SoKY!

On a brighter note, I did have another great time at the Southern Kentucky Book Fest. Nathan, Bob, dudes, you shoulda been there.

It was good to see old friends Tasha Alexander and Kristy Kiernan again, and I got to meet Tasha's brilliant husband Matt and their son Xander, who, I must say, exhibited remarkable patience and restraint with the crowd of adults lounging about the hotel lobby chattering nonsense before dinner. He's a great kid, Tasha, you guys should be proud. And Matt, congratulations again on your journal front page. Tasha's new book is at the top of the TBR pile, and the book Kristy's working on promises to be a real barn-burner when it's done. Write faster, darlin'.

Along with seeing old friends, I got to make some new ones. I shared a signing table with fellow North Carolinian Sarah Shaber. For some reason our paths hadn't crossed yet, but I'm glad they finally have. I read Sarah's The Fugitive King on the plane on the way back, and it was mesmerizing. It's a traditional amateur sleuth mystery set in Western North Carolina, and she does an excellent job bringing the people and the atmosphere of the region to life. Tired as I was when I got home, I couldn't put it down until the end. I'm looking forward to getting Sarah's latest, Shell Game.

Other new pals: Melanie Lynn Hauser, Judy Merill Larsen, Cheryl Strayed, Annabelle Robertson, Robert Hicks (whose books will actually make you smarter by the time you're done), River Jordan, Cynthia Langston, Elizabeth Letts, Karin Gillespie (and her extremely cool mom) and Michael Largo. Thanks for all the laughs, y'all. And Melanie, Annabelle: I think that lady in the shuttle on the way to the airport found a little more out about the publishing industry than she expected--or wanted.

And we actually had decent bartenders this time. After last year's surly bar wench, it was a relief to have a pro like Brandon behind the stick. Even with the hotel restaurant closed, he was able to rustle up pizza for a passel of hungry authors. Thanks, Brandon!