April 13th

Hi, it’s Christina –

Happy Palm Sunday! I don’t have a whole lot of time this morning, because I need to start getting ready for church, but I wanted to fill you in on yesterday’s PPL Author’s Fair, and get you a new writing prompt.

Yesterday started with my friend Keith doing a workshop on writing groups. He did a great job, and there were around twenty people who attended. The class was over at 11:30, so since we had half an hour before we could set up our display, and since it was such a gorgeous day, we decided to eat lunch outside in the courtyard. Another author, Brian, who we met at the workshop, joined us for lunch. It was so nice to be able to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine. We were only out there for about twenty-five minutes, and believe it or not, in that short time my arms and nose got a little pink.

After lunch, I got me car out of the parking deck and brought it around to the back door of the library so I could unload – a feat I would not have been able to accomplish if it wasn’t for Manny, a sweet man who works at the library. Thanks again Manny. By the time I got my car back into the parking deck, and down from the roof where I had to park, Keith had his whole section of our table finished. Parking in Princeton, on the weekend, when the weather’s nice, can be a bit of a challenge.

I still managed to get my stuff unpacked and displayed way before the doors opened at one, so it was all good. I even had enough time to check out a few of the other authors, which is something I didn’t get much time to do last year. There were a few who actually wrote romance this time. I was so happy not being the only romance author in the group. I exchanged cards with them, and I even exchanged books with two.

My friends from the writing group, Fred, Loretta and JoAnn all came by to visit Keith and I, which was nice. It’s funny, Fred and Loretta drove up from the shore, and were planning on being in the audience while I had to give my little speech, but then they got distracted by all the wonderful books and authors, they missed it. I laughed so hard at the look on their faces when I told them I was already finished. They felt bad, and of course I had to tease them about it, but honestly, just knowing they were there made me feel more confident about speaking in front of a group of strangers.

What also made me more confident was a couple, who I had just met, was in the audience. Diane and Matthew were helping Matthew’s mother, who was the author at the table next to mine. We got to talking, and Matthew even purchased a copy of Taking Chances. I pretty much spent the whole day chatting with them, when I wasn’t chatting with folks who stopped by my table or with Keith. I’m not exactly sure Diane ever mentioned what she does, but Matthew is a professor at Brooklyn College. I love when you meet someone new, and it feels like you have known them forever. It was like that with Diane and Matthew, and I really hope we’ll be able to spend some time together in the future.

Okay, a phone call from my friend Rebecca, set me off track, and now I have to go get ready for church. I don’t even have a spare ten minutes to do the writing challenge, so it will have to wait until tomorrow. I hope y’all have a glorious day, and happy writing!