Fest starts tomorrow, and I am SO HYPED. (Of course, that might be the cup and a half of joe I had to keep me from falling flat on my face before I finished packing. But hey! Go with it!)

The moon is nearing full, the weather has been beautiful lately and is supposed to continue to be so, and pretty soon I'll get to scamper around my favorite playground like a rambunctious squirrel.

BounceBounceBounceBounceBounce!!!! !

The only thing that's going to be REALLY weird is that this is the first time in ten years I'll be out there and NOT have a book in the works. Granted, Book Three is still in edits, but all the big content stuff is done (I hope).

(The hard part will be not telling everybody what's going to happen. It's like having a really cool birthday present planned and knowing you're going to have to wait a year until the recipient unwraps it. I'm HORRIBLE about displaying that kind of patience.)

I'll just have to concentrate on short story material. I've already typed up a few bits of inspiration for Ryna: The High School Years, and it's been interesting seeing the world through much younger versions of her, Niki, and Tanek. It unexpectedly explained Tanek's Spartan decorating style and his gift with shields, which convinced me more than ever that I really have nothing to do with creating these things. I'm just the conduit.

I'm okay with that.

I wonder what stories will choose to bless me this year?