"The better part of one's life consists of his friendships." Abraham Lincoln

Okay, okay, I know. I haven't written in a long while. It has been a rough year.

But now, on the cusp of this weekend, I feel the need to write. You see, I went to a writer's conference for the Southern California RWA. It was all it was cracked up to be and more.

First, I made my way to my hotel room, where I saw one of my friends in the hallway. I hadn't seen her in a while and she didn't recognize me with all of the weight I loss (score one for the home team). Standing at her door to her hotel room, we chatted about life, and about what the conference would bring each of us individually. It was great to see her. Throughout the entire conference we would see one another, say hi, give a hug, and be on our merry way.

Then, as more and more people came to the hotel, the more friends that I saw. Each asked how life was treating me and the family, and I asked the same question in return. It felt good to be amongst so many of my peers, people that understood where I come from in regards to my writing.

The first night was packed with different workshops, all the way up until 9pm, and then we had a desert reception. I learned a few good tips in those workshops about plotting and developing a well-rounded character. The first workshop I went to was "Book Camp" and that lasted four hours. We took totally new concepts and developed them from scratch. I was able to come up with a complete new concept for a book, which was exciting. I can't wait to start it.

Now, I have a book that I'm ready to start, and I also submitted my sequel to my publisher. I have one short story that I need to finish, and one manuscript that I need to work on editing for submission. I have a packed few months ahead of me. I'm hoping to get all three stories done and submitted by the end of summer.

I also saw my publisher, Decadent Publishing (Heather Bennett) there. It is always a good thing to see her. She is such a nice person and I love working with her publishing house. My editor there is A-MAZING!

I got a lot out of this weekend, seeing friends I've known for a while, or friends I've known for a little bit. I also made new friends, which is always an exciting thing to do. I worked on some projects, and found out some new tips in being more efficient on the current projects I have in my bag.

All-in-all, it was a fabulous weekend. One that I cannot wait to repeat in two years from now when they have the conference again. Long story short, when you are a writer, going to a conference is totally worth the money! I look forward to my next one.