Did you know Nashville was founded on Christmas Eve in 1779? Or that the AT&T Tower in downtown Nashville is nicknamed “The Batman Building”? Check out the photo further below and you’ll see why.

Steve and I recently visited Nashville when I attended the Killer Nashville Writer’s Conference, a conference dedicated to crime writing, including mysteries, thrillers and suspense.

The conference itself was held in Franklin, a city about 20 kilometres from Nashville. And, what a pretty city it is! A walk down the Main Street will take you past historic sites, and quaint boutiques selling everything from spices, to antiques, to second-hand books. Restaurants for every taste can be found. Another fun fact: it’s a sister city to Carleton Place in Ontario.

As for Killer Nashville, the best way to describe it would be ‘Wow!’. There wasn’t anything about it that I didn’t enjoy. It was my first writer’s conference (I know what you’re thinking – what took you so long?), and it won’t be my last. All the workshops, panels, and events were perfect (along with the moonshine). I came home with piles of notes and some great memories. Via social media, I’ve been connecting with a lot of the people I met. I’ve also joined writing associations, and my head is buzzing with ideas. What more could I ask for?

I spent most of my time at the conference, but any available free time was spent exploring Nashville and Franklin. Of course, we took in the famous Music Row, a street lined with bars and honky-tonks that are hopping almost around the clock with bands and people ready to enjoy themselves.

We visited the Country Music Hall of Fame, and we even managed to take in the Academy of Country Music Honors ceremony, held in the famous Ryman Auditorium, which was the original venue of the Grand Ole Opry. We watched performances by Joe Diffie, Deanna Carter, Jon Paris, Chris Stapleton, and many others. It was definitely one of the highlights.

Now, I’m back to reality, getting ready for the release of Cold Betrayal in January, and working on plenty of other projects. More on that in another blog.

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