A couple of weeks ago, I took part in my first Southern Kentucky Bookfest in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It’s a multi-genre event where numerous authors sign books and take part in panel discussions. I was on the romance panel with four other authors, but most of the time I spent in the signing room alongside other romance and suspense authors. Even though I was feeling pretty dreadful because the excessive pollen count had activated my almost-always-dormant asthma, I had a nice time chatting with readers and my fellow authors.

Here I am with Teresa Medeiros, whom I’m guessing I’ve known more than 10 years now though we don’t get the opportunity to talk very often. So it was nice to take the opportunity to catch up.

And here are some of the other fabulous authors in our area. From left: Susan Crandall, Molly Harper, fellow Harlequin American author Laura Bradford, and fellow MCRW member Bente Gallagher.

Hopefully I’ll be invited back next year and feel, oh, a million percent better than I did this time.

You know how people make New Year’s Resolutions? Well, I’m going to make some spring resolutions. And yes, I know spring has been around for a month now. But I’ve just recently gotten caught up with some deadlines and in catch-up mode this week. Resolution No. 1 is to update this blog every day, and the entire site at least once a week. So look for shiny new content from me daily!

Since last I blogged, I’ve turned in some edits on my October book, written and turned in an online read for eHarlequin that will we debut at the end of May (more on that as the day approaches), attended the Southern Kentucky Book Festival in Bowling Green where I got to hang out with Teresa Medeiros, Susan Crandall, Molly Harper, Karen White, Bente Gallagher and fellow Harlequin American author Laura Bradford. It was fun to catch up with Teresa. We’d not had the opportunity to talk in a long time. And Molly and I discovered we’re originally from the same neck of the woods and are both former newspaper reporters in Western Kentucky. Cue “It’s a Small World.” Come back tomorrow for a bit more on this event, including pictures.

And speaking of It’s a Small World, I had a fabulous three days at Walt Disney World in Florida prior to the RWA board meeting. Friends and fellow board members Stephanie Feagan, Terry McLaughlin and Stephanie’s daughter joined me for some quality time in Mouse-land. Here we are outside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which has been Johnny Depp-ified since I was there last with the hubby in 2004.

The week after I got back from that trip to Florida, I went back to Ft. Walton Beach for an all-girls family trip. My sister and two nieces had flown in for a visit and we went to pick up my Mom and all headed to Ft. Walton Beach. I admit I was a bit nervous because Mom has some health issues and she’s not been more than an hour away from home since she had a heart attack last year. But she had never seen the ocean, so we rented a van and off we went. Here’s Mom during her first time to ever stand on a beach at the ocean. That’s the condo complex where we stayed in the background.

And here I am with my sister and nieces the night before they flew back home.

Little Niece was quite proud of her temporary tattoo she’d gotten from a machine at the Pizza Hut in my hometown.