'Highlights' from November
Careful what you wish for!
Hi Everyone! Happy December! I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.
In mid-November I stayed at The Highlights Foundation Retreat Center in Pennsylvania. (Yes, as in Highlights, the beloved magazine of our youth. I always flipped first to the “Spot the Difference” and “Hidden Pictures” pages. How about you? )
I’d heard wonderful things about the rustic retreat center from writer friends — quiet rooms and cabins, delicious farm-fresh fare, friendly staff — so I’ve wanted to check it out for a while.
After wrestling with my romcom edits for much of October, (fingers crossed I’ll have a cover to share in next month’s newsletter) I longed to reconnect with some ideas-in-progress.
Before I left, I joked that I should tell the staff not to give me the Wifi password under any circumstances as the internet is my biggest saboteur when it comes to writing and focusing.
The second I can’t figure out how to end a sentence, I scroll social media or order socks. It’s bad.
I checked into the very quiet lodge and was a bit surprised by the artwork:
The staff was as welcoming and the food every bit as delicious as friends promised. (Highlights is working on a cookbook and I will be first in line to buy it!) I met so many interesting writers working on various projects as we shared those fabulous meals.
Then it snowed and, if possible, it seemed even more peaceful than when I was alone with those astronauts.
Then the power went out … but, luckily, the center had generators so we had heat and electricity … but no internet service. (That’s the careful what you wish bit I mentioned above.)
I wanted to embrace the “Wow, I’m cut off from civilization. No excuses not to write now!” vibe. Then I learned that I was alone in the spacious, eight-room lodge. Everyone else was staying in private cabins hundreds of yards away, and that’s when I felt like maybe I was entering my Jack Torrance era …
… or well on my way to becoming a character in a writing retreat-style thriller. Like the suspense writer’s equivalent of Maslow’s “If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem is a nail,” if you’re plotting a suspense novel, every sound is caused by a local madman coming to murder you.
(Look again — are those astronauts’ eyes following you? I thought so! Are dogs in the field in the top photo sniffing for bodies? You see what I mean.)
I would’ve tried to enjoy the off-the-grid-ness of it all but I was due to Zoom into a book club and had confirmed that I’d be there about 45 minutes before the power went out.
After running through the lodge waving my phone in the air attempting to get a single bar of service, I placed a Hail Mary call to my husband. It went through. He then Zoomed into the book club on my behalf (and said he startled quite a few attendees who may have thought they’d been catfished) and passed along my number so I was able to join via phone (as long as I sat pressed to a window where I got that elusive one single bar indicating cell service). I always love connecting with readers, but Rikke and her book club were especially kind and generous and couldn’t have been nicer or more understanding about my tech troubles. (Thank you again, Rikke!)
I returned home refreshed with a new appreciation for Wifi. If you’re looking for a quiet space to write and savor delicious meals (and desserts) between creative sprints, I highly recommend The Highlights Retreat Center.
What I’ve read/listened to:
I enjoyed these in November:
I’m currently reading If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at Highlights. I’m fully immersed in this richly drawn world and am rooting for these complex characters, navigating lives filled with longing in contemporary Korea.
What are you reading or listening to this month?
Where I’ll be:
If 2025 is the year you’ve decided to start writing your memoir, I hope you’ll join me:
Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (EST)
Thinking about telling your story but wondering where and how to get started? This class explores the elements that will make your memoir shine and inspire you to begin.
Register here.
Holiday giveaway:
In the spirit of the season, I’m hosting a giveaway. I’ll mail a copy of one of my books (your choice), signed, and personalized to a winner in the continental U.S. selected from a random drawing. To enter, leave a comment below telling me the gift you’re most excited to give this season. (Yes, I’m desperately seeking fresh ideas! If you’re looking for great guides, don’t miss
and .) I’ll announce the winner in the comments on Sunday, Dec. 15th. You can choose to keep it or gift it to someone on your list and I’ll send it on its way!
Time for my cat photo:
Thanks for reading and I wish you a wonderful holiday season!
Thank you for sharing my gift guides! I appreciate it 🎄 I’m currently reading By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult and enjoying it so far. I just finished Run by Blake Crouch- ooh, it was good!
I thoroughly enjoyed the story of your escapade. 😂Highlights, who knew?? I’m going to check this place out.