KILLER NASHVILLE HERE I COME

Killer Nashville, here I come. My friend Linda and I will be taking off early Thursday morning heading to Nashville where we'll rub shoulders with a lot of people who love murder and mahem.That sounds creepy, doesn't it? Maybe I should clarify--they love writing about it.

The 10+ hour drive is a little daunting; I can honestly say I'm dreading it. Since Linda does all her writing by hand, I've suggested we write a novella all the way there and back. We should be able to whip out 22,000+ words there and back, shouldn't we? I don't know that the idea thrilled Linda; guess I'll find out Thursday morning if she has her pen and yellow pad in her lap by the time we pull out my drive.

Years ago my daughter and I attended a Sisters In Crime conference in Houston. I learned a lot. I haven't attended another conference solely dedicated to suspense, mystery, and crime. I understand Killer Nashville is one of the best. It began in 2006. The conference offers five concurrent tracks: The Writing Track, The Publishing Track, The Career Management & Promotion Track, The Forensic Track and The Fan Track. I'm always totally confused about what to attend when I go to conferences. I wish I could clone myself and attend everything! I want to attend Creating Mood and Atmosphere in Fiction (I'm so totally rotten at that!) but I also want to attend Writing and Selling YA Suspense. Even if I could attend both, I'd be missing Law Enforcement Jurisdiction by a real FBI Special Agent. What's a writer to do in a case like this?

Killer Nashville was founded by writer/filmmaker Clay Stafford of American Blackguard Film and Television. Clay is an international award-winning writer, director, producer, actor and speaker. He's worked for PBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, Sony Pictures, Republic Pictures, Disney, and Universal Studios. And all I can say is ... WOW! Go check out his CREDITS.

I've wanted to attend Killer Nashville since its inception,  So thank you, dear husband, for making it possible. Expenses paid and new car for travel. I promise, I'll write faster, harder, and strive to sell my book. (Pssst, sometimes he thinks I'm a slacker.)

I read on another contest finalists blog that there were 232 entries in the Claymore contest. If that's true, then I really feel honored to be in the top 10. Several of those finalists have published books under their belts; remember, this is a contest for both published and unpublished writers. Only the manuscript need be unpubbed. And only the first 50 pages are entered.

I'm probably showing my ignorance here, but I have no clue where they got the name for the Claymore contest. All I know is that the Claymore was the greatest sword of its period, wielded by only the most powerful knights.

So yeah, I'd love to hold it in my nervous, hot, sweaty little hands!

Needless to say, I'm so excited. But I want to tell you something  ...

If by some weird stretch of the imagination, I win--even if I'm in the top three--I might not survive it. I might pass out cold, or even, God forbid, have a fatal attack because of my adrenalin rush. I just want to tell you now before it's too late . . . I appreciate and love all you readers and followers. You've made blogging fun.

Hopefully, see you when I get back. ~jess

P.S.  Mama always said I was dramatic. :)