Writers seeking inspiration, quiet writing time, and expert coaching, critique, and instruction, join Silver Falchion Best Mystery winner, experienced writing coach, and USA Today bestselling romantic mystery author Pamela Fagan Hutchins in one of these idyllic settings for the retreats below.
(Click the one you’re interested in to jump down to more information)
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INDIE PUBLISHING SUCCESS RETREAT (TBD)
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READER APPRECIATION WEEK CONTEST WINNERS(TBD)
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JUMPSTART THAT BOOK (TBD)
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CRIME FICTION INTENSIVE (TBD)
In addition to instruction and structured time, all of the retreats include invaluable, informal discussions, home cooked meals, serene settings, and a chance for breaks to enjoy local activities.
Scroll for more information on each retreat.
For unfacilitated retreats (artists, book clubs, readers, or girlfriends? you decide!), click to reserve the Hideaway Mountain Lodge or the Nowheresville, TX Farm Stay House or email pamela at pamelafaganhutchins dot com for more information.
INDIE PUBLISHING SUCCESS RETREAT
April 17-19, 2020 Hill Country of TX
Rocket launch your publishing career at a weekend retreat focusing on publishing and promotion strategy.
- Comprehensive workshops on publishing and promotion strategies by Pamela and her uber-assistant, author Bobbye Marrs
- 1-1 sessions with Pamela to brainstorm your strategies
- Dedicated time to work on your own publishing/promotion plan/budget
- Feedback and discussion about your strategies with other retreat participants
- Post-retreat feedback on your publishing/promotion plan/budget from Pamela
Our heartfelt thanks for the BEST and most worthwhile conference we have ever attended!!! Everything you discussed was useful with immediate applicability— over the next 12-18 months!Your warm and gracious hospitality made us feel right at home. Cooking s’mores by the campfire, admiring the horses, and making friends with Petey and Georgia was all great fun. So was going to a crawfish party and getting away without eating any crawly-fishy stuff!!Thanks so much. Hugs to Petey,Kathryn Lane & Bob Hurt
Schedule
April 12 (Friday): check in at noon, sessions start at 1 pm
April 14 (Sunday): ends at 3 pm
Note: WE HAVE INSIDE DOGS. ALLERGY SUFFERERS COME PREPARED OR OPT OUT.
Location and Travel
Address to be provided upon registration.
Drive from Houston: 1.5 hours
Drive from Austin: 1.5 hours
Drive from College Station: 45 minutes
Meals
Meals and non-alcoholic drinks included. Breakfast and lunch will be buffet, dinner will be family style. In a small group, dietary accommodations can increase costs; we will be happy to accommodate you for an additional $35 for the weekend. Please specify your restrictions when you register. Writer-guests may bring alcohol if they wish. No smoking is permitted inside the house and outside only in designated areas. Bringing someone to room share? Breakfasts are $10, Lunches $15, and Dinners $20.
“By lunchtime on the second day, I knew this retreat was the best investment I could ever make for growing my career as an Indie author. I arrived without a clue of how to market my books, and I left with a detailed, six-month action plan. Pamela & Eric are so knowledgeable and generous and willing to share everything they can to empower other writers and publishers. Plus they are fun and wonderful people!” F.E. Greene, author of The Never List (Loves Across Londons Book 1)
Rules and Restrictions
Professional behavior is required at all times. Writer-guests will be responsible for damages.
Registration
Onsite option:
A variety of accommodation options are available at our peaceful, idyllic “Nowheresville” Farm. Each option (see below) includes the retreat (16 hours instructions and personalized coaching) and meals. Email pamela at pamelafaganhutchins dot com with your registration preference. Bringing a spouse or partner who will not be participating in the retreat? Breakfasts are $10, Lunches $15, and Dinners $20, booked in advance. All prices will be subject to Texas state taxes.
