As experiences go, there are few that I’ve done that measure up the uniqueness that is the Tucson Festival of Books. I’ve been an avid fan since it started, and have spent many happy hours over the years listening to authors talk about their craft. I can’t tell you how many amazing discoveries I’ve made that way, stories — and, in some cases, genres — that had never been on my shelves at home until I stumbled upon them at the festival.
More recently, it’s also been my honor to be an invited participant. This year — my fourth — found me in the Indie Author tent on Sunday morning on an extremely warm, extremely bright early Spring day. The weather was beautiful, and as always, the crowds were plentiful. To my great joy, I had the chance to speak with multiple readers, including a few that I’ve come to know over my years of being an author attendee. And like every other year, it was quite suddenly over; all too soon, I found myself packing my wares back up despite it feeling though I’d just arrived.
I sold a few books, which was cool; I met several new friends in the Indie tent, which was even cooler. I never tire of learning how others have come into the industry, nor what their inspirations are for what they write. One of these days, I’ll sign up for a writer’s retreat and swap notes with others in a more formal setting; these brief moments I have with fellow wordsmiths never feels like enough time to fully dig into the subject.
After my appearance at the festival, it was immediately off to the airport so I could attend a software development conference in Las Vegas. It’s an annual event that tends to, uh, bookend the Book Festival each year, which means I’m either just getting back from Vegas or just heading out depending on how the calendar works. This was a year of heading out, and I arrived in Sin City late Sunday after a long, long day. Since I’m not a gambler, I tend to avoid the various casino floors; instead, I usually work my way through the various eateries along the strip, experimenting with foods and flavors I tend not to get here in Tucson.
This trip saw repeat visits to two faves: Delmonico’s Steakhouse at the Venetian (one of Emeril Lagasse’s last remaining restaurants in the city) and the Peacock Tea Room at the Waldorf. Both allowed me to poke around hotels I don’t tend to stay in, doing research for when Vasily decides to book his next trip out there; I took a ton of notes and more than a few photos, especially when I ran across something I felt was worthy of being inserted into something in the future.
Case in point: the Bellagio was in full spring mode and had decked out their botanical solarium with enough color to short out anyone’s senses. The layout was incredibly well done, including some beautifully crafted floral displays made to look like robins or hummingbirds. About the only other place I’ve ever seen better is on property at Epcot during their annual Flower and Garden festival.
The conference was amazing, but much like the TFOB, it was suddenly over and I was back at home in Tucson. All in all, it was a fantastic ten days; honestly, I cannot wait to begin counting down to the 2027 TFOB. Hopefully I will see you there!
One last thing before you go
This message greeted me upon my return to Tucson, and I have to admit, it made me smile.
Yes, this is a shameless reminder that my latest book, Silenced, will be out in just a few weeks. Have you pre-ordered your copy yet? There’s still time…
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