This month has been a memorable one. I was fortunate to spend a much-needed break in my home state with the people I know and love and even some I met only briefly.

I would like to send a big thank you to Mrs. Beeman and all of the students for inviting me to their school in Winnsboro. It was a delight to meet these promising young people and to speak about writing and Louisiana history.

My next stop was northwestern Louisiana – Shreveport, to be exact. There I attended the Louisiana Library Association convention. I spent an afternoon with many librarians and Pelican Publishing sales manager Laura Midgett. What a pleasant surprise it was to discover that The Diary of Marie Landry is already on many Louisiana library bookshelves.

Later on in the month, I headed south to my hometown of New Orleans and spent some time with my Salmen High students, my cousins, old friends, not to mention a few new friends. It was an honor to see all these folks at the Maple Street Book Shop uptown, not far from where I grew up. I have to thank Cindy D. for organizing the event for me.

My latest event was a book signing at the Books-A-Million in Monroe, Louisiana. My dear friend Rhonda drove 4 1/2 hours just to have me sign her books! I also met Roxanne there – she’s a wonderful teacher who invited me to a poetry reading by the For Louisiana Boys and Girls Club. The kids showcased their brilliant writing, and I was honored to have been invited.

Writing has always been a part of my life, and I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to share my experience and novel with so many readers over the past month. Thanks, y’all, for an amazing time!