TAKE ME TO YOUR BBQ was properly launched this weekend! I owe a big thanks to Valerie Kohler and the staff at Blue Willow Bookshop for a fun and successful event. Not only were they terrific hosts, but Valerie also judged the tinfoil hat contest, and Cathy Berner made sure I was where I was supposed to be when I was supposed to be there.

Race Carter did a wonderful job manning the tinfoil table. Here he is helping Perry, Laura, Lindi, and George Ruthven get started on their hats.  Laura is one of my lovely critique partners who helped make the day  go smoothly.

The energetic audience  YIPPEE-KI-YO’d with me in their tin foil hats.  They were phenomenal! I loved sharing the story of Adam McCauley’s star maps and his beautiful illustrations.

Then Valerie judged the hat contest. First prize went to Cora’s flowing masterpiece!

Second place went to Frank Rose’s conceptual ? piece. (Valerie didn’t know he’s my son-in-law!)

There were many other great hats. Here are a few.

A fascinating tinfoil fascinator created by Lynne Hoenig.

A perky little thing created by Connie Woodman:

A wicked number by Kara Duval, my daughter who visited from Santa Fe to attend the event:

And a strangely wonderful piece by Constance Braden:

I truly appreciated all the people who came to celebrate the day with me. Family, friends old and new, and supporters from my writing community made the day truly lovely!

Here I am with another one of my critique partners, Vonna Carter. She took all these pictures (except this one)! She has helped in a multitude of ways to help me get the word out. Thank you, Vonna!

I was delighted to see Vicki Sansum, the RA for our Houston SCBWI chapter, and  Charles Trevino, former RA.  I LOVE my writing community!!

And when it was all over— lo and behold!

Only one of those BBQ cupcakes was left!