Secret Confessions of the Connecticut PTA

In case you don't know, your local PTA is part of a larger statewide organization, which is part of the National PTA. I never gave this much thought until recently, when the Connecticut PTA invited me to be the keynote speaker at their annual conference this year. Turns out, Sally Boske and a few of the other officers there read Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA and thought it might be fun to hear how I came to write a book about a subject near and dear to their hearts.

And so ... yesterday I got into my minivan at six a.m. and drove three hours in the rain until I reached the Clarion Hotel in Bristol, Connecticut, where the 107th Connecticut PTA Annual Convention was held.


It was worth the trip, because the group was so warm and welcoming I quickly forgot I was among strangers. I can get pretty nervous addressing such a large audience, but I felt an immediate bond. I guess they knew I was one of them, and appreciated my jokes and anecdotes. Before I knew it, my speech and reading were over, and I got to sit with Beth and Christine, two terrific ladies from the Farmington Borders who came to the conference with a healthy stock of Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA to sell. Then I got to meet a lot of attendees one-on-one as I signed books. What a great group!

The conference is a two day affair, and a lot of people asked if I was coming back the next day. Alas, Borders and I were only there for one morning, so I think I may have missed a few people. If you're one of them and you'd like a signed book, please stop by the Borders in Farmington, as I left them with a supply of autographed copies to sell in the store.

Also, I'm planning to visit individual PTAs in the fall to do fundraisers with the trade paperback edition of Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA. If your PTA would like to participate, drop me an email. I'd love to hear from you.