London & Cambridge

I spent last week in the United Kingdom attending a conference titled – Great Writing: The International Creative Writing Conference. The paper I presented primarily covered the conflict between the creative writing and literature branches of English in academia.  It was followed by a ten-minute reading from my YA Fantasy novel, Rise of the Temple Gods: Heir to Kale. I enjoyed getting to spend time with fellow authors and learning about the many amazing and diverse views on the writing process! For more information on the paper I presented, please see my pervious blog entry titled: The Writer’s Journey- https://klbone.com/2014/05/06/the-writers-journey/

I also attended a meeting of the Watling Street Writers Group of St. Albans, which I used to attend while living in England. There were a bunch of new faces, though a few old ones as well. My best friend and writing partner, Jonny, also came up to London to see me. We spent the day at Kensington Palace. It was my first time there and the grounds were beautiful!

We had a great time exploring the gardens before eventually walking over to Hyde Park and stopping by Hard Rock Café. For those who don’t know, London is home to the very first Hard Rock, which was founded in 1971. I collect Hard Rock pins and t-shirts. I had a good time walking through the parks and enjoying good company.

I also spent a few days in Cambridge. I had never been to the area before so I made a point to see lots of the tourist spots, including St. John’s College

King’s College

and a few others. I have a friend who is currently completing her Masters at Cambridge, so she kindly played tour guide for the visit. I thought Cambridge was beautiful and I could not help but stand in awe of the architecture and history portrayed within the walls of the university. I loved the visit and it was great to see my friends as well.

Overall, it was a great trip!