Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Hanging Out with Colleen & Diann

After several emails flying back and forth and schedule changes, I was finally able to catch up with Colleen Coble and Diann Hunt on their RV tour of the southeast, this past Saturday night at Lifeway bookstores. My two critique partners couldn’t go, so my husband, Bruce went along with me. Colleen told me that they were attending the Atlanta Women of Faith Conference and would swing by the bookstore near my home about 6 pm on their way to Nashville. I figured that I had missed them so I asked the store manager. Nope, they hadn’t seen them. So we left and went to the Borders close by. They weren’t there either.
Wishing now that I had emailed my cell phone number to her, we drove back to Lifeway and sat in the car waiting. It was now 6:40 and I was convinced that they had just kept on trucking to Nashville. But, we went back inside to buy a fish symbol for my car that I had seen earlier. A minute later, Bruce said that he saw a rented RV turn into the parking lot. I got so excited that I think I yelled “It’s Colleen!” I ran and stood by the front door. (I can’t help it—I’m a big fan). When she walked through the door, we gave each other a big hug, while her surprised hubby and Diann and her husband stood nearby. She quickly introduced us to them and Westbow’s associate editor, Natalie. I can’t tell you how excited I was. Colleen asked if we’d like to have dinner with them. What a question! Of course, I felt honored to be included. They signed a few of their books then we all went to Borders.
Colleen is absolutely the most down to earth and friendliest writer that I know in the ACFW. Colleen was my first pick of author interviews at my Denver Conference a few years back and is so encouraging to everyone she meets. She told me how her writing journey started when her brother was killed by lightning, after I had told her that my brother, a writer also, had died suddenly months before the conference. She said “you will go to MT and find healing in your heart and get an idea for your second book.” I actually did get my idea the last evening I was at Glacier Park! She probably has no idea what an influence she has been to me and I’m sure many others.
Bruce led the way across the busy and congested six lane Barrett Pky by Town Center Mall and they followed in the big RV. I can tell you that her husband David really knew how to handle that thing and Diann’s husband was the navigator for their entire tour. We had a wonderful meal at Outback’s and I tried to soak up everything they said. Natalie’s love as an editor was apparent and she seem to genuinely love Colleen and Diann. Soon they were on their way again to finish up the tour. It would be late by the time they got to Nashville. Colleen writes romantic suspense and Diann writes humor. I’m currently reading Diann’s book, Hot Flashes and Cold Cream and love it. Diann is a lovely lady with a great sense of humor. Colleen has two great suspense series, Rock Harbor and Aloha Reef. You can read all about these 2 fabulous women. Colleen’s website is
www.colleencoble.com and Diann’s is www.diannhunt.com. Their blog can be found at www.girlswriteout.blogspot.com.