February 22-March 1, 2025
BOOK RETREAT
Mexico
Transform your writing dreams into reality –
Mexico's rich heritage and vibrant art scene are your muses!
Bringing together writers to focus, connect, and create
In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, finding the time and mental space to write can feel like an insurmountable challenge.
Distractions abound, and the solitude necessary for creative thought often seems just out of reach. This is where our retreat, set in the tranquil and inspiring Villa Bejar in Cuernavaca, can become a game-changer for your writing journey.
Imagine a place where the usual demands of life are replaced by beautiful surroundings and dedicated writing time. A retreat that not only promises the escape needed to focus but also provides the tools and support to significantly advance your writing project.
Welcome to our Writer's Retreat at Villa Bejar
in Cuernavaca, Mexico
Bid farewell to the winter chill and immerse yourself in the warm, colorful charm of Cuernavaca. This February, a bespoke writing retreat awaits at the luxurious Villa Bejar, designed specifically for a small group of creatives and changemakers like you.
Accelerate Your Manuscript Development
Under the Warm Mexican Sun
In this city celebrated for its year-round spring-like climate, your writing project will find the ideal environment to flourish. Surrounded by the beauty and tranquility of Villa Bejar, this retreat is your stepping stone to bringing your book from dream to reality.
Daily writing stints and workshops, the aromas and tastes of Mexican cuisine, and ventures into Mexico’s rich tapestry of culture, history, and art await.
Embark on a transformative writing journey with our expert guides, Sam Hiyate and Katie Curtin. Sam brings a unique perspective with his extensive experience in the publishing industry, particularly in crafting books that resonate in today's market.
Katie complements this with her deep understanding of the creative process. This retreat is thoughtfully designed for writers at any stage, combining private and group sessions. You'll benefit from Sam's knowledge of what makes a book commercially successful and Katie's skill in nurturing your creative voice, ensuring a holistic approach to your writing goals.
Accelerate Your Manuscript Development
Under the Warm Mexican Sun
In this city celebrated for its year-round spring-like climate, your writing project will find the ideal environment to flourish. Surrounded by the beauty and tranquility of Villa Bejar, this retreat is your stepping stone to bringing your book from dream to reality.
Daily writing stints and workshops, the aromas and tastes of Mexican cuisine, and ventures into Mexico’s rich tapestry of culture, history, and art await.
Embark on a transformative writing journey with our expert guides, Sam Hiyate and Katie Curtin. Sam brings a unique perspective with his extensive experience in the publishing industry, particularly in crafting books that resonate in today's market.
Katie complements this with her deep understanding of the creative process. This retreat is thoughtfully designed for writers at any stage, combining private and group sessions. You'll benefit from Sam's knowledge of what makes a book commercially successful and Katie's skill in nurturing your creative voice, ensuring a holistic approach to your writing goals.
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
What’s included:
1. Concentrated Writing Sessions
🌿 Imagine a serene spa setting, free from daily distractions, the camaraderie of a focused group, and the undivided attention on your manuscript—all serving to make each writing session deeply productive.
2. Personalized Coaching and Guidance from Literary Agent, Sam Hiyate and Book Coach Katie Curtin
✍️ Tailored One-on-One Coaching: Experience personalized coaching and feedback sessions from both Katie and Sam that cater specifically to your writing needs.
📚 Insights into Publishing: Gain crucial insights from Literary Agent extraordinaire Sam Hiyate, with his over 30 years in the publishing business, into the contemporary publishing landscape, ensuring your book is perfectly positioned for success.
✍️ Tailored One-on-One Coaching: Experience personalized coaching and feedback sessions from both Katie and Sam that cater specifically to your writing needs.
📚 Insights into Publishing: Gain crucial insights from Literary Agent extraordinaire Sam Hiyate, with his over 30 years in the publishing business, into the contemporary publishing landscape, ensuring your book is perfectly positioned for success.
🔓 Overcome Writer's Blocks: Leverage Katie's expertise as a multi-disciplinary artist, activist, and breakthrough coach to conquer any writing obstacles and unlock your best writing.
💡 Empower Your Creative Journey: Benefit from our diverse backgrounds combined with our deep understanding of the creative process, to allow you to confidently navigate every stage of your writing journey.
💡 Empower Your Creative Journey: Benefit from our diverse backgrounds combined with our deep understanding of the creative process, to allow you to confidently navigate every stage of your writing journey.
