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I did Memphis!
(Okay, I'm going to go ahead and post this even though I don't have my pics yet, because I'm leaving town again in a couple of days! I'm waiting on the graciousness of my pal, Genetta, who took all the pictures, because I had to leave my camera in Nashville for the Boy Scout Jamboree. So, if you read this now, feel free to check back soon and view accompanying pics.)

So, to start again: I did Memphis!

I've done Memphis before, but Holy Elvis! Things have changed! I lived in Memphis in the early 1980s. I'd gone down there with a job, working in a seafood joint on the river end of Beale Street. Downtown was depressing and blighted-feeling at that time. One of the rules at the restaurant I worked at was that if, after your shift and late at night, you did NOT walk to your car with one of the security guards the restaurant hired for just that purpose, you were FIRED, no questions asked! I lived in Midtown, at the time, near the zoo ad Overton Park, but that was sometimes scary, too. The house I lived in had bars on all the windows and there was a four-corner busstop right outside my bedroom windows!

Shoot ahead into the future twenty-five years . . . Downtown Memphis is now thriving, booming and FUN, FUN, FUN!

My trip to Memphis this weekend was to participate in the Southern Festival of Books, now held every other year there (alternating with Nashville, my home digs). I traveled down with my good bud, Patsi Trollinger (author of PERFECT TIMING), and we stayed at my other gal-pal Genetta's house out in Eads.

The weather was beautiful when we arrived Saturday. Patsi and I drove straight to the Cook Convention Center and Civic Plaza, where we met Genetta. They had North Main blocked off to cars (just the fun old trolleys and horse-drawn carriages were allowed up and down the street). I stopped in at the Author Hospitality Booth and took possession of my bag o'goodies, including a miniature bottle of Jack Daniels, a Moon Pie and a Goo-Goo Cluster! Oh yes, there was a water bottle, too. HA!

It was soon time for my panel, entitled "Coming of Age in the South," with me and my book, THE LEGEND OF ZOEY, Grace Howell and TRUE FRIENDS, Helen Hemphill and LONG GONE DADDY, and Ron Kidd and MONKEY TOWN. Our turnout was good, and in the audience, to my delight, was one of my fave literary luminaries, Kimberly Willis Holt! When the session moderator mentioned she was in the audience, I got all agitated and waved at her! She waved back. When it was my turn to speak, I mentioned that while I hadn't been nervous before, I was now nervous, and then informed Kimberly that no, she had not met me somehwere else and could stop worrying about it! Afterwards, Kimberly and I had a nice chat where she told me that she had, indeed, been wondering where she'd met me! She was a total delight! The fun part of my reading (which was short as I was next to the last and time was running out) was that I picked a couple of new passages that had folks laughing (always good!). My wonderful support group of Genetta and Patsi assured me that people were enjoying themselves and I left them wanting more!

Outside, we sat down to sign books, and I'm relieved to report that I did have some book sales and did sign some books! Even Kimberly Willis Holt bought my book and had me sign it! I was feeling mighty humbled!

One of the interesting phenomena of this event, and I've heard that this goes on at other events, was "Poster Signings." A lot of folks had multiple copies of posters that they would ask the authors to sign. I signed about 25 posters, too! I don't know what they DO with them, but it was fun!

After all that, it was time to make our way to the Author Reception at the Gibson Showcase. Patsi and I took Genetta as our date. We ended up sitting with Susan Vaught (TRIGGER), Ed Sullivan (THE ULTIMATE WEAPON: THE RACE TO DEVELOP THE ATOMIC BOMB) and his lovely wife, Judy, Helen Hemphill, Alethea Kontis (ALPHOOPS! THE DAY Z WENT FIRST) and Jaime Adoff (JIMI & ME), with assorted other folks popping in and out. We had a lovely dinner and cocktails (all gratis), and we had a raucous good time discussing everything from the serious to the sublime, including Sage, the Incontinent Cat, our high school proms, how we met our significant otherages, the North and the South and many points in between, and last, but certainly not least, Silky's Magical Goats. We closed the place down—literally. They were asking us to leave.

Back at Genetta's we had cookies and milk and went to bed. It was LATE!

Sunday was Patsi's panel, "Portraits of Success: Picture Book Biographies of Inspiring Lives." Her panel-mate was Rachel Rodriguez, author of THROUGH GEORGIA'S EYES, and while turnout was lessened by the fact that they were opposite Garrison Keillor, they gave an entertaining presentation, and their moderator, Ellen Ruffin, was wonderfully fun. Patsi and Rachel's lovely picture book biographies are so awesome—fab additions to any school library!

Afterwards, out in the bookstore area, I ran into one of my other literary heroines, Bobbie Ann Mason. I'd sat in on Ms. Mason's talk on her book NANCY CULPEPPER, but I'd ducked out early to go see Patsi. I told Ms. Mason how her book, IN COUNTRY, really inspired me to write about MY dad who was killed in Vietnam. Ms. Mason got teary-eyed and was quite gracious. I appreciated her kindness!

Outside, at Patsi and Rachel's signing table, I had the pleasure of meeting Betsy James (LISTENING AT THE GATE) and having a chat! After Patsi's signing time was over, the three of us hopped aboard a trolley and rode downtown to see what was happening. We ended up at the fabulous Peabody Hotel and while enjoying drinks at the bar, watched the famous ducks leave their fountain for the five o'clock march up the red carpet to the elevator that takes them to the roof and their Duck Mansion in the sky. We ate dinner at Cappriccio's Grille, then headed back to Genetta's house.

Some of the people there that I missed seeing include (but are not limited to): Lynne Berry, Ally Carter, Alan Gratz, Emily Lockhart, Teresa Medeiros, Pat Mora, Doreen Rappaport, Alex Sanchez, Lee Smith, Deborah Wiles and Paul Zelinsky! So many wonderful authors—so little TIME!

Kudos to all the Humanities Tennessee folks, and especially a shout out to Emily Booth Masters, the director of Tennessee Young Writers Programs and my personal contact for the festival! It was great to meet you, however briefly, Emily, at the cocktail reception Saturday night! I hope to see you again soon around Nashville!

I returned home Monday, exhausted and happy to see my kids and, of course, my hubby, Ever-Supportive. I head out again Friday morning at five o'clock for a seven-plus hour trip to Arkansas! In the meantime, prep work, magazine deadlines, library trips and, oh yeah! My kids are on Fall Break, too!

Exhaustedly but happily yours,
XO Candie