The last few weeks have been so fun. In addition to our trip to London for study abroad, I’ve had a couple booksignings. It’s been so much fun to connect with readers I’ve known via social media for awhile — there’s something about meeting in person that’s so fun!

On Saturday I was at one of my favorite independent bookstores down in Nashville, Indiana. Nashville is a charming little town that is a fun place to escape. It reminds me of Estes Park or Mackinac Island. It’s a great escape and in the fall is filled with the color of changing leaves. There are so many charming shops and restaurants. One of my favorites is Naughty Dog Books.

I love Naughty Dog Books. It is such a beautiful store and really reminds me of the many shops in England in the way it has personality. It’s a former bank, and they’ve turned the vault into the True Crime Vault. So fun! The bookstore extends bank and is filled with reading areas and so many sections of books.

I met so many new readers, but also this sweet reader who drove over from Kentucky. Y’all, it’s amazing to have y’all make the effort to come to our signings. You have no idea how encouraging it is. Sometimes — often — we write these books and send them into the void. We occasionally get an email or comment; other times reviews that are so important to others discovering our books. But meeting in person is quite fun.

Isn’t the bookstore so cute? If you’re in Grand Rapids, I’d love to have you join me Saturday afternoon at Baker Book House from 3-5 p.m. I’ll also be signing books at the Island Bookstore on Mackinac Island on Tuesday afternoon from 1-3. It’s always more fun when I get to meet friends!

Last week we also got to attend the USA Swimming Olympic Trials. As a former (slow) swimmer, it was amazing to watch the semi-finals and finals two nights with my swimmers. Watching the officials was hilarious and interesting — I told my husband that as someone who spends a lot of time on deck at our kids’ swim meets, serving on deck at the Olympic Trials has not been added to my bucket list. I loved being in the stands though. There’s something amazing about celebrating with those who get the two spots on the Olympic team for each event. And at the same time, there are swimmers who’ve worked just as many years and are fractions of a second behind — sometimes a mere touch. That was hard to watch and consider.

There are actually a lot of paralells with writing. You can do all the work — but there are only so many spots with traditional publishers. One of the things I love about being in the Christian publishing is how much we encourage each other. It’s really something special. If you are an aspiring writer, be sure to check out this year’s line up of workshops and speakers at the American Christian Fiction Writers national conference September 5-8 in New Orleans. And if you’re a reader, consider joining us September 5-7 in New Orleans for Storyfest.

My husband and I are slipping away for a couple quiet days. Any recommendations for books I should read?

In celebration of summer holidays and reading, I want to give away some books to some lucky readers. Often when I’m interviewing authors for Book Talk, publishers send me advanced reader copies of the books. I’d love to share the wealth with you. Just use the form below to enter. Good luck and happy reading! a Rafflecopter giveaway