3. Cultural Immersion, Delicious Food and Fun Activities
Experience the richness of Cuernavaca's history and culture, with curated outings that will invigorate and inspire you.
🖼️ Artistic Journeys: See murals by Diego Rivera, paintings by Rufino Tamayo and Frida Kahlo and Mesoamerican artifacts at the Palacio de Cortés and the Robert Brady Museo.
🎁 Local Artisanal Finds: Experience the charm of local markets, brimming with vibrant crafts.
🏊♂️ Recreation & Fitness: Enjoy leisurely swims and fitness amenities.
🌅Outdoor Leisure: Soak up the sun while enjoying a book and sipping on tropical drinks.
🌟 Creative Companions: Mingle with a supportive community of creative minds.
🌶️ Gastronomic Adventure: Indulge in the rich and varied flavours of Mexican cuisine.
Experience the richness of Cuernavaca's history and culture, with curated outings that will invigorate and inspire you.
🖼️ Artistic Journeys: See murals by Diego Rivera, paintings by Rufino Tamayo and Frida Kahlo and Mesoamerican artifacts at the Palacio de Cortés and the Robert Brady Museo.
🎁 Local Artisanal Finds: Experience the charm of local markets, brimming with vibrant crafts.
🏊♂️ Recreation & Fitness: Enjoy leisurely swims and fitness amenities.
🌅Outdoor Leisure: Soak up the sun while enjoying a book and sipping on tropical drinks.
🌟 Creative Companions: Mingle with a supportive community of creative minds.
🌶️ Gastronomic Adventure: Indulge in the rich and varied flavours of Mexican cuisine.
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🌟 Exclusive Bonuses for Your Writing Journey:
To enrich your experience, we've curated a series of special bonuses to advance your manuscript and provide clarity on today's publishing landscape.
🎁 Bonuses Include: 🔮 In-Depth Assessment: Dive deep into the purpose of your book, your goals, and the resources at your disposal. This comprehensive evaluation will lay the groundwork for our collaborative efforts on your project. 🎤 Pre-Retreat Group Q&A Session: An opportunity to discuss and clarify any queries before the retreat begins. 📚 Book Blueprint Workbook: Your guide to structuring and planning your manuscript effectively. 🌐 Post-Retreat Online Group Session: A session to map out your next steps, ensuring sustained progress on your book. |
Accomodations, Food, Transport
Included in retreat package:
7 nights accomodation at Villa Bejar
7 days of Breakfast, Lunches and Dinners, along with Snacks and Beverages during sessions
Group Transportation from Mexico City airport to Cuernavaca
(3 pm on day retreat begins)
Local Transport for group cultural and meal outings
What’s Not Included:
Your round-trip airfare from home
Souvenir shopping, spa services, taxis, laundry, tips for hotel staff & bar services
Personal, medical or trip cancellation insurance (STRONGLY recommended)
🎨 Your Creative Process, Honored and Amplified
The retreat, and the before and after activities is thoughtfully designed not just for the writing of your book but for the evolution of your entire creative process and publishing journey.
Retreat Cost Details
🌟 Regular Price: $3,500 US (Shared Room for Two)
🐦 Special Early Bird Offer (Until October 30) $3,000 US
(Installment Plans Available)
🛏️ Prefer a Private Room? Just add $300 US for the comfort and luxury of your own space.
Retreat Cost Details
🌟 Regular Price: $3,500 US (Shared Room for Two)
🐦 Special Early Bird Offer (Until October 30) $3,000 US
(Installment Plans Available)
🛏️ Prefer a Private Room? Just add $300 US for the comfort and luxury of your own space.
Exclusive Bonus for Early Birds!
🏆 First Five Signups Special: Receive a complimentary 90-minute private book coaching session with Katie, valued at $250, to discuss your book and perfectly prepare for the retreat.
Create Your Book Blueprint Virtual Retreat Day ($297)
(Make a deposit before October 15th)
📚 Maximize your chance to work on your book before the retreat with these invaluable bonuses!
🌟 Interested in Joining the Retreat? 🌟
💌 Apply for a FREE Consultation! Find out if this inspiring and productive retreat is the perfect fit for you.
Simply email [email protected] with the subject line "Mexico Book Retreat."
