The Real Mount Hermon Report

Thanks to all of you who read and commented on the Mount Hermon debacle. I feel your support. Goodness knows I needed it after such high trauma.

In yesterday’s conclusion I managed to weave in titles/references to eight CBA novels. Anybody catch ’em all? (Hint—one is just being written—but is so good it will be contracted before summer, I prognosticate. Another is contracted but not on shelves yet.) In addition to these books, there’s also a reference to a CBA gathering place. First person to tell me all these eight titles, and the place gets . . . a free book. Hey, I’m feelin’ magnanimous.

In real Mount Hermon news—Susan Meissner won Writer of the Year! The grand Meissner is writing about two books a year for Harvest House, and her writing has been heralded as “lyrical” by Booklist. Her latest is titled In All Deep Places.

I hope other published novelists in attendance at MH will tell about their experience in the career track. I was sorry to miss that track—heard it was wonderful.

I spent my mornings with ten folks in a fiction mentoring clinic. Randy I. and Gayle Roper did the same. These clinics are a great way to go for receiving a good critique for your synopsis and first 20 pages of your manuscript—not only from the teacher but from everyone else in the class. All participants receive the submissions ahead of the conference and agree to read everyone else’s stuff and comment. It’s a good learning experience, with fiction techniques/concepts being taught as they’re needed for use in the stories.

I also served on the critique team. One of the things that Mount Hermon provides is an hour and a half session every day when all critique team members are available in one large room for folks to meet with--first come, first served. The meetings run about 15 minutes. Critique team members also receive manuscript submissions to review as soon as they arrive at the conference. For the first couple days, all our spare time is spent critiquing these manuscripts. So all in all, between the critique team and my own mentoring clinic, I saw a lot of submissions. In practically every manuscript I saw, two issues arose again and again. I’ll talk about those tomorrow.

Then—on Monday I will be announcing the aspect of the marketing plan for Violet Dawn that calls for volunteers’ participation. Only 50 people will be chosen nationwide to launch the project. (Perks included for them, of course.) I promised to give you BGs first chance at enlisting yourselves if you’re game. So here’s fair warning to not miss Monday’s post.

Okay—now who can name those hidden references from yesterday?