ACFW Conference 2024

Last year I attended the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference for the first time in many years. And while I loved my time there, I also felt a bit on the outside. So many new people. So many long-time friends were not there. And yet, I’d forgotten how much I missed my fellow novelists! God was so good to encourage me during last year’s conference (including letting me room with my editing client and friend, author Tracy Higley!) that this year my goal has been to deepen those writer relationships—some old, some new. So I returned to the conference this year. And I’m so glad I did! 

Some highlights for me? 

• The encouraging keynote speeches by the lovely Tosca Lee. They truly fed my soul. And she is such a genuine and kind person as well. 
• Catching up with and learning from Deborah (Deb) Raney. She has been such an encourager for so many years. I delight in calling her my friend. 
• Getting to know Stephanie Paige King better. I met Stephanie at last year’s conference—her first one. Being fellow Texans and novelists, we had an immediate connection. We roomed together this year, so we had lots of time to talk! (Look for more in the coming weeks about Stephanie’s newly released debut novel, The Fellowship of Frazzled Moms!)
• Honest discussions with other multi-published authors on marketing, contracts, virtual assistants, indie v. traditional publishing, and so much more! I so appreciated that time of fellowship! 
• Reconnecting with Teresa Wells, who lives just across the lake from me, and yet it’s embarrassing to admit how long it’s been since we’ve gotten together! (Her debut historical romance comes out next year!)
• Reconnecting with the lovely and encouraging Heidi Main, whom I met long ago at a conference and who is now the author of several books. 
• Sitting with my old Bethany House compadres Becky Wade and Karen Witemeyer during the Carol Awards dinner. Not only are they two of my favorite authors, they are also my blogging partners (along with Deb Raney and others!) on Inspired by Life…and Fiction. They are two extremely kind friends as well. So glad I’ll get to see them again later this year! 
• Chatting with Sarah Sundin and hearing her kind words about my newsletter. 
• Getting stopped in the elevator by a darling girl named Sydney who not only recognized me but pulled one of my books from her bag and asked me to sign it. She said she’d begun reading my books in high school. I cried. Such a gift from the Lord to let me know that my work has not been completely forgotten! 

(Ignore my out-of-control hair in these pictures. It looked nice before I hit the humility!)

These are just a few of the many people and events I will cherish from the 2024 conference. For the first time in a very long time, I feel at home in the world of fiction writing once more. God has been so good to allow me to find my place again, whether it is in actual published books or just in the community of writers. I’m so very, very grateful for that.