As I write this, the sun is rising on the final morning of the 2022 Autumn Mindful Writers Retreat. As always, it was a magical week at the Ligonier Camp and Conference Center nestled in the Laurel Highlands in western Pennsylvania.

Mother Nature blessed us with five days of clement weather and vivid fall colors.  I managed to finish three more chapters of my novella-in-progress and when I wasn’t writing, I hiked through the woods and joined my fellow scribes in afternoon meditation.

On Tuesday and Thursday evenings, I stole away from the retreat to participate in two Zoom sessions with fellow members of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. The first was a discussion panel on Writing Genre Fiction with Dianna Sinovic, Michael Daigle, and Rachel Thompson. The second was an Author Dialogue with Dianna wherein we enjoyed an informal discussion about various aspects of writing. Both Zoom meetings will be included in the programming for the upcoming Easton Book Festival.

On our final evening of the retreat, the group gathered around the fire for a few hours of relaxation and socializing. Now, it’s nearly time for our final brunch together and then I’m on the road home with fond memories, some lessons learned about book marketing, and solid progress in my current project.

Deep gratitude to retreat organizers Kathie Shoop and Larry Schardt and to the staff at the Ligonier Camp and Conference Center. I look forward to future retreats!