That’s what it feels like, anyway, at the Renaissance Denver Hotel, which is hosting the annual Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Conference.
For the next three days, the hundreds of attendees can immerse themselves in topics such as “Arrows, Swords and Pointy Sticks: The Realities of Medieval Warfare,” “Poisons!” and “The Joy of Writing Great Sex.” OK, those are the attention-grabbing ones. And that last topic is as important as it is salacious, because you do not ever, ever want to win this award, or spur the reaction of the reader on the right.
But in addition to workshops on how to get those crucial details right, the conference is full of practical sessions on social media marketing, dealing with agents and editors, and the bewildering developments in the fast-changing publishing industry. Different topic tracks offer advice on how to craft your novel, pitch and sell it – and then market it once it’s sold. Great advice for beginning and published authors alike.
My own small contribution involves a first-time authors panel today, and co-hosting a networking table tonight on contemporary women’s fiction. And, preview copies of Montana will be for sale in the conference bookstore!
On a sobering note, the hotel is full of Red Cross volunteers here to help the victims of Colorado’s devastating floods. A last-minute addition to the conference is a silent auction to benefit those victims. Let’s hope people bid generously.
(second image: shine.yahoo.com)
So I dropped the work on Dakota and spent two full days poring over Montana, finding 19 mistakes in the process. That sort of things gives you – at least it gives me – nightmares. Because what if I missed something? That’s the equivalent of getting run over by the locomotive. 
I’m excited about it for so many reasons. I’ll get to meet