Nashville Antics

 In June, I met up with Lisa B. Kamps, Michelle Monkou (and her daughter), and Julia Canchola for a writer's retreat in Nashville, Tennessee. That week turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life!

Get ready for my virtual slideshow!

• We ate delicious food and had some amazing drinks:

 (Bavarian Bierhaus, in Opry Mills Mall)

(Jack's BBQ, on Broadway)

(Sangria at Rock Bottom on Broadway)

(Happy Gilmore at Nelson's Green Brier Distillery)

We had a great time sightseeing, visiting a lot of the places that make Nashville, well, Nashville.

• We went honky-tonking, my favorite place being Nashville Palace. The grilled cheese with ham was to die for, as were the apple pie moonshine margaritas that Lisa insisted we try! Josh, our server, was the more adorable introduction to the great Tennesseans we encountered.

 

• On Friday, June 23rd, we went to the Grand Ole Opry to for the radio show.

•  On Saturday, we hit some of the big attractions in the city. We saw Bridgestone Arena, where the Pens got to lift the Stanley Cup this year as back-to-back champs! We walked along Broadway, where all the honky tonks are. It was busy, even before noon—and it was packed before 5:00pm! We toured Nelson's Green Brier Distillery and tried some bourbon during at a tasting. We hung out at the Parthenon, a one-to-one replica of the one in Athens. And we toured Music Row, where recording artists lay down the tracks for their albums. We saw the famous RCA Studio B, where some of the biggest musicians have recorded their hits.

•  And I got some great pictures of travel on the way back:

(Statue of Liberty)

(Manhattan)

(Downtown Pittsburgh)

•  We went shopping at the Opry Mills Mall, and I bought the cutest boots that I've been wanting forever! They're classic-looking cowboy boots with some great accessories. I had almost given up my search when Lisa showed me these. Even better, they're comfortable! I love these boots!

 

 There's more, of course, but this trip to Nashville was more than a chance to relax and visit Music City (although I did feel completely refreshed after a week away from my everyday life). It was a writer's retreat, which meant this was a working vacation. 

 I made some major headway with False Start, and I got a lot of other stuff done too. All my books are now available via Google Play. I have a production schedule in place through 2018 and new covers in the works for next year's planned releases.
 I learned so much from my fellow writers. They were encouraging, supportive, and always ready to help with their insightful anecdotes and advice. Above all, I learned a lot about myself and my process as a writer. That week was invaluable to me, and I can't thank Lisa enough for inviting me and including me!

 Nashville was a great way to end the first half of 2017; there's still so much yet to come this year, and I feel ready for it all! July itself is shaping up to be a busy month, and I'm trying to ride the wave of productivity from Nashville while back home in PA.

 Here's hoping y'all are enjoying your summers! If you want to tell me about your vacations, feel free to do so in the comments. Otherwise, happy reading!