I know this is past due, but I’m here to tell you all what a great experience Wild Deadwood Reads was. My twelve-hour drive was uneventful and peaceful – both ways. It was my first time in South Dakota and I was inspired by the beauty of the Black Hills. Oh how I wish I could’ve stopped to take some pictures on my way to Deadwood, but the road didn’t allow it. I did stop on my way home for a few photo opps, which I enjoyed immensely. Mt. Rushmore, however, remains a bucket list item, due to the schedule. That was disappointing, but the trade off was time getting to know some great new people and building new relationships in this author world, and that was worth every minute.

Between learning days, a meet & greet, and meals out, I had a great time chatting, sharing, laughing, and learning. Riding the trolley was a delight. A concert by Lonestar in downtown Deadwood was so much fun, especially when they played an encore set full of covers songs. And did I mention my new author tribe? I was so blessed to meet them and spend time with them.

Finally, the actual event itself. What a gift to share in so many conversations and meet so many new readers. Raffle baskets brought in over $1100 for the Shiloh Horse Rescue Ranch, and I had such fun putting mine together (especially when some author friends and other small businesses donated books and items to the cause). The event room was abuzz for hours and it was so nice to see so many people enjoying books. And check out this picture of the authors and cover models – we made an awesome group!

My homecoming was met with some down time and recovery – hence the delay in a wrap up. But I am back in my office and trying to wrap my brain around all the things coming up. I’ll be sharing about that in my July newsletter, so make sure you’re signed up to receive that by clicking here. For now, I will leave you with a few more photos and a HUGE thank you for all of you who helped make Wild Deadwood Reads a wonderful experience for all of us! If you think it sounds like a great event and want to go next year, mark your calendar now for June 14, 2024 and start making plans. Now, time to get to some writing.