Book Festival Awesomeness!

This weekend was the Baltimore Book Festival - 3 straight days of all things book-related. My local RWA chapter has its own tent, and runs a full schedule of panels for the entire festival. That means not just our own outstanding members, but snazzy guest authors, editors, agents, publishers and bloggers from all over.

The good news: I got to be on television! The bad news? I had to get up at 4:15 in the morning to do the guest spot at 6:00 a.m. When you watch the clip, please keep in mind that I'm not a morning person. The bad news? I discovered by 10 a.m. that an epic head cold was marauding its way through me. But when you've got the opportunity to interact with authors from the entire Mid-Atlantic region, you don't let a little thing like body aches, fever and sneezes keep you down.

The great news? I was on a panel with Meg Cabot. MEG CABOT!!!!!! (See, I've got proof). Not only that, but I met her early and discovered just how much fun she is to chat with - I think we bonded over our mutual dislike for writing sex scenes. She was delightful and so generous of her time with our chapter on this last stop of her book tour. Go buy her new book - it'll be terrific. Plus our panel was all about chocolate and romance, so the audience was lulled into rapt attention as we read some sizzling scenes to them.

 The fun news? I got to hang with the wonderful ladies behind Read Love Blog. It is always so terrific to meet people in person whom you've only corresponded with online. They are awesome. As in, I might start a campaign to force them to move to Baltimore just to hang out with us all the time.

The panel discussions were lively. To say the least. We just about got physical in our throwdown over Pantsing vs. Plotting (go on, I dare you to start that debate in your chapter without a few smackdowns being tossed around). I could name drop a whole list of amazing people I was privileged enough to chat with over the course of the festival, but it'd just make you all too jealous. But the point of all this is that it is book festival season across the country. If you've got one near you, clear your schedule and go. It is an opportunity for free books, signed books, up close and personal, behind-the-scenes glimpses of your favorite authors. It is an opportunity to learn. And most of all, it is ten tons of fun.