On the Waterfront with NYMB

 Rendezvousing with Pat Nelson at the Budd Bay Cafe

For the past couple of years I've been involved with the launch of a new anthology series, Not Your Mother's Book, by Dahlynn and Ken McKowen of Orangevale, CA. We're a far-flung lot, those of us collaborating on these hilarious collections. There's Laurel McHargue in Leadville, CO, Kathy Baker in Plano, TX, Linda O'Connell in St. Louis, MO, Maggie Lamond Simone in Baldwinsville, NY, Maggie Yee Webb and Nancy Withers not far from Sacramento, CA, and two us in Washington State...but separated by 450 miles and the Cascades.

We're a dauntless tribe, though. So Pat Nelson, who is cocreating the fifth book in the series, On Parenting, drove north from her home in Woodland, WA, to meet me in Olympia, WA, at the waterfront's Budd Bay Cafe for breakfast this past Saturday since I'd been in town for the Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission.

On the first three titles, On Women, On Being a Stupid Kid and On Dogs, Pat's served as proofreader, while I've been copy editor. I'm cocreator with Dahlynn and Ken on the fourth title, On Travel, to be released March 26.

Great news, NYMB contributors. Ken, Pat and I have spent the past day or so looking at the manuscript one final time and it goes to the printer this afternoon!

What a joy it was to chat across the table with Pat, who quipped the night before that we'd probably pull out our cell phones at breakfast and communicate via Facebook! We didn't...I don't really text on my little Trac phone...and besides, it was just too much fun to talk with Pat in person.

Both Pat and I are hoping the McKowen's will host a Cinco de Mayo party again this year and we can connect with more of the cocreators in Orangevale!