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NEWS & EVENTS
May 29 - May 31, 2026
6th ANNUAL WRITING
RETREAT!!
Registration is now open for our next Virginia City Retreat Friday, May 29 through Sunday, May 31, 2026! Once again we will be at the beautiful St. Mary's Art Center, a National Historical Landmark built in 1875, for the three day, two night event.
We will be joined by Victoria Selvaggio, Agent and Owner of Storm Literary Agency!
Jacqueline M. Green (author of the Yoga Mat Cozy Mystery Series and others) will be teaching a class on Mystery Writing. Jacci Turner (author of the Bending Willow Series and others) will teach a class on Character Development.
After a potluck on Friday night, you will be responsible for your own meals. There are many amazing restaurants to visit in Virginia City, as well as a large refrigerator and two full kitchens onsite if you prefer to bring your own.
There are 15 rooms at the event space, and several local hotels in the area who offer discounts for retreat attendees when those fill up. (Details will be provided once we hit capacity.) There will also be a Standby List for those wanting to stay at the venue once we sell out.
NOTE: You must register for the full conference option to be placed on the Standby List. If a space opens up, a special link will be provided to you to pay the difference for the room.
You can register for the event here, and if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me here.
NOTE: St Mary's Arts Center is a very old building with a lot of stairs. There are no individual bathrooms in the rooms, but there are bathrooms on each floor (except the 4th) and on the main staircase landings. If you need special accommodations, please reach out!
Thanks, and I hope you see you soon!!
Testimonials from Past Events
"What a weekend! 10,000+ words written on my WIP, nearly pee-my-pants laughter, inspirational classes, fabulous companions, and a fair and kind critique! Not to mention, a gorgeous setting!"
~Jackie Green
"I love these writing retreats. Having focused time allowed me to reread my 70,000 word manuscript. And the two speakers gave practical things for me to look at as I edited. I also enjoy hanging out with other writers during the free time."
~ Jacci Turner
"This motivational long weekend with talented people pushed me to finally complete my first novel and gave me the confidence to start reaching out to agents. Also, I'm pretty sure I made friends with a ghost."
~ Nick Josten
"I love this retreat, because no matter what's going on in my life, I end up writing 1,000 to 2,000 words. And those are good words, clean words on a project. I also write between 3,000 to 5,000 words in journaling and brainstorming ideas. Plus, I love to be around other writers for a fun weekend."
~ Linda Kay Hardie
"The Writers' Conference at St. Mary's Art Center was amazing. What a fantastic atmosphere to get the creative juices flowing! As a new author, I learned a lot and wrote a ton. Thanks for the fun!"
~ Barbara Arbogast
"It was really amazing! Relaxed, yet had that one-on-one feel. And I got a lot done!!"
~ Jade Griffin
Upcoming Retreats
May 21 - May 23, 2027
More details coming soon!!
Refund Policy -
Single and Double Room: Due to the limited number of rooms, no refunds will be offered after December 31, 2025. After December 31, 2025 rooms can be transferred. Please reach out via the Contact form on this site or email kimharnes@gmail.com if you need to transfer your room to someone else. (For double rooms, transfers are only allowable if it is acceptable, in writing, to the other occupant.)
Conference only options: If you are unable to attend the conference only option, a full refund (minus the 3.1% fee the credit card companies charge to accept the payment, i.e. $150.00 = $145.35) can be processed*. Please reach out via the Contact form on this site or email kimharnes@gmail.com to request a refund.
Critique option: If you have added a Critique or have paid for a Critique Only option and cannot make the event, refunds (minus the 3.1% fee the credit card companies charge to accept the payment) will be given up to the cutoff date of April 30. If you request a refund after the April 30 cutoff or if you do not submit your pages in time, these funds will not be returned.
The cutoff date to request a refund (with the exception of the Critique option) is 21 days before the event (or May 8, 2026). No refunds will be honored after this date.
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