August 2010

Just because you're not at the place where you want, doesn't mean you won't get there... by Pat Simmons.


Lamentations 3:22-23: It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Translation: God's giving us new chances in 2010, and His blessings are ready and waiting.

Welcome to August everybody: back-to-school shopping, the end of vacations, and the hope for cooler temperatures.

From time to time, I like to share something God has done for me. Wait until I tell you this: THE RAM IN THE BUSH

***I am preparing my 2011 schedule for conferences and book events. If your book club or women's ministry would love for me to join in on a discussion of any of the books in the Guilty series or Talk to Me, let me know soon.

***I have extra books from the Indy Black Expo. You can get an autograph copy for $12.50. You only pay a flat shipping rate of $5.00, regardless of how many books you purchase. Plus, get a free gift with every two books you buy. If you get all the books in the series, your gift is a full color tote bag, but I only have a limited supply of the totes bags. DEADLINE AUGUST 13, 2010.
Credit cards are accepted. Email me at pat@patsimmons.net.

***Pray for our troops. In July, I had the opportunity to visit Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. It's a training base, and I have never seen so many enlisted young people. Please keep them and their families in your prayers. This week, I'm heading to Whiteman AFB in Missouri. If you know anyone stationed there, please ask them to stop by my table.

***I had a wonderful time with Chris and Shirley Wade from Texas. They are cousins on my Wade tree I met, maybe, four or five years ago. I'm still adding pictures. Check us out as we pour over documents of our ancestors at photos.patsimmons.net.
Speaking of family trees, I updated the genealogy section on my website. I've uploaded a picture of a woman who lived in the same household with my great-great grandmother in the 1880s. Thanks to her ancestor, Heather Leopard, for the photo. www.patsimmons.net.
Visit my talkgenealogy.blogspot.com. to post comments or talk about your greatest genealogy find.

**If you're on Facebook, make sure you join my Guilty series Fan Club Page where I run contests, ask questions about your favorite characters, and talk about the latest in the series. Plus, you can share your thoughts about the Jamiesons, Grandma BB, Kami, the bad boys from Boston and others.

**If you've enjoyed any book in the series, PLEASE POST YOUR REVIEW ON AMAZON and tell a friend.


Still Guilty August Event:


So far, I have two events in August:
Whiteman AFB on August 6-8 at the BX
I will be in Chicago for another (3rd) family reunion for the summer.

Book I: Guilty of Love--Parke and Cheney's story.
Book II: Not Guilty of Love--Malcolm and Hallison's story.
Book III: Still Guilty--Parke & Cheney, introducing Cheney's twin Rainey.
Book IV: The Guilty Parties--Cheney's siblings: Rainey and Janae.
Book V: Guilty by Association--the bad boys from Boston.
Book VI: The Guilt Trip--Aaron "Ace" and Cameron Jamieson's stories.
Book VII: Free from Guilt--Grandma BB gets her act together--well, maybe.
Then it's time for Guilty: The Next Generation: Kami Jamieson and cohorts.

AnythingInspirational.blogspot.com

"Wisdom"

July 2010 Newsletter

Lamentations 3:22-23: It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Translation: God's giving us new chances in 2010, and His blessings are ready and waiting.

Greetings and Happy Fourth of July!
I am taking a breather for the next few weeks before I head off to my next event.
Excerpts of my 2011 release, Crowning Glory, will be available soon. Until then, check out a brief synopsis of Karen Wallace and Levi Tolliver's story: patsimmonsexcerpts.blogspot.com

June was packed with book signings at military bases: Luke AFB in Phoenix: Nellis AFB in Las Vegas; Los Angeles AFB; and I ended June at Ft. Campbell army base in Kentucky.
Please remember our military personnel. View June photos at photos.patsimmons.net

I attended my second family reunion in two months. This time it was on my father's dad's side (Cole-Scott-Thompson). What made this family reunion wonderful was the old black and white photos, some from 1964. It showed my great-great-great uncles born in the late 1870s...WOW.
See Cole Scott Thompson Reunion at photos.patsimmons.net.