Master Suite: king bed, en suite bathroom with jet tub and glass walled shower. $1000 (Double retreater occupancy: $750 each)
Secondary Master Suite: *stairs* required, king bed, en suite bathroom. $950 (Double retreater occupancy: $700 each)
Music bedroom: double bed, shared bathroom. $850 (Double retreater occupancy: $650 each)
Cozy corner bedroom 1: queen air mattress (super comfy), shared bathroom $800
Cozy corner bedroom 2: queen air mattress, shared bathroom: $750
Offsite option:
Offsite retreaters: Book a room nearby and pay $400 to attend the retreat (16 hours instruction and personalized coaching), Breakfasts are an additional $10, Lunches $15, and Dinners $20, booked in advance, per person. In a small group, dietary accommodations can increase costs; we will be happy to accommodate you for an additional $35 for the weekend. All prices will be subject to Texas state taxes. Nearest options for offsite accommodations: Burton and Carmine, TX (15-20 minutes). Also nearby: Round Top and Brenham, TX (25-30 minutes).
Authors C.L. Fite, Bobbye Marrs, F.E. Greene, R.L. Nolen, Pamela Fagan Hutchins, Jim Cole, and Ken Oder with Rhonda Lanham of SkipJack Publishing
Questions? Ready to book?
email your preferences to pamela at pamelafaganhutchins dot com
READER APPRECIATION RETREAT WEEK
CONTEST
JUNE 17-22, Bighorn Mountains of WY
ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO ATTEND!
A soul-cleansing week of fun and all things bookish hosted by Pamela on the eastern face of the Bighorn Mountains.
- Enjoy Pamela’s Snowheresville lifestyle with her
- Talk books, books, and more books!
- Attend a live Wine Women & Writing podcast with a bestselling author
- Participate in excursions into the mountains, nearby Western towns, or attractions, as featured in Pamela’s novels
- No one who comes will pay for their room. We’ll pick enough winners to fill the six bedrooms (and winners can pick who to bring…another reader? A friend or spouse/partner?)
CONTEST ENTRY RULES:
Write a limerick, haiku, poem, ditty, song, monologue or other “creation” inspired by the What Doesn’t Kill You World of romantic mystery trilogies, the novels, the protagonists, or the author/Pamela. For extra credit, present your limerick in a unique way, like in a video, or set to music, or as part of an artistic creation (skit, craft, painting, food, etc.). Submit entries by midnight April 4th to pamela at pamelafaganhutchins dot com. Winners will be announced by May 1.
The prize is a stay from June 17-22nd at Pamela’s Snowheresville, WY mountain cabin with her, her husband, Petey the blind Boston terrier, Georgia the emotionally fragile Malinois, Katniss the plus-size princess Percheron, Feathers the lady-magnet Shire, and the other winners.
Winners will be responsible for their own travel arrangements and costs as well as the cost of any individual activities, items, or meals they choose to buy or rent offsite (included at no charge are onsite activities: hiking, horses, one Razor off road vehicle, one kayak, excursions into the mountains) and will collaborate with Pamela, Eric, and the other winners on meal prep both at the cabin and on picnics 🙂 While winners can bring whatever guests fit in their rooms (varies from two to four), the prize is for the free ROOM only. Meals for the additional guests in the room will be the responsibility of the guest.
About the Hideaway Mountain Lodge:
Mountains higher than Yellowstone, wildlife that’s really wild, exciting history sites . . . . . and no crowds! The Bighorn Region is a vacation destination for the discriminating visitor.
The Bighorn region is usually passed over hurriedly by first-time tourists—an unexpected looming mountain barrier on the way to Yellowstone—but for those special folks who don’t like crowds, condos, and curio shops this has always been a special place. Mountains to explore, Indian wars sites to discover, western lifestyle you thought was gone forever. . . . . and where else can you see one hundred miles from the window!
The Hideaway Mountain Lodge is a traditional mountain lodge. Guests will be personally entertained in the relaxed style of an earlier time and made to feel like part of the family. They’ll come away with a personal attachment to Sheridan and the Bighorn Mountains. It’s the perfect spot for artists, writers, book clubs, or anyone seeking peace and tranquility.
