Back to the Drawing Board

Yesterday I got my full critique back and (eye pop) it needs a ton of work!  Instead of discouraging me like I thought it would, however, it thrilled me to receive this feedback.  Since I wrote my book there have been things that have irked me...like Janie annoys me sometimes (she is the main character), Jonas is wishy washy (he is the guardian angel), and the beginning felt wrong. 
After I had read and edited my 390+ page manuscript more times than I care to count, the last thing I wanted to do was go on and do major changes.  I mean, seriously, where would I begin?
What I needed was a fresh pair of eyes and those eyes gave my some excellent suggestions with the very things that have bothered me.
The only thing that bums me out is that I don't know if I can pull all of this off by the conference in Feb!  I may have to actually cancel and go to a later one.  It breaks my heart but I don't want to pitch something that is unpitchable (is that even a word?)  Any hoo, not gonna let it get me down...just heading back to the drawing board.

I did it!

Well, I bit the bullet.  Registration opened up for the ANWA convention and I signed up!  I am so excited.  It is going to be a whopping $750 to cover the whole trip but I feel like it will be so worth it.
 I also signed up to pitch my book.  Just typing that last sentence makes me all nervous and tingly inside.  I keep thinking how many tons of people are going to be there doing the same exact thing and how possibly out of all those pitches could they think my book would be one to choose? 
I have to stop myself, though, because no matter what, this is a chance of a lifetime for me.  I can gather some really valuable information for this convention that can only help me, and if Kirk Shaw (editor over at Covenant) loves my book, that I happen to think is awesome, then that will be even better.
So Arizona, get ready because here I come!

Writing Conferences

I have never been to a writing conference and want to go to one so badly.  I would love to be able to pitch my book in front of an agent or publisher and see what their facial expression is in reguards to it. 

I was searching for some Writing conferences this weekend and found one that is right down my alley.  The 19th Annual ANWA Writers Conference.  It is an LDS (Latter Day Saint) conference and with my book being in that arena I feel this would be perfect for me! 

The only problem is that the conference is in Arizona and I live in Alabama (will be living in Kentucky in Feb. when the conference is being held).  What an opportunity to it would be for me to be able to go and just be in the thick of all that is writing.  I guess I will have to see how it pans out and if I can make my dreams a reality.

Any writers out there been to a conference?  Are they really as completely awesome as I am imaging them?