Girls' Night Out @Turn the Page Bookstore in Boonsboro, Maryland

[a collage of 4 photos, from left to right, top then bottom: a standing chalkboard sign with "Girls' Night Out Guest Authors: Nora Roberts/JD Robb Lucy Score Madison Score Carla Vergot Lisa Proulx Sherianne Nemby; 3 stacks of paperback copies of Iktome by Sherianne Newby and 1 stack of Nomad Through Time: A Poetic Collection by Sherianne Newby; 1 stack of Lily Barlow: The Mystery of Jane Dough and 2 stacks of Lily Barlow: The Mystery in the Mangroves; a canvas tote bag with "Turn the Page Bookstore Boonsboro, Maryland"]

[a collage of 2 photos from left to right: a tall street light post with an attached banner reading "LOVE your Local Boonsboro, Md Gifts Inn Boonsboro; a standing chalkboard sign with "GNO Thur May 9th 5-9PM curiouser & curiouser Town Wide Event" leaning against the outer wall of a boutique that sells a variety of new and vintage merchandise]

[a collage of 2 photos from left to right: smiling author Lucy Score seated at a table while "a patron" stands next to her; paperback copy of The Blast from the Past by Lucy Score with the Turn the Page Bookstore sales receipt sticking up above the front cover]

Fun road trip to Turn the Page Bookstore in Boonsboro, Maryland Thursday night! It was cool, gray, and rainy as we stood in line, but the experience was worth the wait. Nora Roberts spoke to me and gently touched my arm but I was too awestruck to ask to snap her picture (and I'll force myself to wash my arm even though my inner fangirl doesn't want to erase the touch DNA as proof of the encounter).

Also, telling myself NOT to start reading The Blast from the Past* tonight no matter how much I really, really want to despite my early start time Friday morning.

Thought I'd already requested Bride or Die by Madison Score from the library but I was wrong so adding the ebook to my TBR; same for Lily Barlow: The Mystery of Jane Dough by Carla Vergot.

Our group met up with friends from Charm City Romanticon and multiplied the vectors of fun.

Concerns about the weather during the return drive meant we left without dropping in to browse the intriguing items offered by Josie's on Main and other charming businesses. Next time we'll arrive early enough to explore more shops!

Bookish fun was had by all.

*Note about a supporting character with a potential for embodying a problematic trope introduced in the first book in the Riley Thorn series, The Dead Guy Next Door: He's mysterious, possibly mystical and devoted to one of the main characters while not seeming to have family or backstory. The Corpse in the Closet begins to address those details.

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