A Very Good Reason To Mark Your Calendar for the Kerrytown BookFest 2011!

This blog ostensibly deals with children’s lit, especially children’s lit by Michigan authors and illustrators. But as any of you who’ve followed JTC for more than 2 minutes know, when I’m not in total blog-neglect mode, I do tend to wander a bit. In other words, it’s total eclectic-lady-land here: children’s lit blog entries alternating with bad poetry, workout reviews, random observations, short rants, long rants, and the occasional recipe.

But I think I’m somewhat on target with this blog entry, am I not?

That is, though it’s not pertinent to children’s lit, it does connect to the Michigan literary scene, yes?

Or at least that’s my story and I’m sticking with it.  But truth be told, this blog entry is really just an “I’m screaming because I’m so excited!” fan post!

(One tries not to be so excitable, but, well, there it is.  Excitability in a 43-year-old may not pretty, but it does happen.  Avert your eyes and carry on as best you can...)

And just what, you may be wondering, is the cause of my excitement?

Louise Penny will be at the 2011 Kerrytown BookFest!!!!!!

I hope you’re already familiar with author Louise Penny. If not, you should know that Louise Penny’s novels are utterly absorbing. I’m a mystery reader in general, but I read her novels not just, or even primarily, for the mystery and plot. It’s her characters that pull me in. They are real people to me – people I’ve met and gotten to know. People I think I should include on my Christmas card list before I remember, “oh, yeah, they’re not real.”

But really...

They are.

Read her books, and you'll know what I mean.

Anyway, this is all to say:  You absolutely must mark your calendar now for the next Kerrytown BookFest. Sunday, September 11, 2011 in Ann Arbor. Be there! There will be something for everyone*, but more importantly, there will be…

Louise Penny!!!!

To keep posted on all the latest Kerrytown BookFest guests, please see their web site, Facebook page, or Twitter feed.  I look forward to seeing you there.  I'll be the one stalking, er, enthusastically following Louise Penny around.  :)

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*This past September I had the pleasure and privilege of being one of the many guest authors at the Kerrytown BookFest. The 2010 author line-up included authors for all reading interests and genres, and the 2011 line-up is sure to follow suit. Many of the 2010 authors (including me!) plan or hope to be back, and many new ones will be added. For reference, the 2010 authors were:

Doug Allyn; Eric Alstrom; Steve Amick; Jennifer Armintrout; Toby Barlow; Ruth McNally Barshaw; Marybeth Bayer; Barbara Brown; Marlee Brown; Bonnie Jo Campbell; Mark Crilley; Deborah Diesen; Loren D. Estleman; Colleen Gleason; Gail Griffin; Bryan Gruley; Steve Hamilton; Susan Kathleen Hartung; Amy Huntley; Steve Klein; Arie Koelewyn; William Kent Krueger; Steve Lehto; Mardi Link; Steve Luxenberg; Thomas Lynch; Donald Lystra; Ellen McCarthy; Craig McDonald; Michael Glenn Monroe; Heather O'Neal; Ann Pearlman; Sharon Pomerantz; Lev Raphael; Kristina Riggle; Nicola Rooney; David Small; John Smolens; Keith Taylor; Debbie Taylor; Wendy Webb; Judge William Whitbeck; and Michael Zadoorian.