Donna Hatch, Romance Author

I belong to a writer's group called ANWA (American Night Writers Association) who host a writers retreat-- a place to get away, socialize with other writers and of course, write--every summer.

Every year was great, but last year was so amazing, that I was a little worried this year would be kind of disappointing. Also, some of my favorite writing buddies weren't coming. I had a great time!!

It felt like a reunion. A lot of people remembered me by name from last year's retreat which always sorta surprises me. It never ceases to amaze me who 30 very different women from all ages, experiences and backgrounds can get along so well. I got a ton of writing done, had some very positive and constructive critiques, and taught a workshop on Tension that was very well received.

We stayed at a cabin in Prescott, Arizona that reminded me of a Lincoln log cabin. It had 3 levels, several bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (a big bonus) and lots of nooks and crannies for writing. Oh, a lot of decks and porches. The weather was gorgeous and temperatures ranged from pleasantly warm to chilly enough to want a sweater.

Everyone was so loving and giving and so absolutely positive.

Here are some pictures:

This is the back of the "cabin" which I am sure is bigger than my house. The balcony is right off the kitchen and I ate most of my meals here. The view was gorgeous!

This is the kitchen. We took turns preparing and cleaning up from meals. My mother-in-law always says, "Many hands make light work" and we certainly enjoyed that truth here.

Everyone brought a treat to share on the snack bar which ran heavy on chocolate-- a must for any writer. I had to be careful not to overindulge.

This is the balcony where I ate most of my meals, serenaded by the wind in the trees.

This is a view of the pines from the balcony where we could breathe the clean air, listen to the birds sing, and catch a glimpse of squirrels. They were very tame, I guess form all the people feeding them. One morning, when I went for a walk, a squirrel ran up to me in between my feet, sat up, and looked up at me, waiting for me to drop him a morsel. He was so close that I actually let out a little gasp because I was afraid he might bite me. He was so cute, with great big ears.
I wish I'd gotten a picture of him.

Another view of the pines from one of the balconies.

This is a group shot of all the retreat attendees.

This is our goofy pose. We are all performing our "name actions" from a get to know you game we played where we chose an adjective to go with our name. I was darling Donna. I know, stupid, but it was the only thing I could think of on the spot. I wish I'd done something cool like Daring Donna, or Dangerous Donna. Oh, well.

One of the attendees later confessed that when she found out she was assigned to the same critique group as I was, she was so intimidated by me that she almost changed her mind. It floored me that anyone would feel that way. I mean, it's not like I'm some amazing NTY best-selling author or anything. Yes, I was flattered, but really! She had some helpful suggestions for me so I'm glad I got her in my group.

I had a great time and I can't wait to do it again next year--not only because I got so much writing done, but I can't wait to see everyone again.