The final day was Sunday, and the sky finally cleared. Temps were warm and more like Arizona (and Southern California, for that matter) in the winter.
Sunday was my panel day, and I started out with what I think--and many others mentioned, too--the best, and funniest panel. Authors, even though they might write some very serious work, are a hoot when we get together. And yes, that was only water in our water bottles.
The panel was Plotting with David Polan, Michael Palmer, Dana Stabinow, and me. And it was a lot of fun with a lot of laughter.
There she is with her mouth open, as usual. A big and energetic crowd.
Next up was my signing at Poison Pen Bookstore booth and I was sitting next to Nevada Barr. I noticed that those with desert themes and Tucson detectives did particularly well at the modest festival.
Nevada was next to me, talking with Poison Pen publisher and bookstore owner Barbara Peters. I'm being mysterious in the shadows.
Then I was moderating a panel talking about villains with (left of me) Thomas Perry, Andrew Gross, and Gregg Hurwitz. Also a good and responsive crowd.
Our last panel of the day--and it is always a killer having the last panel on the last day, because everyone wants to leave right after--was a complete mash-up of new guests and moderator. Christopher Reich, who was supposed to be on the panel, had knee surgury and was unable to come. And others...who knows? So instead we had moderator Jane Eppinga, Alan Jacobson, Daniel Palmer (author Michael Palmer's son), and James C. Mitchell.
Other highlights included rampaging evangelists holding signs, getting into fights with bescarfed Muslim women, and telling all and sundry that we were going to hell. Heck, we know that! Look at the stuff we're reading and writing. In a handbasket, my friend.
Don't you feel the love in this message?
The Science area was very cool for children and adults, where we learned all about growing mushrooms (the kind you eat, not "shrooms"). The students working on this project were looking for ways to do some sustainable ag, by using coffee grounds or straw in a plastic bag and selling kits to people to grow their own. And now my hubby is excited to use the left over grain from his beer brewing to grow spores one of the students happily gave him. (Oops. Should we have declared that at the border? "Hey dude, these are our spores.")
More wacky costumed persons, like this lovely shot I got of the backside of an elephant.
Tail! Heh. All in all, a very successful weekend. Yes, I think I'll be back. (But I didn't enjoy the seven hour drive back Sunday night, getting in at 12:30 am. We have to make sure the hubby gets that Monday off next year.)
Okay ... curiosity's getting the better of me. How, exactly, did the rampaging evangelists get into the act? Or, for that matter, the science fair? Or was the science in aid of the cookbook authors?
Enjoyed your description. (^_^)
Posted by: Mario R. | March 11, 2013 at 01:49 PM