To The Butlers...All Of Them...I Thank You!

Earlier this week I loaded up my car with some clothes, my down comforter, some food, my computer, and a need to do some writing. I arrived in Provo, Utah an hour later, unpacked the car and got to work.

It was a fantastic week!

It was the first writing retreat I've ever attended. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I hoped I'd be able to focus on my WIP and get a lot accomplished.

I ended up doing a lot more than that!

I stayed from Tuesday morning until Friday morning and wrote several chapters. I basically have the story's opening written. There's so much more work that needs to go into it, but I am so stoked at where I'm at.

Of course, this whole experience--the writing, the editing, the eating, and the gaming to round of the evenings--would not have happened if it weren't for the Butler family. It's one thing to have some friends over for a movie night, or a game night. It's another thing completely to have 6-8 grown men basically move in for a week. I thank Dave for inviting me and being a fantastic host, but I thank his wife, for basically allowing it to happen in the first place. If the wife's not on board, it just won't work. Thanks to the Butlers--all of them, even the kids who allowed us to invade their space. I know I wouldn't have been able to do the amount of work I did without them.

And, as an added bonus, I won two awards!

The 2016 Retreat to the House on the Hill is complete, and the Kovel Jurors have returned a verdict. 2016 has seen the following Kovels awarded:

Edward M. Kovel Loves You for:

Most Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Husberg
Most Force Breeding . . . . . . . . . . . . Jon Rock
Snappiest Hat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel Braithwaite
"Like Ben Hur, with Demons" Prize . Scott Taylor
Best Post-Apocalyptic Cattle Drive. . Aaron Michael Ritchey
Most Day Job Work Done . . . . . . . . Eric Patten
Dwarf Ringer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marion Jensen
Best Game Explanation . . . . . . . . . . Nick Dianatkhah
Best Dark Fantasy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Husberg
Best Drug-Addicted Duellist . . . . . . . Michael Dalzen
Most Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Husberg
Best In-Progress Fantasy Novella . . Jon Rock
Best Chicken and Rice --- Tie --- . . . Aaron Michael Ritchey
Scott Taylor
Most Hittite Erotica . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.J. Butler
Best Beard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nick Dianatkhah
Most Improved Health . . . . . . . . . . . Eric Patten

Congratulations to all Kovel winners, their editors, agents, and interns!