I’m back from NYC! This is actually a bad thing since I didn’t want to come home, but whatever. Wish I could say Florida has better air conditioning, but right now it doesn’t. The AC at my day job seems to be busted. FUN TIMES IN SUMMER, LET ME TELL YOU.

I should be used to being hot by now considering I’ve spent the last 28 years in Florida and the last week walking around Manhattan in the middle of a heat wave, but I’m not. At this point, I don’t think I ever will be.

So what was I doing in the city for a week? LOTS. And nothing. It was strange.

I did get to see an awesome play called Masha & Sonia & Vanya & Spike with David Hyde Pierce (and Sigourney Weaver usually, but she had the night off). It was hilarious and, to top it off, we got to meet David Hyde Pierce after the show, get our Playbills signed, and take a picture! He was super nice and really funny. My sisters and I told him that he reminded us of our uncle (because, really, they could be TWINS) and he laughed. And then asked the next people who requested a picture who he reminded them of. I definitely recommend going to see this play if you’re in NYC. Especially while David is still a part of the cast.

What else did I see, you ask? I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED!

I saw Once. That by itself would be amazing enough, but I got to see Once with ARTHUR DARVILL. He may be better known as Rory or The Last Centurion from Doctor Who. Whatever you know him as (or even if you don’t know him at all), this musical was incredible. Unique, touching, funny, beautifully performed, captivating… I could keep pouring descriptors into this paragraph and it wouldn’t be enough. Fantastic show with beautiful music and an extraordinarily talented cast! Like with M&S&V&S, my sisters and I waited to get the Playbill signed. And we did! Almost the entire cast signed our books except Arthur, who I think wasn’t feeling well and left through another entrance. We were sad to miss him but extremely happy that he performed that night!

Other highlights of my trip include visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art and stalking their armor and weapons exhibit, taking pictures for the fantasy book I’m working on. I loved those rooms. SWORDS AND ARMOR AND GUNS, OH MY! It was really cool. I also got a lot of design ideas for my own fantasy world. Fun, fun, fun!

On top of that, I had lunch with the wonderful Michael Stearns from Upstart Crow, the matchmaker who set me up with Danielle Chiotti, agent extraordinaire. It’s always fun to talk to him and I was really happy to get the chance to see him again. Luckily, my beautiful agent was ALSO visiting the city and I got to meet her for lunch on Friday! Our first meeting in person. It kind of felt like our hundred-first. 😀

I saw a comedy show, went to a wedding at a zoo (yes, seriously), walked all over the island of Manhattan, hung out with the incredible Asja and the beautiful Britta from Spencer Hill, ate way too much food, spent time with family, and reveled in being part of one of my favorite cities in the U.S. It was a fantastic week and now I have to go back to normal life.

Honestly, I’m glad I have behind the scenes projects to look forward to and Sing Sweet Nightingale edits to focus on because otherwise coming back to this day job would be too depressing to contemplate. But I’m here! Even if I’m procrastinating actually doing any work by writing this blog post. WHATEVER, OKAY?! I’ve neglected the blog for too long. This post was overdue. So is most of my day job work, but I’m ignoring that fact for the moment.

Here’s hoping one or all of the amazing things in the works happens soon! Here’s hoping my day job will soon consist only of blog posts and world building and emails with editors an agents.

Here’s hoping. <3