The International Christian Retail Show started for me with a warm greeting from Bill and Nancie Carmichael from Deep River Books, my publisher. They sponsored a dinner (yummy salmon) for their authors and guests at the Westin in Atlanta. My guest, from the friendship theme in Caring Lessons, was Marianna Crane.

After dinner, Bill invited each author to give an introduction to our books. There were 21 authors present. I was moved with the diversity of authors and topics–from Bible studies to memoirs to historical research and more.

Since all of my interactions in the process of publishing Caring Lessons have been online, it was especially nice to meet Bill and Nancie, and Rhonda Funk, publicist, in person. Rhonda  assembled our media kits (see mine at the top of the home page) and scheduled our media interviews and book signings. (She did not arrange for my cupcake binge. I needed no help for that.)

Here’s a synopsis in a slide show:

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Whenever I am notified of when my two media interviews are available, I will post the information on this blog.

I have no photos of my cupcake binge. All I can say is I missed lunch on one day and cupcakes, celebrating different events, were available on the exhibit floor. They became my lunch– first a chocolate, then a sugar-free vanilla (my conscience kicked in), and then for dessert, another gooey chocolate. I have no photos, either, of the headache that followed.

I am sincerely grateful to Bill and Nancie Carmichael and Rhonda Funk for making the experience of publishing Caring Lessons with Deep River Books a blessed highpoint in my life.