When I attend an event that features 80 other authors and their books, my main challenge is NOT to buy too many books. I must buy a few. It's good writerly etiquette, after all, and when will I next be in a room with such a wide selection of talented people?

Flanking me at the Big Book Bash in Denver on Armistice Day 2006 were a Boulder massage therapist and author, and Cristy Shauck from Golden, author of The Healthy Lunchbox: How to Plan, Prepare, and Pack Stress-Free Meals Kids Will Love, published by the American Diabetes Association. Fort Collins "knitting mystery" writer Maggie Sefton (A Deadly Yarn) was across the aisle, the only one within view that had a line of fans waiting to have books signed. An old pal, (Ken) Judah Freed was not there but his book was, courtesy of table mate Joan McWilliams, author of The Peace Finder: Riley McFee’s Quest for World Peace.

A colleague from my CSU days, Jack Martin, strolled by with his three young kids. Jack's a poet, teacher, and husband to best-selling teen/tween book writer Lauren Myracle, who was signing copies on the other side of the room. Bob Greer was just back in town from L.A. where he'd been on tour with his latest CJ Floyd mystery, The Fourth Perspective. As editor of the High Plains Literary Review (now on hiatus), Bob published my first story back in 1990. He bought a copy of my book, The Weight of a Body, and I bought his. We traded signatures. I keep telling Bob we'll get him back in WYO one of these days, but this writer, editor, and physician is one busy guy. Maybe next year....

I finally met several writers I know only through e-mail. Roz Monette's a Denver writer of books for teens (Alex and the Enderson Brothers) and Corinne Joy Brown is a western novelist and historian. We traded books, and I'm now reading one of her novels.

Two of my fellow writers from Ghost Road Press were there. Laurie Wagner Buyer was promoting her poetry books, accompanied by W.C. Jameson, who talked about his new anthology from University of New Mexico Press. Chris Ransick signed his books of poetry and prose. Since he was named Denver's poet laureate earlier this year, the guy's been all over the metro area, teaching in schools and reading in libraries. He's working on a new book, of course, and teaching full-time at Metro State.

Vendor for the event was Boulder Books, a great indie. Not sure how many books were sold. Also not sure how many of the hundreds of librarians attending the conference made their way to the bash. I did admire one very tall librarian who seemingly talked to each writer in the place. In fact, when she stopped at my table, she admitted that was her goal. I saw her working her way through the alphabet, and at the end of the night she carried a bulging bag of signed books. That's my kind of librarian.