Of course, writers aren't the only people I love. I'm married to an engineer, and surrounded by many of them, since we live right on the fringe of the Silicon Valley. (Oh, heck, so many of us up here in the Santa Cruz Mountains are connected to that valley, you probably can't even call us a fringe.) I like bicyclists, too, of whom I know a few, since my husband does things like the if-you-ask-me-insane Devil Mountain Double Century ride this Saturday. (Yes, this is the same husband who crashed and smashed his clavicle and a bit of his skull a couple of years ago, but, I'm pretty proud and impressed by the way he got back on that horse, I mean bike!) And I enjoy hanging out with twelve-year-old boys, too, which is lucky, since I have one of those living with me and several others who seem to wander into our house on any given day!

Every now and then, though, it's just so wonderful to surround myself with other word geeks writers, if you know what I mean. 

Even if I have to fly to Ohio to do it. :)

I'm out here at the Mad Anthony Writers Conference, in Hamilton, Ohio. My friend and writing partner, Lee Lofland, hooked me up with the conference people, and they invited me to come speak about revision and do some manuscript critiques. The big shindigs haven't started yet, but I went over to the "Extra" today to meet some of the conference organizers. Everybody is so nice and helpful and so happy to see me, like they aren't the ones giving me a great weekend! And I sat in on a mystery-writing workshop by Hallie Ephron that got new ideas churning in my brain, about writing in general and about my own books, too. Lots of note-taking. (For anybody who's working on a mystery, and wasn't lucky enough to be here with me and listen to Hallie, the info is all in her book, Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel: How to Knock 'Em Dead with Style.) Tonight, I'm heading back out for some socializing, then tomorrow it's busy, busy, busy. All day, every hour, with other writers. 

You know, there's magic at writers conferences. You ask someone about what they're writing, and you see their face light up. They tell you about a book you hadn't heard of that you know you have to put on your list, immediately. You trade ideas for first chapters, amping up tension at the end, and swimming (or slogging!) your way through the middle. I felt this magic when I started going to conferences, when I first sat in a room filled with other people like me. And now I'm feeling it again, as a speaker and a teacher, but still--foremost--a writer.

Pretty much makes up for any airline stress and aggravation, I'm thinking!