Boonsboro, Maryland is a small town nestled in the foothills of the South Mountain. I always feel like I’ve traveled back in time whenever I drive past the hundred, hundred-fifty-year-old clapboard and brick buildings that line the six blocks of Main Street.

Boonsboro is also the location of a very popular book store – Turn the Page. Owned by Bruce Wilder, it features his wife, Nora Roberts’ books. Oh, there are other books, but most of the shelves are filled with Nora’s books. If you need any of her earlier books, this will undoubtedly be the place to find it.

I have enjoyed Nora’s books since the debut of her first novel, Irish Thoroughbred in 1981. To date, she has written over two hundred novels with more than five hundred million of those books in print.

Nora is my inspiration, the person I want to be “when I grow up.” She has a unique way of description and dialog. Her characters are so down to earth, her stories so believable. Her style has given me the foundation for creating my own stories. Don’t get me wrong, I will never be as good as Nora Roberts but because of her, my stories evolve.

She also writes as JD Robb and I went to Turn the Page this past weekend to purchase Connections in Death, the forty-eighth book in the “In Death” series.

I traveled with a writing friend, Rowan Worth and we joined the two hundred other fans that lined the small shop. Yes, it was crowded but everyone there laughed and made new friends as we waited to see Nora.

I love reading books that are part of a series and when I retired, I decided to read the “In Death” books from start to her latest. It took me about fourteen months, but I have so enjoyed watching Eve and Roarke’s marriage grow, her career advance as she tackles crimes in New York City, and the trust that has evolved with her partners and co-workers. They have all become family to me.

I met Nora at the beginning of her writing career when she accepted my invitation to be keynote speaker at a writers’ conference. To this day, she always has a welcoming smile for me. She continues to churn out the books but is also very giving of her time. Success has not gone to the head of this down-to-earth author who has shared her knowledge and welcomes fans with an open heart.

So, if you don’t see me the next few days, I am busy with my writing and reading Connections in Death.