The author panel

The author panel on October 17 went really well.

I was pleased to meet Dr. Oziewicz and Ali Zimmerman Zuckerman as well as Gregory Maguire. There were about twenty people in attendance, which was smaller than I'd hoped, but the conversation was lively. (I know David Lenander took pictures, but he hasn't yet sent them to me.) David had sent Gregory Maguire a copy of The Wild Swans because he was interested to know what other authors would be there. It just so happens that his next book (to be released next year) is Swanbrother, the story of the last brother from the same Hans Christian Andersen story that I based The Wild Swans on, so he was interested in reading my book.

He was kind enough to describe it to the crowd as "brilliant," which made me extremely happy. Since it was clear he had read it and liked it, I plucked up my courage to ask whether he would consider giving me a blurb for the upcoming ebook release.

Reader, he said yes!

Here is the inscription he left in the copy of Wicked that he signed for me: "in respect and admiration."

Okay, that made my month.