Bookmania in Waynesville brought together over 40 authors on Saturday, in the First Presbyterian Church. It brought us together, all right. It was quite crowded.

I shared a table with Phil Bowie, a mystery writer, on my left and Cecil Bothwell, on my right. I had brought several photographs and my book of pictures, but I had room for only a couple of things.

It seemed that most visitors came first thing in the morning,  went to panel discussions and then left. So you really had to grab them as they passed by your table. I always offer a bookmark – something for them to take home.

Most of us were on a panel. I was paired with a guy who had written a history of whitewater paddling and another who was involved in the North Carolina Birding Trail. It wasn’t really a panel, with discussion back and forth. Rather, we each had 10 minutes to talk and then the audience asked questions.

I left at 4 P.M. completely exhausted. I seemed to have talked and talked for hours but also sat for that many hours. I went hiking the next day.

Was it worth the day? I don’t want to think about that. If I’m invited, I go. I certainly got a lot of exposure.