Happy Labor Day!

This morning, I stood at the stove, flipping pancakes for the youngest boy, trying not to notice all the dirt on my kitchen floor, when my mind drifted back to some of the blog posts I had just read.

Posts about Kate Messner's launch party and book signing for THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, and the people who traveled there to see her, plus the amazing bookstores, The Flying Pig and Bookstore Plus, who hosted Kate.

Posts about Kristy Dempey's book signing for ME WITH YOU and the people who traveled there to see her, plus the incredible bookstore, Hooray For Books, who hosted Kristy.

Posts about the Decatur Book Festival, the many authors who participated, and the people who traveled there to see them, plus the awesome bookstore, The Little Shop of Stories, that provided the books.

As I thought about these posts, the people in them, and the amazing books the reason for them, I got teary! And then I realized I had burnt the pancakes. It's okay. I always make extra batter.

I love our community. It's the people who have such passion for what we do that make this job of ours so much fun.

This Labor Day, when we are supposed to take pause and rest from our work, I am grateful for the day off from my day job so I can labor at the one I really love.

Thanks for being such a big part of this amazing, frustrating, heart-warming and at times, heart-breaking, writerly job!