My children were out of school on Monday and Tuesday, so we headed to South Georgia to visit Alissia’s hometown of Jesup.  We stayed at my mother’s house, along with my sister and her youngest children.  Not only was it my mom’s birthday on Sunday, but one of my nephews also.  It was the perfect weekend with my family.  I even got to see my oldest nephew for a short moment as he stopped in town on his way back to college in Virginia.

My sister accompanied me to my speaking engagement at the public library on Saturday, and my aunt surprised me with her presence.  Since I teach ESL, I’m used to standing in front of people, talking and answering questions.  I love to talk, and public speaking fits my personality perfectly.  I enjoyed meeting everyone and hope to read something one day from those interested in becoming an author.

Monday afternoon I had the pleasure of doing a book signing at Coastal Manor in Ludowici.  Not only did I get to meet some of my readers, but my mother was by my side, and I enjoyed our time together.  (I believe my mother is my biggest fan.)  The people at Coastal Manor have been very supportive of my writing, and I am grateful to them for their kind words.  My mother is very blessed to know each of them.

Dazzling Designs and Tanning in Jesup still has some copies for sale, and I also left some with my mother, if you don’t like to order from online.  Otherwise, you can find Unexpected Metamorphosis at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and all other main book sellers.

As with any time I spend with my family, there’s always a funny story to tell.  (I could write many books on the crazy things we do when together.)  My sister was installing a dishwasher for my mom while I was in the shower, trying to get ready for the book signing.  She cut the power off, and the water soon stopped.  I had to spend fifteen minutes standing in the shower freezing, with shampoo in my hair and eyes.  Needless to say, I promised my sister I would be murdering a red head in one of my future novels, and I won’t show any mercy!

I don’t get to see my family often, and my busy life easily gets in the way of our relationship.  While this weekend built memories I will never forget, it also reminded me of how important family is.  As I’m nearing another birthday, I can’t help but remember that our time here on earth is limited, and we should cherish the family we grew up with.  They’ve put up with us and loved us the longest 🙂

I left my camera, and this was my sister’s attempt with my iphone 5, still not good. 

My mother and biggest fan.