August 20, 2026: I spent a few days in Nashville!
The Killer Nashville writer’s conference took place this weekend! Although I didn’t get an agent for my Charlotte Chan mystery novel, I got some good advice and constructive criticism on my manuscript. And best of all I got to spend some time with my sister Kim and Julie. We went to the The Loveless Cafe, an iconic Nashville landmark that serves the absolute best biscuits, fried chicken, country ham and bar-b-que. And then we spent the day touring the Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s historic plantation home.
My sister could easily have given the tour herself. But I learned a lot about the seventh President and his beloved wife Rachel. He was a controversial political figure who raised three native American children despite his violent intolerance toward the Indian population as a whole. He built and enjoyed a Greek Revival style mansion but was known for his frugality. He had a notoriously bad temper and in 1806 he killed a lawyer in a duel over a horse racing bet. The tour offers a recreation of the dueling process and if you can stand the heat and the bees, it’s great fun.
