I’m just a California Girl

On pier 39, standing in front of AlcatrazI love California!  It’s not too hot (sorry, Florida), and it’s full of fun things to see — we went to Yosemite on Saturday, but sadly, only got a hazy view of El Capitan (and not because we’d been in the car for 3 hours with small children) because of the smoke from the first in NoCal (I’m talking like a local now).  Went to Pier 39 on Tuesday – tried to get IN to Alcatraz (In -get it?) but the tickets we all sold out.  So, here’s a picture of me from the pier, looking from afar.  I kept imagining…what must life have been like for those prisioners, seeing life so close, yet so far.  Like a piece of chocolate you’ll never get to eat. 

 

Then, I headed over to RWA.  I’m alittle overwhelmed.  There are A-LOT of people here.  Authors galore.  I went to the literacy signing last night.  Now, I had no big expectations, mind you.  I was thinking…yeah, i might sell one book (I sold 2).  But I figured that with 500 authors there, we’d all be in the same boat.  Ha! MY assigned seat was directly across from Superstar Suzanne Brockmann’s table.  I was sort of one of those displays you look at as you stand in line for the real thing.  She had a MOB of readers, and I watched her all night smile and be gracious…and it helped that standing right next to her were these two cute guys who had been brought in by some vampire author.  They had their own mob – women taking their picture with them. They occassionally looked over at me (like I said, I was directly across from them) and they could see me laughing (nicely) at them as woman after woman wrapped their arms around them. 

After the signing, we talked and well…I got my picture too. I mean, hey… what’s a girl gonna do?

The cute guys across from my table

After seeing that my line wasn’t going to accumlate (okay, I did have 2), I decided to abandon ship — and went and took a shot with MY favorite author — Susan Elizabeth Phillips who loves Minnesota and is SUPER nice. 

The Two Susans (me and Susan Elizabeth Phillips)

And okay, I also took a picture with me and Suzanne Brockmann, not only because she was across from me and next to the cute boys, but also because she’s another of my favorites. 

The other two Suz's (me and Suzanne Brockmann)

So, I’m having a pretty good time here in CA….well, okay, I’m having a BLAST…and here’s why…

 

 

I know — Seriously!  What a blast!  I talked my friend Cindy and her family into going, too.  There I was talking about research and telling my friends that in an upcoming book one of my characters goes skydiving…and yeah, then I just had a skydive too! 

Thanks to Lee and April and Renaud for making that day so fun! 

So far so good in San Fran! 

Comments 12

  1. Okay, first of all, totally jealous about meeting SEP. And to sit across from Suz…nice. 🙂 Funny thing is at the ACFW conferences, your table has one of the longest lines.

    About the skydiving…are you crazy??? My stomach fell to my toes when I saw you jump from the plane. What a rush, though. Did you feel like Sydney Bristow??

  2. Amazing!!! I cried when you jumped out of that plane! I’m so psyched for you. Sad you’re having so much fun without me, but yay!

    Rachel

  3. You are just amazing!!! I grinned from ear to ear watching the video…and you almost made me grab the yellow pages and look up a skydiving company here in CO.
    Almost.

    Beth@TheWritingRoad

  4. Cool pics. Cute guys.

    I notice things, I know I’m weird, but see in that pic of you and Suzanne B? The two ladies in the background look like bookends. 😀

    Oh and bravo on the jump. I never understood why people jump off a perfectly functioning airplane, but my hubby loves it too.
    Hugs,
    Pammer

  5. Susan,

    I was at Nationals, too, for the first time. Even though I didn’t get to your table at the signing, I sat in the front row at the awards ceremony right in front of the podium and cheered extra loud when your picture and book cover came up on the big screens and told those around me that I read your great blog regularly.

    I’m glad you had a blast while you were in my home state. You’re one talented, generous and brave woman.

    Keli Gwyn

  6. Susan,
    That’s awesome! I’m so jealous! I wanted to go sky diving for my 30th b-day last year but it didn’t work out. Hopefully soon though. That’s awesome that you went! I loved watching the video. It makes me want to go all the more. 🙂

    Jeannie

  7. Susie–sounds like you had an awesome trip. I’m a native Northern Californian (transplanted to Texas) and STILL can’t get enough of it.
    Loved your skydiving clip–I did that a few years back myself and am still amazed.( And asking myself, “Were you nuts or something?”)

    Yes, absolutely, you’ve gotta write it into a book!

    Candy

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