I met the most amazing person this weekend at Imaginarium. Well, actually, I met many amazing people, some of whom I’ve met before and some of whom I met for the first time.

BUT THIS LADY was one of the amazing people.This is Lydia Sherrer. I kept hearing this haunting ocarina music during the day, and I was like, Wow, somebody has a great soundtrack going for their book. Then I saw her.

She was making her way around the vendor hall, playing for each of the tables. Just because.

When she got to our table, she asked me what I wanted to hear. I said, “ANYTHING!” So she played this beautifully evocative piece. She said she and her family, before the Lord of the Rings movies came out, recorded their own private audiobook of the family, over the course of a few years, reading the trilogy. Her mother had written original music for the poems and songs, and the piece she played us was her mother’s setting of The Road Goes Ever On and On. It was simply wonderful.

Lydia has a website and a blog. On it, she says:

I am who I am today because of the stories I’ve read. My greatest hope is that who my readers are at the end of my stories is better than who they were before.

My goal is to write thoughtfully, with purpose and for the benefit and enjoyment of others. My goal is to write truthfully, not being ashamed of my beliefs or opinions, while respecting those of others. My goal is to inspire other people to reach for their dreams, because I’m reaching for mine and enjoying the heck out of it.

Immensely creative and open-hearted, she was a treasure to meet. And now, enjoy.

MA