I just got back from WOW — a Week of Writing retreat at a lovely lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia.

• An unbelievably intimate gathering of writers and mentors – editors, agents and authors who shared their expertise and time so generously. Thank you to Emily Feinberg, Ariel Richardson, Laura Whitaker, Heather Alexander, Jill Corcoran, Sally Apoketak, Kendra Marcus, Minju Chang, Jodell Sadler, Linda Skeers, Dianna Aston, Denise Fleming, Candace Fleming…my cup runneth over.
• A life-changing opportunity to get feedback on manuscripts from people who know what they are talking about.
• A chance to hug Facebook friends and critique partners who are part of this incredible kid lit community.
• And no cooking or cleaning for a week!!!!!!!!!!

Kudos and thanks to Kristen Fulton who put this all together…and to her posse…Rusty Fulton, Jackie Wellington and many more quiet angels who made sure all went smoothly.

On the plane ride to Atlanta, my heart went out to several parents whose fussy little ones had trouble calming down. Traveling isn’t easy for anyone…but it is especially difficult when you have young children. For a couple of great tips on traveling with toddlers…and for some fun word games to play when you keep hearing, “Are we there yet?”, please hop over to Darlene Beck-Jacobson’s blog where I am guest-posting:

https://darlenebeckjacobson.wordpress.com/2015/07/20/traveling-with-toddlers-tips-tools-and-tactics-to-keep-them-smiling-and-keep-you-sane-by-vivian-kirkfield/

Also, today is the first day of KidLit Summer School…don’t miss out: http://nerdychickswrite.com/registration-2/

Hope everyone’s summer is going well! I’d like to put together a list of great places for families…if you and your kids have a favorite local spot, do tell.