Texas continues to be good to me. Yesterday was a great day of feasting and watching movies in the Caine Household. I've given myself a few days off from writing while I'm here, and I can't even begin to say how good it's been for me. I've been sleeping really well at night, and it's funny how when you aren't stressing for story ideas to come, they start to come on their own.

Today I was hosted by librarian Jennifer Shelley at Valley Ranch Library in Irving. Jennifer and everyone else working at the library were so amazing, and their building is beautiful. I was really excited to be there and a bit stunned when I got a look at who turned out to hear me speak:





Holy cow! When the event started, Jennifer counted 65 people there, and more came in afterward. That's the biggest group I've ever spoken to solo. I don't think I can adequately say how thankful and awed I am to everyone who made it. Some people even made considerable drives to get there! I talked about how I got started writing and gave background on the Vampire Academy, Georgina, and Dark Swan series and where they're going. I was apparently making some particularly forceful--and possibly scary--point here, judging from how I clenched my fist:





After talking and answering questions for an hour, I signed books, and people were very, very patient standing in line!







Thank you so much to all of you who waited. Everyone was so cheerful about it too! I hope I wrote interesting enough things in everyone's books.





And of course, I had color-changing Vampire Academy pencils on-hand--the ones that I can never actually demo at events. I think these people had more luck than me:





A lot of people thanked me for coming, but really, thank the library for being so nice as to have me out! I sincerely appreciate it. (And thank you to Jennifer M for sending the lovely present!). The event was so much fun! Afterward, I got to go out to an author dinner at a place that was so Texan, the state of Texas was used in its decor:





The tops of those heads there are author Michele Bardsley and her friend Andrea. The picture's lighting was all weird, and you couldn't really see them. You'll have to take my word that Michele was there. I have better evidence of these folks: Rachel Caine, Jaye Wells, and Mr. Rachel Caine. There appears to be no evidence left of the giant beer Jaye had:





I hope you also noticed the neon cowboy in that picture. Man, this Texan stuff never gets old. The menu actually had such things as antelope, quail, and wild boar. Me, I had the Alamo Chicken--which was not made in the Alamo's basement but was delicious nonetheless.

This is me with Michele's other friend Kaz, visiting from Los Angeles.





The night closed out with an unexpected visitor back at the Caine home. A gecko on their door!





Neat. I'm told they're pretty common here. Apparently, copperheads are also common in some places here, which is a little less neat.

Anyway, it was a great day, and I appreciate everyone who helped make it that way! My flight back to Seattle is tomorrow evening, so I'll get a little more warm weather in before returning to what I'm told are snowy conditions. I don't know what's up with this unusual winter in the Pacific Northwest, but man, it might be worth risking copperheads to live in a town that's in the 80s right now.*



*For my readers abroad, "80s" refers to optimal temperatures in Fahrenheit. Don't worry--I'm not longing to be back in the decade of parachute pants and upturned collars, though that music was outstanding.