A Conferencing We Would Go

This past weekend I spent in Tucson, Arizona, at the Society of Southwestern Authors' conference. I've gone many times. The first time I went, about a decade ago, Ray Bradbury was the speaker. Wow. I remember thinking back then, "How do they top this?" Three years ago they had a speaker whose claim to fame was her years as one of Phyllis Diller's joke writers. Wow.

What did I learn at this most recent conference?

In the historical market, according to Tracy Bernstein, American settings are dead. Not even in the top four. Apparently the readers want Britain, the time of the Tudors. If you don't want to write about the Tudors, then France is the next best thing, following by Spain and, of all places, Japan. Hmmmm. I attended an Inspirational Writer's Session, geared to the beginner, and was reminded of the importance of everyday humor. The Romance session, taught by Andree Abecassis was informative. The main thing I took from this was that a writer who wants to build a readership should probably be putting out three books a year - at least two, but definitely three is the goal. The other workshop I attended was the Mystery workshop. Made me think about making sure I have the who, what, why, when, and where in the first few sentences. Betty Webb, who taught the class, did a good job of showing how most 'great' writers do this.
I did no cooking at this conference
Turkey Pot Pie
Buy two ready-made pie shells (hey, they come two to a package)
One can of Cream of Chicken soup.
Frozen veggies (the bag that has carrots, peas, etc. I take out lots of peas. Yuck)
Turkey (Usually, I use leftovers - like from Thanksgiving - but in a pinch, I buy the little square bag that has precut turkey inside. I first found this precut turkey when I was making chef salads at home. In the grocery store, it's usually by the precut ham. And, oh yes, it costs wwwaaaayyy too much which is why leftovers are better).
First, preheat your over to 425. Then, in a pie pan, add the turkey, soup, and some of the veggies (If you're a veggie lover, add a lot; if you're not a veggie lover add a little)
When it looks like a pie, put the other shell over the top, stick in the over for 45 minutes, and then enjoy.
I'm thinking about adding a few hashbrowns next time, but so far husband is against that idea .