Sunday, March 16, 2008

What do Writers do at a Writers' Conference?



They play with rubber snakes, apparently. 

Somehow I have stumbled into an episode of the suspense writers (president: Brandilyn Collins) versus the Big Ol' Honkin' Chickens Club (president: Deb Raney).  

Brandilyn is trying to frighten Deb--probably so Deb will learn to overcome her fears enough so that she will be able to read one of Brandilyn's novels.  

So Brandilyn is trying to scare Deb with poisons (innocent, actually, but printed in dire-looking bottles and hand-delivered by cooperating waitresses) labeled as "flavor enhancers", etc., but Deb doesn't go for food additives. 

So Brandilyn pulled another weapon from her arsenal and sneaked into Deb's room at Mt. Hermon before we arrived.  Deb was supposed to room with Colleen Coble, but Colleen is suffering from food poisoning (no, Brandilyn didn't do it), so she wasn't able to come.  Deb's room contained two twin beds and a double bed, so Brandilyn hid a rubber snake in the double bed.  

I had a bad feeling about B's joke as soon as I heard that Deb thought that Colleen might make it in--knowing Deb, who would give anyone the shirt off her back and her last meal, too--I suspected that she would choose to sleep in one of the twin beds. 

Righto.  Next morning, Deb appears at breakfast, unruffled.  Brandilyn confesses the joke, and Deb removes the snake from the bed, and sneaks it back to me, asking me to hide it some place where it might startle the Queen of Suspense. 

At this point it occurs to me that I am an official Double Agent.  :-)  So I sneak the snake into Brandilyn's bed, not breathing a word until the moment when Brandilyn pulls back her covers, sees the snake curled near her pillow . . . and laughs.  

Now she's trying to figure out how to get the snake back to Deb . . . but in a diabolical way, of course. 

And yes, we're also teaching a lot while we're here.  :-)  And talking with conferees, and I even sang in church this morning.  

But far more entertaining is the Saga of the Snake. 

Photo:  Carol Cox and DiAnn Mills in the Mt. Hermon coffee shop.  (This is where the Internet is; this is where we all congregate.) 

~~Angie 

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

So loving the Mt. Hermon photos and updates! Thank you Angie.

Leanna Ellis said...

Thanks, Angie, for the info and link! You guys are having way too much fun out there! :)

Blessings,

Leanna

Pamela S. Meyers said...

ROFLOL! That snake has its origins somewhere in Kansas and first made his presence known in frozen Minneapolis. Now he's in California. The thing has more flight miles than most of us. (Except for Angie LOL). Can't wait to hear where he will pop up next.

Mocha with Linda said...

Y'all are hiss-terical!! (And DiAnn Mills looks startled enough by the picture to have seen the snake!)

I feel like my bookshelf has come alive! Thanks for the fun stories!

Anonymous said...

I expect nothing less than this much fun next month in Colorado. Otherwise I will ask for a total refund!!! Clyde

Caitriona said...

Addicted to plug and as I suspected all along always up for a good time. In some ways, I wish I was there.

Tracy Ruckman said...

Hysterical!!

And I sure wish I could have heard you sing again this year - last year your voice was one of my special highlights of the week!

Lynette Sowell said...

Oh, how fun! Did you ever hear about the ACFW Traveling Hand saga? Not skeery, but lots of fun! :)

Suzanne said...

Sounds like you're having too much fun! Hope the snake finds itself able to scare at least one person this week!

Southern-fried Fiction said...

That snake is becoming as infamous as the floating-body-parts hand. :o) I asked Randy I. about it, but no one seems to know where it ended up on its continental tour. LOL Brandilyn was involved in that escapade, too. Hmm ...