It's that time of year -- holidays are upon us and everyone is frantically searching for that "perfect gift." I know, for myself, even before I became a writer, I cherished autographed books. I still have books in my end table at home that are autographed -- some personally to me, others that simply have the authors' name in the front -- and I can't bring myself to get rid of them.
It's not that I think someday this author will become famous and I will be able to make a mint when I sell it on e-Bay, but just because I have a fascination with not only the written word, but with those individuals who have their written words published.
Hey, there are still days when I lie in bed with a tattered copy of a Victoria Holt gothic romance or a Kathleen Woodiwiss high seas romance, stuff it under my pillow and imagine if I concentrate hard 
enough I will come up with an idea as good as theirs were. It hasn't happened yet, but who knows... Actually I have many ideas, some of them good, some of them not so much. Other ideas simply need time to marinate and hopefully a subplot will drop itself into the middle and my book will finally be able to take on a life of its own.
This year, though I have the thrill of participating in the local Author Extravaganza at Lift Bridge Books in Brockport. I will be among the close to 30 local authors who will be featured. I will be there with my baby name book, my friend Charles Benoit will be there with his mystery series, there will be poets and other genre writers there -- and I will be mingling with the best of them!
I realize that every month that I publish another issue of my magazine, ByLine, that I am realizing one of my dreams -- self employment in the field of writing! But, being part of an event in which I can possibly sign one of my books for a reader, or purchase a book from one of my friends and have it signed, is just about the best gift I can give myself this year.
So, if you are looking for a gift idea -- I say, there is nothing better than an autographed piece of reading material! If you are an aspiring writer look for local book signings or author events and attend one. The writers are happy to see readers show up and I have yet to meet a writer who won't attempt to give an answer to the question they are most asked, "Where do you get your ideas?"
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