I love it when I don't have to travel far to attend conventions, and the 2010 International Christian Retail Show was held in St. Louis, Missouri, this pass week. I had a chance to see fellow authors, including Michelle McKinney Hammond. I like her confidence in God and inspiration to women. I had a preview of Kim Cash Tate's September release: Faithful. You've got to read it!

**If you're on Facebook, make sure you join my Guilty series Fan Club Page where I run contests, ask questions about your favorite characters, and talk about the latest in the series. Plus, you can share your thoughts about the Jamiesons, Grandma BB, Kami, and others.
For July, kudos go out to book clubs and so do prizes.

**If you've enjoyed any book in the series, please post your review on amazon and tell a friend.



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Still Guilty July Event:

My next stop is the Indiana Black Expo, July 16-18, 2010, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN.
Meet Essence Magazine bestselling author Vanessa Miller and me at Booth 1407.
Footnote: The Indiana Black Expo is the longest running and largest black expo in the country.

Book I: Guilty of Love--Parke and Cheney's story.
Book II: Not Guilty of Love--Malcolm and Hallison's story.
Book III: Still Guilty--Parke & Cheney, introducing Cheney's twin Rainey.
Book IV: The Guilty Parties--Cheney's siblings: Rainey and Janae.
Book V: Guilty by Association--the bad boys from Boston.
Book VI: The Guilt Trip--Aaron "Ace" and Cameron Jamieson's stories.
Book VII: Free from Guilt--Grandma BB gets her act together--well, maybe.
Then it's time for Guilty: The Next Generation: Kami Jamieson and cohorts.
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AnythingInspirational.blogspot.com

Three wonderful poems. The shortest is "No More Excuses."

Please share this newsletter with a friend, or sign up directly at my website.

Subscribe to the Author Pat Simmons mailing list at www.patsimmons.net


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June 2010 Newsletter

Lamentations 3:22-23: It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Translation: God's giving us new chances in 2010, and His blessings are ready and waiting.


Many of you have followed my newsletters since its beginning in 2007. You've laughed with me at some of the craziness in my life, cried with me when my grandmother passed away and rejoiced with me when God spared my son. For those of you who never saw the pictures of Jared and the wrecked vehicle, visit photos.patsimmons.net, and search for Jared (2008).

BUT have I ever told you how God set up my husband and me? No? Well, I thought it would be fitting since we will be celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary on Friday, and we're in Los Angeles in the middle of book signings. To see pictures throughout our 25 years of marriage, go to photos.patsimmons.net.
Anyway, back to my story. My grandmother (Jessie Atkins) worked for the Pacific Railroad in St. Louis before I was born and before my parents married. Also, during that time, my husband's grandfather (J.T. Downer) worked for the same rail line. They interacted and as a matter of fact, my grandmother would do some of JT's son's work. She was a hard worker! My in-laws were probably married, but Kerry definitely had not been born. Ever heard of arranged marriages? Well, that's when God arranged my marriage with Kerry, and I'm sure neither Jessie or J.T. would have ever thought their paths would cross besides on the railroad.
Okay, follow me.
My mother-in-law led many of her family members to Christ, including J.T. Downer, who later became a deacon at my present church. It wasn't long until most of my husband's family were members of Bethesda.
My grandmother never joined Bethesda. After I answered God's call for salvation in 1979, I got baptized in Jesus' name at Lively Stone Church and considered joining there because I felt Bethesda was too big (about 1,000 members). That's small, considering the mega churches today. The Lord led me to Bethesda where I would meet Kerry. Fast forward to him proposing. The next day, I asked him to ask me again to make sure I heard right. A sister's got to know she ain't dreaming. Twenty-seven years later, two children, one dog (temporary), and we are celebrating that arranged marriage.
So now you know.

