Parades, Food Festivals, and Book Signings--OH MY!

Hello, friends! Deek and I have landed ourselves right back in the middle of edits again. I'm on my first round of line edits for the The Fulfillment, and Deek is on his second round of content edits for 122 Rules. We're back to working side-by-side, noses to the grindstone, where only the sound of clicking keys (and the occasional kiss) can be heard. ;)

But before we slipped down the rabbit hole into the Cave O'Edits, we decided to try out some new adventures. This year, we were asked to participate in a local parade and march on behalf of the library, and as I'm sure you can image, we readily agreed.

Here we are, ready to wave and have fun! I'm decked out in purple and black for The Prophecy! The ladies at the library put my book on the "Read Local" sign they were carrying. I felt the love! <3

After the parade, Deek and I drove to Portland to check out The Bite. Deek's lived near Portland his whole life and has never checked out this event. I'm all about doing, seeing, and experiencing, so I was totally down for this adventure. For those that don't know, The Bite is a food festival. You pay a small entrance fee (it's cheaper if you get them online ahead of time) and get to sample tons of different foods. 

Time to EAT!

PEOPLE! Stop the presses...they had drinkable chocolate. I kid you not. It was sigh-out-loud-eyes-roll-in-the-back-of-your-head good. In fact, you get a bracelet when you go into The Bite so you can leave and come back, and we *may* have left and then come back just for more drinkable chocolate. Out of this world! My favorite was the one with sea salt. I'm Southern, so I enjoy a little food with my salt. But Deek liked the dark chocolate one the best. http://treehousechocolate.com/

We ate little sliders with candied bacon at this place. Yummy!

After we sampled the many splendors available at The Bite, we walked across the Burnside Bridge and strolled along the floating walkway, hand-in-hand. 

The clouds were amazingly beautiful along the floating walkway.

And no trip to Portland is complete without a little rendezvous at one of Portland's most famous stops...Voodoo Donuts. While in line--there's ALWAYS a line--Deek found a way to represent his novel, 122 Rules!

Thanks, Voodoo Donuts, for supporting my man! ;) 

122 Rules

There was only one little snafu to this happy day...I forgot to wear sunscreen. I think I've grown accustomed to all the shade on most of our adventures (I mean, I remembered to wear it kayaking) or something because I totally flaked. And as a result, I ended up looking a bit like a lobster. But thankfully, we put aloe on it right away, and it never hurt. I can't ever remember a time when I had a sunburn that didn't hurt. 

Then...

I was asked to do a book signing for the library's birthday celebration. WUT?? So, my publisher sent down a whole bushel of books, and Deek and I headed over to meet fans and sign books.

I'm all set up to sign! 

Can't forget my trusty purple pen. Never mind that the lefty is holding the pen in her right hand. Pretend you don't see that. For shame...

I had the best time meeting people, signing books, and talking about fandoms! I even managed to sell a pair of books to the mayor himself! Oh, and I got requests from some local businesses to carry my book in their stores! SQUEE!

But best of all, I spent the day in the company of my husband/best friend, Deek. I loved watching him interact with my fans. He's so charming and engaging. I'm betting quite a few of those girls left with a huge crush on him, and I can't blame them one bit! ;) 

Deek also wore the shirt I found for him that represents 122 Rules. Man, he's a hawty!

Interacting with fans and signing their books was a dream come true. Some days, I look at my life and can't believe I've literally living the dream. I'm married to the greatest man in the world who is my soul mate, I'm a published author, I work from home for a publishing house, and I am blessed with amazing family and friends. Wow, wow, wow! 

Keep on believin', my friends! I'll leave you with a Langston Hughes poem I've held onto from the moment I first read the words:

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.