Over the last two days, I had the pleasure of being in Lake Charles, Louisiana, attending the 2026 Louisiana Library Association Annual Conference at the Lake Charles Event Center. The event was held March 5 through March 7. It brought together librarians, exhibitors, authors, and book lovers from across the state.
I was honored to be invited to give a small talk about my books. I also had the chance to participate in Author Row, where I was able to meet and talk with many of the librarians attending the conference. According to the LLA conference information, Author Row was one of the featured participation opportunities offered as part of this year’s event.
For me, this was more than just setting up books on a table. It was a chance to connect with the very people who help put stories into the hands of readers every single day. Librarians are champions of authors, readers, learning, and community. So being part of this event was both exciting and meaningful.
I had several of my books on display, including titles from my thriller and fiction lineup. It was a real joy to talk about the stories, the writing process, and the journey from photographer to author. I’ve spent decades telling stories with a camera, and now I’m doing it with books too. Standing there on Author Row, talking with librarians who truly care about books, felt like a full-circle kind of moment. That’s a fancy way of saying, yeah, I was grinning a lot.
Louisiana Library Association
The Louisiana Library Association describes its annual conference as a statewide gathering for library professionals. This year’s event included regular conference days on Friday and Saturday. In addition, there were pre-conference sessions and conference activities tied to exhibits, sponsors, and special events.
One of the best parts of the convention was simply getting to meet so many enthusiastic people face to face. There is something special about talking with librarians who are genuinely interested in books, authors, and readers. These are the people who build community around reading. They encourage discovery. And they introduce readers to new voices. Also they keep stories alive.
I’m very thankful to the Louisiana Library Association for the invitation and for the opportunity to be part of such a well-organized event. The LLA has long supported Louisiana’s library community through conferences, professional resources, and statewide programming. Therefore, it was a privilege to take part in this year’s gathering.
A special thank you as well to everyone who stopped by my table, asked questions, looked at the books, or attended my talk. I enjoyed every conversation.
Events like this remind me that books still matter deeply. Stories still connect people. And librarians, bless them, are out there every day helping make that happen.
Lake Charles, thank you for the warm welcome. Louisiana librarians, thank you for all you do.
And yes, for two days I got to stand behind a table full of my books and talk about them. Let’s be honest, that’s a pretty good way to spend a weekend.