After returning from the RWA Conference last Saturday, I needed some "play time" and that was provided for me when my son, Brian, and his girlfriend, Veronique, came to visit us on Tuesday for two nights.

I wasn't the only one that welcomed their pleasant company.  Duncan adores both of them and when I told him "Brian and Veronique are coming" he promptly ran to the front window and sat there waiting until their car pulled up in the driveway.

We didn't do anything special while they were here, except spend some great quality time together.  We had a couple of nice home cooked dinners together, we talked and talked and also laughed a lot.  It's those simple things in life, shared with enjoyable company, that make them so special.

I had no idea my son had ever smoked a cigar!  He gave up smoking cigarettes about eight months ago, but when he returned from the store with Ray, he produced a cigar to enjoy with a beer.............(after a few puffs, it was still in the ashtray the next morning)

Veronique flew over from Paris a week ago Monday and will be on this side of the pond until the middle of the month.  I always enjoy her great company and sense of humor.  She's always fun to be with.

And as always happens, when it was time for them to leave yesterday afternoon, our time together had gone much too quickly.  But I certainly enjoyed the nice break they provided for me.

And today it was back to work.........catching up on book-related stuff, emails to my editor, publisher, marketing and publicity director, phone calls to follow up on, touching base with my personal assistant.  An author's job is never done, but I still maintain all of it is a very good busy.

Not sure you can see the paperback book on the table in the photo above...........I just began reading The Accidental Bestseller by author Wendy Wax the other day.  She's from the Atlanta area and this is my first time reading her.  I love the book and can't put it down!  It's about four writer friends and is a wonderful "tell all" about the publishing industry, related in a nice way.  Wonderful women's fiction and I highly recommend this novel for both writers and readers alike.

I have a busy weekend ahead, playing more catch-up before I leave next week for the Florida Mystery Conference.  So enjoy your weekend and I'll see you here next time...................