"I like big butts and I cannot lie"*

I've been jet setting around the country the last few weeks! I just got back from quiet, relaxing Vermont last night, but when I last left you, I was headed for the SCBWI L.A. conference, which was the complete opposite of quiet and relaxed. This year was bigger and better than ever for me. And this post is all about name-dropping.

(I finally got to see the Hollywood sign!)

I had lots of on-line friends to meet up with this year, which made the whole experience much less intimidating this time around. I was super excited to have dinner plans for Friday night with none other than kidlit-discussion-board guru Verla Kay, her best friend and author Linda Joy Singleton, and other awesome blueboarders. Go me! (Sorry, one of my guilty-pleasure cheerleading movies is on right now! Gold star to the first person who comments with the right movie.)

Some of my favorite moments were busting a move to "Baby Got Back" (among other great dance songs) with my new friends, including my roomie and YA author Julia Karr (whose book XVI comes out in January), listening to mad-scientist of an author M.T. Anderson talk about his writing process, having a great conversation with Newbery winner Susan Patron, and well basically the whole conference (except for the mandatory conference mental break-down on Saturday afternoon...thanks to the hubby for talking me down).

(Here's a few more famous "literary" figures I crossed paths with while in L.A.)

Coming up next: conference nuggets from the likes of Gail Caron Levine, Rachel Vail, and Gennifer Choldenko.

*Sir Mix-A-Lot