMPORARY
1st - Christine Lynxwiler – IN SEARCH OF LOVE
2nd - Lynn Coleman – CORDS OF LOVE
3rd - Kathleen Y'Barbo – MAJOR LEAGUE DAD

NOVELLAS
HISTORICAL
1st - Deborah Raney – CIRCLE OF BLESSINGS
2nd - Lynn Coleman – THE SNOWSTORM
3rd - Andrea Boeshaar – BRIDE IN THE VALLEY

CONTEMPORARY
1st - Bev Huston – MIX AND MATCH

2nd (tie) -	Tracey Victoria Bateman - ONCE UPON AN ATTIC
	Kathleen Fuller – ENCORE, ENCORE!
	Kristin Billerbeck – MATTIE MEETS HER MATCH

Sandra Moore announced Noble Theme winners:

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
1st - Candy Gruner – SONG OF THE WESTERN WIND
2nd - Janet Edgar – THE INN AT CRESCENT LAKE
3rd - Kathleen Kovach – ONCE WAS LOST

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
1st - Kat Kolosieke – RUNAWAY ANGEL
2nd - Tina Novinski – TROUBLE IN PARADISE
3rd - Anne Greene – UNDERCOVER HERO

HISTORICAL ROMANCE
1st - Vickie McDonough – SOONER OR LATER
2nd - Nicole Cooper – HEART OF THE MIST
3rd - Jill Nelson – SHOTGUN WEDDING

WOMEN’S FICTION
1st - Robin Searle – THE AFFAIR
2nd - Carrie Turansky – WHEREVER LOVE TAKES US
3rd - Tina Pinson – TRAIL OF THE SANDPIPER

ACRW membership went over 400 during this time.

Also in September, Gayle DeSalles announced due to a relocation across country she was stepping down as List Hostess and the following November Sandra Moore exchanged duties with her assistant Lianne Lopes. Sandra would be the assistant while Lianne took over as webmaster.

In December, Volunteer Coordinator Patty Hall introduced four new volunteers to the membership: Newsletter Editor Lisa Tuttle; List Hostess Kim Sawyer; E-Mail Loop Coordinator Meredith Efken; and ACRW Historian Amber “Tiff” Miller.

2003 saw a lot of personnel changes on both boards.

In February DiAnn Mills resigned from the Advisory Board and Deb Raney was asked to take her place.

On March 11, Kathleen Y’Barbo resigned as treasurer of the Operating Board and on April 3, Susan May Warren was appointed as new treasurer.

During April, Tracie Peterson stepped down from the Advisory Board and Karen Kingsbury accepted an appointment to Tracie’s seat on the AB.

On December 1, ACRW founder Lynn Coleman resigned as Advisory Board Leader and Andrea Boeshaar was chosen to take over the position which would henceforth be called CEO. Colleen Coble agreed to join the Advisory Board.

Continue to 2004