I hope you all don’t mind, but I’m stepping in for Carly today. She’ll be back with her own blog on Thursday. I thought I’d do a “Nashville Revisted” blog and let you all know what a great time we had, and what we did.
First of all, I do have to say that we didn’t take any pictures (can you believe that!?!), unless you count the one of Leslie taking her bubble bath in a huge tub, but that’s a picture better left for her husband! 
Other than that, our cameras didn’t get used. And that’s rare, considering I’m usually the one snapping pictures and everyone is yelling at me to “put the camera away already”!
Carly and I arrived on Tuesday, mainly because I have a longer commute than everyone else and it gives me a day to “acclimate” to the time change. We went to dinner at the restaurant at the hotel we stayed at called “The Capitol Grille”, and I had a fish called Grouper for the first time ever. I was leery at first, but the meal was delish! Then we went back to the room and just hung out for the night.
The next day, Wednesday, we had some time to ourselves before Leslie and Julie arrived and we had to get to work. Of course, Carly and I had to check out one of Nashville’s shopping malls (The Mall at Green Hills), and we were super impressed. What a huge, fun mall! We both needed a bit of retail therapy, and wished we had more time to shop, but Julie and Leslie were due to arrive and we needed to get back to the hotel.
Usually, when we go on our plotting retreats, we find time to do some kind of sight-seeing. For some reason, that didn’t work out for us this time, (though we did get to see the governor of Tennessee get sworn in at the capitol from our hotel window!) and it was clear that there was so much to see in Nashville! I’d really like to go back and check out the Country Music Hall of Fame, The Opryland Hotel and Mall, and eat at either Dotson’s or Loveless Café. I’m thinking it would be a fun getaway for my husband and I sometime.
So, you’d think that if we didn’t spend a lot of time sight-seeing, that we all got a ton of plotting done. Weeellll, we DID plot books. That is the reason why we do this every year! But it seemed like we just didn’t have as much time as we usually do, nor did we plot as many books as we normally manage to, and I think I figured out why. THE DAMN INTERNET!
Yes, you read that right . . . the internet! :doh: This lovely hotel we stayed at (The Hermitage) had wireless internet connection throughout the rooms and hotel. We all brought our laptops as we normally do, and it occurred to me one morning while we were all sitting in one of the adjoining rooms after our room service breakfast, with each of us on our laptops surfing the internet and checking email and chatting about blogs and loops and posts we were reading, that we were wasting a whole lot of time doing the exact same thing we do at home. 
The internet, and the super easy connection, was quite a distraction, and I pointed that out to the rest of the gang. They agreed, and we all shut down our computers and got to work, LOL. However, at different times during the day, each one of us couldn’t resist checking email or doing something on the internet! Sheesh! We are SO addicted to email and the internet, and this was proof!
Anyway, despite that, we all came home with new ideas for books. :thumbsup2: We worked on Carly’s Hot Zone series and the next book in my Wilde series. We talked about Leslie’s career and what direction it’s heading and plotted a FANTASTIC new romantic suspense series for her, and a fun “Take Five” Blaze book. Julie needed to plot her upcoming single title paranormal series, and I can guarantee that this is going to be a hot and sexy series of books!
All in all, the weekend was very productive and fun, and we hope you all enjoy the new stories we plotted!
Janelle Denison finds it hard to believe that it’s been nearly 25 years since she first started writing romance novels. At first, it was a way to pass idle time while her husband worked swing shift, but before long it became an obsession to get published. Luckily, she kept at it (it took her over 5 years to get that first book published!) and is now a Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and USA Today Bestselling author! Now, after selling over 45 plus novels, she finds that her Plotmonkey pals help to keep her stories fresh and unique, and she can’t imagine writing a story without their input. Janelle lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, along with two teenage daughters that keep life interesting.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
Subscribe to Posts 
Comment
janelle- we spent our honeymoon there and I loved Nashville. There is so much to do. And the jack daniels factory isn’t that far away either!! Although it is in a dry county. Go figure.:wtf:
Next time you have to make the rule, NO INTERNET!! and let the blogs take a vacation. Even at home I can spend all day on the puter and never get anything done. When we went on our cruise last year, DH wouldn’t even let me near the puter cafe. And he was right, I would have wasted half my time on it. Of course, after 11 days, the mail was really piled up and it took me forever to catch up with everything!!:wallbash:
Glad you had a great time and can’t wait to read everyone’s new books that came from it!!
Comment
Sounds like a nice time. I must admit, it’s nice to see that authors are just as addicted to the internet as I am LOL.
Comment
Glad to hear you found some great new ideas for books and will look forward to reading them. Hmmm! Shopping mall, internet time, trying out great new restaurants or sight-seeing! What tough decisions to make; I am not sure which would win the most time with me. It sounds like you all enjoyed yourselves though and that was the main thing.
Comment
In Florida Grouper is a very popluar fish…so I’m glad that you liked it. :) If you come down here to visit with Julie (you should come to the TARA meeting as well), then you should go to Frenchy’s on the Beach. They have a great grouper sandwiche, yummy drinks, beautiful sunsets, and oh yeah, hunky guys to look at.
I’m glad that you guys had such a great time and plotting the new books. Getting to be with the rest of the plotmonkeys is wonderful. As a reader and as an unpubbed I love the fact that when I read any of your books I know that all of you had a small role in how the idea or something was created. You guys rock!!!
