Touring in my back yard

Okay, so I wasn't literally in my back yard. But I was at the Champions Forest Barnes and Noble in Houston, which is pretty close. Banff School asked me back to be their guest author for their book fair and it was a great afternoon chatting and signing Dreaming Anastasia and Haunted. Talked with Banff students, my own readers, customers who popped over to the signing table... Later the Banff team (aka my friends Deb and Wanda) and I and the husbands had dinner. Food, friends, wine - a winning combination all the way around. Even had some of my own students stop by to get a book, which is something that gets me happily sentimental and thankful. A huge thanks to CRM Lillian, who arranged such a lovely table and signage and who is always a true pleasure to work with. She is made of awesome. Plus I adore this particular B&N; it's an older one story store with all the benefits of the chain but the more intimate feel of a smaller indie. Truly - if you're in Houston, head to this store on 1960 West. You will be glad you did.

Here's me and Banff team below

CRM Lillian and me

My very own students saying hi!

On the road - Houston style

Me and some of the Banff school girls

Did my first Houston school visit today and all I can say is WOW! Banff School rocks! Thank you to Mrs. Granberry's classes for being such a great audience. You read Dreaming Anastasia! You took Mrs. Granberry's quiz! You researched the Romanovs and Baba Yaga and wrote about how those are reflected in the novel. And you even came up with fantabulous questions to ask me! All school visits should be this wonderful. I had a great afternoon chatting, laughing and giving away awesome swag. We even had a Dreaming Anastasia trivia faceoff for the final t shirt!

So again, thanks Banff for hosting me!

Til next time...

The Best Birthday Ever

Me and Dana Wright, B&N bookseller and merch mgr supreme

A table of Dreaming Anastasia and my friend Wanda, supporting me and the Banff School, whose book fair I was supporting with this signing


See all those books? They were all gone by 4 PM

Look at the cool sign. With my picture. And me in the window taking the picture...

I signed yesterday in Houston at the Champions Forest Barnes and Noble. My pictures don't totally reflect what an amazing time I had because I was busy signing from 1:45 until 4 and talking with people and just generally enjoying myself and having a rollicking time telling people about me and Dreaming Anastasia and meeting lots of great new readers! So I remembered to have people take pictures with my camera at the beginning and at the end. Once I get some pics from other people, I'll post those, too!

It was also my birthday. And yes, this was the best possible way to spend it. Two of my friends work at The Banff School, which is a small private school in Houston's northern suburbs. Yesterday's signing was done in conjunction with their book fair, which I thought was only fitting since their upper school students will be reading Dreaming Anastasia and I will be coming to do a school visit and writing workshop with them in December. So I knew the Banff kids would come and buy their books.

What I didn't expect was everyone else! We sold out of every copy of Dreaming Anastasia in the store and as you can see from the loaded table in the pics above, there were a lot of copies. In fact, you don't see them all in the pictures. Some were still hiding in the storeroom. Let me just take this moment to say that if you are personally in any way part of the grass roots support of Dreaming Anastasia (or as my cousin's 6 year old son - whose father is a doctor - calls it "Dreaming Anesthesia") let me say once again, "THANK YOU!!"

I was signing books for future Christmas gifts. I was talking to all sorts of wonderful people from age 12 - much older! A former student of mine from a very long time ago (let's just say that I wasn't yet a mom when I taught her and leave it at that) made me cry by showing up with her own two kids. This is the girl (now woman) who was on my UIL spelling team when we somehow went to the state finals and I had to drive them in a van to Mesquite, Texas and we passed the long hours in between competitions sitting on the floor of a mall, all - I have no idea why now - playing tunes on kazoos and generally being obnoxious to passersby. (I was very young then. Possibly I was a total idiot. Definitely I was no more respectful of the rules then than I am now. Luckily Shelly seems to remember me fondly. This is very much a relief)

October and November bring a lot of travel for me: Louisiana, Arizona, Chicago... I am still grateful beyond words.

A story of love and loss and redemption and the need for second chances. A little fantasy, a little fairy tale, a little historical fiction, a subtle romance. Dreaming Anastasia.

A dream indeed.

Til next time...