**If you're on Facebook, make sure you join my Guilty series Fan Club Page where I run contests, ask questions about your favorite characters, and talk about the latest in the series. Plus, you can share your thoughts about the Jamiesons, Grandma BB, Kami, and others.

**If you've enjoyed any book in the series, please post your review on amazon and Happy Father's Day.
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Still Guilty May Tour:

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It's not too late to come out and meet me during my first book tour on the West Coast. If you live in Carson, Riverside, or have friends stationed at LA AFB, this is your personal invitation.
Thank you Phoenix for 80 books sold!
Visit my www.patsimmons.net for details.

Book I: Guilty of Love--Parke and Cheney's story.
Book II: Not Guilty of Love--Malcolm and Hallison's story.
Book III: Still Guilty--Parke & Cheney, introducing Cheney's twin Rainey.
Book IV: The Guilty Parties--Cheney's siblings: Rainey and Janae.
Book V: Guilty by Association--the bad boys from Boston.
Book VI: The Guilt Trip--Aaron "Ace" and Cameron Jamieson's stories.
Book VII: Free from Guilt--Grandma BB gets her act together--well, maybe.
Then it's time for Guilty: The Next Generation: Kami Jamieson and cohorts.

May 2010 Newsletter

Lamentations 3:22-23: It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Translation: God's giving us new chances in 2010, and His blessings are ready and waiting.

Lamentations 3:22-23: It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Translation: God's giving us new chances in 2010, and His blessings are ready and waiting.
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First, THANK YOU Baltimore. Whew! Nine stops in four days.
Second, RT Booklovers Convention was a success. One picture is worth more than a thousand words: photos.patsimmons.net.
Let me throw some names out from RT: I met my editor Joylynn Jossel from Urban Christian; Bobbi Smith, Heather Graham, Kimberly Kaye Terry, Brenda Jackson, LA Banks, Anne Elizabeth, Laurie Jones, Carol Stacy, Kathryn Faulk and more.

This weekend I'm home in St. Louis, signing copies with Essence bestselling Christian author Vanessa Miller. Show up and show out on Friday, May 7, 6-8 pm at Books-a-million in the St. Louis Mills Mall; and Saturday, May 8, 1-3 pm at Barnes & Noble in Florissant. Both stores are ordering extra books. Buy all three books in the Guilty series and receive a gift for Mother's Day.

***Newsflash*** The bad Jamieson boys from Boston are stuck in Bean Town. You can thank or blame Leslie Hudson (loyal reader/friend) and Darlene Simmons(cousin/avid cheerleader) for shaking things up in the Guilty series lineup. Per Darlene, "That Janae needs to get hers"; per Leslie, "What about Rainey and Josephine?"

See, I do listen to the readers, so coming next year, Book IV: The Guilty Parties.

**If you're on Facebook, make sure you join my Guilty series Fan Club Page where I run contests, and you'll like the give-a-ways. Plus, you can share your thoughts about the Jamiesons, Grandma BB, Kami, and others. .
**Please post your review on amazon and Happy Mother's Day.

Still Guilty May Tour:
Two stops in LA, two in Las Vegas, and one in Phoenix.
Visit my www.patsimmons.net for details.

Book I: Guilty of Love--Parke and Cheney's story.
Book II: Not Guilty of Love--Malcolm and Hallison's story.
Book III: Still Guilty--Parke & Cheney, introducing Cheney's twin Rainey.
Book IV: The Guilty Parties--By Association--Kevin "Kidd" Jamieson's story.
Book V: Guilty by Association--Cheney's siblings: Rainey and Janae
Book VI: The Guilt Trip--Aaron "Ace" and Cameron Jamieson's stories.
Book VII: Free from Guilt--Grandma BB gets her act together--well, maybe.
Then it's time for Guilty: The Next Generation: Kami Jamieson and cohorts.

