Last night’s SFWA Pacific Northwest Reading Series reading in Portland, the first once since I took over from Mary Robinette Kowal, went off smashingly. The crowd was a bit smaller than last time, perhaps because this one was on a Monday rather than a Tuesday, but those who attended had a fabulous time.

Tonight (Tuesday) the series returns to the Seattle area with another reading at the Wild Rover Restaurant and Pub, 111 Central Way, Kirkland, WA 98033. New York Times Best-selling author Kat Richardson hosts and reads, along with Ted Kosmatka and Shanna Germain. The reading begins at 7:00 and is free and open to the public. For more information and to RSVP, please see http://www.sfwa.org/for-readers/sfwa-northwest-reading-series/.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the Kirkland reading this time, because tomorrow morning we are flying off to Venice!

We’ll be spending a month in Europe on what we’re calling the “Fallen Empires Tour:” Venice, Bologna, Vienna, several towns in the Czech Republic, Prague, Dresden, and Berlin. I must confess I’m a little freaked out that this is finally happening after so many months of planning, but I expect we’ll have a blast. I hope to blog frequently, with photos, during the trip, but that will depend on the availability of time, energy, and wifi. Take good care of the US while we’re gone.