Many activities will be for the group, but guests can always opt out. For folks who prefer to explore and discover on their own, hosts Eric and Pamela listen to plans and interests and make suggestions to facilitate those desires.
Or, guests seeking peace and tranquility can relax on the deck with Moncrief Ridge looming to the south and the spectacular panorama unfolding below: rock formations, buttes, rugged foothills, and the owners’ draft horses grazing in waist-high buffalo grass and wildflowers. What better place to quiet the noise of modern life?
The Hideaway Mountain Lodge.
Lodge Activities:
Guiding
4wd transportation, guided. Hiking, fishing, driving tours, picnicking.Some of the possible excursions: Lake DeSmet or Tie Hack Reservoir (fishing or kayaking), Fort Phil Kearney/Wagon Box Fight/Fetterman Massacre museum and sites, Little Bighorn battle site, driving tour of Bighorns, Bighorn Recreation Area, Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Reserve, Devil’s Tower National Monument, Medicine Wheel, The Hole in the Wall, fly fishing on the Tongue River or Big Goose Creek, Bradford Brinton Memorial hiking or Razor tours in the Bighorns, The Trail End Museum, and much more.
Evening Wildlife Safari (Moose, elk, deer, bear, mountain lion, wolves? Who knows what an evening will bring!)
4wd transportation, guided
Pamela, Eric, and Georgia enjoying a mountain drive on the Razor.
Polaris Razor (return it full)
Kayak/trailer
Pamela and Georgia enjoying the kayak at Lake Desmet.
Horse Riding Lessons or Guided Rides
Horsemanship Lessons.
Guided rides for up to three guests who have demonstrated horsemanship skills.
AUTHOR RL NOLEN on Feathers with Pamela on Katniss.
The perfect writers and readers’ wines!
Target Shooting
Revolver, 9mm pistols, and shotgun target shooting onsite.
Solo Activities for guests wanting to take off on their own!
For those seeking active adventures apart from the group, there is hiking, fishing, jeeping, ATVing, kayaking, horseback riding, golf, bicycling, and auto touring available nearby. Spectator sports include rodeo, Indian powwows, polo, wildlife viewing, and birding. A day in town can include shopping, dining, museums and perhaps a little taste of the bright lights that evening. You might want to look into history tours, wildlife safaris, fishing guiding, and geology trips or day trips to area attractions like Little Bighorn Battlefield, Bradford Brinton Memorial, Devils Tower, Bighorn National Forest, Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, the Medicine Wheel, the Hole in the Wall, Trail End Museum and Fort Phil Kearney.
Schedule
June 17 arrival, June 22 departure. The fun is in-between!
Location and Travel (Travel expenses are the responsibility of the guests)
Address to be provided upon registration. Options:
Fly into Gillette WY (1.5-hr by car),
Fly into Billings, MT (1.5-hr by car),
Fly into Casper WY (2.5 hr by car),
Fly into Denver CO (6-hr by car),
** Fly into Sheridan WY (20-min by car: fly through Denver, book direct from there to Sheridan via http://www.flysheridan.com).
Driving? Map to Big Horn WY to get an estimate. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to make this a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Note: WE HAVE INSIDE DOGS. ALLERGY SUFFERERS COME PREPARED OR OPT OUT.
Target shooting can be arranged!
Meals
Meals and non-alcoholic drinks included. In a small group, dietary accommodations can increase costs; we will be happy to accommodate you for an additional $70 for the week. Please specify your restrictions when you register. Guests may bring alcohol if they wish. No smoking is permitted inside the house and outside only in designated areas due to fire hazard.
Rules and Restrictions
Responsible behavior is required at all times. Guests will be responsible for damages.
Registration
A variety of accommodation options are available, but we book fast. Each option (see below) includes the retreat and meals. Email pamela at pamelafaganhutchins dot com with your registration preference. All prices will be subject to Wyoming state taxes.
