Late again!

I thought I’d tell you about the writerly things I’ve been doing over the last couple of weeks; and isn’t it funny how writerly things so often don’t include actually doing any writing? Although I did manage to squeeze some out. I’m so proud of myself.

Weekend before last I attended a writers’ retreat in Gettysburg, sponsored by my local chapter Maryland Romance Writers, led by the wonderful and inspiring Alicia Raisley.

Have you ever been to Gettysburg? It’s a town that was the center of a Civil War war zone, so as you approach or leave the town you drive through open country dotted with monuments; humbling and startling to see the extent of the battle and get an idea of the slaughter.

Our retreat was in the historic Gettysburg hotel. It’s haunted of course–everything in Gettysburg is haunted, and no wonder. I didn’t see any ghosts, though some of the other writers took a ghost tour.

I ploughed on through my novella which is to be published in an anthology with Mary Balogh, Susan Krinard and Colleen Gleason. We’re all doing paranormal takes on Jane Austen, and I’m doing Emma as a contemporary; lots of fun.

I finally finished the novella last weekend when I was at the Let Your Imagination Take Flight conference sponsored by New England Romance Writers. It rained all the time (it is mud season!) but I was cheered by meeting up with old friends and making new ones, like Miranda Neville who was a guest at the Riskies recently. And I ate like a pig. There was lots of food. Yum. I gave my servant workshop there, galloping through scads of material in record time.

So now I’m catching up. Taxes (ugh), laundry, books to read, and oh yes, one to write. And in a couple of weeks I’ll be in England, visiting my father and spending a weekend in London with my best friend. More on that later. What are you up to?