My "Almost" Encounter with Diana Gabaldon

So.....have you ever kicked yourself in the ass because you didn't do something you should have done? Well, is my ass feeling really sore!! Those of you who know me understand my obsessional-type love with the Outlander series and it's extremely talented author, Diana Gabaldon. I devoured her seven gigantic novels, savouring, memorizing and recording many of her humourous and touching lines of prose. I fell madly in love with Jamie Fraser, her hero, a man no other author has been able to best, at least not in any of my subsequent readings. To my great joy, Diana Gabaldon made it to Canada. Yes, on August 14th, she came to a little town called FERGUS in Ontario, about 2 hours from my home in Hamilton. There is a HUGE Scottish festival in Fergus every summer, and Diana often frequents this venue, reading excerpts from her books and talking about Scottish genealogy. I had planned on going with one of my best friends, Heather, a girl I had introduced to the Outlander series who too became obsessed. However, the forecast called for heavy rain (and the festival is entirely outdoors) and I was in a funky, depressed kind of mood the night before and didn't feel like driving for two hours......I know......LAME EXCUSES! The bottom line is, I missed meeting my favourite author of all time, my hero, my idol!! I know, I am an idiot! Anyways, Heather went, the true fan that she is (that's her in the pic with Diana). Diana read excerpts from the next book....so very exciting!!! And she related that "The Scottish Prisoner" will be out THIS FALL! Jamie Fraser is in this book and you don't have to have read the Outlander series to enjoy this tale. Needless to say, I am waiting with bated breath. If I could do it all over, I would definitely make the road trip. All I can say is, maybe next summer!