SPRUCE ROOM. Lofty dormer room high in the treetops overlooking the Sheridan valley. Antique oak furniture with queen bed and adjacent bath with stall shower and decorative old-fashioned claw foot tub, shares bathroom with Treetop Loft. Accommodates up to two adults or can add an air mattress.
TREETOP LOFT. Open to the great room two stories below and sharing the Spruce Room bathroom. Accommodates up to three adults or can add an air mattress.
ASPEN ROOM. Romantic vaulted ceiling bedroom with sunny dormer window seat Queen size Victorian Angel bed with old-fashioned country quilts and ruffled curtains, and a day bed. Attached private shower bath. View through treetops overlooking Little Goose Canyon. Accommodates up to two adults or can add an air mattress.
PONDEROSA ROOM. Our premium room with cozy western furniture set off by the warmth of hand-peeled logs and country curtains. Queen bed, outside balcony, 100-mile view. Attached private shower bath. Our only room with no stair navigation required. Accommodates up to two adults or can add an air mattress.
MONTANA ROOM. Very private room with Queen size adjustable bed and old-fashioned country quilts, accommodates up to two adults. Shared shower bath. View across Sheridan into Montana and the Wolf Mountains. Accommodates up to two adults or can add an air mattress.
LITTLE GOOSE CORNER. Cozy, private space with twin bed that shares the Montana Room bathroom. Accommodates up to one adults or can add an air mattress.
- Readers who win a spot and are bringing a guest to stay in your room: $50 a day for meals for each additional person in your room.
Feathers and Katniss helping Pamela with her ninth novel, Bombshell.
Questions? Ready to enter?
email your entry to pamela at pamelafaganhutchins dot com
JUMPSTART THAT NOVEL
October 25-27, 2019, Hill Country, TX
An intensive retreat to help you take your manuscript from woe to wow (or at least “the end!”).
- A critique of the first 50 pages of your novel by Pamela
- Mini-workshops on giving and receiving feedback, finishing your novel, deep novel revision, and more
- Dedicated writing/revision time
- Valuable critique feedback from participants
- Close-out feedback from Pamela on the revised first 10 pages of your novel
Schedule
Arrive by noon Friday October 25
Depart by three Sunday October 27
Note: WE HAVE INSIDE DOGS. ALLERGY SUFFERERS COME PREPARED OR OPT OUT.
Location and Travel
Address to be provided upon registration.
Drive from Houston: 1.5 hours
Drive from Austin: 1.5 hours
Drive from College Station: 45 minutes
Meals
Meals and non-alcoholic drinks included. Breakfast and lunch will be buffet, dinner will be family style. In a small group, dietary accommodations can increase costs; we will be happy to accommodate you for an additional $35 for the weekend. Please specify your restrictions when you register. Writer-guests may bring alcohol if they wish. No smoking is permitted inside the house and outside only in designated areas. Bringing someone to room share? Breakfasts are $10, Lunches $15, and Dinners $20.
Rules and Restrictions
Professional behavior is required at all times. Writer-guests will be responsible for damages.
Registration
Onsite option:
A variety of accommodation options are available at our peaceful, idyllic “Nowheresville” Farm. Each option (see below) includes the retreat (16 hours instructions and personalized coaching) and meals. Email pamela at pamelafaganhutchins dot com with your registration preference. Bringing a spouse or partner who will not be participating in the retreat? Breakfasts are $10, Lunches $15, and Dinners $20, booked in advance. All prices will be subject to Texas state taxes.
Master Suite: king bed, en suite bathroom with jet tub and glass walled shower. $1000 (Double retreater occupancy: $750 each)
Secondary Master Suite: *stairs* required, king bed, en suite bathroom. $950 (Double retreater occupancy: $700 each)
Music bedroom: double bed, shared bathroom. $850 (Double retreater occupancy: $650 each)
Cozy corner bedroom 1: queen air mattress (super comfy), shared bathroom $800
Cozy corner bedroom 2: queen air mattress, shared bathroom: $750
Offsite option:
Offsite retreaters: Book a room nearby and pay $400 to attend the retreat (16 hours instruction and personalized coaching), Breakfasts are an additional $10, Lunches $15, and Dinners $20, booked in advance, per person. In a small group, dietary accommodations can increase costs; we will be happy to accommodate you for an additional $35 for the weekend. All prices will be subject to Texas state taxes. Nearest options for offsite accommodations: Burton and Carmine, TX (15-20 minutes). Also nearby: Round Top and Brenham, TX (25-30 minutes).
