Sacred Women's Circles Create Sacred Space - Part One

Judith is the author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual practices that nourish the soul and celebrates the journey from relationship to romance.

When you read this post, I’ll be in Scottsdale, AZ to attend the Desert Dreams Writer’s Conference. I’m excited to be one of the workshop presenters. “Supporting Your Writing Life: How to Find Balance Between Your “Real” Life and Your “Writing” Life” is one of my favorite workshops. I love seeing participants find ways to write without feeling guilty about what they aren’t doing. The truth is the vast majority of authors do not write full time or live a monastic life. They have day jobs, families including spouses, children, sibling and parents. And what about friends?

I’m also one of 17 authors participating in the Readers’ Day Event. Tickets maystill be available so check out this link. I’d love to see you there!!! Readers will meet each of the 17 authors in a two minute ‘speed dating’. They’ll then have the opportunity to spend thirty minutes with authors to get to know them better. Participants attending my Book Club will leave with their own sacred bundle!

And that’s a great segue into the topic of this blog:

Sacred Women’s Circle Create Sacred Space.

Pause here for a few seconds and consider the following questions:

What would it be like to be unconditionally accepted, unconditionally supported and unconditionally loved?

Would you feel safe?

Would you feel you could say anything? Talk about your innermost thoughts and feelings? Share your most intimate secrets if you wanted to?

A Sacred Women’s Circle creates the space where you are unconditionally accepted, supported and loved. You do not have to share but you can. And if you choose to share, you know with a certainty that all that you say will be held in confidence and you will not be judged.

No matter what.

In 1993 I sat for the first time in a women’s circle. And, I’ve been a part of one ever since. One person from my very first circle is in my current one. I will not prevaricate and say they’ve all been sacred women’s circles because that is not the case. I will say that my current circle is a Sacred Women’s Circle because I know that I can call on any member and she will show up however I need it to happen. And they know they can call on me.

While I’ve not shared every one of my secrets, I know I could and I’d still be accepted, supported and loved. We call ourselves The One and there are four of us. The connection is strong and even though there is, at times, an ebb and flow of physical connection, the energetic connection remains tying us together.

What would it be like if you had a Sacred Women’s Circle, a place where you were unconditionally accepted, supported and loved? Or maybe you already have such a place?

I’ve love to know more!

Please leave a comment. I do want to know what you think.

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Learn more about The Sacred Women’s Circle series on my website.

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Resources, Resources, Resources and a Win!

Judith Ashley

One of the best parts of attending a writer's conference is connecting with various resources. My Intention was to be out of my room (thanks, Bob Mayer) and checking out what was going on around me. Because that was my Intention, my focus was sharp. Here's what I noticed.

In my first post, I mention Diane Graham Photography. Another resource for those folks living in the Phoenix area is Pretty Faces Makeup Company. No, I didn't meet Vicki while waiting for my picture to be taken, I met her while I was waiting to talk to Vijaya Schartz who was being interviewed by local media.

Mary Keith, Keith Publications, was busy taking pitches from writers. Keith Publications has a plethora (love that word) of resources for writers.

Another great resource for Indie and Self-Published authors is The Indie Book Collective. I met founder, Carolyn McCray at one of their receptions. You'll remember Taylor Lee from my post on Registration.


And then there are books. I purchased Kris Tualla's Becoming An Authorpreneur : Navigating a 21st Century Career in Publishing which I've found extremely useful. If you have an Intention of self-publishing, check this book out.

Desert Dreams also has a raffle basket event. Writers, authors, publishers, chapters put together baskets of goodies (free critique, chocolate, wine, spa days, dinner at fantastic restaurants, Kindles, Nooks, stuffed animals, notebooks, note cards - you name it). Attendees purchase tickets and put them in the container for the prize they most want to win.

This year I won a Fantastic Basket donated by Carol Webb at Bella Media Management. What might that consist of? A FREE Ebook Conversion and Ebook Cover. I got my cart a bit before my horse in this case. However, it is good to know I'm set when the time comes!!!

I'd love to know what you think is the best part of attending a Writer's Conference.

www.JudithAshleyRomance.com
www.RomancingTheGenres.com
www.FreeReadsFromTheGenre-istas.com

One Of These Days!

One event every writer's conference I'm aware of has is a book signing. Published authors attending the Conference have the opportunity to meet their readers, sign books/book marks, sell more books (through the on site book seller which is a local book store), and have their pictures taken while signing a book, posing, or with a fan. The Conference promotes the authors and the general public is invited - nope, encouraged to attend.

Desert Dreams was no different.

Someone noticing me may have thought I wandered through the tables. The truth was very different. My Intention? Soak up the feeling of being at a book signing, imagine me sitting at a table, meeting my readers, signing my books/book marks, etc. One element of Intention is to see and feel yourself 'as if'. This book signing event manifested that opportunity for me.

