I have to admit, it’s taken some adjusting to settle in to virtual events.

After a half year of ‘going virtual’–and events likely remaining that way for the near future–I’d like to say I’ve gotten used to it, and I’m a tech whiz now and an old pro.

Ummm… not quite. I STILL can’t quite get the hang of just *when* does the FB Live video start if I’m ‘casting’ to it from Zoom, which is how I interview other authors once a month or so on my Jess Montgomery page. So I always look a little awkward at the beginning of those. Oh well.

(Here’s a screen capture me looking a bit confused, and author Andrea Johnson–her debut novel, “Poetic Justice,” is coming out SOON–looking patient.)

On the other hand, kudos to me for figuring out how to make Zoom Pro work with FB Live at all! (I admit, with some embarrassment, that it took me waaay longer than it should have to figure out that FB Live works for one device, and one only. If you want to bring in someone from another location, on another device, you have to use a third-party platform–such as Zoom Pro.)

And it’s a little head-spinning to have virtual events on Zoom, FB Live, Crowdcast, Steamyard, Skype, Facetime, and others…

But I’m not complaining, not really. I like that I can visit so many different book clubs, for example, in other states or even locally, but from the comfort of my own home. (If you’d like me to visit yours, just email me, or look for the details on my Book Club page.) Yes, I’m quite comfy in my leggings or yoga pants that I wouldn’t wear to events. It’s nice to cut back on travel.

And I greatly admire the savvy and we-aren’t-giving-up spirit behind festivals and workshops (Ohioana, Bouchercon, Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop, Southern Festival of the Book, and more) finding creative ways to go online.

Yet, I do miss meeting and chatting with readers in person. And seeing my writing friends and publishing community. I hope we can get back to that once it is safe.

In the meantime, I have quite a few events, and hope you can join me online.

Here’s the schedule coming up (and see my Jess Montgomery page for updates):

Stay healthy, safe and kind,