“A breakthrough weekend for me.” David Welling
“I learned an enormous amount of useful information in a short period. With the experience of allowing a fear of critique from other writers to twist me up inside only to discover it’s a rather painless, easy experience was a real eye opener for me.” Heidi Dorey
“I went to this conference seeking ideas about outlining a novel in ways that wouldn’t stifle creativity and spontaneity. I got that and so much more. Best-selling, award-winning novelist, Pamela Fagan Hutchins shared wisdom and lessons learned about first drafts, revision, maintaining momentum through the dreaded middle of the plot, writing with efficiency and consistency, and so much more, all delivered with her trademark enthusiasm and energy, much of it in valuable one-on-one sessions. All that combined with group discussions and critiques with great writers and writing time with feedback made this a priceless learning experience. On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate this conference a 12. ” Ken Oder
“I had a wonderful experience. I followed-up with a full manuscript critique with Pamela and landed an agent and publishing contract, too.” Mack Little
Blogged at Cows, Camaraderie & Concentration |: “Thanks to Pamela and the talented writers who made the writing retreat helpful, productive and inspiring! My revision process is changing!” Patricia Flaherty Pagan
Authors Ken Oder, Mack Little, Pamela Fagan Hutchins, Patricia Flaherty Pagan, Heidi Dorey, and David Welling.
READY TO BOOK? QUESTIONS?
EMAIL pamela at pamelafaganhutchins dot com
CRIME FICTION INTENSIVE
February 21-23, 2020, Hill Country of TX
A weekend writer’s retreat focusing on the craft and art of crime fiction writing.
- Comprehensive workshops on creating tension, character development, atmosphere and setting, red herrings, story structure and elements, creating a “villain,” series writing, and more
- 1-1 critique session with Pamela on your 1st50-pages
- Dedicated time to write
- Feedback and discussion about your work with other retreat participants
Information about Activities, Travel, and Rules & Restrictions are above under the Winning in 2019 section.
Schedule
October 25 (Friday): check in at noon, sessions start at 1 pm
October 27 (Sunday): ends at 3 pm
Note: WE HAVE INSIDE DOGS. ALLERGY SUFFERERS COME PREPARED OR OPT OUT.
Meals
Meals and non-alcoholic drinks included. Breakfast and lunch will be buffet, dinner will be family style. In a small group, dietary accommodations can increase costs; we will be happy to accommodate you for an additional $35 for the weekend. Please specify your restrictions when you register. Writer-guests may bring alcohol if they wish. No smoking is permitted inside the house and outside only in designated areas. Bringing someone to room share? Breakfasts are $10, Lunches $15, and Dinners $20.
Registration
Onsite option:
A variety of accommodation options are available at our peaceful, idyllic “Nowheresville” Farm. Each option (see below) includes the retreat (16 hours instructions and personalized coaching) and meals. Email pamela at pamelafaganhutchins dot com with your registration preference. Bringing a spouse or partner who will not be participating in the retreat? Breakfasts are $10, Lunches $15, and Dinners $20, booked in advance. All prices will be subject to Texas state taxes.
Master Suite: king bed, en suite bathroom with jet tub and glass walled shower. $1000 (Double retreater occupancy: $750 each)
Secondary Master Suite: *stairs* required, king bed, en suite bathroom. $950 (Double retreater occupancy: $700 each)
Music bedroom: double bed, shared bathroom. $850 (Double retreater occupancy: $650 each)
Cozy corner bedroom 1: queen air mattress (super comfy), shared bathroom $800
Cozy corner bedroom 2: queen air mattress, shared bathroom: $750
Offsite option:
Offsite retreaters: Book a room nearby and pay $400 to attend the retreat (16 hours instruction and personalized coaching), Breakfasts are an additional $10, Lunches $15, and Dinners $20, booked in advance, per person. In a small group, dietary accommodations can increase costs; we will be happy to accommodate you for an additional $35 for the weekend. All prices will be subject to Texas state taxes. Nearest options for offsite accommodations: Burton and Carmine, TX (15-20 minutes). Also nearby: Round Top and Brenham, TX (25-30 minutes).
