To the disappointment of some of my fellow attendees at the Mindful Writers Retreat last week, summer weather made a final,  triumphant return. Daytime temperatures hovered between 73F and 79F with abundant sunshine in bucolic Ligonier, PA. Unlike last year, when the foliage was resplendent in autumn colors, most of the trees this time were only beginning to show signs of the season.

This was my third Mindful Writers Retreat since 2018 and I hope to see it become an annual autumn tradition for me. There are also winter and spring retreats in February and March, respectively, but I have conflicting events at those times of year.

The Ligonier Camp and Conference center, nestled in the Laurel Highlands region of the Allegheny Mountains, is the perfect location for hours of quiet, uninterrupted writing sessions, rejuvenating walks in the woods to stir the creative juices, and enjoying delicious meals and evening socials with a coterie of talented fellow writers.

This year’s retreat delivered the added bonus of a brief paranormal experience. It was shortly after 3AM on Tuesday, October 12 when, during a restless sleep, I heard the door to my room creak open and what sounded like a hand sliding along the vinyl covering on one of the neighboring bunk bed mattresses. It wasn’t entirely dark in the room as I had left a low wattage light on. Unable to move at first, I opened my eyes with great difficulty, but there was no one to be seen… except for the owls.

That could have been a simple case of sleep paralysis, but Ligonier has a rich history dating back to the Revolutionary War.  Fort Ligonier is only minutes away from the lodge and just down the street is the Wilpen Rail Trail where, on July 5, 1912, a horrible train wreck occurred claiming 24 lives and injuring 38 others.

All told, it was a productive week for me as I finished the outline and first two chapters for what I hope will be my fourth paranormal mystery novel. I also submitted a short story to Space Opera Digest, a prestigious science fiction anthology, and made a few tweaks to my short story intended for next year’s Mindful Writers anthology.

I’ve so far contributed to two of the Mindful Writers charity anthologies beginning in September 2019 with Over the River and Through the Woods and in January 2021 with Love on the Edge.  Their first book, Into the Woods, was published in spring of 2018, a few months before I arrived on the scene. New editions of all three anthologies were released in June 2021.

The anthologies are made possible through the efforts of retreat co-organizer Kathie Shoop and editor/publisher Demi Stevens of Year of the Book Press. Larry Schardt, a fellow member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, is the other half of the retreat coordination team with Kathie.

Speaking of Kathie, she took time out of the retreat to interview each author about their published books and what they enjoy most about the retreats.

As usual, the week flew by much too quickly, but I left with memories  I’ll cherish forever, including an early morning walk in the fog. Already looking forward to next October!