Comment
It sounds like such fun! I so envy you guys. I have a few writing buds, but we don’t do the retreat thing. We definitely need to try it. I, too, am addicted to e-mail. Yesterday, I counted and I checked like fifteen times throughout the day. Crazy. Here we’re all trying to give up chocolate or cigarettes or whatever vice, and what our real New Year’s resolution should be is to give up e-mail. I can see it now, an entire group of addicted writers going to weekly E-mailers Anonymous meetings, and I’ll be the first one giving a testimonial.
So glad everyone had a great time. The books sound great!!!!!
Comment
Okay, the Emailer’s thing was too funny. I’m going to use that in the vamp book I’m working on now. You guys are definitely rubbing off on me. I didn’t even go to Nashville, and I’m reading about it and brainstorming.
Comment
I can totally sympathize with you concerning time spent on the computer/internet. My husband claims I spendmost of my day here. LOL!!
Comment
I wholeheartedly agree with the email thing….geez…it’s my link to the world, sometimes. That’s how I contact people when they are so far away (as most of my rellies are), my sons’ teachers, etc.
:fryingpan:Speaking of which, hopefully, I am getting two out of the house today…let’s hope.
Comment
Sounds like a fun trip…anytime that I don’t have to fight the kids for the computer to check my email is a great vacation
Kimberly I love the emailers anonymous idea… I could see myself at the meeting
from all the people that I block or delete from my address book… :happy2:
Comment
Wow, sounds like you guys had a awesome time plotting about your future projects.
I can’t wait for the next Hot Zone since I own them all, a diehard fan of the Wilde Series and am anxiously awaiting Joel, and I’m intrigued now about the romantic suspense Ms. Julie will be writting
Comment
Leslie’s doing the romantic suspense…I’m doing the ghosts. I absolutely am IN LOVE with the structure the plotmonkeys helped me with for this book–esp. Leslie, who has really come up with some awesome twists for me–her mind being so twisted, LOL!:happy2:
I struggled with my last book in blending the secondary storyline with the main one…this one is so well planned out, I know I can’t go wrong! Can’t wait to start writing! I’m doing revisions on the struggle book right now…and no, I won’t remind you which one that is, LOL!
Comment
Comment
Julie- get back over to the other blog where you are supposed to be today. how are you going to get anything done when you are bopping all over the internet. another candidate for the emailers group. wait, i’m here too. never mind.:hide:
Comment
:happy2::happy2::happy2:
ev, you crack me up!
In case you didn’t know, the Plotmonkeys are guest blogging over at Romance By The Blog this week. My day is today. There’s a link in the upper right hand corner of our page…come join us!
Comment
Sounds like everyone had a grand ‘ole time in Nashville.:party:
I understand about the internet addiction. I went cold turkey for a week a few months ago and really saw how much of my time I spent on the computer. :doh: I’m trying to be good and not spend as much time on it anymore.:doggie:
Comment
gigi- i tried that. it was easier to quit smoking.:devil:
Comment
Hi Everyone,
Janelle you’re right abiut the internet. I have myself limited to 3 times a
day. I visit plotmonkeys and read email. Anything else I reserve for the
weekend. Glad you had a good time. My hubby has always wanted to go to
Nashville and I am considering it.:lightbulb:
Comment
It sounds like the Plotmonkeys had a great time in Nashville. Jack Daniels in a dry county!! How did that happen!!
Not that I’m a Jack Daniels fan but it tickled my funny bone!!
The books you plotted sound great, more to ad to the already very large, falling over TBR pile!! :thumbsup2: :love2:
Comment
I know it is me.:hide: I can’t figure out how to blog at romance today.
Comment
Julie did you get the vegetable site for kids I put up the other day?
Comment
never mind I changed my name and it went thru. Have a nice day all.
Comment
I’m so glad y’all had fun in Nashville. You did get to go to about the best mall in the area. I too struggle witht my addiction to the internet each day. I’ve gotten to where I can’t leave my computer on at home during the week or I’m checking e-mails right before bed or right after I wake up(like anything can’t wait a couple of hours). I like the idea of only checking things out 3 times a day(just not sure I wouldn’t go crazy with that limit).
Comment
3 times a day? I am sure for me that would be morning, afternoon and evening. Isn’t that 3 times during the day??:hide:
Me thinks the fact that Lynchburg is a dry county (where Jack is) is where the drink Lynchburg Lemonade came from- they could just say they were drinking lemonade and not tell anyone it had booze in it. I like my Jack.:cocktail:
Comment
So glad you had a great time! I went to Nashville with my big sis when I was 19. We had a blast. LOVED the Grand ‘Ole Opry and Opryland. It was such a great time. Now that I have my own family, I really miss that one on one time with her.
So, now that the party is over……GET TO WORK (said in fun).
We missed ya’ll’s long blogs but if it helps next year your dedicated fans can roatate a blog as an ode to our favorite “PLOTMONKEYS”
Comment
Very funny EV. It sed to be Morning afternoon and evening. Now it’s very limited. After a couple of illnesses I decided I was missing too much of life.
I try now to get on to check out a few thing I like and I try not to let each visit drag on. Okay I acmit I am not always good at it, but I do try.:happy2:
Comment
sounds great
Comment
Hi, all, coming out of computer hell to say hi! AND TO REMIND YOU THE PLOTMONKEYS ARE HAVING A Special Appearance:
Plotmonkey week at
Romance: By the Blog (http://www.romancebytheblog.blogspot.com/)
January 23 – 26:
TUESDAY – Julie
WEDNESDAY – Janelle
THURSDAY – Leslie
FRIDAY – Carly
Come visit!!!!!!!!!!!!