Photo credit to Cali Gilbert, on the far right, whom I met a few years ago at the SFWC.
Read below how a coat connected us.
In the conference volunteer room where we sign in each day, we have a coat rack. At the end of the conference the year I met Cali, I took what I thought was my black coat. I put it on and sat in the Mark Hopkins Hotel lobby with three friends while we waited to join the celebration dinner in China Town.
Other volunteers gathered in the lobby for the same purpose. The hotel had the front doors open for people leaving with their luggage. The cold breeze caused me to take my scarf out of the coat pocket. It didn’t look like my scarf, but I have many and thought I had packed one I hadn’t worn for a long time. As soon as I had it wrapped around my neck, I heard one of the volunteers in the group next to us say, “That’s my scarf.”
She walked over to me and asked if I was sure I had the right coat. I stood up and indeed, it was not my coat but hers and she had mine.
Cali sat at the same table we did during the dinner and we laughed about the coat mix up. We’ve been friends since then. She has published several books, which you can see on Amazon. Click here
Standing next to Cali in the photo is Peter Dudley. We met in a critique group several years ago. He has published a three book series called New Eden. To see his books and their awesome covers click here
Peter’s wife, Maria, is on the far left in the photo and next to her is Praveena Raman. Sheila Bali and I are in the middle. Sheila is working on an historical book about leaving Hungary as a little girl during the Hungarian Revolution. Sheila and I met at a California Writers Club retreat and then she enrolled in my writing class.
This year’s SF Writers Conference was fabulous as always. It’s the best way to learn what’s new, to meet editors and agents, and best of all to reconnect with fellow authors and the joy of being with them every year. Writers are friends for life.
Julaina Kleist-Corwin
Editor of Written Across the Genres
Wonderful when you get to connect with new & old friends!
Absolutely. Thanks for visiting my blog.
Great photo. Looks like it was lots of fun. I hope to make it there one day. Maybe as a celebrated local author. 🙂
It was a blast. It’s my 9th year as a volunteer and I think this year was one of the best. I hope you can join us next year.