Conference (and Cake)

I'm frantically working on my novel, trying to get it finished up and edited and all shiny by the end of next month when I go to the annual ANWA conference in Phoenix, Arizona.  The end of February is a delightful time to be in Phoenix. Perfect weather, greening mountains, the occasional wildflower.

I'm really looking forward to the conference. I can't believe all the great workshops they have planned, and how low the cost is!  A hundred bucks? What? And the chance to pitch to agents and publishers? It's a deal, a fantastic deal in the sweet warm desert winter.

Here's the info about the conference:

"Writing at the Speed of Life"

19th Annual ANWA Writers Conference February 25 & 26, 2011.

Sponsored by ANWA - American Night Writers Association established in 1986. Website http://anwa-lds.com/

Join us in the beautiful Crowne Plaza Hotel near the airport in Phoenix, Arizona for two days packed full of workshops, classes and pitch sessions. This is a writer's dream. Rub shoulders with authors, agents, editors and publishers. See website for full schedule.

Program Focus: Autobiography/Memoir, Children's, Middle Grade, YA, Fiction, Non-fiction, Journalism, Marketing, Mystery, Publishing, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Humor, Writing a Query Letter, Dialogue, Family and Personal History Writing, and Pitch Sessions With Agents and Editors.

Faculty: Kelly Sonnack, agent; Kelly Gottuso Mortimer, agent; Kirk Shaw, editor; Cecily Markland, small publishing company owner, author and newspaper editor;

Authors: Chris Stewart, Janette Rallison, Laurie Schnebly Campbell, Elana Johnson, Angela Morrison, Conrad J. Storad, Carolyn Murphy;

Composer/song writer: Chava Cannon

COST:
General Public: Full Two-Day Conference $115, One-Day Friday Workshops $40, One-Day Saturday Workshops $90

ANWA Members: Full Two-Day Conference $100, One-Day Friday Workshops $30, One-Day Saturday Workshops $80

Prices increase after Feb 4.

Hotel discount available at Crowne Plaza Phoenix Airport Hotel. (See website below)

Details & Registration: http://anwa-lds.com/conference.html

Contact:
E-Mail: ANWAcontact@gmail.com
E-Mail: anwa-events@anwa-lds.com



Speaking of the sweet, warm desert, that reminds me of sweet warm dessert. Last night for my daughter's birthday I made her the cutest cake. White and pink checkerboard cake with white frosting and sparkly white sprinkles, pink and purple sugar hearts, and cinnamon imperials as a beaded border. It turned out so pretty! Sadly, we ate it all before I took a picture. But here's someone else's creation: bless the book for posting the beautiful thing online for our salivating pleasure.
 

 
The cake makes you look like a gourmet, but it's pretty simple to make if you have the right pan. It's three layers, and each layer has three concentric circles. You put the two colors (in their case, three, obviously) in alternating rings of the circle and then bake all three layers, then stack it. When you cut it, voila, it looks like a checkerboard. I think I got my pan a few years ago from saving Betty Crocker points. Remember Betty Crocker points? My husband once got a watch from collecting KoolAid points. It might have had that big smiling KoolAid pitcher on it.  Free stuff, ah.
 
The cake was really good! It had fluffy white frosting, made with shortening and almond extract and ... you know?  I just love the flavor of almond extract. It's kind of dangerous. In fact, I think I just *might* have eaten too much of it because after the kids went to bed and I sat down to recuperate I noticed I could feel my blood coursing through my veins and my hands were kind of shaking and there was a general zingy feeling about my entire body.
 
Too much sugar? Me? Hard to believe. Cake is my favorite form of sugar. Besides candy. Or alongside candy. And slushes. And chocolate. And pink bubble gum. And probably a lot of other things. The new year resolution to cut back on refined sugar didn't last very long, did it?