Conejo Post

I happily drove from the Conejo Valley, where my SUV thermometer read 88 degrees at 9:15 this morning, to Ventura, where it read 72 degrees a half an hour later. I was heading for the Ventura Book Festival, put on by the Calfiornia Literary Arts Society.  Not only was the festival held in cooler Ventura, it was also overlooking the ocean in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, and I was further cooled by Pacific breezes as I entered.

Tables of about forty busy exhibitors filled the hall…everyone from authors with their books, to publicists, booksellers, and organizations.  I admit there were some books I just had to have, and was happy to find them there.  Seminars and panel discussions made up the rest of the event, like “Marketing your book and yourself,” or “Writing a compelling memoir.”

I attended a panel led by Nancy Cone, who writes for the Ventura Breeze, and got tips on how to get freelance writing gigs from Sheli Ellsworth of the Conejo Valley, and Ivor Davis and Alicia Doyle.  Editor and writer, Shelly Lowenkopf led the next seminar on how to get published.  He presented new ways for me to think about writing, so if you see a sudden change in the way posts are written, you can either blame Shelly or thank him. 

I did not see a seminar on blogging, but I know what one of the first rules that would have been mentioned, if there had been one.  It would have been, “Check to see that your memory stick is in your camera, before you go any place!”  As you have surmised, I took some great photos of the Ventura Pier and the Crowne Plaza in the sea mist, only to find later that the memory stick was missing. 

Hmm, I may have to go back to Ventura tomorrow, especially if the temp is going into the triple digits, to retake those photos!   To read more about the book festival?  http://www.literaryarts-ca.org/book-festival-mainmenu-92

Posted by Janna Orkney