Orlando--Disney and ICRS

 On the last Sunday in June, we heard a challenge about expectations from Psalms. Then we went to Disney. 

The next day ICRS officially started.

With Cec Murphey and Twila Belk

Forensic artist and author Carrie Stuart

Lee Greenwood!

Gayle Roper

Eva Marie Everson

Mary Manz Simon

Nick V

The Most Amazing Suspense Authors

It was fun to hang out with such cool people.

I am way behind in posting! Maybe once we are done traveling, I will eventually get it all posted.

Orlando Book Signing

I'm writing from the northern IN border. But my post goes back to our Orlando trip. Jasmine, Kaleb and I left for Orlando on June 25. Kayla did not go at the strong recommendation of her counselor.

We stopped at Chuck E.Cheese in Tallahassee. We haven't had one in our town for many years. In fact, I cashed in points from 2009.

Ty David flew in from KY Friday morning and we picked him up at the airport. I had a book signing and devotion panel with the Logos store owners just a short time after getting him. Thankfully we were able to pick him up curbside and go.

 Author friends reunite

Kaleb helping me get ready

Ty David getting books ready

We had a devo panel.

Look at this look on my face:

I'm not sure what Karen asked me, but ....

I'm not the only one:

Destin and Pensacola

A friend of mine from high school drove down to the panhandle with her family for spring break. We met in Destin for an early lunch.

One of her daughters is to next to her and the daughter's friend behind.

On Friday Jessica and I drove to Pensacola for the Extraordinary Women's Convention in Pensacola. They have them in several city through the U.S. They take place on Friday 7-10 and Saturday 8:30-4:00. If you sign up for the next year at the conference, it's only $49. A bit more online, and it goes up a lot nearer to the conference and is $109 at the door!

They have a face book pageHere. Some of the pictures below are from that page. Others were taken by Jessica, myself or someone in line with us.

Kasy Van Norman, Karen Kingsbury, Liz Curtis Higgs, Angie Smith. 

With Anne Kingsbury, Karen's mom

Karen Kingsbury

Jessica with Karen Kingsbury's daughter Kelsey and Kelsey's husband Kyle who sang at the convention.

Margaret Feinberg. I really enjoyed hearing her. She was funny, yet had a sound message about happiness and joy despite her struggles with cancer.

Michael O' Brien lead the worship music. Everyone loves him. 

Kyle Kupecky sang, and Mercy Me had the late concert Friday night. We left because it was really loud, and Jessica already had a headache.

This is the first time I'd heard Liz and she is funny and amazing and very genuine. I read all of her Bad Women of the Bible series when I was writing my devo about Bible women (The One Year Devotions for Girls Starring Women of the Bible), so it was nice to meet her in person. 

I have interacted with her briefly a couple of times at ICRS in the past, but she was signing her books set in Scotland (I think), and I got them for someone else since I don't read those.

We have her kid's books The Pumpkin Patch Parable, The Parable of the Lily, The Sunflower Parable, The Pine Tree Parable.

Tim Hawkins was there, too, but no pictures of him. He was funny, but honestly you could tell he was trying to be funny--sometimes too hard. But Margaret and Liz were just genuinely funny because they are women, and they knew what we could all relate to. 

If you ever have a chance to go to EWC, go. And take someone you are close to so you can share the experience.

Murfreesboro

Last Saturday Jessica and I drove to Murfreesboro for the Christian Products Expo, which took place Sunday afternoon to Tuesday noon.

We did some shopping at an outlet mall and ended up buying clothes that I wore for the book signing and the two days on the floor expo floor (even though I'd packed clothes).

Before the book signing

The expo was held in this hotel, but we stayed in a less expensive one an exit away.

Ready to sign. I should have started signing ahead because when they opened the doors, we were all swamped. I signed over 90 copies of my book in one hour. I think we went over time. I tried to talk to each person and find out where he or she was from. Some were local, but some were from as far away as WA and PA just for a three day weekend.

With another Tyndale author, Karen Whiting, and Michael, our sales rep.

I'm talking to a bookstore owner from Shipshewana, which is near where I grew up. I've taken the kids there the past few years when we've gone to IN.

Karen and I working hard at loading the bags with fliers and book marks and adding the tissue paper.

Jessica taking the bags down to the room for the morning meeting.

Getting ready for the morning program--opening, devos etc.

I was up first.

I even remembered what I was supposed to say!

I don't know what Cynthia (on the end) was talking about, but Cec is either asleep or praying, and I have no idea what I said to Karen.

Okay, we're all awake and calm again.

This bookstore owner won a box of books we donated.

With Michael and Karen on the expo floor.

These guys from CA were just so awesome I had to get a picture with them.

I send author interviews to Andrea for the More to Life  newsletter, but I hadn't met her until this weekend.

So that's what Jessica and I did last weekend.

We are now less than four weeks until Jessica's wedding.