The last weekend in August, I attended the 20th annual Killer Nashville conference (actually held in nearby Franklin). It was a sellout, with 450 in attendance and more than 160 authors actually participating in presentations and panel discussions (I was on four panels and one "Author Speed Dating" event). This was my first time attending, and I thought it was well worth both the time and the financial investment. And, as a word of advice to aspiring and even established authors, being part of an event like this one is a great opportunity to hear from other writers, share ideas and learn from others' successes (and sometimes, failures). All in all, a great weekend.