ABC Event with Author Mary Quattlebaum, Germantown MD

I am really excited to let you know how I got on with this, my first event, as a member of SCBWI! I must be honest the whole thing almost never happened for me but it did and I am so glad that I did this.

Well as you may know (or may not know) but I work a day job and although this event was on a Sunday that is also one of my busiest days! It was for this reason that I decided to start really early, midnight to be exact.

Now keep in mind that this event was not scheduled to kick off until 2pm and you start to get the idea of how determined I was not to miss this. So anyway work went a lot longer than I was anticipating, isn't that always the way when you are trying to be somewhere else.

I actually got home and had a quick shower, got changed (obviously as I do not shower with my clothes on!) and left the house, notepad in hand. I left the house at 12:30 and was looking at slightly over an hour drive down Interstate 81 and then onto Interstate 70. GPS was in the car and the destination co ordinates were in and verified. I was actually making good time until.......

I was just about to head past Frederick when cars in front of me became stationary. I was not to move more than a few feet for the next twenty or so minutes. It was at this point I honestly just felt like turning around and going on home. A quick phone call to my fiance though soon changed that around and within a few minutes it seemed I was on my way again.

As I passed the accident scene it was clear that everyone was alright. It seems that a pick up truck, carrying wood (or maybe had a wooden side) had come off the road due to the wind most likely and the wood had smashed all over I-70.

I was cruising to the meeting and although I would be a few moments late I wasn't concerned with that, at least I would be there. I had actually emailed the organizer a week or so before to ask if I could come and then I did explain that I may be late due to work. This I was told would not be a problem, which it wasn't.

I arrived at the library, eventually. The GPS had me turn off a road before the library and so I was parked behind a row of shops! Not sure if my car was safe but I didn't really care at that point. Now to get to the library.

Once in the library I headed to the Children's book section. I figured Children's author, aspiring Children's writers go to their book section. Seemed logical to me. No one there but kids and curious parents looking at this strange guy walking around the section, looking into the various rooms throughout the section. I did this throughout the library, all three levels and being a man I didn't ask a single information desk for assistance!

Now twenty minutes late I did eventually see a free librarian and did ask her. She pointed to a dark hallway at the very side of the library. Hidden more it couldn't have been! I walked down and there I saw a whole bunch of women talking about Children's books. I walked in, silently. sat down, silently and listened to Mary Quattlebaum.....silently!