AnythingInspirational.blogspot.com

Please keep Monique Bruner whose father passed away last month in your prayers. She is an awesome book reviewer and a sweet friend.

Reflections for the month of May: The Necklace and Spiritual Therapy.

I stumbled across this amazing story on Youtube: Good Morning America: Making Ezra Frech' s Dream Come True.

April 2010 Newsletter

Lamentations 3:22-23: It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Translation: God's giving us new chances in 2010, and His blessings are ready and waiting.
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Is it okay to say April Fools' Day is for the insane? A friend, who I personally know, on Facebook said 2008 Mr. Romance winner Chris Winters was dead and gave Chris's website. Not only was the news shocking, the website had an eerie feel: www.chriswinters.com. What were they thinking? THEY WEREN'T!!.

Speaking of fools, how about being a fool for Christ? As a matter of fact, it's a good way to earn points ( in a way of speaking) to redeem later (I suggest Judgment Day). We are [looked upon as] fools on account of Christ and for His sake, but you are [supposedly] so amazingly wise and prudent in Christ! We are weak, but you are [so very] strong! You are highly esteemed, but we are in disrepute and contempt! 1 Corinthians 4:10.

Okay, on to how fast does the Lord Jesus work? For those who enjoy my tidbits of testimonies, click on my my inspirational blog below.

**If you don't have your copy of Still Guilty, they' re in the bookstores now. If you're on Facebook, make sure you join my Guilty series Fan Club Page where I'll run contests and you'll like the give-a-ways. Plus, you can share your thoughts about the Jamiesons, Grandma BB, Kami, and others. There is only one slight/little/small/tiny problem--I'm learning how to set it up.

**Speaking of Still Guilty. This morning on Amazon, Still Guilty was ranked at #85 for bestselling books for an hour--Brenda Jackson was #1 followed by John Grisham at #2. That's a whole lot of Thank you Jesus for me.

**In other news, the 3rd Annual Afr'Am Fest Literary Awards committee in Virginia Beach, VA has nominated Not Guilty of Love for the best Christian fiction book of 2009. The winner will be announced in May.

**I also learned today that all my titles are now available on Black Expressions Book club. So if you are a member, order your copies in hardcover. It's another Thank you Jesus moment.

Happy a Blessed Easter everyone, and I look forward to chatting with you on my Facebook Guilty series Fan Page.
Enjoy the remainder of the newsletter.

Next week, fellow author Lisa Watson and I will sign copies of our books at seven stops in four days in the Baltimore/DC area. Pray my strength in the Lord, and yes Angella, I will OD on vitamins.
Visit my websites www.patsimmons.net for dates, times, and places, and bring your friends and family!

Be one of the first 10 readers to post a review on Amazon in April and receive a free gift.

Book I: Guilty of Love--Parke and Cheney's story.
Book II: Not Guilty of Love--Malcolm and Hallison's story.
Book III: Still Guilty--Parke & Cheney, introducing Cheney's twin Rainey.
Book IV: Guilty By Association--Kevin "Kidd" Jamieson's story.
Book V: The Guilty Parties--Cheney's siblings: Rainey and Janae
Book VI: The Guilt Trip--Aaron "Ace" and Cameron Jamieson's stories.
Book VII: Free from Guilt--Grandma BB gets her act together--well, maybe.
Then it's time for Guilty: The Next Generation: Kami Jamieson and cohorts.

27 th ANNUAL RT BOOKLOVERS CONVENTION
Columbus, Ohio, April 28-May 2, 2010.
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Countdown to a book lover's delight: 400 authors and 1,000 readers mingle in the Midwest. Never too late to register.
Free prizes, give-a-ways (I hope I win a Sony e-reader this year), and lots of free books--bring an empty suitcase.
Nightly costume parties and on Saturday, May 1st, 2010, I'm signing copies of all my books.
Visit www.rtconvention.com.
I'll have pictures next month.


