Just a short blog post today, folks! My sister and her family are visiting from Kansas, and we are having a blast! So far we’ve hot-tubbed and visited a winery and then hot-tubbed some more. The kids played in the pool, which, at 91, is only ten degrees off from the hot tub. I made my famous sausage risotto, and my daughters are introducing their cousins to the raptures of ZELDA.

But looking ahead towards August … PAYA!! (No, not papaya. Stop looking at that fruit! PAYA — YA in PA!)

If you live anywhere in the greater Philadelphia area and have an interest in reading or writing YA, mark your calendars for Saturday, August 21 and the First Annual PAYA Festival, taking place in West Chester, Pennsylvania at the Center for Performing and Fine Arts.

From the PAYA website:

PAYA is a coalition of Pennsylvania’s young adult authors, bloggers, librarians, readers, and other book-lovers. Our mission is two-fold:

1. To share the love we have for young adult literature with others in our state
2. To raise money to support Pennsylvania’s libraries, with a focus on helping build Young Adult library collections and Young Adult services.

At least 15 authors will be present signing books, including Josh Berk, Shannon Delany, Amy Brecount White, Jennifer Hubbard, and, uh, me. (Awesome company to hang with, huh?)

There will also be two writing workshops! One is for teen writers aged 13-18 and will be led by teen authors Chelsea Swiggett and Kieryn Nicolas. The workshop will run from 1-2pm and costs $10.

The other is a listen and critique workshop, in which YA authors will meet in small groups with attendees, who should bring three pages of a WIP to share. This workshop will run from 10am-noon and costs $40.

Find out more at the PAYA website, where you will soon be able to register for the workshops.

I can’t wait! Dread Daughter #1 already has her eye on that Teen Writer workshop, and I’m hoping to get some signed books from awesome authors to offer up at my 100 Follower Celebration – whenever that happens. (Not quite there, yet …)