💭 Take the first step towards a transformative writing experience!
About Katie (Retreat Organizer and Book Coach)
Katie Curtin, CPCC, is a best-selling author, multi-disciplinary artist, activist, and book coach.
Katie's helped hundreds of changemakers and entrepreneurs to birth their creative projects into the world, including to create their books.
Katie's multi-faceted career includes working professionally as a writer, researcher, journalist, and editor, as well as being a success and breakthrough coach for one of the leading US coaching companies for conscious business owners.
She's the founder and host of the online Creativity Café, which features events and interviews with artists, activists, thought leaders, and innovators.
Her first book,Women In China, published at the age of 24, went through three printings and was translated into French and Swedish. Her book The Happy Well-Fed Artist: How to Get Your Creative Projects Off the Ground and Into the World, was on the Amazon Best-Seller list. Currently she is working on Breaking Money Spells: Money Changes Everything but Doesn't Have to Change You, along with an accompanying workbook.
About Sam (Special Guest Workshop Leader and Consultant)
Sam Hiyate is the President and CEO of The Rights Factory, an international literary agency based in Toronto. With over two decades of experience in the publishing industry, Sam is passionate about discovering new voices and helping writers prepare their works for market, as well as building lasting careers.
At The Rights Factory, Sam has orchestrated hundreds of book deals, resulting in several bestsellers. His impressive portfolio includes recent New York Times Bestseller, "MORE" by Molly Roden Winter, "THIS ONE SUMMER" a graphic novel by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, and "THE MYTH of CAPITALISM" by Jonathan Tepper and Denise Hearn
.Sam hosts the podcast "Agent Provocateur" and teaches publishing at Toronto Metropolitan University and Creative Writing at the University of Toronto. He is a regular presence at writers conferences.
Sam Hiyate is not only one of Canada's top literary agents; he's a mentor, educator, and a beacon for those navigating the ever-evolving landscape of the book world.
At our retreat, Sam will share invaluable insights into the current publishing landscape, offer tips on crafting query letters and book proposals, and provide one-on-one feedback sessions to help you position your book for success in the market.
At The Rights Factory, Sam has orchestrated hundreds of book deals, resulting in several bestsellers. His impressive portfolio includes recent New York Times Bestseller, "MORE" by Molly Roden Winter, "THIS ONE SUMMER" a graphic novel by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, and "THE MYTH of CAPITALISM" by Jonathan Tepper and Denise Hearn
.Sam hosts the podcast "Agent Provocateur" and teaches publishing at Toronto Metropolitan University and Creative Writing at the University of Toronto. He is a regular presence at writers conferences.
Sam Hiyate is not only one of Canada's top literary agents; he's a mentor, educator, and a beacon for those navigating the ever-evolving landscape of the book world.
At our retreat, Sam will share invaluable insights into the current publishing landscape, offer tips on crafting query letters and book proposals, and provide one-on-one feedback sessions to help you position your book for success in the market.
What Other People Say About Katie and Sam
Bringing books into the world can be such a scary experience, and it’s certainly one in which we need a lot of support and good allies. Our books are a product of the deepest and truest parts of ourselves, and we must write them in such a way that they speak to the deepest and truest parts of our readers. A complicated endeavor indeed.
Katie and Sam are the best possible guides and allies for this intimidating process. Katie will help you hone your work so that it reflects the best part of your mind, your creativity, and your heart. She knows when to support, and when to push. Her sense of when each of these is needed with the writers she mentors is perfectly calibrated.
Because the writer is incomplete without the reader, Sam is there to show you your first steps into the marketplace of ideas. His decades of experience running a literary agency means he has the tools to guide your work towards your readers in the ways that make the most sense for both you and for where the market is at the moment.
Katie and Sam are powerhouses in their own right, but as a team they are incomparable. They work together so beautifully, and they made my experience both incredibly helpful for getting my book into the world, and deeply meaningful for me as a creative.
I can’t recommend this experience highly enough. Your work will be the better for it, and, as if that wasn’t enough, you’ll have an amazing time! Katie knows Mexico, and she showed me a part of it I would never have experienced any other way.
Go. You won’t regret it.
Allison Stieger, Mythologist, Author, Speaker
Katie and Sam are the best possible guides and allies for this intimidating process. Katie will help you hone your work so that it reflects the best part of your mind, your creativity, and your heart. She knows when to support, and when to push. Her sense of when each of these is needed with the writers she mentors is perfectly calibrated.