Who did I decide to photograph?

Kris Tualla

Terri Molina

Genre-istas - Kris Tualla, Terri Molina

Genre-ista Alumni - Erin Kellison

Shelley Coriell

Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Genre-ista Guests

Shelley Coriell and

Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Genre-ista Guest-to-be Barbara White Daille

Vijaya Schartz

Vijaya Schartz - I moderated her workshop

Ann Charles

Ann Charles - She and Jacquie Rogers are the reason I even have a blog in the first place.






Amy Jarecki - I met her through this blog and then in person at Desert Dreams.

Amy Jarecki

Here's what it looks like to be surrounded with your books. One of these days!

Here's what it looks like to be surrounded by people wanting to buy or have you sign your books. Another One Of These Days! photo

My Intention is to be a published author and attending Desert Dreams brought me closer to its manifestation.

www.JudithAshleyRomance.com
www.RomancingTheGenres.blogspot.com
www.FreeReadsFromTheGenre-istas.blogspot.com

© 2012 Judith Ashley

Conference Connections the Bob Mayer Way

Prior to attending the Desert Dreams Conference, I read Bob Mayer's work on how to get the most out of attending a conference. I highly recommend it prior to going to a conference because it is packed with great ideas on how to use your conference time to enhance your writing, your contacts, and your brand.

What I practiced is 1) staying out of my room; 2) having my business card with me; 3) engaging in conversations and exchanging cards with the people around me.

Here are some of the writers I met at the meals!

Nikki Kimbel, writes now but is also The Original Mudpie Queen

Margaret Boone Rappaport, is on FB, and writes science fiction for women.

Janice Brooks, writes contemporary women's fiction and has published two books.

Elizabeth Blake, editor/author of "How I Met My Spouse" a compilation of true short stories from 42 couples.

Because I was out of my room and chatting with people, I also met

Bernadette La Mazza, playwrite and author

Prior to the conference I met two women. One on the conference Yahoo loop and one through an earlier post on this blog.

Patricia L. Brooks, president/founder, of the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers, I met on the loop. We met in person at the conference. Hopefully our schedules will allow us to connect again when she visits Oregon.

Amy Jarecki, author of 'Adventure Kissed by Romance' I met on this loop. She has an interesting blog. I really liked her series on Donald Maass' Breakout Novel Workshop.

As you can see, I collected the business cards of seven women while at Desert Dreams. I actually talked to many more and passed my card out.

In 2010 I met Christie Walker Bos and Courtney Lewis who have joined me on Romancing The Genres. You just never know when a chance conversation and the exchange of contact information can lead to a longer relationship.

Bob Mayer is right. Have a plan when you attend a conference or in keeping with the focus of this blog - know your Intention when you attend a conference and look for those Synchronicities. I'm very glad I did!

© 2012 Judith Ashley

www.JudithAshleyRomance.com

Registraion: A Time To Connect and Reconnect

Most of the time, when I embark on an adventure, I look for Synchronicity and have a clear Intention before hand. That was true for my 2012 Desert Dreams experience.

I volunteered for Registration and was assigned to the first shift. One of the best things about volunteering is you get to Register first, meet other volunteers, and meet and greet a group of attendees. Since I subscribed to the Desert Dreams Yahoo Loop, I knew names and could put faces to them. I'd also 'met' other writers on the loop, but that's another story.

Because of the organization of Shelley Coriell, Registration was ssmmoootthh and almost 50% of attendees had their registration packets by the end of our shift. Shelley has mastered being organized without being controlling.

I met and worked along side of Taylor Lee and Nina Benneton and renewed my connections with Robin Kramme, who I'd met and talked to at Desert Dreams in 2010. One of the added gifts I've found from regularly attending smaller regional conferences is I make friends and stay in touch in between.

Why did I volunteer for Registration duty? My Intention was to support my Desert Rose Chapter at the Desert Dreams Conference. Shelley had been a guest at Romancing The Genres and I may have met her in 2010 but I was able to really put her name and face and writing together when she guested with us in April. (She writes Young Adult. Check out her website by clicking on her name). One of the first people I spotted as I walked in the Registration area was Robin Kramme, who I met in 2010. At that time we'd shared our writing goals and dreams; this time we took the time to catch up on what had happened in the intervening two years. My Intention is to remain in contact with Robin until I see her again. You can click on her link to read a bio as she is one of the LitSisters. Click here to read about her play!

Nina Benneton and Taylor Lee are new acquaintances. Taylor is active with the Indie Book Collective, a great organization that supports independently published authors. Nina is an author with Sourcebooks. Check them out. I think you'll find them interesting and accomplished women you'd like to get to know.