From Franklin to Family

Well, I have made it home. Now that I am back, safe and sound, and none of my planes crashed I am so happy that I went to the Killer Nashville conference. I had the most amazing time! I learned so much in those three days, took nearly 20 pages of notes and got invaluable advice.

The last time I blogged about the trip was Friday night, when I couldn't sleep. I don't think I actually ended up going to bed until 1:30am, and I tossed and turned all night. When my alarm went off at 7am Saturday morning I could barely open my eyes. I considered skipping the first class of the day to sneak in a couple more hours of sleep, but in the end, I didn't want to risk missing important information.

I dragged myself out of bed, got dressed and headed into the elevator. A few floors down, a woman got on with me, and we struck up a conversation. Her name was Deborah Shlian, and she has published five or six novels. She was incredibly nice, and we ended up getting coffee together and talking for about half an hour. She was so friendly and gave me some tips on getting published. I ended up buying one of her books and she signed it for me. I couldn't believe my luck, and was so thankful that I hadn't decided to sleep in! You never know what you might miss out on.

To Kellyn: Future writer. Wonderful to meet you!
Deborah Shlian

Saturday turned out to be a very exciting day. This was the day that the Guest Speaker, Jeffrey Deaver, spoke. He is the author of over 22 novels, two of which have been made into films. I had seen one of them, "The Bone Collector", a few years ago. It stars Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington. That movie forever changed the way I think of taxis, and if you have seen the movie, then you know what I am referring to. He was a really humorous speaker, and it was so interesting to listen to him talk about the way he develops and writes his novels. Afterward, I purchased two of his books, got to have him sign both of them, and I even got my picture with him! (I was silently trying to soak up some of his literary talent!)


He was such a nice, accomodating guy, he signed books for everyone who asked, even staying much later than his handler wanted him to. He never seemed impatient or too good. That was actually one thing that pleasantly surprised me. There were many authors at the conference, and they were all so kind and open to talking to anyone who was looking for advice. For some reason, I assumed the published authors wouldn't want to mingle with aspiring authors like myself, but there were no egos to be found.

That evening, I got the chance to explore the town of Franklin, Tennessee. I met a girl, Rachel, who actually grew up in the Seattle area, but moved to Franklin with her mom two years ago. She was so sweet, and we had many things in common. She was kind enough to drive me downtown Saturday night. I got to take pictures of the cute, historic buildings that line the road. My pictures simply cannot do the town justice. It was absolutely adorable. I also got to shop at What's In Store, a small boutique where a lot of Nashville stars - Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Jessica Simpson, etc. - shop. That was the only shop I got to go in though, because apparently things close quite early in the south...like as early as 5pm...on a Saturday!




So after walking up and down the street, we had dinner at a pizza restaurant, and then got to tour some more. The next stop was to the two town cemeteries, which are right across the street from one another. Unfortunately I didn't have my good camera with me, and since it was already dark out, my pictures are not the best, but you can imagine how creepy it was. We were standing on a pitch black street in front of these centuries-old cemeteries, while a thunder and lightning storm was going on. It was almost like reading a mystery novel, I couldn't write this stuff! It was creepy, but very cool at the same time.



After the cemeteries we drove out to the Carnton Plantation, which was the site of one of the biggest battles in the Civil War, where in the span of four hours one evening, over 1,700 Confederate soldiers lost their lives. The home was turned into a make-shift hospital. Apparently blood stains can still be seen on the floors of the bedrooms, where the injured and dead were laid. The owners of the Carnton Plantation, at the time, allotted part of their property to be used for a cemetery. It is the largest private military cemetery in the country. I took some pictures of it, but unfortunately because of the lighting, none of them turned out. It was another eerie experience. I love history, and being in a place where so many lost their lives, there are no words.

Sunday was our last day of classes. By 2pm, the conference was over. I spent the afternoon and evening relaxing at the hotel, enjoying my final few hours of not having to change diapers or make meals. While the conference was a blast, those four days away from my boys were about as much as I could handle.

The only blip in my trip happened Sunday night as I was packing my bags. I got a call from my mom that my dad was at the hospital, and most likely was going to have his appendix taken out. I felt bad that I couldn't be there for them, and that my mom couldn't immediately go be with my dad, since she was babysitting the boys. Thankfully her friend Laurie was able to come sit with them after they went to bed, and my mom got to be at my dad's side. I was in constant contact with my mom, as well as my in-laws, who were so sweet and wanted to check on the status of my dad's condition. Turns out it wasn't his appendix, but actually diverticulitis. He has been taking antibiotics and getting great medical treatment, and is on the road to recovery. The best news is that he got to go home last night!

It has been comforting for me to get home, be with my boys, and know that my dad is getting better. While writing is my passion, and something I hope to continue with and improve at, this trip showed me that family truly is the most important thing in my life, and I am blessed to not only have a wonderful husband and two great sons, but also an awesome extended family of Millers and MacQuarries. I am one lucky girl.