Melinda Morley

First of all, this was dreamy:

 If you are guessing that this is me and Kirby Larson, the fantabulous author of Newberry Honor winning Hattie Big Sky, you are right. Good job. (She also signed my book, “to my fellow writer, Melinda. Isn’t she smart? [I so did not tell her to! Okay, maybe I hinted. A little.)

If you didn’t know, for crying out loud, read the book. Not Reader’s Digest Secrets of the Universe, (Does anyone remember that old commercial besides me? “read the book”) but Hattie Big Sky. I so recommend it.

Anyway, I spent the last two days in Provo at UVSC with several WONDERFUL authors, illustrators, and fellow writer friends.

I took some great notes, and when I get around to it, I will share.

I met a couple of fabulous people. Avan, who I knew from the BYU WIFYR last summer and her cousin Kate. We had too much fun. The kind that you are sad when it is over. Alas, they write mostly picture book and I YA and ne’r the twain shall mix, so we parted ways. (Not until I snagged their email addresses, though.)

And I am not kidding when I say, I had a terrible nightmare last night.

I dreamt that my book was published. And I had a “special” author-to-fan phone call. And  cute little middle grader wanted to ask me questions about my book. I was very pleased to talk to a fan. But then, she read a quote  from my book and said it didn’t make any sense and then she proceeded to tell me all the things that were wrong with my book.

It was terrible. Here I had finally published a book and it was lousy! I had no fan mail, but one little email and I thought, “well, I guess this is one of those books that no one notices very much.”

I was okay with that. In my dreams.

Does this mean I’m a real writer–now that I’m having nightmares about it?!