Michael Morris, always one of my favorite people, was at the Amelia Island Festival and Joe and I thoroughly enjoyed his company. Erika Marks, author of The Mermaid Collector and now The Guest House, whom I met at SIBA (Southern Independent Bookellers Association, one of my absolute favorite group of people!) last September also happened to be there and it was a delight to reconnect. But the big event at the Amelia Island Festival was hearing Debbie Macomber. She gave one of the most endearing and inspirational talks I have ever heard. Folks, I want to tell you as my mama would have said, "That girl is all cotton and a yard wide." Having sold about 150,000,000 book around the world, she is still grounded. Her story of achieving her dream of being a writer took us all through the valley with her to the joy of her first acceptance, a tale I to which I could not do justice. It was worth going to Amelia Island just to hear. It is my dream for Books Alive to get her as a speaker!!!!!
I was excited to be at Amelia Island because several scenes from In Pursuit take place there. In Pursuit will be out in September 2013.