I'm Home

I just took the whirlwind trip to New York City that I'd mentioned in my last post.  I flew there on Saturday, had a wonderful time at the Dog Writers Association of America's seminar and awards ceremony on Sunday, and flew back home on Monday. 

It was fast.  It was fun.  No, I didn't win the Maxwell Award for my first Barkery & Biscuits Mystery BITE THE BISCUIT, but I still had a great time.  The winner of that category was Sheila Webster Boneham for CATWALK, the third book in her Animals in Focus Mysteries, and I'm really happy for her. 

I left 80 degree temperatures in L.A. to brave cold that dipped as low as zero, I think, while I was there.  I took the opportunity to walk nearly a mile to a bookstore (what else?!) despite the cold.  And when my plane left Newark on Monday it had to be deiced before it could depart. 

I met a lot of other people who love, and write about, dogs--mostly nonfiction articles and books.  The timing was to coincide with the Westminster Dog Show, and the DWAA event was held in the Hotel Pennsylvania, across the street from Madison Square Garden, the dog show's location.  While there, I glimpsed members of quite a few different dog breeds preparing for the show.  Heaven! 

And before you ask--yes, I did see Cavalier King Charles Spaniels!  I'd seen other breeds in the hotel lobby but I think I was fated to see Cavaliers since the hotel had some problems finding me a room.  When I returned to the lobby I saw two Cavaliers, and one of the owners told me their initial showing would be at the penthouse level of the hotel early the next morning.  Of course I headed there and got a glimpse of some of them being groomed.   

Anyway, I'm home now and have a lot of stuff to do to even consider catching up.  Am I glad I went?  Absolutely! 

And in case you didn't catch it before, I'm really pleased and proud to be a finalist in the fiction category of the Maxwell Awards.