Anything Inspirational
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For my April selection,
How fast can the Lord Jesus work?
anythinginspirational.blogspot.com

March 2010 Newsletter

Lamentations 3:22-23: It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Translation: God's giving us new chances in 2010, and His blessings are ready and waiting.
Hello all,
I wanted to start off this newsletter with talking about my husband.
For the last three or four years, I have attended Oklahoma City's Urban League of Young Professionals' Black History Month event, featuring African-American authors.
I didn't think I was going to participate, but at the VERY last minute, my husband thought we could make it happen.
Because of my day time commitment, Kerry put me on a flight Friday evening, so I could make the Saturday event. He drove through inclement weather Friday morning from St. Louis to Oklahoma City (an eight hour drive) because it was cheaper for one of us to fly. When I arrived in OKC late Friday, after two delays, my dear husband was there to pick me up---now that's LOVE.

Fast forward a few weeks later...
I like surprises. Unfortunately, I'm too nosy not to find out about them. I always wanted a surprise party--birthday, Christmas, graduation, barbecue, doesn't matter, but after 51 years, I figured that wasn't going to happen. Remember, I'm nosy by nature.
But my husband did it again. Kerry and our daughter took me out to dinner (our son was working). No surprises there---that's a tradition. Once we arrived at the restaurant, the waiter led us to a booth table marked reserved. The first thing that came to mind, "Why are we eating at a booth when the three of us can eat at a table." He kept saying, "Special guests are coming." I'm thinking, "Yeah right. They aren't here and I'm ready to eat." Kerry was busy texting. I figured it was some of his bowling buddies. Our dishes had just arrived when I saw my close friend walk through the door. My mind wondered, "Hey, what is she doing here?" Then I realized she was my special guest. I looked up again, and here comes another good friend. Well, now the party started. I had such a great time and these friends came on a few hours notice. That was a surprise!

With age comes weight. My daughter hipped (is that word out of commission?) me to a website that keeps track of calories intake. Okay, so I set up an account at http://caloriecount.about.com. Let me just say, once I punched in all my stats, my weight loss projection should be at pre-pregnancy status. Hmmm, I'll have to think about this one.
Check out my pictures for February at photos.patsimmons.net

Are you counting down the days until spring, yet?
Mud slides, record snow fall, add in the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and the avalanche in Afghanistan, you might wonder WHAT IS GOING ON? I'm not a meteorologist or an expert on the effects of green house gas, but I can point you in the right direction:
Luke 21:10 (New International Version)
Jesus said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven."
In the midst of the storms, God wants us to find comfort in Him. If you haven't picked up your Bible lately, dust it off a try reading a scripture a day. Believe it , or not, God will give you peace.

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Still Guilty Excerpt/Release March 25, 2010.

Here is the last excerpt for Still Guilty.
patsimmonsexcerpts.blogspot.com
Be one of the first 10 readers to post a review on Amazon and receive a free gift.

Book I: Guilty of Love--Parke and Cheney's story.
Book II: Not Guilty of Love--Malcolm and Hallison's story.
Book III: Still Guilty--Parke and Cheney and introducing Cheney's twin Rainey's story.
Book IV: Guilty By Association--Kevin "Kidd" Jamieson's story.
Book V: The Guilty Parties--Cheney's siblings: Rainey and Janae
Book VI: The Guilt Trip--Aaron "Ace" and Cameron Jamieson's stories.
Book VII: Free from Guilt--Grandma BB gets her act together--well, maybe.
Then it's time for Guilty: The Next Generation: Kami Jamieson and cohorts.
**********************************************************
ANNUAL RT BOOKLOVERS CONVENTION
Columbus, Ohio, April 28-May 2, 2010.
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Countdown to a book lover's delight: 400 authors and 1,000 readers meeting in the Midwest, and it's not too late to register.
Free prizes, give-a-ways (Sony e-readers for example), and lots of free books--bring an empty suitcase.
Plus, there will be nightly costume parties, plus I'm signing copies of all my books on Saturday, May 1st.
Visit www.rtconvention.com.
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Anything Inspirational
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For March, I've chosen a poem and a video, both about children.
Check out Cowboy Boots at anythinginspirational.blogspot.com
Next is a video on Youtube. Type in 10 year old Jared Sawyer preaches.
Enjoy both.

