Gosh I just can't say how much of a wonderful time we had in Nashville........

Nora is probably the nicest woman, that I've ever run across.......and she writes one hell of a story too.

Tammy and I met Tracey and her friend, Sherry and Irene at Ruby Tuesdays for a snack around 2:00 pm and talked and gabbed until about 3:30.......then we went over to the mall and bought some "gifts" for Nora to put into the bags that we had already started for her. "All of us Board Broads" ....... decided to put a care package together for her, M&M;'s (plain) diet Pepsi, and fresh hot McDonalds French fries.......and some bath and body stuff to pamper her while she's on the grueling 3 week tour......

Then we headed over to the bookstore to pick up our books and get ready for her arrival.

I bought my copy of Homeport cause I wanted to make sure I had it ready for Nora to sign. The bookstore is starting to fill up with people, and I stop to chat with some of them, giving them information about our "chat" areas, and telling them about the list of all her books that I have that is just wonderful...

Anyway, we talk, and gab, and gush about what a wonderful writer Nora is........and then we make our way over to the "signing" area, and sit down on the benches they have ready for us......

Then Nora walks in and is introduced by someone that works there.......Nora proceeds to say she's going to read to us the first part of Homeport..........and then starts reading about the first 4 pages of the book.......and gets to a part where the "female" just gets out of her car and is grabbed from behind and a knife is stuck to her throat..........and Nora says, "You have to buy the book to find out what happens next......"

I started thinking, do you know how long it's been since someone has actually "read" to me, probably since about 2-3rd grade.....it was really neat, and all I could think about is ......"this is NORA, the woman who WROTE this book, and she's READING it to me"......it was a thrill.

Then after she read the excerpt from the book she spent about 10 minutes and answered questions from people in the audience. Well since I read the message boards, and Nora does post often, I already knew the answers to the questions being asked.........

But I did ask the final question....."What book are you working on now?" And she began to tell us that she's just started a new Trilogy that is going to be set in Ireland (The Born In trilogy was set there too).....but this is another part of Ireland.....and the "family" owns a pub there.........it sounds really great.

Then we all lined up to get our books signed.

So we waited in line, and finally we all got up to where she was. I had taken three other books that she's written in to also be signed: her first book written, one of 4 of a series (the one that is very,very hard to find), and the first in the In Death series by J,D.Robb........plus my copy of Homeport.

She was very gracious, and signed all 4 of my books........I introduced myself, and she recognized my "screen name" from the boards.........we talked briefly.....and I did get some pictures of her signing my books.....really cool.

Then we waited until everyone had gone through the line, and hung around while she signed the rest of her books that were at the store......I thought that was really neat that she would sign the other books for people who would come in later that missed her stop.

Anyway, we started talking with her, and we gave her her gifts, and she gushed......and was really appreciative of them, and then we had a "group" picture taking session, where we got someone to take pictures of "all of us" together.....and that was really cool.

Then .......as we're all standing around....Nora says, "Would all of you like to come back to my Hotel and have a drink with me in the bar before I go up to my room?"

You could have heard a pin drop, and when we picked our jaws up off the ground, we all accepted.........what a thrill.

So the four of us, Tammy, Sherry, Irene, and I drove over to the hotel, and as we rounded the corner to the bar, there was Nora, waiting for us to share a drink with her.............

This was one of those really ritzy hotels in downtown Nashville, with the piano player IN the bar with a grand piano..........so here we sat, the other ladies had wine, but I only could handle a Pepsi........and we sat there, for about 45 minutes talking and chatting with the Queen........it was like being in a dream......I kept looking over at Tammy (who was sitting right next to be, and right next to Nora), and we both kept saying under our breaths, "I can't believe we're here having a drink with Nora Roberts!!!!!"

It was so very cool.

We could tell that Nora was getting tired, and by this time we'd finished our drinks. As we get up to pay the check, Nora says, "I'm getting this, .......and thank you ladies, for coming buy and having a drink with me............" She was gracious to the end.....a really classy lady.

So we walk her to the elevators, and she proceeds to hug everyone of us goodbye.........

We all walk out of there on cloud nine........shaking our heads and saying, "We just had a drink with Nora Roberts"

We head over to the Italian Restaurant down the street, and proceed to spend the next hour eating wonderful Italian food, and talking about what a wonderful day we've all had.......by this time it's about 9:30 and we figure we'd better get on the road for the 45 minute ride to Clarksville.

So we head out, almost loose Sherry and Irene on the way, but finally by 11:00 we make it safely to Tammy's house.........

We all bring our stuff in, and then head into the computer room, to get on the "message boards" and Tammy posted her "experience" while all of us threw comments at her .......it was a lot of fun.

So after we've posted on the board, then we decide it's time for Champagne and the Hot tub.......so we all get in our suits, and head outside on the back porch. On the way Tammy grabs some glasses and I grab a bottle of Champagne......and they all pile into the tub, while I open the Champagne and pour it........I got to open all three of the bottles of champagne, something that I've never done before, and I got to shoot all three corks off into the yard, and that was cool........

We all talked and gabbed in the hot tub, and basically had wonderful girl time. The three others drank most of the champagne, I only had one small glass, but it was the spirit of the thing....... Sherry really let her hair down and consumed most of the three bottles of champagne.......and later that night and this morning was hating life.....but all in all we had a great time.......

Then about 1:00 am we got out of the hot tub, Tammy who had to get up this morning and go to work, went to bed, and the three of us Sat at the computer and composed our "posts" for the message boards about our trip to Nashville to meet Nora.....and that was fun.

Finally about 2:00 am we all went upstairs and crashed in our beds........until I woke up about 8:00 am this morning........

Then this morning we got up, and had coffee, and got ready for "going out" into the world. Around 10:00 we left Tammy's and we headed over to Wal-Mart so Sherry could buy a book she hadn't found yesterday, then it was over to Cracker Barrel to have some breakfast......

Then I brought Sherry and Irene over to the used bookstore by Gate 6....and we went through the shelves for more books......it was fun. We didn't fine any more Noras that we didn't already have, but Sherry found two books that she was looking for.....brand new, but for 1/2 price.....really cool.

Then I gave them directions on how to get back to the freeway, and sent them on their way back down to Alabama.............

It was fun..........and I had the bestest time..........and to top it off, I've got this wonderful book to read..........off to turn the first page of Homeport.........

Crystal

Two books to go to be in the "Queen's Court" :-)