The 2nd Annual Santa Clarita Literacy Arts Festival has all the markings of a growing into an important book fair. I imagine a thousand or so people attended, and organized so close to the holidays, I thought that a respectable showing. You could feel the hustle-bustle of holiday shopping in the air.
If you made it, a big thanks for attending this event and hanging out with a bunch of book people, hearing some festive music, funny storytellers and eating some delicious but bankable unhealthy fair food!!
I signed books beside Alva Sachs, first time author and fun creator of Circus Fever, a really cute young readers picture book about discovering the circus, met a lot of new folks and saw a few friends from the past. Hart Park, the venue for the signing, is the homestead of the late great silent picture cowboy/film mogul William S. Hart whose mansion (now a museum worth a visit to) sits atop a hill that borders the park. A small bit of trivia – there is a herd of buffalo that roam a field adjoining the Hart Museum in the hills of Santa Clarita just 25 miles north of LA! Isn’t Los Angeles full of surprises?
Hanging out in Hart Park in Mid-December without a jacket!
The last day of November couldn’t have ended better. Ma Maison, a wonderful gift store I’ve been collecting glass ornaments from for years, hosted a book signing this past Sunday (Nov. 30th). Katie, Ede, Claire and her husband Gilles made the day extra special – they set the mood with aromatic candles, spirited Christmas music, fanciful decorations, scones, brownies and cookies. To top it off, they even provided chilled chocolate milk for the kids to wash down the crumbs – Katie’s child-rearing experience showed!
The weather was postcard perfect – sunny, warm and unbelievable for a late November day. Just the kind of weather people move to Southern California for!
My thanks go out to all of you who came – several folks purchased a book weeks earlier and came back for an inscription – I’m touched and grateful for your support. A special thanks to Sophia and Brandon, who sat with us for some time and searched the North Pole maps over and over to find all the hidden clues. They may still be looking for a few, but then that’s what it’s all about.
The Great Mrs. Claus will be sold at Ma Maison throughout December, so please stop by and check out this unique and personable store. Katie, Ede, Claire and their staff are fantastic to visit with and informative about their products.
(l. to r.) Katie, Claire & Chris resisting the cookies!