First African American Genealogy Conference in St. Louis.
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The highlights were seasoned speakers who not only tracked down their relatives, but learned more about their ancestors through letters, newspaper clips, and other search engines. I'm talking about the period between the mid-1850s to mid-1950s! Compared to these genealogy sleuths, I'm still a toddler, but I'm picking up the ball and running with it.
Here I am with the president of St. Louis Chapter of the African-American History and Genealogy Society, Charles Brown.
See more pictures at photos.patsimmons.net
Read my reflections on the conference at my blog: Talkgenealogy.blogspot.com
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If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share it with a friend.

February 2010

2010 motto: Just because you're not at the place where you want, doesn't mean you won't get there... by Pat Simmons.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Lamentations 3:22-23: It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.Translation: God's giving us new chances in 2010, and His blessings are ready and waiting.

February is an exciting month for me,
First, it's another year God has given me to become wiser (code word for older).
Second, it's Valentine's Day, and love cards are my inspiration for creating romance novels. Sometimes, while I'm at Walgreen's, I'll make a detour to the greeting cards section and pick out a few to read. It's like watching a Lifetime movie on paper. Well, maybe not.

Third, it's when our nation celebrates the accomplishments and contributions of African-Americans during Black History Month, and if you're familiar with the Jamieson men in the Guilty series, they live for this stuff--family game night anyone?

I'm addicted to digging up the dirt on my ancestors---and yours too probably.
That's why I'm excited about attending an all day African-American Genealogy Workshop and Conference at Harris-Stowe University in St. Louis, on Saturday, February 20, 2010. The organizers expect up to 300 people from across the country to be there. If you're interested, visit www.stl-aahgs.com. Since I'm starting my research on Guilty by Association, there's no telling what I'll put in the book. One more note, Guilty of Love will be re-released in paperback for $6.99 at the end of the month. Great size for your purse.

This Saturday, February 6, 2010, from 11am-3-pm, joined me at the Penn Square Mall in OKC, OK, near Macy's. This is my first book event for 2010 and I'm excited. I'll have plenty of pictures for next month's newsletter.
Visit www.patsimmons.net


Monthly Book Excerpt

Book III: Still Guilty is due out in 60 days. Pre-order your copy now.
Here is the February excerpt: patsimmonsexcerpts.blogspot.com

Book I: Guilty of Love--Parke and Cheney's story.
Book II: Not Guilty of Love--Malcolm and Hallison's story.
Book III: Still Guilty--Parke and Cheney and introducing Cheney's twin Rainey's story.
Book IV: Guilty By Association--Kevin "Kidd" Jamieson's story.
Book V: The Guilty Parties--Cheney's siblings: Rainey and Janae
Book VI: The Guilt Trip--Aaron "Ace" and Cameron Jamieson's stories.
Book VII: Free from Guilt--Grandma BB gets her act together--well, maybe.
Then it's time for Guilty: The Next Generation: Kami Jamieson and cohorts.

ANNUAL RT BOOKLOVERS CONVENTION
Columbus, Ohio, April 28-May 2, 2010.
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It's a book lover's delight: 350 authors and 1,000 readers. It's not too late to register.
Free prizes, give-a-ways (Sony e-readers for example), and lots of free books--bring an empty suitcase.
Plus, there will be nightly costume parties.
I'm signing copies of all my books on Saturday, May 1st.
For more information about the RT BOOKLOVERS CONVENTION, visit www.rtconvention.com.

Anything Inspirational

Two great poems this month
Notes from Satan's town hall meeting and God's memo: anythinginspirational.blogspot.com