STORIES FROM THE HEART: DAY 2

Matilda Butler, co-author of the book Rosie's Daughters, sports her Rosie-the-Riveter kerchief.

Day two at the conference was divided up into three classroom sessions, and one special session. During each classroom session we had four options to choose from, and that was the hardest part of the conference -- choosing only one in each slot, when they all sounded so enticing! Sometimes my buddies and I would wind up in the same class, but often we would split up to follow separate interests. For instance, I chose the class above, led by Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett, entitled Expanding Your Publishing Options: eBooks, PODs, Self-Publishing, Oh My!, which ended up being more about marketing and building your platform than about publishing -- a lucky happenstance for me, since I don't have a book to publish, but do have two blogs to market. While I attended this one, both Lynn and Linda attended one called How 20 Minutes a Day Can Help You Become a Better Writer, led by Helen Leatherwood. It was about establishing a writing routine, something I'm already pretty good about. During another session, Linda and I learned all about Writing the Truth: Issues, Ethics and Poetic License from Suzanne Sherman, while Lynn opted for Juicy Writing With Fruits & Veggies, led by poet laureate Jan Seale.

Susan Lincoln is founder of the Hilde Girls, spirit-song circles of  women.

During the "special" session we had the option of a panel discussion on the power of the circle, or some relaxing chair yoga led by Regina Moser. Breaks included book signings by the two memoir writers who had been awarded SCN's first annual May Sarton Award the previous evening -- Leila Levinson for her book Gated Grief, and Jamie Patterson for Lost Edens: A True Story -- and the amazing Susan Lincoln, who actually demonstrated the power of the circle, which I mentioned earlier. I challenge you to join a group of 150 women, hands connected -- first humming like a swarm of excited bees, then chanting Hildegard's ancient, timeless Ave Generosa  -- and to remain unmoved, unshaken.

Linda Joy Myers talks about writing a spiritual memoir.

My only regret was that venturing out to the amazing Eastside Cafe for dinner ended up causing our new little group of friends to miss the Open Mike session altogether -- my favorite part of the whole conference. I was planning to read the story of my becoming a mail order bride of sorts, and being whisked off to Indonesia by a guy I hadn't seen in 13 months, which might have stirred up some interest in my other blog, Miss Becky Goes Abroad, but that was not why I was sad. I was sad because my three compadres, who were attending for the first time, still don't know how earth-shaking and life-altering it can be, to hear a room full of women -- women who, for the most part, have just finally found their voices -- getting a chance to share their stories for the very first time!

New friend Paula, and old friends Lynn and Linda, in the vegetable garden at Eastside Cafe.

Are those tables precious, or what?!

My wild mushroom crepes at Eastside Cafe. Mmmmm!

Still, the company was exceptional, the dinner was delicious, and the blueberry crumble was to die for! Ah well, there's always Stories from the Heart VII, in 2014!