If anyone says “Michigan” these days, most people are likely to think of the football team that is…well…not living up to its potential. But there are other things going on in Michigan. Even in Ann Arbor. Honest.

One of them this past weekend was the Kerrytown Book Fest. Held for its fifth year running in the local farmers’ market, the festival hosted many niche marketers: antique books, new books, used books, papermakers, book binders, homemade jewelry, and lots and lots of libraries. In fact, the theme was Celebrating Libraries. If you check out the web site, you can see all of the counties and towns represented by their local literary establishments.

It was a different sort of weekend for me, having the whole gamut of writers: mainstream fiction, children’s books, mysteries, alternative magazines (produced by high school kids!) and even comic books. I’m used to mystery conventions, where everyone is well-versed in the world of Christie and Chandler, and wants to talk about mysteries 24/7. Where we hang out in the bar or hotel lounge and discuss what’s going on in the business,who we saw at the last conference, and the crazy things that have happened since then.

This time I had to branch out a little bit. Or at least, I was supposed to.

Saturday evening a large group of us – authors, librarians, and booksellers – convened at the home of Robin and Jamie Agnew, proprietors of Ann Arbor’s lovely Aunt Agatha’s. There was plenty of great food, a really cute (and well-behaved) dog, and lots of stimulating conversation. But the thing is, I never really made it past the kitchen. The kitchen, wouldn’t you know, was where the mystery authors hung out. Sean Chercover, Steve Sidor, Jan Brogan, and I pretty much held up the counters, with the help of Robin and Jamie, who make a living selling the books we write. Robert Alexander (NYT bestselling author of The Kitchen Boy) did join us for a while, but he was kind of “grandfathered in,” seeing how he began his career as R.D. Zimmerman, author of thirteen mysteries.

I like all people involved with books. Readers, writers, librarians, booksellers… But mystery folks are the ones who really feel like home. We may not know each other very well (I’d just met Jan, Steve, and Robert) but we have a common bond. We begin to talk to each other and the stories flow – book signings, first arrests (not me, so don’t get too excited), which authors make us speak nonsense when we meet them, and plenty of other great topics. Maybe all authors talk about that stuff. Eventually. But it just seems to come naturally when with a group of fun, kind, interesting mystery people.

I’m so grateful to be a part of it all. Sometimes it seems like it’s too good to be true. But the crazy thing is – it’s not.