Awesome Day With a FanGirl Moment

Today was a big day.

Son (minus wisdom teeth) headed back to college (go Appalachian State!).

I found out my picture book manuscript, Lois Dreamed, based on my great aunt who was a ground breaker for women for her time and for our Sappony people, won 1st place in the Genre Short Story category at the North Carolina United Tribes Unity Conference Writing Competition. What a great feeling and thank you so much, writing competition judges and coordinators!

Aaaaaand, I got to hear fabulous author Matt de la Peña, most recently of Last Stop on Market Street fame (which now has a Caldecott and a Newbury)!

Despite clearly being an overachiever, Matt was funny and real. Just real. He spoke about being mixed race (Mexican and white) and how that has played into his writing and his life and relationships. He spoke about race and the complexity of family and the larger impact that has on youth and adults. I had a #fangirl moment and had my picture taken after he signed my book. And yes, that's an awfully big purse I have. I probably could have fit all the reception snacks into it. Not like I did or anything. *walks away nonchalantly

Awesome day.