Questions? Ready to book?
email your preferences to pamela at pamelafaganhutchins dot com
About Pamela:
Highly sought-after speaker, USA TODAY bestseller and winner of the Silver Falchion (Adult Mystery) and USA Best Book Awards (Cross Genre Fiction) author Pamela has led critique circles, taught writing workshops, and provided manuscript critiques for countless authors. She is the author of What Kind of Loser Indie Publishes and loved by writers worldwide for her online courses on writing, publishing, and promotion at The SkipJack School.
“Pamela Fagan Hutchins is truly at the top of her game when it comes to deciphering today’s book publishing industry. She managed to put the last piece of the publishing puzzle in place of a journey I started 10 years ago to have my own publishing house. The beauty of Pamela and Eric’s work is that it is going to save me untold time and money eliminating the “trial and error” method of marketing. ” Rita Mills, Publisher
Past Events in Nowheresville, TX:
“Crime and Punishment” Writers Retreat (Focus: Mysteries, Thrillers, and Suspense)
Are you ready to take your mystery/thriller/suspense writing to a new level? If so, join award-winning, best-selling mystery/suspense author Pamela Fagan Hutchins (and her goats, cows, dogs, and deer) in the Texas Hill Country—only 1.5 hours from Houston and Austin—for a weekend writer’s retreat focusing on the craft of crime writing.
- Comprehensive workshops on creating tension, character development, atmosphere and setting, red herrings, story structure and elements, creating a “villain,” series writing, and more
- 1-1 critique session with Pamela on your 1st 50-pages
- Dedicated time to write
- Feedback and discussion about your work with other retreat participants
- Wildfire season in Texas. Enjoy the bluebonnets and some peaceful time in the country with Pamela’s beautiful cow Dixie and white tail deer.
Winter “Publishing Success”
Are you ready to rocket launch your publishing career? If so, join award-winning, best-selling hybrid traditional/independent author Pamela Fagan Hutchins (and her goats, cows, dogs, and deer) in the Texas Hill Country—only 1.5 hours from Houston and Austin—for a weekend writer’s retreat focusing on publishing and promotion strategy.
Includes:
- Comprehensive workshops on publishing and promotion strategy
- 1-1 sessions with Pamela to brainstorm your strategies
- Dedicated time to work on your own publishing/promotion plan/budget, or to write/revise if you prefer
- Feedback and discussion about your strategies with other retreat participants
- Post-retreat feedback on your publishing/promotion plan/budget from Pamela
Summer “Beat the Heat Writing Retreat”
It’s too dang hot to do anything else but lock yourself inside and write in Texas in August, so join award-winning, best-selling author Pamela Fagan Hutchins (in air conditioned comfort!) in the Texas Hill Country—only 1.5 hours from Houston and Austin—for a two-day weekend writer’s retreat.
Includes:
- A critique of the first 50 pages of your novel by Pamela
- Mini-workshops on giving and receiving feedback, finishing your novel, deep novel revision, and more
- Dedicated writing/revision time
- Critique feedback from participants
- Close-out feedback from Pamela on the revised first 10 pages of your novel
- Relax in the giant “cool” spa or brave the heat to see the pond, goats, and cows on the walking trail (enjoy the wildflowers at the 2016 Spring Writers Retreat)
Audio-oh-oh
At times I am told I have it together. That I can do anything. That I am a super achiever. It all sounds nice, but it doesn't match my reality. My reality is that I spent a full month last spring recording the audio for the Maggie Killian mysteries, only to have them...
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