I had a great day at the Hudson Book Festival selling some books and chatting a bit with other –there were a hundred! –authors and illustrators. I remembered to take a few photos. Here’s D. Dina Friedman, a member of my writing group and author of Escaping into the Night, a great novel about children hiding in a forest outside Poland during the Holocaust.
Susanna Reich, smiling through the day despite a leg injury, and Gary Golio also write about amazing people in history, with some emphasis on the arts.
Here are Katie Davis and Jerry Davis, another creative husband and wife, with their charming new book, Little Chicken’s Big Day. And peeps.
It was fun to see Kate Messner who we know writes beautifully about both history and contemporary life. I look forward to reading her latest for new readers, Marty McGuire.
Sarah Darer Littman writes with passion important novels for teens.
And here’s Ann Haywood Leal, who never fails to make me laugh, author of Also Known as Harper and other novels for middle readers.
It was a great day, capped by coming home and finding my daughter, who conspired with my husband to surprise me. You might have heard me scream (which Peter captured on video, which I posted on Facebook; if you’re not already my friend there, just send me a request). Emily and I had a wonderful time catching up, eating great food, stopping by at the grandparents, before Peter and I drove her to the airport in the wee hours so she could get back to work today. I’m one tired but happy mom.
Views from a Window Seat 
I love the picture of you and Emily together! What a perfect Mother’s Day surprise. It sounds like a great day all ’round!
By: stephanieburgis on May 9, 2011
at 6:31 pm
Looks like a great festival. And what a nice Mother’s Day surprise!!!
By: karenbschwartz on May 9, 2011
at 6:44 pm
Talk about the best surprise ever! 🙂
By: beckylevine on May 9, 2011
at 6:58 pm
Thanks, Stephanie. I know you celebrated earlier, but I hope you reveled in baby love. This was fantastic, but I’ll never forget my first Mother’s Day as a mom.
By: jeannineatkins on May 9, 2011
at 7:09 pm
It’s kind of hard getting back to the routine today, with me and my words that need revising, but I’m trying!
By: jeannineatkins on May 9, 2011
at 7:10 pm
Absolutely. I’d been whining for weeks about missing her, and it was hard to believe, not a photo, not a hologram, but my real live girl!
Thanks, Becky.
By: jeannineatkins on May 9, 2011
at 7:11 pm
Aww 🙂 The mother-daughter pic is the best — she’s a pretty girl, and I can really see the resemblance!
By: robinellen on May 9, 2011
at 7:26 pm
What a lovely day & such a great surprise! Great photo of you and Emily.
By: jenny_moss on May 9, 2011
at 7:27 pm
Next year I’m going to make it to the Hudson Book Festival for sure. Thanks for the peek.
Glad you had such a happy Mother’s Day surprise!
By: Anonymous on May 9, 2011
at 8:15 pm
Oh, NEAT! The event looked like so much fun, and I love that your daughter came home to surprise you. Yeah! Happy Mother’s Day to you!
By: jeniwrites on May 9, 2011
at 8:27 pm
What a fantastic surprise!!!!! Hooray!
By: jbknowles on May 9, 2011
at 8:33 pm
Hooray for wonderful surprises! Best gift yet :). Enjoyed all the festival photos, thanks.
By: jamarattigan on May 9, 2011
at 9:15 pm
Oh Jeannine, it just makes me happy to see the two of you together celebrating Mother’s Day. What a fabulous surprise!
By: lorrainemt on May 9, 2011
at 11:38 pm
Thanks! She’s really not that much taller than me, but the camera was closer.
By: jeannineatkins on May 10, 2011
at 12:01 am
Hope you had a good Mother’s Day, too, Jenny!
By: jeannineatkins on May 10, 2011
at 12:02 am
Thanks, Monica!
By: jeannineatkins on May 10, 2011
at 12:02 am
It was a short but very very sweet reunion!
By: jeannineatkins on May 10, 2011
at 12:02 am
Couldn’t have been a better Saturday night or Sunday morning!
By: jeannineatkins on May 10, 2011
at 12:03 am
Thanks, Jama. I was happy with the card she sent, and hoping for a phone call… but a hug (or two or ten) in person can’t be beat.
By: jeannineatkins on May 10, 2011
at 12:04 am
I am one very lucky mom. I hope you had a good day, too, Lorraine.
By: jeannineatkins on May 10, 2011
at 12:05 am
Awww! How wonderful to find your daughter waiting at home for you! It doesn’t get any better than that.
By: tamra_wight on May 10, 2011
at 2:15 am
I love this picture and I LOVE that she was able to surprise you like that. What a blessed relationship the two of you have.
By: susanwrites on May 10, 2011
at 5:27 am
You’re right! Best wishes for your spring, Tami!
By: jeannineatkins on May 10, 2011
at 12:55 pm
Both daughter and husband were quite proud of the casual tone they maintained through voice and text that didn’t give me a clue. And yes, blessed to have a daughter so smart, funny, beautiful, loyal friend — and who can take long plane trips in stride!
By: jeannineatkins on May 10, 2011
at 12:57 pm
What a wonderful day! And that is one *beautiful* girl! You both look radiant.
By: candice_ransom on May 11, 2011
at 10:37 am
Thanks, Candice! And we’ve even finally got spring here, too! Tulips! Viburnum! And soon-to-be-blossoming lilacs!
By: jeannineatkins on May 11, 2011
at 5:04 pm