Southern Festival of Book - Part I of aTrilogy

We started out by going to McKays Bookstore and buying out all the Chris Bohjalian books in decent shape, and then headed for the Southern Festival of Books in downtown Nashville.

Chris Bohjalian, author of Midwives and fourteen other fabulous novels, taught us the three survival techniques if faced with a plane crash. I also learned how to pronounce his name - the H is silent. So, it's: Bo Jell e an.

A perfect moment. Chris has three t-shirts to give out.  The first one goes to the first question. About twenty questions later, I raise my hand. What is my burning desire that must be found out? Heart racing, I ask my poignant question, "Can I have a T-shirt?"

I'm blaming James Owen, author of Here There Be Dragons, for this sort of bad behavior. He taught me, If you don't ask you don't get. James gifted one of his drawings to the first kid that asks. This is running through my mind, plus how great I'll look in that shirt, on the couch, with the cat, and some coffee, while I'm reading all the books we bought from McKays.

Chris Bohjalian asks my name and states it loud into the microphone for the whole audience. He hands me a shirt, we get into a conversation. He told me about all the people he loves to meet. In the back row of the auditorium is my Book Club buddy, mad as heck, because there I am getting the t-shirt. Chris gifts the last t-shirt to the person who came the farthest. California.

Books, books and more books.

Because the economy is bad, their aren't as many vendors and there have been over the 14 years that I've been coming here, but it is still the best book festival in America.

This is not Fernando Verdasco as in previous posts, this I believe is Felicano Lopez
(another famous tennis player). Please feel free to research this and examine that what I say is true.
The Lopez is in the middle of the square where the authors sign books.

Okay, now what do we want to see next.

His Castle Book.

What about this cute guy? Matthew Reinhart

Look at all these amazing pop-ups he creates!
I can't fathom how he does it. It's like thinking about the
universe and planets too long and I get a headache.

Former Friends of the Linebaugh Pen Pal author revisits Tennessee.
She still remembers dinner at my house with my banjo playing husband and this was ten years ago.

Jackson Pearce Sweetly gives out treats.

The latest book is Sweetly.

Jackson is excited about it. I am too.

The Nashville Plaza. We had great Fall weather.

We run into the other Chris Bohjalian  t-shirt recipient from California. We became BFFs waiting in the author's long line. I gave her my email address, and hope she writes so she can see this cute picture with this random guy. Well, actually it's none other than Charles Frazier. You know, Mr. Cold Mountain.

Charles Frazier was at Bohjalian's' session and is also jealous of my t-shirt. I've been wearing it all day.

Mary Alice Monroe in her classroom (actually festival room). We were mesmerized by her speech.
I want to go out and buy every single thing that she's ever written.

She can't stop teaching. When she signed books, she told us what we could
possibly learn in each one - butterflies, fly fishing, basket weaving, you name it.

We'll leave with a smile!