In its exploration of American male stereotypes and in its suggestion of vulnerability as a key to masculine authenticity, James’s Victoria Falls dares to embrace those humane qualities of love, kindness, and creativity that have of late been extolled as the provenance of soul-searching women but have been largely ignored in American fiction about men.

“When Words Count Retreat is a place where the dreams of aspiring authors come true.  It is a place of expectation and encouragement, a place where writers hone their skill while working in a writing community, a place where the beauty of the natural surroundings inspires personal excellence.

I began with just an idea, but through successive visits to WWCR and the mentoring and coaching of resident experts, that idea became a novel, and that novel became the nexus for my personal transformation and new hope for the future.

All of us who participated in Pitch Week VIII are grateful for the friends we made and the life lessons that we shared together.”