FaithWriters 2013 Conference is planned!

[Sparrow]

I'm so excited to announce that the FaithWriters conference will be in my beautiful Pacific Northwest this year! We plan to change location every year on a three-year rotation between Oregon, Michigan, and Florida so that everyone has a better chance of having it near enough to attend. We've changed the date so it's not conflicting with school teachers getting their classrooms ready.

The 2013 conference will be in Portland, OR on June 28th and 29th.

This year I will be aiming to get a number of agents and publishers in attendance, so start working on your book proposals. Many big-name publishers and agents will only accept pitches during conferences, so we want to give you that great opportunity to connect with them.

You'll want to fly into the PDX Portland International Airport and allow a few extra days for looking around the beautiful area. I'll be setting up some tours and posting them, so you'll have an idea of what is scheduled and how much time you want to stay.

We'll be working now on getting speakers and the schedule set up, so check back in a while to get more details.

[RedBaron]

Also, what part of Florida (if you know yet)? I have family down there and would like to pop in to see them while I'm down that way.

[lauralnm]

PRAISE THE LORD!!! I am sooooooo excited! Barring any unforeseen things to prevent me from going, I will be able to go to my very first conference. I feel like I just won first place in the Challenge (for lack of having published a book). Amy, thank you so much for all the work you did in scheduling this conference. Consider yourself hugged! blessings (and this is)... laura

[Sparrow]

Hugs back, Laura! Look forward to seeing you there, though hopefully I'll get to meet you sometime in the mean time.

Shari, the Florida one will probably be near Pat Guy, which would be by Disney. Prices are very reasonable around there, I've heard.

[RedBaron]

I figured it would be close to Pat, but wasn't sure I think my family is a reasonable distance from her, if I remember right.

[ThreeDee]

Super fun. I've never been to the West Coast!!

Does this mean we'll get to hang with Amy, Janelle AND Carol Wiley????!!!! That is totally worth the plane fare--never mind all of the amazing things you'll have in store for us at the FW Con 2013.

[Allison]

Oh my goodness. I am so excited! And it's not during the last week of July, which means it won't conflict with the children's musical at church, which means I should be able to go! WOOHOO! Just one question... If I plan on staying a few days extra, will someone take me to see the ocean for the very first time??

And in a few years, maybe Florida? Disney!!! And.... Cape Canaveral/NASA??!?? (Maybe??) You just made me one very happy person.

Too bad Southwest isn't even releasing tickets for that date until some time after October 15th.

There's only one problem with announcing it this early... I'm not sure I'll be able to contain my excitement for that long.

[Deb Porter]

Allison, if you want to see the ocean, I'll come with you.

[Deb Porter]

And yes, year three we will try to work it around Orlando or that vicinity. It would be great to have it there and finally be able to bring FW to our darling Pat.

Love, Deb

[Sparrow]

We'll definitely be planning some sightseeing things. The ocean is two or three hours drive, so may be worth booking a place down there to stay overnight. It's not on my list of things to schedule visits to, but I can add it. How long do you think people will want to stay before and/or after?

I'm thinking Fort Vancouver National Historic Site--the very first fort in the Oregon Territory (see, we were here before Vancouver, BC!) which has volunteers doing black smithing and tanning and cooking in the old ovens and all sorts of cool demonstrations. This would probably be about a twenty minute drive from the hotel.

And Multnomah Falls is a must, plus you get to drive along the Columbia River Gorge to get there, which is worth the trip all itself. It's one of the tallest waterfalls that runs year-round and is surrounded by a beautiful forest. You climb a staircase to get to a lovely arching bridge (my grandparents got engaged on it!) that lets you look up and down right over the falls. The adventurous can hike all the way to the top. It's about a 40 minute drive from the hotel.



Mt. St. Helens is amazing to drive up to the observatory to see the mountain up close, watch videos of the 1980 eruption, see the seismographs that are constantly recording the ground movement, and buy things made of the ash. It would be a little over an hour drive. (note, I took that picture about ten years ago when it was steaming. No danger of an eruption, but so cool to see.)

[Sparrow]

I tried to make those pictures small both by making them small before I uploaded them to PhotoBucket and then re-sizing them again there, but they insist on being large. Maybe eventually the changes will kick in and by the time anyone sees this they'll be small....

[Deb Porter]

They're great, Amy.

Love, Deb

[RedBaron]

I'd love to see the ocean as well I didn't get to when I came out before.

There's some other place in Seattle I was told was a "must see", after I got home, and now I can't remember what it was LOL.

[lauralnm]

I'd love to see the ocean as well I didn't get to when I came out before.

There's some other place in Seattle I was told was a "must see", after I got home, and now I can't remember what it was LOL.

Probably Pike Street Market, Shari.

[Sparrow]

Yeah, Pike street and the underground city in Seattle are really cool, and the Space Needle. Seattle is about four hours drive, plus traffic, from Portland.