Leslie Esdaile Banks

Yep… I’m still on the road and on the go while on deadline… crazy, LOL! But…

On Saturday, March 14th, I had the good fortune to be invited to speak at a really great group in North Jersey. The Science Fiction Society of Northern New Jersey (SFSNNJ) is a group of really cool, warm, fun individuals who came out on a Saturday night just to hang with “moi” at Borders Books and Music in Ramsey, NJ.

Here are some pics they put up on their SFSNNJ website (just click on the link.) It was St. Patty’s Day weekend, and they could have been anywhere else, but I was honored that they chose to spend it with me… and man, did we have some laughs—BIG SMILE!

That’s one of the best parts of this “author” profession – you get to meet wonderful people from all walks of life, interests, and cultures from all over the world. I just got email from Poland—very cool… and I have a bunch of ladies whom I love from Australia (and of course my Dragon Rider ‘sister of the soul,’ Sandra, from Scotland.) It’s all good, as they say.

SFSNNJ is now on my radar as a place to definitely visit regularly. I even found out that they love my buddy, author Jonathan Maberry (he writes cool stuff like zombies, smile, “Cryptopedia,” “Patient Zero,” plus a bunch more; most excellent dude)—who I went to Jr. High School with—small world!

You never know what to expect when you leave your home to embark on a book event odyssey Sometimes it’s good, sometimes not, but I always learn something new. This go ’round I left my house at 3pm… took the 3:49pm 30th Street Train R7 to Trenton, changed there and caught a train to Secaucus, then jumped on another train to Mahwah. (Coming back I got on the 10:14pm and it was 2:30am when I walked in the door–all worth it.)

However, it was 7:30pm when I arrived for the 8pm talk, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. But Josephine was there waiting for me with a big smile and a warm hug, and the laughs started in the car and lasted until we stood on the train platform with Ann-Marie discussing B and C level Sci-Fi Channel horror flicks waiting on my 10:14pm train home. I learned I wasn’t the only one who enjoys cheesy Sat. night low budget monster movies with popcorn curled up on the sofa (okay, so maybe I do need to get a life, but it makes me happy, LOL!)

Right now I’m on a mission to find a flick that was recommended for its sheer ridiculousness, “Teeth,” which will be my treat to myself after I finish this werewolf book, ha ha ha—gotta love it! Thanks SFSNNJ for a wonderful time!

Much Love, Leslie!

Tags: Borders, LA Banks, North Jersey, SFSNNJ

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