Because the writer is incomplete without the reader, Sam is there to show you your first steps into the marketplace of ideas. His decades of experience running a literary agency means he has the tools to guide your work towards your readers in the ways that make the most sense for both you and for where the market is at the moment.
Katie and Sam are powerhouses in their own right, but as a team they are incomparable. They work together so beautifully, and they made my experience both incredibly helpful for getting my book into the world, and deeply meaningful for me as a creative.
I can’t recommend this experience highly enough. Your work will be the better for it, and, as if that wasn’t enough, you’ll have an amazing time! Katie knows Mexico, and she showed me a part of it I would never have experienced any other way.
Go. You won’t regret it.
Allison Stieger, Mythologist, Author, Speaker
What I love about working with Sam is that it gives me a greater understanding of the industry. You can try to study creative writing in a class, but it's hard to learn what will set you apart until you work with someone who sells books for a living! If your goal is to eventually publish, I think Sam's advice and support is invaluable. He has added tremendous value to my near-finished manuscript.
Amy Dixon, Toronto
Amy Dixon, Toronto
I've been working with Katie Curtin for two years now as a trusted guide and advisor as I attempt to tame 20 years of my insights working with people in the Big Dream Program into a book. No easy feat, and I now see why I'd never got very far on my own.
Katie is INCREDIBLE. I've known her for 15 years now - and as a social activist, artist, brilliant coach, and friend she is 100% the right kind of vibe I needed in a mentor. She 'gets me' in a way that was crucial to this working.
Alex Baisley, Big Dream Program, Guelph, Ontario
I can’t remember a more enjoyable and informative presentation. Sam's stories from the world of publishing vividly illustrated his points. His ability to focus on each person’s work and rearrange elements showed directorial genius… I am very glad I attended and look forward to querying Sam when I am further along in [my writing].
— Tim Christian, Victoria
— Tim Christian, Victoria
Thanks to Katie Curtin’s breakthrough coaching, I am presently the author of two books with a third one on its way. Discovering Your Heart Voice and ABC’s of Grief are both Amazon best sellers! All this because of Katie’s ability to help me identify and clear away the sources of the resistance that blocked my writing flow time and time again.
Being in her book-writing program gave me the tools and structures I needed to be both productive and clear. It also facilitated my remaining accountable throughout the process. Katie’s one-on-one coaching empowered me to rediscover purpose and clarity when I felt stuck or inadequate for the task of writing a book.
Most importantly Katie taught me how to process my feelings and arrive at a place of freedom when points of resistance would surface. Our sessions left me feeling free and focused. I am so grateful that Katie Curtin’s gifts have touched my life!
Loretta McCarthy, Best-Selling Author, Lake County, California
Being in her book-writing program gave me the tools and structures I needed to be both productive and clear. It also facilitated my remaining accountable throughout the process. Katie’s one-on-one coaching empowered me to rediscover purpose and clarity when I felt stuck or inadequate for the task of writing a book.
Most importantly Katie taught me how to process my feelings and arrive at a place of freedom when points of resistance would surface. Our sessions left me feeling free and focused. I am so grateful that Katie Curtin’s gifts have touched my life!
Loretta McCarthy, Best-Selling Author, Lake County, California
I had a wonderful time with Sam yesterday. Could you please extend my appreciation to him for his time and all his invaluable advice? I cannot thank you and Sam enough for organizing this unique opportunity for new novelists such as myself. I hope to have another meeting with him in the future.
Yale Wang, Toronto
Yale Wang, Toronto
With Katie’s help, I no longer feel resigned or frustrated about my life and work. During our coaching period, a publisher rejected my nonfiction manuscript.Instead of sending me into a tailspin of gloom, as such rejections have done so often in the past, it simply energized me to take a new direction with this project, knowing that it ultimately will be very successful. That is a profound and welcome difference--being able to respond to a seeming “down” with the deep knowledge that it will turn out to be right for me. And it did. A year later I signed with a publisher and the book came out in 2015. Thanks, Katie!
Candace (C.L.) Talmadge, Inner Shift Specialist & Author, Santa Cruz, California
Candace (C.L.) Talmadge, Inner Shift Specialist & Author, Santa Cruz, California
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