We just returned from a really busy two-week trip back home to DC for two grandsons’ graduations from high school. It was a lot of fun and great to see all of the family. We couldn’t be prouder of Liam Malone (Dominion High School) and Jacob Malone (Woodgrove High School). I hate how fast these little boys grew up, but I love the men they have become.
The second most-exciting part of the trip was a book signing I did in Virginia Beach at The Lazy Daily Gift Store. I was signing with author Beth Morrison and we’re a good match because I write fiction and she writes inspirational stuff. It felt like everybody who approached us had an interest in one or the other. Also, now I’ve done book signings in places other than Georgia and that makes me feel like a real author.
This trip was nutty because we never stayed anyplace for very long. We stopped at a hotel overnight on the way up and then we spent a couple of nights with my girlfriend, Patti Tait, and her family. She’s the incredibly talented graphic artist who does all my book covers. She’s also my oldest friend (she prefers the term “longest lasting”). We met when she moved to Maryland from Chicago in 1977.
Last week was just a running round of parties. Jake’s graduation party, a Father’s Day brunch with everybody together, Liam’s graduation, Liam’s graduation party, then Jake’s graduation and a brunch after the ceremony. It was busy busy busy!
Then we headed up to the Omni Bedford Springs Resort in Pennsylvania– one of our most favorite places in the world. We only got to spend two nights, but it was well-worth the effort. I had a spectacular morning in their spa while Bill caught up on sleep. From Pennsylvania, we headed south to Virginia Beach where I had a really great book signing at The Lazy Daisy Gift Store. I’ve been invited back to sign books at their Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Richmond locations in September and I couldn’t be more excited. Then we’ll head up north to Atlantic City, New Jersey, for the RAGE book event. All very different from the business travel I used to do, but much more satisfying.
I’m treating this trip as a dry run for a cross-country adventure that we’re planning for this fall. We’re driving out to Las Vegas for Author Nation. We’ll be stopping to visit lots of friends on the way, but we’re also going to visit the Grand Canyon, Tombstone, and Mount Rushmore. I’m super-excited but Bill is a little concerned. He got tired of hauling all the luggage in and out of hotels last week. So, I’m going to plan a lot better for our three-week, cross-country odyssey.
In the meantime, it’s clear that I need to finish recording my audiobooks and create a calendar page for my website, so my readers know where I’m going to be signing and when. I also need to sit down and plan every detail for the fall adventure. We’ll be visiting Shari and Chris in Phoenix, April in Boise, Holly and Cory in Montana, Kelsi and Darian in Denver, and Kim and Marschel in Grain Valley, Missouri, so we’ll be packing summer and winter wardrobes, just to make it slightly more complicated.
This summer is going to be epic. We don’t have any travel plans (intentionally) until that last weekend in September. And we live at the beach. This year, we’re going to behave like we live at the beach, meaning we’re going to the beach several days a week, minimum. We’re also going to check out some cool spots in Georgia that we’ve heard about but never had time to go see. I’m excited.
Until next time, happy reading!
Sandy