Wow.  All done now except the closing party.  I’d call this a rousing success.  Highlights of the last two days:

We attended a great wine social event complete with excellently interesting science people at The Wine Loft last night.  I could have kept talking to them for hours.  Everyone was interesting and erudite.

I’m quite ready to jump back into The Creative Fire now, and I’m certain the book will be better for the workshopping.  I’ve workshopped three out of four of my published novels in this type of setting, and I think they are stronger for it.  There’s nothing like getting expert readers to brainstorm with you about your novel!  It was particularly important for this book because I’m taking on a pretty big challenge with the Creative Fire – I’m writing a hard science fiction book based partly on a musical.  More later -watch this spot.

Thanks to Sarah Castle for organizing and Charles Coleman Finlay for laying out the groundwork with Blue Heaven and Paul Melko for giving me a recommendation to Blue Heaven years ago.

As a reward for hard work, many of us went to see The Karate Kid this afternoon.  AWESOME!

Oh — and for those who are curious about the fire, it’s still burning.  But I believe the Kachinas were doing a rain dance in the Arizona Mountains.  Thunder just shook the house and the sky has been slowly spitting out its tears onto the fire.