I picked up my credentials for the Tucson Festival of Books this morning; as I made my way through the tents that were rising along the mall at the University of Arizona Mall, I found it rather hard to tamp down the excitement over being a part of the event. It’s a small part, for sure, but I am going to truly enjoy every moment of being out there meeting readers and my fellow authors.
The weather looks like it might exactly what the Tucson Chamber of Commerce would have wanted: sunny and mid-70s with the sort of deep blue, cloudless sky my relatives back east are currently longing for. (I can see the confusion on your face. Yes, I am wearing a hat and a winter jacket in the photo — in my defense, it was barely over 50 here in Tucson today. For those of us who have lived here a while, that’s considered cold.)
It’s exactly the sort of weather you want when you are interested in perusing the amazing panoply of books that will be on offer, an unhurried temperate atmosphere that almost begs you to poke your head into just one more tent to see if there’s something you’ve overlooked. I’m not sure how many presenting authors I’ll be able to get to myself, but that is also a huge draw; the venues where they speak tend to be of the intimate variety, allowing for casual conversation between writers and their fans.
Tomorrow will be amazing. I cannot wait to meet new friends and talk about my books! If you are planning to attend, be sure to visit me in tent 252 Saturday between 10 and 1. I’ll be the guy in the corner with a goofy smile relishing the experience.